KEARA and SIERRA HESS - 12 and 11 yo - Mooresville NC

Authorites are seeking information on the whereabouts of a father
and his two young daughters after the girls did not show up at school
Thursday.

Matthew Charles Hess, 40, and his 12-year-old daughter Keara Lasha
Hess and her 11-year-old sister, Sierra Nichole Hess have not been seen
since approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Lt. Julie Gibson of the
Iredell County Sheriff's Office.

Gibson said the girls' mother last saw them at 9 p.m. Wednesday when they went to bed in their home near Mooresville.

On Thursday morning, a note from Hess was found, Gibson said. The
note said the father left early to get some school supplies and he was
taking the girls to school, she said.

The children did not show up at school and have not been seen or heard from since.

Gibson said it is believed they are with their father, and may be
traveling in a tan or brown 1993 Ford Explorer, with the NC tag
YTE8014. The right back passenger window is broken out and is covered
with Plexiglass and duct taped in place.

Gibson said there is a possibility he went to New York.

Keara, Gibson said, is in need of an immediate medical procedure and
her health may be at risk. She said Mr. Hess might not be aware of the
seriousness of his daughter's condition.

Gibson said no Amber Alert has been issued. This case does not meet
Amber Alert criteria because the girls were not abducted, she said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff's office at (704) 878-3100.

Hess is a white male, about 5-feet-10-inches tall and 190 pounds.

Keara is 5-feet-1-inch tall and weighs 128 pounds. She has brown
curly hair, brown eyes and wears glasses. Her sister, Sierra, is
5-feet-tall and 100 pounds. She has brown curly hair and brown eyes.

A man and his two daughters, who were last seen Wednesday night, were still missing as of Saturday night, authorities said.

Matthew Charles Hess, 40, and his 12-year-old daughter Keara Lasha
Hess, and her 11-year-old sister, Sierra Nichole Hess, have not been
seen since approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Lt. Julie Gibson of the
Iredell County Sheriff's Office.

Gibson said the girls' mother last saw them at 9 p.m. Wednesday when they went to bed in their home near Mooresville.

On Thursday morning, a note from Hess was found, Gibson said. The
note said the father left early to get some school supplies and he was
taking the girls to school, she said.

The children did not show up at school and have not been seen or
heard from since. Gibson said it is believed they are with their
father, and may be traveling in a tan or brown 1993 Ford Explorer, with
N.C. tag YTE8014. The right back passenger window is broken out and is
covered with Plexiglass and duct taped in place.

Gibson said there is a possibility he went to New York, where Hess
has family. She said detectives have learned that Hess also has a
friend in Tennessee.

She said authorities are concerned about Hess' safety as well as
that of his daughters. She said it is unknown why he took the girls and
left with them.

Keara, Gibson said, is in need of an immediate medical procedure and
her health may be at risk. She said Hess might not be aware of the
seriousness of his daughter's condition.

Gibson said no Amber Alert has been issued. This case does not meet
Amber Alert criteria because the girls were taken by a custodial
parent, she said.

Hess is a white male, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 190 pounds.

Keara is 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 128 pounds. She has brown curly hair, brown eyes and wears glasses.

Her sister, Sierra, is 5 feet tall and 100 pounds. She has brown curly hair and brown eyes. She also wears glasses.

An Iredell County District Court judge issued an order Friday
allowing the Iredell County Department of Social Services to take
custody of the girls when they are located, Gibson said.

Anyone with information about either Hess or the girls is asked to
call the sheriff's office at (704) 878-3100 or their local law
enforcement agency.

