Suspect named in search for missing boy

By ANDREA WOO AND MIKE HAGER, VANCOUVER SUN September 7, 2011 7:34 PM
Source - Vancouver Sun

Police are searching for this man, Randal Hopley, 46, in possible connection with the disappearance of 3-year-old Kienan Herbert.
Photograph by: Handout, RCMP

VANCOUVER -- A career criminal with a long list of convictions, including break-and-enter and sexual assault, is the prime suspect in the disappearance of a three-year-old boy who went missing in Sparwood on Wednesday.

An Amber alert was issued for Randall Hopley, 45, around 6 p.m. on Wednesday after Kienan Hebert disappeared from his home in the Sparwood Heights area, off Highway 43 North, sometime overnight.

Hopley may be driving a brown 1987 Toyota Camry with the B.C. license plate 098 RAL.

Hebert has short red hair and was last seen wearing Scooby Doo boxer shorts.

According to court records, Hopley has a number of criminal convictions dating back to 2002, including break and enter with intent, break and enter and with intent to commit an indictable offence, assault and breach of probation.

The Amber alert follows a large ground search of the area around Hebert's family's home. That consisted of more than 200 volunteers and included a shoulder-to-shoulder search of about 600 m, said Derek Scherer, a spokesman for Sparwood Search and Rescue.

Police have not yet commented on why Hopley is being suspected in Hebert's disappearance, however more information is expected late Wednesday.

awoo@vancouversun.com

twitter.com/AndreaWoo

mhager@postmedia.com

twitter.com/MikePHager

Father recalls 'sick feeling' upon finding boy missing

Police searching for person of interest in case

CBC News
Posted: Sep 8, 2011 8:20 AM PT
Last Updated: Sep 8, 2011 10:51 AM PT
Source - CBC

RCMP have issued an Amber Alert for 3-year-old Kienan Hebert of Sparwood B.C., who was reported missing from the family home on Wednesday.

The father of a three-year-old boy who may have been abducted from his family home in Sparwood, B.C., says he remains hopeful his son will be found safe, as a massive manhunt continues for the boy and for a suspect in the case.

On Wednesday afternoon police issued an Amber Alert for Kienan Hebert and Randall Peter Hopley, 46, whom they initially identified as a person of interest in the case. Hundreds of emergency officials and volunteers spent much of Wednesday searching for the child.

Kienan's father, Paul Hebert, told reporters on Thursday morning that he remained hopeful his son would be found safe by the searchers.

"We know that everybody is on hand. The professionals are doing what they can do and we just have faith that Kienan will be coming back home and safe," Herbert said.

Hebert described his reaction when he and his wife realized their son was missing on Wednesday morning: "As any parent, when you see your kid missing, it's not a funny feeling, you know. It's a sick feeling, you know. It's a sick feeling in your gut, and we knew what we needed to do. It was 911. Let them do their job," he said.

Kienan is described as a red-haired Caucasian boy and was last seen wearing a blue pair of Scooby Doo boxer shorts. It is also believed he may be carrying several blankets.
Searching continued overnight

The search resumed on Thursday morning and police are expected to issue an update later in the morning. RCMP say they have received a number of tips from the public and plan to expand the search area in the case.

Kienan was last seen by his mother when she put him to bed on Tuesday evening in the family's home in the southeastern Interior community, located about 600 kilometres east of Vancouver near the Alberta border.

He was reported missing about 9 a.m. MT Wednesday after his parents discovered he was not in his bed.

After a long day of searching, hundreds of volunteers and officials gathered for a candlelight vigil on Wednesday night before forming a line to search the community late into the night.

Amber Alert issued for person of interest

Initially police said they suspected Kienan may have been sleepwalking and a massive search of the area was launched by emergency officials and volunteers.

But then late on Wednesday afternoon police issued an Amber Alert, saying they were looking for Hopley, who they initially identifed as a person of interest in the case who they wanted to talk to.

On Thursday morning police began calling Hopley a suspect in the case.

Police say Hopley, who is not related to the Hebert family, is a resident of the area who has a police record with a dozen break-and-enter convictions and one sexual assault conviction.

Police are also looking for Randall Peter Hopley, 46, as a person of interest in the case. Police are also looking for Randall Peter Hopley, 46, as a person of interest in the case. RCMP

"He does have a history of breaking into homes in the Elk Valley. In many instances...there have been children's belongings [stolen] and in one instance he was in one residence where there was another young child," said RCMP Sgt Dave Dubnyk.

Three years ago Hopley was charged with child abduction and unlawful confinement in connection with a break-in, but those charges were eventually dropped.

Hopley is described as:

46 years old.
Brown hair.
Hazel eyes.
Caucasian.
Having a birthmark along his hairline.

Police are also looking for his brown 1987 Toyota Camry with the B.C. licence plate 098 RAL, and urging the public to call 911 immediately with any information.

Family turns to faith in God

Kienan's father Paul Hebert said the family was relying on their faith in God to help them get through.

