$25,000 Reward Offered For Missing NH Girl
STEWARTSTOWN, N.H. (AP) -- The FBI said Saturday it was offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts of a missing 11-year-old northern New Hampshire girl who hasn't been seen for five days.
The reward would also cover information leading to the arrest and prosecution of anyone responsible for the disappearance of fifth grader Celina Cass, Supervisory Special Agent Kieran Ramsey said at a news conference at the Stewartstown Community School.
"This reward should not be read into that we are transitioning in any way in this investigation," Ramsey said, adding that recent, successful cases of recovered missing children have resulted in vigilance from the public.
"We are still aggressively -- aggressively -- searching and hoping to bring Celina Cass home," he said.
Jane Young of the state attorney general's office said a community member was adding a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the discovery of Celina.
WBZ-TV's New Hampshire Bureau Chief Lauren Leamanczyk reports
Also on Saturday, the crime scene tape had been removed from the Cass' family home and her tearful relatives moved back in.
In front of the house, the staging area for search crews was replaced by friends making sure drivers see Celina's picture.
Meanwhile speculation surrounds a few pieces of evidence seized by investigators. At an apartment complex near Celina's school, the FBI removed a dumpster. Residents say there's been a heavy police presence.
"For the past few days we've had them here on and off, in the back woods looking and they've searched everybody," said Stewartstown resident Terry Scott.
Investigators also towed a red truck from Celina's house Friday evening. Young would not say who the truck belonged to or why it was taken.
"That house is where she was last seen. We searched that house for any information any clues, the same for any vehicle that she may have been in," she said. "I ask you not to read into that."
The FBI still will not say if this is a criminal case, but they say the resources they'll put into the case are the same whether she is a missing person or the victim of a crime.
Celina was last seen Monday night at her home computer near Stewartstown, which is about a mile from the Canadian border.
Numerous investigators have knocked on over 300 doors in the area and in neighboring Vermont and have searched fields, woods, ponds and a river.
"We have at least another 100 men available to come in and assist with this investigation when needed," Young said.
She lives in a three-story house with her mother and stepfather.
On Friday, WBZ-TV learned that Celina's family has had trouble in the past. According to court documents, her stepfather was once committed for paranoid schizophrenia. Records also indicate a restraining order from a prior relationship. That woman had wrote that she was scared for her children.
Lt. Robert Quinn of the New Hampshire State Police said he's been in contact with the heads of the state police in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. "They've shown an overwhelming support for us in this investigation," he said.
"They will be sending additional resources here today." He added: "We're going to do whatever it takes to locate this lost child."
Fliers featuring photos of the girl with a gap-toothed smile were put up throughout Stewartstown and neighboring communities.
Residents have passed out purple and pink ribbons and held vigils. Celina is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 95 pounds and has hazel eyes and waist-length brown hair.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
