PHYLICIA BARNES - 16 yo (2010) - Baltimore MD

More than two dozen city police cadets, half the city police homicide
unit, and dozens of folks in the community canvassed the apartment
complex and the nearby Reisterstown road plaza with flyers looking for
any leads in this case. They even brought in special FBI search helicopters to help in the search. Police admit that they are stumped as there are few clues. They
have executed several search warrants, have interviewed dozens of
people and even have what they call persons of interest but so far no
solid leads. Police say the one thing they are sure about is that this young woman would not go off on her own, in a city she did not know. They don't know what happened to her but they're not ruling anything out. "As
far as foul play we can't rule that out and we're basing that purely on
the circumstances we don't have anything else that there has been foul
play involved but because it's been so long and so unusual half the
homicide unit is assigned to this case and we're getting lots of help
from the community." City police major Terrance McLarney told reporters
at a news conference this afternoon. Her father says he’s hoping for the best and wants people to call the police if they’ve seen anything. "We
have no idea sir we just prey that everything works out we have no
ideas and we know that the Baltimore police department and everyone
involved in this and doing the best that they can." Phylicia’s father
Russell Barnes told reporters. At this point authorities are
looking for any tips in this case they've set up a special 24 hour tip
line... 1-855-223-0033 for information about the Barnes case.

Authorities continued their search
Thursday for a 16-year-old North Carolina girl who disappeared while
visiting relatives in Baltimore.Police said they suspect foul
play in the disappearance of Phylicia Barnes, who was last seen Dec. 28,
and have set up a hot line for anyone who might have information about
the case. That number is 855-223-0033.Officers responded to what
they called "suspicious activity" near the Reisterstown Road Plaza on
Wednesday, but a search didn't turn up anything."As far as foul
play, we can't rule that out," said police Maj. Terrence McLarney. "And
we're basing that solely on the circumstances. We don't have anything
else that tells us if there's been foul play involved -- simply that it
has been this long and is so unusual."
The FBI and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children are also involved in the search.
In addition to the hot line, investigators have passed out fliers with Barnes' picture.
Barnes, who is from Monroe, N.C., hasn't used her cell phone or credit card since she was last seen Dec. 28.
"I pray to God that my daughter is fine and she'll be found safe," said
Barnes' father, Russell Barnes. "I hope people keep praying as high as
they can and understand that this shouldn't happen to any child anywhere
in this country."Dozens of investigators searched Leakin Park
earlier this week, using search and seizure dogs, cadaver dogs,
helicopters and a dive team.There are currently no suspects in the case.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call police.

Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi was complaining that he couldn't get national media attention to help locate missing 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes, who may have been abducted and taken out of state.But
Thursday afternoon, he suddenly got hit with requests for the CBS
Early Show, NBC's Today and CNN's Nancy Grace, who makes a living hyping
missing children stories. I tuned in to the show a few minutes ago but
saw only coverage of a missing 13-year-old cheerleader from Texas,
and an interview with her distraught mom who for some reason was
admitting to have failed a police-administered lie-detector test.Guglielmi
had expressed concern of a double-standard -- that Phylicia wasn't
getting national attention because she went missing in Baltimore. He
noted that she could've been abducted, that police believe she's a
victim of foul play, that she's an honor student and track star who was
going to graduate early and go to college at Towson University.


What he didn't say but what cops are
thinking: Phylicia Barnes is also black and disappeared in a violent
city. Missing children typically showcased on national televsion are
white and from the suburbs. Race and class is the presiding factor, says
a university professor and media expert I interviewed.But
I had hoped that Nancy Grace had come through. Guglielmi and the head
of the homicide unit, Maj. Terrence McLarney, were to head down to DC to
tape a segment for the show that is on the air as I write this. When I
didn't see city cops on my TV screen, I sent a text message to the
spokesman.Gugllielmi wrote back: "No, they never followed through" (he told me CBS producers never called back either).The cheerleader from rural Texas trumped the college-bound teen from Baltimore.As
I walked out of the living room to type this post, I heard a promo from
the Nancy Grace show on the victim from Texas: "She's not just the talk
of the town, she's the talk of the nation."Gugliemi said the
Early Show also never called back. But they did tape a segment for
Today. The spokesman said he's not asking for a full-blown hour. "I just
want them to flash a picture, that's all I want," he said Thursday
night.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2011/01/news_shows_bails_on_missing_ci.html

