Nevaeh Buchanan -- Found Deceased 6/4/09

I am completely sickened. It appears that Nevaeh may have been buried alive :-(

watching hln in 15 mins :| Butter told me about it last night she explained it in detail made me sick.

OMG are you guys kidding? Do we have any links to any news reports?

Poor dear. There was a little girl here in Florida (I know, why is it always Here?) Named Rilya who was beaten to death by her caretakers. Her mom couldn't/wouldn't take care of her...but named her Rilya. Which means "Remember I Love You Always". I can't near it when they have names like that. It makes it so much more sad.

I meant I can't bear it...

I mean thinking about Heaven and Nevaeh.

And the reality is quite the opposite.

This is probably the sickest thing I have ever heard of in my life. Its bad enough to kidnap a child and murder them, but someone has to be extremely evil to bury a child alive. This is just beyond horrible to me.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=8089505&page=1

is it good to name a child the backwards of heaven?

but on the other hand alabama had a child who was missing and murdered here named heaven , and my nephews wife wanted to name her chidl nevaeh and he said no.

That poor lil baby just a baby .....the world scares me.

I remember Heaven, her name was Heaven Leshea Ross. I posted a topic about her and the possable connection to a serial killer at CSO.. SHe lived not far from me.

Fysta, I'm sorry I posted a Neveah Thread in Hot topics I didn't see this before I had posted it.

babbette wrote:Poor dear. There was a little girl here in Florida (I know, why is it always Here?) Named Rilya who was beaten to death by her caretakers. Her mom couldn't/wouldn't take care of her...but named her Rilya. Which means "Remember I Love You Always". I can't near it when they have names like that. It makes it so much more sad.

Hi, babbette! :flower: I completely agree with you. Poor little Nevaeh's name is Heaven spelled backwards. I keep wondering if the mother is involved. She's been very quiet, so it makes you wonder.

One of the articles I read last night, LE has been unable to locate her mom for a few days, but she isn't wanted so she is free to go missing if she wants to.

butterfly wrote:I remember Heaven, her name was Heaven Leshea Ross. I posted a topic about her and the possable connection to a serial killer at CSO.. SHe lived not far from me.

oh wow
I did too over at cso I posted about the serial killer in alabama who strikes every two years in the same rural areas

Poor Nevaeh.I hope to God that LE has gotten DNA from the crime scene.

what the h*** is WRONG with people?

no pun intended

butterfly wrote:This is probably the sickest thing I have ever heard of in my life. Its bad enough to kidnap a child and murder them, but someone has to be extremely evil to bury a child alive. This is just beyond horrible to me.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=8089505&page=1

Hi, butterfly! :flower: It sickens me to think that the killer or killers responsible for this is still living and breathing. I have a gut feeling that the mom is involved. We haven't heard from her in awhile, and this looks suspicious to me. We don't hear her demanding that her child's killer be found. Why?

babbette wrote:what the h*** is WRONG with people?

Hi, babbette! :flower: It makes you wonder if some people are just born evil. At any rate, there are a lot of people who should NEVER have children.

[quote="Booklover"]

butterfly wrote:

[ I have a gut feeling that the mom is involved. We haven't heard from her in awhile, and this looks suspicious to me. We don't hear her demanding that her child's killer be found. Why?

yeah you hear nothing from this woman or that woman whose child's scent was not picked up by dogs.

think eugenics folks
Eugenics is "the study of, or belief in, the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits." As a social movement eugenics reached its height of popularity in the early decades of the 20th century. By the end of World War II eugenics had been largely abandoned, though current trends in genetics have raised questions amongst critical academics concerning parallels between pre-war attitudes about eugenics and...more »

Carpet samples removed from Nevaeh's Apt after carpet fibers found under Nevaeh's fingernails

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090716/METRO/907160392/Nevaeh-investigators-probe-carpet-fibers

Michelle wrote:Carpet samples removed from Nevaeh's Apt after carpet fibers found under Nevaeh's fingernails

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090716/METRO/907160392/Nevaeh-investigators-probe-carpet-fibers

Hi, Michelle! :flower: Lets' pray that this information will lead to Nevaeh's killer.

[quote="DebB"]

Booklover wrote:

butterfly wrote:

[ I have a gut feeling that the mom is involved. We haven't heard from her in awhile, and this looks suspicious to me. We don't hear her demanding that her child's killer be found. Why?

yeah you hear nothing from this woman or that woman whose child's scent was not picked up by dogs.

Hi, Deb! :flower: I think Lindsey Baum's mom took a Lie Detector Test and passed. I do think Nevaeh's mom is involved in her death. She obviously thought it was alright to hang around with sex offenders. Her daughter's safety was not important to her.

It has been a month & 1/2 since we heard about a beer can & a ciggarette butt being found buried with Neveah.This article says they were sent off for testing (article is from the first week of June)

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/19684641/detail.html

I wonder why there hasn't been any news on this.Also I wonder what LE found out about where the 90 Lb bag of concrete was sold (I never knew how LE knew it was a 90 lb bag).

