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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing since December 6.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the location of missing Utah mother Susan Powell, authorities announced today. West Valley City Police spokesman Capt. Tom McLachlan said the offer was made by an anonymous donor.

It has been more than two weeks since Powell, 28, disappeared from her home. Her husband, Joshua Powell, said she was not in the house when he and their two small children returned from a camping trip. Mr. Powell has been named a person of interest in the case, West Valley City police said. He has provided a sample of his DNA to the authorities, police added.

A candlelight vigil for Susan Powell was held Sunday evening near her family’s home in Washington State. “We had a very short presentation,” said family spokesperson Shelby Gifford. “ I read a statement from the family. We had a poster that people could sign. We lit candles and sang a hymn and then sang a closing prayer.”

Joshua Powell also attended the ceremony. But Gifford said he arrived after the vigil. He “took the focus away from Susan,” Gifford told CNN. “That wasn’t necessary.”

Gifford said Mr. Powell brought the couple’s 4-year-old son with him.

Mr. Powell has hired a Salt Lake City attorney who has not returned repeated requests from CNN for comment. Gifford is hoping Mr. Powell’s decision to retain a lawyer will help answer questions about Mrs. Powell’s whereabouts. “I think the family is looking for information and trying to fill in some holes,” she said. “ The family is hopeful that Joshua will feel comfortable to answer questions and provide information in a way that will help us find Susan. That’s what we are after.”

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing since December 6.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

Police  executed a search warrant at the home of a missing Utah woman and her husband, authorities said today. “It involved our detective division,” West Valley City Asst. Police Chief Craig Black told CNN. He would not disclose details about the search or what evidence was gathered by investigators.

It is at least the second search of the couple’s home since Susan Powell, 28, vanished on December 6. Her husband, Joshua Powell, said his wife vanished after he took their two young children on a camping trip. Police have been unable to confirm his account and have labeled him a person of interest. He has also not been cooperative in the investigation, they added.

At a news conference on Thursday, Mrs. Powell’s family described frustration over her husband’s actions since she vanished. “We wish he would be cooperative,” said family spokesman Shelby Gifford, “because we think that would help us find Susan.

“We’re just not speculating on what his role might have been. We don’t have all the facts and we also have a monumental task in front of us. That’s finding Susan. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Gifford said the couple’s two sons are doing fine.

Mr. Powell has retained an attorney, who has not returned repeated requests from CNN for comment. He has also provided a DNA sample, police said.

A Facebook page created by the family and friends of Mrs. Powell has received a flood of comments from people across the country. Many offer prayers and words of support. One posting from a woman named Kristie said: “Susan you have touched millions of peoples lives because of how you live your life... and how we should be living ours. we love you and will not give up the search, we will not rest.... we love you”

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing since December 6.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

Police searching for a missing Utah woman believe she may have been the victim of a crime. “There is circumstantial evidence of foul play going on here,” said Asst. Chief Craig Black of the West Valley Police Department. “Everything points that she did not leave on her own.

Susan Powell, 28, has not been seen or heard from since December 6. Joshua Powell told police she was at home early Sunday morning when he took their two young children on a camping trip in a remote area of the state, authorities said. Powell claims his wife was not home when they returned on Tuesday.

Powell has retained a Salt Lake City attorney who police said was present while the DNA sample was taken. Capt. McLachlan said Powell also briefly talked with investigators. "We were able to ask him a few questions," he said, "Not everything we wanted to ask him. We hope to have an additional interview later on.

Asst. Chief Craig told CNN Powell has not been forthcoming with critical details for investigators. “Josh has been the least willing to come forward with direction information about the whereabouts of Susan,” he said.

“We would be very appreciative of him coming in and helping us understand anything he might have to help locate his wife.”

He said it appears highly unlikely Mrs. Powell would voluntarily leave her children.