Russell Barnes has not been at his Clayton County home for more than a week.
He’s been up in northwest Baltimore looking for his 16-year-old daughter, Phylicia Barnes, who disappeared on Dec. 28.
The high-profile case has baffled authorities: what happened to the
teenager after she walked out of her sister’s northwest Baltimore
apartment around 1:30 p.m.?
Baltimore police have assigned half of its homicide squad to the
case, and the FBI has agreed to fly in two helicopters equipped with
advanced technology to help search for Barnes, according to the (Baltimore) Sun. The massive manhunt
includes the Maryland State Police, cadaver dogs, a 24-hour hot line
and now billboards along one of the nation’s busiest highways.
The case has captured the attention of media and the public in Maryland and in North Carolina, where Phylicia Barnes lives.
The AJC learned about Barnes’ missing daughter after receiving an
email from a friend and former co-worker of his. The AJC has attempted
to contact Barnes, who told reporters during a news conference in
Maryland Wednesday that he is not ready to concede that his daughter is
dead.
“I just want to pray to God that my beautiful daughter is all right and that she will be found,” he told the Sun.
Barnes went with cadets from Baltimore police’s academy class as they
handed out fliers with a photo and description of Phylicia, the Sun
said. Their focus was Leakin Park and the surrounding area, the Sun
said.
“This is about finding my child,” he told the Sun. “My child.”
Phylicia Barnes, an honor student who lives in Monroe, N.C., near
Charlotte, was staying in her 27-year-old sister’s basement apartment.
She planned to move to Baltimore and attend Towson University after
graduating early from high school, the Sun said.
Police told the media that Phylicia Barnes left her sister’s
apartment on the afternoon of Dec. 28, apparently to get something to
eat. Her debit card hasn’t been used, her cell phone has been turned off
and her Facebook page has not been updated, the Sun said.
“It is not in her character to disappear,” Russell Barnes said in a
statement printed on a missing person’s flier. “It’s not her character
at all to not let anybody know her whereabouts. She’s not just a runaway
or anything like that.”
The flier said Phylicia Barnes was last seen wearing a navy blue
hooded pea coat, a turquoise thermal shirt, blue jeans and white slipper
boots. She was carrying a caramel-colored purse.
Baltimore police have told the media they don’t have immediate
evidence to suspect foul play but have to take that possibility more
seriously as time goes on. They are investigating the possibility that the teenager was abducted, the Sun said.
Clear Channel Communications has donated billboard space along Interstate 95 between Baltimore and New York City, the Charlotte Observer said.
The billboards will display the teenager’s photo as well as a new
nationwide 24-hour telephone tips number – 1-855-223-0033, the Observer
said.
More than 7,000 people have joined the Facebook page, “Pray for Phylicia Barnes.”

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/07/police-national-media-needed-in-search-for-missing-north-caroli/?icid=maing|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk3|35247

Police: National Media Needed in Search for Teen
Jan 7, 2011 – 1:38 PM

Authorities in Maryland are stepping up efforts to locate Phylicia Barnes, a 16-year-old North Carolina girl who disappeared while visiting relatives in Baltimore. But a local police official said the national media need to take note of the case.

"We are doing everything we can," Baltimore police spokesman Anthony
Guglielmi told AOL News, noting that more than 35 detectives are working
on the case, as well as two teams from the FBI.

"We would really like the national outlets to help us out here, so if
somebody sees her in Missouri, they are able to alert authorities
quickly," Guglielmi continued. "It has been incredibly frustrating for
me. We've been pitching this since the 29th [and] have not gotten any
traction. This case is no different than the Natalee Holloway case. The only difference is Phylicia is from North Carolina, she went missing in Baltimore and she is African-American."

Guglielmi added, "I just think if we could get America just to see her
picture -- that is all we are asking -- maybe that will lead detectives
to a break and save this young lady's life."

Authorities have set up a special tip line. Anyone with information on
Phylicia's disappearance should call 855-223-0033. The FBI has also
posted her vital information and photo on its website.

Baltimore police wanting national attention to help locate missing
16-year-old Phylicia Barnes got some help this morning from NBC's Today
show (watch segment here). A reporter came to Baltimore and did a two-minute segment that reached viewers across the nation."This
is Baltimore's Natalee Holloway case," police spokesman Anthony
Guglielmi told viewers. "This is a young woman who came to Baltimore and
just disappeared."The spokesman has for days trying to attract
media from outside Baltimore and Phylicia's hometown in North Carolina
to cover the case. In a Sun story published today,
Guglielmi recounts his efforts to spread the word. CNN's Nancy Grace
and CBS Early Morning fell through (police said producers never called
back), but NBC did to a piece.Police here are concerned because
after 10 days of searching, detectives haven't come up with a single
sighting for clue. They believe Phylicia has been the victim of foul
play and may even have been abducted, hence their push to get her
picture shown outside of Maryland.
Baltimore officials have
expressed concerns that the national media is ignoring Phylicia Barnes
because she disappeared in a violent city and is black. Nancy Grace did do a show on a missing teen Thursday night -- a white cheerleader from Texas.But I'm told ABC News is headed to Baltimore to report on the case, and might at least touch on the disparity issue.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:

I'm wondering if her sister's boyfriend isn't involved--I know I read in one of these articles that he was the last to see her alive????

"This case is no different than the Natalee Holloway case. The only difference is Phylicia is from North Carolina, she went missing in Baltimore and she is African-American." (Snipped from Guglielmi's comment.)

I wish some people could get over the color issue. I've yet to see a full size billboard in Baltimore of any other missing child-including the 'white' girl missing from Texas. Forget race disparity, after all we are all related and belong to the "Human Race"; focus on finding these missing children (of all shades) and most importantly not put them into situations where devastating things can possibly happen.

ladibug wrote:"This case is no different than the Natalee Holloway case. The only difference is Phylicia is from North Carolina, she went missing in Baltimore and she is African-American." (Snipped from Guglielmi's comment.)

I wish some people could get over the color issue. I've yet to see a full size billboard in Baltimore of any other missing child-including the 'white' girl missing from Texas. Forget race disparity, after all we are all related and belong to the "Human Race"; focus on finding these missing children (of all shades) and most importantly not put them into situations where devastating things can possibly happen.

