MT MT - Arden Pepion, 3, Blackfeet Reservation, 22 Apr 2021 *Reward* *Guilty*

[CptCari]

Unfortunately, due to lack of MSM and LE posts, following this case has become very convoluted re: social media posts by the mother and other family members. I hope they find little Ardie soon.

 

[mickey2942]

You can see, though, how the tight knit communities can keep the stories from becoming public knowledge. They want to handle it "on the rez" and not allow outside law enforcement to participate. They also don't want "their" stories getting out into mainstream media. It makes for a perfect storm.

Exactly. However, I believe that if this is what the tribal officials want, full jurisdiction for all crimes on tribal lands, as "Sovereign Entities". It should be given to them. The sooner, the better.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

It's sad to see that a 3-year-old is still missing.
I hope someone who knows something will speak up and be her hero.

 

[TeaTime]

Poor baby. It is over a month now. <modsnip>

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Divers found boot of missing 3-year-old on Blackfeet Reservation

I think it's behind a paywall for me.

 

[Limecat]

Divers found boot of missing 3-year-old on Blackfeet Reservation

I think it's behind a paywall for me.

I can’t get to it either.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

BROWNING, Mont. - The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services held a press conference Thursday addressing search efforts surrounding the missing 3-year-old Arden Pepion.

Law Enforcement update public on Arden Pepion search efforts

 

[katydid23]

Hearing about her little boot is heartbreaking. She was only 3, such a tiny adorable sweetheart.

I hope her uncle learned an important lesson about watching babies closely. She shouldn't have ended up in that water.

 

[YaYa_521]

Divers found boot of missing 3-year-old on Blackfeet Reservation

I think it's behind a paywall for me.

Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services said Thursday that divers found a boot in the Two Medicine River belonging to 3-year-old Arden Pepion during the initial searches following her disappearance in April. When officers first received the report of her disappearance, they learned she had been with her uncle in a wooded area by the Two Medicine River, according to spokesman Frank Goings. Pepion had been missing for between five and six hours before officials were contacted, Goings said. Law enforcement responded immediately when contacted.

Pepion was last seen around 7 p.m. on April 22 in the surrounding areas of Joe Show East off U.S. Highway 89 South on the Blackfeet Reservation. Officers identified footprints matching Arden’s leading to the river during their initial searches, Goings said. On April 25, divers with law enforcement found the boot. Blackfeet Law Enforcement searched 50 miles of the river, Goings said. About 13,700 acres of land were covered.

At a Thursday press conference, Goings discussed why an Amber Alert was not issued for Arden. “It was determined by Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services supervising officers that the circumstances of Arden’s disappearance did not meet the specific criteria for an Amber alert at that time,” Goings said. Criteria for an Amber alert includes reasonable belief the child was abducted or disappeared under suspicious circumstances, the child is 17 years or younger, has a proven mental or physical disability, or if the child is believed to be in imminent danger, Goings said.

Blackfeet Law Enforcement did not believe Arden was abducted because of the proximity to the river, interviews conducted with people last known to be with her and the footprints leading to the river, Goings said. The Montana Department of Justice issued a Missing and Endangered Person Advisory for Arden, he added. Pepion’s mother, A. P., believes an Amber alert should have been issued regardless, she said. “There should have been one anyway,” she said in a phone interview following Thursday's press conference.

On May 1, Blackfeet Law announced they were scaling back the search after 10 days The decision was made after analyzing the resources being put into the search and the weather conditions, Goings said. Goings said a contingency plan is in place to continue searching, but Arden's family and private search teams have not seen any law enforcement agents searching in recent weeks, A. said.

 

[Rosegold68]

They found footprints? Footprints or boot prints?

 

[katydid23]

What does it mean that her uncle 'last saw her' @7 pm? Don't you stay right up next to toddlers when you are in the woods at night with them? You can't let them out of your sight.

 

[YaYa_521]

The content of the linked video explains that a family donated an injured bull which was processed by C & C Meat Processing and donated to the families of Arden and Leo Wagner. Wagner is missing from the Babb/St. Mary area since 27 Apr. The 250# of hamburger is intended to help keep searchers fed. Arden's parents and Leo's twin sister speak briefly in the video at the link below.

To note: In the opening of this video, the reporter states Arden "apparently walked away from her home near Browning". I thought she was in a wooded area with her uncle when she disappeared?

Meat processor helps feed volunteers searching for Arden Pepion and Leo Wagner
25 May 2021

 

[mickey2942]

@YaYa_521 that is pretty typical for trying to do anything in Browning, MT. Unfortunately.

 

[Rosegold68]

How is Leo Wagner involved? I must have missed something here

 

[YaYa_521]

How is Leo Wagner involved? I must have missed something here

Leo isn't involved, to my knowledge. He's mentioned here only b/c of the linked article's topic of meat donation to both families. I apologize for not making that clear in my previous post.

 

[Filly]

The content of the linked video explains that a family donated an injured bull which was processed by C & C Meat Processing and donated to the families of Arden and Leo Wagner. Wagner is missing from the Babb/St. Mary area since 27 Apr. The 250# of hamburger is intended to help keep searchers fed.



Meat processor helps feed volunteers searching for Arden Pepion and Leo Wagner
25 May 2021

Somehow that is seriously ironic. A nice gesture, but.....

 

[CptCari]

Really good info in this article, tying up all the speculation.

Family of missing 3-year-old demands answers, still searching

Officials believe she drowned in the river, said Irene Pepion, Arden's paternal grandmother. She and Arbana think there is more to the story.


“I think if they found the boot, it seems like they should have found her body by now,” Irene said. “Where is she? Did she really go in the river?”

 

[Filly]

Somehow that is seriously ironic. A nice gesture, but.....

Apologize as I just read about this business.

They are doing a tremendous amount of good.

 

[WildWest]

How is Leo Wagner involved? I must have missed something here

https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-a...agner-still-missing-search-effort-scaled-back

 

[rkendmar]

Really good info in this article, tying up all the speculation.

Family of missing 3-year-old demands answers, still searching

Officials believe she drowned in the river, said Irene Pepion, Arden's paternal grandmother. She and Arbana think there is more to the story.


“I think if they found the boot, it seems like they should have found her body by now,” Irene said. “Where is she? Did she really go in the river?”

Apparently, a family friend HaHaaz Vielle, was babysitting little Arden.
On the evening of April 22, he took Arden with him when he went to practice shooting.
He noticed she was missing while he was reloading his gun.
After looking around, Vielle noticed Arden's footprints leading toward the river.