IN - Aliahna Maroney Lemmon, 9, Fort Wayne, 23 Dec 2011 - #1

[fifitwo]

Right now, I'm angry with the mom. I have a 'friend' that can leave her kids with her mom for a week or two and barely see them let alone talk on the phone, and they live a few blocks from each other. He and her husband are just lazy and kids get nurturing from grandmom. So wondering if same situation her except really! A 40 yr old Male friend? For a little girl with physical issues (hearing/sight) and emotional stress issues? Some mom. Leave her children for a week.

I can't seem to see any comments on the posted articles, but unless mom was in hospital or really delirious due to horrible illness... OMG I cannot wrap my head around what seems like dumping your kid off on someone. Couldn't they come home when step-dad was there? Not sure if I can blame the 40yr old.. they aren't his kids, maybe they spent alot of time with grandpa, so he just 'watched' them as much as he would when they stayed with no-deceased grandpa. He may have never been a father, let alone the mom LEFT her children with this man for a week. Whatever.

What was mom's illness? I need a good answer to give her a pass. Stepdad's situation? Couldn't watch them? When did their winter vacation begin? They've been there 'about a week'? That could imply for this entire week. Our schools went until Wed/Thurs in Michigan. If not on vacation, who was getting them off to school. God. Really disliking people lately. Sorry to vent! Thank goodness so many are here caring when parents may not. And if mom has good reason, I take it all back....

 

[Cubby]

Not another dear child missing. I live about an hour and half from Ft Wayne and just now sat down to catch up on today's news.

I am a sleepwalker and talker. Not so much any more but was a regular occasion when I was younger. When I was about 2 or 3, I was down for a nap, got up, unlocked the front door and was found down the street by a neighbor. My mom was working in the kitchen and never even heard me. According to my family, you can not tell that I am actually sleep walking. And tell your son not to worry, I peed in the refrig one night (again sleep walking when I was a kid). After I got older, I still sleep walk and talk at times and only realize it when I wake up and confused with how and where I am. I totally get how this child could have been sleep walking. But really confused on the caregiver...

Hi and welcome back to WS. I slept walked a few times too. I too once peed in the wrong place. Walked downstairs from my room to use the bathroom but made a wrong turn and peed on the floor in the hallway next to the bathroom. Another time my dad heard the door close (heavy apartment door which woke him). He found me at the elevator. When he asked what I was doing, I replied going to the bathroom. Apparently I was going to walk home to my moms house several blocks away to pee in the middle of the night. I had no recollection of this whatsoever. So, I guess it happens to the best of us.

It sounds like the 40 year old family friend is just a single 'bachelor type' guy who was grandpa's roommate before grandpa died and isn't really equiped for babysitting. It's not unusual. I know many 40+ year males without children who really wouldn't know what to do other than supervising while watching anothers kids. Especially if they didn't have nieces or nephews they spent much time with.

What I don't understand is if Alia fell asleep on the chair and he went out at 6 am why he did not see her sleeping on the couch when he left and when he arrived back home. How big is a mobile home? Assuming the couch she was sleeping on is in the living room. He should have had no problem seeing her in front of his face while exiting and entering the front door. While not a great idea, if the gas station is as close to the mobile home as it sounds (I have not looked at a map) it sounds as if the distance may not be more than what someone on a large property would walk their trash to the curb. I could almost dismiss that, BUT why was he up at 2am and then needing to get something to smoke at 6am?

And with a step dad, why couldn't step dad care for the kids while mom was ill?

There is something strange and hinky about this story and based on this most recent article my thoughts are wandering to the sex offender who has not yet been caught and infiltrates themselves as the helpful family friend. I wonder what his relationship was to the grandfather. Caregiver? Lover? Sorry if that sounds disrespectful, but we have to look at all possibilites as to why grandpa was living with a single 40 year old male who appears to be particularly interested in his grandchildren.

This is not looking good. Especially since LE called off the search at 3:30pm. Sounds like perhaps someone didn't pass a poly, or was given enough conflicting info to police, LE has decided not to continue searching at this point. I think we will soon be hearing this has gone from a search and rescue to a recovery. I pray I am wrong but this does not sit right with me as a parent.

 

[sreshowtime]

what I DON'T get is WHY didn't the 2 siblings ask mommy, where is sister????? WAY earlier in the day...like when she picked them up!!??!!
something is hinky stinky here

 

[SuziQ]

And doesn't this guy work or have anything better to do than to babysit these girls 24/7 for a week? It's not sounding right. Maybe he's their uncle? Still....

