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My beautiful daughter died mysteriously while camping...what a private investigator told me has left me distraught
My beautiful daughter died mysteriously while camping...what a private investigator told me has left me distraught

Daily Mail​

time16 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

My beautiful daughter died mysteriously while camping...what a private investigator told me has left me distraught

A mother whose daughter was found dead a month after she mysteriously disappeared while camping is convinced she was murdered after she hired a private investigator to look into her death. Jessica Paige Kemp, 32, was last seen alive on May 5 while camping alone near Lake Ashbaugh in Arkansas. Kemp, who was described as an avid camper by her family, called the Greene County Sheriff's Office that evening after she became concerned someone was underneath her vehicle. Deputies responded but left her, after they determined there was nothing under or in her vehicle. There was no sign of Kemp for over a month until June 10, when her fiancé Paden Raburn and her family encountered a strong smell while out searching for her. Raburn said their search had been drawn towards a field after some of Kemp's belongings were found scattered nearby. Skeletal remains were eventually found two-and-a-half miles from her campsite by deputies. They were formally identified as Kemp shortly after by authorities. Believing there was more to the story, her mother Sandy Kemp hired a private investigator and is now convinced she was murdered. She told WREG: 'She didn't get lost, my daughter didn't get lost. I think my daughter was murdered. Actually I know she was.' Remembering her daughter, she added: 'She was smart, kind, very giving, she'd give away her last dollar. 'She was one of a kind, absolutely beautiful soul, absolutely beautiful.' The Daily Mail has attempted to contact Sandy for further comment on her claims. Sandy said that her daughter had read a text from her on May 5, which she then followed up with again the following day, it went unanswered. 'She stopped using her debit card, no responses from her to anybody, and we've always been a very, very close family, so we knew something was wrong', she added. Search teams looking for Kemp found her car abandoned, her purse was still inside and items were scattered around the vehicle. Officials say they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, but Sandy has been critical of the approach. The Greene County Sheriff Brad Snyder responded to her concerns in a post to Facebook before the body of Kemp was found. In his post, dated May 30, the sheriff said that Kemp had stopped taking medication for her mental health. He also disclosed that she has a known drug addiction and that it was not uncommon for her to go without speaking to her family for months at a time. The office also suggested that there was no body cam footage from officers who initially met with Kemp before she disappeared. Snyder also said that Kemp wasn't reported missing until May 14 after her disappearance was initially reported to another department. It added: 'When she was reported missing, she was reported missing to the Jonesboro Police Department. 'When our department learned of the missing persons report, we responded to the campsite to begin investigating. 'Between my patrol deputies and criminal investigators, my department has well over 200 man hours invested in attempting to locate Ms. Kemp.' Snyder also said there was no signs of foul play at the scene. An obituary described Kemp as being 'a creative and crafty spirit', who had a love for the outdoors. It said: 'Paige had a knack for turning the ordinary into something special. She loved painting, crafting, and bringing color and life to the world around her. 'Animals held a special place in her heart—especially turtles—and her gentle spirit made her a beloved presence in every life she touched. 'Paige's sweet soul, love of nature, and genuine heart will be deeply missed by all who knew her.' A memorial service was held last weekend to remember her.

Army vet's search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance
Army vet's search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance

Fox News

time21 hours ago

  • Fox News

Army vet's search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance

Print Close By Julia Bonavita, Michael Ruiz Published July 19, 2025 A retired U.S. Army veteran is still piecing together the disappearance of his geologist son years after he vanished from an Arizona work site, with new investigators looking to break open the four-year-long cold case using new forensic evidence. 24-year-old Daniel Robinson vanished after leaving work at around 9 a.m. on June 23, 2021, according to the Buckeye Police Department. Daniel's father, David Robinson, subsequently reported him missing later that day after his coworkers reached out to tell his family Daniel did not return to work. "When I first called in, [authorities] made me hang the phone up, wait two hours and call back," the elder Robinson told Fox News Digital. ARMY VET SAYS NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS FOUL PLAY IN UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE OF SCIENTIST SON After local law enforcement reportedly denied Robinson's request to begin searching for his son due to his age, the father took matters into his own hands by driving from his home in Columbia, South Carolina, to where Daniel had been seen last, 2,000 miles away in Arizona. "I kind of lost it," Robinson said. "That prompted me to grab everything I could, throw it in my car and start driving to go find Daniel myself." Upon arriving in Arizona, Robinson grew frustrated with the reported lack of urgency from officials, ultimately choosing to hire a private investigator to help search for Daniel. Less than one month later, Daniel's 2017 Jeep Renegade was found rolled on its side in a ravine by a local rancher. The vehicle was still in drive, and had front-end impact damage and a broken driver's side window and was missing a piece of its roof. FATHER'S PURSUIT FOR MISSING DAUGHTER HEATS UP WITH NEW EVIDENCE IN CASE THAT'S NO LONGER COLD Despite the damage, authorities ruled out foul play in Daniel's disappearance. "Law enforcement gave me an idea of what they said happened at that scene," Robinson said. "It was unacceptable to me. It didn't make sense." Robinson's private investigator determined that the damage to Daniel's vehicle did not match the nearby terrain, while also pointing to black box data indicating the car had driven 11 miles after the airbags had been deployed, signifying that the car may have been planted at the location where it was found. "So all of the information – plus more – signified to my investigator that some type of foul play happened," Robinson said. AMERICAN TOURIST VANISHES IN TROPICAL PARADISE AFTER EARLY MORNING WALK FROM VACATION RENTAL As Robinson continued the frantic search for his son, local law enforcement tried to provide explanations for where he may have gone, further frustrating the father as Daniel remained missing. "When [police] said, 'Hey, your son joined the monastery and became a monk,' I had to go look for monasteries," Robinson told Fox News Digital. "Can you imagine that? I had to go and check that out. [It was] a waste of a lot of money, a lot of energy." The case remains open within the Buckeye Police Department as authorities continue to look at evidence regarding Daniel's disappearance. "Buckeye police are committed to locating Daniel Robinson and getting answers for his loved ones and the many people who have become deeply invested in his case," the department said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Detectives continue to investigate every tip and lead and urge anyone with information on Daniel's whereabouts to contact us ." DETECTIVES' TRUE CRIME PODCAST HELPS DIG UP BREAKTHROUGH IN CASE THAT HAUNTED FAMILY: 'DREW AUDIBLE GASP' Four years later, Robinson hopes the introduction of new Buckeye Police Department detectives and police chief will yield more promising results in finding out what happened to his son, after what had been a rocky relationship between the father and local law enforcement. "It's given me the opportunity to get new leads in Daniel's case," Robinson said. "Hopefully that's what we'll find. Because I know forensic work will bring on some new answers, and we can go forward in another direction to find out exactly what happened to my family." Robinson hopes new forensics data from the clothing and vehicle found at the scene will help piece together his son's final moments. But in the meantime he is still searching on foot for clues in the desert. MISSING CALIFORNIA MOM'S FAMILY DIGS FOR HOMICIDE 'COVER-UP OR CLEANUP' AS POLICE EYE PERSONS OF INTEREST "Me and the volunteers that come out, they are my extended family," Robinson said. "We're actually looking for Daniel." Throughout their efforts, Robinson and his team of volunteers have recovered seven sets of human remains to ultimately bring closure to other families with missing loved ones within the area, but his primary mission remains finding Daniel. In April, Robinson teamed up with another father who understands the pain of losing a child all too well: Joseph Petito. Petito's daughter, Gabby Petito, went missing just a few weeks after Daniel while on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Her body was subsequently discovered in Wyoming on September 19, 2021. Investigators ruled her death a homicide, determining she had been strangled to death. GABBY PETITO TOLD HER EX SHE WAS SCARED TO LEAVE BRIAN LAUNDRIE BUT WANTED TO, JUST BEFORE MURDER: NEW DOC When the story regarding Gabby's disappearance first made national headlines, it "pulled Daniel's case along with it," according to Robinson. "The first thing I'm thinking is that somebody's family is going through exactly what I am," Robinson said. "I know the pain." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES AT THE FOX NEWS TRUE CRIME HUB The two men forged a bond through the disappearances of their children, with Petito ultimately traveling to Arizona in April of this year to help search for clues surrounding Daniel's disappearance. "He called me in January and said, 'Dave, I want to be a part of the search," Robinson told Fox News Digital. "He said 'I don't want it to be about Gabby. I just want to come in as a friend to come out here to help you.'" Petito is celebrating the resurrection of evidence in Robinson's case, telling Fox News Digital the addition of new investigators is "fantastic." "I really pray for him and his family," Petito said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Robinson continues to advocate for missing Americans throughout the country, and he is pushing for new legislation to create federal standards regarding law enforcement's response to missing-persons reports while running for a seat in South Carolina's Second Congressional District. "The only thing that kept me straight is my love for my son and my military training," Robinson said. "I had to rely on military training to look at my son as a mission, and I put the mission first." Print Close URL

