KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The father of a missing 3-year-old Kansas girl was arrested late Friday after police said they believe they found her body. Howard Jansen III, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, has not been formally charged in the death of Olivia Ann Jansen.
Jansen was booked into the Wyandotte County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse.
Saturday morning, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, 33, was also held on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse. The body was found about 5:45 p.m. Friday about nine blocks from her home, from which her father had reported her missing.
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities believe they found the body of a 3-year-old girl who was reported missing Friday morning from her Kansas City, Kansas, home. Her father is in jail on murder charges.
Investigators are “pretty sure” the body found Friday afternoon is Olivia Jansen’s, said Officer Tom Tomasic, a police spokesman. The body was found about 5:45 p.m. Friday about nine blocks from her home, from which her father had reported her missing.
Police had said that, because of Olivia’s age and the distance from home where her body was found, she had been taken from her home. Tomasic said they have had “several stories throughout the day” and “none of them made sense.”
The child’s father 29-year-old Howard Jansen told investigators he saw her around 11 p.m. Thursday when he went to sleep, Officer Dustin Dierenfeldt said. He said he awoke Friday morning to find her gone and a door opened to the outside.
An Amber Alert was issued that said that although there was no known suspect of suspect vehicle, “Due to her age and a search of the area, investigators believe that she was taken from the location.”
Investigators had searched the area around the child’s home all day Friday with all-terrain vehicles, drones, and K-9 teams.
Although Jansen, was cooperating with the investigation, police booked him into jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, according to online booking records.
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The KBI cancelled the Amber Alert for missing 3-year-old Olivia Jansen just after 6p.m. Friday.
Authorities located the body of deceased child believed to be her. Police released no additional details.
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The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert Friday morning for 3-year-old Olivia A. Jansen.
At 6:30 a.m. Friday, the father of Olivia woke up and discovered that she was not in the residence, 4444 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas and the back door of the location was standing open.
Due to her age and a search of the area, investigators believe that she was taken from the location. There is no known suspect at this time and no known suspect vehicle.
Olivia is described as 3-feet tall, 50 pounds with brown hair and blue-green eyes. She had been dressed in pajamas - pink top and purple or teal bottom. Her hair was in a ponytail.
She was last seen at her home 4444 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas.
Call 911 immediately if you see Olivia. If you have other information, please call the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department at 913-596-3000