 

[not_my_kids]

Often Black and Milds are described as cigars (not sure if they really are cigars or not). I know people that smoke them like cigarettes, so it does not seem that strange to me that he would get he urge for one as soon as he woke up, the same as you do when you are a cigarette smoker. What does seem odd to me is leaving three little girls by themselves to walk to the store and get one. If she did walk out, she likely woke up that morning, realized there was no adult there, got scared and tried to walk home.

I'm not sure if I believe that is what happened, but it's possible. I've got the feeling that this one will have a fast resolution, but I'm not sure what that resolution will be.

 

[katydid23]

Here is what it boils down to ,imo.

If mom is so sick that her 3 little ones need to be completely out of her home, and in the care of a family friend, then why was she able to come and pick them up for a birthday party?

And if the family friend assumed that the child walked home, then why not go get her, since mom is supposedly too sick to keep her kids all week.

Makes me wonder what kind of sickness it is. I guess it is not contagious if mom can drop the kids at the Bday party.

 

[katydid23]

Hi and welcome back to WS. I slept walked a few times too. I too once peed in the wrong place. Walked downstairs from my room to use the bathroom but made a wrong turn and peed on the floor in the hallway next to the bathroom. Another time my dad heard the door close (heavy apartment door which woke him). He found me at the elevator. When he asked what I was doing, I replied going to the bathroom. Apparently I was going to walk home to my moms house several blocks away to pee in the middle of the night. I had no recollection of this whatsoever. So, I guess it happens to the best of us.

It sounds like the 40 year old family friend is just a single 'bachelor type' guy who was grandpa's roommate before grandpa died and isn't really equiped for babysitting. It's not unusual. I know many 40+ year males without children who really wouldn't know what to do other than supervising while watching anothers kids. Especially if they didn't have nieces or nephews they spent much time with.

What I don't understand is if Alia fell asleep on the chair and he went out at 6 am why he did not see her sleeping on the couch when he left and when he arrived back home. How big is a mobile home? Assuming the couch she was sleeping on is in the living room. He should have had no problem seeing her in front of his face while exiting and entering the front door. While not a great idea, if the gas station is as close to the mobile home as it sounds (I have not looked at a map) it sounds as if the distance may not be more than what someone on a large property would walk their trash to the curb. I could almost dismiss that, BUT why was he up at 2am and then needing to get something to smoke at 6am?

And with a step dad, why couldn't step dad care for the kids while mom was ill?

There is something strange and hinky about this story and based on this most recent article my thoughts are wandering to the sex offender who has not yet been caught and infiltrates themselves as the helpful family friend. I wonder what his relationship was to the grandfather. Caregiver? Lover? Sorry if that sounds disrespectful, but we have to look at all possibilites as to why grandpa was living with a single 40 year old male who appears to be particularly interested in his grandchildren.

This is not looking good. Especially since LE called off the search at 3:30pm. Sounds like perhaps someone didn't pass a poly, or was given enough conflicting info to police, LE has decided not to continue searching at this point. I think we will soon be hearing this has gone from a search and rescue to a recovery. I pray I am wrong but this does not sit right with me as a parent.

If the 40 yr old was the grandpa's boyfriend or caregiver or very close friend, then I would feel better about the situation. I hope that he just really loves the girls and is used to spending time with them. Maybe he feels that they need him, since mom was willing for them to stay for a week.

For some reason I am not feeling as suspicious of the family friend. That may be naive. But I do think she might have attempted to walk home that morning. Maybe she even made it home. Was her stepdad around that morning?

 

[ClaireNC]

(respectfully snipped)
It sounds like the 40 year old family friend is just a single 'bachelor type' guy who was grandpa's roommate before grandpa died and isn't really equipped for babysitting.

(snipped)
And with a step dad, why couldn't step dad care for the kids while mom was ill?

There is something strange and hinky about this story We have to look at all possibilities as to why grandpa was living with a single 40 year old male who appears to be particularly interested in his grandchildren.

This is not looking good. Especially since LE called off the search at 3:30pm. I pray I am wrong but this does not sit right with me as a parent.

(snipped and BBM)
I had the same thoughts. If "Mom" is sick, why can't step-dad look after the children? Why send the children to stay with a man in another trailer?

Maybe it is just a place they are comfortable with since it was Grandpa's house, and there might not be anything odd about the arrangement. It could very well be that it was the best financial arrangement for Grandpa and family friend. To stay within TOS I will not go into this in any more detail

So what is the most recent news? Why was the search called off?

 

[Cubby]

(snipped and BBM)
I had the same thoughts. If "Mom" is sick, why can't step-dad look after the children? Why send the children to stay with a man in another trailer?

