FBI to help find Mesa girl
(Phoenix) AZ Republic 9Jan99
By Jim Walsh: Arizona Republic

Profilers arrive to assist police

and

World of support bolsters family
(Phoenix) AZ Republic 10Jan99
By Alexa Haussler: Arizona Republic

[Note: Today's Arizona Republic reports that a $31,000 reward has been offered in the dissappearance of Mikelle Biggs. See: http://www.azcentral.com:80/news/0113missing.shtml ]

Eleven-year-old Mikelle Biggs is missing. Stepping outside of her house to wait for an ice cream truck that apparently never came, Mikelle vanished in a matter of minutes.

Mikelle's picture has been flashed on the scoreboard during a Phoenix Coyote's Hockey game. Tens of thousands of fliers have been distributed. Nationally, her disappearance has drawn the attention of America's Most Wanted, Extra, and Inside Edition.

The FBI has stepped in, bringing two profilers in to help crack the case. Unfortunately, they have very little to go on. Two quarters, her bicycle laying on the street. Rumors of a copper-colored jeep. A previous attempted molestation a mile away 1 week prior.

Approximately 1000 people showed up for a prayer vigil at Mesa High School. And community support has continued with car washes and yellow ribbons. People from Salt Lake have donated money; those close by have donated time and food. In fact, Mikelle's father has given up keeping track of who to thank. There are just too many.

Few missing children have attracted this much attention. One of the factors attributed to the attention is the well-organized LDS Church that Mikelle and her family belong to. "I have never seen such an outpouring of community support," said Kym Pasqualini, president of the Nation's Missing Children's Organization Inc.

One church member summed up the feelings of many, when he said, "This is a daunting thing. The statistics aren't good. But Mikelle's not a statistic. She's a little girl who lives in my neighborhood. And I will do everything in my power to find her."