2011 Jennings, Amir Nov 2011, Columbia 18 MO

[PorchlightUSA]

Crimestoppers Phone: 1-888-CRIME-SC (274-6372) | Web: midlandscrimestoppers.com | Twitter: @midlandcstopper Text: TIPSC + your message to CRIMES (274637) News - Crime & Courts Sunday, Jan. 01, 2012 Sunday, Jan. 01, 2012 Mother faces cruelty charge; son, 18 months, missing BY RACHAEL MYERS LOWE - rlowe@thestate.com BY RACHAEL MYERS LOWE The State $javascriptRequire = new miScriptScheduler(); $javascriptRequire.scriptCheck = window.mi_story_tool; $javascriptRequire.scriptPath = "http://media.thestate.com/static/scripts/mi/pubsys/story_tools_oo.js"; $javascriptRequire.scheduleScript(); var addthis_title = document.title.replace(/\'/g,'\\\'').replace(/"/g,"\""); var addthis_url = location.href+'#storylink=addthis'; E-Mail Print Reprint 24 Comments mi.commenting.displayCommentCount(); Text Size: tool name close tool goes here The mother of a missing 18-month-old has been charged with cruelty to children following her arrest after Columbia police say she gave false and inconsistent information about her son’s whereabouts.Family members last saw Amir Jennings with his mother, Zinah Demaris Jennings, 22, during the Thanksgiving holiday, police say. According to reports, family members became concerned earlier this month when they could not locate Jennings or her child. They filed a missing persons report on the two with Columbia Police, and information was entered into the National Crime Information Center. Amir Jennings: 18 Months Old DOB: 6/8/2010 /Columbia Police Department Zinah Demaris Jennings /Columbia Police Department Car that Zinah Demaris Jennings was driving at the time of the accident on Dec. 24th. This is also a vehicle that Amir may have been in at one time /Columbia Police Department Amir Jennings: 18 Months Old DOB: 6/8/2010 /Columbia Police Department Booking photo: Zinah Demaris Jennings /Alvin S Glenn Detention Center CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS if ($('#story_assets').length == 0 && $('#assets_ad #yahoo_300x250_ipbtf div').length == 0) { $('#assets_ad').hide (); } Today's news video Jennings later surfaced in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, police say, when she was involved in a single car accident on Millwood Avenue and Lady Street while driving a burgundy Dodge Neon. The responding officer realized Jennings was considered a missing person and notified the investigator assigned to the case.The responding officer asked Jennings for information about her son, police say, but she allegedly gave false and inconsistent information about Amir. Jennings was arrested Thursday after police decided she was not cooperating in their investigation of her son’s whereabouts. “The only consistency about everything she has told us is in the inconsistency,” Police Chief Randy Scott said. Statements she has made to police about her son have not panned out.. “I consider this a very serious matter, I am very concerned about the safety of the child,” Scott said.“Why would a mother not be willing to let us see her child? We just want to see the child.”Jennings is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Bond was set Saturday at $150,000.State and federal Investigators in Georgia and North Carolina are helping in the case, because Jennings has ties to Atlanta and Charlotte, Scott said. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers, (888) CRIME-SC.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/01/01/2096932...l#storylink=cpy
http://www.thestate.com/2012/01/01/2096932...-month-old.html

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story....44#.TwFDZNXns9A
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) -- The Columbia Police Department is reaching out for community help in finding a missing one and a half year old.

Chief Randy Scott held a press conference Saturday, giving details of the case they have been investigating since late November.

The child Amir Jennings, was last seen with his mother Zinah Jennings around Thanksgiving.

On December 8th authorities received a call that the mother and son were both missing, and after investigators contacted the grandmother a missing persons report for the two were filed.

Then on December 24th around 4am, Jennings was involved in a traffic accident on Millwood and Lady Street.

An investigator looking into the accident realized Jennings had been reported missing, and she was without her son.

Investigators have questioned the mother repeatedly, but Jennings has continued to give officials false information.

Police have arrested and charged Jennings with unlawful conduct towards a child until officials can locate her son.

Jennings is being held on a $150,000 bond at the Richland County jail, and it wasn't clear if she had an attorney.

If you have any information please contact crime stoppers at 1-888-CRIMES-SC.

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.wistv.com/story/16422774/mother...nlawful-conduct
Mother of missing child arrested, charged with unlawful conduct
Posted: Dec 31, 2011 12:51 PM EST Updated: Dec 31, 2011 2:08 PM EST
By Jeremy Turnage - email

Amir Jennings Amir Jennings

Zinah Jennings Zinah Jennings
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COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The mother of a missing child has been arrested and charged unlawful conduct towards a child after police say she gave false and inconsistent information to investigators on the child's whereabouts.

