MCCLEARY -
The town of McCleary in Grays Harbor County isn't giving up hope, but law enforcement officials have suspended their search and rescue efforts for 10-year-old Lindsey Baum.
While the investigation continues, crews have stopped combing the area for the girl. Search dogs, ATVs, helicopters and planes will no longer be utilized.
Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott told Q13 FOX News that crews have thoroughly searched the area around McCleary. Now, this case is shifting into more of an investigation, with 30 officers trying to develop new leads.
Authorities say, by now, it's very unlikely that Baum has run away from home and it's possible that someone has kidnapped her.
Scott spoke about his department has uncovered so far, and what it means about the future of the investigation.
"It suggests that she's been removed from this immediate environment," Scott said. "But we don't have the evidence to support that theory, so we have to continue to be as comprehensive as we were from day one."
Baum vanished Friday night while walking home from her friend's house.
On Wednesday, volunteers continued to hand-out flyers to people driving through town, while search crews went door to door looking for clues with their dogs and several police agencies including the FBI checked on sex offenders and followed-up on tips from the community.
Ronald Twersky, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle says, "Obviously we're concerned with the time that's passed, but we're looking at this to locate Lindsey and that's the approach we have going forward."
Twersky says they have more than a dozen agents working on the case in rotating shifts, including agents with their child abduction response team. They're talking to neighbors, relatives and anyone who was in the area when Lindsey disappeared.
Investigators say if you saw anything unusual Friday night in McCleary, or have noticed a change in someone's behavior, contact the police.
Meanwhile, parents in the area are keeping a close eye on their kids.
McCleary parent Charlie Packard says Lindsey's disappearance is scary for parents. He's lived here his whole life and has never heard of anything like this happening before.
Packard has two young sons and is keeping them at his side. One of their 7-year-old friends says she's staying safe by not running around the neighborhood anymore. She's also keeping an eye on her friends.
While the investigation continues, crews have stopped combing the area for the girl. Search dogs, ATVs, helicopters and planes will no longer be utilized.
Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott told Q13 FOX News that crews have thoroughly searched the area around McCleary. Now, this case is shifting into more of an investigation, with 30 officers trying to develop new leads.
Authorities say, by now, it's very unlikely that Baum has run away from home and it's possible that someone has kidnapped her.
Scott spoke about his department has uncovered so far, and what it means about the future of the investigation.
"It suggests that she's been removed from this immediate environment," Scott said. "But we don't have the evidence to support that theory, so we have to continue to be as comprehensive as we were from day one."
Baum vanished Friday night while walking home from her friend's house.
On Wednesday, volunteers continued to hand-out flyers to people driving through town, while search crews went door to door looking for clues with their dogs and several police agencies including the FBI checked on sex offenders and followed-up on tips from the community.
Ronald Twersky, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle says, "Obviously we're concerned with the time that's passed, but we're looking at this to locate Lindsey and that's the approach we have going forward."
Twersky says they have more than a dozen agents working on the case in rotating shifts, including agents with their child abduction response team. They're talking to neighbors, relatives and anyone who was in the area when Lindsey disappeared.
Investigators say if you saw anything unusual Friday night in McCleary, or have noticed a change in someone's behavior, contact the police.
Meanwhile, parents in the area are keeping a close eye on their kids.
McCleary parent Charlie Packard says Lindsey's disappearance is scary for parents. He's lived here his whole life and has never heard of anything like this happening before.
Packard has two young sons and is keeping them at his side. One of their 7-year-old friends says she's staying safe by not running around the neighborhood anymore. She's also keeping an eye on her friends.