---Well said, L'bug! Some folks in some of the larger cities (Chicago, LA, Detroit) always seem to complain about a race-based double standard for victims and perpetrators alike. True, LE does "grade" cases based on seriousness. So does the triage at the local emergency room. I would hope that those decisions are based purely on the circumstances of the case and not the ethnicity of any of the involved parties.

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Baltimore police say they are fearing the worst in the disappearance of Phylicia Barnes.
A spokesperson for the department says they
have not had a single "pop up" or confirmed sighting since the teenager
disappeared 12 days ago. Barnes, a senior at Union Academy in Monroe,
vanished on December 28 while visiting relatives in Baltimore for
Christmas.
Police say Barnes told relatives she was
leaving the apartment to grab something to eat. She hasn't been seen
since. Police said, there has been no activity on her Facebook page, her
cell phone has been silent and there's been no activity in the teen's
bank account.
Police have distributed 4,000 fliers of the
missing girl. The department is using 4 of it's own helicopters in
addition to 2 FBI choppers that have heat-sensory capabilities. The
Maryland State Police have also offered assistance, officials said.
Ten Billboards along I-95 from Maryland to
New York are digitally displaying Barnes's picture and a hotline number
for people to call with tips and information on the teen's
disappearance.http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13811738

January 11, 2011 1:59 PM Phylicia Barnes Missing: Police Search Maryland Park for Missing Teen

Phylicia Barnes (CBS affiliate WJZ)

BALTIMORE (CBS/WJZ/AP) It's been almost two weeks since
anyone has seen missing teenager Phylicia Barnes, the North Carolina
girl who disappeared while visiting relatives in Baltimore.
PICTURES: Missing Children, Where are They?
Now police are now focusing their search on Patapsco State Park, west of Baltimore, reports CBS affiliate WJZ. "Through
the investigative process, information has been developed, and Maryland
Natural Resources Police are conducting this search at the request of
the Baltimore Police Department," said Sgt. Arthur Windemuth. More
than 100 detectives, including half of the Baltimore police
department's homicide unit, as well as Maryland State Police and the FBI
have been assigned to Barnes' case, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The
honor roll student from Monroe, N.C., about 25 miles southeast of
Charlotte, was last seen Dec. 28 at her half-sister's apartment in
Northwest Baltimore. Detectives involved in the investigation
fear foul play and say there is reason believe the teen may have been
abducted in part because of items that she left behind at the apartment,
including money. Police have established a tip line for
information on Phylicia Barnes' whereabouts. If you know anything, you
can call 855-223-0033.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20028153-504083.html

Missing Monroe Teen Turns 17 Today






Posted: 11:10 am EST January 12, 2011BALTIMORE -- Phylicia Barnes, a teenager from Monroe who went missing more than two weeks ago, turns 17 on Wednesday.

---

SLIDESHOW:
Photos Of Missing Monroe Teen


"Pray for Phylicia Barnes" Facebook Page

---

Barnes was reported missing on Dec. 28. She was last seen in
Baltimore, where she was visiting family over the holidays. Police in
Baltimore have said they think the teen may have been abducted.Barnes’ mother, Janice Sallis, said there are no new leads in her disappearance.Barnes was last seen wearing a navy blue hooded pea coat, a turquoise thermal shirt, blue jeans and white slippers/boots.Investigators
in Baltimore are offering a $2,500 reward for information in her
disappearance. Billboards featuring blown-up photos of Barnes were
placed along the Interstate 95 corridor between Baltimore and New York.
They include the number of a 24-hour toll-free tip line (1-855-223-0033)
that was recently created for the case.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/26465662/detail.html

It’s an unusual plea for help.

Two congressmen are asking the public to help find a North Carolina teenager who went missing in Maryland.
Phylicia Barnes was last seen on Dec. 28 in Baltimore. She was visiting her half-sister for the holidays.
Congressmen Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Larry Kissell of North Carolina issued a joint statement Friday.
They said their thoughts and prayers are with Barnes' family. The lawmakers also urged people to
contact Baltimore police immediately if they have any information about the case.
Authorities said they've searched high and low for the girl. The FBI and the Center for Missing
and Exploited Children are also involved. A hot line has been set up
and her picture has been posted on fliers and highway billboards.
Police have expressed frustration with the lack of leads in the case. They fear she's the
victim of foul play and may have even been abducted. Her cell phone
and credit cards have not be used since she vanished.


Posters note: So they played the race card and the politicians jump. Pathetic IMO but having set a precedent at least everyone should now expect these congressman to get involved in EVERY case.

(CNN) -- The mother of a missing 17-year-old honor student from North Carolina said she was stunned to learn that "20 different guys" passed through the home where the girl was staying and that the girl was allowed to drink alcohol while visiting family in Baltimore.

Phylicia Barnes of Charlotte, North Carolina, has been missing since December 28 after saying she was going out to get something to eat and maybe a haircut, according to Baltimore police. Maryland State Police and the FBI are also participating in the case.

Authorities have said they fear Barnes may have been harmed or abducted. Barnes left her debit card, and her mother said she has not answered her cell phone.

