Press conference
Chief Paul Beard - We want to talk to you today about our investigation into the disappearance of Alexis Gabe. We will answer as many questions as we can, however, given the sensitivity and the nature of the investigation, there will be some things we simply cannot speak to. Today you'll hear from myself, you'll hear from Detective Tyler Horn, he will provide a case summary for you. You'll also hear from the City of Oakley Mayor, Randy Pope, and he will say a few words about a reward we have in place regarding this case. Alexis' father is also here. He wants to address the press as well. His name is Gwyn Gabe.
The main priority of the Oakley PD is to provide safety and security to our residents, that is something we strive to do to the best of our ability, every single day that we work. Alexis Gabe is an Oakley resident, who was last seen on Jan. 26th, in the City of Antioch. Her disappearance has both been very frustrating and heart breaking for all concerned. Our investigation into the disappearance of Alexis Gabe has consumed the men and the women of my dept., and she has been our primary focus since our investigation began. Early on in this investigation I adjusted resources within my dept., and I re-assigned some of our personnel to the investigation's unit, in order to push this investigation as far and as fast as we could early on.
The Oakley PD. appreciates all of the assistance we have received from numerous agencies, primarily the Antioch PD. We stand a better chance of finding Alexis because of all the help we have received. In addition to locating Alexis, preserving the integrity of this case has been one of our highest priorities. We have now reached a point that is beyond frustrating for all of us. We have simply run out of investigative leads to follow. We have exhausted all investigative avenues and we are now seeking the assistance of the public. I'm going to let Det. Tyler Horn speak to the actual investigation, but I wish to make it known - Alexis is a daughter, a sister, a dear friend to many and a person who the Oakley PD. feels very close to at this point. To that end, I can attest that we have literally searched land, sea and air for Alexis.
Detective - On January 26th at approx. 6.30 pm., Alexis Gabe left her family residence at The Oaks Apts. in the City of Oakley, after a brief phone conversation with a friend of hers. Her last known destination was a residence in Antioch. Her parents, did not hear from Alexis for the remainder of that night. Extremely unusual behaviour for Alexis. She normally remained in close contact with her family. On January 27th, Alexis Gabe was reported missing to the Oakley PD. Officers conducted area searches and spoke with family and friends of Alexis. Alexis' family and friends gathered to search for Alexis in the Oakley area, and Alexis' vehicle was located abandoned at the intersection of Trenton St. and Carrington Drive. in Oakley. On January 28th, Oakley police detectives received the case, and co-ordinated efforts to begin to try to locate Alexis. Oakley police began extensive area checks and neighbourhood checks in Oakley and Antioch. Detectives conducted interviews with key witnesses and gathered crucial surveillance footage from the relevant areas.
(
Detective plays short clip at 3:56)
This clip is located about 5 mins. from where the vehicle was dropped off. Based on the surveillance footage gathered, we believe that a male subject was responsible for abandoning Alexis vehicle. The male was:
- Approx. 5'11" - 6ft tall.
- Slim build.
- Dark skin.
- Wearing a large jacket.
- A beanie or a cap.
- An N95 style face mask, with a beard protruding from underneath.
This individual is the person of interest in Alexis disappearance. We're seeking the publics' help in identifying him. The individual walked away, on foot, from Alexis' vehicle, through the City of Oakley, and appeared to walk back towards the City of Antioch.
The investigation has been ongoing and active since the Oakley PD. received the initial report. Numerous search warrants have been written and executed during this investigation, and the Oakley Police Dept. can officially state that we believe Alexis disappearance was not by accident or by choice. We strongly suspect foul play, and we seek the publics' assistance in locating Alexis. Oakley PD. has set up a dedicated tipline regarding the Alexis Gabe case. To leave tips by phone - 925-625-7009, and the public can also leave tips via e-mail -
alexistips@ci.oakley.ca.us.
(
Mayor talks about a reward fund of 10,000, and hands cheque to Alexis' mum and dad)
Dad - (
Thanks the Mayor, LE and support from the City of Oakley for the reward money).
Just like everyone else we've had our challenges in life, but this is by far the most unexpected and most difficult thing we've had to face, which is the reason why it's taken so long for my wife and I to speak publicly about this. It's been three long excruciating months since Alexis' disappearance. Since the day our daughter went missing, we've questioned our faith, have been completely overwhelmed and filled with doubt and despair. But with the love and support of those around us, we continue to find renewed strength and hope everyday. We know this ordeal has impacted, not only our family's lives and those who knew her and loved Alexis, but also the lives of the people within the community. Alexis is an amazing woman, daughter, sister and friend. She is genuine, loving, kind, smart and loyal. She is full of wit and humour. She still has so much life left and joy to share. We are pleading to whomever has information regarding Alexis' disappearance, to please come forward. Please give Alexis the chance to be the person that she's meant to be in this world. Tell us where our daughter is. Help us bring her back home. We need our daughter back. Thank you.
(
Chief thanks media and other agencies, and reiterates the urgent need for the public's assistance in this case, in bringing Alexis back and to her family)
Reporter - Any leads at all, anywhere in this case?
