Jahessye Shockley, Missing Arizona Girl, Likely Kidnapped, Police Say

By AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press

PHOENIX -- Police looking for a 5-year-old Arizona girl who has been missing six days said Monday they now believe she was most likely kidnapped, because otherwise they would have found her.

Jahessye (JES'-ee) Shockley was last seen by her three older siblings last Tuesday at her Glendale home while their mother was running an errand. Police believe she left their apartment through the front door but don't know anything about what happened next.

"If it was just her walking away, we would have found her by now," Coombs told The Associated Press. "Obviously she's not with us. Somebody knows something or somebody has interacted with her and put her in a place, and we just haven't found her yet."

Police have no suspects, evidence or promising leads.

Coombs said the girl's mother is not a suspect despite comments she made to reporters.

"They're treating me like that - the interrogations and the way I've been spoken to," Jerice Hunter, Jahessy's mother, said Monday in an interview with the AP. "(They're) very disrespectful."

Coombs said police have treated Hunter no differently than any other mother of a missing child. They conducted an initial interview as well as follow-ups because "people remember things, details, as time goes by."

He said Hunter might believe she's a suspect because "emotions are speaking."

Meanwhile, Jahessye's grandmother told The Arizona Republic on Sunday that Child Protective Services removed Hunter's three other children from her home and put them in foster care.

CPS spokesman Steve Meissner said Monday he couldn't immediately confirm or deny the agency's involvement. He cited an Arizona law that allows for information about children to be released only if there has been a death or near death caused by child abuse, abandonment or neglect.

Coombs declined to comment about the children's whereabouts, saying only that they're in a safe place.

Hunter also declined to speak about her other children but pleaded for Jahessye's safe return.

"I would really appreciate anybody who has any information, anyone who thinks they have seen anything, to contact the police," she said. "If you have my child, please take her to a safe place, a public place where she can be located."

She added: "The family will not be the same until the child is returned, and I will be relentless in my search."

___

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Comments

[ywcachieve]

12:35 PM on 10/31/2011

Why isn't this child plastered all over the country, like the other child?
The media in this country stinks to high hell.

http://oba­maachievem­ents.org/l­ist

[GirlInNYC]

02:26 PM on 10/22/2011

I wasn't even aware of this. I have to come to the black section of an independent blog to see this. Meanwhile, the little white baby that's missing will have two Lifetime movies made by year's end.

[Mamadea]

04:17 AM on 10/21/2011

Guess she's not light bright & wht enough to make the 24/7 CNN station.

[geannib]

09:55 PM on 10/20/2011

why isn't she on every news show like baby lisa?????..wrong color? she's cute can't deny that fact

[Catters]

11:25 PM on 10/18/2011

She's such a beautiful little girl... you can see her sweet little soul in that gorgeous smile. Please, oh please, find this little girl ... may she be safe and well take care of for the rest of her life.

[charpist5]

06:20 PM on 10/18/2011

Let me guess. She left a 6, 7 and 8 year old home alone to take care of a 5 year old....

[guest5859058]

07:08 PM on 10/18/2011

Jahessye's 13 year old sibling was at home at the time. Maybe you didn't read the other stories well.

[Noella Smith]

08:49 PM on 10/18/2011

you just said that cause she's black

[aljo2011]

02:16 PM on 10/18/2011

The culture of black and white is different and they do discuss different issues and many times have different interests. For example I bet most white suburban moms don't worry about their teenage or adult male children getting shot by some random nut. You know stuff like that. It's important that we have a place to address issues specific to us. Like this young girl coming up missing. It's unlikely she will be on any national news program. So she is here, where we can learn about someone like her, poor and black and perhaps be able to help.

[onememphisdude]

03:31 PM on 10/18/2011

We can agree...and disagree. Yes. The black culture is different than white culture. Yes. Many times interests are different. Most white, suburban moms do not worry about their male child being "shot by some random nut." Why? Cause it's random...and VERY Rare. Same is true for the black community. Illicit drug sales contribute to many more shootings than "some random nut." Your black child is exposed to a culture of violence and drug use that appears to be tolerated by the black community. Until the community determines their core values and brings back the concept of shame, rather than excuses, crime infested communities will continue. The innocent children suffer the most.
Statistically, very few child abductors, and also serial killers,...are black. It's almost a non-existent percentage in the black community. I will not be surprised to learn that the mother knows what happened to this child.