In an interview with HLN's "Nancy Grace" on Friday, Barnes' mother, Janice Sallis, said she spoke with Barnes' oldest half-sister multiple times before allowing Barnes to go to Baltimore.

"She knows how protective I was as her mother. She wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend," Sallis said. "She didn't have men; we didn't have men coming in and out of our environment."

Sallis said she was "stunned" and "devastated" after learning from one of Barnes' siblings that "there was a listing of 20 different guys going in and out" of where Barnes was staying and that her daughter -- who recently turned 17 -- was allowed to drink alcohol.

A Baltimore police spokesman has said more than 100 Baltimore police, Maryland State Police troopers and FBI agents have been working on the case.

Sallis said she had encouraged Barnes to reach out to her siblings on her father's side of the family.

"I encouraged her to go on Facebook to look for them because she hadn't heard from that side of her family, from her father, in over eight years," Sallis said. "And I, as a mother, didn't want my daughter not knowing who her other side of her DNA is. I didn't want her going from man to man looking for her father in relationships, so I encouraged her to look for her half-sisters online and maybe she could find her father that way because she hadn't heard from him in over eight years."

According to police, Barnes communicated through text messages with her half sister about 12:30 p.m. the day she disappeared. The ex-boyfriend of the half-sister was moving out of the apartment and said he saw Barnes on the couch at about 1:30 p.m., but when he came back to the apartment at about 5:10 p.m., Barnes was not there. The door was reportedly unlocked, and the music in the apartment was extremely loud.

Last week, Baltimore police spokesman Anthony J. Guglielmi said the FBI did a profile on the girl and found no reason she would run away. She is a good student with no emotional disturbances in her life, he said.

"The fact set of this case is different than anything else we've seen," he said.

Sallis made an emotional statement to CNN affiliate WBFF about her daughter.

"I want my daughter back," Sallis said. "She doesn't belong to whoever she's with. She doesn't belong with them. They are not her friends, they are not her family, they don't care anything about her. If they did, she wouldn't be where she's at."

Anyone with information on Barnes' disappearance can call 855-223-0033.

In Session's Jean Casarez and HLN's Natisha Lance contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/15/maryland.missing.girl/index.html?hpt=T2

Case Information
Status Missing
First name Phylicia
Middle name Simone
Last name Barnes
Nickname/Alias
NCMEC number 1162921
Date LKA December 28, 2010 - 14:08
Date entered January 08, 2011
Age LKA 16 to 16 years old
Age now 17 years old
Race Black/African American
Ethnicity
Sex Female
Height 68.0 inches
Weight 120.0 pounds
Circumstances
City Baltimore
State Maryland
Zip code 21215
County Baltimore City
Circumstances Phylicia was last seen on December 28, 2010. It is believed she was last seen wearing, a blue pea coat with hood, turquoise thermal shirt, blue jeans, white ankle-high boots, with a tan purse. Phylicia has a tattoo of a rose on her lower right leg.
The Charlotte Observer reported that the heightened effort to find Phylicia Barnes also included a search of a Baltimore park late Tuesday morning and a visit by detectives Monday night to the northwest Baltimore apartment where the girl had been staying with a half-sister.

Both those searches turned up nothing.



Physical Characteristics
Hair color Black
Head hair shoulder length black hair
Body hair
Facial hair
Left eye color Brown
Right eye color Brown
Eye description

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No known distinctive body features
Distinctive features as described below

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Amputations
Deformities
Scars and marks acne scars on her face
Tattoos tattoo of a rose on her the lower part of her right leg
Piercings
Artificial body parts
and aids
Finger and toe nails
Other distinctive
physical characteristics

Medical
Medical implants
Foreign objects
Skeletal information

Clothing and Accessories
Clothing and accessories are unknown
Clothing and accessories are described below

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Clothing Police say they believe Barnes was wearing a navy blue pea coat with a hood, a turquoise thermal shirt and blue jeans
Footwear white ankle high slipper-boots
Jewelry
Eyewear
Accessories tan purse

Transportation Methods
Vehicle make
Vehicle model
Year
Style
Vehicle color
Tag type
Tag number
Tag state
Expiration year
Vehicle comments
Airline
Bus

Dental
Status: Dental information / charting is currently not available

DNA
Status: Sample is currently not available

Fingerprint Information
Status: Fingerprint information is currently not available

Images
Filter Images: Category Facial/case ID Actual photo Age progression Composite Fingerprint card Dental chart Dental radiograph Other radiograph Amputation Deformity Scars and marks Tattoo Piercing Medical implant Foreign object Skeletal finding Prior surgery Clothing Footwear Jewelry Eyewear Accessories Other

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Click on an image below to view a larger version.

