PORSHIA ATWELL - 8 yo - Mercer Cty/ OH border WV

An amber alert has been issued for an 8-year-old girl.
West
Virginia State Police are searching for a white Jeep Cherokee Laredo
with gray trim. The license plate number is 6C3202. It was last seen in
Mercer County.

Police say the driver is the father of the girl.
Tracy Lee Atwell is 38.
Police say he is a possible homicide suspect and could be armed with a 357 Magnum.
Tracy is 6"2, 180 pounds with hazel eyes.
His daughter, Portia Atwell, is 4" tall and weighs about 75 pounds.
Police say she is believed to be in extreme danger and in the Jeep with her father.
Anyone with information is asked to call State Police or 911.
Right now, a picture has not been made available of the little girl or her father.
Click the following link for the latest from the West Virginia State Police's AMBER Alert site:
http://www.statepolice.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/amber-alert-issued-missing-wva-girl/nMYJM/

April 12, 2012

UPDATE: Police allege man robbed parents, abducted daughter after murdering wife

By Kate Coil

CAMP CREEK — A massive manhunt was under way Thursday evening for a Mercer County
man who is believed to have killed his wife, robbed his parents and
abducted his 8-year-old daughter.

An Amber Alert was issued around 6:30 p.m. Thursday for Porshia Atwell,
8, of Camp Creek after she was abducted from the residence where she
was living with her grandparents. Her father, Tracey Lee Atwell, 38, of
the Spanishburg-Camp Creek area of Mercer County is believed to have
abducted the girl after stealing a white 1999 Jeep Cherokee Laredo from
his parents’ residence in Camp Creek.

Sgt. Greg Duckworth with the West Virginia State Police Beckley
detachment said Atwell should be “considered extremely armed and
dangerous.” Duckworth advised anyone who saw Atwell to not approach him
and “call police immediately.”

Atwell is also a suspect in the murder of his wife, who was found dead
in a residence in the Rock area of Mercer County, according to the West
Virginia State Police Princeton detachment.

Sgt. J.A. Amos with the West Virginia State Police Beckley detachment
said Atwell told his parents that he had murdered his wife — who is also
the girl’s mother — before taking the girl from their home.

“It is believed that Tracey Atwell tied up his parents, robbed them and
stole their 1999 white Grand Cherokee Laredo,” Amos said. “He then
abducted his 8-year-old daughter. His parents had custody of her at the
time. He advised his parents he had killed his wife before he robbed
them. When police responded to the scene of his home, they found his
wife dead. There is a massive manhunt under way in reference to the
murder, kidnapping and robbery. I do not know his parents’ condition at
this time, but they were able to talk with police when they arrived on
scene.”

Duckworth said one of the parents was able to get free from the
bindings and alerted police. Police are not releasing details about the
death of Atwell’s wife.

Porshia is described as a white female who measures 4 feet, 2 inches
tall and weighs approximately 75 pounds. She is believed to be “in
extreme danger,” according to the West Virginia State Police Princeton
detachment. Tracey Lee Atwell, 49, is described as 6 feet, 2 inches tall
and weighs around 180 pounds with hazel eyes. There is the possibility
the two are traveling in a white Jeep Cherokee Laredo with West Virginia
license plate 6C3202.

Trooper J.C. Teubert said Atwell may be headed for the Iaeger area of
McDowell County, and law enforcement in Mercer County employed
helicopters in the search for the missing girl.

“We’ve got air support looking for the Jeep in the area,” Teubert said.
“We’re thinking she might be in McDowell County somewhere. Her father
has roots in Iaeger. We have units out looking for her everywhere. We
are looking for her in Raleigh, Mercer, McDowell counties and in
Virginia.”

Teubert said a large volume of calls came in to the detachment Thursday
night from around the two Virginias and law enforcement were tracking
down as many leads as possible.

Sightings of the vehicle were reported Thursday evening in the
Speedway, Spanishburg, Brushfork, Bluewell and Oakvale areas of Mercer
County as well as in Summers County and in Raleigh County.

Anyone with information should contact the West Virginia State Police
at 304-425-2101, dial *SP on a cell phone or call the local 911
Emergency Dispatch.

— Kara Van Pelt of The Register-Herald contributed to this report.

— Coil is a member of the staff of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x2108296230/AMBER-ALERT-issued-for-PORSHIA-ATWELL-8-after-abduction-in-Princeton

Amber Alert Continues


An all out manhunt continues in southern West Virginia for Tracey
Atwell, the 38-year-old Mercer County man who allegedly abducted his
eight-year-old daughter Porshia from his parents’ home in Camp Creek
Thursday.

An Amber Alert continues. State Troopers say Atwell did call family members Friday saying his daughter was okay.

Atwell's wife Christina, 33, was found dead Thursday. Her body has been
sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office. Atwell told his parents
Thursday that he killed his wife.

State Police believe Atwell's problems with drugs and his lack of money may have kept him in the local area.

Reinforcements arrived at the Princeton State Police detachment at six o'clock Saturday morning to help with the search.

Atwell was last seen in a1999 white Jeep Cherokee Laredo with West Virginia plates 6C3202.


Troopers have stopped several of those types of vehicles since the
Amber Alert was issued. They've also followed up on dozen of tips with
no success. A State Police helicopter has also been used in the search.

http://www.58wchs.com/includes/news_items/7/news_items_more.php?id=31081§ion_id=7

Amber Alert Cancelled
WSLS
An amber alert
for an 8-year old with ties to our area... has been cancelled. State
police in West Virginia tell WSLS... "Porshia Atwell" has been found...
is doing okay... and a suspect has been arrested.

