Taylor Rose Willams’ Navy Officer Mom Now A Person Of Interest In 5-Year-Old’s Disappearance
It’s been six days since 5-year-old Taylor Rose Williams’ mother reported her missing.
Now, her mother, Brianna Williams, is considered a person of interest in her disappearance as the search for the Florida girl has expanded to Alabama, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams announced Monday (Nov. 11), CNN reports.
Brianna is originally from Alabama. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team continued their search for Taylor in Demopolis, Alabama, which is about 102 miles west of Montgomery, News4Jax reports.
The USAR is a specially trained team, which searches for missing people in criminal cases and after natural disasters.
The team left for Alabama on Monday (Nov. 11) in the early afternoon and will coordinate with local authorities in the search for Taylor Rose, News4Jax reports.
After her mother reported her missing last Wednesday (Nov. 6), she stopped cooperating with investigators when they found inconsistencies in her story.
“She has not spoken to us since Wednesday and she was the last person to see Taylor,” Sheriff Williams said on Monday (Nov. 11), CNN reports. “She is a person of interest in this case and we still need her cooperation in our efforts.”
Williams also said while Brianna uncooperative, the little girl’s extended family has been “very cooperative” about talking to authorities, CNN reports.
The FBI offices in Jacksonville and Mobile, Alabama are also assisting in the search, as well as other law enforcement agencies, FBI Special Agent Rachel Rojas said, CNN reports.
A K-9 unit was also dispatched, News4Jax reports.
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“We feel pretty comfortable that this is the right step to take to bring some closure to this case. … The information that drove us to Alabama demanded this kind of response,” Sheriff Williams said on Monday (Nov. 11), News4Jax reports. “We absolutely hope to find her alive.”
The president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters, Randy Wyse, said it’s rare for the USAR team to be deployed out of state and that the last time he recalls one leaving the state of Florida was for Hurricane Katrina, News4Jax reports.
Brianna reported Taylor missing from the Brentwood neighborhood of Jacksonville on Wednesday (Nov. 6), which prompted the police department to issue an Amber Alert.
She reported that in the morning when she went to check on Taylor the little girl was not in her room, and the back door of their home was unlocked.
“Yesterday we were talking to her about some inconsistencies in her statement and that’s when she chose to stop cooperating with us,” Sheriff Williams told reporters at a news conference on Thursday (Nov. 7).
Brianna is a Navy petty officer and is not in custody. She continues to reside and work on the naval station in Jacksonville, Sheriff Williams said on Monday (Nov. 11), CNN reports.
Law enforcement officials are asking anyone who saw Taylor or her mom between Jacksonville and Alabama to come forward, Sheriff Williams also said on Monday, adding that Brianna would have been traveling in a black 2017 Honda Accord with tinted windows and black rims, CNN reports.
“No matter how insignificant they think that interaction may have been, no matter where it was, we encourage them to reach out and give us that last, you know, that may be the last little piece of information we need,” Sheriff Williams told reporters on Thursday (Nov. 7).
When she first reported Taylor missing, Brianna told police the little girl is 3-feet tall, weighing 50 pounds with brown eyes and black hair, and was last seen wearing a purple shirt and pink pajama pants.
A reward of $4,000 is being offered for information about Taylor’s whereabouts.
