Aliayah Lunsford, Age 3, Weston, WV - Missing 9/24/11

There are a few more pictures of Aliayah on her facebook page that J4A mentioned in the first post.

The link for the pics: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280890211940365.81152.280457695316950

5 NEWS UPDATE: Search Continues for Missing 3 Year Old Girl

Last Updated on Monday, 26 September 2011 11:50

Written by Ashton Marra
Monday, 26 September 2011 10:14

WDTV - Bridgeport, WV

As dive teams from multiple counties slowly search the water near her home, Aliyah Lunsford's family is still waiting for word of the missing three year-old. They're now reaching out to the community for help.

"Around 9 or 9:30, I went back in to wake her up and she was gone," said Lena Lunsford, Aliayah's mother.

Three year-old Aliayah Lunsford went missing from her Bendale home Saturday morning, and ever since, search teams have turned her typically quiet neighborhood upside down in hopes of bringing her home.

"We've done a foot canvas of the neighborhood, used K-9s, now we have divers in the water. We've entered her in as missing," said Sgt. Michael Posey of the Lewis County Sheriff's Department.

Family members say Aliayah is a shy child. They say she never talks to strangers and would never have wandered off alone.

"She never leaves the house unless an adult is with her. She wouldn't have come out in the yard, or the road for that matter, without her mother," said Joann Evans, Aliayah's Grandmother.

Read more:

http://www.wdtv.com/index.php/home/local-news/9116-5-news-update-search-continues-for-missing-3-year-old-girl



Aliayah Lunsford

I am researching family background in an effort to get an idea of the family dynamics.

This is what I've come up with so far.

This is a booking mug shot of Lena from 9/22/2009.
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Lena Marie Lunsford

Height: 5ft 6in Weight: 203 lbs. DOB: 8/16/1982
Booked: 09/22/2009 Booking ID: 2647217

- SRJ
Charge Type: Div.OfCorrectionsOffender
____________

Source:

http://wvjails.info/?BookingID=2647217
West Virginia Jails Info - Booking ID
________________________

This is from 4/14/2008:

http://www.wvrja.com/dailyincar/admissionssummary.asp?agy=CRJ&adate=4/14/2008&idesc=Central%20Regional%20Jail
West Virginia Regional Jail Authority Admission Summary dated 4-14-2008

16:30:00 LUNSFORD LENA MARIE DOB: 8/16/1982 Gender: F
_________________________

There is an article about a lawsuit filed by a Lena Lunsford against West Virginia Division of Corrections for negligence after she claims she was sexually harassed and sexually abused by a correctional officer.

I do not know if that is the same Lena Marie Lunsford as above. I need to do additional research.

Per this birth announcement, it appears Lena has 5 children.

The fifth child was born 1-12-11.

Aliayah Lunsford is listed as one of four siblings.

Lena Marie Lunsford is the former Lena Marie Swiger.

This brief article indicates Lena Marie Lunsford of Walkersville.
Also, maternal grandmother is JoAnn Evans of Walkersville.

Read birth announcement:

http://www.gilmerfreepress.net/index.php/site/comments/bentley_michael_lunsford/
Gilmer Free Press - WV
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In a video upthread, JoAnn Evans commented regarding Aliayah gone missing.

It appears Nancy Grace is going to cover the Aliayah Lunsford case on her show tonight.

