Found Safe NC - Emily Dowdle, 11, Catawaba County, 27 Sept 2016

[Gardener1850]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=401270276663744&id=202960719828035&hc_location=ufi


FB LIVE VIDEO from police. Emily had missed 9 days of school and had been in trouble. She went to school tuesday and got off the bus and hasnt been seen since. Police are treating this as a run away (endangered) case.

Comments on that video are saying school JUST started there so I looked it up. Catawba Elementary School's first student day was August 29th according to this calendar: http://www.catawbaschools.net/Page/2
I wonder if she missed 9 consecutive days or just 9 days since Aug 29th? And how did she get away with it? Was she at home to answer the phone when the school called? Where I live they auto-call the parents house for an absence. It's a computerized message that they missed. So if she was home she could hide it from her parents for a day or two by just picking up the phone and deleting any messages from the school. But NINE days?!? That seems really strange that they didn't catch on until Tuesday.

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

Comments on that video are saying school JUST started there so I looked it up. Catawba Elementary School's first student day was August 29th according to this calendar: http://www.catawbaschools.net/Page/2
I wonder if she missed 9 consecutive days or just 9 days since Aug 29th? And how did she get away with it? Was she at home to answer the phone when the school called? Where I live they auto-call the parents house for an absence. It's a computerized message that they missed. So if she was home she could hide it from her parents for a day or two by just picking up the phone and deleting any messages from the school. But NINE days?!? That seems really strange that they didn't catch on until Tuesday.

Agreed. How does she get away with skipping 9 days. Usually after 5 days, a parent is called and a meeting made. Especially since it's the beginning of the year.

 

[Gardener1850]

This article has the info about her absences:

Wednesday, officials said they didn’t suspect foul play. According to police, Dowdle had skipped school nine times and was in trouble.

Her father dropped her off at school Tuesday morning and her mom didn’t get home until 3 p.m., nearly 20 minutes after Dowdle was dropped off at home, police say.

Police plan to set up road blocks and go door-to-door to chat with neighbors about the girl’s disappearance.

http://wncn.com/2016/09/28/missing-nc-girl-had-been-skipping-school-before-disappearance-police-say/

That article also says her house was on Hudson Chapel Road. That looks like a really long road with a lot of woods behind the houses. https://www.google.com/maps/place/H...fa2dcb40b172bf!8m2!3d35.6959212!4d-81.0386966

A lot of places to hide if she ran away into the woods.

 

[FlyerFan28]

Our public schools typically take attendance in 1st and 4th blocks (periods) and if the kid is out, we get robocalls from the school.

 

[Londonrraine]

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterGinaEsposito/?hc_ref=SEARCH

Reporter doing alot of updates. I beleive there will be another update at noon today.

 

[Gardener1850]

This article has the info about her absences:

http://wncn.com/2016/09/28/missing-nc-girl-had-been-skipping-school-before-disappearance-police-say/

That article also says her house was on Hudson Chapel Road. That looks like a really long road with a lot of woods behind the houses. https://www.google.com/maps/place/H...fa2dcb40b172bf!8m2!3d35.6959212!4d-81.0386966

A lot of places to hide if she ran away into the woods.

Wait a minute, her elementary school is on the same road as her house? Did the news just get her house road wrong? https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...7aec0429e5fe4fda!8m2!3d35.696428!4d-81.072858

If she lived on the same road as her school maybe she would show up for part of the day to get counted for attendance and then leave and walk home? Maybe that is how they didn't catch it right away?

 

[Londonrraine]

https://twitter.com/LoganFox46

"A K-9 unit from West Virginia just arrived on scene to assist in the search for 11-year-old Emily Dowdle." clipped from news source, BBM.

Anyone know Why K'9's would be brought in from WV?

 

[KaylynnCouture]

“The investigation is geared towards her safety and there’s some things we just can’t disclose at this time because we don’t want to jeopardize what we are concerned of at this time,” said Catawba Police Chief Dwane Coozen.

Investigators said the girl did not go to school for several days prior to attending class on Tuesday, and knew she was in trouble.

Police are interviewing classmates and will be conducting an investigative roadblock on the road near Emily’s house between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., stopping drivers who take that way home to see if they saw anything unusual.

“We’ve done searches, we’ve done two dog searches, we did a canvas of the neighborhood,” said Coozen. “My concern is that she is 11 years old. She’s out there…it’s a different world than what is was years ago. The survival part…knowing how to cope with things she may run into.”

