Alisa Maier, the four-year-old girl who was abducted from her Missouri home has been found alive. The investigation led authorities from the St. Louis County Police Department to zero in on a convicted sex offender, Paul Smith. When approached by authorities, Paul Smith shot himself. He died last night at 10:30 p.m. Authorities have said that their investigation into who abducted Alisa Maier is now over.
During a press conference, St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch spoke of the media’s speculation that Paul Smith was the suspect in the case. He said, “We believe at this point we have plenty of evidence to believe that the person you previously reported as a person of interest, Paul Smith, is the suspect. There is no reason to believe at this point anyone else was involved."
According to Chief Fitch, when Alisa Maier was found alive she was wearing new clothes. The clothes were tracked back to a Wal-Mart store in Troy, Missouri. Surveillance video showed the now deceased suspect, Paul Smith purchase the clothes. Alisa was not with the suspect at the time her purchased the clothing. When Smith purchased the clothes he bought cigarettes that required him to reveal his birth date. With that information, investigators tracked him down.
Authorities located Paul Smith, a convicted sex offender, at a home located at 309 Highway D in Hawk Point, Missouri. Officers went to the home to conduct their investigation and upon their arrival, Paul Smith shot himself.
Paul Smith was convicted in 1995 of sodomizing a ten year old boy. He had recently been released from prison.
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