Ft. Bend Co. Sheriff's Dept. calls off search for missing girl

(12/9/05 - KTRK/ORCHARD, TX) (KTRK) -- Authorities are calling off their search for a missing Ft. Bend County girl. They've been looking for 12-year-old Teketria Buggs of Orchard, who was last seen late Friday night.

A dive team with the Texas Department of Public Safety spent much of Friday in the water of the Brazos River -- one of two locations where cadaver dogs picked up some sort of scent earlier this week.

"You will probably find something," said Ft. Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright. "It won't necessarily be a human body, but there will be something there."

But on Friday, they didn't find anything. Teketria was last seen alive a week ago Friday just a few miles from the river in a home in Orchard. She left behind her cell phone and purse.

Her stepfather, Steven Carrington, was the last person to see her alive. Authorities now consider him the only suspect in her disappearance.

So with no new leads, Sheriff Wright says his deputies will no longer be used in the physical search for Teketria. That will be left now to Equusearch and its volunteers.

"Basically, our backs are up against the wall," said Darryl Phillips with Equusearch.

Phillips is helping coordinate that effort. He says the search will continue as long as there are people willing to spend time and resources to find her. These volunteers are still hopeful that Teketria can be located.

"It can happen to anyone," said Phillips. "They're determined to find this child."

Sheriff's detectives are still working this missing persons case. If you have any information that might help them, please call Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS.
(Copyright © 2005, KTRK-TV)

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