“She’s not in her home, she left no note, it’s out of character for her,” Black told CNN. “Everything is left behind, no explanation. She’s a mother of two. Nothing indicates that she, on her own free will, would just fly the coop with no keys, purse or cell phone.

“The criminal evidence is very circumstantial at this point. We don’t have a body to say yes she is deceased, or we don’t have evidence to say she is being held against her will….we’ve just not found anyone to take you in the direction that she left on her own.”

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing since December 6.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The husband of a missing Utah woman provided a sample of his DNA to investigators looking for his wife, authorities said today. "We had him come in and we have done it under warrant," West Valley City Police spokesman Capt. Tom McLachlan told CNN. He added that the warrant was used "just to protect everybody should this go to any other classification."

Susan Powell, 28, has not been seen or heard from since December 6. Josuha Powell told police she was at home early Sunday morning when he took their two young children on a camping trip in a remote area of the state, authorities said. Powell claims his wife was not home when they returned on Tuesday.

Powell has retained a Salt Lake City attorney who police said was present while the DNA sample was taken. Capt. McLachlan said Powell also briefly talked with investigators. "We were able to ask him a few questions," he said, "Not everything we wanted to ask him. We hope to have an additional interview later on.

"This was not a full interview, but we did get a few questions answered." DNA samples were collected from several other people in the case, McLachlan said.

Powell's attorney has not returned repeated requests from CNN for comment.

In a phone interview with CNN, Mrs. Powell's father offered words to the many people thinking about his daughter."Thank you for keeping hope alive and continuing to pray for her return," he said. "Don't waste a lot of time worrying about the police investigation.

"What we want to do is make sure her picture is out there. If you see her call 911. And I'm keeping hope that she is fine."

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing for more than one week.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The husband of a missing Utah woman did not appear for his scheduled interview with police on Monday, authorities said today. Joshua Powell was supposed to meet for a second time with investigators who are trying to determine what happened to his wife, Susan Powell.

"He failed to show up," Capt. Tom McLachlan of the West Valley City Polce told CNN. "We had heard that he had retained an attorney. We contacted the attorney and he said he had advised Joshua not to submit to questioning."

"Hopefully we can rescheule an additional interview. We'll wait to see what occurs on that request."

Mr. Powell said he last saw his wife shortly after midnight on December 6 as he was taking the couple's 4 and 1-year-old sons on a camping trip, according to police. Authorities also said Mr. Powell told them that Mrs. Powell was not at home when he returned with the children on Tuesday.

McLachlan said he was "extremely" disappointed with Mr. Powell's decision to hire a lawyer. "All of our communications with Joshua Powell had been with the intent of getting the information necessary to, as his stated purpose was, to find Susan," he told CNN. "Now that delays the process."

"I don't think that really serves the purpose of solving this missing persons case."

Several media outlets have reported that Mr. Powell has retained Scott Williams, a Salt Lake City attorney. Messages to his law office requesting comment were not returned to CNN.

Kayla Reed, a close friend of Mrs. Powell, told CNN she wasn't surprised he hired an attorney. "We just want to find Susan...she's still out there," she said.

"It's hard to move on to any stage past this without her here, without her body or her person here," she added.

"We don't know what to do until we get to the next part... we're praying that she is alive, but it's been over a week, it's hard to believe that she can be there alive."

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing for more than one week.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The husband of a missing Utah woman will meet with investigators today, police in Utah told CNN. "We do expect to have an additional interview with Joshua Powell sometime today," West Valley Police Captain Tom McLachlan said. He added that he did not know what time it will occur.

Mr. Powell was questioned last week after his wife, Susan Powell, vanished.

Susan Powell, 28, disappeared from her suburban Salt Lake City home under what many consider to be mysterious circumstances last weekend. Her husband, Joshua Powell, said he last saw his wife shortly after midnight Sunday as he was preparing to take the couple’s four and one-year-old sons on a camping trip in a freezing remote area of the state, police and family members said.

