brittany-mae.jpgAmber alerts have been issued over several states for 12 year old Brittany Smith who was reported missing after police found that her mother had been murdered in her home. Police say Brittany is with her mother’s boyfriend Jeffrey Easley, 32. Police say the mother’s death is being investigated as a homicide but won’t discuss details on how she died. Easley supposedly lived with the mother, Tina Smith, 41. The couple apparently met each other over the internet this past summer and then he moved in with Tina and Brittany in October.

The two were spotted leaving a Wal-Mart store and they were caught on the surveillance camera. The picture shows Brittany clasping at her hands or maybe picking at her fingernails. Jeffrey stood beside her as he pushed a shopping cart that had a tent, bottled water, Gatorade and camping equipment in it. It was kind of hard to tell if Brittany was being forced to be with Easley or if she was willingly there with him. But as one report points out, it doesn’t matter if she went with him on her own or if he forced her, she is only 12 years old and according to the law she is not old enough to legally decide to leave with Easley on her own.

jeffrey-scott-easley.jpgAfter police learned that Easley might be heading for Florida an Amber alert was issued and a gas station clerk in West Palm Beach notified police that a man that matched the appearance of Jeffrey had entered the stations bathroom. When police arrived with helicopters hovering over and the station complete surrounded, They couldn’t get any response when they knocked on the bathroom door so they forced the door open and found an unconscious man and dragged him out of the stall he was in.

Once they had the man out it was clear that they had the wrong man. Easley has tattoos that are pretty distinctive that the guy they pulled from the bathroom didn’t have on him. The man they found had allegedly passed out from a drug overdose so this means that police are back to the search of Brittany.

Brittany has brown eyes and brown hair and she is about 5 ft tall and wighs about 100 lbs.

Jeffrey Easley is 5 ft 11 in tall and he weighs over 200 lbs. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. The tattoos he has are on his upper arms and back.

They are thought to be driving in Tina Smith’s car which is a 2005, silver Dodge Neon 4 door sedan with Virginia license tag # XKF-2365. The car has a rear spoiler and it also has an Obama sticker on the rear bumper.

Police are asking that anyone that might have any information concerning the whereabouts of Brittany Smith and Jeffrey Easley to please contact the Roanoke County Police Department at 540-777-8641 or dial 911 and report it.

This child is not old enough to make decisions like running off with a 32 year old man, on her own. Just because she might have appeared not to be forced in the photo from Wal-Mart doesn’t mean she wasn’t too scared to run off. Maybe she witnessed something horrible prior to taking off and maybe she is too scared to run away from him. Although some 12 year old girls think they have life under control, they don’t. So until I know for sure I am not going to say this little girl is with Easley willingly. I just pray if she has indeed been forced to go along, that she will not be harmed in the process. I pray she will be returned home safe.

Disturbingly though, I did read a report where at least two phone calls had been made to Social Services before Brittany disappeared in reference to something not being right with Easley and Brittany living in the same home together. Brittany’s step-grandmother told WDBJ- TV that she called them herself and was told that there was nothing that could be done unless there was physical evidence. What kind of answer is that to be given? All of this might have been prevented had they checked in on the reports. I thought that was social service’s job to check out these complaints even if they do turn out to be nothing. We are told if we see anything unusual to report it but then when we do we are told that nothing can be done unless there is physical evidence? That is like saying wait til the child is hurt or murdered and then call us. I think something needs to be changed in some of their policies involving our children. Of course social services are denying any wrongdoing here, but why doesn’t that surprise me?

America’s Most Wanted plans to run a story about Brittany on their program Saturday night and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are planning to start posting Brittany and Easley’s pictures on billboards across Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia and Ohio.

I pray the other lost children will be found as well. Wouldn’t that be a nice Christmas gift for them and their families? Adji Desir and Haleigh Cummings! I pray that one day you both will come home. You have been gone from home far too long. My prayers are not only with you both but also with your families that miss you. God bless you all.

Jan Barrett

UPDATE: Brittany Mae Smith has been found and is safe. The man who is accused of abducting her has been taken into  custody. No further details have been released, but Praise the Lord she has been found alive and well. Our prayers have been answered.

Be Sociable, Share!