But we begin in Wise County
where 7 year old Athena Strand
has been missing for 48 hours.
This is a live look over the search
area tonight from Chopper eight it
and tonight new information just
in from Child Protective Services.
Thank you for joining us.
I'm Cynthia seguerra. Chris is off.
Athena Strand was last seen Wednesday
evening at her dad's house in Paradise.
Late today CPS confirmed W FAA they've
never had any cases involving Athena.
However, sources tell us CPS has gone
to the home prior to investigate the
stepmother involving another child.
Tonight, law enforcement officers
are using every resource on the
ground and in the air to find Athena.
But from this map you can see this is a
pretty unincorporated area of Wise County,
northwest of Fort Worth.
Also what we saw from HD Chopper 8.
Now let's walk you through what we know.
Athena was last seen Wednesday
night just before 5.
Her stepmother says the two got into an
argument and she left Athena in a room.
When she returned from cooking dinner,
Athena was gone.
An Amber Alert was issued Thursday afternoon,
and since then hundreds of volunteers have
joined law enforcement to search for Athena,
including canine teams.
But still no sign of the little girl.
Jay Wallace joins us now live
from Wise County.
Jay crews have been searching for
two days going into their third.
How much longer will they go?
Well, the search is going to continue
as long as Athena remains missing.
That's not stopping anytime soon,
but there's only going to be what
it's called. It's spot searching.
That's what the Wise
County Sheriff tells them.
So you know, the first two days it's
been more of a wide search that's
involves the all the volunteers
with 200 plus people that came
out yesterday to go shoulder to
shoulder walk through the brush to
try to see if they could find her,
get any evidence.
Now even though that didn't
lead to any leads,
the sheriff tells us now they're
going to go more to spot searching
as I mentioned and that's when.
Investigators,
they don't need volunteers anymore.
They'll only be going to areas
that come from tips or come
from the investigation.
That's what we're now into is the spot
searching phase of this investigation.
And Speaking of tips and the investigation,
Jay, does the Wise County Sheriff have any
idea what might have happened to this child?
Yeah, I mean that's the question
that's been weighing on the heart
of the the sheriff and a lot of the
officials and the investigators.
That's what you know,
they're telling us The Who,
what, where, when, why.
At least up to this point,
investigators and officials,
they aren't giving us any tips that
they have any of those questions
answered other than saying that the
department is going to focus more on
the investigation part and have an
investigation along with the search
compared to the first couple days it's
been worth search within investigation.
But you know,
when we talked to the sheriff earlier today,
it was about.
Three o'clock anytime we ask the
options about could it be this,
could it be that he he never said
anything was out of the question.
He was saying we're open to any and
all options and that's what's been
really tough for him at this point.
So still many unanswered questions
as you mentioned now more than
48 hours since she went missing
family members been saying as we wrap up.
Well, the sheriff says that both the
stepmother and the father, they have
been helping with the investigation.
As you mentioned,
you were kind of the timeline.
Athena was last with her step mom those 48
hours ago and that's when she went missing.
She was the only adult in
the house at the time.
Her father was on his way down to
South Texas for a hunting trip.
But he did come right back when she
alerted him that Athena was missing.
And we do know yesterday we talked to
her biological mother and her aunt,
biological mother, mother, sister.
And they told us that something wasn't
adding up right now in their eyes,
and that they don't think
Athena would wander off again.
That's according to the
biological mother and her aunt.
So again,
what we're hearing from officials
still don't know a lot of
questions that are unanswered,
so we'll continue to be out here in.
Latest on here
our prayers that we find little
Athena Strand right away.
Thank you Jay for the update
and tonight on WFA News at 6,
our coverage on the search
for Athena continues.
Meantime, if you have any information
on where this child may be,
please call police.