Children's Safety Zone
Mikelle Biggs Story Index
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Mesa Police, Criminal Investigations 480-644-4078, Sgt. Steven Stahl, steven_stahl@mesa.ci.mesa.az.us
Another frustrating day passed without any luck in the search for an 11-year-old Mesa girl who seems to have vanished without a trace.
About 100 Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies and posse members spent nearly 24 hours searching a lush desert area northeast of Mesa frequented by Salt River tubers.
But Sgt. Dave Trombi, a sheriff's spokesman, said searchers found no evidence of Mikelle Biggs, who disappeared Saturday evening while waiting for an ice cream truck.
The search, near Power and Thomas roads, was prompted by a tip to police that a copper Jeep CJ had been seen parked on a dirt road nearby, police Sgt. Earle Lloyd said.
At the time of Mikelle's apparent abduction, a copper colored Jeep CJ was seen in her neighborhood, near El Moro Drive and Toltec Street.
With so few leads, police decided to search the area, but all they found was a stolen vehicle believed unconnected to the case.
Despite the lack of progress, family members managed to keep a positive attitude, even though police admit the odds of finding Mikelle unharmed are worsening.
Neighbors along El Moro showed their support for the Biggs family by tying yellow ribbons to their mailboxes.
"I'm still very hopeful. I'm just more tired than I was on Saturday," said Michael Darien Biggs, Mikelle's father.
"Everyone I talk to, the first thing they say is keep your chin up," he said. His father, Michael Biggs, said, "you think you're in a nightmare, and then you realize you're awake and its not going to go away."
The Biggs family's travails were compounded further by disclosure that Darien Biggs had an extramarital affair with a woman whose ex-husband had made vague threats against him.
"They weren't even threats. They were more like head games," Biggs said.
Biggs said he told police about the affair Saturday night. He disclosed it to his wife, Tracy, in November.
Lloyd said police do not believe the ex-husband of Biggs' former lover is involved in Mikelle's disappearance.
Meanwhile, the Nation's Missing Children Organization announced plans for a non-denominational prayer service at 7 p.m. Friday at Mesa High School's auditorium.
Drivers also were asked to use their headlights while driving Friday as symbolic "Search Lights for Missing Children."
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Reproduced with permission from: The Arizona Republic Written by: By Jim Walsh ©Copyright 1999 Arizona Republic |
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