Mother and aunt plead for 3-year-old's return as search continues 05/24/2006 01:50:27 PM MINOT, N.D. (AP) -- Reachelle Smith's mother and aunt tearfully pleaded for her safe return as searchers on horseback, in all-terrain vehicles and on foot fanned out through a wildlife refuge north of here to look for the 3-year-old girl. The search centered around an area where the body of a man suspected of taking her was found Tuesday. Leigh Cowen, 22, was found inside a van on a gravel road at the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, and authorities said he apparently killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning. There was no trace of Reachelle, who was last seen the night of May 16 when she was put to bed at her home. Stephanie Smith, the girl's aunt and legal guardian, and Samantha Smith, her mother, joined other relatives and friends at a news conference with law enforcement officials Wednesday. They said the 3-year-old has asthma and needs treatment for it. Stephanie clutched the girl's doll as she spoke about how Reachelle knows the alphabet, likes puzzles and likes to have her picture taken. "Right now, we just want her back," Samantha Smith said, crying. Ward County Sheriff Vern Erck said more than 200 people were searching the 32,000-acre refuge northwest of Minot. They included members of the National Guard, horseback riders and others on foot and in all-terrain vehicles, the sheriff said. Divers also were searching the Souris River and Lake Darling. "We're concentrating along trails where the vehicle was found," Erck said. "There's a couple of hundred acres in just that small area alone." Authorities said dive teams were searching part of the Souris River in Minot's Oak Park, near the girl's home. The search also included in the Surrey area, where a farmer thought he had recently seen the van in which Cowen's body was found. "We're going where the evidence takes us. We're not going to leave any leaf unturned. We're not going to close the door on other suspects," Police Capt. Al Hanson said. The terrain near the refuge was rough, with marshes and ravines, authorities said. They also asked people to check abandoned buildings in the area. Reachelle Smith was put to bed at about 10:30 p.m. on May 16 at her home in Minot and disappeared the next day, police said. Authorities said Cowen lived with Stephanie Smith and had told her that the girl was staying with his mother. Police later learned that Cowen's mother did not know the girl's whereabouts and issued an Amber Alert. State officials said Cowen was on probation for theft of property in Ward County and had failed to report in as required. A warrant was issued last month for his arrest on charges of violating his probation. Reachelle Smith is described as white, about 3-foot-4 and weighs about 40 pounds, authorities said. She has brown eyes and straight, light brown hair. AP-WS-05-24-06 1437EDT http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2006/05/24/news/latest_news/c846c9267006ae978625717800677ed7.txt

Suspect in N.D. girl's abduction dies By JAMES MacPHERSON, Associated Press Writer Wed May 24, 3:07 PM ET MINOT, N.D. - The search for a missing 3-year-old girl resumed Wednesday after the body of the man who authorities suspected took her was found following an apparent suicide. Leigh Cowen, 22, was found Tuesday inside a van on a gravel road at Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, Police Capt. Al Hanson said. Cowen appeared to have killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning, Hanson said. There was no trace of Reachelle Smith, who was last seen the night of May 16 when she was put to bed at her home. Authorities said Cowen lived with the girl's aunt, who is her legal guardian. He had told the woman that the 3-year-old was staying with his mother. Police later learned that Cowen's mother did not know the girl's whereabouts and issued an Amber Alert. Reachelle's mother and aunt tearfully pleaded Wednesday for her safe return. They said the girl has asthma and needs treatment for it. "Right now, we just want her back," her mother, Samantha Smith said, crying. State officials said Cowen was on probation for theft of property in Ward County and had failed to report in as required. A warrant was issued last month for his arrest on charges of violating his probation. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060524/ap_on_re_us/missing_girl_1

