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Police believe that “runaway” Chyenne Kircher might have never actually left home at all.
Her stepfather, Terry Abbas, 40, of East Dubuque, Ill., was charged with two counts of first-degree murder earlier today for allegedly killing the teenager in October 2011. Dozens of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are scouring the area around Abbas’ home, searching for evidence.
“We have reason to believe that her body is located at a location right in town by her home,” said Dave Hachmeister, chief deputy with the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department. “We are at this point doing some excavation will Illinois State Police and FBI evidence technicians.”
http://www.thonline.com/news/breaking/article_a7422258-2131-11e3-a5ff-001a4bcf6878.htmlReports after she was first declared missing suggested that Kircher was last seen en route to a friend’s house. She allegedly left a note behind, saying, “Don’t look for me because I don’t want to be found.”
Bullying was originally cited as a possible reason Kircher left home. But Hachmeister said today that she likely never ran away at all.
The Jo Daviess County Critical Incident Response Team took over the investigation about six months ago. Hachmeister declined to comment on the details, but he said Abbas did not turn himself in and that the arrest was the result of the CIRT investigation.
http://www.thonline.com/news/breaking/article_a7422258-2131-11e3-a5ff-001a4bcf6878.htmlThe Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Department has confirmed Terry L. Abbas, 40, is charged with the murder of Chyenne Kircher.
The department says Kircher's body is believed to be near Abbas' home at 480 Wisconsin Ave., in a wooded area.
The department states a lack of information at the 2 p.m. press conference is caused by a "delay at the crime scene." The department will "do more in a couple hours."
During the press conference, a spokesperson said officials believed Chyenne body is located in an area behind her family home, an excavation of the scene is under way.
Officials from the East Dubuque Police, Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office, the Illinois State Police and the FBI are at the excavation site.
In October 2012, East Dubuque Police Chief Steve O'Connell said samples of Chyenne's handwriting were sent to the state crime lab to find out if it matched the runaway note. O'Connell said the results did not lead them to believe there was foul play involved.
The Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Department has scheduled a press conference for 8 a.m. Friday.
http://www.kwwl.com/story/23475689/2013/09/19/east-dubuque-police-to-give-update-on-chyenne-kircherIn a 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon media conference, Jo Daviess County, Ill. chief sheriff's deputy Dave Hachmeister said officials are excavating the body of missing East Dubuque, Ill. teen Chyenne Kircher from behind her home at 480 Wisconsin Avenue.
A second media conference at 4 p.m. will reveal more information, he said.
Hachmeister said Kircher's stepfather, 40-year-old East Dubuque man Terry Abbas, faces two counts of first degree murder stemming from the incident. He and his wife - Kircher's mother Lori Lyons - lived in the home with Lyons' son and daughter (Kircher).
http://www.kwwl.com/story/23475689/2013/09/19/east-dubuque-police-to-give-update-on-chyenne-kircherOn Facebook, Terry Abbas lists a person named "Chy Chye Love" as his daughter. That person's profile appears to be Chyenne Kircher's with photos of the girl. He is also Facebook friends with Lori Lyons.
Since Wednesday night, more than a dozen vehicles have been parked on the lawn of 480 Wisconsin Avenue and officials, including those from the East Dubuque Police Department, Jo Daviess, Ill. Sheriff's Office, FBI and Illinois State Police, have been on the scene.
Hachmeister confirmed Abbas and Lyons are married. He declined to comment on whether any additional charges will be filed or any other people arrested.
According to KWWL's coverage partner the Telegraph Herald newspaper, Dubuque County public records show Lyons and Abbas married on Oct. 31, 2005
http://www.kwwl.com/story/23475689/2013/09/19/east-dubuque-police-to-give-update-on-chyenne-kircherIn an interview with KWWL in June of this year, Lyons said her daughter left a note behind saying she didn't want to be found, but that didn't make Lyons feel any better about her daughter's sudden and mysterious disappearance.
"What I want to do is go knock on every single door in America and ask if they've seen my kid," Lyons said in June.
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Community-Rallies-in-Search-for-East-Dubuque-Teenager-134429788.htmlEAST DUBUQUE, Illinois - It’s been about nine weeks since 14-year-old Chyenne Kircher left a note, telling her family she ran away.
Her mom says Chyenne functions below grade level and isn’t the type to do something like this.
It seems everyone in the small community of East Dubuque wants to find Chyenne Kircher.
Police Chief Steve O’Connell said, “There’s a very large percentage of people in this community who know Chyenne. We describe her as a social butterfly. She’s out and about and she can be anywhere in town. ”
Chyenne Kircher was 14 years old when she went missing on Oct. 12, 2011. She told her parents she was going to a friend's house between 3-4 p.m. Later that evening, about 11 p.m. a note, that appears to have been written by Kircher, was found in a car. The note indicated she was not coming home.
According to court documents, Abbas allegedly "strangled 'C.K.' with his hand, thereby causing the death of 'C.K.'"
Officials searched the wooded area behind the house at 480 Wisconsin Avenue in East Dubuque Sept. 19, looking to recover her body.
Thanks, MsFacetious, I wish I had known you were working on Chyenne's case this whole time. I always have felt there were just a handful of us who actually cared.
I grew up in the next town over and my whole family still lives there. This case has always meant a great deal to me. I'm very glad Chyenne will finally get the justice she deserves.