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Baby Lisa’s parents again plead for her return, seek more from police
They’re unhappy with slow progress of investigation into daughter’s disappearance more than seven months ago.
BY GLENN E. RICE
The Kansas City Star
The parents of a missing Northland toddler pleaded Monday on national television for the return of their daughter, and they released information they say could shed new light on her disappearance.
It has been more than seven months since 10-month-old Lisa Irwin disappeared from her North Lister Avenue home. Her parents, Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, say that someone broke into their home and snatched baby Lisa while she slept. They believe that whoever took her has either sold her or is raising her as their own.
During an appearance this morning on NBC’s “Today” show, Jeremy Irwin said that someone fraudulently charged $69.04 to his debit card in November, the month after Lisa vanished. The charge was connected to an overseas company that helps people change babies’ names, he said. The card was suspended after that charge happened and two other fraudulent charges were attempted.
“Somebody had my information and tried to use it,” Irwin told host Ann Curry.
The couple said they passed that information to Kansas City police months ago, but no new details have emerged with the investigation.
“I am unhappy with what they are telling me,” Deborah Bradley said in the TV interview. “It has been too long and with this development, they’ve had it for a long time, and we still haven’t heard anything.”
Detectives investigated the fraudulent debit card use, said Capt. Steve Young, a Kansas City police spokesman. The card was used to buy stationery but did not appear to be connected to the child’s disappearance, Young said.
“We are not optimistic it is going to turn into anything more than stolen card numbers, at best,” he said.
Bradley said she and Irwin were frustrated with the lack of progress in the case. They have continued to cooperate with investigators, she said.
“It has been almost eight months, and we’re not getting any answers,” Bradley told Curry. “We understand that the FBI and the KCPD have a job to do, but we need answers. We need Lisa. The answer to us that ‘We are looking at it’ is unacceptable.”
According to authorities, Irwin returned home after working a late shift on Oct. 4 and found the front door of their Kansas City, North, home open. He walked through the house and found several lights on and his daughter missing from her crib.
In the weeks afterward, police, federal authorities, members of the Missouri National Guard and volunteers scoured the area looking for the child.
Lisa still is classified as a missing or abducted child. There was no evidence to suggest she has died, police say.
There is linguistic evidence from the parents. There is physical evidence from the cadaver dog.
Bradley repeatedly has said that she had nothing to do with her daughter’s disappearance and has pleaded for her return. Bradley admitted that she had been drinking the night Lisa disappeared but has maintained she did not harm the toddler.
Their attorney, Joe Tacopina, said police did not thoroughly investigate items including witness claims that on the night of the disappearance they saw a man walking near the Irwin home carrying a baby wearing a diaper.
Young said that accusation “is completely false.” Detectives continue their investigation, but there are fewer new leads to pursue, he said. “The detectives have not washed their hands of the case by any means,” Young said
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Read more here: Baby Lisa’s parents again plead for her return, seek more from police - KansasCity.com[/LEFT]
Joe Tacopina took this case for the publicity. Perhaps visions of Made-for-TV movie or book deals led him, but he quickly learned just how poorly the public views the parents, Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin.
Tacopina, $700 per hour, needs publicity in order to profit off of Baby Lisa's death, therefore, this week, he was able to get a network to talk to the parents on the ruse of a 'new' clue.
Investigator Ron Rugen, appearing on the JVM show on CNN, quickly debunked this for the publicity stunt it was, highlighting Tacopina's desperation to get on television. No publicity = no pay for Tacopina.
So, they took an old issue, already investigated and dismissed, and presented it, deceptively, as if it was a 'new lead' in the case.
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