Leanna Warner's parents haven't given up hope 5-year-old will be found.

Strib (Mpls Start Tribune) ^ | June 23, 2003 | John Reinan

[Johnny Gage]

Bumpin for any updates.

[Johnny Gage]

oops.. bumpin the author of the post... LOL

[JLO]

Warner case set for
'America's Most Wanted'
Erickson: Someone has to know
something about this case
Brian K. Anderson
Tribune Press
Last Updated: Friday, June 27th, 2003 12:10:00 AM


CHISHOLM — Investigators continue to
sort through hundreds of leads in the
disappearance of Leanna Warner, who has
now been missing for nearly two weeks.

Despite the suspension of daily media
briefings, the Warner case is still garnering a
lot of national media attention as John Walsh,
host of America’s Most Wanted, was on
“Larry King Live” recently” to talk about the
case.

Walsh, whose weekly television program is
viewed by 21 million people, will be featuring
a short segment on the Warner case this
Saturday evening.

“He called Chris last night and they had a
nice conversation — father to father,” Butch
Warner, Leanna’s grandfather, said Thursday
afternoon. “It was an uplifting conversation
that gave us a lot of hope.”

As for developments in the case, Chisholm
Police Chief Scott Erickson said investigators
are busy interviewing numerous individuals
that he classified as “interesting people,” who
may be able to shed some light on the case.

“For one reason or another, these people
have spiked our interest and because of that
investigators are talking to them,” he said.

Erickson said the individuals being brought in
are being asked standard investigation
questions, such as where they were at the
time of Warner’s disappearance.

Although he couldn’t release specific
information about the individuals recently
being interviewed, he did say that none of
them were sex offenders.

Early on in the investigation, law enforcement
officials were tracking down sex offenders in
the Chisholm, Hibbing and Virginia areas, but
those subsequent follow ups haven’t yielded
any promising leads.

“These types of interviews have been taking
place throughout the investigation,” said
Erickson. “But so far, nothing significant has
come of these interviews. We’ll just continue
to keep looking and keep listening until we
get the information that solves this.”

As of Thursday afternoon, Erickson said
investigators were following up on just over
800 leads. The process to eliminate leads has
been a huge undertaking, and Erickson
expects that to continue.

“We’re looking at the high priority leads first
and then working on our way down to low
priority leads,” said Erickson, who didn’t
want to elaborate on what constitutes a high
priority lead or a low priority lead. “New
leads come in everyday and we expect to be
overwhelmed with new leads this coming
weekend.”

That’s because Erickson believes the national
media attention, namely Saturday night’s
“America’s Most Wanted” show will
generate a lot of calls.

“The exposure will definitely help the case,
especially if Leanna was taken out of the
area,” he said. “We’re just going to have to
check out every lead because that's what
leads are all about. Somewhere in these 800
leads holds the answer that could help us
solve this. It’s just a matter of manpower and
researching all the information that has been
provided.”

While some investigative departments have
had to send their officials back, Erickson said
the number of investigators will increase this
weekend to handle the additional calls
generated by the “America’s Most Wanted”
television show.

“It has been overwhelming on our
department,” said Erickson of the case of the
missing 5-year-old Chisholm girl. “Our
department alone has two investigators
working full-time on it, along with a full-time
guy manning the main desk. But we’re not
giving up because someone has to know
something about this case. We’re just having
a hard time believing somebody doesn’t
know something or didn’t see something the
day she disappeared.”

Anyone with any information on the case, is
asked to call the Chisholm Police Department
at 218-254-7915. There is a $10,000
reward being offered in helping solve the
case. To find out more about Warner, go to
findbeaner.org.

o

Brian Anderson is the editor of the Chisholm
Tribune Press

[JLO]

See #43 - this will be on America's Most Wanted this weekend.

[freeagle]

Leanna is a child of God. Protect her, Father. Bring her home safely. Amen

[demnomo]

Any more news?

[AppyPappy]

That makes me suspicious of the parents.

[Lijahsbubbe]

I read in the paper the other day that the dad said that they're not giving up hope, and that "she might be in someone's basement somewhere."

I thought that was a pretty bizarre statement, but, what do I know, I thought for sure (I know I shouldn't bring up this name) Elizabeth Smart's dad had something to do with her disappearance, and he didn't.

[JLO]

demnomo, here are updates. Johnny Gage, would you use your MN ping list? Thanks.

Investigators Seeking Public's Help in Girl's Disappearance

Investigators in the disappearance of five-year-old Leanna Warner are asking for more help in
locating two people who may have information about the case.

They include 25-year-old John Lee Bartel, who is known to travel between the Twin Cities and
Chisholm. The other is 25-year-old Bruce William Christenson, whose last known residence was
Hibbing.

Authorities say these men are not suspects, but could have vital information about the case.

(Copyright 2003 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)

Last Updated - 7/15/2003 4:25:42 PM
http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=49495

Also DESCRIPTIIONS listed here:

Calls come in after police
release descriptions
By BRIAN K. ANDERSON
The Daily Tribune
Last Updated: Friday, July 11th, 2003 10:01:45 PM


CHISHOLM — Calls are coming in from
people who may have seen a vehicle
matching the description of an older, rusty
brown pick up that was seen in the
neighborhood when Leanna Warner
disappeared on June 14.

The pick up, which has a topper, was being
driven by a white male with black curly hair.

“We are making some head way with that
lead because the people who are calling in
believe they’ve seen it (in the area) since we
put out the information,” said Minnesota
BCA Special Agent Jerry Koneczny Friday
afternoon.

Aside from that, Koneczny said investigators
will continue to work over the weekend
checking out new leads that are coming in.

“We’re still running down some leads and
would once again ask the public to call us
with any information they may have,” said
Koneczny.

Koneczny said the BCA may release some
more names of people they have been unable
to contact about the case, but he didn’t know
when that information would be released.

Other leads the investigators are still needing
help with are the location of:

• A black man in his 20s or early 30s who
drives a navy blue, two-door Cadillac. The
man has a bald or shaven head.

• A white male in this mid-30s with bleached
blonde hair, feathered just over the ears. The
guy is roughly 5’9” to 5’10” and was wearing
a white T-shirt and blue jeans when he was
seen walking in the Warner neighborhood on
June 14. He also has a dark tattoo of a star
or sun shape on his right arm.

If you have any information about the case,
you can call the Chisholm Police Deptartment
at 218-254-7915 or the St. Louis County
Sheriff’s Communications Center at
218-749-6010.

You can also call an anonymous tip line at
262-8999 or 1-888-323-2637. http://www.hibbingmn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=146321&refer_url=

[demnomo]

Thank you! Prayers for this little girl and those persons who care for her!

[Johnny Gage]

Updates posted on Reply #49 !

[Spruce]

Thanks for the updates. This story is a heart-breaker.

[Terriergal]

That seems weird - why would it matter if she was abducted or not?

[JLO]

Terriergal, remember me? We talked awhile back about Don Vogel, the round mound of sound, let a blind man drive you home - eh?

Actually, this very sad story of Leanna's disappearance didn't warrant an Amber Alert at the time she went missing. There were no signs at the time of an abduction.

I posted updates at post #49. Seems to me that the descriptions of people/vehicles listed should be shared, so we all should be be on the lookout (esp. in MN).

Today's update is about how her parents are coping one month later since she's been gone: http://www.virginiamn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=&story_id=146403&refer_url=

Let the blind man drive you home - still miss him, lol.