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CA Sierra Lamar, 15, Santa Clara County, 16 March 2012 timeline and media thread - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
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Sunday, March 25, 2012
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/authorities-say-no-new-evidence-search-lamar/nLcS4/
March 25 more @ link
Law enforcement officials looking for evidence in the case of a missing Morgan Hill girl came up empty during a search Saturday.
Santa County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jose Cardoza says teams of Santa Clara County and deputies from nearby counties found no evidence or what he termed "items of interest" as the search for 15-year-old Sierra Lamar continues.
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_8bb2103e-76c4-11e1-913e-001a4bcf6878.html
March 25 more @ link
The fourth and largest search involving 60 members of search and rescue teams and other law enforcement agencies concluded Saturday with no new evidence. The extended search covered a 12 mile radius from Palm and Dougherty avenues in north Morgan Hill and included four K-9 dogs. The FBI joined the search last week.
“It's a day to day operation,” said Cardoza.
Detectives worked inside the office today to catch up on documenting and updating interviews. Then, said Cardoza, they will come up with a game plan for the next steps of the investigation.
http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=17251536
March 25 more @ link
On Sunday Santa Clara deputies took the day off from searching and instead sifted through evidence and past interviews for clues looking for 15 year old Sierra Lamar.
Meanwhile businesses all over town have signs plastered everywhere looking for Sierra. You can see them in just about every door you walk in. "As far as you know the town, I know we're doing everything we can," said Andrew Suarez.
Hundreds of fliers have been passed out by friends and family of Sierra. Hoping to bring her home. "We're all pretty tight, you know one big family. All of the businesses around here.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/KlaasKids-Joins-Search-for-Sierra-LaMar-144180515.html
March 25 more @ link
The KlaasKids Foundation will launch volunteer searches for missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar on Tuesday, the nonprofit announced today.
LaMar's mother, Marlene LaMar, has asked the organization, which is dedicated to assisting the families of missing children, to organize the community volunteer search, KlaasKids officials said.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=8595080
March 25 more @ link
Community members gathered for another vigil for missing South Bay teen Sierra LaMar on Sunday.
The vigil at the Crossroad Christian Center was the fourth held in honor of Sierra since she disappeared. Organizers say the gatherings are important to maintain public awareness and keep the focus Sierra.
Friends made more than 500 pink and black ribbons to pass out at the vigil. Pink and black zebra stripe is one of Sierra's favorite things.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/vi...-to-join-search-for-missing-morgan-hill-teen/
March 25 video @ link
Reporter: At a vigil Sunday night, Sierra's mother thanked both LE and the community.
Marlene: It's just amazing how everybody is coming together and Sierra's going to be so- so, just, amazed at- you know, cause I'm saving all this stuff cause she's going to come back safely and I want her to see how- how much she's really loved. Thank you.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_20254...vestigate-unconfirmed-sighting-missing-morgan
March 25 more @ link
Santa Cruz County deputies on Sunday investigated a possible sighting of Sierra LaMar, after a witness called 911 to report seeing a teen hitchhiking on Holohan Road that looked like the missing 15-year-old Morgan Hill girl, authorities said.
The witness reported that the girl had backpacks with her and was near the intersection of East Lake Avenue when she got into a black truck, sheriff's Lt. Bob Pursley said.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/websleuths/2012/03/26/websleuths-radio
March 25 Websleuths Radio w/ Marc Klass
Monday, March 26, 2012
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46854793/#.T3LyRNn7mOc
March 26 Today show video @ link
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Sierra-LaMar-Searches-Come-Up-Empty-144265135.html
March 26 more @ link
On Saturday, about 90 people, along with search dogs, spent the day combing a 12-mile area of Morgan Hill near her mother's home. Investigators said they found nothing of substance.
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Her father Steve LaMar did his own physical search of canyons in Morgan Hill over the weekend, but found nothing. "I'm just desperate," Steve LaMar said.
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-co...uitless-investigators-consider-new?source=rss
March 26 more @ link
Saturday was the largest search effort since the former Fremont resident went missing more than a week ago. The search has included possible "crime scene areas" along Highway 152 on the approaches to Pacheco Pass and Hecker Pass.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/#!/news/local/Steve-LaMar-Searches-On-His-Own-For-Daughter/144269495
March 26 video @ link
Reporter: Her parents split their time yesterday between vigils and prayer services and participating for the first time in their own search for their 15 year old daughter.