Maybe it is just a place they are comfortable with since it was Grandpa's house, and there might not be anything odd about the arrangement. It could very well be that it was the best financial arrangement for Grandpa and family friend. To stay within TOS I will not go into this in any more detail

So what is the most recent news? Why was the search called off?

I agree with you. I've had male roommates, platonically. A few actually. In general I wouldn't have had cause for question, until I learnt this particular male friend who last saw Alia was a friend of Grandpa's. Grandpa is no longer with us. There is a step dad in the picture who in normal circumstances should be able to care for children if his wife/the childrens mother is ill.

Gosh, once I had a terrible flu and was very ill for 24 hours. It may have been food poisoning and was very bad. I won't describe it, but my mother came here to my home to watch my son for 24 - 36 hours while I was violently ill. And my son was still a toddler around me when I was that ill.

Most couples or two parent households don't have the luxury of sending off 3 children to a 'baby sitter' when one of the two parents has a fever.

There is just something very very off about sending 3 children to a young single man when there is a 2 parent home and only one of those parents is ill.

Then add in that mom was apparently well enough to take these kids to the party.

I can't help but worry that this family trusted grandpa's friend... and perhaps whether that friend was just a little too nice, offered to do to many things. The things that one wouldn't necessarily notice as alarming when a family and their child/ren are being groomed. I am not saying this is what happened, or is my current theory. It's just on the hinky radar.

 

[katydid23]

But the fact that Mom sends the kids to the other trailer,INSTEAD of letting the stepdad take over---that in itself makes me a bit suspicious of the stepdad. Was mom concerned or worried about having him in charge while she was sick?

And perhaps, the child did walk back to her home that morning...

 

[Cubby]

But the fact that Mom sends the kids to the other trailer,INSTEAD of letting the stepdad take over---that in itself makes me a bit suspicious of the stepdad. Was mom concerned or worried about having him in charge while she was sick?

If she was concerned about her husband being in charge while she was sick, why would she have married him in the first place? She's gonna marry a guy she can't trust to care for her children while she is ill, but she's gonna send them to a single bachelor friend of grandpa's after grandpa died over her husband? It's not working for me.

I'm stuck on the possible grooming of the entire family. Grandpa, mom, step dad and this family just thinking this guy is just so nice offering so much help. Maybe step dad is working long or odd hours to stay afloat. Mom's exhausted and ill, grandpa's nice single bachelor guy friend is there to rescue....

and then saying he was up at 2am comforting Alia because she had a nightmare? Really? Why wouldn't he call mom or step dad at 2am when he had to 'comfort' Alia because she had a bad dream. And then his description of seeing a pile of her clothes on the floor next to the chair she slept on? Individually and exclusive of the other known facts, none of these would be too alarming. Combined, they're creeping me out.

Maybe what happened to Alia between 2am and 6 am was a real life nightmare.

And then friendly neighbor single bachelor guy talks to mom at 10am the morning of her disappearance but doesn't mention the nightmare and doesn't ask if she made home ok?

Not seeing past friendly neighbor single bachelor guy. I wonder what his ex gf's with kids have to say about him.


jmo

 

[not_my_kids]

I agree with you. I've had male roommates, platonically. A few actually. In general I wouldn't have had cause for question, until I learnt this particular male friend who last saw Alia was a friend of Grandpa's. Grandpa is no longer with us. There is a step dad in the picture who in normal circumstances should be able to care for children if his wife/the childrens mother is ill.

Gosh, once I had a terrible flu and was very ill for 24 hours. It may have been food poisoning and was very bad. I won't describe it, but my mother came here to my home to watch my son for 24 - 36 hours while I was violently ill. And my son was still a toddler around me when I was that ill.

Most couples or two parent households don't have the luxury of sending off 3 children to a 'baby sitter' when one of the two parents has a fever.

There is just something very very off about sending 3 children to a young single man when there is a 2 parent home and only one of those parents is ill.

Then add in that mom was apparently well enough to take these kids to the party.

I can't help but worry that this family trusted grandpa's friend... and perhaps whether that friend was just a little too nice, offered to do to many things. The things that one wouldn't necessarily notice as alarming when a family and their child/ren are being groomed. I am not saying this is what happened, or is my current theory. It's just on the hinky radar.

