An advocate for the family of a 16-year-old found murdered earlier this month is criticizing White Mountain Apache police for their handling of the girl’s missing persons case.
Leila Woodward with the Arizona Missing Child Task Force says White Mountain police likely did not report the disappearance of Challistia Colelay to other law enforcement agencies because of manpower challenges. It wasn’t on the Department of Public Safety missing child database, either.
"The data that they get that from is through the National Crime Information Center and the Arizona Crime Information Center and then DPS puts its that on that database. So it was alarming that she was not placed on there," she said.
Colelay disappeared in mid-October and her remains were found weeks later less than a mile from her home. A homicide investigation is ongoing.
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