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Ga. police search for missing toddlers
By Errin Haines, Associated Press Writer | April 25, 2005

WARRENTON, Ga. --Forty hours after two toddlers were reported missing from their home, police on Monday said they have few leads to find the children.

Jonah and Nicole Payne were reported missing Saturday from their Warren County home.

On Sunday, agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation questioned the children's mother. Authorities said more than one person has been given a polygraph test. They would not comment on the tests.

"Every resource that we have available to us is being called in," said John Bankhead, a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. "Right now, we have very little to go on."

The 2-year-old girl and her 3-year-old-brother were last seen in their home in east Georgia about 100 miles from Atlanta. The house is in a rural wooded area near a lake. The exact circumstances of their disappearance was not known.

Bankhead the search "is at a critical stage, at the 40th hour."

"You get to 72 hours and the investigation will probably change as far as the search goes," Bankhead said. "Right now we're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll find these children safely, but quite frankly as the hours go by the odds decrease considerably."

Bankhead said investigators need the public's help to find the children.

"Every resource that we have available to us has been called in to help us locate these children," Bankhead said. "Right now we have very little to go on. The sheriff's office has received a number of tips ... nothing concrete, nothing solid. The primary focus is to locate these two children safely. As time goes on that becomes more complicated."

Bankhead said one concern is the weather. Temperatures dropped into the 30s Sunday night and were expected to be in the 30s again Monday night.

"It's a critical point. It's been very cold at night. We fear for their safety if they're still out there."

Nicole was described as 30 inches tall with shoulder-length blond hair. She may have some hair missing in front because of a burn. She was last seen wearing a purple turtleneck, light-colored blue jeans and purple high-top tennis shoes.

Jonah was described as 40 inches tall with shoulder-length black hair. He was last seen wearing a red and white shirt with a gray collar and the number seven on the back, blue jeans and brown hiking boots.

Authorities say the likelihood of finding the children safe is decreasing.

"As the hours go by, the chances get slimmer and slimmer," Bankhead said.

A spokesman for the parents said Nicole "has some breathing problems" and uses a breathing machine daily. The boy is also on medication for an unspecified medical condition, the spokesman said.