The cops are saying very little publicly about this case. Most of the details of the autopsy were released to the media through family members based on what the cops told them. I hope there is a good reason that the cops aren't sharing information, as opposed to them having no information to share. There is a possibility that they don't want to tip off potential suspects, or that they are pretty sure their main suspect is already behind bars.

Nevaeh Buchanan: Pulling Together a Community
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1949612/nevaeh_buchanan_pulling_together_a.html?cat=8
July 21, 2009
As a resident of the small town community of Monroe, Michigan and a parent of a small child, I too have been affected in a slight way from such a terrible occurance that has rocked this small community.

Picture a small, historic town on the Lake Erie coast, and on the banks of the River Raisin. It is Memorial Day weekend and a majority of the small town is off work relaxing and enjoying some down time. Unexpectedly, an Amber Alert is passed on
via Text Message on a majority of cell phones. Monroe is a small town community with very closely connected residents. I don't think I've talked to anyone who didn't know about Nevaeh's disappearance within 30 minutes of the issuance of that Amber Alert. Thank Heavens for technology in that respect. Unfortunately, it could not save an innocent little girl's life this time.

As the hours pressed on, more and more of the community started to get involved in trying to locate little Nevaeh Buchanan. Search parties were organized in parking lots of local community businesses. Those local businesses were donating supplies to the search parties such as flashlights, bug spray, and batteries. Prayer vigils were being held outside of the apartment complex where Nevaeh lived. The hotline that the Monroe County Sheriff's Department set up for tips was being inundated with information from people around the community trying give any information of the assailent that they possibly could offer. Monroe County Residents were so shaken by what happened, that they felt they needed to help out in some way. Even if it was small.

Residents of the search parties searched fields, river banks, ditches, dumpsters. Any place that someone could have put a small childs' body for hiding. Other residents who attended the prayer vigils lent positive words to the family of Nevaeh
Buchanan and retained hope that they could find her. This community's collective heart broke when Nevaeh's tiny body was found on the riverbanks in the western part of Monroe County by two fishermen after having been missing for more than a week. Someone had dug a shallow grave, placed Nevaeh's body in it and poured Quickcrete (quick setting cement) in over her body to conceal the location.

Once her body was discovered and identified, a funeral was held. Residents from all over the County as well as from California, Kansas and Florida showed up to mourn the precious, innocent child's passing. After the viewing at the Merkle Funeral home in Frenchtown Township (the north end of Monroe County) a procession of motorcycles and an antique hearse drove by Nevaeh's favorite place. That place was The Playscape at Munson Park. Countless numbers of residents who lived on the same roads that the funeral procession was going to take came out of their houses, released balloons in Nevaeh's honor. Even residents who didn't live on those roads came to release balloons and watch the procession pass.

Nevaeh Buchanan's abduction and death affected thousands of lives, even if we didn't know her personally. Being the parent of a 2 year old, my heart ached for that little girl. I thanked God every day since this horrible happening that I still have my son, and that he is safe in my arms. My conscience has made a special note of this terrible thing that happened to such an innocent and beautiful little girl, of what I can do to keep it from happening to me and my son. And I'm positive that the thousands of other parents of small children have too. Our community may not have been able to save this little girl's life. But we sure tried. And we have learned what precautions need to be taken to keep this from happening to someone else.

New autopsy results have shown that Nevaeh's abductor most likely either buried her alive or smothered her face in the dirt of the shallow grave before filling it with the cement. More heartbreak. More alarming results. The murderer of this little girl still has not been found. And the two men that were people of interest in this case have been removed from the town so that they will be safe from any "Vigilate Justice" that the enraged residents of Monroe County have been suspected of imparting. Nothing has happened yet in that sense, but authorities are taking preventative measures.

As for this small community, the consensus is that they just couldn't believe that something this huge would happen in such a tiny town. One mother told me that she just didn't think things like that happened here. The appeal of the safety of such a small town was what convinced her to
move to Monroe and start her family. Now she's wondering if that was such a good idea.

The point of any of this is that there is no place safe enough. There's no community secure enough. Bad things happen to good people and sometimes, it isn't for us to know why they happen, but just to endure and cope the best that we possibly can. I think that the best thing that anybody, in the Monroe community and around the country in general, can do is to learn from what has happened. Always know where your children are. Always know whose house they are visiting and know the parents of your children's friends. Stay informed. Be alert. And hope that the community will rally around you to make sure your child is safe if something bad still happens.

I think that the Monroe County Community should get a shining star for pulling together to help out in any way that they could. People were concerned. They donated their time, their supplies and their knowledge in the battle of Good vs. Evil. While the battle was lost, the war can still be won. And Monroe County demonstrated that to the country.

Article published July 26, 2009
ID card found in creek not seen as relevant to Nevaeh investigation

MONROE - An expired state of Michigan identification card that was found Wednesday in a small creek along Telegraph Road does not appear to have any relevance to the ongoing investigation surrounding the slaying of 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan, according to a statement issued by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The document belonged to George Kennedy, 39, a registered sex offender who has been described by authorities as a boyfriend of the child's mother, Jennifer Buchanan, and a "person of interest" in the case.

