Gary Simpson shopped at a Walmart store last week, right before he kidnapped his 9-year-old niece Carlie Trent from her Rogersville, Tenn., school.
Simpson bought black pants and a green shirt for himself and several items for the girl, including:
- Blue and orange striped blanket
- Khaki pants
- Pack of underwear
- Two shades of nail polish (purple and sparkling green)
- Two shades of lipstick (purple and green)
- Pink child camp chair
- Purple child night gown with stars
- Black and pink and white bikini swimsuit
The items suggested Simpson “intended to essentially go out of sight,” said Josh DeVine, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) public information officer, during a news conference broadcasted live by ABC on May 10 at 11:15 a.m.
“We believe this child to be in imminent danger,” DeVine said.
Items #GarySimpson purchased at Walmart before picking up #CarlieTrent last Wednesday @wbir pic.twitter.com/pq9gBXd0IO
— Brittany Bade (@BrittanyWBIR) May 10, 2016
Items purchased for #CarlieTrent by Simpson @wbir pic.twitter.com/crYi0R2EdU
— Brittany Bade (@BrittanyWBIR) May 10, 2016
Carlie is 4 foot 8 inches tall, weighs 75 lbs with blonde hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a black and grey tank top and blue jeans.
Simpson is a white male, 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighing 157 lbs. He is balding, has brown hair and eyes, and was last seen wearing a brown cap, a dark colored shirt and jeans.
Many of tips include people saying they saw the van—a white 2002 Dodge Conversion—that Simpson drove during the kidnapping.
DeVine said people need to call 911 immediately if they see the van. It has the registration plates 173-GPS.
