VALLEY PARK GIRL'S CLOTHING FOUND
UPDATE: Sources tell FOX 2 News that Casey's clothing has been found. The search along the river has been called off, and members of the family seemed to have been taken to a wooded area. Confirmations about a body or the fate of the girl has not been announced.
A 6-year-old girl is missing and a massive manhunt is underway. The child's name is Cassandra Williamson, and she goes by the name Casey. She was last seen around 7:00am wearing a white nightgown with red flowers, and she is barefoot. Apparently she was up this morning, her father went to the restroom just briefly, and when he came back out to fix her a bowl of cereal, she was gone. He thought she went across the street to her grandfather's house to get a bowl of cereal, but could not find her. Police do not have any suspects in custody at this time, and there are a lot of theories out there, but so far, nothing has been confirmed. Police continue to search the area, such as the Meramec River, Simpson Lake, railroad tracks and wooded areas. The family was spending the night in a home with friends, when the father noticed that she was missing. She was in the kitchen with her father. He had left the room momentarily and when he came back, she was gone. Bloodhounds and German Shepherds have arrived and are going to go out on a boat into the Meramec River to help with the search.
Officer Rick Eckhard from the St. Louis County Police says that they have talked to all the adults that have last seen her. They are also questioning witnesses, but as of right now, they are just witnesses, and no one has been named as a suspect in the disappearance of the girl. Police are calling this an abduction and treating it as such because they no alternative explanation. They believe she is in danger. Earlier on a culvert on the Meramec River, SkyFOX captured two investigators picking up a white piece of material, placing it in a yellow envelope and carrying it to the crime scene van. Later, FOX 2's Roche Madden reported from the command center that the material was a white nightgown with tweety birds on it. See them picking up the white material here.
Apparently Angie Williamson, the mother, said that she and her husband had recently separated and were trying to work things out. Ernie Williamson, the father, was staying at a friend's house. Angie decided to stay, too. There was another man that was sleeping on the couch in the home as well. Police have questioned that man at length. They have not named him as a suspect, just a witness. Ernie Williamson said that man apparently left the house the same time that Casey was discovered missing, and then the man returned wet about a half-hour later and said he had gone for a swim in the Meramec River. The parents wonder why he would do that because that is not typically done, especially with the strong currents there. It's a very complicated story as far as the circumstances around where the family was staying.
If you see Cassandra, please call your local authorities. She has blondish-brown hair, weighs 48 pounds, and was last seen on Benton Street. Police have set up a command post at the City Hall in Valley Park, which is just down the road from where the apparent abduction took place. If you have any information or if you want to report anything suspicious, call 888-265-8639. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Cassandra Photo 1. | Cassandra Photo 2. | Cassandra Photo 3.