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| Cass County Sheriffs Office: “We need to know these kids are safe.” Law enforcement still looking for three missing Harrisonville children who are presumed to be with non-custodial mom. Read update: |
Law enforcement officers are still looking for three Harrisonville children who have been missing since Friday afternoon.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, requesting the public’s assistance in locating Jasper Davis, 14, Jordan Davis, 15, and Tabitha Davis, 11, who were reported missing from their rural Harrisonville home by their father, Jamie Davis, on Oct. 11.
The children are believed to be with their non-custodial mother, 44-year-old Sherri Lynn Davis, who may be traveling to an unknown location in a white RV with Arizona license plates or black Mercedes SUV with Alaska license plates.
“Investigation has revealed that she had recently traveled from Alaska to the metropolitan area, where she has been staying,” Maj. Jeff Weber said.
The mother has also been known to use alternative last names, including Oneil and O’Neal, and has no current known address. Investigators are also not sure what vehicle she could be traveling in.
Law enforcement officials did note there have been custody issues between children’s parents, but the mother hasn’t had any known contact with the children for more than three years.
“We need to know these kids are safe,” Weber said. “Everything else is secondary at this time.”
The children were home on the afternoon of Oct. 11 as it was an early release day for the siblings, who attend schools in the Harrisonville School District.
The children had lunch with their father at 1:30 p.m. at their home in the 26000 block of Skyline Dr., before he went to work.
“During the course of the investigation, it was learned that a vehicle matching the description of the SUV was seen at the residence Friday afternoon after the father had eaten lunch with them,” Weber said.
When Jamie Davis returned home from work at 4 p.m., the children were not home.
After calling neighbors and friends in search for his children, he contacted deputies.
At approximately 5 p.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office entered the children as missing persons in local, state and national law enforcement databases.
“We consider it to be highly unorthodox for a parent to not have any contact with child for over three years to show up, not notify the other parent, and take the children,” Weber said.
Investigators worked through the weekend with numerous law enforcement agencies around the United States in order to located the children.
“After 48 hours of no contact with the mother or children, we entered the children into the (Missouri State Highway Patrol) Endangered Person Advisory,” Weber said.
According to Weber, the children’s father indicated that he does not believe the mother to pose a severe risk of danger to the children.
An attempt to enter the children into the Amber Alert database system was determined not to meet the necessary criteria “due to the parental dispute and the father not believing the children would be in any imminent danger with the mother,” Weber said.
The mother may also be traveling with five German Shepherd dogs, investigators said.
Weber also reported that because the couple’s dissolution and parenting plan originated in Jackson County, investigators have not been able to obtain any official documents in regard to the custody of the children due to the weekend and Columbus Day holiday.
“We are unsure as to what current plans were in place,” Weber said.
An online petition filed by Sherri Davis at least two years ago on www.change.org suggests the couple had a series of ongoing parental custody and visitiation issues.
“We’re more interested in finding them and ensuring their safety than anything else at this time,” Weber said. “We would ask the public that would have any information as to their whereabouts to please contact us.”
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office phone number is 816-380-5200.
Missing Children:
Tabitha Davis is a white female described as being 4’9”, 85 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes and light complexion with freckles. She was last seen wearing a blue T-Shirt, blue jean shorts and Hello Kitty slippers.
Jasper Davis is a white male described as being 5’6”, 125 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes and light complexion. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored T-Shirt with a white emblem on the front.
Jordan Davis is a white male described as being 5’6”, 175 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes and light complexion. He was last seen wearing a blue T-Shirt, dark blue shorts and flip flops.