Marlene: It gets harder and harder but we're hanging in there, you know. We're-we're hopeful. We're not giving up.
Steve: I, you know, hearts racing, you know, and I have adrenaline, you know. I'm mentally exhausted but I'm going on adrenaline just because I want to anything, any clue. So-I can't-I can't- just sit back, you know, I have to get out there and try.
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_20257771/klaaskids-foundation-begin-searches-sierra-lamar
March 26 more @ link
Santa Clara County Sheriff Sgt. Jose Cardoza on Monday said there were no real updates to Sierra's case. But he did note investigators were aware of the many reported tips regarding other attempted abductions and possible sightings of Sierra around the Bay Area. So far, all of them have been unfounded, Cardoza said.
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_d8067cc6-77a1-11e1-99fc-001a4bcf6878.html
March 26 more @ link
As of Monday, the sheriff’s office’s plan for the ongoing investigation is to “re-canvass” areas that have already been searched – including the neighborhoods and fields surrounding the LaMar home in north Morgan Hill – and to re-interview some of Sierra’s classmates and former classmates, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Cardoza.
More than 40 local sheriff’s deputies have been assigned to the case – not including those assisting from the FBI and surrounding counties, Cardoza said.
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_61998a9c-77a1-11e1-922a-001a4bcf6878.html
March 26 more @ link
The Polly Klaas Foundation is helping find the Morgan Hill teen by “inundating” the immediate area and the state with fliers and publicity efforts about the case, according to response department director Cindy Rudometkin.
After last weekend's heightened efforts to locate the 15-year-old yielded no significant leads, Sgt. Jose Cardoza with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said the extra help from the foundation is appreciated.
“They did advise us they’re going to be coordinating search efforts, which is good,” Cardoza said. “It’s an extra resource for our staff, it’s an extra set of eyes and ears.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/business...p-attempt-16-year-old-girl?source=most_viewed
March 26 more @ link
San Jose police are looking for stun gun-wielding man who attempted to kidnap a teenage girl Friday in broad daylight in the Willow Glen neighborhood.
Police said a 16-year-old girl was approached by a man who suddenly attacked her with a stun gun-type weapon and attempted to drag her into his car.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/hundreds-volunteers-join-search-missing-teen/nLdmL/
March 27 more @ link
Hundreds of volunteers showed up in Morgan Hill Tuesday to lend a hand in the ongoing search for 15-year-old Sierra LaMar, who went missing a week and a half ago.
The KlaasKids Foundation, an organization that provides search-and-rescue services for families of missing people, was on hand at Burnett Elementary School to manage the search.
By 9 a.m., more than 200 people had registered to help look for Sierra and provide administrative support for the effort, KlaasKids founder Mark Klaas said.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Overwhelming-Turnout-in-Sierra-LaMar-Search-144394955.html
March 27 more @ link
Marc Klaas was expecting a few dozen people at most to turn out to help his Klaas Kids Foundation search for missing Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar. By 9 a.m. Tuesday there were 300 people standing in line; ready to brave the wet weather to search for the 15-year-old who has been missing since Friday March 16.
Klaas, and all the organizers of a volunteer search effort were shocked by the turnout.
NBC Bay Area reporter Marianne Favro said by noon, 563 people were registered to help out in the search; many of them had to wait for hours in line.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/michelle-les-brother-joins-search-lamar/nLdKr/
March 27 more @ link
The family of Sierra LaMar, the teenager missing from her Morgan Hill home for more than a week, is getting some help from two people who know all too well what it's like to have a family member vanish.
Michael Le is part of the team. Last year a search volunteer found the body of his sister Michelle, a nursing student from Hayward.
"It feels like my sister is missing again, it feels like I frantically want to find Sierra," said Le.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/detectives-say-morgan-hill-teen-was-likely-abducte/nLdxt/
March 27 more @ link
Detectives investigating the disappearance of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar now believe the Morgan Hill teenager was likely abducted, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday afternoon.
After interviewing those who know her best, investigators believe it is highly unlikely that LaMar, who went missing a week and a half ago, ran away from home, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jose Cardoza said.
