Ten years after Hailey Owens' death, Hailey's Law helps find kidnapped California child
A slow Amber Alert process was widely believed to have failed 10-year-old Hailey Owens, the victim of a 2014 Springfield abduction and murder whose case helped enact systematic change.
Software developer Josh Schisler was a legislative assistant for Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, when he sponsored Hailey's Law, mandating upgrades to the way law enforcement pursues abducted children. The bill was passed in 2019 and Schisler began concocting innovative ways he believed would help prevent similar tragedies.
The Kansas City resident is now the founder of US.Watch, a web-based search and rescue platform created in the wake of Hailey’s death to coordinate the public search for abducted children during Amber Alerts across the country. With the help of co-developer and Dent County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Skaggs and fellow Salem resident and victim advocate Zach Sanders, the software has experienced marked growth.
"Our ultimate goal is to save kids," Schisler told the News-Leader in a phone interview Monday.
Days before the 10th anniversary of Owens' Feb. 18, 2014, death, their efforts appear to have helped stymie a child abduction in California.
Long Beach authorities said 4-year-old Justin Chan was kidnapped from his family's car on Tuesday around 5:45 p.m. when his father stepped out to do a DoorDash delivery and a man stole his car with the child inside. Following a swift Amber Alert, the car was found with Chan inside a little more than two hours later by Reagan Dunn, a 20-year-old Los Angeles resident.
Dunn told authorities she received the Amber Alert to her phone and clicked on the link that directed her to a social media link by the California Highway Patrol with more information. In the below comments on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, a hyper-diligent Deputy Skaggs posted a video and link to US.Watch, which Dunn clicked to help enhance the search. When she located the car, she called the police, who soon surrounded the car and safely retrieved the child.
“Within 10 minutes, approximately 140,000 Californians viewed the video brief for Justin’s Amber Alert, and more than 4,600 joined the search,” said Sanders, whose program uses an algorithm with nearly two decades of AMBER Alert data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to target citizen search efforts to locations where abducted children are most likely to be found.
The software helps users navigate their designated Amber Alert zone areas, connect with law enforcement, collaborate with other citizen searchers, and tune into a live broadcast for updates for information and instruction.
Hailey's Law, a bill signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, has since helped law enforcement agencies to include links to sites like US.watch with their Amber Alerts. Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper Jason Crites, who was recently named by America's Watch Child Advocate of the Year, has also been instrumental in the growth of the program working in concert with law agencies across the nation.
US.Watch doesn't a have marketing budget and isn't backed by big donors, as it is in the early stages of its growth, but that a small "scrappy team" has contributed to effectiveness. The goal, Schisler said, is to have the US.Watch links directly in most Amber Alerts.
"(Helping finding Justin Chan) is proof of the efficacy of the system and will help other children be found," he said.
Hailey Owens' killer remains on death row
Hailey, a Westport Elementary fourth-grader, was abducted while walking home from a friend's house when authorities say Craig Wood, a total stranger, yanked the girl into his truck before taking her back to his home on Stanford Street, where he raped and murdered her.
In the days after Hailey was killed, an estimated 10,000 people showed up for a candlelight march on Commercial Street in honor of the girl. Family said she was a bubbly, friendly, selfless girl who enjoyed music, baking and shopping.
Craig Wood was convicted of first-degree murder in the case and sentenced in 2018 to death. He is currently on death row.
Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Hailey Owens' 'Hailey's Law' helps find kidnapped California child
