CANADA Canada - Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou, 10, Montreal, 12 March 2018

[otto]

If you look at my previous posts, there was a radio interview with the mother, before the amber alert, where she stated very clearly that Ariel walked alone to his friend many times, especially in summer. They seemed to have changed that story, maybe they were afraid of backlash.


Interview with Ariel's father where he says he STILL has not met the lady from the park, that she was the last person to have seen his son. He doesn't even know who this person is, he wants her to tell them how was Ariel was dressed, they have a right to know. They are pleading her to come forth and meet with them. He asked the police to meet the woman many times and did not get a clear answer from the cops.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/20...dariel-continuent-de-croire-a-un-enlevement-1

There have been over 600 tips in this case. Why does the family want to speak to people who have contacted police with information? Do they want to do their own investigation?

 

[CuriousinNY]

Has their been searches done by friends and family? Are there posters blanketing the neighborhood? Also if I were the lady in the park who last saw him, I would meet with the family. Why wouldn't she?

 

[juli99]

Has their been searches done by friends and family? Are there posters blanketing the neighborhood? Also if I were the lady in the park who last saw him, I would meet with the family. Why wouldn't she?

If this turns from a boy in the river to an abducted boy it could be a very different case for the police. Perhaps they have told the woman not to speak to the family for purposes of keeping evidence confidential?

 

[otto]

Has their been searches done by friends and family? Are there posters blanketing the neighborhood? Also if I were the lady in the park who last saw him, I would meet with the family. Why wouldn't she?

She's an unrelated person who happened to see something. The information she had has been provided to police as part of the investigation. Beyond that, she has every right to privacy.

If the family had her name, do you think they would respect her privacy, or do you think they would put her name in the news? Is it possible that they want her name because some people have suggested that she is a suspect?

 

[dotr]

Sometimes parents have a keen sense when it comes to their children.
Has anyone asked the parents who they might imagine would kidnap Jeffrey and why? Could there be some scenario/ reason that is playing in the back of each of their minds?
Thinking of ( previously kidnapped ) Elizabeth Smart's sister, who, some time after the kidnapping remembered the pan-handler the family met and hired for odd jobs as being similar to the man's voice she overheard in the sister's bedroom?
Is it possible that Jeffrey was excited about going to his friend's house, not because he was getting to walk alone, but because he/ they had an adventure planned besides playing sports?
Speculation, imo.
http://nationalpost.com/news/canada...al-police-divers-search-river-for-missing-son
March 19 2018

School was closed on the Monday Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou asked for his parents’ permission to walk to a friend’s house alone. It was a big ask, walking to a buddy’s by himself, something the skinny 10-year-old, with the dark hair, dark eyes, warm smile and gentle nature had never done, and a request his parents agreed to on the day their son went missing.

Kouadio Frederic Kouakou is Ariel’s father. He is a French-speaker, as is his son. Kouakou embodies the Canadian dream: he immigrated to Montreal from Ivory Coast. Now he works as a teacher at a local school. He and his wife, Akouena Noella Bibie, have insisted, from the start, that Ariel was kidnapped. Ariel, his father has said, loved soccer, not swimming. And he knew well enough not to venture too close to a fast rushing river, with its deadly currents and its thin ice.

Montreal police have not ruled out the family’s kidnapping theory.

On the day he vanished, a security camera at a local garage captured a fleeting image of Ariel. He enters the screen-view from the left, walking steadily in the direction of his friend’s house in north-end Montreal. The hood of his jacket is pulled up to ward off the cold. He raises his left hand to his face. He is 4-foot-7, no more than 90 pounds, and wearing grey pants and bright yellow sneakers.

 

[katydid23]

She's an unrelated person who happened to see something. The information she had has been provided to police as part of the investigation. Beyond that, she has every right to privacy.

If the family had her name, do you think they would respect her privacy, or do you think they would put her name in the news? Is it possible that they want her name because some people have suggested that she is a suspect?

If it was my son missing, I admit that I would want to speak to the last witness reported to have seen him. I would really really want to assess her credibility myself and would want to be certain she saw my son, and not another lost child in the park.

I wouldn't see her as a suspect. I would just wonder if it was really my son that she saw.

 

[otto]

If it was my son missing, I admit that I would want to speak to the last witness reported to have seen him. I would really really want to assess her credibility myself and would want to be certain she saw my son, and not another lost child in the park.

I wouldn't see her as a suspect. I would just wonder if it was really my son that she saw.

This woman has already been accused of being a suspect. I'm curious what the family hope to achieve?

The father has said that he wants to ask the woman what his son was wearing - doesn't that suggest that he doubts her?

If the father said that he wanted to speak with all 700 witnesses, okay, but if he singles one out, I have to wonder why?

This witness placing the child near the river means that the child could have slipped on ice and gone into the river. The father is determined to believe that his son was abducted. Does he want to discredit this witness?

 

[freudianslip]

This woman has already been accused of being a suspect. I'm curious what the family hope to achieve?

The father has said that he wants to ask the woman what his son was wearing - doesn't that suggest that he doubts her?

If the father said that he wanted to speak with all 700 witnesses, okay, but if he singles one out, I have to wonder why?

This witness placing the child near the river means that the child could have slipped on ice and gone into the river. The father is determined to believe that his son was abducted. Does he want to discredit this witness?

The deeply shocked and distraught man is doing all he can to find his missing son. He must be losing his mind.
At this point, there's not much else to go on - IMHO

 

[otto]

The deeply shocked and distraught man is doing all he can to find his missing son. He must be losing his mind.
At this point, there's not much else to go on - IMHO

Of course he's in bad shape because of his missing son. That does not mean that witnesses who saw his son should be drawn into his grief.