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Documents
Filter documents:Category Facial/case ID Actual photo Age progression Composite Fingerprint card Dental chart Dental radiograph Other radiograph Amputation Deformity Scars and marks Tattoo Piercing Medical implant Foreign object Skeletal finding Prior surgery Clothing Footwear Jewelry Eyewear Accessories Other

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Click on a document to view details and download.
Police Information
Title Det.
First name Daniel
Last name Nicholson
Jurisdiction Local
Agency Baltimore City Police Department
Address 1 242 West 29th Street
Address 2
City Baltimore
State Maryland
Zip code 21218
Phone 4103962525
Email
Website
Case number 106L10790
Date reported
Comments
Reports
Case Report (html version)
Printable Poster (pdf version)
Email Poster Email Address

Contacts
Case Manager
First Name Rose
Last Name Sacchetti
Email namus.14@findthemissing.org
Phone 727-549-6067 x130
Regional Administrator
First Name Brenda
Last Name Galarza
Email namus@ncmec.org
Phone 703-837-6276

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/9182

Mother of missing teen criticizes initial response on CNN


MONROE, N.C. -- The mother of a Monroe missing teenager appeared on national television this weekend begging and pleading for information that will bring her daughter home safely.
She asked anyone who might be involved in the disappearance of Phylicia Barnes to come forward.
"Each and every day I feel that I have having labor pains because my daughter is not with me," her mom Janice Sallis told CNN's Don Lemon.
Phylicia Barnes was last seen on Dec. 28 at her half-sister's home in Baltimore. Her 17th birthday was Wednesday.
Sallis said she feels when her daughter was first reported missing, it was initially ignored.
"The first 48 hours were crucial and they were ignored," Janice Sallis said on CNN.



read more>


http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Mother-of-missing-teen-criticizes-initial-response-on-CNN-113870114.html

North Carolina Teen Falls Off The Radar




Phylicia Barnes, 16, was spending the holidays with her older half-sister in northeast Baltimore when she disappeared on Dec. 28, 2010. According to police, she’d left her sister’s apartment near the Reisterstown Road Metro station and Shopping Plaza to get food and get her hair cut. Like most teens she’s an avid Facebook and cell phone user, but since that day, she’s gone off the radar. She hasn’t logged in once or used her phone or debit card.

Cops: Honor Student Isn't A Runaway



read more>
http://www.amw.com/missing_children/case.cfm?id=76220

The search continues for Phylicia Simone Barnes, a star high school
student from North Carolina who went missing in Baltimore last week. The
16-year-old honor student from Monroe, was visiting her half-sister
when she disappeared three days after Christmas.Phylicia was last
heard from Dec.28 via Facebook when she posted a note saying she was at
her sister's apartment with her sister's boyfriend. The 5 foot 8 inch
straight-A, African-American student has been missing ever since."I
was going to turn this city upside down to find my child, and I was
going to leave no stone unturned," Russell Barnes, Phylicia's father,
told ABC News.The FBI and Baltimore police are conducting the
investigation. Baltimore Metro Crime Stoppers has offered a cash reward
of up to $2,000 for her discovery.Police told ABC News today that
they obtained additional security video from the area surrounding the
apartment, but it has yet to shed new light on the case. FBI helicopters
have scoured the area for three days without finding any clues."If there's any good news, we haven't found anything yet," Baltimore Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said."We've
thrown every single tool, trick, machine, widget that we have in our
law enforcement toolbox. And ten days later we still have nothing."Police
say several people who visited the apartment are considered persons of
interest, and the two likely scenarios proposed by investigators are
abduction or murder."At this point, you hope it's an abduction," Guglielmi said.Janice Sallis, Phylicia's mother, said, "If she's alive, she's scared to death.""Our
goal is to find our sweet beautiful sister, daughter, niece, friend -
that's what she is to everyone," said Phylicia's father, Russell Barnes.Aside
from Baltimore and her hometown near Charlotte, N.C., Phylicia's
disappearance has garnered little media attention, raising the issue of a
double-standard because of her race."I can't see how this case is any different from Natalee Holloway," Guglielmi said. "Is it because she's African-American? Why?"The
dissappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway while on vacation in
Aruba nearly six years ago sparked a media frenzy. But news coverage has
been relatively sparse in Phylicia's case.Speaking about the
lack of national media coverage, the Baltimore Police spokesman said,
"Birds are falling out of the sky in Arkansas and two headed calves, and
this girl may lose her life."The Baltimore Mayor's office says
it shares the concern about the possible existence of a double-standard
in the coverage of Phylicia's disappearance but is more distressed about
the case because of its heartbreaking nature."You see other
cases that get attention, other kids that go missing and its immediately
up on television and you know, I know there's frustration," said Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.More than 17,000 people have joined a
Facebook page called, "Pray for Phylicia Barnes." The charter school
Phylicia attends in North Carolina, Union Academy, held a vigil for the
promising student."Just so scared, just praying that she's going
to turn up and she'll be safe and sound," Lindsey Helms, a student at
Union Academy, said.Her father said, "Phylicia had a bright
spirit and just a glow about herself. Our greatest hope is that she can
walk in the door and ... be reunited with her family."

By A.F. James MacArthur

A police standoff is currently underway near the intersection of
Patterson Avenue and Liberty Road, not far from where 16-year-old
Phylicia Barnes disappeared just after Christmas and has not yet been found.

Early reports indicate shots were fired just before 5 p.m.
Thursday afternoon and that the incident quickly turned into a
barricade situation, possibly involving one or more hostages, observers
at the scene told Investigative Voice moments ago.

There was no indication the incident has any relationship to the missing teen,
nor have any injuries been reported so far.

Area residents reported officials on police bullhorns appealing to an unknown suspect
or captor to surrender to authorities.

