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Missing Chipley Baby Shannon Lea Dedrick Information Recap
11/04/09 - 10:33 PM
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The search for a missing baby in Chipley is now in its fifth day.

7-month-old Shannon Lea Dedrick disappeared from her home Saturday and new details continue to emerge, including FDLE investigation of a grey van Wednesday evening, which officials will not confirm is related to the case.

However, the person of interest has still not been named.

Law enforcement officials are still not releasing the name of the person of interest, saying, “That’s not something we can speak to.”

Although authorities are releasing very few details, here’s what News 13 has learned from both authorities and other sources, starting from the beginning.

It all begins with a 911 call to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 11:30 on Halloween morning from Shannon Lea Dedrick’s parents… who we now know to be Christina Mercer and Rusty Dedrick, reporting the 7-month-old baby missing.

Authorities say she disappeared from her parents’ bedroom between 3:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 31st.

Law enforcement begins a search near the Shannon’s home and nearly 1300 residents living in the area are contacted as part of an A Child is Missing Alert.

Sunday, the search continues, with help from law enforcement from several surrounding agencies, including tracking and cadaver dogs, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issues a Missing Child Alert for Shannon.

However, an Amber Alert is not been issued for Shannon. To activate an Amber Alert, five criteria must be met:

1.    The child must be under 18 years of age.
2.    There must be a clear indication of an abduction.
3.    The law enforcement agency’s investigation must conclude that the child’s life is in danger.
4.    There must be a detailed description of child and/or abductor/vehicle to broadcast to the public.
5.    The activation must be recommended by the local law enforcement agency of jurisdiction.

Reports from authorities on whether the case could be an abduction are somewhat conflicting.

“The baby cannot walk… it did not leave that residence by itself,” said Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock.

Then, Wednesday, Mike Morrison with the FDLE tells News 13, “We do not believe it was an abduction.”

Monday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office reports they have a person of interest in the case but will not name that person.

Wednesday, News 13 learns the step-son of Shannon’s reported babysitter, Susan Baker, 50, was reported missing more than 20 years ago. Court records show a grand jury did not indict Susan Baker or her husband, James Baker, and the prosecution dropped the charges.

(See details here)

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will not confirm whether they are looking into the Bakers as possible suspects in Shannon’s disappearance.

However, Wednesday afternoon, authorities surrounded the Bakers’ home.

Wednesday evening, News 13 witnesses FDLE investigators making tire prints of a grey Toyota Sienna van at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities will not comment on whether the grey van is connected to baby Shannon’s disappearance but neighbors report seeing a grey van in the driveway of the home the morning Shannon was reported missing.

When asked why the parents, Christina Mercer and Rusty Dedrick, have not made any public statements or pleas for their child’s safe return, a FDLE Representative Mike Morrison said the parents asked the Sheriff’s Office to be their liaison with the media.

Authorities are also refusing to answer many other pressing questions, including whether they believe baby Shannon is still alive, why they are still not naming the person of interest, or if they believe Susan Baker could be connected to the disappearance.

Susan Baker made drug and physical abuse allegations against Shannon’s parents to the Department of Children and Families in March, but representatives from DCF say there was no evidence of danger or physical harm to the baby.