3-year-old foster child still missing

SEARCH ENDED; BOY STILL MISSING
Sunday, August 20, 2006 NEWS 09B
Associated Press

The official search for a missing 3-year-old developmentally disabled boy has been called off after days of searching that included a helicopter, dive teams and hundreds of volunteers, a fire official said.

Authorities will continue to investigate the disappearance of Marcus Fiesel by following up on any leads that arise, said Fred Buop, battalion chief of the Anderson Township fire department. Some scattered volunteers continued looking yesterday, despite authorities ending their search late Friday night.

"We are absolutely just flabbergasted. We have no idea what could've happened at this point," Buop said.

The child apparently wandered away from his foster mother, Liz Carroll, after she passed out because of a heart condition Tuesday afternoon in a suburban park.

The 5-square-mile search area had been combed at least five times, Buop said. That included the park as well as surrounding residential and wooded areas.

"This kid literally vanished -- no evidence, no leads, nothing," Buop said.

Authorities believe that Carroll, 30, of Union Township, was unconscious for about 10 minutes. When she came to, there were three toddlers nearby, but Carroll told people trying to help her that she had four children. The other children were safe.

Carroll's husband, David Carroll, has said Marcus has the mental ability of a child 12 to 18 months old. Marcus joined the family about four months ago and has a history of wandering off, he said.

The child once left the home of his biological parents in the middle of the night and did the same thing while living with other foster parents.

Authorities said they searched the foster parents' home.