Authorities say 18-month-old Amir Jennings was last seen by his family members during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The mother, 22-year-old Zinah Demaris Jennings, is currently at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center following a hearing where bond was set at $150,000 surety.

Initially, police say, Zinah's family members were worried that Zinah and the child had gone missing after being unable to get in touch with the pair earlier in December. A missing persons report was then filed on both Amir and Zinah.

On Christmas Eve, according to police, Zinah was involved in a car crash on Millwood Avenue. The responding officer found Zinah in the missing persons directory and immediately asked her about her son.

Investigators say Zinah gave false and inconsistent information to the officer.

Amir remains missing and police are looking for any leads that might help them locate the child.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Amir Jennings, you are asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Copyright 2011 WIS. All rights reserved.

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.wltx.com/news/article/165821/2/...bia-Boy-Missing
Columbia, SC (WLTX)--Columbia authories are asking for your help to locate an 18 month old boy who has been missing since Thanksgiving.

Columbia Police say there is great concern for toddler Amir Jennings safety.

Family members last saw Amir Jennings, an 18-month-old boy with his mother Zinah Demaris Jennings during the Thanksgiving holiday.

A warrant was issued for Ms. Jennings on December 29th by Columbia Police.

On the same day, Jennings was arrested and charged with Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child.

The charge was filed after Ms. Jennings lied to investigators about her son Amir's whereabouts.

Ms. Jennings is behind bars at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where she is being held on a $150,000 bond.

If you have have information on Amir's whereabouts please call Crimestoppers at 1-888 CRIME SC.

[PorchlightUSA]

http://pleasehelpthesemissingchildren.blog...s-critical.html

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/16423183/...ddlers-location
Cops: Woman lied about missing toddler's location
Posted: Dec 31, 2011 3:15 PM EST Updated: Dec 31, 2011 3:15 PM EST

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Columbia police say they have arrested a 22-year-old mother after she lied to officers about the location of her 18-month-old son, who has been missing for several weeks.

Investigators said Saturday they are worried about the well-being of Amir Jennings, who was reported missing along with his mother earlier in December.

The toddler's mother, Zinah (ZEE-nah) Jennings, was found after she was involved in a wreck on Dec. 24. Police asked her about her son, and officers said she lied about where he was.

Jennings is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. She is being held on a $150,000 bond at the Richland County jail, and it wasn't clear if she had an attorney.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[PorchlightUSA]

SC missing boy's mom told cops she had no children

In this Nov. 25, 2011 photo provided by the Columbia S.C., Police Dept., 18-month-old Amir Jennings is shown near Columbia, S.C. Investigators might have had no leads on a missing mother and child if the woman hadn't crashed her car on Christmas Eve. But even after questioning Zinah Jennings in custody, police don't know what's happened to her son. She is now in jail, charged with lying to authorities about where the boy is, prompting a search by local, state and federal authorities spanning the Carolinas, Georgia and beyond. (AP Photo - Columbia S.C., Police Dept.)

MEG KINNARD
From Associated Press
January 06, 2012 10:26 AM EST

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The mother of an 18-month-old South Carolina boy missing for more than a month initially told investigators she didn't have a son, then gave conflicting statements about what she did with him, authorities said.

Questioned after a Christmas Eve car wreck, Zinah Jennings told police that she did not have a son before saying the boy, Amir, was in Atlanta, according to warrants provided to The Associated Press by Columbia police.

Jennings also took investigators to a Columbia apartment complex where she said she had dropped off her son. She later said she didn't know the apartment number or location within the complex, police said.

Authorities planned a noon news conference Friday.

In early December, Amir's grandmother contacted police, saying she was worried about the boy and her daughter. Jocelyn Jennings Nelson told authorities that her daughter was a former Winthrop University student who struggled with depression and started acting erratically after her son's birth, according to Chief Randy Scott.

Police said they began looking for Jennings, 22, but also considered that relatives said she had repeatedly left town for days at a time, taking her son to visit friends in neighboring states.

Several weeks later, on Christmas Eve, police investigating a one-car wreck just blocks from Jennings' home were surprised to find the driver was the young mother they'd been looking for. Interviewed at a hospital, police say Jennings gave conflicting statements about where the boy was, telling authorities the boy was with friends and family in cities from Atlanta to Charlotte, N.C.

Police spoke with Amir's father, who told them he had seen the boy during Thanksgiving but generally has had little contact with him. The father was not identified by police.

After several dead ends, the mother was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with lying to police about her son's whereabouts. Authorities say they have stepped up their efforts to find the boy and are hoping a tip line will yield some information.

