#27. A Normal Day
Just like any other day, Maddison Raines, who was at that time 10 year old, was playing at the park with her best friend. The park was close to their homes and they always went together.
After an afternoon full of games and joy, the little girls decided it was time to return home and they started to walk home together.
#26. What To Do In Some Cases
Maddison’s mother knew that their little girl was growing up and becoming more and more independent. Since Maddison started fifth grade, her mother had let her little girl go alone to the park that was close to their home.
But Maddison’s mother always talked openly to her about the dangers of going out alone and she taught her what to do in case she had to deal with strangers.
#25. A Smart Girl
Maddison took her mother's advice seriously was sure of what to do in case a strange person wanted to approach her. The little girl knew that maybe one day she might need to do what her mother had taught her.
When Maddison went to the park with her friend, she thought it was going to be a day like any other. Unfortunately, it was not.
#24. Something Strange
There's a cliché out there about kidnappers driving white vans and luring children into them, but this stereotype has some truth it. In fact, this is the situation Maddison encountered.
That afternoon Maddison was walking with her friend when they noticed a white SUV following them. The van was just behind them, driving at a very low speed and when it reached them, a man stuck his head out of the window, with his face covered.
#23. The Man Talked To Maddison
With a lot of determination, the strange man called Maddison by her name and said that he had something very important and urgent to say to her.
At first, Maddison was surprised but she decided to approach the man while being skeptical. As we said before, the little girl was sure of what she had to do in cases like this.
#22. Common Kidnapping Techniques
Before we continue with Maddison’s story, it’s important to mention some of the most common kidnapping techniques that predators use to make children trust them.
The man that approached Maddison used more than one and if the little girl hadn’t known them, perhaps the end of the story would be different.
#21. What Are The Techniques?
The most common trick is to tell children that there is a big gift for them in another location to make the children go with them calmly. Parents are aware of this technique, so most of them warn their children not to take anything from strangers.
Another one is to call children by their names, so it makes them believe that the stranger knows them and it’s a person they can trust. Even some predators stalk children before they talk to them.
#20. The Technique That The Man Used With Maddison
That afternoon, the strange man that talked to Maddison used another technique that is more disturbing than the previous ones.
Sometimes predators come up with fake stories related to the children’s family that make children want to go with them without even thinking about it. That day, the man used this trick on Maddison.
#19. ¿What Did The Man Say To Her?
When Maddison approached the man, he said to her that her brother had had a terrible accident and that he was going to take her with him right away because her brother needed her.
The stranger told her that he was sent by her parents. Luckily, Maddison knew what to do in case a person wanted to take her.
#18. The Simple Question
Of course, the stranger didn’t have any clue of this trick that would save Maddison’s life. Before the little girl got in the car, she asked a simple question to the man.
“What’s the family code word?” Maddison said to the man. As you can imagine, the stranger’s reaction was running away from the scene at a high speed.
#17. The Family Code Word
The family code word saved Maddison’s life that afternoon! As a way to protect her family, Maddison’s mother, Brenda James, established it a month before the incident, without knowing if her little girl would have to use it once.
Brenda explained to Maddison that if someone stranger wanted to collect her and was not a dangerous person, he/she would know the family code. Maddison’s mother couldn’t feel more proud of her daughter that afternoon.
#16. An Example To Share
The family code word probably saved Maddison’s life and everything was because her mother taught it to her. Brenda realized that her daughter’s example was something good to share with parents and their kids.
As Brenda said to local reporters: >“They — the children — can understand they can be brave and smart and run”. >
#15. An Amazing Surprise For Maddison And Her Family
Brend didn’t doubt sharing her daughter’s story on social media and in a matter of minutes, it received several likes and comments supporting Brenda’s advice and Maddison.
But that was not going to be the only surprise for the family. When local Sheriff Mark Lamb found out about Maddison’s story, he went to their home and congratulated the little girl and her family. Brenda’s post on social media helped the police catch the man in the SUV.
#14. A Good Advice For Parents
Sometimes it’s hard for parents to talk about some topics with their kids. Not only because times have changed but also because parents are afraid of what could potentially happen to their children.
Brenda was sincere with Maddison and talked to her about uncomfortable and dangerous situations that could happen to her. For Brenda, it was important that her daughter and all the kids of the world become empowered with simple skills they could learn.
#13. An Alarming Statistic
Sadly, statistics about missing children are increasing every day. The National Center For Missing And Exploited Children has reported that 800,000 kids go missing every year. That means that almost 2,000 children are missing every day and only 7% percent of them are found.
