As we've reported, the Justice for Dylan Redwine page went live shortly after the La Plata County Sheriff's Office revealed that bones found during a search of the Middle Mountain Road near Vallecito Lake had been positively identified as Dylan, who'd been in the area visiting his father, Mark Redwine, for the Thanksgiving 2012 holiday.
Said to be participating in the project was Dylan's aunt, Lia Paredes Howard, but she subsequently repudiated the effort due to suspicion that the page's creator, who identified herself to Westword as out-of-state resident Becca Thompson, was actually Kimberly Kay Bowman of the Colorado Missing Children Foundation, Bowman had reportedly been asked by the family of Jessica Ridgeway, a ten-year-old Westminster girl allegedly kidnapped and murdered by teenager Austin Sigg, to stop selling items with her likeness on them. And this past December, the Redwine family demanded that she remove a Missing Dylan Redwine CMCF Facebook page.Thompson denies she is Bowman and insists she only wants to provide a forum for facts about the case less vituperative than those on Calling Mark Redwine, a page populated by items suggesting that Dylan's father is guilty of his murder. She adds that Calling Mark Redwine is affiliated with Justice for DYLAN Redwine, a page that appeared after hers.
Not true, maintains Diane Hess, administrator of the DYLAN page. She describes herself as the best friend of Elaine Redwine, Dylan's mom, whom she refers to as Lainie. "I watched Dylan grow up," she says through tears.
Hess stresses that even though she turned down Thompson's suggestion that the two Justice pages be merged, there's no fight between them. "We are not rivaling any page," she says. "Our page went up later because we were busy mourning the loss of our Dylan, but after speaking with Dylan's mother and the family, they wanted a page for that purpose -- for justice."
She notes that the original Facebook page devoted to the search for the boy, Find Missing Dylan Redwine, remains in place because Elaine wants to preserve the posts of mourning and condolence on it -- although its name could be changed in the near future. In the meantime, "we're going in a new direction -- looking for justice for Dylan. But we're not trying to engage that other page. The family wants a page run by someone they know and trust."
As for Thompson, Hess is "99.9 percent sure" she's actually Bowman. "She's done this repeatedly for the past seven months. She's created so many alternate Facebook pages under so many different names" -- including, says one source, "Kirk Vogel."Early on, Hess says, Elaine and company tried to involve Bowman, "but she kept making decisions and doing things the family didn't like. That's what she does, and that's not the way Lainie wants it. Everything we do goes through Lanie. It's her son. And Kimberly Kay Bowman was creating events without checking with anyone, so we told her to stop -- and it got ugly."
Hess points for example to this recent post on the first Justice for Dylan Redwine page:
One thing that is odd in this, is that Denise Hess, Elaine Redwine's spokesperson, is referenced as saying that she received an e-mail from Kim Bowman about the merging of the two sites. I don't know how that could be true because it was me (Becca) who attempted to make contact with Denise Hess. For me, this calls into question anything that this woman says (Denise Hess/Katt Hawkins). How much other inaccurate information has she put in public view?Hess also notes that Thompson's personal Facebook page, which she provided to Westword as evidence of her identity, appears to be something of a placeholder. It features almost no content other than a post from twenty hours ago that reads, "Welcome to my profile, stalkers! Justice for Dylan!"
Obviously, Hess wants Justice for Dylan, too. But she's not ready to demand that the first Justice page be removed. "At this point, we really don't care if there are fifty Justice for Dylan pages out there, as long as they're not harming the family in any way, shape or form."