Nevaeh disappeared from the Charlotte Arms apartment complex in Monroe on May 24. Her body was found miles away June 4 along the River Raisin shoreline near Ida, Mich.

Kennedy and two other men identified as persons of interest have not been charged in her disappearance or death. Authorities have not named them or anyone else as suspects.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said the ID card was found by a passerby, but "does not appear to have any significance to the Buchanan investigation."

A task force of multiple agencies has been reviewing more than 1,200 tips, the sheriff's office said.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090726/NEWS02/907260359/0/COLUMNIST26

Police say ID card isn't linked to Nevaeh Buchanan case
Posted: Jul 26, 2009 8:48 AM EDT
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=10791464
MONROE, MI (WTOL) - Michigan police are discounting a rumor involving the Nevaeh Buchanan murder case.

Monroe County investigators say an expired state of Michigan ID card belonging to George Kennedy, which was discovered this week in a small creek, is not linked to the murder case.

Earlier in the investigation Kennedy was named a person of interest.

Meanwhile the task force continues to follow up on more than 1200 tips into the 5-year-old's abduction and death.

SPECIAL REPORT: Inside the crime lab
Monday, July 27, 2009
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6935212

By Alexis Means

Evidence in the Nevaeh Buchanan murder case is being tested inside a Michigan crime lab. Tonight, 13abc's Alexis Means gives us a rare look inside.

Scientists wouldn't talk about the Nevaeh case, but showed us tools they're using to solve her case and thousands of other crimes.

Forensic scientists spend hours trying to solve major crimes. In the trace evidence lab, Cherly Lozen demonstrates how items like tire tracks and glass can create possble leads in a case. "Usually it's just a residue from the shoe that's left on the glass. And to enhance that we use something like a black fingerprint powder and just lightly dust it, and you can see the the tread design of the shoe matches up."

She uses a special light and goggles to look for fibers. "If you look through the goggles, you'll be able to see some of the fibers fluorescing bright orange." The fibers can be chemically analyzed through a powerful microscope.

The drug analysis unit smells like marijuana. Drug unit supervisor Jurgen Switalski says, "After 30 years of smelling it, I don't notice it nearly as much as I used to." The high-tech machines are loud and can detect what's in a drug.

Investigators can take fingerprints from almost anything. Trooper Amanda Crooker works with latent prints. She told us, "Super glue fuming is just something we use in these tanks. We use heat and humidity, and it creates a fume that actually sticks to the water and latent prints."

They can digitally enhance prints and import them into a database containing nearly three million fingerprints.

DNA evidence has helped to solve cold cases. The DNA lab's Danielle Hankinson says, "Basically we're looking for biological fluids or biological material that will contain DNA."

Det. Lt. Brett Sojda is with the firearms and tools division. He says, "The whole aim is to see if you can match up a particular piece of fired evidence, a fired bullet or a fired cartridge case, to a particular gun or in the case of tool, mark."

Sojda showed us how it works. He grabbed a gun, we put on our vests and headed to the garage. "This is a bullet recovery system. Basically it's a tank full of water with a nomadic lid. So everything stays inside. Basically for every gun we get in, we take test shots."

He fired into the tank and retrieved the bullets. Back in the lab, they put the test shots on each side of the bullet recovered from the crime. "The bulk of what we do involves sitting here hours on end staring at small imperfections either on fired bullet or fired cartridge case. We make comparisons to see if those unique markings are indicative of what we are seeing on the evidence and tests shots."

Investigation Ongoing in Nevaeh's Death

Updated: Friday, 07 Aug 2009, 7:53 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 07 Aug 2009, 11:34 AM EDT

MONROE, Mich. (AP) - Police say they are continuing to follow up on tips and leads in the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl who was found buried near a Michigan river.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Department said Friday the task force investigating the death of Nevaeh Buchanan is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

More than 1,200 tips have been received and police say evidence still is being analyzed from her shallow grave along the River Raisin in Monroe County's Raisinville Township, where she was discovered June 4.

Nevaeh disappeared 10 days earlier from outside an apartment complex in Monroe. An autopsy revealed she suffocated after inhaling dirt.

No one has been arrested in her death.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/Investigation_Continues_in_th

Search continues for Nevaeh's killer

Police say they are continuing to follow up on tips and leads in the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl, Nevaeh Buchanan, who was found buried along the River Raisin.

Friday, August 07, 2009 at 11:33 a.m.

MONROE, Mich. (AP) - Police say they are continuing to follow up on tips and leads in the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl who was found buried near a Michigan river.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Department said Friday the task force investigating the death of Nevaeh Buchanan is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

More than 1,200 tips have been received and police say evidence still is being analyzed from her shallow grave along the River Raisin in Monroe County's Raisinville Township, where she was discovered June 4.

Nevaeh disappeared 10 days earlier from outside an apartment complex in Monroe. An autopsy revealed she suffocated after inhaling dirt.

No one has been arrested in her death.

