LA LA - Rondreiz Cortez “Junior” Phillips, 4, Homer, Claiborne Parish, 05 Apr 2018

[MsMarple]

@KTBS

UPDATE: Public search called off for missing Claiborne toddler, divers focus on pond

https://twitter.com/KTBS

"We have divers in the pond at this time," Sheriff Ken Bailey told KTBS Sunday afternoon, in reference to the search in a pond nearby where the child reportedly went missing.

https://www.ktbs.com/news/public-se...cle_214c7a26-3ab9-11e8-848f-37c4d7b552be.html

 

[Paddleboarder]

@KTBS

UPDATE: Public search called off for missing Claiborne toddler, divers focus on pond

https://twitter.com/KTBS

"We have divers in the pond at this time," Sheriff Ken Bailey told KTBS Sunday afternoon, in reference to the search in a pond nearby where the child reportedly went missing.

https://www.ktbs.com/news/public-se...cle_214c7a26-3ab9-11e8-848f-37c4d7b552be.html

Oh no.

 

[StrangeOne]

Oh please, no. My thoughts and prayers are with this baby and family.

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk

 

[TrueCrimeAddict4419]

I read the forum rules and will refer to them in the future before posting further. There is so much speculation and I don’t want to publicize any false information!

 

[flute4peace]

I'm afraid to ask, but are there statistics as to how often a child is reported missing/killed by a family member? It seems like a triple whammy right now, but I'm sure it happens way more than
we know about.

Prayers for this poor precious child!!

Sent from my SCH-I435L using Tapatalk

 

[Steelslady]

@KTBS

UPDATE: Public search called off for missing Claiborne toddler, divers focus on pond

https://twitter.com/KTBS

"We have divers in the pond at this time," Sheriff Ken Bailey told KTBS Sunday afternoon, in reference to the search in a pond nearby where the child reportedly went missing.

https://www.ktbs.com/news/public-se...cle_214c7a26-3ab9-11e8-848f-37c4d7b552be.html

Oh how this hurts. Like little Raul who drowned in his neighbor's pond.

 

[Steelslady]

I'm afraid to ask, but are there statistics as to how often a child is reported missing/killed by a family member? It seems like a triple whammy right now, but I'm sure it happens way more than
we know about.

Prayers for this poor precious child!!

Sent from my SCH-I435L using Tapatalk

I'm praying this isn't the case. It is just heartbreaking enough to know this is a recovery mission and no longer a search. Please, not another situation where a child was murdered by a boyfriend/girlfriend, parent or step parent. There's just been way too many of these cases lately, it's just too hard to fathom anyone harming a child!

 

[MsMarple]

I'm surprised no msm reporters are covering the pond search live. The only update was the one line from the sheriff saying LE is searching the pond. So what gives? Is Rondreiz no longer newsworthy?

https://www.ktbs.com/news/public-se...cle_214c7a26-3ab9-11e8-848f-37c4d7b552be.html

 

[carbuff]

I'm afraid to ask, but are there statistics as to how often a child is reported missing/killed by a family member? It seems like a triple whammy right now, but I'm sure it happens way more than
we know about.

Prayers for this poor precious child!!

Sent from my SCH-I435L using Tapatalk

I don't have statistics, but I suspect that it's not nearly as often as the number of children who wander off, fall into water, and drown...

 

[cybervampira]

I'm surprised no msm reporters are covering the pond search live. The only update was the one line from the sheriff saying LE is searching the pond. So what gives? Is Rondreiz no longer newsworthy?

https://www.ktbs.com/news/public-se...cle_214c7a26-3ab9-11e8-848f-37c4d7b552be.html

I wonder if the FBI (they were/are involved) has to do with that. Maybe they didn‘t want anybody at the scene or would media coverage be usual?

 

[MsFacetious]

I wish we knew more about the "someone" who took him to the woods prior. Just very odd??!!

I took this to mean someone took him for a walk in the woods, maybe just worded strangely.

