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'Very difficult case': Investigators explain Osage Co. child abduction incident

'Very difficult case': Investigators explain Osage Co. child abduction incident
Osage County Sheriff's Office
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WEBB CITY, Okla. — Nearly two hours north and west of Tulsa sits the tiny community of Webb City.

"Webb City is a remote old oil community," Osage County Sheriff Bart Perrier said. "Everybody knows everybody. We hardly get calls out there."

On the night of June 28, Perrier did get a call — a report of a missing 10-year-old girl.

"We got K9 units up there to start a grid search," Perrier said. "We got drones in the air. We got out on ATVs to canvas the area around the house."

After searching for a couple of hours and talking with family, police identified family friend Jimmie Schimmels as a suspect.

"We had discovered that his vehicle was seen there at some point in the afternoon," Perrier said. "So that immediately led us to investigating him and his whereabouts."

WATCH: Investigators explain Osage Co. child abduction incident

'Very difficult case': Investigators explain Osage Co. child abduction incident

Police tracked Schimmel's phone to a ranch north near Lyman. When approached by officers, Schimmels fled, leading to a 20-mile pursuit back to Webb City, where he returned to Shorb's house. Alora got out of the car safely.

"She was very strong for a little 10-year-old girl," Perrier said. She did things, and tried to do everything she could to get out of the situation."

At that point, police discovered Schimmels had a gun that he showed Shorb. He got away from police at the house, continuing the pursuit, which ended when he lost control and crashed just outside of town. He died at the scene.

"I think the family seemed absolutely surprised that this happened obviously. He was not a prime suspect," Perrier said. "I mean through the investigation, we generated that he potentially was involved."

A case that surprised both the family, and everyone else in Webb City.

"For it to truly be a child abduction case in rural Osage County, I mean the odds are so against that actually happening, but it happened," Perrier said.

We did talk with multiple people in town, but none of them wanted to go on camera. One man said it's the most police he's ever seen. Another woman said she saw the pursuit go by, and is shocked something like this could happen in her small town.


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