Amber Harris 12 Missing 11/29/05 Nebraska

Amber Harris Billboard Erected POSTED: 3:44 pm CST January 12, 2006 UPDATED: 5:51 pm CST January 12, 2006

OMAHA, Neb. -- The picture of a missing Omaha girl is now within plain sight of thousands of interstate travelers. Lamar Advertising unveiled a billboard on Thursday that shows a picture of Amber Harris. The billboard is just off the Leavenworth Street exit of Interstate 480 northbound. It displays the missing 12-year-old's name and police contact information in bold letters against a neon green background. The Harris family said they approved the final design with the hope that it would attract lots of attention. But even with that in mind, Harris's mother, Michelle, said that seeing it for the first time was a difficult reminder. "It's mixed, because it makes you happy that it's up there. A lot of people will see it. But to know that it's come this far? It just tugs at your heartstrings quite a bit," Michelle Harris said. Amber Harris was last seen on Nov. 29. Federal, state and local agencies are all working to find her. KETV

Reward Totals $8K In Harris Case POSTED: 3:53 pm CST January 17, 2006 UPDATED: 4:21 pm CST January 17, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- A reward now totals $8,000 for information in the case of a missing girl. Amber Harris was last seen Nov. 29. She was getting off a school bus near 20th Street and Florence Boulevard just a few blocks from her home. Omaha police, the Nebraska State Patrol and the FBI are investigating. Those with information can call (402) 444-5600 or (402) 444-5838. http://www.ketv.com/news/6188727/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Expert Weighs In On Harris Case Man Works With Investigators POSTED: 5:11 pm CST January 17, 2006 UPDATED: 5:27 pm CST January 17, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- The search for a missing girl is entering its eighth week, and local, state and federal investigators continue to press on with the case. Authorities are turning to a national expert to learn more about the latest methods in missing and abused child investigations. Florence Boulevard and Pinkney Street is the last place Amber Harris was seen on Nov. 29. Omaha police, the lead investigative agency, said there are no new leads in the case. Bill Hammond, a missing child expert, made a presentation Tuesday in Omaha. He talked with NewsWatch 7 about his views on the case. Hammond is a former South Carolina law enforcement officer and is director of the Vanished Children's Alliance. He helps investigators across the country to solve missing and abused children cases. He was instructing Sarpy County investigators and focused on teamwork and maximizing resources. "All cases are different. All abductors are different. You always works off the premise that this child is missing and you do what is necessary to locate the child," Hammond said. Hammond's California-based alliance solves up to 1,600 cases a year. Hammond said investigators are doing the right thing by staying active and working on the assumption that Harris is still alive. He said continuing searches and information displays such as the Amber billboards are essential. "If you run the investigation in the direction that the child is no longer alive, then you're going to miss information -- there's no question about it," Hammond said. Ells is augmenting Hammond's lectures with presentations on juvenile law. "We want to work and help them with investigative skills ... hopefully provide some new ideas and perspective," said Mark Ells, a University of Nebraska professor. They hope what they are teaching will help solve such cases. "When you win and safely recover a child, it's worth every bit of effort that goes into it," Hammond said. The Harris family has put up billboards with her photo at 24th and Cuming streets and at Interstate 480 and Leavenworth Street. They're also planning another vigil for Harris at the end of the month. Copyright 2006 by KETV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. http://www.ketv.com/news/6190793/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Harris Reward Donation Business hopes others contribute to reward fund A $5,000 donation to the reward fund for information on missing 12-year-old Amber Harris has boosted the fund's total to approximately $13,000. Performance Automative Group made the $5,000 donation designated for the Amber Harris investigation Wednesday. Mickey Anderson, with Performance Automative Group says he hopes other area businesses will follow the lead and contribute to the cause. "As a parent, certainly, that is something that has prompted me to want to take some action on behalf of our company," said Anderson. "To lose a child or have a child missing is…I can't imagine what could be more tragic." "Something good has to come out of this," said Michael Harris, Amber's father. "I believe that. Something good has got to come out of this, whether it'd be to help any other family or guardian for the betterment." Michael Harris remains convinced that the more people hear about Amber, the more likely it is that something will happen. "We're going to turn this around to find some answers, because somebody knows something, seen something or heard something," Harris said. Amber Harris was last seen getting off a school bus at Florence and Pinkney on November 29. She was reportedly walking south and turned east toward her home at 3210 N. 16th. Omaha Police Department's Special Victim's Unit is urging anyone with information regarding the investigation to call the police department at 444-5600. A candlelight vigil is planned for Amber Harris on January 29. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2231742.html

Vigil Planned For Missing Girl Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 5:35am On Sunday, it will be two months since anyone has seen or heard from 12 year old Amber Harris. Amber was last seen getting off a school bus near 21st and Pinkney. Amber's mother, Melissa Harris says its hard to believe that her daughter has been missing for so long. She is not giving up hope on finding Amber alive. Melissa believes someone may have abducted her daughter. On Sunday, a "Vigil of Hope" will be held at the Paradise Baptist Church near 21st and Lothrop. It will start at 6:30pm http://www.kfab.com/cc-common/feeds/view.php?feed_id=255&feed=/main.html&instance=1&article_id=59258

