MT ARDEN PEPION: Missing from Browning, MT - 22 April 2021 - Age 3

Search underway near Browning for missing 3-year old girl

www.kpax.com

Search underway near Browning for missing 3-year old girl​

Early Friday, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services posted an "attempt to locate" message for three-year old Arden Pepion. The alert says that she was last seen on Thursday at about 7 p.m. in the vicinity of Joe Show East Road off of US Highway 89. Arden was last seen wearing a purple jacket with a a unicorn design on the front, a grey under-sweater, black leggings, and black boots with green trim.

Law enforcement officers, tribal leaders, and volunteers are searching the area, some on horseback.


(UPDATE, 12:17 p.m.) Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services says that it and several other law enforcement agencies are coordinating the search for Arden. They also said that they are thankful for the public’s assistance in the search, but at this time do not need additional search crews. A separate phone number will be posted later for the public to call into for more information. Joe Show East road is temporarily closed for through traffic.

(UPDATE, 4:35 p.m.) The Montana Department has issued a formal Missing-Endangered Person Advisory for Arden, at the request of the Blackfeet Tribal Police Department.





MEDIA - ARDEN PEPION: Missing from Browning, MT since 22 April 2021 - Age 3

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'd have to look back over this but if I recall it is pretty much an assumption that she ended up in the water. A three year old not being watched as she should have been by an uncle is the "story" right?

Absolutely tragic whatever it is her fate was.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

New age-progressed photo of Arden Pepion shared for her 6th birthday

BROWNING, Mont. - For Arden Pepion’s 6th birthday, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shared a new age progressed image of Arden which shows what she may look

www.montanarightnow.com

New age-progressed photo of Arden Pepion shared for her 6th birthday​

For Arden Pepion’s 6th birthday, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shared a new age progressed image of Arden which shows what she may look like today.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children hopes that the new image will be a valuable tool in solving the case. The image was created by a forensic artist at the Center.

“On this special day, we want to remind everyone that Arden is not forgotten. We remain committed to finding the answers the family and Blackfeet Reservation community have been longing for,” the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said.

 

[GrandmaBear]

She was such a beautiful little girl, the rare time I see this thread that's my instant reaction.

For the record, I'm not sold on what they think happened and I see no reason to be. That doesn't mean though that she couldn't still be in the water. Or buried somewhere.

They can age progress and there is maybe some minor hope but I don't believe for a minute she is alive.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Advocates denounce delays in MMIP legislation, DOJ promises progress

Months after Missing and Murdered Indigenous People legislation was passed, advocates say there has been little progress.

trib.com

• NORA MABIE
• Dec 15, 2023 Updated 15 hrs ago

When House Bill 18 was signed into law last April, Diana Burd felt hopeful.

She had traveled 175 miles from the Blackfeet Reservation to Helena during the legislative session to voice her support for the bill, which bolsters community-led searches for missing people.

The law specifically established a grant program through the Department of Justice that local groups could access to support formal training, resources and travel expenses to fund searches.

The legislation was supposed to go into effect July 1, but months later, Burd and other Missing and Murdered Indigenous People advocates say there has been little progress. And while the Department of Justice recently announced that a new hire would speed things up come early January, advocates remain skeptical.

DOJ: Delays due to staffing​

Burd pushed for the legislation because she knows firsthand that quality search efforts can mean the difference between life and death. She told lawmakers that when 3-year-old Arden Pepion went missing on the Blackfeet Reservation in 2021, “the search was chaotic.” The search, Burd said, lacked a leader, coordination and resources. To this day, Arden has not been found.

When House Bill 18 became law, Burd was eager to apply for funds to boost ongoing search efforts. She is a member of Holding Hope, a grassroots search and rescue team that has conducted dozens of searches for Arden. Burd said the group has located an area near a river eddy where she may be. The problem, she said, is that when they try to dig, silt from the river fills in almost immediately. With funding from the new grant program, Burd had hoped to access better resources or training that could assist searchers as they sift through the murky water. She said community members have expressed interest in training cadaver dogs, and Burd hoped that funds from the grant could assist that effort as well.

Burd kept looking for the application to access the newly established grant, but she, like many other community members, hasn’t seen it.

“We waited and waited but nothing ever showed up,” she said. “It’s frustrating because they told us we’d be able to apply for this.”

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

More at link. ~Summer

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Happy birthday Ardie.

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This week, NCMEC is sadly highlighting Arden Pepion's 7th birthday. Her family continues their heartbreaking search for answers after she disappeared in 2021.

On April 22, 2021, Arden was only 3 years old when she vanished from the Two Medicine River area in #Browning, #Montana. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services (BLES) responded immediately, and more than 150 members of the Blackfeet Reservation community joined the search for her. Despite extensive search efforts, there was no sign of Arden.

Arden’s godmother, Diana Burd, says that the community has not forgotten about Arden, and they remain committed to finding the answers they have been searching for. “It has been hard to move on without closure,” said Diana. “As long as we think we can find Arden we will continue to search for her and work on finding resources to help us.”

If you have any information about Arden or her disappearance, please contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Blackfeet Tribal Police Department (Montana) at 1-406-338-4000. #MMIWG #Missing

 

[GrandmaBear]

Another annual kind of thing and no news nor answers.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Gone another year.
According to this Facebook group, there was something planned for April 26, but I didn't see anything afterward.

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On April 26 we will be placing 1,460 pink roses along the river to not only acknowledge the day Arden went missing but to invite legislators, leaders, MMIP Advocates, and MMIP Families to attend. We are also collaborating with a few teams that are coming to make a big push to bring Arden Home. Our team is working on a timeline of details for Ardens case. Truthfully we always were open to everyone’s offer to help find Arden. We are thankful for all the offers to help us. We are also still open to anyone who wants to volunteer to help us with Search and Rescue. We have the equine team, K9 Team, ground SAR team. We also advocate at the legislative level to help bring more resources for MMIP families.