His wife was not in the house when he returned with the children on Tuesday, investigators said Mr. Powell told them.

The West Valley City Police Department continue to classify the investigation as a missing persons case. They have also labeled it as suspicious.

And today, McLachlan said the case could turn into a criminal investigation. "Of the many possibilities out there, that's one of them," he told CNN.

McLachlan said police have been unable to confirm Mr. Powell’s account of exactly where he took the children camping. “We went to the area he send he went to and checked for fire tracks, use of a fire pit, or anything else,” he said. “Everything is snow covered. We were not able to verify… it’s a little difficult if you can’t physically verify a location that he says he may have gone to.” Mr. Powell could not be reached for comment.

Mrs. Powell's father, Charles Cox, told CNN he has only briefly spoken to his son-in-law.

“He has basically maintained that he doesn’t know where she is, so I really don’t know what beyond that to ask him,” Cox said.

In interviews with CNN, close friends and family members described Powell as a devout Mormon who attended church services regularly. They also said she was friendly and outgoing. Above all, they called her a caring and loving mother who lives for her children.

“If you know her, you know she is responsible almost to a fault, said friend and family spokesperson Shelby Gifford. “Knowing and loving her like we do we can see she would never be away from her kids.

“Susan is an exceptional mother. The reason she is separated from her boys right now is because she is not in control of the situation. I can't even tell you how out of character or abnormal that is.”

Gifford’s husband, Michael, echoed the sentiment:

“She absolutely adores her children,” he told CNN. “They are the center of her universe. She would do anything for them. She is very nurturing and loving and has long-range goals for them. She is one of those parents that want the best for her children."

“Something like this where she is not contacting them to me shows that she is not able to because of whatever circumstances have caused her to go missing, she wouldn't leave without them, ” Michael Gifford added.

Kayla Reed, a friend, said Powell made her feel welcome when she and her husband moved into the neighborhood. “She was the first person who came up and introduced herself,” Reed said. “She’s always a happy cheerful person.”

Reed said about 150 people in the community began fasting today for 24-hours. “Hopefully, it will help us find her or bring peace,” she said. “We just need to have the comfort of our father in heaven.”

“You can imagine that it’s just an agonizing time for the family,” said Shelby Gifford. “It’s such a hard thing not to know where she is. And if she’s hurt and if she’s sick, if she’s anywhere in Utah, there are so many possibilities.”

Including one that some say they must consider. “If she’s not alive, just get her found,” Reed said. “We don’t want to go there, but we want her home. We want her to know that she is desperately loved.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing for more than one week.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The father of a missing Utah woman does not want to speculate on what may have happened to his daughter. He just has a message for her. “We love you,” Charles Cox said, “and we are going to keep searching until we find you.”

Susan Powell, 28, disappeared from her suburban Salt Lake City home under what many consider to be mysterious circumstances exactly one week ago. Her husband, Joshua Powell, said he last saw his wife shortly after midnight Sunday as he was preparing to take the couple’s four and one-year-old sons on a camping trip in a freezing remote area of the state, police and family members said.

His wife was not in the house when he returned with the children on Tuesday, investigators said Mr. Powell told them.

The West Valley City Police Department continue to classify the investigation as a missing persons case. They have also labeled it suspicious.

Police have already questioned Mr. Powell but intend on talking to him again, West Valley Police Captain Tom McLachlan told CNN. “We hope that it will occur sometime soon,” he said. “We had discussed that with him and he stated he would come in for another interview.”

McLachlan said police have been unable to confirm Mr. Powell’s account of exactly where he took the children camping. “We went to the area he send he went to and checked for fire tracks, use of a fire pit, or anything else,” he said. “Everything is snow covered. We were not able to verify…it’s a little difficult if you can’t physically verify a location that he says he may have gone to.” Mr. Powell could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Cox, who flew to Utah from his home in Washington State Friday night, told CNN he has only briefly spoken to his son-in-law.

