New leads in hunt for US child

Police investigating the suspected kidnapping of a nine-year-old girl who may have witnessed her parents’ murders said were focusing on several new leads as officers continued a frustrating search.

Sheriff Frank Cassell of Henry County, Virginia said they were looking into “fairly promising leads” regarding Jennifer Renee Short, who police believe was abducted last Thursday after her parents were shot. He declined to elaborate.

“There’s very little physical evidence,” Cassell said. “We have two dead bodies, a missing child and little else. We’ve had no sightings, we’ve had no vehicle descriptions. All we’ve got is what we’re running down right now.” He would not elaborate.

The bodies of Jennifer’s parents, Michael, 50, and Mary, 36, were discovered in their home, each with a single shot in the head.

Christopher Thompson, 25, a labourer who worked for the family’s mobile home moving business, has been questioned by police as have business associates.

Police said Thompson is cooperating and is not a suspect.

Thompson said he spent hours at the Short house the night before the murders helping Michael Short repair a truck.

He said he returned the next morning to go with the family to buy another truck and found Michael Short’s body in an enclosed carport.