May 25, 2006 Search of wildlife refuge brings no sign of missing 3-year-old The effort to find three-year-old Reachelle Smith continues -- after a search of a wildlife refuge north of Minot turned up nothing. A dive team combed a river near the child's Minot home but also found no clues. Reachelle has been missing more than a week. Her mother and aunt have issued a public plea for her safe return. Ward County Sheriff's Captain Todd Keller estimates about 2,500 acres of the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge were searched yesterday. He says there was no indication the girl was there -- but authorities searched because it was where the body of Leigh Cowen was found. He was believed to have taken Reachelle. His body was found Tuesday in a van. Authorities believe he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning http://www.kxma.com/news/local.asp?ID=6881

Posted on Thu, May. 25, 2006 Search of wildlife refuge brings no sign of missing 3-year-old JAMES MacPHERSON Associated Press MINOT, N.D. - Police said Thursday they planned to drain part of the Souris River near the home of a missing 3-year-old girl after a search of a wildlife refuge turned up no trace of her. "There's one section (of the river) that we're interested in that's close to the house," Minot Police Capt. Al Hanson said. Hanson also said authorities were planning "a standard landfill search," and were checking out leads in neighboring counties. National Guard members, law enforcement officers, and others on foot and in all-terrain vehicles battled heat and then rain in searching the Upper Souris Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday. They found no sign of Reachelle, whose nickname is "Peanut." She has been missing since May 16. Wednesday's search centered around an area where the body of a man suspected of taking her was found a day before. Leigh Cowen, 22, was found inside a van on a gravel road at the refuge, and authorities said he apparently killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning. "We figure we searched at least 2,500 acres of the Upper Souris Wildlife Refuge," said Capt. Todd Keller, of the Ward County Sheriff's Department at the end of the day Wednesday. "We really didn't have any indication that she was here. The only reason we wanted to search this area so thoroughly was that he was found there," Keller said. Stephanie Smith, the girl's aunt and legal guardian, and Samantha Smith, her mother, joined other relatives and friends at a news conference with law enforcement officials Wednesday. They said the 3-year-old needs treatment for asthma, and clutched her doll in tears as they spoke about how Reachelle knows the alphabet, likes puzzles and likes to have her picture taken. "She's our Peanut," Stephanie Smith said. "Right now, we just want her back," Samantha said. Dive teams searched part of the Souris River in Minot's Oak Park, near the girl's home. The search also included in the Surrey area, where a farmer thought he had recently seen the van in which Cowen's body was found. "We're going where the evidence takes us. We're not going to leave any leaf unturned. We're not going to close the door on other suspects," Hanson said. Reachelle Smith was put to bed at about 10:30 p.m. on May 16 at her home in Minot and was missing the next day, police said. Authorities said Cowen lived with Stephanie Smith and had told her that the girl was staying with his mother. Police later learned that Cowen's mother had moved to Kansas and did not know the girl's whereabouts. They issued an Amber Alert. State officials said Cowen was on probation for theft of property in Ward County and had failed to report in as required. A warrant was issued last month for his arrest on charges of violating his probation. Reachelle Smith is described as white, about 3-foot-4 and weighs about 40 pounds, authorities said. She has brown eyes and straight, light brown hair. http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14665486.htm