Step-grandmother of missing N.S. kids recalls hearing their voices, followed by 'nothing'
Step-grandmother of missing N.S. kids recalls hearing their voices, followed by 'nothing'

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Step-grandmother of missing N.S. kids recalls hearing their voices, followed by 'nothing'

Janie Mackenzie was asleep in her trailer when she awoke to the sound of her dog barking, a telltale sign her two young step-grandchildren were out playing on a swingset in the backyard. She said she heard Lilly and Jack Sullivan's voices. Her bedroom is only a few steps away. "After that, I heard nothing," said Mackenzie of the morning of May 2, when the two children disappeared from the property in Lansdowne Station, a sparsely populated community in Nova Scotia's Pictou County. The next thing she did hear was her son, Daniel Martell, yelling the children's names. A short time later, she emerged from the trailer to find the children's mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, standing in the driveway with her one-year-old daughter on her hip. Extensive searches turn up little evidence Brooks-Murray told her the children were missing, recalled Mackenzie, and had been gone for about 20 minutes. "I closed the door, got my boots on, came out here, ran up in the woods," Mackenzie said in an interview outside of her trailer. It is the first time CBC News has been given access to the property from which the children went missing. Mackenzie said she was speaking to her brother on the phone for about two minutes at 8:48 a.m. local time and then dozed off before being awoken by the dog's barking, so the children went missing sometime after that. What followed was days of extensive searches of the property and surrounding woods that turned up little evidence, aside from two boot prints and a piece of a blanket. Over the past 11 weeks, nearly a dozen RCMP units — including major crimes — have been working on the case, but have released few details about what may have happened to Lilly, 6, and Jack, 4. Mackenzie has decided to share her side of the story in the hopes of bringing more clarity to what transpired that morning and to help dispel the flurry of rumours that have been circulating online. "I blame myself for not getting up that morning to see the kids because ... this would have never happened," she said through tears. Mackenzie described the scene on her property — where she has lived for 26 years — as chaotic on that first day of the disappearance as RCMP officers, search and rescue officials and reporters descended upon the rural community. Two years before, Martell and Brooks-Murray came to live there with Jack and Lilly, whose biological father had chosen a few years prior not to be a part of their lives. Soon after, Martell and Brooks-Murray welcomed their daughter. Mackenzie said she gave the young family the mobile home and she started living in a small RV. She built the wooden swingset in the backyard, which she outfitted with a blue slide and sandbox. WATCH | Mackenzie takes CBC News through her property: "They were part of my life for two years. When they came to live here, they became part of this family," said the 59-year-old Mackenzie. Mackenzie said she and her family have been nothing but co-operative with police since the children disappeared, all while it has attracted intense international interest. Mackenzie said there was one instance on the very first day of the search when an officer attempted to enter her trailer and she stopped the officer, but only because she wanted to remove her dog first. Since then, the property has been scoured. Both RCMP and search and rescue officials have searched the property's mobile home and trailer multiple times. The well and septic tank have been searched. A drone was even flown under the mobile home. Martell was also given a polygraph test, which he says he passed. And yet, accusations that she or her son are somehow involved in the disappearance continue to be hurled their way online, she said. "My life has been turned upside down, inside and out," she said. "I had nothing to do with any of this.