As the five-year anniversary of the disappearance of Jaliek Rainwalker nears, investigators are opening a new chapter in the case.The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be sending experts to Greenwich to review piles of documents and hundreds of leads.
“You look at today, it’s overcast, cloudy, and dreary, that is what our lives have been like,” said Jaliek’s adoptive mother Barbara Reeley.
Jaliek was 12 years old when his adoptive father, Steven Kerr, reported him missing on November 1, 2007.
Police say Steven and Jaliek's adoptive mother Jocelyn cooperated with them for the first couple weeks of the investigation, but that was it.
Now, Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief George Bell is calling Jaliek’s parents to start talking.
“If they are really, truly the responsible, good-hearted parents like they want everyone to believe, then it is time for them to come down and face-to-face sit with me and tell me what happened with Jaliek,” he said.
Jaliek's adoptive grandparents agree.
Barbara and her husband Dennis Smith haven’t spoken to Jocelyn or Steven in about four-and-a-half years.
“We don't have any contact with them mostly because we believe Jaliek came to foul play at their hands,” Smith said. “They never really searched for our grandson, the day he was missing they said, ‘Well, let’s get on with our lives.’ That's foolish, it's crazy, it's insane.”
Steven Kerr has been questioned in this case, but never charged.
Even after almost five years, Chief Bell says the case is always on his mind.
“We haven't put it away, we won’t put it away until Jaliek is found or justice is done,” the chief said.
A couple of weeks ago Chief Bell reached out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He was told two new investigators will be sent to Greenwich to put some fresh eyes on the more than 500 leads in the case.
“It’s just like everything is coming together,” Reeley said hopefully.
“It certainly would be nice if they picked up something we missed,” Chief Bell said.
While investigators do their work, Jaliek's grandparents are still asking the public for any information that could help bring their five-year search to an end.
“It doesn't matter how big or small or whether you think it’s important or not, it could be the one thing that puts the whole thing together and tells us where our grandson is,” Reeley said.
Chief Bell is waiting on a phone call from a case manager at the center to find out exactly when the investigators will set up shop in Greenwich.
Steven Kerr’s lawyer, Jeffery McMorris, issued a statement on the family’s behalf. He says Steven and Jocelyn appreciate every investigation that will lead to Jaliek coming home and that they're encouraged to see the authorities are still investigating every reported sighting.