‘FLASHBANGS GOING OFF’
Moments ago, at approximately 9:15 p.m., a neighbor told I.V. police were saying,
“We don't wanna hurt you, come out with your hands up.”Earlier,
witnesses said they "heard flashbangs going off," a reference to
non-lethal stun grenades typically used to incapacitate.

Flashbangs' intense flash of light, combined with an extremely loud
blast, temporarily neutralize a combatant, causing disorientation of the
senses, making vision impossible for at least five seconds. However the
body of the grenade remains intact and the there is no shrapnel.Baltimore
County Police have commandeered the parking lot of the Christian Life
Church on that corner to set up a command center, including a mobile
police station, numerous patrol vehicles, and at least three ambulances.

SHUT DOWN IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
A police helicopter could be seen circling overhead, observers reported.

Patterson Avenue has been shut down in both directions from Liberty Road east to
Wildwood Avenue, with police blocking all side streets leading into
Patterson Avenue.

On Sylvan Avenue, which runs parallel to Patterson one block north,
police vehicles and officers can be seen standing by.

The location is less than a mile from the city-county line, not far from
where Phylicia Barnes was last seen three days after Christmas while
visiting her half-sister in Baltimore City for the holidays.The
teen, a straight-A honor student from Monroe, N.C., not far from
Charlotte, was last heard from Dec. 28 when she posted a Facebook note
saying she was with her sister's boyfriend at the sister's apartment.

I.V. public policy reporter Alan Z. Forman contributed to this report.


macarthurmedia@gmail.com

Janice Sallis said she moved back to Atlanta from Monroe, N.C., at her family’s urging.



Her teenage daughter, Phylicia Barnes, disappeared while visiting a
half-sister in northwest Baltimore last month. Sallis went to Baltimore on
Dec. 30, two days after Barnes’ disappearance, but then came to Georgia
because her family didn’t want her to be alone.

“In times like this they won’t let me stay by myself,” Sallis told the AJC.

Barnes turned 17 last week. She vanished without a trace from her
half-sister’s apartment on Dec. 28.

Sallis is a nurse and said she can’t go to work right now. She plans to remain
in Georgia “when (Barnes) is returned to me.”

“I have more family support here,” she told the AJC.

Baltimore police at one time had half of its homicide force trying to find
Barnes. Authorities from the FBI, the National Center for Missing Children
and the Maryland State Police continue to search for her.

“Her case is very unlike anything we’ve seen here,” Baltimore Police spokesman
Anthony Guglielmi said.

Baltimore police worked about 360 missing persons’ cases in 2010, and all but
four were solved, he said.

About 70 tips have come into the nationwide tip line -- 1-855-223-0033 – but
none of those led to anything. Guglielmi said some of the tips came in from
out of state and investigators continue to pursue those.

“We’ve checked every hospital, every Dumpster, every homeless shelter, most of
the vacant buildings,” he said.

Investigators now are re-interviewing people who last saw Barnes alive and
really focusing on the timeline of that day, trying to account for every
second as best as they can, Guglielmi said.

“We believe strongly that something terrible happened to Phylicia, and whether
she’s in Baltimore, Kansas or Connecticut, we don’t know because we don’t
have any physical evidence to guide us,” he said. “We base our findings on
evidence, and we don’t really give a lot of credit or ammunition to opinion.
Right now it’s all opinion, and we’re not going to put much weight behind that.”

Sallis said she isn’t scared, and she doesn’t stare at the clock and count the
minutes that her daughter has been gone. On good days, Sallis said she
laughs more and talks on the phone or goes shopping at a thrift store with her sister.

On the bad days, Sallis said she isolates herself, going into a room and
closing the door. She grieves, prays and talks to God but doesn’t question
why this is happening to her.

“It reminds me that I am in a valley, and God is carrying me, although I don’t
realize it,” Sallis told the AJC. “I’ve experienced tragedy before, and I
thought it was too hard, but God was carrying me.”

Sallis talks to Baltimore police investigators almost every day. She also talks to the media.

She doesn’t talk to Barnes’ father, Russell Barnes of Riverdale. Their daughter’s disappearance
reopened old family wounds. Sallis also is angry and feels betrayed by her
daughter’s half-sister because she let Barnes drink alcohol and be in “a
certain environment that I did not want her around.”

“I felt that she was disrespectful to me as a mother, and I didn’t appreciate that,” Sallis said.

Sallis is unapologetically protective of her daughter, calling herself
“old-fashioned” in the way that she raised Barnes.

Her daughter is an honor student, ready to graduate from high school a year
early and wants to be a psychiatrist – a career choice that is the latest in
a list that included “astronomer,” “ob-gyn” and “pediatrician,” Sallis said.

Barnes already was accepted to some colleges. She was focused on attending a school in Maryland.

Sallis said she wasn’t going to let her daughter go to school out of state, at
least not right away. Barnes didn’t know that, Sallis said.

“I didn’t think she was ready to leave the state on her own,” Sallis told the AJC.

The Barnes’ side of the family was one that Sallis said she encouraged her
daughter to reconnect with three years ago. Sallis said she told Barnes to
use Facebook to find her half-sisters and the contact her father.

Sallis said Barnes’ stepfather had raised her since she was 3 years old but
that that wasn’t enough.

