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MCCLEARY -
It has now been 5 days since anyone has seen 10-year old Lindsey Baum from the small town of McCleary, 25 miles west of Olympia. The FBI along with the National Center For Missing And Exploited children has now joined the search.
Lindsey disappeared Friday night as she walked from a friend's house to her own home. Her mom called police when Lindsey failed to show up around 10 p.m. that night.
Tuesday night friends and McCleary area residents gathered for a candlelight vigil for Lindsey. Earlier in the day, searchers used planes and helicopters to search from the air while ground crews on horses and motorcycles combed nearby trails for any sign of the missing 10-year old. Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rich Scott says several tips have come in and investigators want to talk with anyone who saw anything suspicious in McCleary between 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday night.
Melissa Baum talked with Q13 FOX News Monday night. She says she's hoping against hope that her little girl will be OK.
She says; "I'm trying very hard to avoid thinking about what could be. My heart tells me she's alive. I actually feel like she's alive but every hour that goes by is getting harder and harder and I feel like we're running out of time we've got to find her."
Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Richard Scott said he's not sure what happened to Baum.
"This is a girl with no means, no money, and no true opportunity to leave. We have nothing specifically that is pointing us in any direction that is going to allow us to rule out any scenario.... this may be a worst case scenario criminal investigation involving a predator or predatory behavior," Scott said.
Police officers, Sheriff's deputies and volunteers spent hours passing out fliers and looking for the girl over the weekend.
On Sunday night, the FBI and local law enforcement started stopping every car that passed through McCleary. Agents passed out flyers with the girl's picture and checked to see if the drivers were in the area Friday night and had any information on the case.
The girl's family is extremely worried and said it's hard to even think about what might have happened.
"Everybody's on eggshells and stressed and we just want to know where she is and what's going on," friend Melissa McCann told Q13 FOX News. McCann said the girl's mother has not slept since Lindsey went missing.
Throughout the weekend, searchers combed the small town door by door, leaving a flyer on every business, checking neighborhoods, then checking them again.
"We're with search and rescue and we'd like permission to search your back yard," said one volunteer as she knocked on yet another door in the neighborhood where Lindsey was last seen.
"Everybody knows everybody's business and we'd have expected that if she was still in town. Somebody would have notified us and we haven't had that, unfortunately," says Dave Pimentel, Deputy Chief of the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office.
Lindsey Baum was visiting her friend Michaela Kampen Friday night. Michaela's mother Kara Kampen says it started getting late and she sent Lindsey home.
"They had asked to spend the night and we had plans and we said 'not tonight' so she headed home," says Kampen. "It's reality check for all parents that this could happen in McCleary of all places."
Lindsey's mother called 911 and searchers hit the streets, combing the five-block walk to Lindsey's home.
The small logging community of McCleary is now united by a single cause: finding a missing child.
"I have children also and if my child came up missing I'd want somebody to help me," said Timothy Day, who came to the McCleary police station and volunteered to help with the search.
It's help McCleary police desperately need.
"They only have three officers in the department, including the chief," said Pimentel.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office is backing up McCleary police and right now they're confident in their efforts.
The McCleary police chief has decided against issuing an Amber Alert for the girl.
"We checked the state criteria and it just didn't meet it," explains George Crumb, McCleary's Chief of Police.
Although investigators are not calling Lindsey a runaway, not even the girl's family has ruled out the possibility.
Lindsey is 4'9" tall and 80 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt with blue jeans and black shoes.
If you can help in this case, call the Grays Harbor 911 center at 1-800-281-6944.
Lindsey disappeared Friday night as she walked from a friend's house to her own home. Her mom called police when Lindsey failed to show up around 10 p.m. that night.
Tuesday night friends and McCleary area residents gathered for a candlelight vigil for Lindsey. Earlier in the day, searchers used planes and helicopters to search from the air while ground crews on horses and motorcycles combed nearby trails for any sign of the missing 10-year old. Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rich Scott says several tips have come in and investigators want to talk with anyone who saw anything suspicious in McCleary between 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday night.
Melissa Baum talked with Q13 FOX News Monday night. She says she's hoping against hope that her little girl will be OK.
She says; "I'm trying very hard to avoid thinking about what could be. My heart tells me she's alive. I actually feel like she's alive but every hour that goes by is getting harder and harder and I feel like we're running out of time we've got to find her."
Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Richard Scott said he's not sure what happened to Baum.
"This is a girl with no means, no money, and no true opportunity to leave. We have nothing specifically that is pointing us in any direction that is going to allow us to rule out any scenario.... this may be a worst case scenario criminal investigation involving a predator or predatory behavior," Scott said.
Police officers, Sheriff's deputies and volunteers spent hours passing out fliers and looking for the girl over the weekend.
On Sunday night, the FBI and local law enforcement started stopping every car that passed through McCleary. Agents passed out flyers with the girl's picture and checked to see if the drivers were in the area Friday night and had any information on the case.
The girl's family is extremely worried and said it's hard to even think about what might have happened.
"Everybody's on eggshells and stressed and we just want to know where she is and what's going on," friend Melissa McCann told Q13 FOX News. McCann said the girl's mother has not slept since Lindsey went missing.
Throughout the weekend, searchers combed the small town door by door, leaving a flyer on every business, checking neighborhoods, then checking them again.
"We're with search and rescue and we'd like permission to search your back yard," said one volunteer as she knocked on yet another door in the neighborhood where Lindsey was last seen.
"Everybody knows everybody's business and we'd have expected that if she was still in town. Somebody would have notified us and we haven't had that, unfortunately," says Dave Pimentel, Deputy Chief of the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office.
Lindsey Baum was visiting her friend Michaela Kampen Friday night. Michaela's mother Kara Kampen says it started getting late and she sent Lindsey home.
"They had asked to spend the night and we had plans and we said 'not tonight' so she headed home," says Kampen. "It's reality check for all parents that this could happen in McCleary of all places."
Lindsey's mother called 911 and searchers hit the streets, combing the five-block walk to Lindsey's home.
The small logging community of McCleary is now united by a single cause: finding a missing child.
"I have children also and if my child came up missing I'd want somebody to help me," said Timothy Day, who came to the McCleary police station and volunteered to help with the search.
It's help McCleary police desperately need.
"They only have three officers in the department, including the chief," said Pimentel.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office is backing up McCleary police and right now they're confident in their efforts.
The McCleary police chief has decided against issuing an Amber Alert for the girl.
"We checked the state criteria and it just didn't meet it," explains George Crumb, McCleary's Chief of Police.
Although investigators are not calling Lindsey a runaway, not even the girl's family has ruled out the possibility.
Lindsey is 4'9" tall and 80 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt with blue jeans and black shoes.
If you can help in this case, call the Grays Harbor 911 center at 1-800-281-6944.
