Alexandria "Ali" Lowitzer 16, Spring, TX Last Seen 4/26/10

[MuffyBee]

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-cost-of-being-a-runaway-story,0,6571326.story
(Video at link)
The Cost of Being Called a Runaway
June 18, 2010

John and Jo Anne Lowitzer have not seen or heard from their daughter for more than eight weeks. 16 year old Alexandria disappeared on April 26. She was last seen getting off the school bus in her Spring neighborhood.

Police say there was no specific evidence of foul play so Lowitzer's disappearance was immediately classified a runaway -a status that means no amber alert is issued, no Crimestoppers were involved, no criminal investigations unit was on the scene and therefore, less media attention was given to the case.

Bob Walcutt, of the Laura Recovery Center, says that system is wrong. He says all the stops should be pulled out from the beginning when a child disappears for the first time.

"If it has been truly an abduction and it's a stranger abduction, there's a good chance that child will be killed shortly thereafter. If its a family abduction, that may not happen but, initially, we just don't know," he says.

[cartfly]

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120051401346429&v=wall&ref=ts 

[cartfly]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/24405027/detail.html 

Missing Girl's Parents Hold Onto Hope
By Ryan Korsgard

POSTED: Tuesday, July 27, 2010
UPDATED: 9:17 am CDT July 27, 2010

HOUSTON -- Three months have passed since a Spring girl disappeared, but her parents are holding onto hope that she will come home soon.

Alexandria "Ali" Lowitzer, 16, was last seen on April 26.

Pictures show Ali at school and getting off of the bus. She told her mom she was walking to work at the Burger Barn, a quarter-mile away from home.  She never got there.

"We just need somebody to come forward with some information because someone knows something," said Ali's dad, John. "We just plead with them to have a safe heart. If this was your family member, you'd want the same."

John Lowitzer said he has a message for his daughter.

"Honey, I love you.  I need you to come home.  I need you to be strong.  I want you to know that we're here for you and we support you 100 percent," he said. "We love you and we want you home."

The Harris County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate this case.  It said there are no new developments.

Ali's parents have set up a Facebook page to help find her.  It already has about 6,000 followers.

[angelonearth]

I was just wandering if anyone has looked into the possibility that these girls might be the victims of Human Trafficking.  With the time between each one that is about the time that it takes to get them out of the states.  Just thinking of everything that could be possible.

[MuffyBee]

I was just wandering if anyone has looked into the possibility that these girls might be the victims of Human Trafficking.  With the time between each one that is about the time that it takes to get them out of the states.  Just thinking of everything that could be possible.

Hello angleonearth, and welcome to Scared Monkeys 

I believe human trafficking is a bigger problem than most people realize.  I'm not certain about Ali's case, but I think it's possible.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/09/05/spring_observer/news/36solowitzer.txt
Benefit scheduled for missing Spring teen
September 4, 2010


Alexandria Lowitzer disappeared after getting off the bus near her home in Spring April 26.

Their nights have been sleepless, their days filled with worry, and their efforts relentless.

John and Jo Ann Lowitzer want their daughter back.

Alexandria “Ali” Lowitzer, 16, disappeared after getting off the school bus near her home in Spring April 26. Her parents haven’s seen her since.

“We get leads all the time,” said John. “They’re just all dead ends.”

Numerous sightings of Ali have been reported in the months since her disappearance, but so far the girls have all turned out to be look-alikes.

“We never thought Ali looked like anyone else, but evidently there are a lot of girls her age who have the same haircut, wear the same style makeup and clothing,” Jo Ann said. “As unique as she tried to be on a daily basis, there are a lot of girls who look like her.”

Authorities have Ali listed as a runaway due to a lack of evidence that would suggest otherwise, but the Lowitzers adamantly maintain their daughter did not run away.

“We don’t believe that for one second,” John said. “That’s been the biggest obstacle, trying to convince people that she’s not a runaway. Ali is also somewhat classified as endangered and missing, but we can’t get it past that. If we could, we’d have Amber Alerts, a lot more resources on our hands, even the Texas Rangers.”

Since April, Ali’s parents have organized numerous private search parties with the help of the Laura Recovery Center, combed woods and neighborhoods, distributed fliers and even teamed up with a private investigator. Still, no trace of Ali.

