FBI: Johnson County landfill search tied to Lisa Irwin case

SHAWNEE, Kan. - The FBI confirms the search of a Johnson County landfill was connected to the case of a 10-month-old missing Kansas City, Mo., girl.

More than a dozen law enforcement officers with the FBI and Kansas City Police Department searched the Deffenbaugh Industries Johnson County landfill in white protective suits. By a little before 2 p.m. CDT, they had cleared the scene without appearing to have taken anything from the landfill.

An FBI spokeswoman confirmed what NBC Action News was the first to report, that  the search was in connection to the case of Lisa Irwin, who was reported missing Tuesday morning.

LOOKING FOR LISA | Pictures of Lisa Irwin

The landfill is located near Interstate 435 and Holliday Drive in Shawnee, Kan., about 23 miles from Lisa's home in northern Kansas City. Bridget Patton, with the Kansas City FBI office, says they searched the same area on Tuesday.

The trash service for Kansas City, Town & Country Recycling and Waste Management, takes its trash to the landfill. A Deffenbaugh spokesman says in cases of landfill searches, if they know where the trash in question came from, they can pinpoint a 20-acre area to help narrow down the search.

Lisa Irwin’s parents reported her missing Tuesday morning when her father, Jeremy Irwin, says he returned to his home in the 3600 block of North Lister Avenue from work to find her not inside her crib. He says lights were on in the house and the front door was unlocked.

Investigators with the Kansas City Police Department and FBI have spent the past three days looking for the girl.

Police said Thursday Lisa’s parents had ceased their cooperation with the investigation, but Friday morning on NBC’s Today Show, Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley, Lisa’s mother, insisted they have continued to cooperate .

Deborah Bradley admitted during the Today Show interview investigators told her she failed a lie detector test, but she said she did not know how that could be possible, insisting she and Jeremy Irwin had nothing to do with their daughter's disappearance.

Authorities have not named any suspects in the case.

You can read more and watch video from Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley's Today Show appearance by visiting: http://bit.ly/objtPq

Jeremy Irwin's sister, Ashley Irwin, posted on her Facebook page Friday that a prayer vigil will be held Friday night at 7 p.m. Penguin Park, at the corner of Vivion Road and Norton in Kansas City's Northland.

We'll post more information here as soon as it becomes available.

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