Police searched the mother's home and car this week with cadaver dogs.

Search warrants show that authorities were looking for items that could contain Amir's DNA, but paperwork listing items removed from Jennings' bedroom was heavily redacted.

Jennings is being held in Richland County jail on $150,000 bond. Police have said they don't know if she has an attorney.

___

Online:

SC Crimestoppers: http://www.sccrimestoppers.com/

___

Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP




http://enews.earthlink.net/article/us?guid...f8-68bc27539eaf

[PorchlightUSA]

Missing Toddler's Family Asks For Public's Help
Grandmother of Amir Jennings Makes Public Plea For Help

POSTED: 12:31 pm EST January 6, 2012
UPDATED: 12:54 pm EST January 6, 2012
[EMAIL: Missing Toddler's Family Asks For Public's Help] Email [PRINT: Missing Toddler's Family Asks For Public's Help] Print
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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Family members of 18-month-old Amir Jennings spoke publicly Friday about the missing toddler.

Jocelyn Jennings Nelson, Amir's grandmother, said she believes Amir may be in Atlanta, Charlotte, or Columbia because those are the cities her daughter, Zinah, has close ties to.

"My family and I are requesting your support in helping us to find his location and bring him home," said Nelson.

Arrest warrants provided to The Associated Press show that 22-year-old Zinah Jennings first told police last month she had no children before saying her son, Amir, was in Atlanta.

Jennings also took investigators to a Columbia apartment complex where she said she dropped off her son later saying she didn't know the apartment number or location within the complex.

Jennings' mother says she hasn't seen Amir since Thanksgiving.

Jennings is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child after police say she told inconsistent stories about Amir's whereabouts.

Police said Thursday they had used cadaver dogs to search the family's home.

Read more: http://www.wxii12.com/news/30150838/detail...l#ixzz1j0p9NWxk
http://www.wxii12.com/r/30150838/detail.html

[PorchlightUSA]

Relatives of missing boy ask the public for help
By MEG KINNARD Associated Press



COLUMBIA -- The grandmother of a missing 18-month-old South Carolina boy pleaded with the public Friday to help authorities find the toddler who was last seen by relatives at Thanksgiving.

Fighting back tears, Jocelyn Jennings Nelson described her grandson, Amir, as a happy child with a gap in his front teeth. She said he enjoys nursery rhymes, music and responds to "Mir Mir" and "AJ."

"My family and I are requesting your support in helping us to find his location and to bring him home," Nelson said.

Police Chief Randy Scott said officers were tracking down leads. The boy's mother, Zinah Jennings, has been jailed since police said she lied to them last week about where he son was.

Nelson reported Jennings missing in early December, saying she was worried about the boy and her daughter. The grandmother told authorities her daughter was a former Winthrop University student who struggled with depression and started acting erratically after her son's birth.

Police began looking for the 22-year-old mother but said they also considered that relatives said she had repeatedly left town for days at a time, taking her son to visit friends in neighboring states.

Several weeks later, on Christmas Eve, police investigating a one-car wreck just blocks from Jennings' home were surprised to find the driver was the young mother they'd been looking for. Interviewed at a hospital, police said Jennings gave conflicting statements about where the boy was, first telling authorities she didn't have any children before saying Amir was with friends and family in cities from Atlanta to Charlotte, N.C.

After several dead ends, the mother was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with lying to police. Authorities say they have stepped up their efforts to find the boy and are hoping a tip line will yield some information.

Jennings is being held in Richland County jail on $150,000 bond. Police have said they don't know if she has an attorney.

On Friday, Jennings' aunt thanked people who had called in tips to authorities and made an appeal for more information.

"It may seem insignificant, but if you can remember anything else, please call the hot line and let the detectives whether that information is significant or not," Millie Houston said.
http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/m1065-B...thru-01-06-0844

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http://www.wtoc.com/story/16480501/warrant...-mislead-police
Bloody clothes, blankets found in mom's car in search for SC toddler, warrants say
Posted: Jan 09, 2012 4:53 PM EST Updated: Jan 09, 2012 6:28 PM EST
By Sharon Smith, Weekend Anchor, Reporter - bio | email
Video Gallery
Search for missing toddler
2:19

Amir Amir

Zinah Jennings (Source: Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center) Zinah Jennings (Source: Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center)

By Jody Barr - email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS/WBTV) - Columbia police investigators found bloody blankets and clothes in the vehicle of a woman whose 18-month-old son vanished the day before Thanksgiving, according to search warrants released Monday.