“He has basically maintained that he doesn’t know where she is, so I really don’t know what beyond that to ask him,” Cox said.

In interviews with CNN, close friends and family members described Powell as a devout Mormon who attended church services regularly. They also said she was friendly and outgoing. Above all, they called her a caring and loving mother who lives for her children.

“If you know her, you know she is responsible almost to a fault, said friend and family spokesperson Shelby Gifford. “Knowing and loving her like we do we can see she would never be away from her kids.

“Susan is an exceptional mother. The reason she is separated from her boys right now is because she is not in control of the situation. I can't even tell you how out of character or abnormal that is.”

Gifford’s husband, Michael, echoed the sentiment:

“She absolutely adores her children,” he told CNN. “They are the center of her universe. She would do anything for them. She is very nurturing and loving and has long-range goals for them. She is one of her parents that want the best for her children.

“Something like this where she is not contacting them to me shows that she is not able to because of whatever circumstances have caused her to go missing, she wouldn't leave without them.”

Kayla Reed, a friend, said Powell made her feel welcome when she and her husband moved into the neighborhood. “She was the first person who came up and introduced herself,” Reed said. “She’s always a happy cheerful person.”

Reed said about 150 people in the community began fasting today for 24-hours. “Hopefully, it will help us find her or bring peace,” she said. “We just need to have the comfort of our father in heaven.”

“You can imagine that it’s just an agonizing time for the family,” said Shelby Gifford. “It’s such a hard thing not to know where she is. And if she’s hurt and if she’s sick, if she’s anywhere in Utah, there are so many possibilities.”

Including one that some say they must consider. “If she’s not alive, just get her found,” Reed said. “We don’t want to go there, but we want her home. We want her to know that she is desperately loved.”

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing since Monday.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A young mother has not been seen or heard from since she and her family were reported missing on Monday, investigators in Utah said.

Susan Powell’s husband, Joshua Powell, and two small children, returned home Tuesday after he said they spent two days camping in a remote part of the state, according to investigators.

Mr. Powell told authorities he does not know where his 28-year-old wife is, police said. They also said Mr. Powell told them he last saw her on Sunday night.

The West Valley City Police have labeled the missing persons case suspicious.

“We’ve contacted friends and family members,” West Valley Police Captain Tom McLachlan told CNN. “According to them, this is not Susan’s normal activity, to leave her children without telling anyone and not let someone know where she is going.”

“We just don’t know if she left on her own accord, or what other potential situation may be,” he said.

McLachlan went on to say that Mrs. Powell’s cell phone and bankcards were found in her home.

“There are items that most people would take with them if they were going to go someplace,” he said.

McLachlan provided a detailed timeline of the case to CNN. He said Mr. Powell’s mother contacted authorities on Monday after repeated attempts to locate the family.

“She allegedly checked with both Susan and Joshua’s employers, neither had shown up for work, and had not notified their employers that they were not coming into work that day, McLachlan told CNN.

He also said their 4 and 1-year-old sons had not, as was routine, been taken to day care on Monday.

Officers called to the home to investigate found the door locked and the car gone, McLachlan said. A missing persons case for the entire family began that day.

On Tuesday, police said Mr. Powell returned home with the children and told them they went camping about 120-130 miles away. “He indicated some locations where he went with the children, unfortunately they are quite remote and not populated at all, McLachlan said. “That’s unusual in my mind, to go camping in this type of weather.”

He added that the temperature in the area drops to single digits or below zero at night.

“We’ve checked locations to verify that he could have been there, or would have been there,” McLachlan said. “We are trying to verify everything that he told us but still Susan is missing and we have no other information.”

Police described Mr. Powell as being cooperative. “He is not a suspect,” McLachlan said, “but he is the husband. He is an individual that we fully plan on interviewing in the future.”

The couple’s 4-year-old son has been interviewed but authorities said they are trying to be extremely careful given his age.

