LEXIS ROBERTS - 12 yo(2010)/ and her Mother, Suellen - Flagstaff AZ

Arizona authorities are searching for a Nevada woman and her young daughter, reported missing in the Flagstaff area.


The Coconino County Sheriff's Office says 31-year-old Suellen Roberts and her 12-year-old daughter, Lexis, were visiting the Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams last weekend and they may have been accompanied by a man.
Officials say a guest book at the park showed that Roberts made it to the park. They say Roberts' relationship with the man is unclear, but they may have worked together prior to the trip.
Authorities say Roberts, her daughter and the unidentified man all were last seen at a motel in Flagstaff on Saturday. Roberts' mother says she expected her daughter and granddaughter to be back home in Las Vegas by Monday.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
LEXIS KAYE ROBERTS
Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Oct 28, 1997 Sex: Female
Missing Date: Sep 5, 2010 Race: White
Age Now: 12 Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
Missing City: WILLIAMS Weight: 100 lbs (45 kg)
Missing State : AZ Hair Color: Brown
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1156334
Circumstances: Lexis was last seen September 5, 2010 over Labor Day weekend. She may be in the company of Suellen Roberts and Thomas Sanders. They may be traveling in a silver 2011 Kia Motors four door Sedan with Nevada license plates 153UCR.

There are pics of all 3 people involved but, for whatever reason, I can't post pics anymore????

http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=9651.0
http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13155809

Las Vegas mom and daughter missing after AZ road trip

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) - A mother and daughter from Las Vegas are missing after leaving for a road trip more than a week ago. The two weren't traveling alone and the family suspects foul play.

Authorities say 31-year-old Suellen Roberts and her 12-year-old daughter, Lexis, were visiting the Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, AZ over Labor Day weekend.



They were expected home at the end of the long weekend, but never made it.

"It's not like my daughter just to turn cold and leave and not call me in so many days," says Mary Woodburn, Suellen's mother and Lexis's grandmother.

The two weren't traveling alone.

They were with Thomas Steven Sanders, Suellen's new boyfriend of just two months.

We've since learned he has a criminal record, though it's unclear what the charges were.

"I think maybe he did something to my daughter and now my granddaughter is with him alone. I don't know," says Woodburn.

We do know that they made it to Arizona.

They signed the guest book at their hotel and on Saturday, surveillance photo's of their car was taken entering Bearizona Wildlife Park.

From there, the trail goes cold.

"All I want is hear their voices and know that they're alright," says Woodburn, thinking about what she would say to them. "You know that I love you. I cant stress that fact. And I want you home safe."

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office is not ruling out foul play but say they are also open to the possibility that Suellen and her new boyfriend have run off to start a new life together. A theory the family isn't buying.

Metro Police are assisting with the case and if you know anything, you're urged to call Metro's Missing Persons Detail at 702-828-3111.

Bumping this up. No news. It sounds like the Coconino SO and Metro Police are sitting back and waiting for the public to solve this one. I think something terrible has happened to Lexis and her mother. Can't believe even the car hasn't been found.

Posted: Thursday, September 23, 2010 4:00 am | (0) Comments

Missing people

Law enforcement officers in northern Arizona are looking for three Las Vegas, Nev. residents who were last known to have visited Flagstaff and Williams.

According to information from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, the three people are Suellen Roberts, 31, Lexis Roberts, 12, and Thomas Steven "Spider" Sanders, 53. The three were last seen driving a silver 2001 Kia Spectra with Nevada license plate 153 UCR.

The trio was last seen at Bearizona in Williams on Sept. 4. They had also been at a Flagstaff motel on Sept. 4. Sanders last used his phone on Sept. 5. Roberts last used her phone on Sept. 5, which placed them about 18 miles north of Williams.

