Levi Frady’s death started a missing children alert system in Georgia, but his own case remains unsolved, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports. Levi, 11, died in 1997. There have been no arrests and no suspects, despite a $100,000 reward put up by two businessmen. The death triggered the creation of Levi’s Call, a statewide emergency warning system for alerting the public about a missing child. Levi is one of 31 children whose murders remain unsolved.
The warning system is Georgia’s version of national Amber Alerts, named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old Texas girl kidnapped and murdered in 1996. Amber Alerts are activated when the child may have been removed from the area of abduction. Some Georgia authorities also rely on computer and telephone technology alerts provided by Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based A Child Is Missing. Those alerts target residents in an area where a child is reported missing as soon as A Child Is Missing is notified by police. It is activated for children up to age 17, the physically or mentally challenged, or Alzheimer’s patients. Levi’s Calls have led to the rescue of 16 of the 17 Georgia children whose disappearances prompted an alert since its creation. In all 17 cases, suspects have been quickly identified. Levi’s case, however, remains a mystery. “It is ironic that Levi Frady’s case remains unsolved,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan.
Link: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/northfulton/1004/22levi.html