Respectfully BBM. I was under the impression that that was the way it usually worked. After I had my youngest son, I had a spinal headache. My mother wasn't planning to come in for the birth of her grandson, but when she realized that I was really not able to do anything for myself, she came in to help, and watched the other kids here, it was only my older three as the baby was in NICU. I had the opportunity to lay down and relax in my own home, and I didn't have to worry about my kids or disrupt their schedules. If I had been well enough to drive, I wouldn't have needed to have extra help.

Something is not adding up, and it feels to me like there is something that is missing in the information, one or two key things that didn't make it into the articles yet, that will help link everything together. At least that's what I'm hoping, because right now, this stinks to high heaven, and I don't much like it.

 

[katydid23]

If she was concerned about her husband being in charge while she was sick, why would she have married him in the first place? She's gonna marry a guy she can't trust to care for her children while she is ill, but she's gonna send them to a single bachelor friend of grandpa's after grandpa died over her husband? It's not working for me.

I'm stuck on the possible grooming of the entire family. Grandpa, mom, step dad and this family just thinking this guy is just so nice offering so much help. Maybe step dad is working long or odd hours to stay afloat. Mom's exhausted and ill, grandpa's nice single bachelor guy friend is there to rescue....

and then saying he was up at 2am comforting Alia because she had a nightmare? Really? Why wouldn't he call mom or step dad at 2am when he had to 'comfort' Alia because she had a bad dream. And then his description of seeing a pile of her clothes on the floor next to the chair she slept on? Individually and exclusive of the other known facts, none of these would be too alarming. Combined, they're creeping me out.

Maybe what happened to Alia between 2am and 6 am was a real life nightmare.

And then friendly neighbor single bachelor guy talks to mom at 10am the morning of her disappearance but doesn't mention the nightmare and doesn't ask if she made home ok?

Not seeing past friendly neighbor single bachelor guy. I wonder what his ex gf's with kids have to say about him.


jmo

You are probably right, but I am just trying to look at it another way. The sisters said she walked off. So it makes me wonder if she might have done just that. Maybe she walked home like they thought she was going to.

As for WHY a mom would marry a man who she cannot trust with her kids?
We see that too often, imo. Celina Cass might be one example. [ but we still do not know of course.]

But many stepdads pick women with 3 little girls purposely, because it is like a gold mine for them. Maybe the girls recently began trying to pull away from their stepdad. Of course he may be a wonderful stepdad. But I just wonder, since he did not take over the childcare as one might expect if mom is sick. Maybe he works the night shift or something, who knows.

I guess I am just looking at the alternative POV, because some of the facts surrounding mom's illness do not add up. I guess I am wondering if the words, "mom is too sick to watch the kids' might be code for some other reasons. But IDK.

 

[Cubby]

You are probably right, but I am just trying to look at it another way. The sisters said she walked off. So it makes me wonder if she might have done just that. Maybe she walked home like they thought she was going to.

As for WHY a mom would marry a man who she cannot trust with her kids?
We see that too often, imo. Celina Cass might be one example. [ but we still do not know of course.]

But many stepdads pick women with 3 little girls purposely, because it is like a gold mine for them. Maybe the girls recently began trying to pull away from their stepdad. Of course he may be a wonderful stepdad. But I just wonder, since he did not take over the childcare as one might expect if mom is sick. Maybe he works the night shift or something, who knows.

I guess I am just looking at the alternative POV, because some of the facts surrounding mom's illness do not add up. I guess I am wondering if the words, "mom is too sick to watch the kids' might be code for some other reasons. But IDK.

If the step dad was abusing the kids and mom was ill, why would he allow the children to go with the single friend of grandpa's? Wouldn't mom being too ill to care for them be like a gold mine for him? If he was abusing his step children, why would he allow them to go to this other male and risk their telling this trusted family friend?

I still can't make it work for anyone else other than grandpa's friend. I wish I could, I really do, because that would mean the chances of Aliahna being found safe much greater.


IIRC, it was mentioned Aliahna is blind or legally blind in addition to some other disabilities. Is that correct? If so, it is possible those conditions left her more vulnerable to a predator. :sigh:

 

[sreshowtime]

I think, Wasn't it the family friend that said the other 2 sisters said Aliahna put on her coat and left?

OR did the sisters actually tell LE that.

Has it been said yet what time the mother picked up the 2 sisters? Did she literally drive to get them, or walk over? Why didn't they walk home at an appointed time ?

I STILL do not understand why, if the sisters were with mom, they did not ask WHERE sister is!! And IF They did, didn't they tell her Sister put her coat on and left to go to the party, where is she?

If mom took them to the party and Aliahna wasn't there, wouldn't mom Wonder, WHERE much less WHY Aliahna wasn't there??

crazy

 

[Cubby]

I wonder if there is anything more to LE stating the friend of grandpa's is not a sex offender. LE has also said they haven't ruled anything out, including foul play.