Susan Powell is 5’4” and weighs 130lbs. She has brown hair and blue eyes. The West Valley City Police Department is asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to call 801-840-4000.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Detectives would like to talk to anyone who had any contact with Michael Lane while he was in Las Vegas.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A British motivational speaker is being held in connection with the murder of a woman in Las Vegas, authorities said.

Michael Lane, who also uses the name “Chae Saville,” was arrested without incident in California, according to a media release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. “He has waived extradition,” police spokesman Bill Cassell told CNN. “He is being brought back to Las Vegas.”

Lane has been named a suspect in the death of Ginger Candela. The 44-year-old resident of Las Vegas was reported missing on November 30. Officers who searched the home found her body in the garage. Her residence had been ransacked and items were taken, police said. But they believe it was the killer’s attempt to derail the investigation. “This is not a robbery,” said Cassell, who declined to disclose the cause of death.

Lane had recently met Candela, the police said in the media release. “It’s not a stretch to say he knew the victim,” Cassell told CNN.

Police described Lane as a person “heavily involved with the concept of spiritual healing and motivational speaking.”

In the release, they said Lane was raised in London and is known to have visited San Diego and Portland, Oregon.

According to investigators, Lane has immersed himself in the spiritual healing community where he “may have befriended numerous women, and possibly defrauded them without their knowledge.”

Authorities are also attempting to find the victim’s dog, named “Gi Gi” that Lane may have given to another woman in Las Vegas.

Anyone with information on the homicide, or who has had contact with Lane is being urged to call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at 702-828-3521

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Jeffrey Tidus was found shot to death outside his home in Los Angeles.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A well-known attorney was found shot to death outside his home in an affluent Los Angeles area community, authorities said.

Jeffrey Tidus, 53, was shot in his driveway Monday evening, said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Tidus was a founding partner of Baute & Tidus, which is described as a “boutique litigation firm” on its web site.

A graduate of U.C. Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, Tidus was a litigator in a wide range of legal areas, including antitrust, banking, securities, and entertainment.

The firm refused to comment on the killing.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Department said it had no further information on the case.

Tidus lived in Rolling Hills Estates, an upscale city in Los Angeles County. According to the 2008 Census, the median family income in Rolling Hills Estates is $142,511 and the average price of a home is more than $1 million.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Valerie and Michael Miller were found dead inside their Webster Plantation home, investigators said.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The couple slain in a small Maine town may have been killed because of the husband’s illicit drug and cash transactions, a family member of one of the victims told CNN. “Trust, me I got first hand knowledge of that,” said Rebecca Bickford, a cousin of Valerie Miller, who with her husband, Michael Miller, were found dead in their home in Webster Plantation, a community of a roughly 80 people.

Bickford said Mr. Miller sold drugs from his mobile house. “The number one thing would have to be pain killers,” Bickford said. “My cousin, Valerie, wasn’t into the whole business aspect. She was into the liking the money and material things. She disagreed with it, him being into that business, because it’s really dangerous, especially up in that area.”

Bickford also said Mr. Miller operated as an informal pawn broker and moneylender. “”He was into having his own pawn shop, buying cigarettes from a different state and selling them,” she said. According to Bickford, Mr. Miller would loan cash at a 50 percent interest rate, plus collateral.

Authorities would not comment on Bickford’s allegations of drug dealing. However, Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine State Police, did confirm to CNN that Mr. Miller loaned cash. “We know he lent money to people,” McCausland said. “But beyond that, what the terms were and whether this has anything to do with his and his wife’s death is something we’re not getting into.”

Investigators won’t say how the couple died. They are looking for a woman seen leaving the Millers’ house on the day the bodies were found. McCausland, who would not disclose of death, said the woman seen leaving the house was described as middle-aged, with a ponytail and glasses. “I think we’ve had a few more inquiries of reported sightings, of people who might thinks he is, but at this person the face still does not have a name,” McCausland told CNN today.

