NC SAVANNAH CHILDRESS: Missing from Denton, NC - 11 Feb 2021 - Age 14 *Found Safe*

Missing Davidson County girl may be with sexual predator, officials say. Teen met person online, deputies say

A missing 14-year-old girl may be with a person she met online, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

journalnow.com

Missing Davidson County girl may be with sexual predator, officials say. Teen met person online, deputies say​

A missing 14-year-old girl may be with a person she met online, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

Before she went missing, Savannah Grace Childress had communicated on social media with a person. Those conversations, deputies said, were explicit at times and included language often used by sexual predators.

Savannah's mother, Nicole Childress, called Davidson County Emergency Communications on Feb. 11, saying that Savannah was missing. Investigators talked to Nicole Childress and her husband, Michael, and learned that Savannah was last seen at 7 a.m. that day by her father just before he left the house.



The last known contact with Savannah was at 8:35 a.m. that day when she logged off her virtual classroom at South Davidson High School, the sheriff's office said.

Davidson County school officials alerted her parents when Savannah failed to show up at her bus stop to get her younger sibling that afternoon. Michael Childress went home at 4:20 p.m. and couldn't find Savannah.

Detectives later learned that Savannah had used electronic devices to talk with an unidentified person through multiple online communication platforms. The sheriff's office said that the communications "were explicit in nature and the conversations included what detectives considered to be 'grooming' techniques and practices, commonly utilized by sexual predators."

The sheriff's office is working closely with several agencies, including the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The sheriff's office has said additional information has been uncovered but said it couldn't share those details publicly because of the investigation.

Have you seen this child?

Missing From: , . Missing Date: .

www.missingkids.org

This is a North Carolina Amber Alert for a Child Abduction....The Davidson County Sheriffs Office is searching for Savannah Grace Childress.
The victim is a white female, 14 years old, she is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. She has medium length straight brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen on Thursday, February 11, 2021 in Denton, NC. She was wearing a yellow Mickey Mouse hooded sweatshirt and black with neon green Asic shoes.
Police are looking for an unknown male using the alias Will Hedglin. The description of the suspect vehicle is unknown.
Recommended Action: IF LOCATED OR IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT THE DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE AT 336-249-0131

SAVANNAH CHILDRESS: Missing from Denton, NC since 11 Feb 2021 - Age 14

Savannah may be with a person she met online, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. Before she went missing, Savannah had communicated on social media with a person. Those conversations, deputies said, were explicit at times and...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[GrandmaBear]

I just read the article. The Silver Alert was canceled?? Why I wonder... If she was safe, I would think they would announce it... That is worrisome.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I just read the article. The Silver Alert was canceled?? Why I wonder... If she was safe, I would think they would announce it... That is worrisome.

It was a bad article, TBH. When she first disappeared, they issued a "Silver Alert" because she was without needed medication. When they decided to issue the AMBER Alert, they canceled the Silver Alert.

 

[GrandmaBear]

It was a bad article, TBH. When she first disappeared, they issued a "Silver Alert" because she was without needed medication. When they decided to issue the AMBER Alert, they canceled the Silver Alert.

Well I guess that's a relief. It sure made it sound like they could not find out why it was canceled and if she was found...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Amber Alert Cancelled: 'Bring her home, no matter what' | Search party of 100+ scour Davidson County woods for Savannah Childress

North Carolina DPS issued a cancellation of the Amber Alert for Savannah Childress early Sunday morning.

www.wfmynews2.com

'Bring her home, no matter what' | Search party of 100+ scour Davidson County woods for Savannah Childress​

More than 100 people joined a community-led search on Saturday for 14-year-old Savannah Grace Childress, a missing Davidson County girl who investigators believe could be in the hands of a sexual predator.

The search crews gathered at Denton Wesleyan Church in Denton, NC, before splitting up into teams to search four sections of land around the area.

"We are looking at every little nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned to find her and bring her home, no matter what," said William Justus, a leader of the group called "ReddyFoxx Family," a grassroots group whose stated missing is to fight child abuse.

Childress's family joined the search on the chilly Saturday morning.