And honestly, I do not know of any single 40 yr old guy without kids who would even be remotely interested in taking on babysitting not one, not two, but three non related children. Not any never married or single guys I know in that age range. Maybe for an hour or two in an emergency situation where I couldn't find a family member, a godparent, my childs friends parents.... and a long list of others. But it wouldn't be something they'd do because they enjoyed it. It would be something they'd do to help me out as a friend in a pinch.

 

[Cubby]

I think, Wasn't it the family friend that said the other 2 sisters said Aliahna put on her coat and left?

OR did the sisters actually tell LE that.

Has it been said yet what time the mother picked up the 2 sisters? Did she literally drive to get them, or walk over? Why didn't they walk home at an appointed time ?

I STILL do not understand why, if the sisters were with mom, they did not ask WHERE sister is!! And IF They did, didn't they tell her Sister put her coat on and left to go to the party, where is she?

If mom took them to the party and Aliahna wasn't there, wouldn't mom Wonder, WHERE much less WHY Aliahna wasn't there??

crazy

Excellent questions, especially the one I bolded. None of the answers to the above are clear.

Where were the two younger girls until 8:40pm? These are young kids.

Why would anyone be just noticing a 9 yr old missing at 8:40pm? I'd think a childs party would be ending by then, not the time parents were gathering the kids to attend a childrens party. 8:40 pm does not coincide with any of the childrens parties my 9 yr old has attended. None. The only one I can think of is the back to school skating party for all grades. The school announcement had an earlier end time but many parents stayed with their kids until the rink closed.

I suppose it's possible the friend of grandpa's offered to take the younger siblings to the party and then home and upon dropping them off at mom and step dads, it was then discovered Aliayah hadn't made it home. But if she was so excited about the party why would she have been hanging around at home not nagging mom over and over when they were gonna leave for the party... ?

 

[katydid23]

I wonder if there is anything more to LE stating the friend of grandpa's is not a sex offender. LE has also said they haven't ruled anything out, including foul play.

And honestly, I do not know of any single 40 yr old guy without kids who would even be remotely interested in taking on babysitting not one, not two, but three non related children. Not any never married or single guys I know in that age range. Maybe for an hour or two in an emergency situation where I couldn't find a family member, a godparent, my childs friends parents.... and a long list of others. But it wouldn't be something they'd do because they enjoyed it. It would be something they'd do to help me out as a friend in a pinch.

I guess I was thinking about my gay cousin, in his 40's, who loves kids and wishes he had a family himself. He absolutely adores my kids, and has helped out for days at a time when we had emergency situations. I would have no problem leaving 3 young girls in his care if the conditions arose. He loved watching our kids when my MIL was in hospice. My DH and I were gone for days at a time and he helped get them to school, and made them hot breakfasts and helped them with their homework every day. He worked from home a lot so it worked out at the time.

I know that not everyone has a single male in their 40's in their lives that fits this description, obviously. But I guess my head went there when I heard about this guy. If he was not this great with the kids , then I do not see why mom would place them there for a week at a time.

But I do agree that he may be a pedophile that has snuck into the situation and groomed the whole family. Why would the stepdad allow the guy to have the girls all week, I wonder?

 

[Cubby]

Thanks katydid' I hadn't considered a situation like yours. In the situation you described, this is still a family member of yours. In all reality it could be a family member who is simply unable to have children regardless of sexual orientation. I had a great Aunt who was wonderful with kids. Couldn't carry a baby to term and couldn't adopt due to the rules way back in the 40's or 50's. Her husband of 57 years (before he passed) even offered to give her a divorce so she could marry a widower with children, her desire to parent was so strong. She didn't take him up on that offer of course and ended up volunteering at a local orphanage for many years.

In these cases, these are family members. There really isn't a non family male friend I would entrust with 3 of my children for a week. Even as a single parent, I can't come up with a scenario in which I would need to request a male non family member babysit my child for a night or a week.

 

[Seymour Krelborn]

ALIAHNA MARONEY LEMMON, Age Now: 9, Missing: 12/23/2011. Missing From FORT WAYNE, IN. ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT: Allen County Sheriffs Office (Indiana) 1-260-449-3000.

Case Type: Endangered Missing

Circumstances: Aliahna was last seen on December 23, 2011. She has a birthmark on the back of her neck. Aliahna was last known to be wearing a blue and black plaid coat with fur around the hood, a silver and white sweater dress, white tights and black shoes with bows on them.

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