Focus of lost-baby case shifts to what-ifs
Police weigh how to deal with mother if child is never found
Though the search for Gabriel Johnson continues, questions have turned to what happens to the missing baby's mother, Elizabeth, if the child is never found.
"We have to look at: Did Elizabeth kill Gabriel like she said she did?" said Sgt. Steve Carbajal, a Tempe Police spokesman.
Elizabeth Johnson has refused to speak to investigators, and without a body, prosecuting a homicide case is difficult. So far, she has been charged in Maricopa County with kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference.
Suspects have been arrested in only a handful of missing-body cases in Maricopa County. Some cases have been successfully prosecuted, usually aided by a confession and extensive forensic evidence. Other cases never result in charges, even if police believe they know who committed the crime.
Investigators, including a team from Tempe, have searched dumpsters in San Antonio, where the child was last photographed. So far, there has been no luck in finding Gabriel or his body.
Anything else police might have found, they are keeping close to the vest.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/01/24/20100124baby0124.html