Police say they're still investigating death of Nevaeh Buchanan
by The Associated Press
Friday August 07, 2009, 2:01 PM
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/08/police_say_theyre_still_invest.html

MONROE, Mich. -- Police say they are continuing to follow up on tips and leads in the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl who was found buried near a Michigan river.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Department said Friday the task force investigating the death of Nevaeh Buchanan is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

More than 1,200 tips have been received and police say evidence still is being analyzed from her shallow grave along the River Raisin in Monroe County's Raisinville Township, where she was discovered June 4.

Nevaeh disappeared 10 days earlier from outside an apartment complex in Monroe. An autopsy revealed she suffocated after inhaling dirt.

No one has been arrested in her death.

Reward increased to $20,000 for information in Monroe girl's murder
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090807/NEWS02/908079946
MONROE — Authorities are offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for the abduction and murder of 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan.

The reward is being offered by a task force of multiple agencies that has been investigating the slaying, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The task force has reviewed more than 1,200 tips in the ongoing investigation surrounding the slaying. Nevaeh disappeared from the Charlotte Arms apartment complex in Monroe on May 24. Her body was found June 4 along the River Raisin shoreline near Ida, Mich

Posted: Aug. 8, 2009
Metro Detroit news briefs: $20K being offered for tips in Nevaeh case
RAISINVILLE TOWNSHIP: $20,000 being offered for tips in Nevaeh case

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said Friday the task force investigating the death of 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her death.

More than 1,200 tips have been received, and police say evidence still is being analyzed from her shallow grave along the River Raisin, where her body was found June 4.

Nevaeh disappeared 10 days earlier. An autopsy revealed she suffocated after inhaling dirt. No one has been arrested in her death.

it's things like this that make you want to really hurt the sick ( phsyco ! ) people who hurt others ! they make me sick ! should be killed in same fashion as their defenseless little victims !

Sunni wrote:it's things like this that make you want to really hurt the sick ( phsyco ! ) people who hurt others ! they make me sick ! should be killed in same fashion as their defenseless little victims !

I agree. How do you think the killer would like being buried alive and inhaling dirt as he took his last breath? Most wouldn't wish that type of death on anybody, but this scum did it to an innocent, defenseless 5-year-old girl.

It's absolutely horrible. It reminds me of Jessica Lundsford from Homosassa, Fl. Only in this case, Nevaeh's killer still has not been found. I can't help but wonder if her killer isn't one of the two that are already in jail. I'd be willing to bet that neither of them are "talking" as they would both have lawyered up with free lawyers & been told not to speak.

I guess I would rather think that, than to think that her killer is still amoung us in the real world. Walking around scott free. Choosing his/her nest victim. It's hard to imagine. Sometimes, I want to get in the head of a killer like this. Find out what goes on in xheir mind. Then, it frightens me to think about what COULD be going on in their mind (if you know what I mean). Sick, Sick, Sick!

Nevaeh Buchanan case still unsolved
Monday, August 24, 2009
Toledo, Ohio -- Three months into the investigation, there are few solid leads

Today marks three months since the five-year-old Monroe Girl disappeared from her apartment complex. Fishermen found the body of Nevaeh Buchancan eleven days after her disappearance on the banks of the River Raisin.

All this time later, frustration is growing, as tips and information from police dry up.

Read more: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6980440

It continues to be very frustrating that the police don't seem to have a clue who did this. What happened to the cigarette butt and the beer can that they found? You would think there would be some kind of DNA found at the crime scene or on Nevaeh for authorities to work with.

I think that they already have the two in jail that are responsible for Neveah's kidnapping and death, George Kennedy and his friend. I think they are trying to get Neveahs mother two, but they just dont have the evidence yet.

A man attempted to grab a 4-year-old girl at St. Mary’s Park in Monroe, MI on Sunday. The man grabbed her arm and said "come here." The girl screamed and ran back to her mother who was nearby. The suspect was described as an older man wearing a white shirt and dark pants. He had short, dark hair and a gray goatee. Monroe is where Nevaeh Buchanan lived when she was abducted and murdered in May. Detectives plan to look into any possible links between this incident and the death of Nevaeh.

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090909/NEWS01/709099984/-1/NEWS

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/20800470/detail.html

It has been four long months since little Nevaeh Buchanan vanished from her home.
Detectives still have not caught the child’s killer – and Nevaeh’s family is begging for information.
Action News Investigator Heather Catallo has the latest in this tragic murder mystery.

This week – the Monroe County Sheriff released a new poster that begs for information about Nevaeh Buchanan’s murder.
But at this point Nevaeh’s family – wants more than glossy pictures and reward money – they want justice for Monroe’s little angel.


[Sherry Buchanan/Novae’s Grandma] “I don’t want to admit to myself that she’s gone. I want her to come home. I want her to come home still yet.”

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/content/news/investigators/story/Nevaehs-Family-Waits-for-Answers/C364AFjI5Ua04pyeo_Mojg.cspx

Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information. I'm very frustrated by the lack of progress in this case.

Nevaeh's family waits
by Ray Kisonas

They have a clear message for the person who abducted and killed Nevaeh Buchanan:

Give up quietly; you're only making it more difficult for yourself.

That message comes from the Buchanan family's spiritual adviser, from law enforcement officials and from the family members themselves.

The Rev. Dale Hayford, a Buchanan family friend, pleads with the killer to turn himself in.