The sheriff's office was asking local residents to report any suspicious behavior they observe in co-workers, neighbors or other community members.
Such activity could include changing one's appearance, cleaning a vehicle in an extreme way, missing days of work, or showing an unusual interest in or avoidance of news reports on the case, Cardoza said.
http://gilroy.patch.com/articles/de...ucted-by-suspect-with-morgan-hill-connections
March 27 more @ link
Sheriff’s Investigators now believe it’s highly unlikely that Sierra LaMar ran away from home and will begin concentrating their investigative efforts on the possibility that the missing Morgan Hill teen was involuntary taken from her residence, Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday afternoon.
“That covers [ideas that] she was possibly abducted, possibly kidnapped, or she could of went to meet someone voluntarily and during the course was taken at that time,” he said.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/vi...-ramp-up-search-for-missing-morgan-hill-teen/
March 27 video @ link
Reporter: It's day 12, and detectives are confident Sierra LaMar is not a runaway, but is involuntarily missing.
Q: Is there some hesitation with using the word 'kidnapping' or 'abduction'?
Sgt. Jose Cardoza: Not that there is hesitation, but we don't have anything to prove that or to confirm that at this point.
Reporter: Investigators say call in if you notice anyone who has changed their appearance or acted strangely starting March 16th, the day Sierra disappeared. For example..
Sgt. Jose Cardoza: Somebody who all of a sudden maybe had an exemplary work record, never called in sick, all of a sudden called in sick. Specifically the day Sierra went missing, and the days after that to follow.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/27/BATI1NR2VL.DTL
March 27 more @ link
"We feel the keys to the resolution in this case are in our community," the sheriff's office said.
Investigators said they ruled out the possibility that Sierra left on her own after interviews with her friends and family revealed that she had no history of running away and no family problems.
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_57c8a378-7868-11e1-8260-0019bb30f31a.html
March 27 more @ link
After conducting a number of organized, exhaustive searches conducted by area search-and-rescue officers, interviewing hundreds of people associated with Sierra, and following up on scores of leads, the sheriff’s office declared Tuesday, 11 days after the teen was reported missing, that it is “highly unlikely she ran away,” according to a press release Cardoza.
“Sheriff's detectives are concentrating their investigative efforts on the possibility that Sierra LaMar was taken from the area of her residence and is an involuntary missing person,” Cardoza said.
For the first few days of the investigation, investigators left open the possibility that Sierra ran away, even though no obvious evidence or her background specifically indicated such a scenario. The detectives were led to this conclusion after interviewing Sierra’s relatives and friends and completing other investigative efforts, Cardoza said.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/#!/news/local/Police-Say-Sierra-Lama/144538215
March 27 video @ link
Steve: I hope she's not..she's not far away, you know. As time goes by, if-if someone does have her, um, you know, the more time that goes by, more- the more urgent it gets.
Reporter: The sense of urgency has brought out several hundred people to search for her. Many are neighbors, volunteering their time to help reunite Sierra with her family.
Marlene: I just was truly taken by just, all these efforts, you know. And it's-it's definitely recognized. And, um, it's helping me and it's helping Sierra.
http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=17271601
March 27 video @ link
Marlene: You hope that it's the other way, because you think the chances are increasing, but you know, um, but you know, I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up.
Reporter: Tonight, Sierra's mother Marlene said she knew in her heart Sierra never ran away after she disappeared 11 days ago. Holding back tears, she said, it's your support that's keeping her going. Sierra's father Steve admits, her disappearance is now taking its toll.
Steve: Lots of crying, you know. You wake up crying, go to sleep crying, that kind of thing. Worrying, wondering where she is, what's happening.
Marlene: God forbid that this happens to anybody else. I never want it to happen. But, at least they know there is a world out there that truly cares.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_20265290/hundreds-gather-morgan-hill-sierra-lamar-search
March 27 more @ link
Sierra's 21-year-old sister, Danielle LaMar, said she never believed Sierra ran away when she disappeared the morning of March 16.
"Obviously, I would rather have her run away," Danielle LaMar said Tuesday. "That would mean she's at least not being held against her will."
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/LaMar-Family-Announces-Sierra-LaMar-Fund-144481855.html
March 27 more @ link
The family of Sierra LaMar, the teenager who went missing on March 16, announced today they have opened a fund to help pay for search and rescue efforts.