Speaking publicly for the first time since they became “persons of interest” in the disappearance of little Aaroné Thompson, the girl’s father and his girlfriend said Thursday that they aren’t responsible for the girl’s disappearance or death.
Aaron Thompson and Shelley Lowe, who had been unavailable to the news media, granted an interview to KMGH-Channel 7.
When asked whether he had killed Aaroné, Thompson said, “No, I did not. I’m still looking for my daughter.”
Lowe added, “And we were hoping everyone was still looking.”
Aurora police say they believe Aaroné, who would have turned 7 Wednesday, was killed – possibly as long 18 months ago.
Thompson reported his daughter’s disappearance on Nov. 14. Police looked for the girl for more than 48 hours before receiving a tip that she was dead, they say.
Thompson and Lowe, who shared the family’s home at 16551 E. Kepner Place in Aurora with Aaroné and seven other children, have been labeled “persons of interest” in what police now describe as a homicide investigation.
“They got an investigation against me, OK. Why stop looking for my daughter?” Thompson complained on television.
“Exactly; why give up on her because you’re suspicious of us?” added Lowe.
The couple told the TV station they feel police have put them in a position where they have to prove their innocence.
“We want her home; even the children want her,” Lowe said. “The first thing they said was: ‘It’s cold outside. She’s been gone too long. That little jacket isn’t going to keep her warm.”‘
Thompson denied a report that his family recently submitted a Christmas list to an Aurora nonprofit organization but left Aaroné’s name off it.
“We never made out any Christmas list,” he said.
Thompson gave a formal interview with police the day he reported Aaroné missing but subsequently refused to talk further with police, including failing to arrive for a scheduled polygraph test, according to authorities.
New Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates said Thursday evening: “I’m baffled that they chose to give this information to the media and not us. We would like to talk to them. I’m very disappointed that they would choose to tell their story to the media when we have all these resources to help find Aaroné and they won’t talk to us.”
Thompson said in Thursday’s interview that he cooperated with police the night he reported Aaroné missing, answering all their questions and denying he killed her. He said his parents and others then advised him not to talk to police again.
Sam Riddle, who has been the couple’s spokesman and who also took part in the TV interview, said that they had given police a doll Aaroné played with and that a bloodhound tracked the scent to a 7-Eleven at East Mississippi Avenue and South Chambers Road before losing it.
“But we haven’t heard about that,” Riddle said.
Lowe and Thompson said a police officer told them that first night that a caller responding to a reverse 911 call about Aaroné’s disappearance said a woman was seen at a Wendy’s with a little girl matching Aaroné’s description, clothing and all.
They criticized police for not doing more to pursue these leads.
The Rev. Acen Phillips, a minister who has been acting as a counselor and spokesman for the family, said he and others continue to pursue tips that might lead to finding Aaroné alive, including talking with a psychic who has worked with police departments in the past. The psychic, Phillips said, specified a particular house in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood where Aaroné might be. Phillips said police hadn’t looked into the tip.
Aaroné’s mother, Lynette Thompson, said from Detroit late Thursday: “They’re lying. Seriously, they’re lying. Everybody ain’t fooled, for one.”
She said her ex-husband and Lowe are talking as if Aaroné were 16-going-on-17, not a young girl.
“Regardless of what happened, you should have protected your daughter,” she said.
She said she was unconvinced that the two are innocent.
“Everybody ain’t a damn fool,” she said. “Them two know what happened to that child.”
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer contributed to this report.