Anybody with information on the whereabouts of the three are asked to contact the sheriff's office at (800) 338-7888, or the Las Vegas Metro Police Department at (702) 828-2907.
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/bfade277-ab73-5a50-bcaa-df483608c36d.html

http://interceder.net/list/lexis-roberts

http://missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1156334&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

Endangered Missing
LEXIS ROBERTS

DOB: Oct 28, 1997
Missing: Sep 5, 2010
Age Now: 12
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
Weight: 100 lbs (45 kg)
Missing From:
WILLIAMS
AZ
United States


SUELLEN ROBERTS

Companion
DOB: Mar 24, 1979
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)
THOMAS SANDERS

Companion
DOB: Jul 12, 1957
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair: Grey
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)
Lexis was last seen September 5, 2010 over Labor Day weekend. She may be in the company of Suellen Roberts and Thomas Sanders. They may be traveling in a silver 2001 Kia Motors four door sedan with Nevada license plates 153UCR, similar to the vehicle pictured above.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Coconino County Sheriff's Office (Arizona) 1-928-774-4523

Endangered Missing

LEXIS ROBERTS DOB: Oct 28, 1997 Missing: Sep 5, 2010 Age Now: 12 Sex: Female Race: White Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Height: 5'0" (152 cm) Weight: 100 lbs (45 kg) Missing From: WILLIAMS AZ United States

SUELLEN ROBERTS Companion DOB: Mar 24, 1979 Sex: Female Race: White Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Height: 5'4" (163 cm) Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)

THOMAS SANDERS Companion DOB: Jul 12, 1957 Sex: Male Race: White Hair: Grey Eyes: Brown Height: 5'6" (168 cm) Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)

Lexis was last seen September 5, 2010 over Labor Day weekend. She may be in the company of Suellen Roberts and Thomas Sanders. They may be traveling in a silver 2001 Kia Motors four door sedan with Nevada license plates 153UCR, similar to the vehicle pictured above.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) Coconino County Sheriff's Office (Arizona) 1-928-774-4523

SUELLEN ROBERTS

Companion
DOB: Mar 24, 1979
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)
THOMAS SANDERS

Companion
DOB: Jul 12, 1957
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair: Grey
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)

Remains of missing Las Vegas girl, 12, found in Louisiana




By Jackie Valley (contact)

Published Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010 | 12:02 p.m.

Updated 12 minutes ago



Lexis Roberts


Officials in Louisiana have discovered in a rural wooded area the remains of a missing 12-year-old girl from Las Vegas, according to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office.
Hunters in a wooded area north of Harrisonburg, La., found the remains of Lexis Roberts on Oct. 8. Authorities confirmed her identity through dental records, officials from the Sheriff's Office said.
Roberts was reported missing in early September by family members who said she was on a trip to Flagstaff, Ariz., with her mother, Suellen, 31, and Thomas Sanders, 53. The trio never returned Sept. 6 as planned.
They were driving a silver 2001 Kia four-door sedan with Nevada license plate 153UCR, officials said.
Authorities still are searching for Suellen Roberts and Sanders, said Robert E. King, supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI in Alexandria, La. King said investigators are not releasing how long ago they believe Lexis Roberts died.
Officials described Suellen Roberts as about 5-feet-4-inches tall and 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Sanders was described as about 5-feet-6-inches tall and 160 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes.
Federal authorities are working with officials in Nevada and Louisiana to investigate the case, King said.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office at (318) 744-5411 or a local FBI or law enforcement agency.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/oct/27/remains-missing-las-vegas-girl-12-found-louisiana/

Admin wrote:Remains of missing Las Vegas girl, 12, found in Louisiana




By Jackie Valley (contact)

Published Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010 | 12:02 p.m.

Updated 12 minutes ago



Lexis Roberts


Officials in Louisiana have discovered in a rural wooded area the remains of a missing 12-year-old girl from Las Vegas, according to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office.
Hunters in a wooded area north of Harrisonburg, La., found the remains of Lexis Roberts on Oct. 8. Authorities confirmed her identity through dental records, officials from the Sheriff's Office said.
Roberts was reported missing in early September by family members who said she was on a trip to Flagstaff, Ariz., with her mother, Suellen, 31, and Thomas Sanders, 53. The trio never returned Sept. 6 as planned.
They were driving a silver 2001 Kia four-door sedan with Nevada license plate 153UCR, officials said.
Authorities still are searching for Suellen Roberts and Sanders, said Robert E. King, supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI in Alexandria, La. King said investigators are not releasing how long ago they believe Lexis Roberts died.
Officials described Suellen Roberts as about 5-feet-4-inches tall and 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Sanders was described as about 5-feet-6-inches tall and 160 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes.
Federal authorities are working with officials in Nevada and Louisiana to investigate the case, King said.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office at (318) 744-5411or a local FBI or law enforcement agency.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/oct/27/remains-missing-las-vegas-girl-12-found-louisiana/