Related content: Read the search warrants (pdf document)

The search warrants show that police went to 22-year-old Zinah Jennings' Lady St. home after Jennings' step dad told police he saw her in the backyard with a shovel during the time Amir Jennings went missing.

During a January 4 search, investigators found and confiscated a shovel at the home, according to a warrant. Police also found what appear to be blood stains on blankets and clothes in the back of Zinah Jennings' 2004 Dodge Neon.

Zinah Jennings is currently in jail for lying about her son's whereabouts. Police say she refuses to say where the little boy is. She is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.

Jennings was found after a car wreck Christmas Eve. Columbia police say she has told inconsistent stories, including saying Amir was with friends in North Carolina and Georgia and that she didn't even have a child.

Right now investigators are searching from Charlotte to Atlanta in hopes of finding the toddler alive. Police say the boy's mother has given several different accounts as to where the child is.

Officers say one of the people the mother said the baby was last with doesn't even exist.

WBTV's Sharon Smith has been studying other warrants released Monday and says some of those details are very similar to the Casey Anthony case.

A few days ago police in Columbia and Amir's grandmother gave a really emotional news briefing

You could see the frustration...because they knew what we didn't know until now.

"My family and I are requesting your support in helping us to find his location and to bring him home." Pleaded Jocelyn Jennings Nelson talking about her grandson...Amir.

No one has seen him in weeks.

And based on search warrants obtained by WBTV -- his mother, Zinah Jennings -- is not helping.

Columbia police say she lied about having a child when they questioned her in a traffic accident Christmas Eve. They knew Zinah and her son had already been reported missing weeks earlier.

And when she told police Amir could be in Atlanta or Charlotte, the case attracted national attention...and prompted Amir's own Facebook page to spread the word.

CMPD interviewed family members in Charlotte..leads came up empty.

And the warrants get worse.

December 27th -- police say Jennings makes up the name of a babysitter -- Ernest Robinson, who doesn't exist.

December 30th -- Jennings is arrested for child cruelty.

January second -- she takes police to a complex where she says she dropped Amir off...but she can't remember the apartment.

It makes what we heard from the police chief in Columbia Friday that hit harder.

"I'm fearful, I'll tell you I'm concerned," he said.

His detectives and cadaver dogs had already searched Zinah's bedroom at her mother's home. They blacked out every single item they seized.

There are two more search warrants we've been asking for....one on the car Zinah wrecked in Columbia and one for a property outside Atlanta where a relative lives.

Zinah's mother reported her missing one month ago...two days after she learned Zinah was a suspect in a hit and run.

Copyright 2012 WIS and WBTV.

[PorchlightUSA]

Amir Jennings Missing: Cops Use Cadaver Dog In Search For Missing SC Boy
Amir Jennings Missing

MEG KINNARD 01/ 5/12 06:35 PM ET AP



COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cadaver dogs looking for a South Carolina boy searched his mother's car and home as she sat in jail on charges of lying to police about what she did with her son, though authorities were not saying whether they found any evidence the toddler was dead.

Despite the grim search, authorities tried to stay optimistic about finding Amir Jennings alive, but the case was getting harder to solve as time goes by. Amir's grandmother said she hasn't seen him since Thanksgiving.

The boy's mother has told police conflicting stories about her son, saying he was with friends and family in the Carolinas and also Georgia, authorities said.

"I'm really just focused on making sure that Amir is OK, or has some harm come to him?" Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott said. "That's what we don't know. That's what we cannot find out."

Amir's grandmother contacted police in early December, saying she was worried about the boy and her daughter, a former Winthrop University student who struggled with depression and had begun acting erratically since her son's birth.

Police say they began looking for Zinah Jennings, 22, but also considered that relatives said she had repeatedly left town for days at a time, taking her son to visit friends in neighboring states.

"The grandmother told me specifically that, when she was in school, she was a very good person, a very good student," said Scott, adding that relatives had filed several previous missing persons reports on the mother. "But once the baby was born, the conduct kind of changed."

Several weeks later, on Christmas Eve, police investigating a one-car wreck just blocks from Jennings' home were surprised to find the driver was the young mother they'd been looking for. Interviewed at a hospital, police say Jennings immediately began giving conflicting statements about where the boy was.

"First it's, `He's with my sister in Atlanta. Oh no, I'm sorry, he's with my friend in Charlotte,'" he said. "It's all over the place. ... Everything she's telling us is just lies."

Police spoke with Amir's father, who told them he had seen the boy during Thanksgiving but generally has had little contact with him. The father was not identified by police.

After several dead ends, the mother was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with lying to police about her son's whereabouts. Authorities say they have stepped up their efforts to find the boy and are hoping a tip line will yield some information.