Still no sign By KEN CRITES, Staff Writer kcrites@ndweb.com It was a tough job, but more than 200 people managed to search about 2,500 of rough terrain on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge at Lake Darling, northwest of Minot, over two days in hopes of finding a missing 3-year-old Minot girl. In the end, the search turned up no trace of Reachelle Smith. Ward County Chief of Detectives Todd Keller told a gathering of searchers Wednesday, "(After this search), I think we can eliminate this area (the refuge) as a place she might be.'' The searchers were on foot, horseback, four-wheelers and in the air. The search started Tuesday and wrapped up late in the afternoon Wednesday. Rain, welcome to most people, was a hindrance to the searchers who were slipping and sliding as they searched nooks and crannies around the scenic trail on the refuge's southern end. It was there that the stolen van was found Tuesday. Tuesday was also difficult for the searchers who had to withstand a record 91-degree temperature in the area. Inside the van was the body of a man suspected of abducting Reachelle Smith. Authorities said a preliminary autopsy report indicated that Leigh Cowen Jr., 22, had killed himself by running a hose from the vehicle's exhaust to inside the van. There was no sign of the little girl, however. Capt. Al Hanson, chief of detectives for the Minot Police Department, said Cowen did not leave a note, adding more mystery to her whereabouts. The little girl was last seen on the night of May 16 when she was put to bed at her home in the area of Oak Park in west Minot. Because of that location, divers immediately set out searching the Mouse River around the park and continued searching there Wednesday. Besides the wildlife refuge, searchers were checking out an area near Surrey where a tip said the van had been spotted. Hanson said at a morning news conference Wednesday that numerous tips had been received. Another caller said that a man had been seen in the Max area walking along a fence line with a shovel. Hanson said a shovel was found in the van Cowen had been driving. There was also a tip that the van had been seen in the Velva area. The chief of detectives said authorities have received "lots of calls.'' He said, "We have tips from all over, including out-of-state.'' He said the Amber Alert that authorities had initiated will remain in effect until the police department terminates it. In response to a question, Hanson said, "We're going where the evidence takes us. We're not going to leave any leaf unturned. We're not going to close the door on other suspects.'' Asked if there was any evidence that Reachelle had been in the van with Cowen, Hanson replied that the van had served as the family's vehicle. "There was evidence of Reachelle all over the van,'' he said. That news conference Wednesday was emotional as the missing little girl's mother and aunt tearfully pleaded for her safe return. Stephanie Smith, the girl's aunt and legal guardian, and Samantha Smith, Reachelle's mother, joined other relatives and friends. They said Reachelle has asthma and needs treatment for it. Stephanie clutched the girl's doll as she spoke about how Reachelle knows the alphabet, likes puzzles and liked to have her picture taken. "Right now, we just want her back,'' Samantha Smith said, crying. Reachelle was put to bed at about 10:30 on May 16 and disappeared the next day, according to police. Authorities said Cowen lived with Stephanie Smith and had told her that the girl was staying with his mother. Police later determined that Cowen's mother didn't know the little girl's whereabouts and issued the Amber Alert. Reachelle Smith is described as white, about 3 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs about 40 pounds. She has brown eyes and straight, light brown hair. http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/story/0525202006_new25news1.asp

Search continues for 3-year-old in river, landfill Friday, May 26, 2006 MINOT (AP) - The search for 3-year-old Reachelle Smith focused Thursday on the river and the city landfill. Crews sifted through garbage in the landfill and began drawing down the Mouse River channel near the home of the girl, who was last seen the night of May 16. A search of the Upper Souris Wildlife Refuge northwest of Minot on Wednesday had turned up no trace of her. Minot Police Capt. Al Hanson said the drawdown of the river's channel around Minot's Oak Park would likely take two days. "There's one section (of the river) that we're interested in that's close to the house," Hanson said. Divers had searched the section of the river Wednesday. "We've boated it, walked it and dove it. We just need to go that one more extra step to make sure that box has been checked, that we've done everything we can to look at that particular area," Hanson said. A search Thursday of Roosevelt Park in central Minot also came up empty, Hanson said. About 20 off-duty police officers volunteered to search the park, he said. The refuge was searched after the body of Leigh Cowen, 22, was found in a van there Tuesday. Authorities suspected he had taken Reachelle. They said he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning, but there was no sign of the child. Reachelle Smith was put to bed at about 10:30 p.m. on May 16 at her home in Minot and was missing the next day, police said. She lived with her aunt, Stephanie Smith, who was her legal guardian, police said. Their suspicions centered on Cowen after he told Stephanie Smith that Reachelle was with his mother, who had sometimes cared for the girl, and then disappeared, Hanson said. Police later learned that Cowen's mother did not know the girl's whereabouts and issued an Amber Alert. "Mr. Cowen gave an explanation to the custodial mother and that was, in her mind, enough to go on until he disappeared and the vehicle disappeared. She started to question that and followed up," Hanson said. Stephanie Smith and Samantha Smith, the girl's mother, have said she has asthma and needs treatment for it, and have pleaded for her safe return. http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2006/05/26/news/state/115254.txt

