Mother of missing Jacksonville girl stops cooperating with law enforcement, search continues
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The mother of a missing five-year-old Jacksonville girl has stopped cooperating with law enforcement as they continue to search for her.
Taylor Williams was last seen around midnight Wednesday at her home on Ivy Street in the Brentwood area. Later that morning, her family reportedly discovered she was gone and the back door was unlocked. According to FOX 30, Jacksonville officials received a report that she was missing around 7:22 a.m. Wednesday.
In a news conference on Thursday afternoon, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that Taylor's mother, Briana Williams, was originally cooperating with law enforcement but has since stopped after detectives spotted some inconsistencies in her statements about how Taylor went missing.
Despite this, the Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said that "we are not going to stop in our efforts to locate her. And there is not one scenario or theory that we're not exploring. And every possibility is being looked at."
The mother has not been arrested but the Sheriff's Office needs her cooperation. The Sheriff said that "we do not believe that she walked away -- that her daughter walked away. So, we need her to cooperate in this investigation, so we can find her daughter."
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is also asking to speak to anyone who has seen Brianna and Taylor together in Jacksonville in the last six months. They have heard a possibility that Taylor has not been seen for months but this has not been confirmed.
Deputies said they have since expanded their search to include more than 100 officers and requested assistance from other agencies, FOX 30 reports. The have Law enforcement across several agencies and counties are working together to find Taylor. Over 600 doors have been knocked on so far.
"My hope is that we find her alive," Sheriff Williams said.
"She's a beautiful young lady. If anyone in our community sees her, could you please help us to get her home and get her back safely?," said T.K. Waters, JSO chief of investigation, in a news conference.
Authorities are asking for the public's help finding her. Taylor is a black female with black hair and brown eyes. She is 3-feet tall and weighs around 50 pounds. She was last seen wearing purple and pink pajamas.
Florida Crime Stoppers is now offering a $3,000 reward to anyone with any information about Taylor's whereabouts.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or 911.