I probably should have been clearer in my reply, I was referring to what was heard about the search being a recovery as opposed to a rescue. It was my understanding that that type of info needs to come from LE or MSM before we can post/discuss it. Hope a mod replies to give clarity on that. And apologies to TrueCrimeAddict.

I did ask a mod, I'm sure they will direct us soon.
My understanding is it's okay since it was heard at the command post.
Similar to when someone goes on a search and comes back to tell us the same thing.

It's the rumors heard on social media and such that aren't allowed.
I believe direct, in person observations are allowed, I know we don't verify locals anymore.
It sounds like TrueCrimeAddict has a pretty good handle on it. So I think we will be good. :wave:

Also, you are one of my favorite posters. I find I agree with you like 90% of the time!

I read the forum rules and will refer to them in the future before posting further. There is so much speculation and I don’t want to publicize any false information!

I think you are doing great!
Don't post rumors from social media, but I think if you hear or see something yourself it's fine to post.
Obviously I wouldn't post if you hear they found him, I'd let that come from LE.

 

[Gardener1850]

I'm afraid to ask, but are there statistics as to how often a child is reported missing/killed by a family member? It seems like a triple whammy right now, but I'm sure it happens way more than
we know about.

Prayers for this poor precious child!!

Sent from my SCH-I435L using Tapatalk

I don't know about missing cases specifically but here is a CDC mortality table from 2015 on the cause of deaths ranked by age: https://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_age_group_2015_1050w740h.gif

Unintentional Injury (which would include accidents/wandering off) is the leading cause of death for children in Junior's age range, but, sadly, Homicide ranks as the 3rd leading COD.

 

[Amonet]

I don't know about missing cases specifically but here is a CDC mortality table from 2015 on the cause of deaths ranked by age: https://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_age_group_2015_1050w740h.gif

Unintentional Injury (which would include accidents/wandering off) is the leading cause of death for children in Junior's age range, but, sadly, Homicide ranks as the 3rd leading COD.

Thank you for posting that. It's helpful data...too many in each category when you have a little face and a grieving family for each of those numbers :-(

From that chart:
Ag 1-4....unintentional injury 1235/homicide 369
Age 5-9...unintentional injury 755/homicide 140

So there's more than 1 homicide per day of a child aged 1 to 9. Approximately 4x greater chance of accidental/unintentional death, but most of those, I would expect, are incidents that don't lead to a missing person's report. What we really need is a breakdown for those that include a missing person's report.

I would expect children who wander off to be found closer to home and thus more likely to be found in the first few hours, and then first few days by search efforts.

I am surprised that pond wasn't drained in the first 24 hours due to its proximity to the family home. Is it too large to be drained? Problems getting in divers or dredging equipment? Priority given to searching the woods due to that being where the highest chance is of rescue vs recovery?

 

[shadowdancer]

Thinking of this adorable baby.

Hoping that its still possible for him to be found alive.

 

[TrueCrimeAddict4419]

Thank you for posting that. It's helpful data...too many in each category when you have a little face and a grieving family for each of those numbers :-(

From that chart:
Ag 1-4....unintentional injury 1235/homicide 369
Age 5-9...unintentional injury 755/homicide 140

So there's more than 1 homicide per day of a child aged 1 to 9. Approximately 4x greater chance of accidental/unintentional death, but most of those, I would expect, are incidents that don't lead to a missing person's report. What we really need is a breakdown for those that include a missing person's report.

I would expect children who wander off to be found closer to home and thus more likely to be found in the first few hours, and then first few days by search efforts.

I am surprised that pond wasn't drained in the first 24 hours due to its proximity to the family home. Is it too large to be drained? Problems getting in divers or dredging equipment? Priority given to searching the woods due to that being where the highest chance is of rescue vs recovery?

There are 3 ponds near his home, and probably over 20 in a 20 mile radius plus a large lake. One of the three that are very close is almost inaccessible due to being surrounded by heavy brush/woods. It will take a while to search all of these.