On the law enforcement side, investigators are a little more direct with a warning: Enjoy freedom while it lasts.

It has been almost five months since the 5-year-old girl was abducted from her N. Macomb St. apartment complex.

The discovery of her body in a shallow grave sparked widespread grieving and anger in a community where hundreds of people covered acres of Monroe County searching for her.

Since then, details on the investigation have been sparse. Police have been tight-lipped. Family members say it is impossible to move forward without knowing who did such a terrible thing to a little girl. And why.

"Us, as a family, really deserve to know something," said Mike Buchanan, Nevaeh's uncle, who had a close relationship with the girl. "But also as a community, we need to know. Something's got to give. Our healing isn't going to progress until we get better information. I need to know every detail."

Read more: http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091016/NEWS01/710169986/-1/NEWS

Friends, family gather 6 months after Nevaeh's disappearance

They lit candles and held signs next to the bench built in the five-year-old's honor.

Last night friends and family marked six months since five-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan disappeared from her apartment complex in Monroe. A dozen family members and friends gathered at the playground outside Riverside School in Monroe where Nevaeh was a student. They lit candles and held signs next to the bench built in the five-year-old's honor. Family members worry not only about the investigation, but that people in the community are forgetting about their little girl.

On May 24th Nevaeh Buchanan disappeared from the Charlotte Arms Apartment Complex in Monroe. Eleven days later, fishermen found her body on the banks of the River Raisin encased in cement. Autopsy results indicate she may have been buried alive.

A few persons of interest were named in the case but still no one has been charged with little Nevaeh's kidnapping or murder. The Monroe County Sheriff's Department continues to follow up on leads. Anyone with information about Nevaeh is encouraged to call them at 734-243-7070.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7137930

How sad that her killer has not been found yet. I hope that LE is still investigating this case.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100103/NEWS16/1030302

13,000 tips later, grisly Nevaeh case remains unsolved after 7 months

By MARK REITER
BLADE STAFF WRITER





MONROE - Memories of Nevaeh Buchanan weigh heavily in the heart and mind of the slain girl's grandmother.

Sherry Buchanan said she hurts every day, but the holidays are among the hardest. She also is dreading Feb. 3, when her granddaughter would have turned 6 years old.

"I think about Nevaeh constantly. I just wish that she was here now," she said just days before Christmas. "I raised her from the first day she was born. I did everything with her."

Mrs. Buchanan recalled the morning after unwrapping gifts two years ago when Nevaeh crawled into her lap and hugged her tightly.

"She told me, 'Grandma, I love you,'" Mrs. Buchanan said.

It was just more than seven months ago that Nevaeh went missing from the parking lot of Charlotte Arms Apartments, where she lived with her grandmother and her mother, Jennifer Buchanan.

Nevaeh, who was last seen riding a scooter in the complex on May 24, was found 10 days later in a shallow grave, encased in concrete, along the banks of the River Raisin.

The killing of Nevaeh was the area's most high-profile crime in 2009.

Authorities said they cannot recall a more sensational or heinous slaying in the history of Monroe County or Monroe, a city settled by French-Canadians in the late 1700s before Michigan became a state.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has released no new details since the autopsy showed the little girl was smothered and may have been buried alive.

To date, no witnesses have come forward, and the case remains unsolved.

Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield said a special task force of local, state, and federal law enforcement continues to investigate and the crime remains a high priority.

"Investigators are still pursuing leads and following up on additional information received. The investigation is far from having reached a dead end," he said in a written statement.

The case sparked enormous interest, dominated headlines in newspapers and on the Internet, and gained nationwide media exposure before two fishermen found her body in the shallow grave along the riverbank in Raisinville Township.

Jennifer Buchanan, and Nevaeh's father, Shane Hinojosa of West Toledo, appeared on CNN's Nancy Grace and other national TV programs.

"The Nevaeh Buchanan case has received far more national media coverage than any other homicide investigation in Monroe County's history," Sheriff Crutchfield said.

The tragedy has been followed with community projects designed to keep the victim's memory alive.

There have been candlelight vigils, spaghetti dinners, raffles, and other fund-raisers. Risa Thompson, a distant cousin of Nevaeh's, orchestrated the placement of a memorial park bench at a local elementary school and began a scholarship fund for needy preschoolers in Monroe.

The Westland, Mich., resident organized a Christmas party for needy children and their families, including many from Charlotte Arms Apartments. More than 150 children received toys, gloves, hats, and socks, and were treated to a Christmas dinner in Westland.

Ms. Thompson said she wants to keep Nevaeh's name alive in the community and keep the case in the public eye.

"I just want to make memories in her name and make her name stand out in a better light. I am trying to get justice served. She deserves it," she said.

Since Nevaeh's disappearance, the sheriff's office has fielded more than 13,000 tips, mostly from a phone line set up for the investigation.

Sheriff Crutchfield said investigators worked three-quarters of the tips into leads that were either cleared as unfounded or produced information that was helpful in the case.

"The tips have slowed down, which is normal. The task force is receiving tips weekly and the case is being worked on every day," he said.

