North Oakland Now: No breakthrough in Campbell search
on September 14, 2009
A volunteer-led search yesterday in the Oakland Hills for missing 5-year-old Hassani Campbell turned up a sweatshirt and a sock on Chabot Road near Highway 24, but Campbell’s foster parents said the clothing did not belong to the boy.
“The sweatshirt was a different brand and a different size, and the sock was a big red sock — [Campbell] wasn’t wearing a red sock,” said John Burris, an attorney advising Campbell’s foster parents.
At a press conference this afternoon, Oakland Police public information officer Jeff Thomason said police didn’t endorse this private search. They took the clothes to the police lab for testing even though they did not appear to match Campbell’s size, and results should be available in one to two weeks. Thomason added that police have not had any recent breakthroughs in the case and need more evidence.
Campbell’s foster father, Louis Ross, told police that Campbell was wearing a grey sweatshirt when he reported his foster son missing on Aug. 10. On Aug. 31, Oakland Police arrested Campbell’s foster parents, Ross and Jennifer Campbell, on suspicion of murder. They were released on Sept. 1 when the Alameda County District Attorney’s office declined to prosecute the case, citing lack of evidence.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Campbell’s whereabouts. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572 or 510-777-3211 or Sgt. Gus Galindo at 510-238-7934.
Image: A candle burns in honor of Hassani Campbell during a vigil at College Avenue Presbyterian Church.
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Please join our search for Hasanni Campbell. You can email findhasanni@gmail.com or call Sherri Miller 510-276-9090 or Courtney Tascoe-Burris at 510-517-0785 We will be searching Ardenwood Farms and Coyote Hills in Fremont. The Search begins at 8AM and will go until we are done. Thank you in advance for your support in our search for Hasanni Campbell
“IT takes a Village to Raise a Child and a Village to find a child”