Missing Girl Update Kristin Bien KMOT 5/26/2006 After a third day of searching for a missing Minot girl there is no sign of Reachelle Smith. Law enforcement and volunteers branched out today moving to the city landfill based on a tip by a person who saw Leigh Cowen rummaging in a dumpster shortly before he and Reachelle went missing. Cowen was found dead near Lake Darling Wednesday. Officials say that he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning. Members of the Minot Air Force Base, National Guard and law enforcement searched the landfill until late in the evening finding nothing. The search also continued near Oak Park in Minot as teams started draining a part of the Mouse River. While every minute that ticks off the clock means statistically Reachelle Smith won’t be found alive, everyone is holding out hope that they’ll catch a break. National Guard spokesman, “We`re not going to give up hope that she`s still alive, but we have to be realistic at this point and then look at those other options too, so we`re still hoping she`s alive some place and will turn up that way." Helicopters will be flying from Surrey to Lake Darling Friday looking for a sign of Reachelle Smith. http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=1973

Posted on Fri, May. 26, 2006 MINOT: Police check with experts as search continues for 3-year-old Associated Press MINOT - Police say they have spoken with FBI behavioral scientists as well as psychics in their search for 3-year-old Reachelle Smith. The search for the child continued Friday in her home neighborhood. She was last seen the night of May 16. Police Capt. Al Hanson said investigators had a conference call with FBI behavioral scientists for about an hour to discuss the case and sent them tapes from interviews "to pore through and see if there's anything that they think we've missed." "We've got some dogs in, we're going to try to bring some more dogs in, just to double, triple check," Hanson said. "We have two experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children here, helping us. Of course, the behavioral scientists we're reaching out to anything and everything that we can think of." Psychics have given general suggestions, such as water or tall grass, he said, and all leads are checked out. Hanson said he still hopes to find Reachelle alive. "I'd be lying if I said we didn't think the possibility exists that she could be dead, because we're searching garbage dumps and rivers and such, but we want to cover all our bases," he said. "I still think there's a possibility that she's alive." Crews sifted through garbage in the city landfill on Thursday and began drawing down the Mouse River channel near the girl's home. The landfill search turned up no sign of her. Hanson said the drawdown of the river channel would take a couple of days. A search Thursday of Roosevelt Park in central Minot also came up empty, Hanson said. About 20 off-duty police officers volunteered to search the park, he said. The Upper Souris Wildlife Refuge was searched earlier, after the body of Leigh Cowen, 22, was found in a van there Tuesday. Authorities suspected he had taken Reachelle. They said he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning, but there was no sign of the child. Reachelle Smith was put to bed at about 10:30 p.m. on May 16 at her home in Minot and was missing the next day, police said. She lived with her aunt, Stephanie Smith, who was her legal guardian, police said. Her and her mother, Samantha Smith, have said she has asthma and needs treatment. Police suspicions centered on Cowen after he told Stephanie Smith that Reachelle was with his mother, who had sometimes cared for the girl, and then disappeared, Hanson said. Police later learned that Cowen's mother did not know the girl's whereabouts and issued an Amber Alert. "Mr. Cowen gave an explanation to the custodial mother and that was, in her mind, enough to go on until he disappeared and the vehicle disappeared. She started to question that and followed up," Hanson said. Cowen's mother has been questioned several times in Kansas, Hanson said. "We have no reason to believe that she's involved," he said. http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14675632.htm