Shortly after Nevaeh went missing, investigators focused on a pair of convicted sex offenders who were acquaintances of the mother, Jennifer Buchanan.

Investigators labeled George Kennedy and Roy Smith as "persons of interest" in the case. The men were never charged. They were sent back to prison to finish their original sentences after they were found guilty of violating parole by having contact with Nevaeh's family.

The investigation also has focused on the apartment complex where Nevaeh spent the last months of her short life.

Detectives assigned to the case last month distributed questions to residents, asking for written answers. The questions ask about their activities and whereabouts on the day Nevaeh went missing and whether they were the person responsible for the crime.

Diane Edwards said she and her family complied with the requests even though she had doubts about the questionnaire's usefulness.

"If we didn't fill it out, it would seem like we might have something to do with it," she said.

Sherry Buchanan said she prays each day for her granddaughter. She said she asks God to give Nevaeh this message: "Grandma loves you, baby, and don't ever think that I don't."

In her prayers, she also asks God that someone will come forward to admit to killing her granddaughter, providing answers to questions that will help bring her closure.

"I want to ask him, 'Why Nevaeh? Why did you pick her?'•" she said.

Lowell Kirk, a former Monroe resident who lives in Tennessee, was fishing with his stepson when they stumbled across Nevaeh's decaying, entombed body.

The men, who never had fished before at the spot on the river along Dixon Road near Ida-Maybee Road, spotted a block of poured concrete and noticed a bad smell.

The stepson, Guy Bickley of Frenchtown Township, chipped away a piece of the concrete, revealing what appeared to be human skin.

Mr. Kirk had made a surprise trip to Michigan to visit relatives, arriving at his stepson's home the day the girl went missing.

"The Lord sent me up there to find that little girl. I really believe that," he said. "I was on a mission from God. That's what it was."

A retired autoworker, Mr. Kirk said he often thinks about that day.

"Sometimes, I wake up, and she will come to my mind. I will never forget it," he said. "I got grandkids that age. I can't imagine that happening to them."

A somber birthday
Nevaeh's family praying for justice

Updated: Wednesday, 03 Feb 2010, 11:53 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 03 Feb 2010, 11:38 PM EST

MONROE, Mich. (WUPW) -- More than eight months after Nevaeh Buchanan disappeared in late May 2009 outside her Monroe, Mich., home, her family marked a somber occasion.

Wednesday would have been Nevaeh's sixth birthday.

Her family is still praying for justice because her killer or killer have yet to be found.

Family, friends, and several members of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office gathered at her gravesite.

Shaun Lawson, Nevaeh's cousin, said now, more than ever, he wants the person or persons responsible caught and punished.

"We do want who ever did this caught, put behind bars for eternity," he said. "I don't think no one liked it. Whoever would do something like that to a child don't deserve to walk the streets with us."

The Nevaeh task force have followed up on thousands of tips but so far no arrests have been made, the sheriff's department said.

If you have any information, contact the task force tip line at (734) 457-6713. You can remain anonymous.

http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/A-somber-birthday

The search for Nevaeh Buchanan

Monday, February 15, 2010

Almost a year and 13,000 tips later, no killer has been charged with the child's death

It's the most high-profile murder case in our area in years. Nevaeh Buchanan, 5, was taken from her home and buried alive. It happened last summer, but to this day, the crime remains unsolved.

Her name was Nevaeh-- heaven spelled backward-- and on her tombstone, she's called "Monroe's Little Angel."

Diana Lawson is Nevaeh's great-aunt. She still lives in the Charlotte Arms apartment building, across the hall from where Nevaeh was last seen. That was May 24 of last year.

How Nevaeh disappeared is unclear. After a massive 10-day search, two fishermen uncovered her body. It was encased in cement along a bank of the River Raisin, near the town of Maybee.

A large, wooden cross now stands along the riverbank, marking the site where investigators recovered Nevaeh's body. It's here you'll also find signs offering a $20,000 reward to whomever can help solve this mystery.

Two weeks ago would have marked Nevaeh's sixth birthday. A small crowd gathered to remember the girl, including Nevaeh's mother, Jennifer Buchanan. Jennifer did not speak to the media.

She and Nevaeh's grandmother, who was the girl's legal guardian, have since moved out of Charlotte Arms.

Meantime, Nevaeh's aunt says she still contacts investigators, asking for updates.

We were all set to talk with a sergeant about the investigation and where it stands, when the sheriff of Monroe County pulled the plug. At this point, we are told there will be no on-camera interviews about the Nevaeh Buchanan case.

We do know the two men originally considered "persons of interest" are still in prison. George Kennedy and Roy Smith never faced new charges.

The convicted sex offenders were both found guilty of violating parole by contacting Nevaeh's family. They're currently finishing out their original sentences.

As for Nevaeh's great-aunt, she wonders how much detectives know and how much she doesn't. "They're not talking much about anything. I don't know if they've got anything, any clues."

That leaves her, and many others, to question: what led up to the killing of Monroe's little angel? Who took the young life of Nevaeh Buchanan? And perhaps the most nagging question of all -- Why?