Jo Ann and John believe someone, somewhere, has information on Ali’s whereabouts. The couple currently offers a $5,000 award to anyone who can help bring Ali home. To no avail.

On Sept. 18, the family will hold a fundraiser, with proceeds going toward the continuation of search parties, the financing of fliers and other media, and to raise the award for tips leading to the recovery of Ali.

“Unfortunately, money talks,” John said. “Hopefully, someone who knows something might find it a little more enticing to come forward. Someone has to know where she is.”

ONE DAY AT A TIME


The Lowitzers say their efforts to find their daughter have not waned, but they worry that Ali’s name and photo is slowly fading from the public’s consciousness.

“For me this has gotten more difficult as time goes on. In the beginning, there were a lot of people around,” said John. “We felt all that support. But right now everything is very quiet. The wheels don’t turn as fast, and we feel things slowing a little.”

The first day back to school was especially heartbreaking for Ali’s parents, as they watched other kids get on school buses, decked out in new clothes and bearing down under new backpacks and school supplies. Then listening to friends and coworkers as they described their own children’s first day back in school.

“I kept thinking she was supposed to be on that bus,” John said. “You never think you’d miss the school shopping, the school supplies. Until your child’s missing. Ali loved to go to school.”

At home, the teen’s room remains undisturbed. The door stands slightly open, waiting for Ali to enter her sanctuary, the part of the house she was allowed to decorate to her own liking. The day she disappeared, her parents found their daughter’s phone charger in its place, her purse and money still in Ali’s room.

The Lowitzers describe their daughter as an artistic child who loves to paint, listen to music, and sing. She rarely socialized outside her home and liked to invite friends to visit at her house instead.

“She was goofy; just a kid,” said John. “She liked to make us laugh. She had her teenage moments, but she didn’t have a bad home life.”

TAKING INITIATIVE


The Lowitzers say to their knowledge, one Harris County Sheriff’s Office homicide detective is currently assigned to Ali’s case.

“We’re as close with the police as they allow us to be,” said John. “Sometimes they call us, but I wish they would keep in closer contact with us. And law enforcement needs to talk to each other. I don’t know if the sheriff’s office is talking to Precinct 4, HPD. I think they need to collaborate more.”

John said the recent publicized arrest of a man who attempted to abduct a child in New Caney prompted him to scour the woods near the suspect’s home on his own, accompanied by a private investigator who took on Ali’s case on a pro bono basis.

“Has that guy done it before? In what area?,” John wanted to know. “We went to the area where he lives and went into the woods to see if we can find anything about Ali. We hear about things like that and we do it ourselves, ask questions. We can’t wait for law enforcement.”

With nothing new to report in connection with Ali’s disappearance, no new leads to go on, local media coverage has dissipated, John said, making it even more difficult to keep the effort to find Ali in the public eye.

“That’s another reason for the benefit on Sept. 18 - we’re hoping it will be large enough to rekindle the effort and let people know shes’ still missing and there’s still a huge effort out there to find her,” he said.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill is brewing. On a regular basis, the Lowitzers are confronted with public misconceptions that Ali has been found - dead or alive.

“Right before school let out we were dealing with rumors that her body has been found in a ditch,” Jo Ann said. “Now that school is back in session, the buzz is that Ali is back home. It’s frustrating.”

In August, the Lowitzers sent Ali’s picture out in Valpak, hoping to reach residents in different areas of Harris County. They listed their daughter with every missing persons website imaginable, and received reports that some fliers of Ali have made it as far as California and Florida.

“Until she comes home, we need that exposure,” said John. “We are going to search east coast to west coast. We’re not leaving anything to chance. You never know - she could be in another state. Until we know something, I feel that’s what we have to do.”

The endless wait is excruciating. With every day that goes by, the Lowitzers renew their resolve to find their daughter.

Whether Ali is a runaway or met with a worse fate, John says the fears and worries are the same.

“My whole world would change with a simple phone call,” he said. “At least I would know she’s still alive. Not knowing if their child is OK is the worst feeling a parent can have. Ali, we love you. Very much.”

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100915-parents-of-missing-teen-hold-fundraiser
(video)
Parents of Missing Teen Hold Fundraiser
September 15, 2010

SPRING, Texas - The parents of a missing Spring teenager are holding a fundraiser this weekend to help them bring attention to the case.

Alexandria Lowitzer, 16, vanished last April after getting off a school bus.