The search teams utilized maps, radios, ATVs, four-wheelers, and search dogs to comb the woods for Savannah.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Amber Alert Cancelled: 'Bring her home, no matter what' | Search party of 100+ scour Davidson County woods for Savannah Childress

North Carolina DPS issued a cancellation of the Amber Alert for Savannah Childress early Sunday morning.

www.wfmynews2.com

'Bring her home, no matter what' | Search party of 100+ scour Davidson County woods for Savannah Childress​

More than 100 people joined a community-led search on Saturday for 14-year-old Savannah Grace Childress, a missing Davidson County girl who investigators believe could be in the hands of a sexual predator.

The search crews gathered at Denton Wesleyan Church in Denton, NC, before splitting up into teams to search four sections of land around the area.

"We are looking at every little nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned to find her and bring her home, no matter what," said William Justus, a leader of the group called "ReddyFoxx Family," a grassroots group whose stated missing is to fight child abuse.

Childress's family joined the search on the chilly Saturday morning.

The search teams utilized maps, radios, ATVs, four-wheelers, and search dogs to comb the woods for Savannah.

I guess maybe it's not as easy as I would think but I figured by now they would know of and have this guy... I would have thought they at least would have a car in the area on camera or something by now... I wonder if they have anything other than evidence of contact online...? One would think it showed a plan of some kind?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I guess maybe it's not as easy as I would think but I figured by now they would know of and have this guy... I would have thought they at least would have a car in the area on camera or something by now... I wonder if they have anything other than evidence of contact online...? One would think it showed a plan of some kind?

Yeah, I would think that they'd at least know WHO he is by now. And maybe they do, they're just not releasing it. But I think they should be able to trace him back through the phone, accounts, internet provider, or SOMETHING. Or maybe I just watch too many crime shows on tv. But I think if they don't know who he is by now, he was being very intentional about protecting his identity. Which is not good news.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yeah, I would think that they'd at least know WHO he is by now. And maybe they do, they're just not releasing it. But I think they should be able to trace him back through the phone, accounts, internet provider, or SOMETHING. Or maybe I just watch too many crime shows on tv. But I think if they don't know who he is by now, he was being very intentional about protecting his identity. Which is not good news.

That's exactly how I think, that they could trace him by now as to identity and have more info than that even, etc. like address, vehicle and more. I also maybe think it happens faster than it does but when there is a minor at risk of harm I would think they would give it urgency.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Missing NC girl recovered in Arkansas after allegedly kidnapped by wanted man

DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) The AMBER Alert for missing 14-year-old Davidson County girl has been canceled. The Mahoning County Human Trafficking Task Force say that the 14-year-old Savannah Child…

www.wnct.com

Missing NC girl recovered in Arkansas after allegedly kidnapped by wanted man​

The AMBER Alert for missing 14-year-old Davidson County girl has been canceled.

The Mahoning County Human Trafficking Task Force say that the 14-year-old Savannah Childress who was reported kidnapped by a Pennsylvania man, has been located in Arkansas, WKBN reports.

Pennsylvania State Police have been looking for William Ice, 38, who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor in Mercer County.

PSP issued a warrant for his arrest on Feb. 9.

Ice was previously arrested in an online sex sting operation by the Human Trafficking Task Force in Austintown last summer.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Man accused of kidnapping NC teen found in Arkansas dies after officer-involved shooting, police say

LONOKE, Ark. — The man accused of kidnapping 14-year-old Savannah Childress, a Davidson County teen, died in the hospital on Sunday after an officer-involved shooting in Lonoke, Arkansas, according…

www.wnct.com

JUST IN: Man accused of kidnapping NC teen found in Arkansas dies after officer-involved shooting, police say​

The man accused of kidnapping Savannah Childress, a Davidson County teen, died in the hospital on Sunday after an officer-involved shooting in Lonoke, Arkansas, according to an Arkansas State Police news release.

Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, two Lonoke officers on patrol duty recognized a Dodge SUV parked at a McDonald’s near Interstate 40.

It appeared to be a vehicle used in connection with the Savannah Childress abduction case.

The officers exited their patrol car and approached the suspect vehicle. The officers could see two people inside the SUV and ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle.

The driver, later identified as William Robert Ice, 38, of Jackson Center, Pennsylvania, complied with the orders. But as he exited, he aimed a gun at one of the officers and began shooting, critically wounding the officer.