"I'm trying to stay optimistic about this," Scott said. "But short of being optimistic, this case bothers me."

Police did not know if Jennings had an attorney. On Thursday, the woman's mother said the family was planning to speak out and would issue a statement, although nothing was received by late afternoon.

Scott said he's struggling to remain optimistic that Amir will be found unharmed. He would not discuss any evidence police have collected from the mother's home or car.

"It's the way this whole case is playing out," Scott said. "It's more than just that the child is missing. The mother is lying about the whereabouts of the child."

There was no answer Wednesday at the blue, two-story home where police say Jennings, her mother and son live, its door and front porch still festooned with Christmas decorations. The house, just a few blocks from one of Columbia's busiest thoroughfares, is on a quiet, tree-lined street of other one- and two-story homes, some with fenced- in yards and porches.

"We see each other and speak and say hello," said Selwyn Young, who lives across the street from the Jennings family and said he recalled seeing Jennings pushing the baby around the neighborhood and walking the family's dog. "Hopefully they find him. Hopefully they get it right."

___

Online:

SC Crimestoppers: http://www.sccrimestoppers.com/

___

Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/06/a..._n_1189208.html

[PorchlightUSA]

Police searching Southeast for missing SC toddler; mother charged with lying to investigators

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By Associated Press, Published: January 4

COLUMBIA, S.C. —

A former college student who became depressed and erratic after becoming a mother is charged with lying about where her missing 18-month-old son has been for more than a month, police said Wednesday.

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(Richland County Jail/Associated Press) - In this undated photo provided by the Richland County Jail, shows Zinah Jennings. Columbia police are in a desperate search for Jennings 18-month-old son after she refused to tell them of his whereabouts. Jennings and her son were missing for a month before Jennings was found after she was in a traffic wreck on Christmas Eve.

Authorities said they were desperately searching for Amir Jennings after his 22-year-old mother, Zinah Jennings, told them several inconsistent and false stories about the boy being with relatives and friends in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

“I’m trying to stay optimistic about this,� Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott told The Associated Press Wednesday. “But short of being optimistic, this case bothers me.�

The mother and son were reported missing in early December, but the mother turned up after she was involved in a car accident on Christmas Eve.

Scott said officers hope a tip line and media exposure will lead to more information.

“I want someone to call us and say, ‘We just saw this on the news, we have Amir, we’re sorry, we didn’t realize this was going on,’� he said. “Her stories are so across the board that our search right now is from Charlotte to Atlanta.�

Investigators said they hoped Amir Jennings was alive but they weren’t getting much help from his mother. In early December, grandmother Jocelyn Jennings Nelson reported her own daughter missing, saying that she hadn’t seen her in several days and hadn’t seen her grandson since the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to an incident report, Jennings had had a car wreck several days before and had been making “cryptic phone calls to other family members indicating her ongoing fight with depression is continuing.�

That sort of behavior wasn’t unusual for the young mother, according to relatives, who told investigators the one-time college student had begun disappearing for days on end, with her son, since his birth.

“The grandmother told me specifically that, when she was in school, she was a very good person, a very good student,� said Scott, adding that relatives had previously filed several missing persons reports on Jennings. “But once the baby was born, the conduct kind of changed.�

Jennings attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., for one academic year, from fall 2007 until spring 2008, according to a school spokeswoman.

Early on the morning of Christmas Eve, Jennings wrecked her Dodge Neon in a one-car accident near her house in Columbia. Authorities learned that Jennings was reported missing and they say Jennings began giving shaky stories about her son’s whereabouts. They also spoke with Amir’s father, who told them he had seen the boy during Thanksgiving but generally has had little contact with the boy.

“First it’s, ‘He’s with my sister in Atlanta. Oh no, I’m sorry, he’s with my friend in Charlotte,’� Scott said. “It’s all over the place. ... Everything she’s telling us is just lies.�

Several days later, police again spoke with Jennings, who said her son was with a friend in Columbia, but that story was also a dead end. After days of giving police bad information, the mother was charged Dec. 29 with unlawful conduct toward a child and is being held on $150,000 bond.

The police chief said he did not know if Jennings had an attorney. The number listed for both Jennings and her mother was not working, and the grandmother did not immediately return a message left on her work number. Police have not released the name of Amir’s father.

At this point, Scott said investigators have two theories.

“It’s either A: Zinah has given Amir to someone. Or Zinah has, in some way, shape or form, harmed Amir,� Scott said. “Until we have something more on Amir, I do not rule out foul play. And in my mind, there’s already an air of foul play, because no one will tell us where Amir is at. Foul play doesn’t have to mean that someone is deceased. Foul play is lying to police.�

Scott said he’s struggling to remain optimistic that Amir will be found unharmed. He would not discuss any evidence police have collected from the mother’s home or car.