Police released this picture of a vehicle like Randall Peter Hopley's.Police released this picture of a vehicle like Randall Peter Hopley's. RCMP

"You know when it is trying times, it's God... We are only human, and it's only by God that we can stay strong," he said.

Hebert said Kienan is one of eight children in the family. His father described him as a happy, innocent child who loves McDonald's food

Cops hope surveillance videos will lead to break in case of abducted boy 3

Renato Gandia QMI Agency
First posted: Saturday, September 10, 2011 12:57 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, September 10, 2011 05:16 PM EDT
Source - Toronto Sun

SPARWOOD, B.C. - Mounties are hoping surveillance videos will help them get a break in the dramatic search for a three-year-old boy and his alleged abductor.

Kienan Hebert, 3, and Randall Peter Hopley have not been found Friday, although there have been multiple reported sightings of a vehicle they may be travelling with, said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskulak.

He said nothing has been confirmed as positive identification of the runaway man and the missing boy.

"We do not have confirmed sightings," Moskulak said repeatedly due to a number of media reports saying the two have been spotted.

There have been sightings in British Columbia and Mounties are getting requests for clarification of tips from Alberta and across Canada.

Moskulak is requesting people who may have surveillance cameras and owners of recreational homes in the area to check out their properties.

"If you haven't checked your property of late, it would be appreciated by the investigators to go to your property, check it out, see if there's anything suspicious, any sign of any break-ins, any sign of stolen property or items, anything suspicious of nature," he said.

Mounties have been collecting surveillance videos from businesses along the highways.

The operators of the Fas Gas station in Frank have a surveillance video they say purportedly shows Hopley making a purchase Wednesday morning, though Mounties have yet to confirm that.

While the search and rescue teams continued to scour a wider area on Thursday, Mounties went back to the property of Orville Sheets, where Hopley is renting a room.

"This residence has been surveiled since the on set, we have to look at the possibilities of the individual coming forth himself, perhaps returning to the residence," said Moskulak.

Sheets said police took some papers from the residence but he didn't know what they were.

"They came at 10 a.m. checking if they can find anything that might give them an idea," he said.

"They took a few papers and checked his camper."

The recent Amber Alert expired Friday after 5:30 p.m. and Mounties will evaluate if another 24-hour public notice will be issued.

Moskulak said an Amber Alert can't be issued more than 24 hours at a time because authorities need to evaluate if it's still helpful to the search.

The Amber Alert has been activated only 10 times in British Columbia. Eight of those cases were parental abductions, and only one was a stranger abduction, said Moskulak.

"(The Heberts) are truly facing their worst nightmare," he said following an emotional pause.

"On behalf of the Heberts, they want to thank everyone for all their support and the media for helping to share the information."

The Heberts have requested privacy as they deal with the ordeal.

Amber Alert issued on specific criteria

By Sherri Zickefoose,
Calgary Herald September 9, 2011
Source - Vancouver Sun

Volunteers search the area near where a three-year-old boy, Kienan Hebert, went missing in Sparwood, British Columbia Thursday, September 8, 2011
Photograph by: Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald

According to the RCMP's website, an Amber Alert can be issued by authorities only if: the victim is younger than 18; police suspect the victim is in danger; police have a high-quality description of the victim, abductor or a vehicle involved; and if police believe the alert can be issued timely enough to find the victim or apprehend the suspect.

Each of the criteria has to be met before authorities send out a blanket alert targeted at public service media broadcasts, electronic signage and subscribed text messages.

Authorities issued the alert in this week's missing boy case as soon as they met the "bare minimum requirements" after the case evolved from a missing person to a possible abduction, RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said.

"When notifying the public of criminal matters, there are legal benchmarks that we have to meet before we can name a person as a suspect or person of interest," he said.

"It's difficult to get into specifics (in this case) - it's something that we cannot do in order to maintain the integrity of our findings to date - but needless to say, we did gain those grounds and we did identify him . . . as a suspect."

This is the 11th time the Amber Alert has been activated in B.C. since the bulletin's inception in 2004.

Hopley is "a stranger to the family," Moskaluk added.

Since 1985, Hopley has faced multiple charges and convictions related to an array of offences including several break-ins, assault, sexual assault, and theft, according to the Crowsnest Pass Promoter newspaper.

The majority of Hopley's arrests have come in and around the Sparwood area. In 2008, Hopley served 18 months in prison for breaking and entering in a 2007 incident involving a 10-year-old mentally challenged boy in Sparwood.

According to the paper, the boy told his foster mother that Hopley broke into the home twice and tried to push him out his bedroom window.

Hopley said he wanted to take the child away from foster care and give him back to his biological parents for a sum of $2,800.

A search warrant of Hopley's home found pictures of the boy, some of the boy's medication, and a suitcase full of kid's clothes and underwear for children who wet the bed, the paper reported.