The killings, the town's first in at least 20 years, have shocked the region and shattered the area's sense of security and peace.

"You kind of wonder, 'Is it a threat to anybody else?' " Bob Jacobs, a grocery store owner, asked. "People are kind of nervous. Do I open the door for somebody, or do I not open the door for somebody?"

Theo Jipson, a neighbor of the Millers, fondly remembered the couple.

"They were nice people," she said. "I would usually see her at the grocery store shopping. ... He was very, very kind. He always said, 'Look, if you folks need any help, don't be afraid to call me.' "

Bickford said Mrs. Miller was “generous and caring.” She described Mr. Miller, who she said worked at a lumber mill for 29-years, as someone “willing to do just about anything illegal or whatever to bring their family ahead in this economy.”

Bickford suspects Mr. Miller’s behavior made his wife a victim.

“My cousin Valerie was there at the wrong time. He was the one that did all these business deals. She was being a wife.”

Anyone with more information is being asked to contact the Maine State Police at 207-866-2122.

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Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

One of the smallest communities in the nation has been jolted by a double homicide, police in Maine said.

The victims, a husband and wife, were found dead in their mobile home over the weekend, Stephen McCausland, Public Information Officer for the Maine State Police told CNN. The couple lived in Webster Plantation, a town with a population of less than 100 people. “Basically two roads,” said McCausland. “Frankly, before Sunday, I’ve never heard of it. It’s that remote and that small.”

The slain couple has been identified as Michael and Valerie Miller, both 48. Their bodies were found in their home early Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Initially, investigators believed they might have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. However, the results of autopsy reports confirmed that they were the victims of homicide.

Investigators would not reveal the exact cause of death. “We’re releasing very few details about this case,” McCausland said.

McCausland did say that detectives are looking for a woman who was seen leaving the couple’s home on the day they were found dead. He described her as middle aged with a ponytail and wearing glasses. “We would like to find her and interview her, so far we have appealed to the public for help, so far we’ve had half a dozen calls.”

Webster Plantation is located in the center of Maine. According to the police, this is the first murders in the community in at least 2 decades.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Maine State Police at 207-866-2122.

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Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A California couple took their young children along on an early morning armed robbery spree that ended after a high speed chase, police said today. The suspects allegedly staged three Sunday hold-ups within minutes of one another while their 5-year-old and 1-year-old daughters were in the getaway car.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” Detective Andrew Purdy of the Los Angeles Police said. “You just really can’t.”

William Farag and Nadia Redoble, both 28, have been charged with three counts of robbery. Detective Purdy said the suspects, who reside in Van Nuys, could face additional charges for two robberies that occurred last week. Investigators will also ask the district attorney to consider charging them with child endangering and felony evading.

Detectives allege the couple began their November 30 crime wave at a Rite Aid pharmacy in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles. According to police the suspects tried to hold up the business at 2:45 a.m. At 3:00 a.m., they allegedly attempted to rob a CVS pharmacy in Encino. Moments later, they are accused of targeting an IHOP restaurant, also in Encino.

“The wife would stay in the car with the two kids and the husband went into the business armed with a revolver and wearing a mask and demanding money,” Purdy told CNN. In a media release, the LAPD allege Farag pointed a handgun at two co-workers. Purdy said Farag obtained about $500 in cash.

An employee snuck out of the restaurant from a back door and immediately alerted two California Highway Patrol officers who were about to enter the restaurant, authorities said. According to the police, Farag jumped into a Nissan Maxima with his wife in the driver’s seat and their two children in the back.

Purdy said the suspects led the officers on a brief but dangerous chase in excess of 100 miles per hour. It ended when a patrol car executed a PIT maneuver that brought the car to a stop. Officers who approached the vehicle had no idea the children were inside until that point, Purdy told CNN.

He also said the couple’s oldest daughter recently turned 5 and they used some of the loot to celebrate the occasion.

