After the grim discovery of the remains of Kansas boy Lucas Hernandez, who vanished from his home in February, the private investigator who found the little boy opened up about talking to the woman who led him to the child’s remains.
The Wichita Eagle reports that private investigator David Marshburn was contacted by the paternal grandmother to help find 5-year-old Lucas, who vanished on February 17 while under the care of his father’s live-in girlfriend, Emily Glass. Since she reported him missing, Glass has maintained that she took a nap at around 3:30 p.m. on the day Lucas disappeared, according to police. Glass said she woke up three hours later to find the back door open and Lucas missing. Marshburn, however, indicated that Glass told him a different version.
According to Sheila Medlam, an organizer of a search group for Lucas, Marshburn told her that Glass told him “she put Lucas to bed Friday night (Feb. 16) and when she woke up Saturday morning (Feb. 17), he was dead.”
Emily Glass’ Previous Timeline of Events
According to an arrest affidavit and a written statement by the suspect, Glass wrote that on February 16, she woke up with Lucas and her toddler daughter between 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. She wrote she changed her daughter’s diaper, then helped Lucas out of his pull-up diaper and into his underwear before turning the television on for the children to watch. After giving the children breakfast, Glass wrote she walked outside to smoke a cigarette, then walked back inside the home and lounged around with the children and watched cartoons.
Emily Glass Affidavit by Leigh Egan on Scribd
After doing a couple loads of laundry, watering plants, and cleaning her daughter’s bottle, Glass made the children lunch. She wrote that Lucas complained his stomach hurt, so she gave him Zofran and allowed him to watch a TV show in his room. Glass wrote she then cleaned up the lunch “mess” and did more laundry, but continued to check in on Lucas every 20 to 30 minutes. She wrote she took a break and smoked marijuana in her garage because her hands were hurting from working in her garden flower bed. After smoking marijuana, she left with her toddler daughter to Olive Garden, leaving Lucas behind because he didn’t feel well.
When she returned home, Glass reportedly did more laundry before putting the kids to bed. She said Lucas was safe and well when she returned home. The following day, according to Glass’ written statement, the children woke up at 9 a.m. Later in the day, at around 3:30 p.m., she wrote she took a nap and when she woke up three hours later, Lucas had disappeared.
For three months, authorities, working with what little information Glass provided, tried to find the little boy. Search teams performed numerous in-depth searches for Lucas but came up empty-handed. Yet, Marshburn somehow found the boy within 48 hours of arriving to Kansas from North Carolina. When asked how he got Glass to talk, he said it was all in the way he approached her.
“When you’re talking to someone who has committed a crime or who is involved in a crime and such, you have to read them the right way because if you don’t, you’re going to waste a lot of time. It just happened this one worked out perfectly, It was done smoothly and it rarely happens that way.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Harvey County Sheriff Chad said he responded to a call regarding a “dead body” underneath a bridge off of SE 96th Street, in between S. Woodlawn and Hillside Streets in Harvey County on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, authorities confirmed that the remains were of Lucas Hernandez.
Marshburn told CrimeOnline he found the remains Lucas after getting information from Glass. It’s unclear what Glass told Marshburn, but he indicated she gave enough information for him to piece together the location. Glass rode with Marshburn while they searched the area where Glass said Lucas was buried. Marshburn then found the boy buried under the bridge in shallow water.
Glass is currently behind bars on obstruction charges as authorities wait the for the autopsy results of the boy’s remains. The story is still developing. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
Further Reading
Exclusive: Dad pleads for return of missing boy, Lucas Hernandez, described as ‘shy and soft-spoken’
Stepmother of missing boy Lucas Hernandez arrested for child endangerment
New tip leads to heavy police presence at creek area, in search of missing boy Lucas Hernandez
Five parks searched, still no sign of missing little boy: Where is Lucas Hernandez?
‘I would never hurt my son!’: Stepmother of missing boy Lucas Hernandez speaks out from jail [Video]
Lucas Hernandez Update: Neighbor says she saw missing boy two days before he vanished
[Feature Photo: Lucas Hernandez/Handout]