Continue for our previous coverage of Dylan Redwine, including photos and videos. Update, 6:03 a.m. July 2: Yesterday, we told you about two Facebook pages seeking justice for Dylan Redwine, a thirteen year old missing since last November whose remains were found in southwestern Colorado last week; see previous coverage below. Since then, Becca Thompson, the administrator of the first page, tried unsuccessfully to merge with the other. Why was the entreaty rejected? In part because of suspicions that Thompson is actually Kimberly Kay Bowman, a woman accused of trying to exploit the death of another murdered child, Jessica Ridgeway. It's a charge Thompson denies.As we've reported, Justice for Dylan Redwine was launched June 27, shortly after the La Plata County Sheriff's Office positively identified bones found during an extensive search of the Middle Mountain Road area near Vallecito Lake; Dylan was visiting his father, Mark Redwine, in the community over the Thanksgiving 2012 break when he vanished. Among posts on the page is this poster announcing a reward for information leading to the person who caused Dylan's death (whose cause will likely be listed as "undetermined," although homicide is suspected):
When another page dubbed Justice for DYLAN Redwine surfaced just over a day ago, the initial page posted a message noting that a Redwine family member was among its administrators and stating, "This page is meant to be rational and fact based. We will not be talking badly of anyone."Shortly thereafter, however, said family member -- Lia Paredes Howard, Dylan's aunt -- posted the following message, seen in a screen capture:
Who is the "KKB" referenced above? That would be Colorado Missing Children Foundation's Kimberly Kay Bowman, who made news late last year after she was served with a cease-and-desist letter demanding that she stop selling bracelets and window decals focusing on Ridgeway, a ten-year-old Westminster girl who was kidnapped and murdered, allegedly by Austin Sigg, age seventeen. Then, in December, Bowman admitted to 9News that she had created a Missing Dylan Redwine CMCF Facebook page, which was subsequently deleted.Is Thompson actually Bowman? During a telephone interview with Westword, she says absolutely not. She describes herself as an out-of-state resident who's been following the search for Dylan since the beginning and became distressed by the contents of yet another Facebook page, Calling Mark Redwine, which she sees as an unnecessarily nasty forum for people who feel Dylan was killed by his father. Not that Thompson believes Mark is beyond reproach -- but she wanted a page for people to visit where the focus would be on facts, not name-calling and bitterness. She stresses that she has no interest in profiting from her page and only wants the person who took Dylan's life to pay for his terrible crime.
Thompson intended the suggestion that the two Justice pages be merged (even though she says the second has a connection to Calling Mark Redwine) as a peace gesture, but it was rejected due to suspicions shared by Howard in a Facebook message to Westword. It reads:I actually don't know who she is but the administrator who contacted me was Becca Thompson. I had a conversation with her and she seemed legitimate and offered to make me an admin. I guess that helped soothe my fears that it might be KKB so I accepted. I posted something that indicated I supported that page and then left to head to Bayfield for Dylan's vigil. I was offline for two days and after talking to a few people at the vigil felt I needed to re-look at the page. I looked and there were four other admins. There were a number of people banned from the page but I had copies of their posts and those posts only indicated that they felt the page was another of KKB's. That was one indication. I also noticed that the page for a couple of the admins listed were not people I would normally associate with. I also noticed a bunch of posts on the page in which the admins told people they were a legitimate page as they had a family member as an admin. That was the kicker. I didn't want to be the reason people thought the page was legitimate. I decided to remove myself as admin and unlike the page. I also posted a notice that listed all four admins, indicated that I felt betrayed and I didn't feel people were being honest with me. That post was removed almost immediately. The page continues to indicate that a family member is an admin and they took a screenshot with my name listed as an admin. I then posted on Find Missing Dylan Redwine that I felt I was misled and the correct page was the Justice for DYLAN Redwine (Dylan is all caps), which is the page run by Denise Hess. Later on, I received an e-mail from Becca Thompson indicating that she felt we should merge the two sites. We exchanged a couple emails and then I received a phone call from Denise Hess who said she received an email from Kimberly Bowman who supposedly was having a conversation with me regarding merging the sites. Basically in my mind, Kimberly Bowman at that point gave herself away and I now believe the Becca Thompson is Kimberly Bowman. Hope this makes sense. By the way, I removed myself as an administrator but last I checked, the other site still has posts indicating that I am an admin on that site. This just seems so weird, why would someone lie like this? Make no sense to me.Nonetheless, Thompson is soldiering on with her page. Last night, she posted the following:
Hi all--my name is Becca. I'm sad to announce that the other Justice for Dylan page, created recently, has declined to work toward absorbing/merging with this page. I'm sorry about that because the offer was sincere as was everything I discussed with Dylan's aunt. Justice doesn't belong to one person, to one part of a family. Dylan Redwine became beloved by many and we all want justice for him. We all have the right to seek it. Lia is no longer an admin and the fundraising scandal person is not affiliated either. I can not accept the name-calling, the personal attacks, the disclosure of personal information, and the tightly limited points of view accepted on other pages. This page set out to be different and it will be different. All points of view are welcome here. No one on this page will be abused, degraded or insulted. Let's discuss and move toward Justice for Dylan Redwine.Here's the aforementioned 9News report about Bowman from last December, followed by our previous coverage. Continue for more about the Dylan Redwine investigation, including photos and videos. Update, 6 a.m. July 1: The death of young Dylan Redwine, who went missing last November while visiting his father in the Vallecito Lake area of southwestern Colorado, led to the launch of a homicide investigation even as it ratcheted up the tension between Dylan's estranged parents; see our previous coverage below. Now, Elaine Redwine, Dylan's mother, is speaking for the first time since the terrible news broke. But against the backdrop of a candlelight vigil for the teen, folks from rival Facebook pages calling for justice in the case seem to be at odds with each other, too.