Maddison’s mother knows that her daughter was lucky for not being part of that list. But sadly there are many missing children whose cases are unresolved. Let’s see another case that was very famous in the United States.
#12. The Case Of Mikelle Biggs
Back in the late ’90s, everyone was wondering where Mikelle Biggs was. On January 2, 1991, the 11-year-old disappeared just four houses from her house while she was riding her bike and waiting for the ice-cream truck.
Mikelle lived with her parents and three siblings in Mesa, Arizona. Since that day, no one has seen the girl. She would be 33 years old now and her whereabouts are still a mystery. Let’s see the story of Mikelle’s disappearance.
#11. What Happened That Day
Mikelle was riding her bike with her younger sister, Kimber, on the block of their home. Kimber went back to the house because she felt cold. It took only 90 seconds for Kimber to get her coat.
But when Kimber returned with her sister, Mikelle had already disappeared. Mikelle’s bike was laying in the middle of the streets — with the tires still spinning — and some coins around it. Mikelle’s mother, Tracy Biggs immediately called the police.
#10. The Search Began
The evidence showed the police that Mikelle was trying to escape from someone. That day a national investigation started, led by the Mesa Police Department to look for the location of the little girl.
Mikelle's face was on every newspaper and every TV channel. Even people started to put her picture up in every neighborhood they could. Sadly for the family, it was only the beginning of an endless nightmare...
#9. The Police Intensified The Investigations
Week after week, the police couldn’t find a clue about the whereabouts of Mikelle so they decided to use extravagant techniques, like consulting psychics.
The police also investigated every single ice-cream vendor of the state. They also interrogated a man that lived only two blocks away from Mikelle’s home and had criminal records related to child molestation. But there was no evidence that linked the man to Mikelle’s case.
#8. Unsolved Case
After many falses clues and interrogating more than 20 sex offenders from the region, and even an investigation o Mikelle’s father, Darien, nothing new came up.
The police received more than 10,000 tips from the people, did more than 500 interviews and collected 800 pieces of evidence. They even looked into abandoned places like mine shafts but nothing led to Mikelle.
#7. A New Evidence
The case was considered unsolved until 2009, 10 years after the disappearance of Mikelle, something new came to the police department.
To the surprise of everyone related to the case, the clue didn’t come from Mesa or an Arizona resident, it came from more than 1,500 miles away in Neenah in Wisconsin.
#6. The Dollar
On March 14, 2009, a man came into the Neenah Police Department and said he had found a particular dollar from a collection of money for Girl Scout Cookies.
Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson stated to the press that on the edge of the dollar, there was a message written in what looked like a child's handwriting: “My name is Mikel — sic —Biggs kidnapped From Mesa AZ. I’m alive”. None could believe something like that would appear 10 years later.
#5. Discrepancies About The Dollar
Wilkinson and his team didn’t work in the case and this clue was a hope for many old investigators that had been part of Mikelle’s case. Not to mention for Mikelle's family and the people that had been involved in the case.
But Wilkinson wasn’t sure about the legitimacy of the dollar because one thing: Mikelle’s name was spelled wrong. On the other hand, the new evidence suggested that he should continue with the case, even if it has more than 10 years old.
#4. What Did The Police Do With This New Evidence?
Wilkinson had a lot of power on his hands. What was he supposed to do with the new evidence? According to Detective Steve Berry from Mesa, they didn’t get a lot of tips by that time.
Local police from Mesa told the reporters that they continued following tips that occasionally appeared in the police department but none of those broke the case.
#3. The Final Decision
Although it seemed like a piece of very strong evidence, the police from Neenah decided not to continued with it and Mesa police followed that decision. Why?
Detective Adam Streubel told the news: “There’s nothing we can do with the evidence, which is rather frustrating”. Let’s see why the evidence was not considered for a re-opening of the case.
#2. The Evidence Was Useless
According to the Neenah police department, following the evidence of the bill was useless for many reasons but two of them were the most important.
First, it was impossible for the police to collect fingerprints as the bill could have been used by hundreds of people. Also, the police couldn’t match the handwriting with a past one. In addition, Mikelle’s name was wrongly spelled.
#1. What Mikelle’s Family Thought About The Dollar
Mikelle’s sister, Kimber Biggs, is currently the public face of the Biggs family and is still spreading the word about the disappearance of her oldest sister. Kimber was very upset about the dollar as she and her family believed it was a cruel joke.
For Kimber, it was really important that Mikelle’s name was misspelled as she stated: “Is not something she’d do”. In 2020, the family is still working towards find out what happened to Mikelle because as Kimber says: “Someone knows something and someday we will have answers”.