UPDATE: Anything is Possible, Hailey's Mom Says
-->By: Austin Kellerman
Updated: January 11, 2011
The FBI is now involved in the releasing of information on the disappearance of Hailey Dunn to the public. Investigators in Colorado City spent the day following up on leads.
"Anything could have happened to her," mother Billie Dunn said today. "Anything could be a possibility at this point."
Following last night's Nancy Grace show on HLN, it appeared the Dunns and investigators weren't on the same page. Law enforcement now says it will try to do a better job communicating with the Dunn family. Hailey's case will again be featured this evening on Nancy Grace.
Noon Update:
KTAB's Priscilla Luong reports a fairly quiet day Tuesday in Colorado City in the search for Hailey Dunn.
Nancy Grace is expected to discuss Hailey's case again Tuesday evening during her broadcast on HLN.
Original Story
Fifteen days since the disappearance of 13-year-old Hailey Dunn, law enforcement and searchers face a new obstacle in tracking down the Colorado City teen: bitterly cold temperatures.
Though the bulk of the door-to-door and field searches have ended for authorities until they uncover new evidence, it's expected fewer volunteers will take part in grassroots searches as temperatures plunge into the teens.
Texas Department of Public Safety Senior Trooper Sparky Dean previously said investigators would spend Tuesday following up on the dozens of leads they're receiving each day. Colorado City's City Manager Pete Kampfer noted Monday those leads are taking law enforcement in multiple directions. He went on to label the criminal side of the case "extremely aggressive."
During a news conference Monday, Kampfer said authorities are working two angles: one being that Hailey is a missing person who is alive.
"We're optimistic, and that's our hope," Kampfer said.
The other part of the investigation is criminal. Kampfer said that portion of the investigation would mean Hailey is deceased or being held against her will.
"By talking to you, I'm letting those bad guys know that we're going to find them," said Kampfer. "We're very aggressive."
Kampfer and Dean confirmed investigators had taken DNA samples from Hailey's mother and father for the purpose of identification in case remains are discovered.
KTAB's Victor Sotelo reports investigators are now trying to track down every location in Colorado City where Hailey might have used a computer. The teen didn't have internet access at her mother's home and often logged on at the library, according to investigators.
Late Monday evening, Dean sent out a statement in hopes of clarifying a previous comment he made concerning law enforcement hoping and believing that Hailey was a runaway who was hiding.
"There is no evidence that supports the assertion that Hailey Dunn is a runaway or is hiding," noted Dean.
"We were starting to get a little hopeful and now that hope is fading," said Hailey's mother, Billie Dunn, in response to the news during Monday's broadcast of the Nancy Grace show on HLN.
Billie Dean told KTAB News all the back-and-forth along with people beginning to point the finger at her and her family is very frustrating.
“It’s completely ridiculous how people who don’t know me judge me or my home life or the way I parent," said Dunn. "I feel like I’m a wonderful mom. Although I lost my daughter, I did the best I could and I will continue to do so.”
Hailey Dunn was last seen on Monday, December 27, and was reported missing on Tuesday, December 28. Billie Dunn's boyfriend, Shawn Adkins, is believed to be the last person to see Hailey.
Over the last two weeks, twelve agencies have been involved in the search for the 13-year-old but haven't uncovered a smoking gun concerning her whereabouts. Authorities initially considered her a runaway and later upgraded that to a missing persons case.
Officials now say the information that leads to Hailey's safe return is $15,000. They previously estimated much higher at $25,000.