… I want them home safe and sound just as much as everybody else does. I want to know what happened. "I want the rumours to stop. I just want everything to stop. For me, for the sake of the other children, my grandchildren. They don't deserve this. They're innocent of everything. Jack and Lilly are innocent of everything. They didn't deserve this." In the beginning, her family was receiving regular updates about the investigation. But that has all but stopped in recent weeks, leaving her and Martell with many unanswered questions. She feels the case now lacks the urgency it deserves. She's also critical of the RCMP's initial response to the case, questioning how far two children could have reasonably travelled through thick woods in the span of roughly 20 minutes. Having lived on the property for decades, she's acutely aware of just how dense the forest is, which was made worse by downed trees during post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022. "We've went for walks in the woods. I had to practically … carry Jack through the woods because there was no way that he was walking through all that tree falls and bushes," she said, later taking CBC News through a path the children often used, littered with criss-crossing trees. RCMP investigation questioned "I don't think they're in the woods. We searched this place.... They had helicopters out. They had drones out. They had searchers. They went over this place with a fine-tooth comb." A member of Brooks-Murray's extended family is also critical of how the RCMP investigation has played out. Darin Geddes, a cousin of Brooks-Murray's grandmother, said he had been speaking with many members of both families in the weeks following the disappearance and believed he had information that could be pertinent to the investigation, but was brushed off by the Mounties. "It's not hurt. It's rage. And I'm trying to control it," Geddes said in a recent interview, adding he did eventually track down an officer to take his statement. On Wednesday, RCMP said units from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario are working on the case. Spokesperson Cpl. Carlie McCann said a pink blanket that was seized on Lansdowne Road on the first day of the search is being forensically examined. McCann said the family has confirmed the blanket belongs to Lilly. McCann said police are following up on more than 600 tips from the public, reviewing 5,000 video files and have interviewed more than 60 people. Asked if police are investigating the possibility of the children still being alive, McCann said: "We've not closed any doors on the investigation at this point." She also said an RCMP family liaison is in regular contact with a designated relative of Lilly and Jack, providing ongoing updates and support. She would not say who the designated relative is. Mackenzie said she lived a quiet life before the disappearance launched her and her family into the spotlight, as keyboard warriors and podcasters dissect every aspect of the case. She said cars will drive by and slow down, peering down the gravel driveway flanked by the mobile home and trailer. It's also not uncommon for drones to be flown over her house, for members of the media to knock at her door, and to be recognized everywhere she goes. "I mostly stay around back here and if I do go out front for anything, I usually have my head down because I don't want people to see who I am," she said, seated in front of a green fence that separates her trailer from the rest of the property. "It's not because I'm hiding from anybody…. I'm just a quiet person that just wants to be left alone." The day after the children went missing, Martell and Brooks-Murray attended an RCMP briefing. After that, Brooks-Murray did not return to the home in Lansdowne Station and has not been back since. WATCH | Paternal grandmother speaks to CBC News: Mackenzie said she also hasn't seen her two other grandchildren, Martell's kids from a previous relationship, since the disappearance. She remarked that she went from seeing her five grandchildren regularly to not being able to see any of them, and yearns to be called "Granny" once again. Brooks-Murray did one interview with CTV News the day after the disappearance, but has not spoken to media since. Her mother has told CBC News they were told by police not to speak to media. Through it all, Mackenzie does not believe the children are dead. "You know if something bad happens, you get like your heart drops? Mine hasn't dropped," she said. "Deep down in my heart, I do believe Jack and Lilly are alive." MORE TOP STORIES

Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance
Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance

