Officials say criteria not met for Amber Alert in missing Sumter girl's case

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been notified of the missing 5-year-old girl from Sumter whose mother was found dead where they live at Lantana Apartments Monday, but the case does not fit federal guidelines to issue an Amber Alert, officials say.

An Amber Alert emergency broadcast program was created in 1996 after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl, was abducted and murdered in Texas. Shortly after the incident, residents of her Arlington, Texas, hometown requested radio stations in that area broadcast special “alerts” when other such incidents took place, according to SLED.

The system is now in place across the country as a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate urgent bulletin information in the “most serious child abduction cases.”

To activate an Amber Alert in South Carolina, an investigation must reveal all of the following, according to SLED:

• The law enforcement agency believes the child has been abducted, meaning he or she has been taken from his or her environment unlawfully, without authority of law and without permission from the child's parent or legal guardian;
• The child is 17 years old or younger, and the law enforcement agency believes the child is in immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death; or if the individual is 18 years old or older and the law enforcement agency believes the individual is at greater risk for immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death because the individual possesses a proven physical or mental disability;
• All other possibilities for the victim's disappearance have been reasonably excluded;
• There is sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the victim, suspect or vehicle used in the abduction; and
• The child's name and other critical data have been entered into NCIC.

It was discovered Nevaha Lashy Adams was missing Monday after a family member found her 29-year-old mother, Sharee Bradley, dead inside her apartment off Carolina Avenue just after 6 p.m. Monday.

A suspect was detained Monday, but Sumter Police Department Public Information Officer Tonyia McGirt said at the time that while he was spotted leaving the scene where Bradley’s body was found that investigators have not determined what role, if any, 28-year-old Daunte Maurice Johnson has in the child’s whereabouts.

Johnson has been charged with murder.

As the case continues to be investigated, McGirt said a press conference with the police chief has neither been scheduled nor ruled out.

The child is described as 4 feet 3 inches tall, weighs about 50 pounds and has braided black hair with colored beads.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 immediately, the Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700 or your nearest law enforcement agency.

Information can be given anonymously by calling CrimeStoppers at (803) 436-2718 or 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Tips can also be submitted to CrimeStoppers by logging onto www.p3tips.com and clicking on “Submit a Tip” tab or by downloading the new P3 Tips app for Apple and Android devices. A Spanish language option is available.