The mother of two missing Iredell County girls is making a plea for their safe return."I never ever once thought I would go through something like this and now I am and it's a nightmare,” said Janette Hess.Hess
says she's been living this nightmare since her daughters Sierra, 11,
and Keara, 12, disappeared along with their stepfather Mathew on
Thursday.Hess said Keara is nine months pregnant and due any day
now. That's also a big reason why Iredell County investigators are
working to find the missing family.Lt. Julie Gibson said, "We're
very concerned. We want Mr. Hess to realize his daughter is in need of
immediate care. He may not realize her condition has got to the point
where she needs to see a doctor right away."Hess said Thursday
morning she found a note from her husband saying he was going to pick
up some items at the store and had taken both girls with him. They
haven't been heard from since.Investigators said so far they've found no record of cell phone
calls or financial activity on Mathew Hess' accounts. Lt. Gibson said,
"We can have lots of ideas or thoughts about what may have happened.
They may have had an accident. A third party may have intervened, all
the way to Mr. Hess has left with his children for some unknown reason."While
investigators continue to search every possible lead, Hess said her top
priority is finding her family. "All I want is my kids; that's it. I've
never asked for much out of this world but all I want is just my kids,”
she said.Officers said Matthew Hess is driving a brown 1993 Ford Explorer with licence plate number YTE-8014. The back passenger window is broken out and covered with Plexiglass and duct tape.Anyone with information is asked to call the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office at 704-787-3100.

Authorities across the country are on the
look out for two Iredell County girls -- including one who is 9-months
pregnant -- who disappeared with their step-father last week. Janette
Hess says her 12-year-old pregnant daughter Keara and 11-year-old
Sierra, vanished with their stepfather, Matthew Hess, on Thursday,
Sept. 24.


Janette Hess said she hasn't seen her daughters since they went to bed on Wednesday around 9 p.m. "It's been a nightmare, I've been living in a nightmare," Hess said. The
Iredell County Sheriff's Office has entered Matthew Hess and the two
girls into NCIC. The children are also now listed on the Center for
Missing and Exploited Children website. An AMBER alert was not issued
because are with a legal guardian and do not meet the criteria of a
missing child. During the sheriff's office investigation this
week, the sheriff's office learned new information. Lt. Julie Gibson
said there is the possibility that Matthew Hess or the girls packed
items for the purpose of having "...an intended stay away from home."
The sheriff's office is not sure at this time. Some of the girls'
clothing and other things were missing which they very likely would
have taken on a trip Gibson said. The sheriff's office is
asking other states to check their state parks, homeless shelters,
camping areas, hotels and rest areas in case they see Matthew Hess and
the two girls. The sheriff's office says Hess has not broken
any laws at this time. He is their legal guardian and in North
Carolina, a parent or guardian has the right to take their child
whenever they want outside the state. The sheriff's office just wants
to make sure the girls are safe. Matthew Hess has been
married to the girls' mother for 11 years. At this point, the
sheriff's office doesn't have any reason to suspect that Matthew Hess
has ever harmed the girls. When asked if Hess may have taken
the girl away to have an abortion, Gibson said Keara is too far along
to have a legal abortion. Keara was due to have a medical
procedure on the day in which she disappeared. This procedure was very
important for Keara to have, Gibson said. She would not comment
further, though. Keara has never indicated that her stepfather
was the father of the child. They think the father is a young person
Keara's age. The mother told authorities her daughter named a young
person as the father. Keara got pregnant when she, her sister
and Matthew Hess lived in Lincoln County. At the time, Matthew and
Janette Hess were separated. This summer, Matthew and Janette Hess started living together again with the girls at a home in Mooresville. Once
the girls are found, a non-secure custody order has been issued by the
Iredell County District Court to have the girls turned over to the
Department of Social Services, said Lt. Julie Gibson with the sheriff's
office. Gibson said this DSS order was not issued until the day the
girls were reported missing. Janette Hess says her estranged
husband left a note early Thursday morning indicating that he left
early to get some school supplies and was taking his daughters to
school. When Keara didn't show up for her doctor's
appointment later that day, Janette Hess became suspicious and
worried. She said Keara is nearly nine months pregnant. "I'm
concerned about the welfare of my daughter," Hess said. "I don't know
if he's scared to take her to the hospital or if they're going to try
to do this on their own." Bank records show no activity on
Matthew Hess' account since he left Thursday morning. Jeanette Hess
believes the three may have left the state. "I have a suspicion they might be over in New York or over in Tennessee because we used to live in Tennessee," she said. The
sheriff's office has been following leads from other states, but as of
Monday afternoon, Gibson said they have not had any success in locating
the girls. Janette Hess is pleading for her the safe return of her daughters. "I just want my kids back, I want my girls back," Jeanette Hess said. Keara
Hess is described as 5' 1" tall, 128 pounds, wears glasses, has brown
curly hair and brown eyes. Sierra Hess is described as 5' tall, 100
pounds, has brown curly hair and brown eyes. The sheriff's
office said Matthew Hess is driving a 1993 Ford Explorer that is forest
green in color. It has a NC tag YTE-8014. The back passenger window
is broken and covered with Plexiglass and duct-taped in place. If you know where Matthew Hess or these missing girls may be, call the Iredell County Sheriff's Office at 704-878-3100.

