Colorado City Police have not given answers as to why there have been no arrests in the criminal investigation into the disappearance of Hailey Dunn in spite of failed polygraphs and child pornography. This article is likely going to trigger anger in many readers.
Facebook rumors hinder Dunn investigation
One of the biggest hindrances to any police investigation is the rumor mill. In regards to the Hailey Dunn case, Facebook’s rumor and speculation mill, as well as all public forums, makes those complications go exponential.
“Facebook is public enemy #1 because it is a site of gossip and internet bullying from one person to the next,” said Det. Kelsey Alexander of the Colorado City Police Department, one of the lead investigators in the Dunn case. Alexander has worked the case since 13-year-old Hailey went missing in late December of 2010.
Others may feel that predators and pedophiles are public enemy number one.
“People take what they see on Facebook as real,” she said. “Just because someone is discussing something doesn’t make it a tip or lead. It’s two people sharing an opinion.”
Police should be able to discern between deceptive rumor spreading and possible leads without having to invest man hours.
False leads generated by Facebook (and other public forum) scam artists also slow down the investigation as police verify or disprove the sources. Most recently, the CCPD worked with Facebook to shut down an account held by a scam artist who claimed to have Hailey and offered to trade her for passage to America.
“It takes us away from what we need to be doing when we have to deal with someone hearing something on Facebook. We haven’t heard anything on Facebook that’s brought us any closer to Hailey,” Alexander said.
Facebook is not where they need to be looking. They will not find answers on Facebook. They need to effect an arrest on the child pornography and they will be led to Hailey's remains.
The investigation into Hailey’s disappearance moved early from a runaway investigation to a missing child investigation.
“Procedures were put into place to investigate thoroughly. Every tip, every lead has to be filtered through the police department,” Alexander said. “We have to keep track of everything that comes in. We have to have everything documented.”
Procedures are made, and can be changed.
Alexander strongly urged readers not to believe what they read on Facebook. “It’s not leads. It’s people arguing and bickering. If there’s someone on Facebook that’s alarming come straight to us,” she said, reiterating that all tips have to come to the police station first – not to a friend, neighbor, Facebook or the media.
Why would the public need to contact the police if someone alarms them on Facebook? Where is the investigation? Where are the arrests? Where is the charge for child pornography? Any of these questions could lead to an answer of Where is Hailey?
Investigation protocols have the task force following up every tip or lead no matter how insignificant or farfetched. This involves every possible sighting or rumor of sighting, even from psychics; suspicious items of clothing on the roads, not just in Mitchell County; and weeding through hours of surveillance tapes related to possible Hailey sightings. The man hours consumed are staggering.
“We’re fortunate to have other agencies helping us out in other towns and states,” Alexander said. “Everyone works together. If we didn’t, there’s no way we could keep our head above water.”
No arrests, no indictments, no grand jury, and no Hailey equals "head above water", what does "head under water" look like? With more than 100,000 deviant images, this case should have been prosecuted months ago. They know the profile of Shawn Adkins and they know that an arrest would have given them a high percentage chance of obtaining information regarding Hailey's whereabouts. Yet, nothing has been done. It is difficult to accept the blaming of Facebook, or the following of silly rumors as relevant to anything. It is far more difficult, however, to picture other law enforcement and investigatory agencies making such a thin excuse for failure.
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