Update (7/13) The 6-month-old baby’s father, Matthew Graham is a person of interest in this case, he was last seen in Shasta Lake on Sunday according to authorities.
Graham was spotted at a Shell Gas Station near Shasta Dam and Cascade Boulevards at 3:30 in the afternoon.
The 23-year-old became the subject of a manhunt after he reportedly stole a gun and fled Saturday.
If you have any information, please contact police.
Updated (7/8 11 a.m.)The search for a six-month-old baby in Shasta County has been suspended.
Officials from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department says despite the multiple agencies searching for the baby, they have not found any sign of her.
Officials say Matthew Graham, Ember’s father, is still considered as a person of interest in the disappearance of his daughter.
Here is what was posted on the Shasta County Sheriff’s Facebook Page:
On July 7, 2015, at approximately 1700 hours, the ground search for Ember Sky Graham will be suspended. Searchers from all over the Northstate have searched for Ember in the Happy Valley, Cloverdale, Clear Creek, and Centerville areas looking for any sign of her with negative results. Shasta County Search and Rescue will be redeployed if any future viable tips surface.
From the onset of this case the Sheriffs Office Major Crimes Unit has been investigating the incident. On day one numerous law enforcement agencies that make up the CART team (Child Abduction Response Team) descended on the area and conducted door to door canvassing of the neighborhood and surrounding areas developing no viable leads as to Embers whereabouts. The Sheriffs Office Major Crimes Unit has investigated this case from all angles. At this time we have not found any credible evidence supporting Matthew Grahams account that Ember was abducted by a stranger or by anyone else.
Matthew came voluntarily to the Sheriffs Office on day one to be interviewed. Immediately investigators began to find several inconstancies in his statement during routine questioning of events leading up to the time of Embers missing report. Matthew showed very little remorse for the disappearance of his daughter. At no time during the eight plus hours that he was with detectives did he ever inquire what was being done to find her. He also refused to submit to a CVSA (Computer Voice Stress Analysis) exam to help rule himself out as a participant in his daughters disappearance. He offered little to no assistance to investigators to help clear himself. During the course of the investigation video surveillance was obtained from the Happy Stop Market near the corner of Oak Street and Cloverdale Ln in Happy Valley. The surveillance showed Matthew arriving with Ember not fastened in a safety seat, as he took her into the store and pumps fuel. He then drove out the parking lot heading westbound on Cloverdale Ln in the opposite direction from his home.
Matthew told detectives that he was taking a drive to get Ember to fall asleep. Keeping in mind the sweltering temperatures that day, and that his vehicle is not equipped with air conditioning the child would not likely fall asleep under those conditions. Matthew was adamant that he drove to the intersection of Clear Creek Rd and Cloverdale Ln, completed a U-turn and drove back home. Investigators took Matthew to the location and drove the route. The round trip from the Happy Stop Market and back took approximately 8 minutes under normal driving speeds.
Matthew said he did not stop and did not have any vehicle problems while on this trip. He agreed that it only took under 10 minutes to complete the drive.
What Matthew didnt know prior to making that statement is that detectives had video surveillance showing he left the Happy Stop Market and also video of him driving back by over an hour later. When he was shown this he immediately said he didnt think it was that long and then could not remember what he did or where he went during that hour. When detectives pressed him to remember, he asked to speak with a lawyer before any further questioning. This is one of many inconstancies in Matthewss statement.
When investigating the possibility that a third party could have abducted Ember as Matthew has stated, detectives have considered several facts. Matthew was keeping Ember in an approximate 25 foot camp trailer on the Noosha Ln property. The trailer has no running water or working bathroom. The sewage from the main residence flows into a cesspool and the property is covered in garbage and old vehicles. The property is cross fenced and you have to go through two gates and guard dogs that will bark and confront strangers. The trailer door leading to Embers playpen where Matthew said she was sleeping has a broken door handle mechanism and needs to be opened with a screwdriver or similar tool. You would also need to have some knowledge on how to operate the door. Crime scene technicians found the door to be difficult to open and close as it did not fit in the frame well and made noise opening and closing. According to Matthew, Ember would cry within 10 seconds of being picked up by a stranger.
When Matthew said he laid Ember down it was so hot that he only had her sleeping in a diaper. He said he had a swamp cooler on which would mask noise however later said it was so chilly that he turned it off prior to going to sleep. Records indicate the outside temperature was over 90 degrees around the time he said he went to sleep. Due to Embers medical conditions she does not sleep consistently and needs to be fed every two hours. Matthew said he went to sleep around 2230 hours, and did not wake up until around 0530 hours. He later told detectives that he passed out and had been smoking wax marijuana honey oil all night.
Ember has special medical needs. She is prone to having seizures and takes medicine twice a day to control them. The medication does not make her tired or sleepy, but rather it makes her restless so that she never really goes into REM sleep. Due to the medication, Ember is a very restless sleeper, is constantly flailing around, and wakes up at night about every 2 hours to eat.
Currently Matthew is in custody on a felony probation violation hold. During his interview he admitted to manufacturing and extracting honey oil. The precursors to a honey oil extraction operation were found in his trailer. He is also using prescription medication that he failed to disclose to his probation officer as part of his probation orders.
As of this date, Matthew Graham is still considered as a Person of Interest into the disappearance of Ember Graham. Detectives with the Shasta County Sheriffs Office, Major Crimes Unit continue to follow up on leads and are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Embers disappearance as to Matthew Grahams involvement as well as any information of a third party abduction.
At this time the Sheriffs Office Major Crimes Unit will field all inquiries from the press from the current PIO Lt. Dave Kent.
Anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of Ember Graham, please contact Shasta County Sheriffs Major Crimes Unit at (530) 245-6135 or Sheriffs Records at (530) 245-6025. Information can also be sent to the Sheriffs Major Crimes Unit email address: [email protected]
Sergeant Pat Kropholler #128
Shasta County Major Crimes Unit
(530)245-6135
Case Number 15-24132
Shasta County, Calif. –The search continues for a six-month-old baby who was reported missing from her crib in Shasta County last Thursday.
Shasta County Sheriff, Tom Bosenko says a reward up to $10,000 is being offered for information on Ember Graham. Bosenko also says the Shasta County Sheriffs are being assisted by SAR volunteer teams including K9s from several counties.
Officials say the infant went missing after her father says he went to check on her around 5 a.m. on Thursday morning and she wasnt there.
Sheriffs in Shasta County have initiated CART, the Child Abduction Response Unit and are working with multipl
e agencies across northern California. An amber alert has not been issued.
Ember is considered missing and at risk because she suffers from seizures.
Please contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit if you have any information.
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