Bill Stanton announces $100,000 reward in Lisa Irwin case, brings in threat analysis expert

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Private investigator Bill Stanton announced Friday a $100,000 reward in the case of missing girl Lisa Irwin.

During a news conference, Stanton, who says he is working only as a consultant to Lisa's family, also said he has brought in threat analysis expert Dr. Marisa Randazzo to help him in his dealings with the case.

Stanton, considered a celebrity security consultant who has appeared on national TV and helped with high profile cases, interviewed the baby's parents separately on Thursday.

But he is not licensed as a private investigator in Missouri, and local investigators have questioned his actions here.

Stanton says he is being careful not to impede with the police investigation and urges anyone with tips to contact the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS instead of trying to contact him.

Stanton said his attitude is “all hands on deck” when it comes to helping find Lisa safe, but hands off when it comes to getting in the way of investigators.

“I haven’t contacted them,” he said. “I haven’t asked them for any information. I don’t want any information.”

He says he is working as nothing more than a private citizen with a “slightly better skill set” and a “slightly larger network” of friends that might be able to help find Lisa.

“Some people may come here and think (they’re) Sherlock Holmes,” Stanton said. “I’m not one of them.”

That’s one of the reasons he says he brought in Randazzo, who he calls a “rock star” in her field.

“She’s not well-known,” Stanton said, “but in the law enforcement community, she is well-known and she is excellent at what she does.

Randazzo, a psychologist now working in the private sector, served for ten years with the U.S. Secret Service as the agency’s Chief Research Psychologist, according to her biography on campusthreatassessment.com .

It was not clear what her role will be in his investigation.

Stanton also addressed rumors that have been circulating since his arrival in Kansas City earlier this week.

He says a wealthy benefactor did indeed pay him to come help with the investigation, and no news agency, as some have speculated, was involved with the payment.