© Provided by News Nation Alexis Gabe’s father hopes newly found bones belong to his daughter
(NewsNation) – The father of Alexis Gabe is hoping bones found around Pioneer, California, in late September belong to his daughter, who went missing Jan. 26.
Police believe the 24-year-old is dead, presumably killed Jan. 26, and the main suspect in Alexis’ murder case, Marshall Curtis Jones, is deceased. So in late September, the Gabe family switched their focus from finding information on Alexis Gabe’s whereabouts to seeking information leading to her remains, while still maintaining the $100,000 reward.
Jones died in June at the hands of Seattle-area police officers who were attempting to arrest him for murder.
The change in concentration, according to local outlet KRON4, took the list of search volunteers to more than 700 people.
The search has largely taken place near the northern section of Defender Grade Road in Pioneer, California, as searchers work from copies of handwritten directions police recovered while executing a search warrant at Jones’ home.
There have been fruitless search attempts of the surrounding area in July by the Antioch Police Department, and now ,Alexis Gabe’s father, Gwyn Gabe, told local outlets the directions used to map out the area have been viewed incorrectly.
His assessment came after a search volunteer discovered what were, Gwyn Gabe believes, human bones, after deciding to check the southern part of Defender Grade Road.
“Towards the end of the map was a left turn to Defender Grade Road if he was driving on (State Route) 88, so the police didn’t find anything there,” Gwyn Gabe told KRON4. “The handwritten directions were unclear, as there is no left turn onto Defender Grade Road from Highway 88.”
“But if you go (State Route) 26, there is a left turn onto Defender Grade Road. … So I think the police might have missed that area,” he added.
One of the main reasons the Gabe family is adamant about finding Alexis’ remains is because they believe it could be key to filing charges against Jones’ mother, who they believe was involved, ABC7 reported.
Previous attempts at charging Jones’ mother came to no avail despite surveillance footage, text messages and other evidence.
According to Gwyn Gabe, the police department and district attorney’s office for the county Jones’ mother is from do not believe it to be enough evidence to charge her with a crime.
“One of the things they were also saying is finding Alexis’ body would mean a lot, because we are going to be able to find out the manner in which she was killed. Was there a weapon used? So, finding Alexis’ body is also a big help in this case with the mother, as well,” Gwyn Gabe told ABC7.
The Gabe family now is waiting to hear official results from the latest find, hoping for the best, as Antioch police will be heading to the area with cadaver dogs to continue the investigation.
“They picked them (the bones) up and sent them to forensics for a DNA test,” Gwyn Gabe told KRON4.
When asked if he believes the remains found at the southern end of Defender Grade Road could be those of his daughter, Gwyn Gabe told KRON 4, “we’re hoping.”
Until they know for sure, he said, the family will continue to hurt.
“What we’re feeling right now are mixed emotions. It’s kind of devastating to hear if those really are her remains and they are all scattered there … it’s very hard to accept that. But at the same time, it would probably be a relief for us, because all we want to do is find her remains and bring her home,” Gwyn Gabe said.