After bones found during an extensive search of the Middle Mountain Road area were positively identified as Dylan's -- and following the declaration by representatives of the La Plata County Sheriff's Office that the thirteen year old's death appears to be a homicide -- his father, Mark Redwine, spoke out. So did his brother, Corey, who shared his belief that Mark had something to do with the crime despite his dad's frequent claims of innocence.
Then, yesterday, Elaine, who was divorced from Mark in 2007, consented to an interview with 9News. During the conversation, she focused on Dylan, talking about their last moments together ("It was at the airport and he was getting on the airplane and I said, 'Oh don't be such a man! Give your mom a hug. And he gave me a big ole' hug and I told him I loved him") and the emotions stirred by his loss.In her words, "I'm still angry that he didn't come back in one piece. And you know, I sent him there. I sent him here. And I no way thought he would never come back to us." She added that the agony of his fate is amplified by "the fact that his bones were spread. The fact that wildlife got to him. Whoever did this is just a monster. To not do something proper, He deserved so much more than to just have his remains eaten by wildlife."
Elaine noted that she can't give Dylan the burial he deserves yet, since law enforcement continues to study his remains for clues to his killer.
Yesterday, a candlelight vigil was held to remember Dylan. Meanwhile, two Facebook pages have been launched with very similar names: Justice for Dylan Redwine and Justice for DYLAN Redwine. The former was started on June 27, the latter approximately eight hours ago at this writing -- and an hour later, the following post showed up on the earlier site:I will not be telling anyone which page they should or shouldn't like. I can only tell you that this page has a family member who is an admin, who has commented here about what this page is about. Dylan needs justice, he doesn't need infighting and competitions that distract from that goal. Go with whichever page makes you feel most comfortable. This page is meant to be rational and fact based. We will not be talking badly of anyone. The goal of this page is to seek justice in the way a court of law will.Counters a subsequent post on the Justice for DYLAN Redwine page: "This is the page I really wanted to be a part of."
Will the people behind these pages find a way to coexist, particularly since they both have the same stated goal? A response on the first page suggests a path forward. "I've liked both pages," notes the writer. "Double the love #justice for Dylan is what this is about.... Let's not make it about anything else here, guys!"
Look below to see the 9News interview with Elaine Redwine, followed by a report about the candlelight vigil from KOB-TV. That's followed by our previous coverage.
Continue for our previous coverage of Dylan Redwine, including photos and videos. Update, 6:28 a.m. June 28: Yesterday brought the terrible news that Dylan Redwine, the thirteen year old who went missing in the Vallecito Lake area last November, was dead. Authorities confirmed that bones found during a recent search were part of his remains; see our previous coverage below. Now, doubt has been removed about whether his passing could have been of natural causes or due to an accident of some kind. Law enforcers are engaged in a full-scale homicide investigation as Redwine's shattered family members appear to be turning on each other again.The Find Missing Dylan Redwine Facebook page features photos documenting the intensive exploration of the area near Middle Mountain Road that eventually turned up the evidence leading to yesterday's announcement. Here's one shot....
...and another: In the wake of the news, La Plata County Sheriff's Office personnel quoted by 9News said Dylan's death didn't seem to have been caused by something along the lines of an animal attack. Rather, he appears to have been deliberately killed.The station also spoke to Dylan's brother Corey. While he doesn't come right out and say that his father, Mark Redwine, whom Dylan was visiting when he vanished, killed the boy, he certainly seems to be tilting in that direction. In that respect, he echoes Elaine Redwine, Dylan's mom, who was divorced from Mark in 2007 and has spent much of the time since then implying that her former husband was responsible for what happened to their boy. They even spatted on the subject during an episode of the syndicated program Dr. Phil, excerpts of which can be found below.
