KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Isabelle Zehnder reporting) -- The case of missing 10-month old Missouri baby Lisa Irwin has taken bizarre twists Thursday and Friday.
Events over the past two days have greatly changed public opinion about the couple who says their baby was snatched from their Kansas City, Missouri home earlier in the week. Slideshow: Photos of Lisa.
On Friday, Marc Klaas, Founder of Klaas Kids Foundation for Children, wrote a blog post entitled The Strange Case of Baby Lisa saying he believes baby Lisa’s case has deteriorated due to some terrible choices her parents have made over the past 24-hours.
They have focused the attention back upon themselves, he said, and raised questions about their intent.
Couple stops talking, tempers flare
It was reported that Lisa’s distraught father, Jeremy Irwin, was seen leaving a police station Thursday afternoon. Questions arose as to why Lisa’s mother, Deborah “Debbi” Bradley didn’t leave with him.
It was later reported that the reason Jeremy left the police station was because he was tired and didn’t like the way police were handling their questioning.
Things seemed to spiral downhill from there.
At around 7 p.m. Thursday evening, the couple was scheduled to speak at a news conference. Shortly after they arrived they were called away to a wooded area near their home that had previously been searched, and that police were searching again.
Reporters said that once the parents arrived at the search scene voices were raised, arms were flailing, and the couple once again sped away in a nearby vehicle.
Police say parents no longer cooperating
Shortly after the confrontation Kansas City Police spokesman Steve Young announced the baby’s father, Jeremy Irwin, and her mother Debbi were no longer cooperating with police.
Within the hour the police command post shut down and police tape was removed from around the Irwin/Bradley home.
Police say those events had nothing to do with their announcement that Lisa’s parents were no longer cooperating with them. It was simply a matter of not needing to be there any longer.
Family says parents are fully cooperating with police
One of Lisa’s aunts, acting as a spokesperson for Lisa’s parents, quickly fired back. She issued a public statement about an hour later Thursday evening saying that Lisa’s parents never stopped cooperating with police and promising further statements from the parents Friday.
Parents allegedly hire lawyer, make deal with national news network
Just after the aunt’s statement media met up with Lisa’s great-grandparents who said Jeremy and Debbi had hired a lawyer and that they’d made a deal with a national news network. He said the couple would no longer be speaking with local media.
Shortly after learning the couple was no longer being cooperative with police Debbi admitted she failed a polygraph test and that police were blaming her for Lisa’s disappearance. She too has had enough.
On Friday the couple’s family said that Jeremy and Debbi spent Friday in a hotel getting much needed rest. Reports indicate they have not slept in their home since their baby disappeared.
Reports mother treated as primary suspect
Fox News reported Friday that law enforcement officials say Debbi is being treated as the primary suspect in her daughter’s disappearance. Police have not confirmed any named suspects in the case.
“Our local affiliate is now reporting that law enforcement says that mother, Debbi, failed miserably that lie detector test and started sweating, this according to the police, when they informed her of it.”
Police would not discuss the results of the polygraph test.
Jeremy told Fox News he was at work so he was cleared, and that the others they’d worried about were also cleared. The only person who hasn’t been cleared, he said, is his fiancée Debbi.
Landfill searched, family questions police tactics
Lerette said the family is also watching developments in the search of a Johnson County landfill that took place Friday. News reports indicated it did not appear police took anything from the landfill when they concluded their search.
Lerette said the family was taking Friday to catch up on sleep after a very stressful week.
Debbi's grandfather, David Netz, Sr., said the couple objected to police-questioning tactics. Tactics that KMBC news anchor said are commonplace in most cases, including traffic infractions.
The tactic – question one parent, then bring the other parent in for questioning to see if there are any inconsistencies in their stories. If they find inconsistencies, then they continue with questioning to see if they find more inconsistencies.
Possible California lead
The latest news came Friday evening that the FBI is looking at surveillance video of a couple in California who were seen with a very young child, KMBC reports.
The news didn’t come from police – it came from a relative of Lisa’s parents, Mike Lerette.
Father said to be void of emotion, robot-like
While Lisa’s mother sobs during most interviews, it has been said her live-in boyfriend/fiancé appears to lack emotion and is robot-like in his responses.
Jeremy rarely looks up at the camera. Maybe he’s camera shy. Regardless, his inability to show any emotion – outside of the occasional sniffle that some say seems phony – has caused people to doubt his credibility and his story.
“For me, it’s pretty much sealed the deal,” said Janelle Wright, who follows missing persons’ cases and has followed Lisa’s case from day one. “He shows no emotion, doesn’t look into the camera, and seems to be reading half the time. I just can’t imagine a guy not falling apart at the thought he’s lost his beautiful baby girl. He’s either scared of the camera, in shock, strong as nails, or is guilty of something.”
“As for the mom,” Janelle said. “She could be genuinely afraid for her baby or she could be showing signs of guilt and anguish if she was involved in her daughter’s disappearance, or if she knows what happened to her baby.”
Statement analysis
Statement Analyst Peter Hyatt analyzed an interview Lisa’s parents gave to KMBC on Oct. 6 transcribed by this National Missing Persons news writer.
In his analysis of the parents’ interview Peter points out that at no time during that interview did either parent speak Lisa’s name.
He said that abusive parents avoid using the child’s first name, often using the proper name less than 10 percent of the time and leaning towards pronouns. Innocent parents, he said, use the proper name often and include nicknames and terms of endearment.
He said that they will often, over time, move away from using the child’s name and often overuse “we” as if to share guilt.Parents' interview.
Peter also stressed that Debbi didn’t say, “I put her to bed” but instead said “I put her to sleep,” which he said could prove to be critical later. Peter's full analysis of the October 6 interview.
Deborah said during an interview with ABC News’ Kansas City affiliate KMBC, “I gave her her bottle and put her to sleep, and that was when we last saw her.”
Peter states that the change in pronoun from “I”, first person, to “we” is indicated as sensitive and said he would have expected the mother to speak personally as she was the one who “put her to sleep.”
Peter further states that the change from “I” to “we” used here is likely an indication not only of deception, but that both parents were involved in concealment. Peter's analysis of the KMBC interview.
Peter's conclusion:
Lisa’s mother is deceptive.
Lisa's mother knows what happened to her baby girl.
Both Lisa's mother and father are involved.
* Permission obtained to share Peter's opinions on this case.
Lisa is described as:
An adorable white, blonde hair, blue eyed baby girl.
She is 30 inches tall and was last seen wearing purple shorts and a purple shirt with kittens on it.
Lisa has two bottom teeth, a small bug bite under her left ear, and a beauty mark on her right outer thigh. She had a cold and cough before she went missing.
It is important to note that if Lisa was kidnapped her appearance has likely changed. She could be dressed like a boy and wearing a hat. It is important to look at her facial features and to note identifying features such as the beauty mark on her thigh. Slideshow: Photos of Lisa.
Police contact
Kansas City Police are asking anyone with any information about Lisa's disappearance or whereabouts to call them immediately at 816-474-TIPS.
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Baby Lisa on Facebook:
Watch the interview:
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