Neighbors describe 12-year-old Keara Hess and 11-year-old Sierra Hess
as good girls: quiet and now, missing from their Mooresville home since
Thursday morning. One neighbor, who watches the girls after school,
says "They're nice respectful children and the parents seemed good."

Matthew
Hess may have the girls; he's their adoptive father and has legal
custody of them. Police are worried, though, that 12-year-old Keara,
due to deliver a baby any day now, isn't getting the medical attention
she needs. She's already missed one doctor's appointment.

"Apparently
there are some other complications with her pregnancy. And we don't
know if he (Matthew Hess) realizes that, if he realizes that she needs
immediate medical attention, maybe he doesn't realize that,” says Lt.
Julie Gibson of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

12-year-old Keara intended to keep the baby she may
have already delivered. Investigators say inside the home where she
lived with her father, there are plenty of baby supplies and equipment.


Police say there is no sign of financial trouble in the home
and while Keara has not named the father of her baby, there's no
indication that it's Matthew Hess. A few tips have come in from places
as far away as Pennsylvania and as nearby as Stokes County, located in
the northern part of North Carolina.

"They're going to have
to surface at some point in time, they're gonna need food, Keara's
gonna go into labor, they're obviously gonna need baby supplies, so I
feel at this point that we'll find them and they're gonna be hopefully
OK," says Gibson.

Neighbors are also hopeful but very
concerned about Keara's health, one woman wondering, "Is she gonna be
healthy enough to do what she has to do for this child?" Another says,
"All I know is I hope the children show up safe and everything's good
and get back together."

Hess's estranged wife - and mother of
the two girls - first described his SUV as a tan or brown 1993 Ford
Explorer. Now, she says it's dark green. It has a North Carolina tag
YTE-8014.

An Amber Alert was issued Tuesday evening for missing Mooresville
sisters Keara and Sierra Hess, 12 and 11, who are believed to be with
their stepfather, Matthew Hess, 40.Keara, who is nicknamed
"Diamond," is nine months pregnant and was scheduled to deliver a baby
boy by Cesarean section last Thursday because of complications she was
having, authorities said. Keara told her mother that a young boy is the baby's father. However, she never named the father, authorities said.Janette Hess, the girls' mother, said her husband left her a note
last Thursday saying he was taking the girls to school. Later that day,
Keara missed her doctor's appointment and the three haven't been seen
since."Please just drop them off, please! I just want the girls (to be) OK," Janette Hess said.Authorities
said they waited several days to issue the Amber Alert because Matthew
Hess is the girls' legal guardian and has not broken any laws by taking
them. Also, Janette Hess told investigators that the girls had a good
relationship with their stepfather and that she initially wasn't
worried about their safety.She and Matthew Hess were legally
separated but had gotten back together this summer and were living
together at the time the girls went missing, authorities said.When
Janette Hess first reported her daughters missing, authorities said
they thought something might have happened to the three on the way to
school. However, after further investigation at the family's house, it
appeared that the girls and Matthew Hess had packed for an extended
trip, officials said.Keara is approximately 5 feet 1 inches tall
and weighs 128 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Sierra is
approximately 5 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds. She has brown hair and
brown eyes.Matthew Hess is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 160
pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. He also has three tattoos: a
blue devil on his right upper arm, a heart with a ribbon going through
it on his left upper arm and a blue dragon on his left forearm.Investigators
said they think he might be driving a green 1993 Ford Explorer with
N.C. license tag YTE-8014. The back right passenger window is broken
out and is covered with Plexiglass, which is duct-taped in place.Matthew Hess and the girls might be en route to Fayetteville or Tennessee."They're
going to have to surface at some point in time," said Iredell County
sheriff's spokeswoman Lt. Julie Gibson. "They're going to need food.
Keara's going to go into labor. They're obviously going to need baby
supplies. So I feel at this point that we'll find them and they're
going to be hopefully OK."Anyone with any information should call the Iredell County Sheriff's Office at 704-878-3100, or call 911 or *HP.