So sad. Another precious child lost. RIP Lexis--you are safe now.

alwaysbelieve wrote:

Admin wrote:Remains of missing Las Vegas girl, 12, found in Louisiana




By Jackie Valley (contact)

Published Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010 | 12:02 p.m.

Updated 12 minutes ago



Lexis Roberts


Officials in Louisiana have discovered in a rural wooded area the remains of a missing 12-year-old girl from Las Vegas, according to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office.
Hunters in a wooded area north of Harrisonburg, La., found the remains of Lexis Roberts on Oct. 8. Authorities confirmed her identity through dental records, officials from the Sheriff's Office said.
Roberts was reported missing in early September by family members who said she was on a trip to Flagstaff, Ariz., with her mother, Suellen, 31, and Thomas Sanders, 53. The trio never returned Sept. 6 as planned.
They were driving a silver 2001 Kia four-door sedan with Nevada license plate 153UCR, officials said.
Authorities still are searching for Suellen Roberts and Sanders, said Robert E. King, supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI in Alexandria, La. King said investigators are not releasing how long ago they believe Lexis Roberts died.
Officials described Suellen Roberts as about 5-feet-4-inches tall and 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Sanders was described as about 5-feet-6-inches tall and 160 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes.
Federal authorities are working with officials in Nevada and Louisiana to investigate the case, King said.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office at (318) 744-5411or a local FBI or law enforcement agency.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/oct/27/remains-missing-las-vegas-girl-12-found-louisiana/

So sad. Another precious child lost. RIP Lexis--you are safe now.

This is so sad. I have searched for news of Lexis and her mother nearly every day and feared this outcome.

Man declared dead in 1994 wanted for kidnapping

By MARY FOSTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ORLEANS -- A man declared dead 16 years ago but who authorities say is alive is charged with kidnapping a 12-year-old Nevada girl whose remains were found in Louisiana, officials said Thursday.

A warrant was issued for 53-year-old Thomas Steven Sanders. It charges him with abducting Lexis Roberts whose remains were found by hunters in east-central Louisiana in early October. Relatives told investigators the girl and her mother had known Sanders for two or three months, said Robert King, the FBI agent in Alexandria heading up the investigation.

In 1994, family members legally declared Sanders dead in Mississippi.

"He just walked away one day and never came back," King said. "So after seven years the family had him declared dead."

However, on Sept. 3, officials said security cameras showed Sanders buying ammunition at a Wal-Mart in Las Vegas. Lexis suffered multiple gunshot wounds and federal agents said the ammunition Sanders purchased was consistent with the caliber weapon used in her homicide.

Sheriff's officials in Arizona's Coconino County told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the girl was seen Sept. 4 with her mother, Suellen Roberts, and Sanders at the Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park off Interstate 40 in Williams, Ariz.

Authorities also do not know what has become of her mother, who is missing, King said.

Sanders is described as 5-foot-8 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds or more. He has a criminal record, including crimes involving children, King said.

Investigators are still trying to piece his history together because he was only discovered to be alive since the girl disappeared.

"We're trying to talk to his family in Mississippi and Louisiana," King said.

