Published: Sunday, December 05, 2010, 5:55 PM ??? Updated: Sunday, December 05, 2010, 8:11 PM
The search for two missing children that investigators now believe are dead was suspended in Mississippi today as detectives combed an area west of Citronelle, according to authorities.
Investigators searched for any sign of Jonathan Chase DeBlase, 3, and his older sister Natalie Alexis DeBlase, 5, for more than eight hours today in the far northwest end of Mobile County, said Mobile police Officer Christopher Levy.
The youngsters haven't been seen since July when they moved to Kentucky with their father and stepmother, Levy said.
"Again, we had no results," Levy said as the search concluded this afternoon.
On Saturday, the search unsuccessfully led detectives to an area north of Vancleave, Miss., just off Miss. 57.
The children's father, John Joseph DeBlase, 27, led Mobile and Jackson County, Miss., investigators to the Vancleave area, where he thought he had dumped his son's body, Levy said.
DeBlase was apprehended in Milton, Fla., late Thursday by a Santa Rosa County sheriff's deputy responding to a report of a suspicious person, according to previous reports.
DeBlase was brought to Mobile on Friday, where, Levy said, he was questioned by Mobile police and then charged with two counts each of aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse.
"When we get information, we have to check, even if it doesn't add up," Levy said of today's search outside Citronelle. "The father is being cooperative, but we've just had no results."
Levy said the search would continue in both areas this week.
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd said his investigators would rejoin the search with the department's helicopters.
Byrd said the Vancleave area searched Saturday was about 12 square miles and too broad.
"We need to get a better idea where the body was left," Byrd said. "And that's just if he's telling the truth."
Stepmother Heather Keaton was arrested last week in Louisville, Ky., and faces two counts each of willful abuse and neglect of a child, Levy said.
Byrd said Keaton and DeBlase are each accusing the other of killing the children, but both have agreed that the body of at least one of the children was left in Vancleave.
On Wednesday, Keaton waived an extradition hearing and is expected to be brought to Mobile this week, Levy said.
Authorities were alerted in late November that the children were missing after Keaton asked Kentucky police for a restraining order against DeBlase, Levy said. The couple had been living in Louisville but had separated, Levy said, and DeBlase went to Florida.
Keaton alleged in her complaint to Kentucky police that she was fearful of DeBlase because of events that took place six months prior in Mobile, Levy said. She told authorities that the children were killed in Mobile, Levy said.
"What we know is that they are both responsible for the death of their kids," Levy said. "We know that, but we haven't been able to determine exactly how they died. If we could locate their bodies, that would help our investigation out quite a bit."
Asked about the corpse-abuse charge, Levy said it’s the result of the children not being buried properly, and carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. ?
Levy said the most disheartening fact is that friends and family members are now coming forward saying they suspected DeBlase was abusing the children.
"Where were they a year ago when these children needed some protection?" Levy asked. "Why didn't some report it to police?"
When contacted today, family members declined to comment.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Mobile Police Department at 251-208-7211.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.
