The Tennessee man who allegedly kidnapped his 9-year-old niece last
week bought several items including lipstick, nail polish, underwear, a
nightgown and a bikini before disappearing with the girl, officials said
Tuesday.
It’s been nearly a week since Gary Simpson, 57,
signed Carlie Marie Trent out of her Rogersville school Wednesday under
false pretenses. Simpson, Trent’s uncle by marriage, had recently lost
custody of the girl. But she had been placed back into her father’s
custody so recently that school officials were not yet notified of the
change.
“There’s every indication that he intended to go out
of sight,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh Devine said
during a news conference attended by the Knoxville News Sentinel. “We believe this girl is in imminent danger.”
Security camera footage of Simpson at an area Walmart
taken right before he picked up Trent showed Simpson buying several
items that were previously described as “camping supplies.” The items
included a plush throw blanket, men’s shirt, men’s pants, girls’ pants,
girls’ underwear, two shades of lipstick, two shades of nail polish, a
child’s folding camp chair, a child’s purple nightgown and a bikini, the
News Sentinel reported.
After he left with Trent, the two were seen on video
surveillance shopping for “nonperishable items” at a Save-A-Lot grocery
store. Officials have said they believe the two are in an “isolated
area” such as a campground or a park.
There have been no confirmed sightings of the pair. An AMBER Alert for Trent remained in effect Tuesday.
Trent is 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 75 pounds,
with blonde hair and blue eyes. Simpson is balding, 5 feet 10 inches
tall and weighs 157 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. Both are white.
Authorities said they may be in a white 2002 Dodge conversion van with a Tennessee registration of 173GPS.
