The case of missing five-year-old Jhessye Shockley took an unexpected and sad twist on Monday when authorities arrested her mother, Jerice Hunter, on suspicion of felony child abuse and said they no longer expect to find the young Glendale girl alive, reports The Arizona Republic.
Despite their doubts abound finding Shockley alive, Glendale police said this is not the end to their investigation into her disappearance.
“Our mission is still to find Jhessye, even though we believe it’s unlikely she’s still going to be alive,” said Glendale Police Sgt. Brent Coombs. “We have a commitment to do that and to bring justice to the person or persons responsible for her disappearance.”
Since Shockley's disappearance a month ago, police have said Hunter has not been a suspect. Monday represents the first time that police are starting to question whether Hunter was involved and stated she was their "Number 1 focus," according to The Republic. Police stated that new information uncovered during the past week led to her arrest and that the evidence was sufficient enough for arrest and search warrants.
Relatives have been alleging that the little girl may have been abused since Shockley went missing.
Hunter also reportedly has a criminal record which includes a history of child abuse, but she was given custody of Shockley after leaving prison last year. Felony child abuse under Arizona law is punishable with severe penalties, including imprisonment and high fines. Depending on what authorities find in their investigation of Hunter, more charges could be added later.
Glendale police have increased the reward to $25,000 for information leading to finding Jhessye. Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix Family Law Attorney (FindLaw)
- Glendale Neighborhood Reacts to New Details in Missing Girl Case (ABC15 News)
- Child Abuse Laws State-by-State (FindLaw)
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