“I tried to explain to him that ‘although you’ve been in her life, it’s not
the same, she wants to know who her biological father is and where she came
from,’” Sallis told the AJC.

Barnes’ December visit to Baltimore was the fourth time she had gone to visit
her half-sister, Sallis said.

Sallis, whose rules include “children should be home at a certain hour,” said
her daughter was probably enjoying her new-found freedom. She also said her
daughter is naïve.

“I tell her, ‘baby, you can’t trust every smile that appears in front of
you,’” Sallis said. “She’s a ‘people’ person, and she thought everybody was like her. She’s too trusting.”

Sallis said she had an “uncomfortable” feeling around 8 or 9 p.m. the day
Barnes disappeared and immediately called her daughter’s cell phone. It went directly to voice mail.

She tried again, and the same thing happened.

Then, Sallis said she called Barnes’ half-sister who said Barnes was missing.

“I said, ‘what do you mean she’s missing? She’s been missing since 1:30, and
no one has called me.’”

She has been critical of the Baltimore police’s response.

The first week in a missing-person’s case is critical, Guglielmi said. During
the first 24 hours, police officers are doing a character assessment of the person.

“I can’t begin to tell you how many calls this city gets from people who have
gone missing,” he said. “There has to be a small window of time to figure
out what you’re dealing with.”

That includes trying to make sure, for example, the person didn’t go hang out
at a local college for the night, drive off with an acquaintance from
Facebook, or head up to Atlantic City to blow off some steam. In those
cases, usually the “missing” person comes back.

“After the first day, we immediately started expecting something else,”
Guglielmi said. “The day after she missed her flight home, it was full
throttle, and the police commissioner said there’s suspected foul play.
We’ve been at that some point ever since.”

WESTERN NC (WSOC) -- BALTIMORE, Md. --
Investigators in Baltimore acted on another tip Friday as they
continued their search for a missing Monroe teen.Police searched a
vacant home in Baltimore for any sign of Phylicia Barnes. Investigators
focused their attention on a deep well inside a shed on the property.Authorities drained the well of about 20 feet of water but did not find any clues.Barnes was last seen Dec. 28 well visiting relatives.

http://www.wcti12.com/news/26595793/detail.html

The last person to see Phylicia Barnes before
she disappeared in December has now hired an attorney, WBTV.com has
confirmed. The man, who WBTV.com is not identifying by name because no
charges have been filed, is the ex-boyfriend of Deena Barnes, Phylicia's
half-sister.
"That's
ironic because we don't have attorneys," Phylicia's father, Russell
said by phone, "because we don't have anything to hide so that's a
mystery to us in itself."
Barnes said when he arrived in Baltimore soon
after Phylicia was reported missing, the man told him Phylicia had
planned to leave the apartment to get something to eat. "We know
Phylicia -- if she would have got up to get something to eat later on
she would have texted Deena."
Barnes said he now questions the man's account of the day Phylicia disappeared.
"He
actually didn't come back to the house once Phylicia came up missing,
until 2 or 3 o'clock that morning after they were calling for him."
It has now been 4 weeks since anyone has heard from the teen, who's 17th birthday passed since she vanished.
Investigators
were frustrated leads in the investigation were wearing thin. "We may
be at a point where we have covered all of our bases," Baltimore Police
spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.
With the help of the FBI, investigators have
been tracking the teen's cellphone, bank account, Facebook and MySpace
pages. Two messages on Phylicia's MySpace page caught the attention of
detectives.
One, marked December 28 read, "wit my sis n
bmore." Another message, apparently left December 31, three days after
Barnes was reported missing read, "bored as hell.....save me lol."
Guglielmi said police could not confirm if Phylicia posted the later message.
What appeared to be a promising tip last
week, led to another disappointment for investigators desperate to find
some sign of the missing teen. Thursday night, Baltimore Police
detectives and FBI agents searched a sewer well behind a southwest
Baltimore home, but came up empty handed.
Guglielmi said police went to the home because of information learned in an interview.
Police said tests received from the FBI Crime
Lab showed no evidence of blood or signs of a struggle at the locations
investigators executed search warrants in the search for Phylicia
Barnes, who went missing last month while visiting family in Baltimore.
Russell Barnes said with the help of family,
churches and private donors, a $10,000 reward is being offered for
information that helps find Phylicia.
He has been in Baltimore since the immediate
days following his daughter's disappearance and has helped with search
efforts. On the 'Pray for Phylicia Barnes' Facebook page, the father
wrote, "We miss you so much please come home," adding, "she is our angel. I love you."
Barnes believes his daughter is still alive and will be able to see the message. "As
much as you can, keep fighting and do your best to get away and
everyone is looking for you...do your best to get away," he said.