The Spring High School student was walking to her job at a restaurant when she disappeared, her father, John Lowitzer, says.

The Harris County Sheriff's Department considers the teen a probable runaway because there's no evidence of foul play.

But her father insists Alexandria did not runaway.

"She had a good home life," John Lowitzer says.

The Sheriff's Department has assigned only one investigator to the case because there is no evidence to pursue.

"It' frustrating," Lowitzer says.

The fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, September 18th, at the Spring Tavern, 24401 Aldine Westfield Road in Spring.

[Nut44x4]

In case anyone comes across the report of these remains.....they have been ruled out as being Ms. Lowitzer.

The first report said age between 8/15, then later it went to 12/16 and this report says.... 15/22.

Bones still unidentified
By Taylor Aswell | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Harrisonburg — The identity of human remains found in the woods north of Harrisonburg is still unknown.

Though reports that the bones may have been those of a missing Texas teen surfaced Tuesday, Sheriff James Kelly told the Catahoula News Booster that dental records did not match.

Investigators hope a cause of death will be determined in the next few days.

According to Kelly, the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call from a hunter Friday evening, claiming he had found what appeared to be a human skull.

Catahoula Parish deputies arrived at the scene and confirmed that the remains found were human.

Forensic pathologists from Louisiana State University and Dr. Mary Manhein, forensic anthropologist, were also called to the scene.

Investigators believe the remains to be that of a teenage girl between the ages of 15-22.

The remains indicated that the victim had braces on her teeth, long dark hair and was small framed.

Evidence also suggested the body had been at the location for several weeks.

Anyone having any information that may be connected to the case please call the CPSO at 318-744-5411.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2010/oct/13/bones-still-unidentified/

[Nut44x4]

Still in progress of finding out more info, but I believe the remains found in Catahoula Parish, LA belong to:

LEXIS ROBERTS  12, missing from Williams AZ
http://z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/index.php?s=b973261b5b85481880295403545e7013&showtopic=60551

http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=782687#post782687

Mom still unaccounted for......

[Nut44x4]

confirmed.......remains are of the 12 yr. old child LEXIS ROBERTS  damn.....another child dead, where is momma

[cartfly]

confirmed.......remains are of the 12 yr. old child LEXIS ROBERTS  damn.....another child dead, where is momma

Thanks for the updates Nutt, I just came across the article today about the ID.
Lexi may you Rest in peace sweetie.

[cartfly]

confirmed.......remains are of the 12 yr. old child LEXIS ROBERTS  damn.....another child dead, where is momma

*Hi Nutt,
Do you think we should open a thread regarding Lexis Roberts? I know Mom is still missing and there has been a flurry of activity on my local news regarding the perp. Apparently, he was declared "dead" by family in Mississippi a few years back and it seems authorities believe he is still in Louisiana where Lexis was found.

[MuffyBee]

confirmed.......remains are of the 12 yr. old child LEXIS ROBERTS  damn.....another child dead, where is momma

*Hi Nutt,
Do you think we should open a thread regarding Lexis Roberts? I know Mom is still missing and there has been a flurry of activity on my local news regarding the perp. Apparently, he was declared "dead" by family in Mississippi a few years back and it seems authorities believe he is still in Louisiana where Lexis was found.

Not Nutt, (but at times known to be Nutt-y), I think a thread for this would be good.  Do you know how to start one cartfly?  If not, one of us will help with that. 

[cartfly]

confirmed.......remains are of the 12 yr. old child LEXIS ROBERTS  damn.....another child dead, where is momma

*Hi Nutt,
Do you think we should open a thread regarding Lexis Roberts? I know Mom is still missing and there has been a flurry of activity on my local news regarding the perp. Apparently, he was declared "dead" by family in Mississippi a few years back and it seems authorities believe he is still in Louisiana where Lexis was found.

Not Nutt, (but at times known to be Nutt-y), I think a thread for this would be good.  Do you know how to start one cartfly?  If not, one of us will help with that. 

Hi Nutty Muffy! I can start a thread but where do you think would be best to put it? Unsolved? Thanks for your help!

[Nut44x4]

Yea.....unsolved crimes, I guess. Sorry it took me so long to respond. Been looking at/for dead people most of the day. I just noticed this post. I still want to know where Mommy is...is she a victim or an accomplice? .....or both.