Despite that discovery, charges of unlawful confinement and abduction were dropped by authorities because of a lack of evidence, according to the paper.

szickefoose@calgaryherald.com

Update:Amber Alert extended to Sunday. RCMP confirm abduction

by The Canadian Press - Story: 64362
Sep 10, 2011 / 8:29 pm
Source - CastNet

AMBER ALERT EXTENDED

An “Amber Alert” has been issued in the abduction of:



Name: Kienan Hebert
Age: 3
Sex: male Race: Caucasian Height:
Hair colour: Red
Missing date/time: Wednesday September 7th, 2011 – 9:30 am

Other victim information:

He was wearing blue “Scooby Doo” cartoon boxer shorts and may be carrying up to 3 blankets

Missing from: Elk Valley/Sparwood, BC

Suspect/transportation information:



Randall Hopley,
Male, Dark hair,
46 years old driving a 1987 brown Toyota Camry license plate 098-RAL

Phone 911 if you see the child or the man and the Camry.

=================================

Randall Peter Hopley, 46 is described as a white male with brown hair and hazel eyes.

He is 5’ 10” and weighs 147 lbs.

Police are also searching for Hopley’s vehicle described as:

Brown 1987 Toyota Camry
BC License Plate 098 RAL



If anyone has seen Kienan Hebert, Randall Hopley or his vehicle, they are asked to call 9-1-1.

==============================

Source - CastNet -- and rest of article.

Missing B.C. boy found safe and brought home

CTVNews.ca Staff
Date: Sun. Sep. 11 2011 8:22 AM ET
Source - CTV News

Three-year-old Kienan Hebert

Three-year-old Kienan Hebert has been found alive and safely returned to his Sparwood B.C. home, RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk announced early Sunday morning.

Moskaluk confirmed with a post on his Twitter account that a "suspect" returned the boy at around 3 a.m. local time.

The announcement comes a day after Mounties in B.C. confirmed that the young boy was abducted from his family home earlier this week.

Kienan's disappearance prompted a province-wide Amber Alert that eventually extended into Alberta.

RCMP arrest B.C. abduction suspect in Alberta

Updated: Tue Sep. 13 2011 1:27:54 PM
CTVNews.ca Staff
Source - CTV, Montreal

Randall Hopley, suspected in the abduction of three-year-old Kienan Hebert, is shown in a photo released by the Vancouver Police Department.

Police have arrested a British Columbia man who is believed to have abducted a young boy from his family home last week.

Randall Hopley was found Tuesday at a location near Crowsnest Pass, Alta., and subsequently transported to an RCMP detachment in Sparwood, B.C.

CTV's Kari Eyles reported that a police dog helped track down Hopley's precise location at a cement plant near Crowsnest Pass.

Police are scheduled to provide details on Hopley's arrest later Tuesday.

Crowsnest Pass is located southeast of Sparwood, the B.C. town where Hopley is a resident and is suspected to have abducted three-year-old Kienan Hebert from his family home.

Paul Hebert, the father of three-year-old Kienan Hebert, who abducted and safely-returned, speaks to CTV News, Monday, Sept. 12, 2011.

Kienan's parents put him to bed on Tuesday night of last week, to wake up the next morning to find him missing. They called police, an Amber Alert was issued and eventually authorities determined that the suspect in the abduction was Hopley -- a convicted sex offender who lived in the area.

After appeals from the family and police for Kienan's safe return, the boy was returned to his home early Sunday morning.

The boy's father, Paul Hebert, told CTV's Canada AM that he was thankful for the work the RCMP had done to get his son back to him.

Kienan Hebert, the three year old abducted from his bed in Sparwood, B.C. last week, plays with family and friends after being returned to his family home, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011.

"You know, the RCMP, they do everything they can to get the job done," Paul Hebert told CTV's Canada AM during a telephone interview from Sparwood on Tuesday morning.

"Then it goes before the judge and you know, the lawyers sort it out."

Hebert said it seems that Hopley is a person in need of help, whom the justice system appears to have set adrift.

"Instead of helping him and getting him the help he needs, they just threw him right back into society," said Hebert.

Three-year-old Kienan Hebert is surrounded by family and friends, after being abducted and safely returned to his home.

Hopley has a criminal record that stretches back more than two decades.

In 2008, he pleaded guilty to a break-and-enter that resulted in an 18-month jail sentence.

A Crown spokesperson said Hopley admitted that he tried to abduct a 10-year-old Sparwood boy, but charges of unlawful confinement and attempted abduction were stayed.

In the 1980s, Hopley was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault.

Criminal profiler Brad Garrett said the presumed abduction of Kienan Hebert is a very unusual case.

"For starters, the idea that an abductor would actually take the victim back to, in effect the crime scene, the child's home, and drop the child off, other than domestic kidnappings I've worked, I've never heard of such a situation like that," Garrett told CTV's Canada AM from Washington on Tuesday morning.

While it is not clear whether police would have had a hand in facilitating Kieron's safe return, Garrett said it is hard to explain why they wouldn't have made an arrest when the Sparwood boy was returned.

With files from The Canadian Press