Guglielmi said in addition to searching the
northwest Baltimore apartment of Dee Barnes, detectives also searched
other apartments, homes and vehicles.
"We've been following every single lead from
the public, searching areas," Guglielmi said Thursday night, "we have
searched Leakin Park, Patapsco State Park, searched dumpsters,
hospitals, homeless shelters, you name it and the BPD and FBI have
teamed up to search it."
Detectives had taken a piece of the carpeting from the half-sister's apartment.
Guglielmi said detectives were working to
piece together the last 24-48 hours before Barnes' disappearance.
"Usually with a case like this the statements are supported by some type
of physical evidence, but we just don't have that," he said.
Guglielmi said if something terrible did
happen to Barnes, it was unlikely the person who did it kept the
information to themselves or acted alone.
Last week, two United States Congressman are
asking for the public's help in the search for Barnes. Rep. Larry
Kissell (D-NC) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) released a joint
statement Friday, a spokesperson in Cummings' office confirmed.
"We urge anyone with information regarding
the disappearance of Phylicia Barnes to contact Baltimore Police
immediately, and help bring this young woman back home safely. Our
thoughts and prayers remain with Phylicia and her family, friends and
loved ones," the statement read.
Barnes turned 17 on January 12, more than two weeks after she was last seen by relatives.
Police said surveillance video from
businesses near the northwest Baltimore home where Barnes was last seen
December 28, did not provide any significant leads.
Barnes' mother, Janice Sallis appeared on CNN
Sunday night in an interview with Don Lemon. "The perpetrators who have
been involved in her disappearance, I'm going to ask you to please let
my baby go," she said to the camera.
In other recent interviews, Sallis was
devastated and distraught. "I wish I could be in her place, and she can
be in my place," she said, "the pain is like labor pains without the
child birth," she told WBTV Reporter Dedrick Russell.
"This case has torn apart [Phylicia's]
family; we're hoping someone out there will see all of the stories and
do the right thing to give us what we're missing," Guglielmi said.
Sallis and Guglielmi had initially been upset
at the lack of national media coverage to the story in the first weeks
after the teen's disappearance.
"Once we realized and ruled out runaway, we
started talking to national media and I have to say the response has
been a bit anemic," Guglielmi said. "I had to pretty much complain that
they're not paying attention."
Barnes, a senior at Union Academy in Monroe,
has been the subject of news reports on network news programs including
CNN's Nancy Grace, NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and an
article on the America's Most Wanted website.
Guglielmi said Barnes, who is a young,
attractive, honor-student with no history of drug or alcohol abuse,
should be given the same publicity as other cases of young girls, like
Natalee Holloway, who have disappeared.
"The only difference in this case is that
Phylicia is from North Carolina, she got lost in Baltimore and she's
African-American," Guglielmi said. "We're not asking for interviews; we
don't want our Chief or detectives on television, all we want is for
people to put her photo on and say, this girl is in danger, we need
help."
Barnes was last seen after texting her
half-sister Deena she was leaving the apartment to grab something to
eat. She hasn't been seen since. Police said there has been no activity
on her Facebook page, her cell phone has been silent, and there's been
no activity with her bank account.
"My phone still has all the text messages
from Phylicia, if you take a step back and look at it different, you may
find a new clue," Barnes' other half-sister, Kelly, said.
"This is a very, very, unique case and I
can't remember in the time that I've been here that we've had a case
like this," Guglielmi said. "It is very unlike her not to update her
Facebook page, not to even turn on her cell phone to not try to access
money to pay for things."
Immediately following her disappearance,
police distributed 4,000 fliers of Barnes. The department also used four
of it's own helicopters in addition to two FBI choppers with
heat-sensory capabilities. The Maryland State Police also offered
assistance, officials said.
Ten billboards along I-95 from Maryland to
New York digitally displayed Barnes' picture and a hotline number was
publicized for people to call with tips and information regarding her
disappearance.
Guglielmi said police have received
approximately 70 tips through the hotline, 6 of which came out of the
state of Maryland, likely due to the national media coverage.
Police said there were 12 persons of interest
in the investigation and that all of them may have had contact with
Barnes in the days leading to her disappearance.
In the first week since Barnes disappeared,
police launched an intense search of Leakin Park after reading a comment
posted on a Baltimore Sun web article which urged police to search that
area.
An additional comment left by the same
tipster, 'Cham101' read, "The only reason I said to look in the 4000
block of Franklintown Road is because if someone disappears on the
Westside, that is ground zero of where they're going to be found." The
tipster, later, offered three additional locations where police should
search for Barnes.
In an email last week, Guglielmi said investigators merely thought the tipster was offering suggestions.
"It does not appear he has any first, second
or even third-hand knowledge of the case, and has never seen Phylicia,"
Guglielmi wrote. "In cases like this, time is of the essence and it's
important for people to pass on true intelligence, not personal
theories."
Police were unable to find any clues about Barnes in Leakin Park.
Detectives believe Barnes may have been
abducted. Guglielmi says if she was taken to another state, people in
that state may have no idea she's a missing person unless her story was
broadcast nationally.
Guglielmi told WBTV.com detectives had
located and interviewed the 27-year-old former boyfriend of Barnes'
half-sister. The man, Guglielmi said, was not being considered a
suspect in the teen's disappearance.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld personally requested the assistance of the FBI.
"We're going over every shred of evidence
that we already have; we're re-interviewing everybody we've interviewed,
just make sure we didn't miss anything. Now, with the help of the FBI,
we're going to get some first-class technical assistance as far as
talking to the people who have last seen Phylicia, also looking at her
Facebook account and going through the computer part of this with a
fine-toothed comb."
Barnes' half-sister, Deena, has been cooperating with investigators, police said.
If you have information that could help police find Phylicia Barnes, call the hotline for tips at 1.855.223.0033.
http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=13782424

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