“It’s the way this whole case is playing out,� Scott said. “It’s more than just that the child is missing. The mother is lying about the whereabouts of the child.�

There was no answer Wednesday at the blue two-story home where police say Jennings, her mother and son live, its door and front porch still festooned with Christmas decorations. The house, just a few blocks from one of Columbia’s busiest thoroughfares, is on a quiet, tree-lined street of other one- and two-story homes, some with fenced-in yards and porches.

“We see each other and speak and say hello,� said Selwyn Young, who lives across the street from the Jennings family and said he recalled seeing Jennings pushing the baby around the neighborhood and walking the family’s dog. “Hopefully they find him. Hopefully they get it right.�

___

Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP

___

Online:

SC Crimestoppers: http://www.sccrimestoppers.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/pol...FXaP_story.html

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/05/justice/sout...issing-toddler/
FBI joins search for S.C. toddler
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 4:45 PM EST, Thu January 5, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Toddler's grandmother will ask for public help, attorney says
Police, FBI are searching for a South Carolina toddler
The boy's mother is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child
The child was last seen during the Thanksgiving holiday

(CNN) -- The FBI has joined the search for a missing 18-month-old South Carolina boy whose mother was arrested after allegedly giving false information on the child's whereabouts, the agency said Thursday.

Amir Jennings was last seen with his mother, Zinah D. Jennings, 22, during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Columbia, South Carolina, police.

Family members became concerned when they could not contact Jennings or the child, and a missing persons report was filed in early December, police said.

On Christmas Eve, police said, Jennings had a car accident and the responding officer recognized her as listed as missing.

After the officer repeatedly asked Jennings where her child was, she allegedly gave "false and inconsistent information," police said. A warrant was issued on December 29.

According to a police report, the mother made "cryptic" phone calls to family members, indicating her ongoing fight with depression was continuing.

An attorney hired by Zinah Jennings' mother said he expects the family to issue a statement, perhaps Friday, asking "the public to do everything they can to help locate her grandson."

Hemphill P. Pride II said he has not had an opportunity to meet with the young woman and was not certain whether she will permit him to represent her.

"They are concerned about their daughter and concerned about her grandson," Pride said of the family.

He indicated Zinah Jennings may be "rebellious" because of her relatively young age.

Police Chief Randy Scott told HLN on Wednesday that the mother has given multiple accounts. The woman also may have traveled to Georgia and North Carolina before her arrest, he said.

Jennings, charged with unlawful conduct toward a child, was being held on $150,000 bond at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

The Richland County Public Defender's Office is currently representing Jennings. It had no comment Thursday.

[PorchlightUSA]

Police search from Charlotte to Atlanta for missing SC boy

Posted: 9:18 pm EST January 4, 2012Updated: 2:55 pm EST January 5, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Police told Eyewitness News an 18-month-old boy who hasn't been seen in more than a month could be somewhere in Charlotte.

Amir Jennings vanished in November with his mother, Zinah Jennings, from Columbia, South Carolina. Amir's grandmother filed a missing person's report in early December.

Then, on Christmas Eve, Zinah Jennings got into a car crash in Columbia. Amir was not in the car. Detectives said Zinah refused to tell them where he was, even after they put her in jail for felony child cruelty.

Officers said they believe Amir is in one of five cities, including Charlotte.

SLIDESHOW: Photos of Amir Jennings

Case timeline

"If you have Amir, you need to call law enforcement immediately. If you've seen Amir, you need to call us immediately," said Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott.

Zinah went to Winthrop University, and detectives believe she has friends who might have come in contact with the toddler.

"She's still given us inconsistent stories. And it's unfortunate. Our main concern is the whereabouts and the safety of this child right now," Scott said.

Zinah isn't saying who her friends are--or where exactly they live--but detectives say Amir could be in Charlotte, Rock Hill, Raleigh, Augusta, or Atlanta.

"At this point we just don't know what direction to go to. His mother is not giving us consistent information," said Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons.

"We're doing all that we can, from an investigative standpoint, to determine and kind of backtrack where Ms. Jennings may have been, and really reach out to those areas," she added.

Rock Hill police have been talking to Columbia detectives for the last week. They've sent out alerts to officers and have checked area hospitals, but they haven't found the boy.

State agents and the FBI are also now involved in the case.

The boy's father, who is not a suspect, has lived in Charlotte. So far, Columbia police have not asked CMPD for any assistance in this case.