He told Channel 9 that Emily lives with her father and stepmother and doesn't have a cellphone or any money.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/officials-search-for-11-year-old-catawba-county-girl/451141156

 

[Gardener1850]

https://twitter.com/LoganFox46

"A K-9 unit from West Virginia just arrived on scene to assist in the search for 11-year-old Emily Dowdle." clipped from news source, BBM.

Anyone know Why K'9's would be brought in from WV?

I'm just guessing by looking at the map but the wooded area to be searched with dogs looks really large. With the FBI now being involved, perhaps they called in any K-9 teams that are not busy elsewhere? they need all the search power they can get if they think she is in the woods. I hope they find her safe.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

As was mentioned already, nine days is so much time away from school, especially so early in the year. Something is making this little girl very unhappy and I feel badly for her. There is a problem either at school or home IMO.

 

[relay]

As was mentioned already, nine days is so much time away from school, especially so early in the year. Something is making this little girl very unhappy and I feel badly for her. There is a problem either at school or home IMO.

This is what I was going to post. I hope and pray that Emily is found safe and that instead of disappointment with punishment she receives the help she needs. Something was clearly not going well in her life to have missed 9 days in the first month of school.

 

[Gardener1850]

https://www.facebook.com/ReporterGinaEsposito/?hc_ref=SEARCH

Reporter doing alot of updates. I beleive there will be another update at noon today.

Thanks for this video. Can anyone tell where Gina is standing? How far from the school is Emily's house? I tried looking for the cemetery Gina mentioned on the map but couldn't find it. Maybe some others will have better luck or a local who knows the area can give us some better landmarks.

 

[DatelineFan]

9 days of "skipped" school? Wow. [emoji53]

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

Right? Didn't school just begin?
ETA, I should have waited to post. I see school hasn't been in session for a full month yet. Yikes.

 

[1&2&3]

From an early post on FB Help Find Emily Dowdle, there was a mention of RSO's living between the school and Emily's house. Later, a list was posted with names and addresses - I just glanced at it, did not count or look how close to Emily's house. Surely LE has been to their houses to question them!

Talking about the school calling when a child is absent, wonder if her parents still have a landline at the house? Everyone I know got rid of those years ago. Parents I know have it set up with the schools so that each parent receives any calls from the school. Just as a backup plan should one phone be not working - you know how these cell phones can be.

I am getting worried now as we approach the twentieth hour. Where is she? Why has Emily been skipping school so much? If she's missed nine days, she has only attended 10-11 days. We are a different county, but kids already out a part day for teacher planning plus off for Labor Day.

Something is terribly wrong, some place!

 

[stefaniejanine]

Is bio mom still alive/in the picture?

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[amaraya]

The other thing is why dont we hear from neighbors, friends etc anywhere? At least i didnt see in comments or articles, people saying they were a nice family, she was a good (or not so good) girl. They took walks around the neighborhood, etc. Nothing. Who knows, maybe they were a strange, severe family, a religious family, i dont know. But normally there are comments by those who know the people/ family; but maybe ive missed it ( very possible )

 

[LisaWL7TR]

So 11 is middle school age. Just wow! I didn't skip till my senior year.

...because a complete sentence takes time from reading.

 

[tlcya]

There are rumors flying about a possible problem at school yesterday. Just rumors, but I'm hoping that's why they assume she's a runaway. Runaway would be the best scenario right now, in my opinion. Sure beats abduction or a problem with the parents. As always, there are going to be predators out, so she is NOT safe, but it's a relatively crime-free part of the world. (It's not like being a young runaway in Myrtle Beach, SC for example.) Just putting it into perspective; please don't fuss at me.

The social media around this case is a mess. I'm relatively local. When you see a reference to "Zahra," they're talking about hearing-impaired and physically disabled 10-yr-old Zahra Baker, who was murdered by her stepmother in September 2010 and dismembered. If I recall, they never could tell for sure what happened, but most people think her body was sent through a wood chipper (sorry, that is so awful.) As you can imagine, tensions in the community were high for a very long time. So, a lot of locals are reliving that awful time in their minds.

I followed Zhara's case She is one that will always be in my heart. I hope Emily is just hunkered down somewhere safe collecting herself and comes home soon.

I can completely understand the community being concerned. Zhara's case broke many hearts.

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

 

[LaborDayRN]

9 days of "skipped" school? Wow. [emoji53]

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

I would think the school would have contacted the parents after one unexcused absence. ????

 

[LaborDayRN]

As was mentioned already, nine days is so much time away from school, especially so early in the year. Something is making this little girl very unhappy and I feel badly for her. There is a problem either at school or home IMO.

Agreed.