The sheriff's office has fielded 13,000 tips. The lead detective continues to investigate every day. If you have any information, give them a call at 734-240-7550

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7278752&rss=rss-wtvg-article-7278752

On a mission for Nevaeh

Updated: Thursday, 04 Feb 2010, 6:53 PM EST

Kristi Leigh
FOX Toledo News reporter

MONROE, Mich. (WUPW) - MONROE, Mich. (WUPW) -- Shaun Lawson has made it his mission to turn the tragic loss of his cousin, Nevaeh Buchanan, into action against violence toward children.

Lawson wants to do more than just memorialize Nevaeh, who would have turned six on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

He wants to take his cause to Washington, D.C.

Nevaeh disappeared May 24, 2009, while riding a scooter near her family's apartment complex. After 11 days of extensive searches, two fishermen found her body near the bank of the River Raisin in Raisinville Township. Nevaeh's body was encased in cement.

The Nevaeh Task Force has investigated thousands of leads but eight months after her disappearance the murder, no suspects have been caught.

Her cousin still can't believe someone would commit such a sensless crime, but Lawson is determined to help prevent the heartache from happening to other families.

"We're always talking about terrorists, the terrorists terrorizing the country," he said. "What about the terrorists that are terrorizing our children today? The kids that don't even have a chance, you see it on TV all the time."

So Nevaeh's cousin is single-handedly trying to improve safety, in his community and far beyond, by fighting for tougher laws and enforcement and more community involvement.

"I think we need better surveillance," Lawson said. "I think we need better neighborhood watches. We need more police out there. We need stricter laws. The state legislators they need to stand up and do something."

Lawson said when he's not working to pay his bills and hold his family together, he's on the phone calling legislators, state representatives, national media outlets, and trying to organize neighborhood watches.

He's doing it all in little Nevaeh's angelic name.

"I'm not doing it for me, I'm not doing it for my family, I'm not just 'cause I want to be on TV," Lawson said. "It's not about that. It's about Nevaeh. It's about her."

He admits it hasn't been easy taking all this on alone. He is always looking for help. You can contact him at Chiplee069@hotmail.com.

If you have any information that can help in the search for Nevaeh's killer, you can also contact the task force tip line at (734) 457-6713. You can remain anonymous.



http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/On-a-mission-for-Nevaeh

Keeping Nevaeh's memory alive

Scholarship fundraiser

Updated: Monday, 22 Feb 2010, 2:42 PM EST
Published : Saturday, 20 Feb 2010, 11:27 PM EST

Sharia Davis
FOX Toledo News reporter

MONROE, Mich. (WUPW) - Family, friends and community members gathered in Monroe, Michigan Saturday in an effort to keep Nevaeh Buchanan's memory alive.

The little girl was kidnapped and murdered in 2009 and police have yet to name a suspected killer in the case.

A spaghetti fundraiser was held at the Moose Lodge in Monroe, Mich. The money raised will go to a scholarship fund in Nevaeh's name.



http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/On-a-mission-for-Nevaeh

Monroe musicians pen 'Nevaeh's Song'

Updated: Tuesday, 23 Feb 2010, 7:58 PM EST
Allison Brown
FOX Toledo News reporter

MONROE, Mich. (WUPW) - It's a song from the heart, but one that John Vass and his family never wanted to have to write.

It's called "Nevaeh's Song," which was performed Feb. 20 during the annual St. Michael's We Care telethon at Monroe County Community College.

"I was mad that a man could do that, a man or a woman, whoever it is, and he's going to get his, he's not going to get away with it," said John Vass of the family group A Vass Majority. "Because of her, we don't be the same, and it's really true when we think about it. This has caused a lot of people to really think about their life."

Nevaeh Buchanan was 5 and had just graduated from kindergarten when she disappeared from her family's apartment complex Memorial Day weekend 2009. Eleven days later, after several searches, two fishermen found her body cased in cement by the bank of the River Raisin in Raisinville Township.

Her murder has gone unsolved.

Vass said over the summer of 2009 when the community searched for the young girl, his family's band would play music at vigils for Nevaeh.

"I really sensed something from God to write a song about the situation, for the family, for the people," he said.

He hopes one day Nevaeh's killer or killers will be caught and Nevaeh's family can begin to heal.

"Come judgment day I know, God above is going to deal with you," he said.

You can listen to "Nevaeh's Song" in its entirety on A Vass Majority's MySpace page.



http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/Monroe-musicians-pen--Nevaehs-Song

What a beautiful song they wrote and performed for Nevaeh. She truly is heaven's child.

Nevaeh posters to be distributed Monday

Last modified April 23. 2010 11:04AM

A reward poster distribution campaign on the Nevaeh Buchanan case will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at Monroe Moose Family Center 884, 1320 N. Macomb St.

The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of Nevaeh’s murderer. CrimeStoppers of Michigan has a $1,000 reward for any tips leading to her killer; tipsters can be anonymous.

Standard-size reward fliers will be passed out to individuals, while posters will be given to businesses. The event will end with a prayer vigil led by Pastor Dale Hayford of Community Crosswalk Church in Monroe, with prayers focusing on justice for Nevaeh.