Sanders was last seen driving a silver 2001 Kia Spectra with damage on the passenger side. It may have Nevada plates, or stolen plates, officials said.
http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_declared_dead_charges.html

The FBI in Louisiana announced a federal kidnapping warrant on Thursday for 53 year old Thomas Steven Sanders. He's wanted in connection with the death of a 12 year old Las Vegas girl, Lexis Kaye Roberts.Surveillance cameras captured Sanders buying ammunition at a Walmart in Las Vegas, before taking the child and her mother, 31 year old Suellen Roberts, on a road trip to Arizona over the Labor Day weekend. Lexis' skeletal remains were found in a wooded Louisiana parish days ago. The FBI says she had been shot several times, and the ammunition Sanders purchased was consistent with the caliber weapon that was used to kill her.Las Vegan Mary Woodburn talked to Action News when her granddaughter, Lexis, and daughter, Suellen disappeared with Sanders. She said Suellen reassured her she'd be back within days and said, "If I'm not home, by then, she said in her own words, then you'll have something to be concerned about."Woodburn said she was concerned about the boyfriend her daughter had only known for a couple of months, a man with a criminal record, and a man declared dead by relatives in Mississippi in 1994.Suellen Roberts is still missing, but the FBI says she is not a suspect in her daughter's death.53 year old Thomas Steven Sanders is 5' 8", about 200 pounds with brown hair. The FBI says his upper teeth are missing and he only has two bottom teeth. Sanders was last seen driving a 2001 Silver Kia Spectra sedan with damage on the passenger side doors. The license plate is 153-UCR, but the FBI says it's highly likely he replaced the Nevada plates, and he has a history of exchanging vehicles through salvage yards.Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The FBI in Louisiana announced a federal kidnapping warrant on Thursday for 53-year-old Thomas Steven Sanders. He's wanted in connection with the death of a 12-year-old Las Vegas girl, Lexis Kaye Roberts.Surveillance cameras captured Sanders buying ammunition at a Walmart in Las Vegas before taking the child and her mother, 31-year-old Suellen Roberts, on a road trip to Arizona over the Labor Day weekend. Lexis' skeletal remains were found in a wooded Louisiana parish. The FBI says she had been shot several times, and the ammunition Sanders purchased was consistent with the caliber weapon that was used to kill her.Friday the FBI announced that a federal kidnapping warrant was obtained for Thomas Steven Sanders with the abduction of Lexis Roberts. They have also obtained photographs that illustrate how his appearance has varied over the years.53-year-old Thomas Steven Sanders is 5' 8", about 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. The FBI says his upper teeth are missing and he only has two bottom teeth. He also has a tattoo on his chest and a scar on his abdomen.

Sanders was last seen driving a 2001 Silver Kia Spectra sedan with damage on the passenger side doors. The licence plate is 153-UCR but the FBI says it's highly likely he replaced the Nevada plates, and he has a history of exchanging vehicles through salvage yards.Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

Thomas Steven Sanders, 53, murder and kidnapping suspect


The authorities say Louisiana hunters found the remains of a 12-year-old missing Nevada girl.

They also have arrested a man suspected of the kidnapping and murder of the child, Thomas Steven Sanders, who was legally declared dead in 1994.

Sanders, 53, was declared dead after being unfound for 7 years. The state of Mississippi made this declarartion after the family filed a missing persons report and he was never heard from again. That is until he was found in connection with the remains of Lexis Roberts and her mother, Suellen Roberts, who is also missing.

The officials digging into the background for the lost 16 years did find Sanders on a security video buying ammunition at the Las Vegas Wal-Mart on September 3rd. This is the same ammunition that killed Roberts.

Although Sanders has just came back on radar, he was last seen with the Roberts' on Sept 4. at a Wildlife Drive-thru Park in Williams, Arizona. He was last seen driving a 2001 Kia Spectra with damage to the passanger side and plates that may have been stolen as well.

Sanders also has had a history of crime. Among those previous charges including crimes against children. The friends and family of the victims have told investigators that Suellen and Lexis had known Sanders for about three or four months before they went missing.