In a 9News interview, Corey talks about a note he texted to his dad after learning that Dylan's body had been found.
"I sent him a text message saying 'Dylan and God know what happened.' And to whoever was involved, they'll pay the price," he revealed. "He hasn't responded to me at this time."
Mark Redwine has consistently proclaimed his innocence in the case, and he continued to do so during a phone conversation with the outlet. In his comments, he kept the focus on the loss of his son."Anyone who has met Dylan loves him and knows what a wonderful child he is," he said, adding, "It's my worst nightmare that came true. All I have on my mind right now is to reach out to Elaine and Corey, figure out what we need to do as his parents to give him a proper burial, because I think he deserves that."
No comment from Elaine Redwine thus far. Look below to see the 9News report, followed by our previous coverage.
Continue for our previous coverage of the Dylan Redwine story, including photos and videos.Update, 2:57 p.m. June 27: The news can't be described as surprising, but it's certainly heartwrenching. Moments ago, the La Plata County Sheriff's Office announced that the items found during a just-completed search included bones that have been positively identified as partial remains of Dylan Redwine, a thirteen year old who disappeared near Vallecito Lake in southwestern Colorado in November.
The information has been confirmed on the Find Missing Dylan Redwine Facebook page.
At about 2:30 p.m. today, the following photo of Dylan was shared:
Accompanying it was this text:It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that the remains of our sweet precious boy Dylan were found during the most recent search on Middle Mountain in Vallecito Lake. Please pray now for Dylan's Mutti, Cory, Mike and the rest of his family. We love and appreciate all of you for your continued support.Immediately thereafter, responses began to collect. Here's a sampling:Love and light, Katt
So very very sorry for your loss. Watch your posts all the time hoping for some good news. R.I.P Dylan and big hugs to all of his family and friends.Has the search for Dylan now transitioned into a homicide investigation? That's unclear right now, but there are certainly hints that the case may move in that direction. CBS4 quotes La Plata County Sheriff Duke Schirard as saying, "Unfortunately we have had criminal investigations into homicides also over the years. including children. But this one has been unique in that the few clues that we had to begin with."My heart is breaking... Thoughts and prayers for the family.
Omg! Poor baby. I hope they found the sicko that did this. Rest in peace sweet Dylan you will never be forgotten. My prayers are with your family.
In the meantime, we offer our sincere condolences to Dylan's friends, family and loved ones.
Continue to see our previous coverage about the search for Dylan Redwine. Update, 5:53 a.m. June 27: Dylan Redwine has been missing since last November, when he vanished while visiting his dad in the Vallecito Lake area. So much time has passed that the then-thirteen year old would be fourteen today -- but neither his loved ones nor authorities have given up on finding him. See our previous coverage below.
Now, we're learning that a five-day search has turned up several items that could be tied to Dylan's disappearance -- and his parents have been called to the area to discuss what was found.
This La Plata County Sheriff's Office photo offers an indication of how thorough was the exploration of what the Durango Herald describes as a twelve-mile stretch of Middle Mountain Road:
At this point, officials aren't saying precisely what they found. But Mark Redwine, Dylan's dad, confirmed to 9News that he and the boy's mother, Elaine, will soon get an in-person update from investigators -- and what's deemed a significant break in the case could come as early as today.Mark had reportedly been traveling out of state when he got the news, but is heading back to Colorado.
Dylan's parents have been divorced since 2007, and on a February edition of Dr. Phil on which they appeared, they both had moments in which they heaped blame on the other. Here's a KRQE-TV report with excerpts from that episode:
The mood is less accusatory and more poignant on the Find Missing Dylan Redwine Facebook page, which has generated more than 28,000 likes over the months. This post was shared late last night:
Hi Dylan, it's me Tara. Stopped at some doctors offices today and the first thing I saw was your fliers, they have kept them up since I asked them to in December, when the gals saw me I was asked the same question and had I tell them nothing new but tonight I see that maybe some answers or clues have been found. I pray for strength for your family and for God to continue to guide everyone. We miss you Dylan, we will never give up!Here's the 9News report about the leads, followed by our previous coverage. Continue for our previous coverage of the search for Dylan Redwine, including photos and videos. Update 9:41 a.m. December 5, 2012: New photos have been released of Dylan Redwine, a thirteen year old who went missing on November 19 while visiting his dad in the Vallecito Lake area; see our original coverage below. In addition, Dylan's mom and her ex-husband, who she earlier suggested may have played a role in the boy's disappearance, have reportedly taken polygraph tests.Where are we checking from this day?
