The Disappearance of Baby Lisa Irwin
This is going to be a shorter post today. I had to do some things for work, and got really behind, ugh! I watched an episode of People Magazine Investigates on Investigation Discovery. It’s season 1 episode 3, titled ‘What Happened to Baby Lisa?’ Lisa has been missing since 2011, and I don’t know if she will ever be found.
Background
Lisa Irwin was born to Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin on November 11, 2010. The Irwin’s lived in Kansas City, Missouri. Baby Lisa was only 10 months old when she disappeared from her crib on October 4, 2011.
Lisa Irwin
Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley
Disappearance Timeline
Jeremy Irwin worked late shifts, and wouldn’t get home until usually 3am. That’s when he got home on October 4, 2011. When he got home, the door was unlocked and the lights were on, which he found strange. He realized then that everyone in the house was sleeping.
He went to check on Lisa around 4am, and reported to his wife that she was missing. Why it took an hour for him to check on her, I don’t know. The police were called immediately.
Investigation
Deborah changed her story multiple times throughout the investigation. She claimed that she doesn’t remember when she checked on Lisa, and that it was either at 6:40pm or 10:40pm. She also said she got a little drunk that night, when a neighbor came over. Jeremy also claimed that multiple cell phones were missing in the house.
The police did another search of the Irwin house on October 19. A cadaver dog had apparently hit on a part of the parent’s bed, near Deborah’s side. Cadaver dogs are trained to smell decomposing bodies. The police also had a search warrant for multiple items. These items included: a comforter, purple shorts, a Disney shirt, a toy that was in the shape of a worm, a Cars themed blanket, rolls of tape and a dispenser.
Suspects or Grieving Parents?
Deborah became the police’s prime suspect, especially when she failed a polygraph test. Deborah also claimed that the police even told her to her face that they know she had something to do with Lisa’s disappearance. Deborah had also claimed that she is innocent.
Jeremy appeared on the Today Show and said that they have done nothing but corporate with the police, and went on to say:
““We just want to make sure that we tell everybody that we’re still cooperating. We’re still talking to the police. We’re doing everything we can to try to find Lisa and bring her home.””
The Irwin family also hired a private investigator and put out a reward for $100,000 for any information.
Age Progression. Could Lisa still be alive?
Other
On November 10, 2011, the police wanted to speak to Lisa’s brothers (I couldn’t find any information on how old they were). They also wanted to take DNA samples, but the day before the boys were to go into the police station, Deborah and Jeremy changed their minds.
In May 2012, The Irwin’s claimed someone had used their credit card to purchase a fake birth certificate. It’s been reported that various news and media outlets had determined that this website was real.
Today, baby Lisa has never been found. There was a body found in 2013 in Greece, but it was not Lisa. Nobody has ever come forward either, despite the large reward amount.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Out of all the Irwin family members, Deborah seems the most suspicious to me. She does appear very emotional in the episode, but it could be an act. She always claimed her innocence, despite the finger being pointed at her and all of her stories that she has told.
The other part of this story that I find strange is the witnesses saying they saw a man carrying a baby. It gives me Madeleine McCann vibes, because a man was reportedly seen carrying her as well.
I don’t think we will ever know what happened to Lisa Irwin. I hope one day, either her parents talk or someone else comes forward. Lisa deserves justice and if her family is innocent, they deserve to know what happened to her.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lisa_Irwin