The public is welcome to stop by and pick up posters and join friends and family in prayer.

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100423/NEWS01/704239971

Search continues for Nevaeh Buchanan's killer

Updated at 06:45 PM today

On May 24 of last year, five-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan vanished from the Charlotte Arms apartment complex.

Eleven days later her body was found encased in cement along the banks of the River Raisin.

In the days following, persons of interest began to surface, but no one was ever charged with the crime. Despite the passage of time, many in Monroe are hopeful including members of Nevaeh's family who say they have confidence in the sheriff's office and they believe investigators know more than they are letting on.

Nevaeh's grandmother Sherry Buchanan tells us she is in constant contact with detectives . She says there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't think about her granddaughter Nevaeh and the search for her killer. "I just want this person to come forward, whoever did this. I don't have any more anger than what I had on day one."

Sherry Buchanan says, "I think they have evidence they just aren't sharing right now." Investigators refuse to speak with the media on camera. In fact, our last interview with the sheriff was back on June 24.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7407148

It's been almost a year that we've been waiting for justice for Nevaeh. It's frustrating that we don't seem to be any closer to catching Nevaeh's killer than we were the day her body was found.

I know detectives don't want to say much in fear of tipping off the killer, but I would at least like to know whether they have the killer's DNA. If they do, it's obviously not a match for George Kennedy or Roy Smith, the two sex offender friends of Nevaeh's mother who went back to jail for violating their parole. Even if they have the DNA, it might take years until the perp gets arrested for another crime and a match is discovered in a database. If there is no DNA, this case may never be solved.

A year later, no answers in Nevaeh Buchanan murder

Last Updated: May 10, 2010 7:42AM



Nevaeh's paternal grandmother Carla Elliotte is comforted by her boyfriend, Ted Nash, during a tribute to Nevaeh on April 26 in Monroe.

Monroe -- Risa Thompson had a distressing conversation recently with a stranger who thought her nightmare was over.

"When he found out I was related to Nevaeh, he said: 'The cops caught the guy who killed her, didn't they?' " Thompson said. "I still talk to people who think the murderer has been caught."

Thompson, cousin of slain 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan, is trying to get the word out that the killer is still on the loose.

It's been almost a year since Nevaeh was last seen by neighbors as she played on her scooter in the Charlotte Arms Apartments in the evening of May 23.

After a search that made national headlines, Nevaeh's body was found June 4 about 10 miles away by two fishermen who spotted skin beneath freshly poured concrete near the River Raisin. An autopsy later revealed she had dirt in her lungs, meaning she likely was buried alive.

The case was highlighted for several weeks after the abduction in the national media, including segments on CNN's Nancy Grace show.

But while the nationwide spotlight has waned, the pain remains for Nevaeh's family.

"It bothers me that people think this is over," said Thompson, 42, of Livonia. "Some people are surprised to hear that the killer hasn't been found."

Thompson has joined with friends and relatives to form Justice for Nevaeh, a group whose aim is to keep the case in the public eye.

The group last month held a poster campaign and passed out hundreds of fliers bearing two images of Nevaeh, along with the offer of a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the murderer.

Sherry Buchanan broke into tears at the April 26 poster campaign as she discussed the pain of not knowing who killed her granddaughter.

"It's really hard," she said. "I still want answers. I want to see whoever did this face to face. There are so many things I want to ask. Why her? She was just a baby. I don't understand it.

"I want them to come forward; to give themselves up," the grandmother said. "I just want them to know how I feel. I hurt inside. I pray every night that they don't sleep good -- I hope they see Nevaeh's face every night like I do."

Since September, more than 10,000 posters have been passed out and hung in area grocery stores, gas stations and other businesses. In addition, Lake Erie Transit, which runs eight bus routes in Monroe County, has agreed to display large posters on the outside of two coaches, and smaller versions inside eight of their buses.

Nevaeh's friends and family say they haven't heard much from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, which is conducting the murder investigation.

"We're not hearing a lot from the police," Thompson said. "But I think they're just doing their job; they can't put information out there that they can't prove 100 percent, so they're being careful.

"They don't want a child killer to get off on a technicality."

Two sex offenders who were friends with Nevaeh's mother, Jennifer Buchanan, were arrested shortly after the girl disappeared and named "persons of interest" in the case. But while George Kennedy, who served five years in prison for having sex with a 15-year-old girl, and convicted rapist Roy Lee Smith remain in prison for parole violations, police said months ago they are not connected with Nevaeh's murder.

Phone calls to Monroe County Sheriff's detectives Friday were not returned.

Sherry Buchanan said her daughter has also been eliminated by police as a suspect, although she said people still give Jennifer Buchanan "funny looks."

"I know people think she had something to do with it, but the sheriffs told me they don't consider her a suspect," Sherry Buchanan said. "People have ridiculed my daughter. She's taking it hard."

Jennifer Buchanan appeared at the poster campaign but did not speak to the media.

"It was hard enough to get her to come," Sherry Buchanan said. "She's hurting inside. We all are."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Nevaeh Buchanan Task Force at (734) 457-6713.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100510/METRO/5100333/1409/rss36#ixzz0nWyQCrKn