Post by Scumhunter on Oct 19, 2016 4:19:02 GMT -5
(Above: Top, Zaden, circa 2014. Bottom: Age-progression to age 8, circa 2017 photo credits: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's misisngkids.org website)
Missing Child Profile as of October 19th, 2016: (based on Charley Project, missingkids.org website)
Full Name: Zaden Alexander McKnight
Missing Since: March 25, 2014 from Dayton, Ohio
Date of Birth: May 25, 2009
Age (at time of disappearance): 4 years old
Height and Weight (at time of disappearance): 3'0, 45 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American male. Brown hair, brown eyes.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A yellow and blue coat, blue jeans, red velcro shoes with the words "Lightning McQueen" on them, and a yellow toboggan-type hat with the Despicable Me minions cartoon characters on it.
TIPS: Anyone having information should call 1-800-THE-LOST or the Dayton Police Department (Ohio) at 1-937-333-2677
From the Charley Project:
Zaden and his mother, Nichelle La'Rod McKnight, disappeared together from Dayton, Ohio on March 25, 2014. Nichelle was last seen leaving her home in the 600 block of Homewood Avenue at 11:00 p.m. She was in the company of her ex-boyfriend, Antwan Anderson, at the time of her disappearance. Nichelle's mother reported her and Zaden missing after she found out Nichelle hadn't shown up for work at either of her two jobs for several days. Photos of Nichelle and Anderson are posted below this case summary.
Police wanted to question Anderson about the pair's disappearance. He had active warrants for his arrest. Authorities tried to pull him over at a traffic stop, but he fled from the vehicle and ran into a wooded area. Two officers chased him and he pulled out a gun. There was a shoot-out between Anderson and the police which ended in Anderson fatally shooting himself in the head.
On April 11, an anonymous caller who said he was a friend of Anderson directed police to search behind the Riverview Park Apartments, in the 4300 block of Riverside Drive, near the Stillwater River. Authorities did go there and found Nichelle's body; she had been shot twice in the head. There was no sign of Zaden, however.
On April 30, Tonisha Harris was arrested and charged with one count of failure to report a crime, one count of evidence tampering and two counts of gross abuse of a corpse in Nichelle's murder and Zaden's presumed death. Authorities found evidence, including blood, at her home in the 20 block of Birchwood Avenue which indicated both Nichelle and Zaden had died there. They also located the shoes Nichelle was last seen wearing, her bank cards, her driver's license and Social Security cards for her and Zaden. A photo of Harris is posted below this case summary. She, too, had dated Anderson, and she used Nichelle's bank cards without her permission before she went missing, spending nearly $3,000. (She was ultimately sentenced to ten months in prison for this.) Authorities believe Harris used the cards at Anderson's instruction. Nichelle had found out about the thefts and disappeared shortly after she confronted Anderson about it. Authorities believe Harris was "intimately involved" in Nichelle and Zaden's deaths, but she hasn't been charged in connection with the actual homicides.
Investigators have made several searches for Zaden's body; they said they had no hope that he was still alive. He has never been located, but foul play is suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved.
(Pictured: Above: Left: Nichelle McKnight Center: Antwan Anderson Right: Tonisha Harris Photo Credits: Charley Project)
www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mcknight_zaden.html
Thoughts? Unfortunately it seems Zaden is almost certainly sadly deceased, but even if that's the case, his body needs to be found for him to receive proper burial that he deserves. Not to mention no matter how dire the circumstances seem, a family can never give up hope. You can do nothing but hope and pray by some miracle against the odds your missing child turns up alive, even if common sense says otherwise. If they do find Zaden's body one day, at least the family will finally have answers. And this is why John Walsh always says it's the not knowing that's what kills you. So I implore if anyone has information, good or heartbreaking, to please contact the NCMEC or the Dayton Police Department to get Zaden's family the answers they desperately need.
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