Harris Vigil Reward stands at $13,000 Two months after 12-year-old Amber Harris was first reported missing, her friends and family are gathering for a Sunday evening vigil to make sure she isn't forgotten. The vigil 6:30 p.m. vigil is scheduled at the Paradise Baptist Church at 21st and Lothrop. Harris was last seen November 29 getting off a school bus at 20th and Pinkney, just blocks from her home. The reward for information on the girl now stands at $13,000. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Omaha Police at 444-5600. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2249661.html

Family Marks 2 Months Since Daughter Vanished Amber Harris Last Seen Nov. 29 POSTED: 7:34 pm CST January 29, 2006 UPDATED: 7:46 pm CST January 29, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- The family of a missing 12-year-old marked two months since she disappeared on Sunday. Amber Harris was last seen Nov. 29. She was getting off a school bus near 20th Street and Florence Boulevard just a few blocks from her home. The reward offered to find her is over $10,000 and police say they have followed up hundreds of tips and quelled dozens of rumors that the girl had been found. The community has participated in several searches for the girl, and the abandoned Wintergreen Apartments were checked for any signs of Harris during an updated audit on the abandoned property, a source said last month. The picture of the missing Omaha girl is now within plain sight of thousands of interstate travelers. Lamar Advertising unveiled a billboard earlier this month that shows a picture of Harris. The billboard is just off the Leavenworth Street exit of Interstate 480 northbound. It displays the missing 12-year-old's name and police contact information in bold letters against a neon green background. Another billboard was unveiled near 24th and Cuming streets. The search went nationwide this month when CBS's crime drama "Without a Trace" featured Harris's case on its Web site and during the prime-time drama. Omaha's police chief sought during a news conference in December to defend the department's handling of the case of a missing girl. Police Chief Thomas Warren said his officers worked through the night of Nov. 29 after the department was first told that Amber Harris did not make it home after she was seen getting off her school bus. The police chief listed a day-by-day analysis of what his department had done to try to locate the girl. Warren said his officers went to 3210 N. 16th St. on a report of a missing juvenile after 7 p.m. on Nov. 29. The child's mother, Melissa Harris, told officers that she last saw her daughter get on her school bus at 6 a.m. on the 29th. Warren said officers talked to the Harris family and others who were on the same Laidlaw bus that Amber Harris boarded after school that day. One of the bus riders told officers that Harris may have asked to get off near Miller Park on that day. Warren said his officers covered the area around Miller Park and between there and Harris' home. The night the 12-year-old disappeared, Warren said, a K9 unit was not used to track the girl. They worked through the night, and continued to interview the family and other bus riders. The media was not notified that the girl was missing until the evening of Nov. 30. At that time, a photo of the girl and the phone numbers for Omaha police were released to the public asking for help to find the girl. "We had no indication (initially) that there was any foul play involved," Warren said in December. "We investigate these matters from all possible perspectives -- from worst-case scenario, if there may have been an abduction, to the individual running away voluntarily. At the time of the initial radio call, we didn't have any indication that this was anything other than a runaway. But as the time elapsed, you have concern that there's a missing 12-year-old." Investigators said Harris was dropped off at Lothrop Street and Florence Boulevard and was seen headed east on Lothrop toward her home. Warren said his department has expended considerable resources in the hunt for Harris, including many officer hours, the use of the department's helicopter and use of the FBI for help. Court documents show Michael Harris, Amber's father, and two others raped a woman 22 years ago. According to his wife, he also has at least three arrests for driving under the influence. Also, Melissa Harris took out a protection order on her husband last year after, she said, one of her six children manipulated her. Melissa Harris told KETV NewsWatch 7 that the protection order was a mistake. Michael Harris said in December that he and his wife took a polygraph test in an effort to cooperate with police in any way they can. Police confirmed that the Harris family has been very cooperative, and are considered victims in this case. Those with information can call (402) 444-5600 or (402) 444-5838. http://www.ketv.com/news/6570746/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Friends hold prayer service for missing girl By The Associated Press OMAHA — About 100 people attended a prayer vigil held for a 12-year-old girl who has been missing for more than two months. More than $500 was raised for Amber Harris at the vigil on Sunday at Paradise Baptist Church in Omaha. The money will be added to a reward fund that sits at about $13,000, which is being offered for information leading to Amber’s whereabouts. Amber was last seen on Nov. 29 getting off a school bus a few blocks from her north Omaha home. Amber’s disappearance has been noted on national TV, and several billboards asking for information have been posted around Omaha. In December she was placed on the registry of the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children and was listed as an “endangered runaway.” Omaha police say they are still investigating her disappearance, and Amber’s parents have hired a private investigator. http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/01/30/nebraska/doc43de3e6a0c1f4351412230.txt

