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HOW THE PUBLIC HELPED GALVESTON POLICE SOLVE A HEARTBREAKING CASE

7/10/2018

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Hi there! It's been a while. I've been hard at work on several projects, but I wanted to take a few moments to share a story that I recently produced for my website claudiariverotv.com. I hope you watch it. Please know that it does contain graphic content. 

It's a story out of Galveston, Texas, about a little boy whose body was found by a woman walking on the beach on October 20, 2017. The child was naked and showed signs of long-term abuse and neglect.
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Nobody showed up to claim the child at the scene. Hours went by, but no one came. How could that be? Investigators had a dead toddler, and no one was coming forward to identify him. Several days later, an FBI agent assisting with the investigation, gave him the nickname "Little Jacob." For months his tiny body sat at the county morgue.
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​Fearing the case might go cold, investigators decided to take a big risk. In January, three months after the body was found, they released a photo of the dead baby to the public. It was a controversial, unorthodox move and investigators prepared for public outcry. Instead, they say, sharing the photo turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

You know why? Because someone from the community saw it on the news and called Galveston Police. In late June, eight months after he washed up on the beach, "Little Jacob" was finally identified as 4-year-old Jayden Alexander Lopez of Houston. 
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​His mother, Rebecca Rivera, and her partner, Danai Amezquita Gomez, were arrested in connection with the case.  It's still not clear how Jayden died, but an autopsy revealed that he did not have water in his lungs; therefore, Jayden, investigators say, was likely dead before he was dumped in the bay. Detectives believe that both women went to Galveston to get rid of Jayden's body. 

This case took its toll on detectives from the Galveston Police Department and from the FBI field office in Houston. Several weeks before the arrests, I had the pleasure of interviewing lead Detective Jeff Banks, and he told me then that he was confident they were gonna solve this case. He worked on it from day one and followed up on hundreds of leads, 500 names to be exact. Detective Banks, a father himself, has been little Jayden's voice. It's also worth noting that the community in Galveston kept "Little Jacob" in the public eye by holding vigils and creating a memorial in his honor. Strangers gave him dignity, love and respect as they waited for justice in his death. Strangers stood up for Jayden when the people who were supposed to protect him did not.
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Public Information Officer for Galveston Police, Captain Joshua Schirard, was also a pleasure to work with. He took time off his busy schedule to meet with us. A "no comment" or unanswered emails and phone calls are not how he runs the PIO office. My photographer and I are incredibly grateful for his time.

​As with many unsolved cases, the public played a vital role in the outcome of this investigation. But it must be said: Galveston Police did an incredible job of keeping this little boy in the public eye and did not allow the media coverage to dwindle. Also, had they not taken that crucial step of releasing the controversial photo, chances are Jayden would still be unidentified at the county morgue. Instead, Jayden got a proper burial, and hopefully, justice in his death will soon prevail.

RIP Little Jayden. You mattered, little guy. You absolutely mattered.

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NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN'S DAY

5/25/2018

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May 25 is National Missing Children's Day. Please take a moment to share the picture of a missing child in your area. It takes a few seconds and it can really make a difference. 
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Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Missingkids.org
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The Lone Star State

3/29/2018

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I had an interesting few weeks working on a couple stories in Texas. As luck would have it, we stumbled upon an interesting situation possibly involving Janteyl's case. It may be something or it may be nothing but certainly worth checking out. There's no harm in that.

I used to work with a friend who was a magnificent editor. I asked him one day how he could make a story look so good when he had very little video to work with? He said, "Claudia, in the middle of all the trash, there's always a little hidden treasure." Yes, indeed.

We have certainly stumbled upon many hidden treasures along the way.

More to come...in the meantime, if you'd like to check out the story (different case) we just finished in Victoria, Texas, please go to my website: claudiariverotv.com
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UPDATE: COLD CASE SQUAD RE-EXAMINES JANTEYL JOHNSON'S  MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

2/12/2018

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​As you know, I've been writing about Janteyl Johnson's disappearance since 2013. It's a sad and troubling story. Today, the New Castle County Police finally added Janteyl to their list of cold cases. This is a good step. But you may be wondering what exactly does this mean?

The NCCPD posted an update about Janteyl on their Facebook page. It seems that more resources and a fresh pair of eyes will be focused on this investigation. In fact, many eyes have been focused on Janteyl—outside of NCCPD—since last year. This is long overdue. 

​It's important to clarify that Janteyl was 15, not 16, when she vanished, as is mentioned on the NCCPD Facebook page. Meanwhile, the information below explains, in general terms, what criteria must be met before the NCCPD Cold Case Homicide Squad re-examines a case.  ​
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​The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also revealed a new age-progession image of what Janteyl might look like today at age 23. ​

​You can follow my coverage of the case here and on TheVanishedPOdcast.

In the meantime, I'll continue adding new entries to this website on a regular basis. I'm also following some interesting information and hope to have an update here very soon. 

If you have any information about Janteyl Johnson, please do the right thing and contact the NCCPD Cold-Case Homicide Squad. You can remain anonymous. 302-395-2781 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. What if this was your daughter? Wouldn't you want someone to come forward? 


