MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma – Kyrus Carney (Ponca) was last seen at Murrow Indian Children’s Home in Muskogee Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 6 a.m., right after bed checks. According to Karissa Hodge, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Chahta, Carney stole a black mountain bicycle to leave home. He is 15 years old, 5′ 5 ft tall, and has black hair and brown eyes.
He has since been tracked to White Eagle Reservation in Ponca City, Okla., before turning off his location. White Eagle is where his family lives. He is known to be staying in the area.
According to Oklahoma law, 21 OK Stat § 21-856 (2014) A. 1., “Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, every person who shall knowingly or willfully cause, aid, abet or encourage a minor to be, to remain, or to become a delinquent child or a runaway child, upon conviction, shall, for the first offense, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.”
MMIW-Chahta, Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police, Ponca Tribal Indian Children Welfare Program, Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement, and Ponca Tribal Police are working together to locate Carney. MMIW-Chahta conducted a ground search on Dec. 30. On Jan. 2, BIA officers told Hodge they were going to search; on Jan. 3, Lighthorse said they would put out a BOLO to Ponca Tribal Police and be looking for Carney.
However, Hodge said they had issues with BIA officers in the White Eagle area.
“I’ve given the address and told them that he was house hopping, and it took them five hours to go and check out the house,” Hodge said. “Then, one time, one of the officers told me that he didn’t want to drive him to the detention center because it was an hour and a half away.”
She continued, “So, I had to assure them that we would get somebody legally allowed to transport his case worker or Lighthorse, to come to get him.
If Lighthorse or his ICW case worker does not pick up Carney, he will be sent to a juvenile detention center. At this time, Murrow Indian Children’s Home is allowing Carney to return.
“That’s what’s best for him as a child to get an education and be safe, and so that is what I want,” Hodge said. “I don’t want him to continue to drag this out and not be able to be welcomed back.”
Anyone with information on Kyrus Carney’s whereabouts, don’t hesitate to contact Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police Department at 918-732-7800 or MMIW-Chahta at 580-740-2351.
This is an ongoing investigation.
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