Missing girl's family will launch new site The family of 12-year-old missing Amber Harris is leading a new push to find her, by taking the search online. Harris' family is using computer links to help spread her story beyond the Omaha area. "People all over the country are talking about Amber and praying for her," said Melissa Harris, Amber's mother. The family hopes to have searchforamber.com up and running by the middle of this week. However an online search will show her story is already out there, on Web sites such as Missing Abducted.com, Angels Missing and Missing Kids.com. A search will also find Harris in unexpected places such as Trucking Boards.com, a forum for truck drivers. And The Biker Foundation.com, a site run by Omaha resident Harley Main. "When the Amber Harris thing happened, we wanted to put it on the Web site so she could be seen outside the Omaha area," said Main. "The more eyes out there, the better." The national group designing searchforamber.com is also providing a toll-free anonymous tip line for Amber. The KlaasKids Foundation hopes their nationwide toll-free number will also bring in some tips. That number is 1-800-78-CRIME. That's in addition to Omaha Police at 444-5600. You do not have to give your name at either number. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2256611.html

Police Investigate Amber Harris Sighting POSTED: 5:43 pm CST January 31, 2006 UPDATED: 5:45 pm CST January 31, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha police are investigating another Amber Harris sighting. The 12-year-old disappeared two months ago. Someone called police Tuesday morning with a tip. They said they may have seen Harris riding in a vehicle on Pioneer Trail in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but that's all the information the caller had. "There's not a very good description of the vehicle, no description of the license plate -- we don't even know if it's an Iowa or Nebraska plate," said Omaha Police Lt. Barry Dejong. Omaha police and the FBI want to encourage people to call with tips, but they're asking citizens to do it promptly and with as much detail as possible. Those with information can call (402) 444-5600 or (402) 444-5838. http://www.ketv.com/news/6634782/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Investigator Says Search For Girl Has Run Into Roadblocks Police Say Public Should Gather As Many Details As Possible POSTED: 11:52 am CST February 1, 2006 UPDATED: 12:49 pm CST February 1, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- The law enforcement agencies investigating the disappearance of Amber Harris keep running into roadblocks, officials told KETV NewsWatch 7. This week, there was another sighting of the missing 12-year-old reported, but like all of the others, it wasn't enough information. Someone called police Tuesday morning with a tip. They said they may have seen Harris riding in a vehicle on Pioneer Trail in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but that's all the information the caller had. Wednesday marked the 64th day since Harris was last seen getting off her school bus. Investigator Lt. Barry De Jong, with the Omaha Police Department, said he's frustrated with the case, but still hopeful. "We continue to work leads every day that we get them, and we are getting leads on almost a daily basis," De Jong said. "We're still hopeful. We're extremely hopeful that somebody who knows something, will come forward and help us in this investigation." So far, De Jong said, the tips just haven't been enough. "There's a lot of folks that think they see Amber. They may wait two or three days to call and when they do, we try to work with what we have," he said. "In one situation where we received a tip, she was in a house down in Lincoln. We went down to that house. We searched the house, and we did find a young lady that's similar in resemblance to Amber, and we can see how people could be confused." The investigators said Harris looks like a lot of 12-year-old girls. Her hair style is common, and her light complexion can be confused with a number of races. "Probably the No. 1 question we get in this unit is, 'What do you think happened to her?' Everyone's got an opinion. But we truly don't know. Since the 29th, when she stepped off that bus, we don't have a credible sighting of Amber. And that's what we're looking for now," De Jong said. Omaha police and the FBI want to encourage people to call with tips, but they're asking citizens to do it promptly and with as much detail as possible. Those with information can call (402) 444-5600 or (402) 444-5838. http://www.ketv.com/news/6653316/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Search Continues Family looks at sightings in positive light Despite multiple tips on the whereabouts of 12-year-old Amber Harris coming up empty, the two and one half month long search for the girl continues. The girl's parents say the false "sightings" of their daughter aren't discouraging. Rather they see it as a step closer to bringing Amber home. "We just won't give up," said Melissa Harris, Amber's mother. "Until she's brought home." Video of Amber Harris walking off her school bus November 29 is the last official sighting of the girl. Police say all others have been unconfirmed. "As it stands right now, we are still looking for Amber Harris," said Omaha Police Officer Andrew Passo. But the girl's mother says they're told of possible sightings all the time. Last week, a dog discovered what officials initially thought it might be a human foot out in rural Pottawattamie County. Melissa Harris says she was called and what size shoe her daughter wears. It turned out what the dog had discovered was a bear paw. It's that type of scare the Harris family has to deal with on a daily basis. However, they choose to look at it as a positive sign. "It's encouraging every time," Melissa Harris said. She said that's because it proves her daughter is on people's minds, which is what they've been working to sustain over the past two months. "We are going to do everything to keep it right out there in the forefront," she said. "As long as it takes. This case will not go cold -- ever." The reward for information leading to Amber Harris' return has been raised to $18,000. If you have any information, you can call the anonymous tip line at 1-800-78-CRIME. Or go to SearchForAmber.com. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2301221.html

View Full Version: Amber Harris 12 Missing 11/29/05 Nebraska