SAN ANTONIO, TX -- San Antonio police say crews searching a local landfill for clues to the fate of a missing Arizona baby have reached the target level of their dig.
A Wednesday statement from San Antonio Police Chief William McManus says crews had only to reach a 30-foot depth of an expected 45-foot depth in the Tessman Road Landfill.
McManus says a meticulous second phase of the landfill search will begin Thursday.
He says the hope remains that 9-month-old Gabriel Johnson will be found alive, but other possibilities must also be investigated.
"Debris will be thoroughly examined by search teams as well as cadaver dogs," said McManus. "All hopes are that we will find the baby alive, but we are going to proceed with a murder investigation."
The announcement of the landfill search comes after detectives said recently they are now investigating the case as a kidnapping and murder.
Elizabeth Johnson, Gabriel's mother, has refused to say where her baby is.
Johnson told Logan McQueary, the boy's father, that she killed Gabriel, but the McQueary family believes the boy is alive.
"It's devastating, but until we see proof that Gabriel's not with us, we will keep the life search going," said McQueary's aunt, Kelli McQueary.
Gabriel was last seen Dec. 26 in San Antonio with his 23-year-old mother.
That mother was arrested Dec. 30 in Florida and has been charged in Arizona with kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference.
The case drew national attention when McQueary pleaded for his son's safe return on national TV.
"We think Gabriel is out there and alive," he said last week.
McQueary has also formed an investigative team of his own.
Along with family members and the world famous private detective Jay J. Armes, McQueary has been making his rounds, passing out flyers and visiting hotels, gas stations, bus stops and fast food restaurants Johnson may have visited before Gabriel was last seen in San Antonio.
Armes said he believes Gabriel was the victim of an "underground adoption," and has made a trip to Mexico to look for the child.
Authorities said Johnson and her baby were in San Antonio Dec. 20-27 and spent her time in two hotels.
Authorities say that on Dec. 27, Johnson was seen boarding a bus to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., but Gabriel wasn't with her.
A
Facebook page dedicated to Gabriel Johnson has become an outlet for some to show their support and hold out hope that the baby boy is alive.
About 100 people attended a vigil in late January at
Scottsdale's Chaparral Park near Hayden and Chaparral Roads.
"I just want to thank everyone, the support is great, I'm very thankful," said Gabriel's father, Logan McQueary.
McQueary said he has not visited Elizabeth Johnson in jail, but has thought about it.
"I'm not exactly sure what I would say to her, other than I just want her to be honest," said McQueary.
In January, detectives searched the home of a Scottsdale couple considered 'persons of interest' in the case.
Jack and Tammi Smith said police took their laptop computer and made a copy of a business computer's hard drive. They said authorities also took brochures they had for a foster agency.
Tempe Police Lt. Mike Horn discusses the caseThe search warrant came just hours after Tammi Smith voluntarily met with Tempe detectives for more than two hours.
As she walked out of Tempe Police Department Headquarters, Smith could be heard saying, "That was rough."
Tammi was arrested and indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit custodial interference and forgery.
Police say a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for the safe return of the Tempe toddler.
The reward is being offered through Crime Stoppers in San Antonio, Texas.
Anyone with information about Gabriel can call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP or online at
http://www.sacrimestoppers.com.
There's also a toll-free number to call: 1-800-THE-LOST.
