It was a tough job, but more than 200 people managed to search about 2,500 of rough terrain on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge at Lake Darling, northwest of Minot, over two days in hopes of finding a missing 3-year-old Minot girl. In the end, the search turned up no trace of Reachelle Smith. Ward County Chief of Detectives Todd Keller told a gathering of searchers Wednesday, "(After this search), I think we can eliminate this area (the refuge) as a place she might be.
''The searchers were on foot, horseback, four-wheelers and in the air. The search started Tuesday and wrapped up late in the afternoon Wednesday. Rain, welcome to most people, was a hindrance to the searchers who were slipping and sliding as they searched nooks and crannies around the scenic trail on the refuge's southern end. It was there that the stolen van was found Tuesday.
Tuesday was also difficult for the searchers who had to withstand a record 91-degree temperature in the area.
Inside the van was the body of a man suspected of abducting Reachelle Smith. Authorities said a preliminary autopsy report indicated that Leigh Cowen Jr., 22, had killed himself by running a hose from the vehicle's exhaust to inside the van.
There was no sign of the little girl, however. Capt. Al Hanson, chief of detectives for the Minot Police Department, said Cowen did not leave a note, adding more mystery to her whereabouts.
The little girl was last seen on the night of May 16 when she was put to bed at her home in the area of Oak Park in west Minot.
Because of that location, divers immediately set out searching the Mouse River around the park and continued searching there Wednesday. Besides the wildlife refuge, searchers were checking out an area near Surrey where a tip said the van had been spotted.
Hanson said at a morning news conference Wednesday that numerous tips had been received. Another caller said that a man had been seen in the Max area walking along a fence line with a shovel. Hanson said a shovel was found in the van Cowen had been driving. There was also a tip that the van had been seen in the Velva area.
The chief of detectives said authorities have received "lots of calls.'' He said, "We have tips from all over, including out-of-state.'' He said the Amber Alert that authorities had initiated will remain in effect until the police department terminates it.
In response to a question, Hanson said, "We're going where the evidence
takes us. We're not going to leave any leaf unturned. We're not going to close
the door on other suspects.''
Asked if there was any evidence that Reachelle had been in the van with Cowen, Hanson replied that the van had served as the family's vehicle. "There was evidence of Reachelle all over the van,'' he said.
That news conference Wednesday was emotional as the missing little girl's mother and aunt tearfully pleaded for her safe return. Stephanie Smith, the girl's aunt and legal guardian, and Samantha Smith, Reachelle's mother, joined other relatives and friends.
They said Reachelle has asthma and needs treatment for it. Stephanie clutched the girl's doll as she spoke about how Reachelle knows the alphabet, likes puzzles and liked to have her picture taken."Right now, we just want her back,'' Samantha Smith said, crying.
Reachelle was put to bed at about 10:30 on May 16 and disappeared the next
day, according to police.
Authorities said Cowen lived with Stephanie Smith and had told her that the girl was staying with his mother. Police later determined that Cowen's mother didn't know the little girl's whereabouts and issued the Amber Alert.
Reachelle Smith is described as white, about 3 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs about 40 pounds. She has brown eyes and straight, light brown hair.
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