LOGAN — Police are continuing to look for missing Elizabeth Shelley as they receive help from residents and other law enforcement agencies. The 5-year-old girl was last seen early Saturday morning at her Logan home near 100 South 400 West with her uncle, 21-year-old Alexander “Alex” Whipple, who has been arrested and questioned about her disappearance.
Police suspect Shelley was last seen with Whipple around 2 a.m. He was allegedly visiting the family overnight and discovered missing around 10 a.m. at the same time Shelley could not be found.
Logan City Police Capt. Tyson Budge said Whipple continues to be uncooperative with investigators. During their questioning he rambles and talks in circles, giving police very little to go off of.
“He just talks about the dark twisted world that he lives in,” explained Budge. “Just a lot of self-depravity and about the horrible life that he has had.”
Whipple was found by sheriff’s deputies Saturday around 3 p.m., walking in the area of Baxter’s Corral, in Mt. Sterling. He reportedly had some of Shelley’s clothing in his possession and was taken into custody. Saturday night he was booked into jail on a probation violation warrant, in an unrelated case.
Budge said officers have checked the neighborhood around Shelley’s home multiple times and have expanded their search south towards Mt. Sterling, trying to determine the path Whipple was traveling. They are also continuing to ask residents and businesses for surveillance video that may appear suspicious.
“Anything that would document any kind of pattern. We are trying to just tie him down to his story of where he has been and what time it was.”
Officers are working the case morning and night, searching residences and businesses during the day, and following up on leads during the evening. They have been helped by deputies from the Cache County Sheriff’s Office and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, who have also brought in a helicopter to assist.
Budge explained that even though the number of hours since Shelley was last seen continues to increase, officers are continuing to hope they will find the girl alive.
“We don’t have any evidence that would lead us to believe that a death has occurred. We don’t have that kind of evidence. We just have enough evidence to link [Whipple and Shelley] together outside the home. We can’t go there yet.”
Investigators ask residents that live in south-west Logan, Nibley, Hyrum or Mount Sterling areas, to watch for any suspicious items on their property. If anything is found, don’t touch it and call police immediately.