"What we are looking at is more than likely our victim has been strangled and was probably deceased when the child was removed from the womb," Espey told reporters. "Evidence would show the baby was probably wrapped up and taken out of the home."
Stinnett, who appeared to have been strangled from behind, apparently fought her attacker. Arnold said she was gripping strands of blond hair in both hands when her mother discovered her.
Bobbie Jo Stinnett of Skidmore, Mo., was found slain in her home Thursday. Stinnett's baby girl, who apparently was cut from her womb, was found in good health Friday. Two people were in custody.
(Todd Weddle -- St. Joseph News-press Via AP)
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The first lead came soon after. A neighbor reported seeing a red two-door hatchback in the driveway of 430 West Elm between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. It was a battered car, at least 10 years old, maybe older.
Espey wanted to issue a statewide Amber Alert revealing that a child had been abducted. Named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, kidnapped and murdered in Texas in 1996, the program has been credited with saving young lives.
But bureaucracy tripped up the sheriff.
The Stinnett baby did not fit the formal criteria because no one knew her hair color, eye color or other required details. It was 12:30 a.m. before Espey persuaded his law enforcement counterparts to act.
Meanwhile, police in nearby Atchison County chased a red car matching the description of the one spotted in the Stinnett's driveway. The driver switched off the car's lights, however, and escaped somewhere into the back roads of rural northwest Missouri.
By daybreak, the story about the slaying and the stolen baby had become widely known. The FBI dispatched at least a half-dozen agents. One tip suggested that three people had killed Stinnett for her baby, which they intended to sell. Espey told reporters that the lead was "possibly going to go up in smoke. The third party has misled us."
FBI agents studying Stinnett's computer found message board postings with certain e-mail addresses. A woman who gave her name as Darlene Fischer said she wanted to see some dogs. She asked for directions to Stinnett's house.
Still on the message board Friday night, one note to Stinnett from "Darlene," said "I was recommended to you . . . and have been unable to reach you by either phone or email. Please get in touch with me soon as we are considering the purchase of one of your puppies and would like to ask you a few questions."
One of the messages said "Darlene" was from Fairfax, Mo. The FBI tried to trace the name but came up empty.
On Friday, a North Carolina dog breeder read about Stinnett's killing. Aware of the exchanges between Stinnett and the person who called herself Darlene, she relayed to the FBI the Internet provider address connected to Darlene's postings.
Working with the new information, investigators discovered that Stinnett and her correspondent had chatted online from about 5:37 p.m. to 5:57 p.m. on Wednesday, the night before the killing. A posting at 7:44 p.m. came from Stinnett.
"Darlene, I've emailed you with the directions so we can meet. I do so hope that the email reaches you. Great chatting with you on messenger. And do look forward to chatting with you tomorrow a.m.," she wrote. " . . . talk to you soon Darlene!