“They used some of the proceeds to have a big birthday for her,” Purdy said.

Farag and Redoble are being held on $150,000 bail. Their children, who were not injured, are in protective custody.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Surveillance images taken of Dr. Martha Richmond before her body was found on Sunday night.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

Kentucky investigators probing the murder of a university professor have released surveillance images they hope lead to an arrest.

The pictures were recorded Sunday night, shortly before Bettina Richmond was killed, authorities said in a news release.

The snapshots, taken from a security camera, show Richmond, 51, leaving the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation building where she had just finished playing racquetball, Officer Barry Pruitt of the Bowling Green Police Department told CNN.

Richmond is wearing a white t-shirt and black track pants on the tape. She is also carrying a gray and white sports duffel bag.

Her body was found in her van just before 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. The van was located in the building's parking lot.

Police would not reveal the exact cause of death and said the complete results of the autopsy would not be known for several weeks. They would not disclose whether they have any suspects or persons of interest in connection to the case.

Richmond's gray and white sports duffel bag was missing from her vehicle. Investigators are asking the public's help in locating the bag. They are also seeking information from anyone who may have seen Richmond on the night she was murdered.

Richmond was a math professor at Western Kentucky University. Her husband, Thomas Richard, also teaches math at the university. Peter Hamburger, the department head, told CNN reaction to the violent death has been one of shock. He also stated that Richmond was on family medical leave last year but was expected to return in January.

As to the killing, Hamburger said, "there are many rumors which I am not repeating."

In a statement, the university said it was “deeply saddened” by the death. “We extend our deepest sympathies to her family. Counseling is being provided to faculty, staff and students.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 270-393-4000.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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The body of Dr. Martha Richmond was found on Sunday night.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The death of a Western Kentucky University professor has been classified as a homicide, authorities said today.

Dr. Martha “Bettina” Richmond was murdered, according to the Bowling Green Police Department. Her body was found inside her van on Sunday night.

“We found her dead in a parking lot outside a Parks and Recreation building," Officer Barry Pruitt of the Bowling Green Police told CNN. He also said an autopsy of the victim was performed yesterday.

Pruitt would not disclose details of the investigation or whether there were any suspects or persons of interest at this point. “I really can’t get into it right now,” he said.

Dr. Richmond, 51, was a professor of mathematics at the university, where she worked for 23 years. Her husband, Thomas Richmond, is also a professor in the department.

In a statement, the university said it was “deeply saddened” by the death. “We extend our deepest sympathies to her family.”

The university added that counseling services would be made available to faculty, staff and students.

Police are asking anyone with information regarding the death of Dr. Richmond to call 270-393-4000.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

Jeffery Story is charged with attempted criminal homicide, resisting arrest, domestic assault and theft.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A driver accused of dragging a police officer with his car following a routine traffic stop is under arrest, authorities in Tennessee said today. Jeffery Story, 43, was apprehended Sunday night. He is charged with attempted criminal homicide, resisting arrest, domestic assault and theft.

In a media release, the Nashville Police Department credited the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force for capturing the fugitive after locating him walking near a farmer’s market.

According to investigators, Officer Carlos Anderson pulled Story over on Wednesday for having non-working tail lights on his pick-up truck. A criminal background check revealed that Story was wanted on several outstanding warrants for theft, domestic assault and failure to appear on a suspended license.

Anderson and another officer asked Story to step out of his truck, police said. Instead of complying with the order, Story allegedly attempted to drive off at a high rate of speed, with Anderson hanging from the door.

After several yards, the officer was thrown to the ground as Story sped away, officials said. Anderson was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for cuts and bruises. He was released a short time later.

Story is now being held on $518,000 bond.

Antoinette Davis, whose daughter Shaniya was reported missing last week, has been charged with human trafficking.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

About 200 people were searching Monday in North Carolina for the body of a missing 5-year-old girl after "reliable information" indicated that she may be dead, Fayetteville, North Carolina, police said.

