A missing 5-year-old girl, Lela Black, has been found safe while her father, Byron Black, suspected of the murder of the child's mother, is now in custody. The unfolding drama prompted an Amber Alert, which was later canceled after authorities located the young girl on Monday afternoon.
Kentucky State Police issued an Amber Alert earlier on Monday, revealing that Lela was believed to be with her 42-year-old biological father, who had an outstanding arrest warrant for the murder of Kelly Black. The alert described Lela as 3 feet, 6 inches tall, with brown hair and eyes, while her father is 6 feet, 180 pounds, also with brown hair and eyes.
The tragic incident came to light when police responded to a Princeton residence on Sunday after a welfare check. There, they discovered the lifeless body of Kelly Black.
The investigation indicated that the mother had been shot in the back of the head and that she had been murdered.
The situation escalated when it was revealed that both Lela and Byron had not been heard from since Friday. The issuance of an Amber Alert raised the stakes, as officials feared for the well-being of the missing child given the circumstances surrounding her mother's murder.
The Amber Alert described Byron Black as potentially "armed and dangerous." He had left the scene prior to law enforcement arriving, and was last seen in a white 1996 Chevrolet Silverado with the California license plate 5J83779. The alert also highlighted the deteriorating condition of the vehicle, with paint peeling off the hood.
State police canceled the Amber Alert as they announced on Monday afternoon that Lela had been found safe and her father, Byron, was in custody. However, the authorities did not disclose where the two were located.
The incident has shocked the community in Princeton, which is about 40 miles north of the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
What is Amber Alert?
The Amber Alert system plays a crucial role in child abduction cases, with the U.S. Department of Justice reporting that 149 children were rescued last year due to the dissemination of such alerts.
However, a USA TODAY investigation highlighted the rarity of Amber Alerts and the uncertainty surrounding their effectiveness in safely recovering missing children.The analysis indicates that only a tiny fraction of missing-child cases in the U.S trigger Amber Alerts.
In 2021, only 254 Amber Alerts were issued compared to over 337,000 missing-child reports.
Delays and confusion in the alert process are common, as authorities often spend crucial hours navigating strict requirements for an Amber Alert to be issued, leaving families in distress and questioning why an alert was not issued sooner.
The report also notes that the criteria exclude alerts for missing children considered runaways, the predominant classification in most cases. The analysis suggests a need to revisit Amber Alert criteria for a more effective and inclusive system.
**UPDATE** The missing child, Lela Black, has been located safely. Byron Black has been taken into custody. Thank you to everyone who retweeted and shared! https://t.co/sHSwxh8UWM
— KY State Police (@kystatepolice) January 29, 2024