Of course, we all know scheduled programming is subject to change.
~~~~~~~

http://nancygrace.blogs.cnn.com/
Nancy Grace Show

3-Year-Old Vanishes from Home!

3-year-old girl vanishes from home in the early morning hours. Mom reportedly goes to wake her up to find her gone!

8 p.m. EDT/ 7 p.m. CDT

5 NEWS UPDATE: Community Comes Together to Look for Missing Girl

Written by Nicole Porter
WDTV - Bridgeport, WV

Monday, 26 September 2011 16:29

The search continues for a 3 year old Lewis County girl who has been missing since Saturday.

More than 1,000 volunteers have joined Police in combing the streets trying to find Aliayah Lunsford.

It seems as though Aliayah disappeared into thin air Saturday. Dogs can't track her scent and Police don't have any clues as to where she could be, but that hasn't stopped the community from coming out to look for the girl.

Read more and view video:

http://www.wdtv.com/index.php/home/local-news/9124-5-news-update-community-comes-together-to-look-for-missing-girl

Lewis County, West Virginia - The red dot is Weston.

It is my understanding Bendale, where it is being reported that Aliayah went missing from, is in the Weston area.

Are there any folks from West Virginia that are familiar with this area? Please comment. Thanks!
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Map Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WVMap-doton-Weston.PNG
Wikipedia - File:WVMap-doton-Weston.PNG

Here is a Google map of the area.


View Larger Map

Jane Velez-Mitchell hosted the Nancy Grace Show tonight.

I did not get to watch the first 20 minutes of the show. This is some of the info that was disclosed on the show. I do not know if all of it is accurate or true.
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Aliayah's mother, Lena Lunsford, is 8 months pregnant with twins. Because of that, she was not given a polygraph test.

Certain people are being polygraphed. Did not state who.

The dogs picked up Aliayah's scent from the home to the river. The river is less than 100 yards from the home but there is thick underbrush and it would probably be difficult for a 3 year old child to navigate.

Lena, the mother, has a criminal background regarding forgery. Also has a criminal history in two other counties.

Aliayah may have been born while her mother, Lena, was incarcerated.

Lena has 5 children. Per Law Enforcement (LE), Aliayah's biological father does not know Aliayah is his daughter. Lena never told him.

Aliayah has a stepfather. He left the home early to go to work at a nearby resort (hotel, etc.). Did not state his occupation.
LE confirmed he was at work as he stated.

Aliayah was sick Saturday morning. Lena checked on her at 6:30 a.m. and she was sleeping. There was a 9 year old sibling with Aliayah and Lena took the 9 year old out of the room so Aliayah could sleep late.

Lena checked on Aliayah about 9 or 9:30 a.m. and Aliayah was gone.

Lena drove around the area looking for Aliayah. Supposedly ran out of gas and borrowed either gas or money for gas.

Some of the places Lena went captured her on security cameras.

She drove around looking for Aliayah until 11:30 a.m., came home and called LE to report Aliayah missing.

Per LE, the front door of the home did not close well. The home is an older home.

There are 25 sex offenders in the area. They are being questioned by LE.

Aliayah is shy per Lena.

Some of the guests have a problem with the time line. They don't understand why Lena would drive around for almost two hours looking for her child since she was only 3 years old. They don't understand why she did not call LE promptly when she discovered that Lena was not in the house versus driving around looking for her.

They think the 9 year old could be very helpful to LE as to what happened in the home.

They notice that Lena is the only one talking and she is saying the last time she saw Aliayah was at 6:30 a.m. What if that is not so?

The transcript to the Nancy Grace Show should be available later tonight. When it it available, I will post the Link.

Also, sometimes there are videos of the Nancy Grace Show. Maybe Sierra1947 will post the videos from the show tonight.

If so, I'll post them here.

Authorities Still Searching for 3-Year Old Girl in Lewis County

WAJR - Morgantown, WV

September 26, 2011

Search efforts right now are concentrated heavily on the West Fork River located nearly directly behind the home where Aaliyah Lunsford was last seen early Saturday morning. Lewis County Sheriff Michael Gissy says the K-9 units picked up a scent trail leading directly from the Lunsford home to the river, less than 100 yards away.

Read more:

http://www.wajr.com/includes/news_items/1/news_items_more.php?id=12271§ion_id=1

Per this updated article, the FBI are searching door to door.
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5 NEWS UPDATE: Community Comes Together to Look for Missing Girl

WDTV - Bridgeport, WV

September 26, 2011

The search continues for a three-year-old Lewis County girl who has been missing since Saturday.

More than 1,000 volunteers have joined police in combing the streets trying to find Aliayah Lunsford.

It seems as though Aliayah disappeared into thin air Saturday. Dogs can't track her scent and police don't have any clues as to where she could be, but that hasn't stopped the community from coming out to look for the girl.

On Saturday, crews searched the area near her home in Bendale. Sunday the search stretched out, now crews and volunteers are retracing their steps. Dogs were back out in the area, and for the third day divers were in the river. Volunteers say they will continue to retrace their steps until this girl is found.

