As the public becomes aware of Ella Jones's disappearance, the Mount Vernon Police Department receives information on a possible suspect's identity.
The person was already said to be a male named "Keith" possibly. Investigators also determined that Ella Jones may have used a "RideShare" service when she left her home. RideShare services are not prevalent in Ella Jones' area, so Mount Vernon Police were able to narrow the search and locate a rideshare Jones may have used. Investigators identified a man named "Keith" who ordered a ride share for Ella and his address in South Haven Michigan.
The FBI reaches out to Van Buren County Michigan Sherrif's department about a possible suspect named Keith Freerksen with an address in South Haven Michigan possibly being involved in the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl in Mt Vernon, Washington.
Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott says his detectives investigated the possible suspect location and identified the car suspected of transporting the 14-year-old girl 2,000 miles from Washington to Michigan. After obtaining a search warrant, Sheriff Abbott says they waited for the suspect vehicle to return to the property before executing the search warrants.
Sheriff Abbott says as the detectives watched the property, they noticed there were three homes on the property and several people were seen in the residences. The suspect was identified as one of the people in one of the residences on the property. Detectives coordinate with the local uniformed police officers in marked cars to roll in with them and execute the search warrant.
Having executed the search warrant, all individuals on the property were separated so detectives could begin the interview process. The suspect immediately told detectives the 14-year-old girl was there on the property. Once the suspect was read his Miranda rights, he lawyered up and stopped talking
The suspect is 30-year-old Keith Freerksen, a convicted sex offender. Sheriff Daniel Abbott says the Freerksen spoke with and groomed the victim online over an extended period before she took a ride share to the suspect's home in Michigan.
Keith Freerksen was arraigned on nine charges: two counts of trafficking a minor, three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
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