A department spokesman told Eyewitness News Wednesday night that missing persons detectives would assist in the case, if asked.

Zinah Jennings faces a felony charge of unlawful conduct toward a child. She's being held in Columbia on $150,000 bond.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or click here to submit a tip.

Previous Stories:

January 4, 2012: SC police: Mother won't tell them where son is

Copyright 2012 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/30137228/detail.html

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/30159525/detail.html
Aunt of missing toddler explains why she believes he is safe
Aunt of missing toddler explains why she believes he is safe

Posted: 9:43 pm EST January 7, 2012Updated: 10:30 pm EST January 7, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The family of missing toddler Amir Jennings said Friday that they believe the boy is alive and staying with a friend or relative.

Eyewitness News' sister station in Atlanta spoke to Amir's aunt Denise Jennings, one of the last people to see Amir back in November.

She said she's doing everything she can to cooperate with authorities and bring Amir home.

"I can't begin to describe [how I feel]. The evenings and nights are worse for me," Denise Jennings said.

Denise Jennings is an aunt to 18-month old Amir Jennings. He hasn't been seen in six weeks.

Amir and his mother, Zinah Jennings, used to live with Denise at her home near Atlanta. But she said they left without warning a few days before Thanksgiving.

"She left with Amir. It was evening. It was cool out. And she walked out with him," Denise Jennings said. "We love him. And we want him home."

Both Denise and Amir's grandmother Joyce Jennings say Zinah has been battling post-partum depression.

Police arrested Zinah at the end of December. Investigators said she told them lie after lie about what happened to her son.

Police have searched from Charlotte to Atlanta for the little boy.

Amir's father used to live in Charlotte, and Columbia police said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department is helping them in the investigation.

Denise believes Amir is alive and well.

"I think that [Zinah] left him with someone. I think she was scared and wanted him to be cared for," she said.

On Thursday, Columbia police officers and federal agents searched Denise's property with cadaver dogs.

"They came and explained what they were going to do. I was glad to see them," she said.

It's at least the second time investigators have used cadaver dogs.

On Wednesday, Columbia police officers searched Joyce Jenning's property with a cadaver dog. Zinah and Amir had recently lived there.

Zinah Hennings is in jail on a $150,000 bond. She faces a child cruelty charge for refusing to tell investigators what happened to her son.

[PorchlightUSA]

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Police continue to investigate the disappearance of Amir Jennings, the Columbia toddler missing since Thanksgiving.

But on the FBI's website, his case falls under the "kidnapping" heading. So News19 wanted to know, if no determination about what happened has been made, why it's listed that way.

While the FBI couldn't talk on-camera about the case, they did send us this statement: "In any case involving the mysterious disappearance of a child, the FBI will initiate a kidnapping investigation even though there is no known interstate travel. In 1932, Congress gave the FBI jurisdiction under the "Lindbergh Law" to immediately investigate. Any reported disappearance or kidnapping involving a child of tender years. "Tender years" is generally defined as a child under the age of 12. The FBI will offer assistance to state and local law enforcement, including the services of the FBI lab."

Of course, you may remember Amir's mother Zinah Jennings is currently in jail for refusing to give police information that could help in the case.

Chief Randy Scott says they're still working hard to verify every lead that comes in. "Just about everyday we get citizens that call in with information. Unfortunately, none of the information we've recevied yet has been something that's led Amir's return or his whereabouts," he explains, "While we're trying to retrack the steps and retrack everything that's going on, it's important that we put that together with tangible information."

Scott also told News19 that their vigilance in the case has held strong since it began. "I can tell you that the investigators have been 100% from day one of their investigation and I just would venture to say that they're not going to stop any time soon," he says.

Of course, if you have any information that could help, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC, so that they can continue to investigate those leads.
http://www.wltx.com/news/article/173023/2/...4;bc|large

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/dna-...ler-case/nHT6r/
DNA results expected in missing SC toddler case


On Monday, DNA results are expected to be released to police in the case of a missing South Carolina toddler.

Columbia police chief told the State newspaper South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will brief him on the DNA found in Zeniah Jennings’ car.

SLIDLESHOW: Photos of missing boy, Amir Jennings

In December, investigators said they found “stains consistent with bloodstains” on clothing and blankets in the car.

Jennings is currently being held in jail.

She is charged with unlawful conduct toward her missing son, Amir.

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx?id=720677

Missing boy's grandmother believes child is still alive
by Brian McConchie
Posted: 02.16.2012 at 11:46 PM
Updated: 02.17.2012 at 5:25 AM

Brian McConchie

Brian is an anchor/reporter for the WACH Fox News at 10 each weeknight.