With no trace of 24-year-old Natanis Merasty for more than two months, her family is pleading for answers about what happened to her. Merasty, a member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation who is from La Ronge, Sask., was last seen in Edmonton on May 5. With no confirmed sightings since, Edmonton Police Service is now leading the investigation into the suspicious disappearance. Merasty's aunt and godmother, Marcela Merasty, said Friday that it isn't normal for her niece to be out of touch with family members for so long. "By this time, she'd be calling home for family. Anything that was ever wrong with her, she came to us for support," she said. "The people who have any answers, come forward. Let it out of your heart. Let us family have closure in this." EPS Det. Lisa Riou said police believe Merasty came to Edmonton with friends or acquaintances. She said police have spoken with people who had contact with Merasty in the city, and there a number of "people of interest." While Merasty hasn't been seen since she was in Edmonton, police have traced the path of her vehicle in the days that followed. She appears on surveillance footage from the Continental Inn in west Edmonton, and then a nearby 7-Eleven, in the early morning hours of May 5. After that, police say her car passed through Edmonton and Sherwood Park, east of the city, before travelling southwest. It passed through the areas of Buck Lake, Nordegg and Lake Louise in Alberta, before crossing into B.C. On May 7, the vehicle was on a ferry to Nanaimo, B.C. Three days later, it was back in the Edmonton area, before travelling west, where it was seen west of Lloydminster, on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. On May 15 — 10 days after Merasty was last seen — her vehicle was found abandoned, repainted from black to silver, in James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Riou said there aren't any confirmed images of Merasty during the journey into the other provinces — only the car that belonged to her. Because Edmonton is the last place she was seen, EPS is leading the investigation and working with RCMP. Investigators are still looking into whether Merasty had connections to the places her car was spotted. Riou said police are seeking tips from all three provinces involved in the investigation. "Hopefully as we seek and gain more public information, continue to work with the family, we'll put together a better, broader picture with more details." Merasty's uncle Victor Michel said the family has a lot of hope that she's still alive. "We are hurt as a family, obviously ... We are seeking our girl. We want her home." Merasty often goes by Sikwan with her family members, aunt Noreen Merasty said. If anyone sees her, she said it might help to connect with her by speaking the family's Cree language. "Just tell her in Cree, like, 'It's OK. You don't need to be scared, you don't need to hide,'" she said. "We all love you," she said, then switching to Cree to tell her niece, "Come home now." Police say anyone who may have information about where Merasty is should contact EPS or report tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance
Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance

CBC

timea day ago

  • CBC

Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance

With no trace of 24-year-old Natanis Merasty for more than two months, her family is pleading for answers about what happened to her. Merasty, a member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation who is from La Ronge, Sask., was last seen in Edmonton on May 5. With no confirmed sightings since, Edmonton Police Service is now leading the investigation into the suspicious disappearance. Merasty's aunt and godmother, Marcela Merasty, said Friday that it isn't normal for her niece to be out of touch with family members for so long. "By this time, she'd be calling home for family. Anything that was ever wrong with her, she came to us for support," she said. "The people who have any answers, come forward. Let it out of your heart. Let us family have closure in this." EPS Det. Lisa Riou said police believe Merasty came to Edmonton with friends or acquaintances. She said police have spoken with people who had contact with Merasty in the city, and there a number of "people of interest." While Merasty hasn't been seen since she was in Edmonton, police have traced the path of her vehicle in the days that followed. She appears on surveillance footage from the Continental Inn in west Edmonton, and then a nearby 7-Eleven, in the early morning hours of May 5. After that, police say her car passed through Edmonton and Sherwood Park, east of the city, before travelling southwest. It passed through the areas of Buck Lake, Nordegg and Lake Louise in Alberta, before crossing into B.C. On May 7, the vehicle was on a ferry to Nanaimo, B.C. Three days later, it was back in the Edmonton area, before travelling west, where it was seen west of Lloydminster, on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. On May 15 — 10 days after Merasty was last seen — her vehicle was found abandoned, repainted from black to silver, in James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Riou said there aren't any confirmed images of Merasty during the journey into the other provinces — only the car that belonged to her. Because Edmonton is the last place she was seen, EPS is leading the investigation and working with RCMP. Investigators are still looking into whether Merasty had connections to the places her car was spotted. Riou said police are seeking tips from all three provinces involved in the investigation. "Hopefully as we seek and gain more public information, continue to work with the family, we'll put together a better, broader picture with more details." Merasty's uncle Victor Michel said the family has a lot of hope that she's still alive. "We are hurt as a family, obviously ... We are seeking our girl. We want her home." Merasty often goes by Sikwan with her family members, aunt Noreen Merasty said. If anyone sees her, she said it might help to connect with her by speaking the family's Cree language. "Just tell her in Cree, like, 'It's OK. You don't need to be scared, you don't need to hide,'" she said. "We all love you," she said, then switching to Cree to tell her niece, "Come home now." Police say anyone who may have information about where Merasty is should contact EPS or report tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

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