ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL)- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says time is of the essence, and encourages the public to continue to search for 9-year-old Carlie Trent and her non custodial uncle, Gary Simpson.
Carlie Trent was removed from school Wednesday May 4th, by her uncle by marriage, Gary Simpson, 57, under false pretenses, according to TBI. An AMBER alert was issued later that evening.
New video was released Saturday of Gary Simpson shopping in a Rogersville Save A Lot right after he picked Carlie up.
“We thought we would put out that video in hopes that someone would see something,” said TBI spokesperson, Josh DeVine. “There is a lot to be said when you are able to see a person move and walk.”
Police say Simpson told school officials Trent’s father was in a car accident and she may not be in school on Thursday as well. They said Simpson has no custodial rights to Carlie and their whereabouts are unknown.
Trent is 4-foot-8, weighs 85 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and gray tank top shirt with blue jeans. Simpson is 5-foot-10, weighs 157 pounds, is balding, has brown hair and eyes. He was last seen wearing a brown cap, a dark-colored shirt and jeans.
Simpson was last seen driving a white 2002 Dodge Conversion van with Tennessee license plate 173-GPS. The van has a dark stripe down the middle with light gold running boards and paint chipping off the hood.
DeVine said the TBI has checked Simpson’s bank accounts, and noticed he took out a substantial amount of cash.
On Saturday, Carlie’s pediatrician, Dr. Chris Calendine, informed the TBI he will offer a $10,000 reward for information leading to the safe recovery of the child. Dr. Calendine previously planned to use the money to save for a boar but indicated he would rather see the money used to further the effort to bring Carlie home.
“That is an incredibly generous offer, and that’s frankly what we need,” DeVine said. “We need additional resources so that if someone knows something, they might just have the bravery to say something.”
TBI says they have not received any credible sightings of Carlie Trent, Gary Simpson, or the van. They are asking the public to remain vigilant and report anything they think might be relevant to the case, no matter how small.
“We have gone so far to pick up the phone and call campgrounds,” he said. “Everything from state parks to private campgrounds to mom & pop type campgrounds.”