GEBAR J BYRD Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Apr 13, 2008 Sex: Male Missing Date: Mar 22, 2010 Race: Biracial Age Now: 2 Height: 2'3" (69 cm) Missing City: UNIVERSITY CITY Weight: 26 lbs (12 kg) Missing State : MO Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1144382 Circumstances: The child was last known to be in the company of his mother who has since been located. The child's whereabouts remain unknown. The child is Biracial. He is Black and Hispanic.
********************************************************
********************************************************
KSDK -- University City Police answered questions regarding the investigation into the disappearance of Gebar Byrd Jr. Monday at the request of NewsChannel 5.
According to investigators, the two-year-old disappeared along with his mother, 24-year-old Yasmin Rodriguez, on March 23. St. Louis police said Friday that a body found in the Mississippi River April 9 was identified as Rodriguez. At that time, University City police declared Gebar as missing and endangered.
"Our investigation continues. Since we began, when the little child and his mother were reported missing on Sunday, March 28, we've had five-to-eight investigators working full-time on this," said Captain Michael Ransom, Commander of University City's Bureau of Investigations. "We continue to follow leads on this side and the Illinois side of the river because Mr. Byrd, Sr., has family over there."
Police have said the boy's father, Gebar Byrd Sr., is not a suspect.
"Gebar Byrd, Sr., has been cooperating with us. He's answered questions at every turn we've asked. Anything we've asked him to do he's done," Ransom said.
Ransom was asked if Gebar Byrd Sr. passed any polygraph tests.
"I won't speak to specifics of the investigation. There are some things we don't want to investigate in the media, but we're doing the proper police investigation. So I won't comment on that," he said.
Ransom addressed why University City Police did not issue an Amber Alert when the child turned up missing.
"There was no evidence there was any abduction," he said, "only a mother and child went missing. So it didn't fit the criteria for the Amber Alert, or we would have released it. I think I told reporters Friday, we've been working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They put the information out nationwide, as well as we put it out to all police agencies in Missouri and the metro-East."
********************************************************
********************************************************
The phone number for CrimeStoppers is 866-371-TIPS.
University City Police Department (Missouri) 1-314-725-2211 or 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