My lighthouse is on to help find your way home.
Peace, hugs and love.
Tara
Here's an updated missing-persons/reward poster as shared on the Find Dylan Redwine Facebook page:
As you can see, there's a new, more detailed description of the clothing Dylan was likely wearing when he vanished on the 19th. That's thanks to surveillance photos of the boy shot at an airport and a Walmart. Posts on the aforementioned Facebook page, which now has more than 4,000 likes, continue to be positive, with items about events such as the Hope for Dylan Benefit Dinner/Silent Auction, slated for December 11 at the Pine Valley Four Square Church in Bayfield.An example is the following note to Dylan from a loved one; it's upbeat about the scope of the search even though the teen has been missing for more than two weeks. It reads:
Dyl,I was so glad to see the helicopters out today looking for you! We have not given up! I can't wait to see your face when you find out how many people love you! You have touched so many hearts in the world! After we find you and your Mutti spends some much needed time with you, she is going to have to share you with the world... just a little! So many, many people are working so hard to bring you home. WE HAVEN'T GIVEN UP HOPE! WE NEVER WILL! DON'T GIVE UP ON US!
Luv ya buddy!
Look below for a CBS4 report about the ongoing search for Dylan.
Continue for our previous reporting about Dylan Redwine. Update, 6:11 a.m. November 29: Dylan Redwine, who vanished on November 19 during a court-ordered visit to his father's home in the Vallecito Lake area, continues to be the subject of a massive search. And while clues about his whereabouts remain elusive (see earlier coverage below), new developments have surfaced in the case. Law enforcers have concluded he didn't run away -- and his father has stepped forward for the first time since his ex-wife pointed a finger at him.
While representatives of the La Plata County Sheriff's Office aren't saying why they believe Dylan, thirteen, is not a runaway, investigators are no longer treating this theory as probable. Instead, they're focusing on canvassing the Vallecito area with the aid of an updated flier that sports a new tip line number. Here it is:
Meanwhile, friends, family members and loved ones of Dylan staged a candlelight vigil in Bayfield, near Durango in southwestern Colorado -- and among those who turned up for the event was Mark Redwine, the boy's father. As we've reported, Mark and Elaine Redwine, Dylan's mom, divorced in 2007, with Dylan and Elaine moving to the Colorado Springs area last year. In an interview with ABC News on view below, Elaine suggested that Mark might have played a role in Dylan vanishing, saying he may have tried to "remove Dylan from the situation. You know, like, 'If I can't have him, nobody will.'"I was married to Mark for a lot of years, and I know the way he reacts to things," she went on. "If Dylan maybe did or said something that wasn't what Mark wanted to hear, I'm just afraid of how Mark would have reacted."
Last night, in an interview with Fox31, Mark didn't directly address these insinuations, but he made it clear he's eager for his son's return. "He needs to come home and that's what everyone wants for him," he told the station, adding, "My focus is on Dylan and what he needs from us.... That's all I have to say."
Continue for more coverage, including new videos. The folks behind the Find Missing Dylan Redwine Facebook page continue to share regular updates about the case -- including this post from six hours ago at this writing: "Because all of you are working so hard over 18,000 peeps around the world are seeing Dylan's face! Let's make it millions! We want to bring Dylan home!"