The second Lonoke officer, who was uninjured, fired back as Ice re-entered the vehicle and fled.

An Arkansas state trooper already in the area heard police radio communications reporting an officer down and spotted the suspect vehicle leaving the McDonald’s parking lot.

The trooper pursued the vehicle through Lonoke, south along Arkansas Highway 31, and onto Raprich Road before getting stuck in a snowbank.

A 14-year-old female passenger fled from the vehicle and was secured by a state trooper.

Inside the SUV, the trooper found Ice critically injured from what preliminarily appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Working with sheriff’s deputies in Davidson County and special agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, special agents of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division were able to identify the 14-year-old passenger as the victim in a child abduction case.

Ice, who died at a Little Rock hospital earlier on Sunday, was also wanted by Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities in connection with other child predator cases.

 

[Guess Who]

Ugh Well, at least he can't do this any more.

What is the world were they doing in Arkansas? That is not on any route between NC and Penn.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Man accused of kidnapping NC teen found in Arkansas dies after officer-involved shooting, police say

LONOKE, Ark. — The man accused of kidnapping 14-year-old Savannah Childress, a Davidson County teen, died in the hospital on Sunday after an officer-involved shooting in Lonoke, Arkansas, according…

www.wnct.com

JUST IN: Man accused of kidnapping NC teen found in Arkansas dies after officer-involved shooting, police say​

The man accused of kidnapping Savannah Childress, a Davidson County teen, died in the hospital on Sunday after an officer-involved shooting in Lonoke, Arkansas, according to an Arkansas State Police news release.

Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, two Lonoke officers on patrol duty recognized a Dodge SUV parked at a McDonald’s near Interstate 40.

It appeared to be a vehicle used in connection with the Savannah Childress abduction case.

The officers exited their patrol car and approached the suspect vehicle. The officers could see two people inside the SUV and ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle.

The driver, later identified as William Robert Ice, 38, of Jackson Center, Pennsylvania, complied with the orders. But as he exited, he aimed a gun at one of the officers and began shooting, critically wounding the officer.

The second Lonoke officer, who was uninjured, fired back as Ice re-entered the vehicle and fled.

An Arkansas state trooper already in the area heard police radio communications reporting an officer down and spotted the suspect vehicle leaving the McDonald’s parking lot.

The trooper pursued the vehicle through Lonoke, south along Arkansas Highway 31, and onto Raprich Road before getting stuck in a snowbank.

A 14-year-old female passenger fled from the vehicle and was secured by a state trooper.

Inside the SUV, the trooper found Ice critically injured from what preliminarily appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Working with sheriff’s deputies in Davidson County and special agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, special agents of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division were able to identify the 14-year-old passenger as the victim in a child abduction case.

Ice, who died at a Little Rock hospital earlier on Sunday, was also wanted by Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities in connection with other child predator cases.

Well I am glad they got him and it sounds very fortunate she is alive. So he was wanted on other things as well....

 

[spike]

Amber Alert Cancelled: 'Bring her home, no matter what' | Search party of 100+ scour Davidson County woods for Savannah Childress

North Carolina DPS issued a cancellation of the Amber Alert for Savannah Childress early Sunday morning.

www.wfmynews2.com

'Bring her home, no matter what' | Search party of 100+ scour Davidson County woods for Savannah Childress​

More than 100 people joined a community-led search on Saturday for 14-year-old Savannah Grace Childress, a missing Davidson County girl who investigators believe could be in the hands of a sexual predator.

The search crews gathered at Denton Wesleyan Church in Denton, NC, before splitting up into teams to search four sections of land around the area.

"We are looking at every little nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned to find her and bring her home, no matter what," said William Justus, a leader of the group called "ReddyFoxx Family," a grassroots group whose stated missing is to fight child abuse.

Childress's family joined the search on the chilly Saturday morning.

The search teams utilized maps, radios, ATVs, four-wheelers, and search dogs to comb the woods for Savannah.

