Authorities looking into the disappearance of Jessica Ridgeway, the 10-year-old girl who vanished from her Colorado home last Friday, are investigating whether it could be connected to the abduction of a girl in Wyoming, The Associated Press reported.
Police in Westminster, Colo., told the AP they are working with investigators in Cody, Wyo., to explore whether there was any connection between Jessica's case and that of an 11-year-old who was lured Monday into an SUV by a man and released about four hours later. Cody is about 500 miles northwest of Westminster.
Police release new photos, video in search for missing Colorado girl
The Cody girl was found by hunters, the AP said.
Westminster police spokesman Trevor Matarasso said Wednesday at a press conference that authorities will continue to search land and bodies of water in the area where Ridgeway disappeared, NBC affiliate KUSA-TV reported. The searches of the bodies of water searches are precautionary, he added.
On Tuesday, police released new photos and a video of Jessica to help people better identify her as they continue their search.
Jessica was last seen on Friday morning by her mother when she left to walk three blocks from her home to meet friends for the walk to school. She took the same route every day.
The friends told school officials that Jessica never showed up. They tried calling Jessica’s mother, but she reportedly slept through calls after working a night shift.
“I watched her walk out the door, and I shut the door, and that’s the last time I saw her," Jessica's mother, Sarah Ridgeway told KUSA-TV Tuesday. "And I want her to come walking back through that door. I need her to walk back through that door."
So far, the biggest lead yet in the case has been the discovery of what police believe to be Jessica's backpack and water bottle found Sunday in Superior, Colo., about 6 1/2 miles northwest of Jessica's home.
"We'll never stop looking. We love her," Jessica's father, Jeremiah Bryant told KUSA-TV.
NBC's Andrew Mach contributed to this report.
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