Look at this question from an interviewer to the mother of Ariel's friend:

"[Ismael's]Mom : Yes, we are in shock, everyday we go see the family. I work at the school I am an educator. I was suppose to work that day at the school Francois de Laval, we went out because (pointing at her son) his sisters go to high school, there was no one at home, I said ok you are 10 years old (pointing at son) I will enlist you to the daycare program we will go together so since 7:30 am we were out of the house. I didn't know that Ariel was going to come ring the doorbell, I did not know (crossing fingers). I was at work. Till 5:15 pm, well 5:30 pm because I had to walk home.

Interviewer: But you don't feel guilty!"

Who wants to be through that sort of guilting for something that was completely out of their control?

 

[katydid23]

This woman has already been accused of being a suspect. I'm curious what the family hope to achieve?

The father has said that he wants to ask the woman what his son was wearing - doesn't that suggest that he doubts her?

If the father said that he wanted to speak with all 700 witnesses, okay, but if he singles one out, I have to wonder why?

This witness placing the child near the river means that the child could have slipped on ice and gone into the river. The father is determined to believe that his son was abducted. Does he want to discredit this witness?

I think the family hopes to achieve some level of certainty whether their son really was at the park at 2 pm---or not.

I think he may have his doubts, but not in terms of her being suspicious or malicious or even deceitful. But maybe he doesn't believe his son would have told a stranger the things she described.

Or maybe the father doesn't feel that her account of the incident rings true. NOT that she is a suspect, but maybe that she spike to a different boy, not his missing son.

It is vital information for the family to know. Either they should be focusing time and resources on the river and the park, OR they should be looking at potential kidnappers.

I totally understand why the father wants to single this one witness out. As you say, she places him near the river and thus the search is now revolving around that theory.

Is it the correct theory? The father, above everyone else in this large Universe, needs to know the truth about that witness sighting. I don't blame him for wanting to speak to her.

I don't think he wants to 'discredit' her in a malicious way. I think he just wants to know how credible the sighting was. WAS IT HIS SON?

 

[otto]

Police are looking at all options, from drowning to lost to abduction. The father has made up his mind, and has made his position clear. Will publicizing the name of the witness help the investigation? How will the witness be impacted by being drawn into the family's grief?

 

[Phei]

No one said they wanted to publicize her name...

 

[Phei]

I think the family hopes to achieve some level of certainty whether their son really was at the park at 2 pm---or not.

I think he may have his doubts, but not in terms of her being suspicious or malicious or even deceitful. But maybe he doesn't believe his son would have told a stranger the things she described.

Or maybe the father doesn't feel that her account of the incident rings true. NOT that she is a suspect, but maybe that she spike to a different boy, not his missing son.

It is vital information for the family to know. Either they should be focusing time and resources on the river and the park, OR they should be looking at potential kidnappers.

I totally understand why the father wants to single this one witness out. As you say, she places him near the river and thus the search is now revolving around that theory.

Is it the correct theory? The father, above everyone else in this large Universe, needs to know the truth about that witness sighting. I don't blame him for wanting to speak to her.

I don't think he wants to 'discredit' her in a malicious way. I think he just wants to know how credible the sighting was. WAS IT HIS SON?

Yeah especially that no cameras caught Ariel walking into the park, even though there was clear view of the street from the restaurant cam.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

So is the daycare where Ariel's friend went to that Monday, inside the École François-de-Laval where his mom works?

That school is so close to Ariel's home!

Google MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/BqjXi8UgYj82

View attachment 131770

Yes that is Ariel’s school. Wow I hadn’t realized it was that close. It’s just steps away.
Elementary schools have a before and after “daycare” program as well as being open on Ped days for parents who work. This is were Ariel’s friend was that day and where Ariel’s friends mother works as an educator. Gosh how great would it have been for Ariel to walk by the school/ schoolyard on his way and have seen his little friend!

 

[juli99]

Yes that is Ariel’s school. Wow I hadn’t realized it was that close. It’s just steps away.
Elementary schools have a before and after “daycare” program as well as being open on Ped days for parents who work. This is were Ariel’s friend was that day and where Ariel’s friends mother works as an educator. Gosh how great would it have been for Ariel to walk by the school/ schoolyard on his way and have seen his little friend!

So... Ariel's house is that far away from the park? What route would he have taken to his friend's house, it seems he would not have walked all the way up to Gouin? I thought his house was a lot closer to the park, and that walking home through the park would have made sense, but it looks like that is not the case.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Ok now I’m wondering why Ariel would have even taken Gouin blvd on his way to his friends. Why not take Viel all the way? Gouin is a main road and busy with crazy Montreal drivers whereas Viel is much quieter and possibly even a school corridor with reduced speeds etc.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Haha we thought the same thing!

 

[juli99]

I thought I read somewhere that Ariel's father is a teacher too.. I assume not at that same school? What does his mother do?

 

[GinaSeikwa]

I thought I read somewhere that Ariel's father is a teacher too.. I assume not at that same school? What does his mother do?

His dad is an English teacher on contract with the french school board. His last contract was in Lachine I believe. His mother takes courses. I don’t believe it was specified where and what she was studying.

 

[freudianslip]

Ok now I’m wondering why Ariel would have even taken Gouin blvd on his way to his friends. Why not take Viel all the way? Gouin is a main road and busy with crazy Montreal drivers whereas Viel is much quieter and possibly even a school corridor with reduced speeds etc.

Looks like Viel St. comes to a dead end. You would need to turn North towards Gouin, the closest street to destination being Letellier.