[leelee76]

05:56 AM on 10/19/2011

are you saying based on statistics black children don't get kidnapped? Therefore this isn't a kidnapping? --I have a problem with that logic.

[guest5859058]

07:22 PM on 10/18/2011

You are very wrong when you think that black suburban mothers worry about "some random nut" shooting their teenage or adult males. I just wish that the media would provide adequate coverage on this story like they do with stories about white suburban mothers who kill their 10 month old daughters or contribute to their disappearance because they are in a drunken stupor somewhere in a house the size of a box. They also will bombard us with images and stories of alcoholic, underaged, college-aged white women who can't control their liquor and wind up missing. Maybe their suburban mothers should worry about teaching their daughter's some morals and give them proper guidance.

[hbssl]

01:48 PM on 10/18/2011

the mother knows where she is

[MissCupcake]

01:27 PM on 10/18/2011

The mother thought she was being disrespected by police. Did she think it was disrespectful to abuse her other children or hook up with a sex-offender?

[ywcachieve]

12:51 PM on 10/31/2011

You don't know what you are talking about. FYI, it was the grandmother who criticized the media NOT the police. If you don't like the story why are you here?

http://oba­maachievem­ents.org/l­ist

[Tassajara]

12:50 PM on 10/18/2011

Huffington...I just posted 3 comments, none of which are abusive. I am simply putting in my thoughts on what others have written. WHERE ARE MY COMMENTS? I have waited 10 mintues to continue a dialog with the other commentors.

[universallite]

12:39 PM on 10/18/2011

Why are you blaming the mother? We are all responsible for the chidren. I was asked a couple of times to watch a stranger's child. I did! I have helped paents in stores with their children and I even helped a lost child find her mother. We are all family. A child needs protection. I sponsor children as well because I believe that it takes a village to raise a child.

[Cherie69]

11:43 AM on 10/20/2011

I agree, Universal...When I became a mother, I became every childs mother in a weird way.......

[thetxsndn]

12:28 PM on 10/18/2011

All righty....she's been in jail for child abuse & Jahessye's daddy is a sexual preditor ? The woman should neve rbe allowed to have custody of children.

[MissCupcake]

01:22 PM on 10/18/2011

Agree. The mother should actually STILL BE IN PRISON for the abuse of the older kids. But, she got out early and is making more babies!

[thetxsndn]

01:43 PM on 10/18/2011

Too bad they can't put her right back in there.

[mompoole]

11:18 AM on 10/18/2011

In an earlier post, I said parents need a license to have children. Here's a good example.

[wakohnen]

11:13 AM on 10/18/2011

I pray this child is found safe although her being missing could very well be a blessing in disguise for her siblings. I do not have a lot of confidence in Family Services but they at least make sure the children are fed and properly clothed when in their care. Wake up call for the mother....pray that she answer's it.

[Mandles99]

02:51 PM on 10/18/2011

A blessing in disguise? I am almost positive you would not say this if this was your child. Little Jahessye is not a sacrificial lamb, she's a 5 year old girl who has seen enough heartache to last a lifetime. We want her safety and her returned, not some stupid " blessing in disguise."

[wakohnen]

04:52 AM on 10/19/2011

Apparently you misunderstand. The blessing being that her siblings were removed from an abusive enviroment....learn to read the "whole" sentence. I will copy it S-L-O-W-L-Y for you.

“I pray this child is found safe although her being missing could very well be a blessing in disguise for her siblings...

See? “I pray this child is found safe ....pretty self explanitory and then.......blessing in disguise for her siblings.

Please learn to read before dissing other peoples comments.

Have a nice day!

[Joseph Leslie]

10:56 AM on 10/18/2011

A brilliant deduction Watson! The little girl is missing and the investigating Police Officers determine that it must be a kidnapping and not an alien abduction! As far as the mother goes, does she have any other skills than neglecting her child/children and getting pregnant?

[peach1436]

11:19 AM on 10/18/2011

She can come up with some outstanding names.

[European1919]

03:09 AM on 10/21/2011

Indeed. The craze for tribal names is alive and well in AZ.

[No7]

11:33 AM on 10/18/2011

yes she does...frauding us out of big bucks...

[Mandles99]

02:52 PM on 10/18/2011

And you know this, how?