Manchester native missing, daughter slain; nationwide manhunt for suspect

MANCHESTER – A 31-year-old woman born and raised in Manchester is missing and her 12-year-old daughter has been slain in a case that has federal authorities looking nationwide for the girl's kidnapper and potential murderer.The girl, Lexis Kaye Roberts, was also born in Manchester, but left the city eight years ago with her mother to move to Las Vegas, said her great aunt, New Hampshire resident Patricia Cloutier. The girl and her mother -- Suellen Roberts, 31 -- have family in New Hampshire. And Lexis visited Cloutier and her family every summer, enjoying a New Hampshire respite from the desert heat.
From left, Lexis Roberts, suspect Thomas Sanders and Suellen Roberts.
In early October, Hunters found Lexis' body outside Harrisonburg, La., according to a statement issued last week by the FBI in New Orleans. She had been shot multiple times, and authorities needed dental records to positively identify the skeletal remains.The FBI said they have issued a warrant charging Thomas Steven Sanders with Lexis' kidnapping. Suellen Roberts also of Las Vegas, has been missing since she and her daughter went on a Labor Day getaway trip with Sanders."She was at a low point in her life, and he charmed her into trusting him," Cloutier said yesterday.Authorities said Sanders was declared legally dead by the state of Mississippi in 1994, when family members said he vanished. However, once his connection to the Roberts' case became apparent, the FBI found he was alive and had ties to several states across the country.The FBI said Sanders, 53, worked as a welder, scrap metal collector, night watchman, pallet fabricator and handyman. He has a history of exchanging vehicles through auto salvage yards.He has no upper teeth and only two lower teeth; he also has a scar on his abdomen. His Nevada license shows a photo of a man with a bushy gray beard and thinning hair line.The last anyone has heard from Suellen Roberts was a cell phone call on Sept. 5, the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend, Cloutier said."I really don't have any idea (what's happened to her). Her daughter is dead. The authorities are not hopeful they will find Suellen alive," said Cloutier, her aunt.Cloutier said Suellen Roberts is the daughter of Gary Roberts and Mary Woodburn. She attended Hallsville School and Hillside Middle School. She dropped out, but later earned her GED. She said Lexis' father still lives in Manchester and was never a part of her life.Suellen and Lexis moved to Las Vegas during the boom times, and she dedicated herself to raising her daughter, Cloutier said. But when the economy went bust, she lost her job with a medical supply company and had to move in with her mother.She was discouraged, stressed out and struggling. Then Sanders came along. He plied her with jewelry and clothes, and bought clothes and toys for Lexis, Cloutier said. Suellen told Cloutier about her new friend, and Lexis assured her New Hampshire relatives he treated them well.The Labor Day trip was to visit the Grand Canyon and the Bearizona wildlife park in Williams, Ariz., Cloutier said. She said Suellen's signature was recorded at a gift shop that weekend, and they stayed at a motel in Flagstaff, Ariz.But on Friday, Sept. 3, a camera in a Las Vegas Walmart recorded Sanders purchasing ammunition, the FBI said. That ammunition is consistent with the caliber weapon used to kill Lexis, the FBI said.Cloutier said Suellen was dedicated to her daughter and did anything she could to make her life better. Suellen was a hopeful person, which made it easy for her to trust a man like Sanders, her aunt said."She just had some hard knocks in life. She has a good heart and was trying really hard. She just didn't get any breaks," Cloutier said.Authorities say Sanders is 5 foot 8 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds or more and has brown eyes. He was last seen driving a silver 2001 Kia Spectra. The fact he was thought dead for 16 years makes Cloutier shudder."Who knows how many other victims he may have?" she said. "The more we learn, the stranger it gets.

"http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=40c318b7-622c-4652-bc6f-df2b055b3b68&headline=Manchester+native+missing%2c+daughter+slain%3b+nationwide+manhunt+for+suspect

November 15, 2010 1:09 PM Thomas Steven Sanders: "Dead" Man Arrested in Miss., Charged with Kidnapping


NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Thomas Steven Sanders flew under the radar for nearly 16 years after being declared dead by his family in Mississippi, despite multiple arrests and even prison time, but when 12-year-old Lexis Roberts' remains were found by hunters in Louisiana, Sanders found out that it's not that easy to run from a kidnapping charge. FBI spokeswoman Sheila Thorne said Sanders was taken into custody Sunday at a truck stop in Gulfport, Miss., and charged with kidnapping.
It all started when Lexis disappeared from Las Vegas in September, having last been seen Sept. 4 with her mother, Suellen Roberts, and Sanders, at the Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, Ariz. Sanders can been seen on surveillance video in a Las Vegas Wal-Mart buying ammunition a day earlier. A month later, hunters in Louisiana found Lexis' remains; she'd been shot several times with ammunition investigators say is the same type that Sanders bought from Wal-Mart. Lexis' mother hasn't been seen since September. Lexis' family told investigators that she and her mother had met up with Sanders a few months before they disappeared. According to court documents, Sanders abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead by a Mississippi court in 1994. Despite being declared dead, Sanders has been able to move around the country easily. According to investigators, he lived in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Nevada. He worked as a laborer, a welder and a scrap metal collector. Sanders also racked up a lengthy criminal record without being identified as a dead man from Mississippi, including possession of drug paraphernalia and a number of traffic and motor vehicle incidents, all in Tennessee. He was sentenced to two years in Georgia for simple battery. State and federal authorities have said some of the charges involved minors, but they refused to elaborate. Catahoula Parish Sheriff James Kelly told The Associated Press on Monday that Sanders is cooperating with authorities. "Right now we have a lot more questions than we do answers as far as his activity since we've been looking for him," Kelly said. Louisiana authorities want to extradite Sanders to face charges there, though it's not clear how long that could take, Kelly said.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20022804-504083.html

Body Found In Arizona Linked To Girl In Louisiana


by The Associated Press


text size A A A
PHOENIX November 15, 2010, 06:25 pm ET
Arizona authorities said Monday they discovered the body of a woman believed to be the missing mother of a girl found dead in Louisiana. The possible remains of Suellen Roberts, 31, were found in a remote area off Interstate 40 in northwestern Arizona, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. Thomas Steven Sanders was arrested in Mississippi on Sunday in the kidnapping of Roberts' daughter, 12-year-old Lexis Roberts. The girl's skeleton was found by hunters last month in Louisiana. Authorities said they were trying to determine if Thomas is linked to Suellen Roberts' disappearance. Federal investigators provided the Yavapai sheriff's office with information on the likely whereabouts of the woman's body, authorities said. Sanders had met Roberts and her daughter a few months ago. The trio had been spotted at a drive-thru wildlife park in Williams, Ariz., and at the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend, authorities said. Roberts and her daughter were reported missing from the Las Vegas area in September. Sanders had been declared legally dead 16 years ago. Court documents show Sanders abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead by a Mississippi court in 1994. He kept his true identity secret for years despite being arrested several times.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131342564

Man declared dead in '94 arrested in kidnapping case


Thomas Sanders was legally declared dead in Mississippi by family members some 16 years ago.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Thomas Steven Sanders, 53, was arrested in Gulfport, Mississippi
  
• In 1994, he was legally declared dead by family members
  
• Sanders is suspected of having kidnapped Lexis Roberts, 12
  agents in Gulfport, Mississippi, arrested Sunday a 53-year old man, declared dead in 1994, on kidnapping charges.
  
  Thomas Steven Sanders was arrested in the early morning at a Flying J Truck Stop. He is suspected in the abduction of Lexis Roberts, 12, of Las Vegas, Nevada. She was later found dead.
  His capture is unusual because Sanders was legally declared dead in Mississippi by family members some 16 years ago.
  "However, we now know that he is still alive and has ties to several states across the country," the FBI said in a statement earlier this month.
  
• 
  Sanders, who is thought to be missing most of his teeth, has changed his appearance several times over the years. He is described as a white male, around 200 pounds with brown eyes.
  
• 
  In September, Sanders was seen purchasing bullets at a local Wal-Mart in Las Vegas. The ammunition he bought was consistent with the caliber weapon used during Roberts' homicide, the FBI said.
  
• 
  The girl's remains were found by hunters in early October in a wooded area north of Harrisonburg, Louisiana. She was last seen with her mother, Suellen Roberts, and Sanders.
  
  Sanders was alone at the time of his arrest.