Detective - We've had numerous leads that have lead us to certain places, and we continue to investigate all leads as they come in, and that's why it's important that we reach out to the public today in order to seek assistance.
Reporter - How and wide are these leads coming from?
Detective - From local communities and from places we don't even know. We're just hoping that more people call in and more people talk to us, and try to lead us in a good way.
Reporter - Do you know what she was doing before she..... Was she visiting friend's? What was she up to?
Detective - She was visiting a residence in Antioch.
Reporter - If the boyfriend was enough of a person of interest to get a search warrant to search his house. Is he still a person of interest?
Detective - He is one of many persons of interest in this case, yes.
Reporter - What have you done, to follow up on finding him? I understand he's disappeared. Has he disappeared?
Detective - He has not, as far as I know.
Reporter - This image right here - Was this person caught on multiple cameras?
Detective - We gathered multiple angles of surveillance from relevant areas of this individual, and that's just a still photo of that same person that we showed the clip of. But it's one of the best pictures that we have that we wanted to share.
Reporter - Where was that picture taken?
Detective - It's at Oakley Rd. in Beldin Ln., which is approx. 4-5 mins. from where the car was dropped off.
Reporter - (
Asks about the search efforts)
Detective - We will always treat it as a search effort. The goal is to bring Alexis home to her family, and we will continue to approach it that way.
Reporter - There was a search at the home in Antioch. Can you share anything about the outcome of that?
Detective - That was just the last place that she was known to be, so that's where we started. Again, I know it's frustrating but we're not going to get into certain pieces of evidence or anything that we've gathered from there.
Reporter - I understand that Officers were in (Pioneer?) California searching. What was the tip that lead you to (Pioneer?) and what were you searching for? Was it Alexis herself, or articles that maybe she owned or anything like that?
Detective - Again, I know it's frustrating that we can't give out certain pieces of information. That's just one of the pieces that led us to that point, and we searched the area, and we will continue to search.
Reporter - Were you able to track her phone at all? Did she get any hits on her phone after she disappeared?
Detective - Again, that's one of those pieces of information that we just probably won't share at this point. Again, I know it's frustrating.
Chief - I hope everybody can understand that there's still a great element of case integrity that we have to maintain for Alexis. And that's why we cannot speak to certain things.
Reporter - Are you able to give any update on the search of the home in Antioch where the warrant was served? Was there any evidence found? I'm not asking for what evidence, but was there anything found in that search?
Detective - When we execute search warrants, we get pieces of evidence from those and then we keep them here.
Reporter - Was there a heavy smell of bleach in the house in Antioch when you searched it?
Detective - Again, that's probably just.....I don't know where that came from but that's...I don't know where....but we just wouldn't speak on that.
Reporter - How close was this person to the vehicle?
Detective - We believe that he dropped that vehicle off. That's about 4-5 mins. away from where the vehicle was positioned, and where the family located it.
Reporter - You do know where the boyfriend is right now, is that correct?
Detective - Again, that's one of those things that we're not going to talk about, at this very moment. When we have more information we'll be happy to share it.
Reporter - Could the public be any kind help to find him? If we put out a picture of the boyfriend?
Detective - That's why we're seeking information from the public. We're not essentially looking for him, we're just looking for leads in general.
Reporter - (
Asks about other agencies involved in the search efforts)
Chief - In a case like this, we reach out to many many agencies. I'm not going to give the details of how many other agencies that did help us, but I can assure you that each agency we did reach out to, did assist us in some way, shape or form.
Reporter - And does that include the FBI as well as local agencies?
Chief - Mainly local agencies. We did use the FBI to help us establish our reward fund and we were working with them, as recently as this week, in that regard.
Reporter - How many tips on average would you say come into the tipline, that you have set up? How do you determine whether or not it is a credible lead to follow?
Detective - I don't think I could put a number on how many tipline calls come in, but every lead is followed up on, to the point of exhaustion to where we have to rule it out.
Reporter - How did the reward fund come to be? Was that through donations or....
Chief - It was an idea conceived by the Gabe family, then they brought it to us and we started to work on that. The $10,000 is being put up by the City of Oakley right now.
Reporter - The KlaasKids Foundation came in to assist with the search efforts - Was there anything credible turned up by any of those search efforts, and what else did they do that helped with the search?
Chief - Well the Klass foundation was wonderful, in that they helped to galvanise our community and help us have a formal way of searching the different areas of interest that we had specified. Some of these areas were areas of interest, some of these areas were more germane where we think Alexis may be. And some of these areas were just the things that were conceived by the Klaas Foundation themselves, as - "did you think about searching this area", "no we did not", "ok let us help you out with that".
Reporter - Are there going to be further searches with the help of KlaasKids Foundation?
Chief - Nothing is planned right now with Klaas.
Reporter - How many officers are working on this, both of OPD and APD?
Chief - I cannot put a number to that because I don't know the specific numbers from Antioch. I can tell you from the Oakley side, I have dedicated upwards of 6-7 people to this case.
Reporter - I know that it was asked before that citizens help towards the search along the (
inaudible). Has there been anything fruitful from those searches?
Chief - No.