The Facebookers have been lobbying for CNN's Nancy Grace to pick up the story, and she has, offering a number of tweets about Dylan late yesterday -- this one among them:
Praying that Dylan is found safe. Goodnight friends xx NG
— Nancy Grace (@NancyGraceHLN) November 29, 2012
Also on the Facebook page is this note to Dylan from a family friend:
Hey Dyl,Below, see four videos, including the latest Fox31 report, featuring Mark Redwine's comments; a clip assembling photos from the candlelight vigil; a 7News report; and the song mentioned in the friend's Facebook post above -- "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd. That's followed by our previous coverage.It's been a long 10 days and we miss you so much. You would have been so proud of Cory last night at your vigil, I was. He misses you so much, we hope that you can at least see these and know how much we all love you! The community came out last night and prayed for you, it was beautiful. Your friends talked about you being the class clown! Sounds like spanish class was your favorite class to be the clown in. Unicorn huh? Funny, funny stuff. I hope you are warm somewhere, that you have good food and you are being nourished. We all go to bed thinking about you, I don't think anyone really sleeps right now, but we get up in the morning thinking about you again, all day~everyday~ until you come home. Love you buddy
I'm posting your favorite song for you again, every night until you come home... it's the acoustic version this time, just thought I would change it up a bit for you.
Continue to read our earlier coverage about the disappearance of Dylan Redwine. Original post, 9:29 a.m. November 27: Last month, the abduction and murder of Jessica Ridgeway, a ten year old from Westminster, became a tragic national story. Mere weeks later, the disappearance of Dylan Redwine, thirteen, who vanished in Southwestern Colorado on November 19, is also receiving coast-to-coast attention -- but his loved ones are praying for a happier ending.
The basics about the case: Dylan's mother, Elaine, and father, Mark, divorced in 2007, with Dylan moving with his mom from Southwestern Colorado to Colorado Springs this past year. On November 18, however, Dylan traveled to the community of Vallecito, not far from Durango, to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his dad.The next day, Mark told representatives of the La Plata Sheriff's Office that he left home around 7:30 a.m. to run some errands, and upon his return four hours later, Dylan was gone. And he hasn't been seen since then.
Since then, a slew of theories have surfaced. Some believe Dylan ran away. Others fear he split with the intention of rendezvousing with friends, only to be abducted. And Elaine has raised questions about Mark, sharing with ABC News her suspicion that her ex-husband may have tried to "remove Dylan from the situation. You know, like, 'If I can't have him, nobody will.'
"I was married to Mark for a lot of years, and I know the way he reacts to things," she went on. "If Dylan maybe did or said something that wasn't what Mark wanted to hear, I'm just afraid of how Mark would have reacted."
Responding to these implications, Mark Redwine told 7News that Elaine was making the situation "more than it needs to be" before adding that he wanted to avoid lashing out at her.
Continue to read more about the disappearance of Dylan Redwine, and to see photos and videos. In the meantime, the Find Missing Dylan Redwine Facebook page is providing up-to-date information about the search and affiliated events, including a prayer and caring vigil slated for 6 p.m. tonight in Bayfield. Also included are photos, such as these shots of the search for Dylan in the area around Vallecito Lake on Sunday....
...and this image of Dylan's friends distributing flyers like the one seen above: Today, no searches at the lake are being conducted -- but a recently posted Facebook note urges folks not to leap to conclusions. It reads:The search for Dylan has not been called off. Investigators are still exploring every option, they have simply stopped looking in the lake. The community is still searching for Dylan and La Plata County officials are now being assisted by several federal [agencies] from around the country. Please be discerning when you read the news, while I know most people try to get a close to the truth as possible reporters can not help but try to sensationalize things to sell their news.Continue to read more about the disappearance of Dylan Redwine, and to see more photos and videos. Also recently shared on the page is this note to Dylan from a family friend:
Hey Dyl,Below, see two reports about the search for Dylan Redwine -- one from 7News, the other from ABC News.Just in case your out there somewhere you can see. I stood on the dam today up at the lake and hugged your brother and mutti (pronounced "moo tee"). They really, really miss you. We all do~ Krystal, Mike and your Aunt Leah. I talked to your friends, Ryan, Wes, Fernando and Carolyne they really miss you a lot too. We have all been searching for you daily, and at night we stay up and search the web and monitor Facebook, hoping and hoping for just the slightest lead or clue as to where you are. All the time praying you are safe and warm. We know that if you were free you would have contacted one of us by now, just know that we are looking, hard. We aren't giving up hope that we will find you so don't give up on us. Hold hope in your heart that we closer every day, minute and second to finding you.
We are going to bring you home soon -- I pray that with all my might with every waking moment! Your family loves you so dearly, we all do buddy -- Come home.
More from our News archive: "Jessica Ridgeway predator search: Could killer have attended her memorial service?"