Two missing Mooresville sisters who
had been the subject of an Amber Alert were found safe Wednesday in
Tennessee, authorities saidKeara and Sierra Hess, 12 and 11, were with their stepfather, Matthew Hess, 40.Keara,
who is nicknamed "Diamond," is nine months pregnant and was scheduled
to deliver a baby boy by Cesarean section last Thursday because of
complications she was having, authorities said. Both girls were
taken to a local hospital as a precaution, Lt. Julie Gibson of the
Iredell Sheriff's Office said. Keara has not given birth to her child,
she added.Iredell authorities are considering filing charges against Matthew Hess for not getting Keara the medical care she needed.

Authorities say a North Carolina man faces charges in
the abduction of his two adopted daughters, including a 12-year-old who
is eight months pregnant.
A statement from the Iredell County, N.C., sheriff's office
Wednesday said 40-year-old Matthew Hess faces charges of child neglect
and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Authorities say Hess left a note with his estranged wife a week ago
saying he was taking one of the girls to school. Jeanette Hess
contacted police when the 12-year-old failed to show for a doctor's
appointment.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said troopers arrested Hess after a
motorist on Interstate 40 spotted the Ford Explorer described in an
Amber Alert.
Hess is in a Tennessee jail pending extradition.

A Mooresville man who sparked an Amber Alert when he disappeared
with his 12-year-old pregnant adopted daughter and her 11-year-old
sister now faces rape and incest charges.
Mathew
Charles Hess, 40, had already been charged with misdemeanor child abuse
and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile after, authorities
say, he took his two adoptive daughters to Tennessee despite the
condition of the daughter who was nine months pregnant.
Now
he faces additional charges in Lincoln County - indecent liberties with
a child, first-degree rape and felony incest between near relatives.
Details of the charges were unavailable. Authorities haven't said
whether they believe Hess is the father of the older daughter's baby.
Hess
and his wife, who is the girls' biological mother, are separated,
authorities said. The girls were living with Mathew Hess in Lincoln
County when the older girl became pregnant.
The Observer
published the girls' names when they were the subject of a large-scale
search, but is not naming them now because authorities say at least one
was a victim of a sex-related crime.
Authorities believe
Hess drove away with his daughters on Sept. 24 after leaving a note for
his wife saying he was taking them to school. The girls' mother called
authorities soon after, when the pregnant daughter didn't show up for a
doctor's appointment.
Last week when the pregnant girl missed an important medical procedure, authorities issued a nationwide Amber Alert.
A
motorist in Tennessee who saw the alert on an interstate sign
recognized the family's faded green Ford Explorer and called the
Tennessee Highway Patrol on Wednesday. Less than half an hour later,
the search was over. Social services took temporary custody of the
girls.
Two members of the Iredell Sheriff's Office's
warrant squad drove to Tennessee on Friday and brought Hess back to
North Carolina. His first court date for the Iredell County charges is
Nov. 16 in Statesville.
Now, he's in Iredell jail under a $12,000 bond. He's also deemed a flight risk because of the charges in Lincoln County.