Posted on 11/11/2007 6:32:46 PM PST by girlangler
Reward offered as 2-state search continues for missing Lincoln teen
By Chris Norwood 11-09-2007
As the search for missing Donoho School senior Ben Stanford continued into its fourth day Thursday, some new information became available, but the 17-year-old Lincoln resident had still not been found. ERA King Real Estate, where his mother, Lynne Stanford, works, has announced a $20,000 reward for valid information “leading to Ben’s safe return,” according to a mass e-mail that went out Thursday evening.
According to Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens, who is heading up the multi-agency investigation, Stanford was last seen Monday between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. in Anniston. He had spent the night at a friend’s house Sunday night, and was believed headed to school in a 2007 silver Jeep Grand Cherokee at that time. He apparently never made it to school.
Someone used Stanford’s credit card to purchase gas at the Texaco station on Alabama 77 North, near the entrance to I-20, at approximately 9 a.m. Monday, Giddens said.
It had been previously reported that the card was used at the Chevron station next door, but Giddens said this was not correct.
Investigators were in the process of reviewing the video surveillance tape from the Texaco station Thursday evening.
There has been no further activity on the card since Monday.
The vehicle was found by Georgia State Troopers just before 2 p.m. Monday in the emergency lane of I-20 East near Villa Rica, Ga., about 75 miles from Lincoln. The keys were not in the vehicle, the doors were unlocked, and the passenger side door was left open, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department. The Jeep did not immediately come up as missing.
When Carroll County Sheriff’s deputies impounded the vehicle and entered it into the National Criminal Information Center database, however, it did come up missing, and law enforcement in Alabama was notified.
A search of the area was conducted on foot and by air, and surveillance video from nearby businesses was reviewed in Georgia, but yielded nothing.
“Obviously, the investigation is still ongoing, and there was a lot of work done today,” Giddens said Thursday.
A Missing Child Media Alert was issued by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation Wednesday evening. Stanford is described as being 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing rust-colored Carhartt jeans and a gray and purple, long-sleeved fleece shirt, with a white baseball cap.
Students and faculty at Donoho held a special prayer assembly Wednesday morning around the flagpole for their missing classmate, and the Greater Talladega Area Chamber of Commerce has been e-mailing his picture to area businesses and other chambers of commerce in the area. Billboards displaying Stanford’s likeness have gone up in the Birmingham area, as well.
As of Thursday, the search was beginning to gain national attention, including a segment with Greta Van Sustren on the Fox News Network Thursday night and a bulletin on the “America’s Most Wanted” Web site.
Ben Stanford is the son of Bill and Lynne Stanford and the grandson of Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega.
“It’s been a very long wait, but we have a lot of hope, and I know a lot of prayers have gone out for Ben and our family,” Preuitt said Thursday. “We’re grateful for that, and for all the friends that have come by and calling and offering to help however they can. We’re also thankful to the media for their interest and for still respecting our privacy. We still don’t know all the findings from the investigation, but from what I understand there’s not any evidence of foul play, and we’re grateful for that, too. We just want Ben back.”
Anyone with information on Ben Stanford’s whereabouts should contact the ABI at 1-800-843-5678 or call the Lincoln Police Department at 205-763-7777.
Just received a phone call from my sister in Alabama. This young man has gone missing, is the stepbrother of my sister's ex daughter in law. My Mom, sister, nieces and nephews all have met this young man, said he is a good boy.
Please pray for this family, they are so terrified and grief striken.
I’m so sorry...I hope the young man is well and found soon. Prayers...
I’m trying to think of any freepers to ping who might know any Georgia/Alabama freepers to ping on this.
This is horrible, I am so sorry for this family. I know this young man’s stepsister well, she was married to my nephew for several years and they have a young son.
My sister just called my Mom about this and I am asking for your prayers for this young man and his family.
Thank you both.
Prayers for a safe return of this young man.
Just like describing a criminal that is "on the loose" or "all points bulletin" with NO DESCRIPTION including skin color (if I may be so politically incorrect).
the reward could be for $200 million dollars but without that little bit of info....not likely to get a response.
I tried to copy and paste the photo with the story that ran on the newspaper site, and it wouldn’t paste for some reason. Sorry, I only know the basics of computing.
Maybe someone could post this? I agree with you, the story is not much without the pic.
Oh girl, I am so sorry. I am praying for this young man.
The link has a photo.
Grammy,
Will you post this boy’s pic for me? I tried when I copied the article and it wouldn’t paste. You are always helping me out, and I thank you in advance for your help on this one.
Girl I am afraid I am clueless about posting pictures. Perhaps some geeky freeper can do it for us.
The details and picture of this missing young man are on digital billboards in Birmingham, Al.
May this young man return safely to his home.
I’m in the area and in the news business.
Will post as I receive information.
Family members say Stanford was driving a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee and they know he bought gas Monday morning near Interstate 20 in Lincoln.
Thank you for your post Hilltop. I just got off the phone with my sister. Her grandson, 11 years old, loves this missing boy. Like I said earlier,the missing young man is my sister’s ex daughter in law’s half brother. The ex daughter in law is still close to my sister, still in touch because of the grandson, who spends a lot of time with my sister.
They haven’t told the grandson about it, don’t want to upset him.
Thank you for offering to keep us updated. I told my sis about your post and that I’d let her know anything you heard. My sister is in Decatur, so they don’t get the news from other parts of Alabama.
I’m from Villa Rica and Douglasville. I’ll make some calls.
BTW...Love your profile paqe.
Prayers Up.
Thanks for the info. I’m in Atlanta and didn’t know anything about this. Nothing about it in today’s AJC. Not surprising since the paper rarely writes about anything outside Atlanta.
Will be praying for this young man and his family.
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