An amber alert for an 8-year old with ties to our area... has been cancelled.

State police in West Virginia tell WSLS... "Porshia Atwell" has been found... is doing okay... and a suspect has been arrested.

West Virginia State police issued the amber alert Friday...
saying the little girl had been taken from Mercer County, West
Virginia.

Police believe Atwell's father, Tracey Atwell, murdered her
mother, Chrissy Atwell, and then kidnapped the girl from his parents,
who investigators said had custody.

Court records show Tracey Atwell had a Bedford County address in the Huddleston community in 2003.

State Police are having a press conference tonight at seven... we'll have the latest information tonight on WSLS at 11.
http://www2.wsls.com/news/2012/apr/14/amber-alert-cancelled-ar-1842964/

BECKLEY —
After a two-day manhunt, murder suspect Tracey Atwell was captured
while traveling along W.Va. 5 near the intersection of Nubbins Ridge
Road and Egeria Road along the Mercer and Raleigh county line around
4:45 p.m. Saturday, said Sgt. M.D. Clemons with the Crimes Against
Children Unit of the West Virginia State Police Princeton detachment.

Atwell was driving a white Jeep stolen from his parents three days ago
and had his 8-year-old-daughter, Porshia, with him in the vehicle,
Clemons said.

The two had been staying in the vehicle, said police.

Clemons said Porshia had experienced an emotional two days and had been living mainly off candy, but she was not harmed.

She has been taken to an area hospital and Atwell has been taken to
Southern Regional Jail until he is arraigned before a circuit court
judge on Monday, said police.

He is facing charges of murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, concealment of a child and grand larceny.

http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x101447996/Murder-suspect-captured-along-Mercer-Raleigh-county-line

A first of many steps in the legal process started Monday when a Mercer
County man facing charges including the murder of his wife and the
abduction of his 8-year-old daughter was denied bond and remanded to
jail.

Tracey Lee Atwell, 38, appeared in Mercer County Circuit Court before
Judge Omar Aboulhosn for a bond hearing. Atwell was arrested Saturday
after an extensive search for him and his 8-year-old daughter, Porshia.

The manhunt started Thursday after he tied up his parents and took his
daughter from their Camp Creek home after stealing their 1999 Jeep
Cherokee Laredo. Investigators later found the body of Atwell’s wife,
Christina Atwell, at a home in Rock.

Shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform, Atwell entered Aboulhosn’s
courtroom at the Mercer County Courthouse Annex as his parents, Willard
and Margaret Atwell, watched.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kelli Harshbarger said the state
objected to setting a bond for Atwell. She cited the seriousness of the
charges he is facing and added that he was a flight risk. Atwell is
facing charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, concealment of a
child, and kidnapping, she said.

Attorney Brandon Shoemaker, who was appointed to represent Atwell along
with attorney Paul Cassell, argued that Atwell was a candidate for
bond.

“He has family in Mercer County,” Shoemaker said. “Mr. Atwell’s
daughter was returned unharmed and he never left Mercer County.”

Aboulhosn decided against setting a bond and remanded Atwell to the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver.

“These allegations are extremely serious, and Mr. Atwell is not a candidate for bond,” Aboulhosn said.

A defense motion to have Atwell undergo a psychiatric evaluation was granted.

Atwell’s parents said as they waited outside the courtroom for the
hearing to begin that they did not believe their son ever intended to
harm his daughter.

“I never did think he would really hurt her,” said Margaret Atwell. “He
just wanted some time with his daughter because he knew he was going to
be gone.”

“And it wasn’t like he tried to flee,” Willard Atwell added. “He had full intentions of bringing her back.”

Willard Atwell said his son was bi-polar and has had mental problems in the past.

Porshia Atwell is currently in the custody of the state Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Willard Atwell added.

“Porshia’s all right. She’s doing good. She’s doing real good,” Margaret Atwell said. “I can’t wait to get my arms around her.”

After the hearing, Sgt. M.D. Clemons of the West Virginia State Police
Princeton detachment said when Porshia could be returned to her family
would have to be determined by the state DHHR and the court system.

Clemons took the opportunity to thank members of the public for their
assistance while the search was underway. The state police were not
receiving many tips, but these led investigators to believe Atwell and
his daughter were still in the area.

Atwell had not traveled very much after leaving his parent’s home with
his daughter. At times he would put tree branches over the Jeep Cherokee
Laredo he was driving to hide it when he heard helicopters in the air,
Clemons said.

http://bdtonline.com/local/x101449849/Judge-denies-Atwell-bond

4/24/2012

Amber Alert Case In Court Today Staff Princeton

A preliminary hearing is scheduled this afternoon in Mercer County Magistrate Court in a case that resulted in an Amber Alert.

Tracey Atwell, 38, of Iaeger, has been in jail charged with murder, kidnapping
and armed robbery after a two-day manhunt in Mercer County earlier this month.

Atwell allegedly killed his wife Christina Atwell, 33, robbed his parents and kidnapped his eight-year-old daughter Porshia.

An Amber Alert was issued and police caught up with Atwell two days later in the general area.

He's scheduled to appear before a Mercer County magistrate at 3:30 this
afternoon. The magistrate will decide if there's enough evidence to
forward the case to the next grand jury.

http://www.wvmetronews.com/news.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=52322