 

[DAnthrplgst]

There are 3 ponds near his home, and probably over 20 in a 20 mile radius plus a large lake. One of the three that are very close is almost inaccessible due to being surrounded by heavy brush/woods. It will take a while to search all of these.

Has the sheriff given any indication of why they are focused on lakes? Do y'all have any critters down that way that could have harmed him? I know gators are a problem in parts of Southern LA but I'm not familiar with what, if anything, y'all have up north.

 

[TrueCrimeAddict4419]

Has the sheriff given any indication of why they are focused on lakes? Do y'all have any critters down that way that could have harmed him? I know gators are a problem in parts of Southern LA but I'm not familiar with what, if anything, y'all have up north.

I haven’t seen any official statement regarding their reasoning for this. The sheriff just stated they are focusing on areas of interest. There are definitely alligators in the larger lake nearby, so I’m assuming they could migrate towards smaller bodies of water. Other potential non-human predators in the area are hogs, bears, and cougars.

 

[MsMarple]

Slightly updated article from 5:40pm CDT today :

Divers searched 2 ponds about a mile south of Rondreiz Cortez “Junior” Phillips' house until about 4 p.m. Sunday, Claiborne Sheriff Ken Bailey said.

Authorities next plan to search more ponds in the area and conduct more interviews, he added.

http://www.ksla.com/story/37906231/divers-search-2-ponds-near-missing-4-year-olds-home

"Conduct more interviews" is a new statement from the sheriff. It may not mean anything though.
No word on today's pond search. :sigh:

 

[caitycat]

I haven’t seen any official statement regarding their reasoning for this. The sheriff just stated they are focusing on areas of interest. There are definitely alligators in the larger lake nearby, so I’m assuming they could migrate towards smaller bodies of water. Other potential non-human predators in the area are hogs, bears, and cougars.

It gives me chills even thinking of that possibility. This is the 4th night since Junior disappeared That leaves me little hope for a safe return but I'm praying that this wasn't another case of someone who is supposed to care for this child making him "disappear".

 

[WeldonHunter]

I haven’t seen any official statement regarding their reasoning for this. The sheriff just stated they are focusing on areas of interest. There are definitely alligators in the larger lake nearby, so I’m assuming they could migrate towards smaller bodies of water. Other potential non-human predators in the area are hogs, bears, and cougars.

I live about 3 miles as the crow flies from where this is happening and you're right there are a few alligators in Corney Lake and I suspect some are in Lake Claiborne but I doubt there's any in the ponds. Most likely because there's not enough food to support them like there would be in a lake. We've never seen any fishing any of them anyway. There's literally hundreds of ponds in this area. There was a lot of dairies in this area last century and everyone has ponds. The house I own was the operations center for a dairy and I have a pond and the acreage that was the actual dairy has another one 400 or so yards from that one in the back field. There's a pond across the road, the property next to it has one, my neighbor across the street has one and their neighbor also has one as well as just about every property connected to those. A lot of them were put in by the WPA or CCC in the 1930s. My friends and their kids fish a lot of them and have never seen any gators in them so I wouldn't worry to much about that aspect. What most of them do have is rather large snapping turtles, water moccasins (probably to cold for them to be an issue) and as you mentioned there's bear, feral hogs, lots of coyotes, bobcat, fox and the occasional cougar. We also have a wolf hybrid that reported sightings have been made, but that's extremely rare. Like you said a lot of these ponds are very inaccessible especially at the waters edge due to lack of maintenance over many decades of no longer being needed for their original intent, to water livestock. My neighbor's daughter and son-in-law are Claiborne Parish volunteer firefighters out of the Summerfield station and were part of the search from the start. I also know the Sheriff, Ken Bailey, he's a good man and will not give up until this child is found if he's still in this area. This community has been through this before and they did as I knew they would, they came together to help in any way they could. All we can do now is hope for the best.