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8 YEARS LATER, STILL NO SIGN OF MISSING DELAWARE TEEN

2/3/2018

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Janteyl Johnson, who was 15 and pregnant when she vanished on Feb. 3, 2010, would be 23 by now; her baby would be almost 8. What happened to them remains a mystery. There are still no named suspects and no arrests in connection with Janteyl's disappearance. It's as if this young girl fell off the face of the earth never to be seen or heard from again.

Although Janteyl did have a history of running away, it's clear—based on all the information we've gathered over the years— that if Janteyl left on her own, it wasn't with the intention of never coming back to her family. It makes no sense. It's absurd to think that a 15-year-old pregnant teen could pull that off, on her own, for this long. 

It's safe to say that something else happened, and the older man investigators believe she may have left with is out there somewhere. That coward-whoever he is- has never been inconvenienced. That person has never had to do much except decline to cooperate with investigators and refuse to take lie detector tests. Other than that, his life goes on.
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​This raises many questions. What else has the person responsible for Janteyl's disappearance been able to get away with? Was only one person involved in her disappearance? If investigators believe the older man and Janteyl could be in Delaware or Pennsylvania, would the FBI get involved since this crosses state lines?  
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What we do know for sure is that (initially) the police focused on two investigative leads. One—a 27-year-old believed to be the baby's father—refused to cooperate with investigators. The other is an even older man who was also in contact with Janteyl the very day she disappeared. This information is solid as a rock and confirmed with multiple sources.

Both of these much older men had connections to a 15-year-old pregnant girl who disappeared and has yet to be found. Of course, there's always a possibility that something else happened altogether. Anything is possible.

​But even though there have been many twists and turns over the last eight years — especially over the last 9 months — at the end of the day, the case remains unsolved. 

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson is urged to contact
1-800-THE-LOST or NCCPD at 302-395-8171.

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WHERE IS JANTEYL?

1/14/2018

1 Comment

 
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Reading through court records as part of the research process for Janteyl Johnson's unsolved disappearance. So troubling of a case. Such an injustice.

​More to come....
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BALTIMORE MOM AND DAUGHTER STILL MISSING, EX-BOYFRIEND SPEAKS OUT

12/29/2017

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Joanna Clark, 33, and her daughter Shariece, 15, vanished without a trace on February 4, 2017. They disappeared on the same day but at different times. The mother and daughter were last seen at their apartment on Round Road near the Cherry Hill section of South Baltimore. Investigators say it's no coincidence that both women disappeared on the same day and that whoever wanted to do something, wanted to do it to both of them.

​Joanna's family and friends have long suspected that her ex-boyfriend and the father of her six younger children, Dennis "Demo" Queen, had something to do with their disappearance. They say the couple had a volatile 13-year relationship and that months before she disappeared, Joanna obtained a protective order against Dennis Queen after he threatened to kill her. The court order was still in effect when Joanna and Shariece disappeared. ​Queen vehemently denies the allegations.


I spoke exclusively with Dennis Queen as well as with Joanna's family and friends. As of now, no arrests have made in this case.
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FBI ANNOUNCES $25,000 REWARD IN MISSING BALTIMORE MOM CASE

11/7/2017

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Six months after Akia Eggleston vanished, the FBI is now offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. This is fantastic news! Hopefully the reward will encourage someone to come forward and provide answers as to what happened to the now 23-year-old.
 
Akia's family deserves a lot of credit for this latest development because they've been out there pushing for answers and for media coverage. Let's hope their efforts lead to justice for Akia and her baby.
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WHAT DO THESE MISSING WOMEN HAVE IN COMMON?

10/3/2017

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Janteyl Johnson. Evelyn Hernandez. Morgan Martin. Senicha Marie Lessman. Savanna Lafontaine-Greywind. Laura Wallen. Akia Eggleston.

​These women share a common denominator: they were all were pregnant when they vanished. 

​Some of these women and their unborn children  were murdered. Others have never been found. 
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I'd like to share the story of Akia Eggleston of Baltimore, Maryland. The 22-year-old was 35 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy when she disappeared on May 3, 2017. At first, investigators believed she left on her own, but now they suspect foul play.

I recently had a chance to speak with Akia's family and the Baltimore Police about the bizarre circumstances surrounding the young mom's disappearance. We also obtained the last known surveillance images of Akia captured on the day she vanished. 
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​I'd like to thank the family and the Baltimore PD for helping us tell Akia's story. That doesn't always happen. Janteyl Johnson's case is a perfect example. The community can't be expected to come forward with tips if they don't even know that someone is missing. 

Anyone with information on Akia Eggleston's whereabouts is asked to call Baltimore PD at 410-396-2499.
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JANTEL JOHNSON WEBSITE IS MOVING

9/16/2017

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By: Claudia Rivero

Hello. Just a quick note to let you know that this page will soon be merging with my personal website. All of the content on Janteyl Johnson — videos, blog posts, pictures, etc, will have its own section on my website. I will post a date as to when the merge will be finalized. Thank you for stopping by! 


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    AUTHOR

    Emmy Award winning reporter Claudia Rivero.
    Previously at NBC10 Philadelphia; KTVK Channel 3 in Phoenix; and KTVW-Phoenix

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