Search continues for missing Minot girl Last update: May 27, 2006 – 12:55 PM MINOT, N.D.— Searchers looking for a missing 3-year-old girl revisited a wildlife refuge northwest of here as well as the area around the girl's home, but police said the search was scaled back as leads continued to dry up. Reachelle Smith has not been seen since the night of May 16. Hundreds of people have been searching for days on the ground, in the air and in the Mouse River. Police Capt. Al Hanson said only about three dozen people were searching on Saturday, and only on the ground. Three bloodhounds also were brought in from southern North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota, but had not found anything at midday, he said. "We completed a neighborhood canvas for the fourth time with no positive results,'' Hanson said. "We want to double- and triple-check to make sure we haven't missed anything.'' Authorities also finished draining a section of the river near the girl's home "as far down as we can get it,'' Hanson said. "The dogs were run past that this morning.'' Searchers on Saturday also returned to the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, where the body of Leigh Cowen, 22, was found in a van Tuesday. Authorities say he knew Reachelle's family and they suspected he had taken the girl. They said he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning. Hanson said Cowen had made previous attempts at suicide, though not in Minot. The captain said Cowen moved to Minot to live with Stephanie Smith, Reachelle's aunt and legal guardian. Cowen had grown up with Smith and Samantha Smith, the girl's biological mother, Hanson said. He said Cowen had told Stephanie Smith that he was Reachelle's father, which she accepted until Cowen disappeared with the van. Cowen's mother has been questioned several times in Kansas and authorities say they do not believe she is involved in the girl's disappearance. Hanson said other people were being interviewed on Saturday, but he declined to say who they were. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank for people to donate toward a reward fund for information. Hanson said leads called in to police are starting to dwindle, but authorities still hope to find Reachelle alive. "Obviously, the longer things go on, statistically the less likely it is to be a search operation,'' he said. "But you're always going to have to hold out some hope.'' http://www.startribune.com/462/story/459228.html

Posted on Sat, May. 27, 2006 Search for missing Minot girl being shut down Associated Press MINOT, N.D. - Searchers looking for a missing 3-year-old girl began winding down their efforts on Saturday, after bloodhounds failed to turn up any trace of Reachelle Smith. Police Capt. Al Hanson said any new leads would be checked out, but "we've had virtually no leads coming in," he said. "(The search) has pretty much been shut down." Searches might resume in the coming days, but nothing was scheduled Sunday, Hanson said. Reachelle has not been seen since the night of May 16. Hundreds of people have been searching for days on the ground, in the air and in the Mouse River. Hanson said only about three dozen people searched on Saturday, and only on the ground. They revisited a wildlife refuge northwest of Minot as well as the area around the girl's home. Three bloodhounds were brought in from southern North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. "We completed a neighborhood canvas for the fourth time with no positive results," Hanson said. "We want to double- and triple-check to make sure we haven't missed anything." Authorities also finished draining a section of the river near the girl's home "as far down as we can get it," Hanson said. "The dogs were run past that this morning." Searchers on Saturday also returned to the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, where the body of Leigh Cowen, 22, was found in a van Tuesday. Authorities say he knew Reachelle's family and they suspected he had taken the girl. They said he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning. Hanson said Cowen had made previous attempts at suicide, though not in Minot. The captain said Cowen moved to Minot to live with Stephanie Smith, Reachelle's aunt and legal guardian. Cowen had grown up with Smith and Samantha Smith, the girl's biological mother, Hanson said. He said Cowen had told Stephanie Smith that he was Reachelle's father, which she accepted until Cowen disappeared with the van. Cowen's mother has been questioned several times in Kansas, and authorities say they do not believe she is involved in the girl's disappearance. Hanson said other people were being interviewed on Saturday, but he declined to say who they were. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank for people to donate toward a reward fund for information. Police on Saturday also asked area residents to check sheds, bushes and vehicles on their property. Hanson said authorities still hope to find Reachelle alive. "Obviously, the longer things go on, statistically the less likely it is to be a search operation," he said. "But you're always going to have to hold out some hope." http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/14683569.htm

May 28, 2006 Leads Starting to "Dry Up" (AP) _ The search for a missing three-year-old Minot girl has ``pretty much been shut down.'' That's according to police Captain Al Hanson. He says if there are any new leads, they will be checked out. Reachelle Smith has not been seen since the night of May 16th. Searches this week have been done on the ground and in the air. Hanson says today's search was only on the ground. And there were fewer people out searching. Three bloodhounds brought in last night helped out. Hanson says the search was in a number of areas, including around the girl's home and at a wildlife refuge northwest of Minot. That was where the body of 22-year-old Leigh Cowen was found in a van Tuesday. Authorities say he knew Reachelle's family and they suspected he had taken the girl. The area had been searched previously -- but Hanson says leads are starting to dry up. http://www.kxmc.com/news/local.asp?ID=5125

