"Just seeing her walking, in person, was heartbreaking," Phillips said Thursday. Athena was determined to be missing after a postal worker . Alysia Adams is related to the sisters, the agency said. A four-year-old girl has been reported missing after a postal worker found her sister, 5, wandering alone near her home. "People forget these cases because as time goes on they believe the individual may have been found or that they are deceased. I don't know if she's being tortured or if she's safe or what," Phillips told ABC News. A neighbor's surveillance video showed Coles in her U.S . In 2021, a worker died every 101 minutes from a work-related injury, while the share of black and African American workers fatally injured on the job reached an all-time high. "I went from seeing my child every day -- if not seeing her, at least talking to her every day -- to not seeing her in three years," Phillips said. "They don't even reach out and say, 'Well, Ms. Phillips, we're still going through this' or, 'We don't have any new leads.' "It was just days of searching and passing out flyers and praying," Phillips said. "It's already frustrating that it's gonna be two years, and for y'all [the Chicago Police Department] to say y'all don't have enough to go on, it's really disappointing," she said. Dispatchers said they got a call before 10:30 p.m. Monday night about a postal worker who had gone missing. It described Adams as a caregiver but didnt specify her relationship to Athena. Coles' mother said the painful void remains for their family but hopes someone with information will ease their suffering. He agreed to speak to NBC 5 Investigates for the first time about Coles' activities before she disappeared as well as new details that have emerged in the case. Kierra Coles is a U.S. postal worker who was 26 years old and about three months pregnant when she went missing on Chicago's South side on October 2, 2018. COLUSA (CBS13) - The body of a missing postal worker was found in a ditch west of Colusa. Minutes later, Kierra was seen on the surveillance video using the ATM. CHICAGO ( NewsNation Now) Two weeks ago, Kierra Coles would have turned 29. Police began searching for Athena Brownfield, from Oklahoma, US, on Tuesday . Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Coles vanished without a trace on Oct. 2, 2018. Is she dead or alive? "I have to do all that I can to bring her and her child home safe.". Reward poster provided by the U.S. "Kierra Coles is a member of our Postal family and we will continue looking for her and following up on all leads," the agency continued. They're gone to lunch, they'll call me back, they're out of the office. Coles' boyfriend could not be reached by ABC News and the Chicago police declined to comment about him, citing the ongoing investigation. "We just want Kierra brought home safe," Karen Phillips, Kierra's mother, said. Coles, a devoted aunt to her nieces and nephews, was the last of Phillips' children to have a baby. The search became a "recovery operation," the agency said on Jan. 16, several days after one of her caregivers was arrested on a murder charge in connection with the child's disappearance. ", The United States Postal Inspection Service, which is involved in the investigation because Coles was a postal worker, said in a statement, "Chicago Division Postal Inspectors continue to investigate the whereabouts of USPS employee Kierra Coles. The two girls had been under the care of Adams and her husband, officials said. ", The Chicago police didn't respond to Phillips' claim that they ignored her calls, but in a statement to ABC News the police department said it urges "anybody with knowledge of her last whereabouts to contact the Chicago Police Department.". PORTSMOUTH, Va. Portsmouth Police are working to learn how a postal worker died after she was found dead on her route. Kierra Coles missing for nearly 3 years, but family still looking for answers, "At approximately 10:43 p.m., Kierra Coles was seen on surveillance video making two ATM withdrawals at a business in the 8600-block of South Cottage Grove," CPD Homicide Lieutenant William Svilar said. But her family deserves answers. "I would love to see her with her child, Karen Phillips, Kierra's mother, said. Investigators said the 26-year-old postal worker was seen walking out of her apartment in her uniform despite calling out of work. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "Kierra, postal worker, who was three months pregnant, exited the business three minutes later. She was about three months pregnant. The Postal Inspector's Office is currently investigating this case. But we hold onto hope," Wilson told ABC News. Multiple law enforcement agencies have been looking for Athena Brownfield, of Cyril, since Tuesday. For Coles' mother, Karen Phillips, having no answers is torturous. Kierra Coles was about three months pregnant when she vanished on Oct. 2, 2018, on Chicago's South Side. "He or she will almost be 2. She said that the unnamed postal worker alerted police after seeing the 5-year-old sister, knowing that she "wasn't where she was supposed to be.". One of the main forms of evidence in the case was surveillance footage obtained from a neighbour's residence, which appeared to show a woman resembling Kierra walking in the area of 81st Street and Vernon Avenue. The next day, on Oct. 3, "The person of interest is seen parking Kierra's vehicle near her residence before entering the building and exiting with unknown items," Svilar said. Tuesday afternoon, community organizers prepared for the fifth annual march We Walk for Her at 5 p.m. at 35th Street and King Drive. The youngster was reported missing on 10 January after a postal worker found her five-year-old sister alone outside the family home in Cyril, Oklahoma. ", RELATED VIDEO: 'Please Bring My Baby Girl Home': Tenn. "That's a big thing that I struggle with every day. I just miss him because she would've been a great mother," she said. She went on to ask locals to search their properties and any potential abandoned neighboring properties. All Rights Reserved. Postal Inspection Service requesting information leading to the location of postal worker Kierra Coles, who has been missing since Oct 2, 2018. Athena Brownfield was reported missing earlier this month after a postal carrier found her sister wandering alone outside, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The Chicago Police Department shared the new pieces of video on their YouTube channel this month, along with a plea from Coles mother. Please do not self deploy to search anything other than your own property," the bureau added. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Authorities in Oklahoma are searching for a little girl after a postal worker found her 5-year-old sister alone and wandering around. Authorities have also used tools including search dogs and helicopters equipped with infrared, the state bureau said. ", Wilson added, "If you don't feel comfortable reporting it to law enforcement, please come to our website and report the tip anonymously. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and say 'Law Enforcement.' "I just hope somebody just has a heart and calls in, or gives a tip. "Sometimes I just have to completely put it out of my mind because it'll wreck you.". SEE ALSO: Chicago artist brings attention to missing women of color in 'Still Searching' series, "A man, who detectives identified as a person of interest, also arrived and entered the residence," Lt. William Svilar said in the video. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) The body of a man who was recently reported missing was found in a canal Saturday afternoon, Port St. Lucie police said. She saluted Oklahoma Highway Patrol, pointing out that they've helped in the search and looked from a helicopter view. '", "Any small lead can lead to what really happened," Phillips said. Calvin Berry's body was found floating in a canal along SE Fallon Drive near Starflower Avenue around 1:30 p.m. In its most recent update, OSBi said that "Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) Emergency Response Team (ERT) concluded a grid search with local volunteers. ", 3 Kansas City officers shot while executing search warrant, chief says, Roof collapses at nonprofit South LA clinic, causing $500K in damage, Video shows group of sharks in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast. Mom Vanished 6 Weeks Ago, Car Found Abandoned with Phone Inside, She did not confirm reports that Athena is autistic, however, she stated that the child "has limited verbal skills.". Remains found last week amid the search for a missing 4-year-old girl in Oklahoma have been confirmed to be those of the child, authorities said. She . Remains found in rural Grady County, outside of Rush Springs, on Jan. 17 have been positively identified as those of Athena, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said on Thursday. This number brought the number of fatal work injuries up to 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers, an 8.9 percent increase on 2020 and the highest annual rate since 2016. Her car was found in front of her apartment with her phone and packed lunch still inside. If you have information that will help us locate Kierra Coles, please contact the U.S. Officers were told that she had a medical condition. OHP noted in an alert that Athena was last seen wearing a pink butterfly sweater and pink pants. Phillips vowed, "I'm not gonna let up until my daughter is found. Police said they interviewed the person of interest referenced in the video but got varying accounts of what happened that night. Chicago police told ABC News that the case remains a "high-risk missing person investigation with potential foul play suspected.". Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Then, she and her boyfriend decided they were ready for a baby, Phillips said. Newsweek has reached out to the Nebraska State Patrol for comment. "You would think with the pandemic, people are home. In the video briefing, Arbeitman would not provide details on the postal carrier's interaction with Athena's sister or where she was found. "Right now our top priority is locating her and sorting out who's responsible will come next. At about 10:43 p.m. that night, Coles was spotted on surveillance video making ATM withdrawals -- the last known images of her, according to Svilar. In an earlier statement, the Nebraska State Patrol said that Balluch was missing under "suspicious circumstances.". You may be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000.. A suspended case can always be re-opened if more evidence becomes available. Phillips said Coles seemed happy in their last conversation; Coles asked her mother for advice on what milk to drink during pregnancy. PORTSMOUTH, Va. Portsmouth Police are working to learn how a postal worker died after she was found dead on her route. The agency said it had no further comment due to a gag order filed in Caddo County District Court. There's still no sign of her, with the mysterious case classified by Chicago police as "a high-risk missing person investigation with potential foul play suspected.". Kierra Coles, 27, was last seen on surveillance video October 2, 2018, as she was. ", It added, "Currently, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) has search dogs in the area and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) flew their drones over the community. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the FBI are both working with the Chicago police on the case. Coles' siblings range in age from 35 to 24. The department said "each episode focuses on a different case, with the goal of generating tips that could possibly lead to a break in the case, and in turn, an arrest.". Workers in transportation and material moving occupations reported the highest number of fatalities. "What's most important is Kierra Coles case and every cold case gets the attention it deserves in Black and Brown communities," Tanisha Williams, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, said. When contacted by PEOPLE, Arbeitman did not give any additional information on the search for Athena. Phillips said she has no idea what happened to her daughter. Remains found last week amid the search for a missing 4-year-old girl in Oklahoma have been confirmed to be those of the child, authorities said. While the cause of death in this case has not been determined, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) records instances of injuries, illness and fatality in the workplace across the U.S. "Think of a place where a (child) could crawl into and look into those places and if you find anything please notify us.". The 26-year-old was about three months pregnant and was eager to meet her first child, according to her mother, Karen Phillips. Moms of missing Black women gather in Loop to ensure cases are not forgotten: 'Our babies are gone'. No foul play is suspected. According to police, Kenley worked with the United States Postal Service for 20 years. "Less than an hour later, [Coles'] vehicle was seen arriving and parking in another area of the city," Svilar said. The purpose of the event is to bring to attention to all the unsolved cases of missing women and girls of color. "The next day, the person of interest is seen parking Kierra's vehicle near her residence before entering the building and exiting with unknown items," Svilar said. "We are finding things that we hope might give us clues," she said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ", For Coles' mother, as each day passes, she's "looking for leads, just hoping somebody will come forward. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System Kierra Coles was about three months pregnant when she vanished on Oct. 2, 2018, on Chicago's South Side. Joshua "J.J." Rowland was located Friday morning by a volunteer who was searching. But Phillips told ABC News that Coles' boyfriend lied to her about when he last texted the 26-year-old. Trash service in Cyril, a town about 80 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, has been postponed as investigators search for clues about Athenas location. ", "Somebody knows something other than the person that did whatever happened," she said. 4 Kierra Coles disappeared in 2018 while three months pregnant Credit: Chicago Police Department 4 "Not even my worst enemy would I wish this type of pain on," she said. C.B. Dispatchers said they got a call before 10:30 p.m. Monday night about a postal worker who had gone missing. Nancy Rogers, 61, was found dead in a dumpster in San Leandro, Calif., at approximately 8 a.m. on Monday, after co-workers noticed she was missing a few hours after she had arrived at work at 1a.m. A postal worker has vanished, and the vehicle she was using to deliver mail in a rural area was found burned, reports say. For Phillips, the daily pain of not knowing what happened to her daughter is unbearable. Amid the search, Brook Arbeitman, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, said that authorities were finding items in town that "could be relevant" and helpful to the case, though did not elaborate. We just want Kierra brought home safe.. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. The body of a man who went missing from Bruning, Nebraska, has been discovered in a grain bin at his place of work. "At that time, we realized that there was another child missing," Arbeitman said at a news conference. The person of interest "then drives away in his personal vehicle that was parked on the block overnight," Svilar said. The FBI, also part of the case, deferred comment to the Chicago Police. Yeah. After searching through hours of video, police put together a timeline of her disappearance. The following day, the man returned to Coles apartment and left her car parked in front, police said. Local authorities began searching for Athena on Jan. 10, when the postal worker discovered her 5-year-old sister wandering alone and notified police, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Just a few hours later, around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, the worker was found dead in Portsmouth. She said she tries not to overthink the possibilities because the first few months of the disappearance, the stress made her physically sick. Her case remains a "high-risk missing person investigation with potential foul play suspected," Chicago police told ABC News on Thursday. By Minyvonne Burke and Claire Cardona. The search has covered the town, with the state bureau, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, volunteers and other agencies looking in vacant homes and waterways. Is she hungry? US Postal Service _2963935641348344-159532. For her to vanish "out of the blue," she said, "I can't understand it.". Chicago police said they considered Coles' case "a high-risk missing person investigation with suspected potential foul play." Karen Phillips, the mother of a missing postal worker, Kierra ColesShe speaks out three years later in hopes of gaining public support to find out what happened to her daughter, who disappeared on October 2, 2018. The person of interest gets out of the passenger side of the car, but no one exited the driver's side. NBC Universal, Inc. Karen Philips, the mother of missing U.S. postal employee Kierra Coles, is unveiling new information that detectives initially told her not to disclose. So, when Rogers disappeared on the job, they . These are the last recorded images of Kierra.". 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Those who live or own a business in Cyril, Oklahoma, that could potentially have doorbell camera footage related to Athena are urged to go to the authorities' search site at Family Life Church and contact police, the agency said. "Were just digging for every clue, processing everything that we can to see if it can help us locate her," she said. Those volunteers have been released after searching the entire town, every known vacant house and local waterways. Three years ago, a 26-year-old postal worker who was eagerly expecting her first child mysteriously disappeared in her own neighborhood. When a reporter asked whether Athena's parents were home at the time she was reported missing, Arbeitman said the focus remains on finding the child. A 4-year-old girl in Oklahoma was reported missing shortly after a postal worker found her 5-year-old sister wandering alone near their Cyril home, authorities said. Oklahoma authorities have recovered a child's remains in rural Grady County during the search for missing 4-year-old Athena Brownfield. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Multiple law enforcement agencies have been looking for Athena Brownfield since Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) said in a Facebook post. "I need to get there and fight this," he told the court. A missing Utah mother-of-four was found dead on July 4, and a man described by authorities as her "acquaintance" is accused of murdering her. The 5-year-old sister is in state protective custody and didnt require medical care when she was found, Arbeitman told reporters Wednesday. Of those who died in the workplace, workers aged between 45 and 54 accounted for one-fifth of the total number with 1,087 fatalities in 2021. Athena was last known to be wearing a pink butterfly sweater and pink pants, according to a missing person poster. 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