There has been a break in the case of a 9-year-old boy missing since 2006.
Levi Colton Clark vanished from his aunt and uncle's home just south of Seminole. He and his brother had been placed there by DHS, because their biological parents had drug addiction issues.
The case was originally investigated as a runaway, but things were suspicious from the start.
"His backpack was missing. He left his favorite red shows. Scent dogs did not detect the scent for Levi Colt Clark leaving the property. So, if he ran away, you'd think the dogs would've picked it up, but they didn't," said Mindy Wood.
Wood wrote and in-depth article on the case for Red Dirt Report last September when the case was reopened. She said investigators were suspicious of the Clarks.
"They referred to Levi in the past tense immediately. Homer was the brother that lived there at the time, seemed very intimidated, wouldn't make eye contact, wouldn't speak to them," Wood said.
But, there was never enough evidence to charge them with anything.
After new evidence from the multi-county grand jury, a judge signed a search warrant for the Clarks' property. He also signed arrest warrants for the Clarks for first degree murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, child abuse and child neglect.
Investigators spent all day Friday searching the property, using ground penetrating radar.
Neighbors across the street watched.
"They have been probing the yard all day, digging up, you know, like barrels and things," said Jennifer Cox.
"Just the thought of that child being scared, lonely, tortured, afraid and then murdered, you know, I mean, I can't imagine what that child went through," Sheila Cox said.
"The whole case makes all of us very sad, and we're hopeful," said Seminole County Assistant District Attorney, Paul Smith.
Everyone in the community is hopeful that, after a full decade, there can be justice for Colton.
"I know that child wants to find an end, wants to find peace and go and be buried where his family's buried, not just a ditch somewhere," Sheila said.
Smith said the search could take more than a week.
- This article courtesy of KFOR, Oklahoma City