The search focused on land near a roadway because "reliable information received that the body of Shaniya Davis may have been dumped there," the Fayetteville Police Department said in a statement.

Investigators have been searching for Shaniya for several days.

Police charged the girl's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, with trafficking and other offenses, authorities said. Davis was "prostituting her child," said Fayetteville police spokeswoman Theresa Chance.

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Antoinette Nicole Davis has been charged in connection with her daughter's disappearance.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The mother of a missing North Carolina girl has been charged in connection with her daughter's disappearance, the Fayetteville Police Department said in a statement released late Saturday night.

The mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, has been charged with human trafficking, felony child abuse, prostitution, and filing a police report.

Authorities did not reveal the details surrounding the arrest, only to say that information they received today led them to file charges against Ms. Davis.

Shaniya Davis, 5, was last seen on Tuesday.

The whereabouts of her daughter, 5-year-old Shaniya Davis, remain unknown, police said. The girl has not been seen since early Tuesday morning when her mother told the police her daughter vanished from their mobile home. However, hotel surveillance video taken around the same time Shaniya was reported missing shows the girl in the company of a man identified as Mario Andrette McNeill. He has been charged with first degree kidnapping.

Kidnapping charges against another man, Clarence Coe, who was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abducting Shaniya, have been dropped.

Ms. Davis is currnelty being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center.

Investigators are hoping to find Shaniya Davis alive and bring her back safely.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts are being urged to contact the Fayetteville Police at 910-433-1856.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Mario Andrette McNeill has been charged with first degree kidnapping.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

There has been a new development in the search for a missing North Carolina girl.

The Fayetteville Police Department announced the arrest of a second man in connection with the disappearance of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis.

The suspect, Mario Andrette McNeill, has been charged with first degree kidnapping. At the same time, authorities said kidnapping charges against Clarence Coe, who was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abducting Shaniya, have been dropped. He is expected to be released from custody today.

In a news release, Teresa W. Chance, the Public Information Officer for the Fayetteville Police said Shaniya was seen with McNeill at a hotel early Tuesday morning, around the same time she was reported missing by her mother. Chance said surveillance video from the hotel confirmed the young girl was Shaniya.

Chance also denied an Associated Press report that McNeill confessed to the kidnapping. She said authorities continue to search for Shaniya and encourage anyone with leads to contact the police. “Our ultimate goal is to find her alive and bring her back safely,” Chance told CNN.

McNeill is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center. He will be arraigned this afternoon.

Shaniya was last seen wearing a blue sleep shirt and pink underwear. If you have information on her whereabouts contact the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-433-1856.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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Clarence Darriel Coe, is accused of abducting Shaniya Davis.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl in Fayetteville, North Carolina, authorities said today. The suspect, Clarence Darriel Coe, is accused of abducting Shaniya Davis, who was last seen inside her family’s mobile home on Tuesday.

Coe, 30, who was arrested early this morning, has a criminal record, said Lt. David Sportsman of the Fayetteville Police Department. He will be arraigned on one count of kidnapping this afternoon at the Cumberland County Detention Center.

Shaniya Davis, 5, was last seen by her mother on Tuesday morning.

“During the course of the investigation, detectives were able to link Coe with taking her,” Sportsman told CNN. “Whether others were involved in it is possible. We are looking at everything and following up on multiple leads.” Sportsman added that the Amber Alert remains in effect and that authorities remain hopeful that Shaniya is alive.

“We are still treating it that she is an endangered child,” he said. “We are still looking for her, and we are not ruling out that anyone else is involved.” Sportsman said Shinaya’s mother and other family members have been interviewed by the authorities.

Police would not disclose details about the alleged abduction of Shaniya. Investigators will continue searching the area surrounding the mobile home park for her.

At the time she was reported missing, Shaniya was wearing a blue sleep shirt with pink underwear. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is being urged to call the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-433-1856.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.