Day 19: Searchers Refuse to Give Up Hope to Find Hailey
By: Austin Kellerman
Updated: January 15, 2011
On Friday, images of investigators sifting through trash at an Abilene landfill in connection with the investigation painted a grim picture. Law enforcement tells bigcountryhomepage.com cadaver dogs got two "hits" at Allied Waste Services. Though law enforcement wouldn't discuss what the "hits" were, it doesn't appear any remains were uncovered. Authorities now say the search at that specific landfill has ended.
Adkins, the boyfriend of Hailey's mother, has been holed up in home in the town of Dunn since failing a polygraph exam last week. He, along with other persons of interest in the case, is under 24-7 surveillance by law enforcement.
Though authorities have labeled Adkins a suspect, he has not been arrested. Colorado City's City Manager Pete Kampfer said law enforcement likely needs to discover more evidence before charging him with a crime.
On Saturday, volunteer searchers plan to gather outside the home where Adkins is staying for a short time. Volunteers have been doing this almost daily. Those involved in the search tell KTAB's Victor Sotelo they walk near the home to "make their presence felt."
Holly Jenkins is one of the searchers who has devoted her time to trying to find Hailey.
"Shawn's across the street watching us," said volunteer searcher Holly Jenkins. "I just have this motherly intuition."
Jenkins is from Midland and vows to stay searching in the community of Dunn until Hailey is found. Freda Radcliff is also involved in the efforts to find the missing girl.
"I'm not feeling to well about the mother or the boyfriend right now," Radcliff told KTAB's Tiffany Tatro earlier this week. "I think it's going to be a horrible outcome," said Radcliff. "The fact that she said she could be found in Scurry County and that they should be looking at both of them. They've done something to her."
Despite her gut feeling, Radcliff says she and other searchers will still focus on their mission.
"I'm here for Hailey. That's the only person that I'm here for," said Radcliff.
"She's a little girl who needs all of us," added Jenkins. "We all should be out here helping."
On Friday, Hailey's mother, Billie Dunn, said she doesn't know if Adkins is involved in her daughter's disappearance. For the first time, she directly addressed her boyfriend.
"Shawn, if you have nothing to hide, I really wish you would talk to he investigators and would get this cleared up," she said.
Officials now say the information that leads to Hailey's safe return is $15,000. They previously estimated much higher at $25,000.