[cartfly]

Yea.....unsolved crimes, I guess. Sorry it took me so long to respond. Been looking at/for dead people most of the day. I just noticed this post. I still want to know where Mommy is...is she a victim or an accomplice? .....or both.

Thanks Nutt!!

[MuffyBee]

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-missing-children-holidays-story,0,1673408.story
Missing for the Holidays
Maybe you can help a family find their loved one
December 21, 2010

HOUSTON —
This is always one of the toughest times of the year for families with missing children.
Gay Smither, co-founder of the Laura Recovery Center, said she still struggles through the holidays. Her daughter, Laura, went missing in 1997. Her remains were discovered 17 days after she disappeared; Laura was just 12 years old.

"When your child is not home because they're still missing or because they've been murdered, there's that empty seat at the table and you're always aware of that," Smither said.

The parents of 16-year-old Alexandria "Ali" Lowitzer are getting ready to celebrate Christmas without their daughter this year, too. Ali was last seen getting off the bus near her home in Spring last April. Her father said there is still no break in the case.

The Lowitzers and Smithers urge anyone with information about any past or present case to come forward. There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to answers in Ali's case.

More information is available at the Laura Recovery Center's website. Staff encourages people to look at the pictures of missing children and forward them on to friends. Families agree the best hope of finding their loved ones is through the public.

[cartfly]

HLN Nancy Grace covering Ali's case. It's heartbreaking to watch her Mother. I will post the transcript if HLN puts one out.
Ali's birthday is tomorrow.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/Local_News/ALI_LOWITZER_TONIGHT_ON_NANCY_GRACE_AMERICAS_MISSING_9M_ET/39763
ALI LOWITZER - TONIGHT ON 'NANCY GRACE: AMERICA'S MISSING' @ 9M ET
February 2, 2011


Ali Lowitzer, missing since April 2010

On tonight's episode of Nancy Grace: America's Missing - a show that aims at finding 50 people in 50 days - on HLN, Grace will be conducting an in-depth expose of 16-year-old Ali Lowitzer from Spring, TX, who disappeared in April 2010 as a possible runaway.

16-year-old Alexandria Lowitzer, known as Ali, was last seen on surveillance video getting off her bus just 3 houses down from her home.

Before she got on the bus she spoke to her mother about her plans to pick up her pay check from the burger barn just a half mile walk away from the bus stop. Other employees at the burger barn say Ali never made it there. Although Ali has been missing for almost a year, police still have her classified as a runaway. There is no sign of foul play but her family feels in their gut that something terrible has happened to their daughter.
(snip)
And a post about Ali's case: With Video)
http://nancygrace.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/02/ali-lowitzer-nancy-grace-america%E2%80%99s-missing/

[MuffyBee]

http://www.khou.com/news/120667444.html
Video
Missing Spring girl’s family holds onto hope, one year later
April 26, 2011

HOUSTON -- As a Spring couple approaches the one-year anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance they are holding on to hope that they will find the 17-year-old girl.
 ::snipping2::
The teenager disappeared on April 26, 2010. She was last seen getting off her school bus 30 feet from her house near Low Ridge and Knotty Post in Spring.

Her parents said she was supposed to head to work at the Burger Barn less than a quarter mile away to pick up her pay check, but she never made it.

They said all communication stopped around 3 p.m. that day.
 ::snipping2::
ccording to a spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation into her disappearance is an open and active investigation.  Homicide detectives are on it, but the teen is officially considered a runaway.

It’s a classification her parents have refuted since her disappearance.

Ali’s parents have their theories and Sunday evening told KHOU 11 News that they believe she may have known the person who’s behind her disappearance.

“There are still some things out there that we have suspicions on, ideas, but we can’t prove anything,” said the teen’s father. “I’d rather keep that on the down low because it involves individuals and stuff.”

The Lowitzers have taken it upon themselves to keep their daughter’s face in the public eye. They give flyers to anyone who will take them or post them.  They’ve printed T-shirts and have set up a Facebook page and the website www.alexandrialowitzer.com, which is dedicated to their daughter.
Tuesday, on the one-year anniversary of the teen’s disappearance, the Spring Area Youth Softball league will dedicate a picnic table and a tree to Ali at Beyer Park in Spring. That’s the ball park where Ali played softball. The dedication ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m.
 ::snipping2::