"We have no clues that have risen yet. It is beyond frustrating. A three-year-old doesn't just disappear," says Sgt. Michael Posey with the Lewis County Sheriff's Department.

Read more:

http://www.wdtv.com/

Folks React To Young Childs Disappearance

Last Updated on Monday, 26 September 2011 19:10

Written by Katie Lusso
WDTV - Bridgeport, WV

Many of the folks in our area are still in shock over Aliayah Lunsfords disappearance.

What makes this case so different is that there are no clues surrounding Aliayah's disappearance and many wonder how something like this could happen.

Three year-old Aliayah disappeared on Saturday morning, and police say it was like she simply vanished.

In light of her disappearance folks are reaching out all across the state offering support. Many remain in shock that this could even happen.

Read more:

http://www.wdtv.com/index.php/home/local-news/9127-folks-react-to-young-childs-disappearance

Thanks for the updates Ann. I'm guessing the stepfather was polygraphed. I'm not sure who else they may have polygraphed. I can't imagine them giving a polygraph to the children. The stepfather may be able to be ruled out as a suspect if the 9 year old can confirm that Aliayah was alive after the stepfather left for work. However, the mother's story of driving around for two hours before calling the police sounds hinky. I pray that Aliayah is found safe.

Lewis County Girl Missing

Posted Monday, September 26, 2011 ; 06:08 PM
Updated Monday, September 26, 2011; 06:57 PM

She was last seen wearing purple pajamas and a pink sweatshirt.

By Malarie Dauginikas
WBOY - Clarksburg, WV

BENDALE -- UPDATE Monday Sept. 26 6:08 p.m.
It has been more than three days since anyone has seen Aliayah Lunsford.

She disappeared from her home in Bendale near Weston early Saturday morning.

Boat teams, canine units and foot crews have scoured woods, streets and water searching for any sign of Aliayah.

"Christmas Day, when she was going to open up her presents, she always opens up the biggest ones first and the smallest ones for last. She was really, really proud of what she got for Christmas. I just want her back home," Wendy Swiger, Aliayah's aunt, said.

Read more and view video:

http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=108621

Regarding the updates, you are welcome Justice!

Lena, the mother, is the one saying she took the 9 year old out of the bedroom around 6:30 because Aliayah was sick and sleeping.

I hope she is being truthful.

On the Nancy Grace Show, a guest said certain people are being interviewed 5 and 6 times. Did not say who the certain people are. Implication was the stepfather and mother, Lena, were being interviewed.

A guest on NG said the disappearance of Aliayah will focus on the home because she was last seen in the home. That's a no brainer!

I hope that whoever interviews the 9 year old has experience in interviewing a child.

I wish the stepfather's name would be released. I'd see what I could find out about his background.

snipped:

"She was a special little girl. She wouldn't go to no strangers. She was pretty close to the family, and we just want her home," Sherri Prunty, Aliayah's aunt, said.

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=108621

was twice

Some of the guests have a problem with the time line. They don't understand why Lena would drive around for almost two hours looking for her child since she was only 3 years old. They don't understand why she did not call LE promptly when she discovered that Lena was not in the house versus driving around looking for her.

Yeah, that doesn't sound right. I wonder if Alaiyah had wandered off before. Or maybe Lena was just not wanting LE in the picture if they didn't have to be.

Perhaps they are polygraphing the sex offenders.

Julie wrote:snipped:

"She was a special little girl. She wouldn't go to no strangers. She was pretty close to the family, and we just want her home," Sherri Prunty, Aliayah's aunt, said.

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=108621

was twice

Hmmm...speaking in past tense...

Good sleuthing, Julie!

You must be studying Statement Analysis!

K-9s, volunteers, police search in West Virginia for 3-year-old girl

By the CNN Wire Staff - CNN
updated 10:07 PM EST, Mon September 26, 2011



Aliayah Lunsford, 3, was last seen by her mother and sister around 6 a.m. Saturday, police say.


CNN) -- K-9 dogs and hundreds of volunteers have joined authorities in West Virginia to look for a missing 3-year-old girl, but a sheriff's department lieutenant said in the two days since she was last seen that "we haven't come up with anything."

Aliayah Lunsford's mother and 9-year-old sister told police they saw the girl around 6 a.m. Saturday in a bedroom in their home in Weston, West Virginia, located between Charleston and Morgantown. The mother said she returned about three hours later to see the girl -- who had been sick the night before -- and take her temperature, but Aliayah wasn't there, Lewis County Sheriff's Lt. David Parks said Monday.

By that time, the girl's stepfather had already been picked up and left for work. The mother got in her car and drove around looking for the child, at one point running out of gas, said Parks. She called police to report Aliayah missing around 11:30 a.m.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/26/justice/west-virginia-missing-child/
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Very good article! I am happy that CNN is now covering this story. Maybe we'll get some info!

On NG tonight, Jane Velez-Mitchell said "we will be covering this story until Aliayah is found." We shall see!