KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Isabelle Zehnder reporting) -- On Oct. 4, 2011, a beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl went missing, allegedly kidnapped from her crib while her family slept.
That’s the story her parents told media and police, and it’s also the story many aren’t buying.
[Photo, left, was taken two days before Lisa went missing.]
Red flags in Baby Lisa's disappearance:
- High-profile defense team representing parents
- FBI cadaver dogs hit on scent in parent's bedroom
- Mother's story changed drastically two weeks after baby's disappearance
- Parents stopped cooperating with police early on
- Parents would not allow other children to be questioned
Not long after Lisa went missing her parents accepted the assistance of a high-profile New York defense attorney, Joe Tacopina – an action often viewed as a red flag in a missing person’s case.
On a side note, this is the same attorney who represented murderer Joran van der Sloot.
Van der Sloot was accused in the 2005 disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. Tacopina threatened to sue Natalee's parents in 2006 for calling his client a murderer. A video of Van der Sloot admitting to disposing of Natalee's body was provided to investigators in 2008. Unfortunately, there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.
However, that wasn't the end of the road for Van der Sloot. In 2010 he was charged in the brutal murder of 21-year-old Stephanie Flores. Just this week he admitted to killing her and has been sentenced to spend the next 28 years in a harsh prison in Peru, Fox News reports. Some believe those who defended Van der Sloot in Natalee's disappearance have Stephanie's blood on their hands.
Police said early on that Lisa’s parents, Deborah Bradley, 25, and Jeremy Irwin, 30, had stopped cooperating with them - another red flag.
The couple reportedly refused to meet with police and refused to allow the only two potential witnesses to Baby Lisa’s alleged abduction, her older brothers, to be questioned by professionals trained to work with children.
When Lisa originally went missing Deborah said she last saw her baby the night of Oct. 4, 2011, at around 10:30 p.m. when she put her to bed. She went into detail saying she changed Lisa’s diaper, gave her a bottle, made sure she had her blankie, binkie, Glow Worm, and Barnie dolls with her.
Irwin said when he returned home at about 4 a.m. from working his first overnight shift as an electrician, most lights were on in the house, the front door was unlocked, and a front window was open.
Many have questioned why a woman, alone in a house with young children, would not have made sure the house was locked and secure before going to bed.
Two weeks after Baby Lisa went missing Deborah appeared on national television saying she’d been drinking the night Lisa went missing, had gotten drunk, and blacked out. Information she initially withheld from police.
Deborah changed her story and said she last saw Baby Lisa at 6:40 p.m., not the original 10:30 p.m. time she told police and media. Many have questioned how she was able to be so specific about the last time she saw her baby since she said she blacked out and couldn't remember anything that happened that night.
It is always cause for concern when the parent of a missing child’s story changes – another red flag. Sadly, most children who go missing do so at the hands of those closest to them. Those who are not quickly found are either found months or years later, sometimes never at all. And those who are found are nearly always deceased.
During an extensive 17-hour search of the Bradley/Irwin home on October 19, FBI cadaver dogs detected on the scent of human decomposition on the couple's bedroom floor.
Their attorney, Tacopina, said this was not cause for concern because cadaver dogs hit on dirty diapers and toenail clippings.
His comments were met with criticism, with the public saying the FBI would most likely not spend the time, money, and resources it takes to care for and train cadaver dogs if they hit on every dirty diaper and toenail. There would be no purpose in their use. Experts say cadaver dogs are trained to hit on human decomposition, not items such as dirty diapers or toenails, and that they are accurate most of the time. Read: Cadaver dog hit: Significant or insignificant?
It’s been over three months since Baby Lisa went missing. Her parents’ local attorney, John Picerno, told WPTV News Channel 5 that police are investigating several leads in the case but declined to elaborate. He also said the FBI was aware of the leads, ibtimes.com reports.
Kansas City Police say they continue to follow up on leads and tips, though they are only trickling in now.
The possibilities of what happened to Baby Lisa the night of October 4 are endless. Given the length of time since she went missing, the cadaver dog hit, and the fact that police have focused much of their investigation on the parents, leaves little hope for a happy resolution. However, it is not impossible and hope is likely all her family has to hold onto.
Police can only work with evidence they recover and information the public provides. If you have any information you believe might help police solve this case you are asked to call the TIP Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
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Baby Lisa Irwin was reported missing Oct. 4, 2011, at around 4 a.m. Her parents, Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, say she was abducted from her crib. Their repeated inconsistent stories and refusal to cooperate with police have placed them under a cloud of suspicion by police and the public.
An anonymous donor has offered a $100,000 reward for the safe return of Baby Lisa or for information that leads to a conviction of her abductor.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the TIP Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
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