COLUMBIA, SC (WACH) - Jocelyn Jennings Nelson hasn't seen her grandson, Amir, since late November, but that doesn't mean she's giving up hope.

She believes the little boy is still alive despite the fact he hasn't been seen in months. On Thursday evening, she had plenty of support by her side as friends, family and perfect strangers crowded Columbia's Francis Burns United Methodist Church hoping the power of prayer will bring the little boy home safely.

"I believe in my heart that he is alive and that he is receiving the things that he needs," said Nelson. "This is the only vehicle that will free me of my hopelessness and my desperation."

Before a crowded prayer vigil, the Columbia grandmother spoke publicly about the case for the first time since early January.

Nelson addressed some lingering questions about her grandon's disappearance, explaining she does not know why her daughter Zinah will not tell police where her son is. Police say Zinah is not cooperating with them and has lied about the child's whereabouts. Amir Jennings was 18-months-old when he vanished.

Court documents released last month indicate the boy's mother is mentally ill and is being treated for symptoms of schizophrenia. She is charged with unlawful conduct towards a child in the case and is being held on $150,000 bond.

Nelson described her daughter as a "doting and loving" mother, but says she and her family ask themselves every day about what went wrong. On Thursday, she said they question whether Amir's mother sold him, simply gave him away, or if she was threatened by someone who now has the boy.

"I don't know what happened in my daughter's life that broke her spirit, that broke her down, that brought her to this very dark place," said Nelson.

At least for a few hours on Thursday night, the family's supporters lifted their voices as one in prayer and song hoping to lift some of the darkness the family has been living in, to show them hope is not lost.

"I can't tell you how much we miss him. His smell, his laughter, his dance," said Nelson.

Police are asking anyone with information about the Amir Jennings case to call Crimestopper at 1-888-CRIME-SC. All calls remain anonymous and there is a possible $10,000 reward for information in the case.

[PorchlightUSA]

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx?id=718289
Police Chief: We will not give up on Amir Jennings
by Katie McKee
Posted: 02.10.2012 at 4:10 PM
Updated: 02.12.2012 at 9:45 AM

Katie McKee

Katie McKee joined the WACH Fox News team in October of 2011. She is a new addition to the cast of Good Day Columbia and works weekends as a Multi-Media Journalist.



Amir Jennings has been missing for 78 days, but the community remains hopeful that he will be found. / WACH


COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) - The search continues for Amir Jennings after bad information lead to false hope of his safe return.

Officials with the Columbia Police Department announced Thursday night that misinformation was disseminated to the public in reference to Amir giving false hope that the child had been found in Georgia.

Amir Jennings has been missing for 78 days, but the community remains hopeful.

An "Awareness Gathering" was held for Amir Sunday afternoon at the State Museum in Columbia.

The Find Amir Jennings Facebook page organized the rally for Amir.

The page was created by a Columbia mother, who now has three other women helping her maintain the page.

One of the organizers Kimberly Kite says the facebook page is making strides.

"We went from 300 to 500 talking about it to over 1500 likes. We have people in Texas, we have people in Nebraska; I mean a lot of people are starting to follow this," said Kite.

After meeting at the museum, volunteers dispersed to post more fliers of the toddler.

“The Columbia Police Department will continue to provide accurate information concerning Amir Jennings. I ask that citizens keep praying for Amir’s safe return. We will not give up on him until he is located,” said Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott

Chief Scott encourages citizens with information about this case to call, text or submit online, their anonymous tip to Crimestoppers in any of the following ways:

CALL toll-free: 888-CRIME-SC.

TEXT to CRIMES (274637), and mark the beginning of the message with "TIPSC,” followed by the tip information.

Log onto the Crimestoppers Website: Click on the red "Submit a tip" tab

Tipsters could earn a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Amir’s whereabouts.

[PorchlightUSA]

Police: Missing boy's blood found in mom's trunk
The Associated Press
Last modified: 2012-07-31T12:50:36Z
Published: Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2012 - 5:50 am
Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Police say bloodstains found in the trunk of a Columbia mother's car belong to her missing son.
Officers discussed the evidence in the case against Zinah Jennings during a court hearing Monday.
Jennings' son, Amir, was 18 months old when he was last seen at the end of 2011. His mother has been charged with lying to police about where her son is.
Jennings is due to give birth to another child later this year.
It's up to a judge now to decide if the blanket on which the blood was found can be used in Jennings' trial, set for late August. Jennings' attorney says the blanket could prejudice a jury against Jennings, who is charged with illegal conduct toward a child.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/31/4677581/p...l#storylink=cpy
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/31/4677581/p...lood-found.html