Bloodhounds Search For Missing ND Girl 05/29/2006 KELO-TV NEWS Three bloodhounds brought in from southern North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota have failed to turn up any trace of missing three-year-old Reachelle Smith of Minot. Police Captain Al Hanson says the bloodhounds and their handlers searched the entire length of the Mouse River in Minot Monday morning. Part of the river had been pumped dry, and is now filling back up. Divers had searched parts of the river earlier. Hanson says the dogs and their handlers searched several sites in town over the weekend, including park and a gravel pit near town. Hanson says the dogs will be available if needed in the future. Hanson says additional air and ground searches are planned this week. He says leads have dried up, but any new ones will be checked out. Reachelle has not been seen since the night of May 16th. Hanson says authorities still hope to find Reachelle alive. http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail5440.cfm?Id=0,48375

Search Continues for Missing Minot Girl KFYR-TV News 5/30/2006 Authorities say the search will continue for missing three year old Reachelle Smith of Minot. Police Captain Al Hanson says additional air and ground searches may be planned this week. He says authorities have received hundreds of calls from people wanting to help out in the search. Reachelle has been missing since two weeks ago today. Hanson says authorities still hope to find Reachelle alive. But he says the chances are getting slimmer as time passes. Hanson says three bloodhounds brought in from southern North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota failed to turn up any trace of the girl over the weekend. He says bloodhounds and their handlers searched the entire length of the Mouse River in Minot yesterday morning. http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=1997

MISSING GIRL: Authorities plan area search on horseback Effort set for Saturday Posted on Thu, Jun. 01, 2006 Associated Press MINOT - Ward County officials hope to line up some 200 horses and riders for a weekend search for 3-year-old Reachelle Smith. "We have a horse search set up for Saturday," Deputy Kevin Nelson said. "We'll see what we can get set up ... that's a lot of coordinating when you get that many people and horse trailers." The search is aimed at covering as many township and county roads as possible, authorities said. Searches so far have turned up no sign of Reachelle, who has been missing for two weeks. Minot Police Capt. Al Hanson said most of the ground in the city has been searched more than once, and more searches there are unlikely unless a lead develops. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is working to mail out fliers within a 25-mile radius of Minot, he said. "We're going to mail out close to 31,000 fliers to every mailing address with 17 zip codes," Hanson said Wednesday. The goal, he said, is "to just put it back in the forefront of everybody's mind." Reachelle was last seen the night of May 16, when she was put to bed in her Minot home. http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/14711997.htm

Wednesday, May 31, 2006 — Time: 12:30:49 PM EST Police check, double-check in search for 3-year-old MINOT (AP) More checks and double-checks are planned around the city as authorities seek clues in the disappearance of 3-year-old Reachelle Smith. "It's going to change day to day, as leads and stuff come in, or things we think we need to look at again," Minot Police Capt. Al Hanson said Tuesday. Checks were planned in "couple of areas close by town that need to be walked," and possibly some flyovers, he said. "We've thought about storm sewers," he said. "We may look at some of them this week ... just trying to think outside the box in some cases, to make sure we cover all the bases." Reachelle has been missing for two weeks. Authorities thought she was with Leigh Cowen, 22, who disappeared about the same time. His body was found May 23, in a van in the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Minot, but there was no trace of the girl. Authorities said Cowen apparently killed himself. "We're going to be doing some searches north of the Air Force base up to the area of the refuge and on the refuge itself, and then some other areas where the van was supposedly seen in the days prior (to the finding of Cowen's body)," Ward County Sheriff Vern Erck said. "We're just taking the task mainly out in the county, so it frees up city police to do everything in town." http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/story/0531202006_new31news2.asp