She's found, perp dead!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Authorities: 14-year-old NC girl was one of several youths accused kidnapper spoke with online

A Davidson County girl was back home with her family on Monday, two days after she was rescued more than 700 miles away following a recent abduction.

www.wral.com

Kidnapped 14-year-old NC girl back with family after Arkansas rescue​

A Davidson County girl was back home with her family on Monday, two days after she was found more than 700 miles away from her hometown.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office is holding a press conference at 3 p.m. to shed more light on Childress' abduction.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Authorities: 14-year-old NC girl was one of several youths accused kidnapper spoke with online

A Davidson County girl was back home with her family on Monday, two days after she was rescued more than 700 miles away following a recent abduction.

www.wral.com

Kidnapped 14-year-old NC girl back with family after Arkansas rescue​

A Davidson County girl was back home with her family on Monday, two days after she was found more than 700 miles away from her hometown.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office is holding a press conference at 3 p.m. to shed more light on Childress' abduction.

Well right before this, we were talking how they seemed to have no info re video, vehicle, etc... Clearly things were going on behind the scenes. Yet Arkansas? And the articles almost sound like they did not realize this man was connected to this abduction from another state until they had her... I doubt that somehow but can believe it is what the news had at the time or thought...

From the bit we know and the things he has done and was wanted for, I really want to know why he was free and not located it sounds like even before Savannah...

Relieved she is alive because he sounds like a particularly bad one and that this was not just a one time thing he did...

 

[Whatsnext]

Boy, this must have been traumatic for Savannah, I hope she will have the best support team

 

[GrandmaBear]

Boy, this must have been traumatic for Savannah, I hope she will have the best support team

I was thinking the same thing. The availability of such I hope is there for her. In a perfect system, it would be...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Investigation into missing Denton teen leads to more potential victims

The investigation and rescue of missing Denton teen lead to identifying 10 other potential vicitims.

www.the-dispatch.com

Investigation into missing Denton teen leads to more potential victims​

“We got lucky on this one,” said Major Robert Miller with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office on Monday during a press conference on the rescue of missing Denton teen Savannah Childress on Saturday.

The two-week investigation led detectives down the rabbit-hole of online messaging apps, which uncovered multiple victims in Davidson and Alamance County who had been in contact with the suspect who had a known history of the sexual exploitation of children.

“We found him to be quite sophisticated when it came to digital media,” said Sgt. David Blake with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Investigations Unit. “Very quickly, we identified his alias but it took a while to identify who this person was in the real world. It was a challenge.”

Detectives said once they had identified the suspect, a slew of new potential victims came to life.

Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson said 10 other middle-school-aged teens from both Davidson and Alamance counties had recently been in contact with Ice through these social media apps, some of which automatically erased messages in a short period of time.

“I believe if we had not found out from the FBI and Davidson County we would have probably wound up with a kidnapping of one of our young females… We are very fortunate in Alamance County to get the information we got and were immediately able to get on board and start interviewing these girls,” said Johnson.

Also as part of the investigation, detectives determined almost all of the teenagers had been using school-issued laptops or devices.

Law enforcement stated due to the sensitivity of the investigation, the information provided to the public on the suspect was limited on purpose.

“Our first priority was the safety of Savannah,” said Agent Scott Williams, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations. “This was a desperate man. He was wanted for the same type of stuff in Pennsylvania for recent charges; he skipped his court date and was wanted for that. Make no doubt; as soon as we had a chance to grab him, we grabbed him.”

Savannah returned to Davidson County on Sunday and was interviewed and examined by child-advocacy center Dragonfly House in Davie County. Davidson County detectives said the girl has “suffered a traumatic experience” but has "filled in a lot of blanks" for investigators, which they are not able to release due to the ongoing investigation.

 

[GrandmaBear]

How to get through to these ages how often this happens and the dangers out there? I am sure most are told and warned but it just keeps happening. The fact these were school issued devices leaves a lot to be desired as well.

 

[Kimster]

How to get through to these ages how often this happens and the dangers out there? I am sure most are told and warned but it just keeps happening. The fact these were school issued devices leaves a lot to be desired as well.

These school issued devices need to have protocol on them that blocks all accesses other than what's needed for their education!

 

[GrandmaBear]

These school issued devices need to have protocol on them that blocks all accesses other than what's needed for their education!

I think a lot of things need to change and that is one of them. While I don't like regulation of our lives increasing in most cases, when it comes to children and the internet, I think there need to be some serious laws applying to both app developers, gaming sites, and a lot more when it comes to minors. So many of the apps also have defaults set to things one would not necessarily choose for their child. It should be the other way around.