Updated: 12:46 PM, May 23, 2019
Maleah Davis case: Stepfather's story has hole big enough to 'drive big rig through,' chief says
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Acevedo said HPD is still searching for Maleah, 4, and pursuing leads, and he urged anyone with information to come forward. He also pledged an extra $5,000 from HPD to increase the total reward money of up to $10,000 in the case.
"Maleah deserves to be found, be recovered and deserves a proper burial, and we need the community's help," he said.
Acevedo said Derion Vence, the man police describe as her stepfather and who is charged with tampering with evidence, specifically a human corpse, in connection with the case, has told police a "tall tale" and is not cooperating with investigators.
"We strongly believe he knows where she's at and if he wanted to tell us, he would," Acevedo said about Vence.
Vence's story has a whole so large, "you could drive a big rig through it," Acevedo said.
He said Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens, is communicating with police, but that she is not the focus of the case.
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