Rilya Alert JYRINE HARRIS

JYRINE HARRIS
Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Dec 15, 1999 Sex: Male
Missing Date: Jun 23, 2002 Race: Black
Age Now: 9 Height: 3'0" (91 cm)
Missing City: IRVINGTON Weight: 32 lbs (15 kg)
Missing State : NJ Hair Color: Brown
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown


Jyrine was last seen sleeping in his bed on the second floor of his home on 40th Street in Irvington, New Jersey at 1:00 a.m. on June 23, 2002. He disappeared in the early hours of the morning while his teenage sister, LaElisa Harris, was watching television downstairs with her boyfriend, Gregory Jones-McCrae. The family searched the house before reporting Jyrine's disappearance to police at 5:00 a.m.
Jyrine lived with his grandmother and eight other people, including LaElisa, at the time of his disappearance. He had been taken from the home of his mother, Janet Harris, on May 31 after she was arrested on charges of abusing him. Janet was still in police custody at the time her son disappeared. (The charges against her were dropped after his disappearance, as it was determined that Jyrine could have sustained his injuries as a result of his bone disease rather than from abuse.) Authorities do not believe Jyrine was taken by either of his parents. It is also unlikely that he wandered away from the home, due to the broken leg which limited his mobility, and due to the fact that he has not been found.

Police have stated that Jones-McCrae has not been cooperative in the investigation. He has not been charged in connection with Jyrine's disappearance, however. Jyrine's four-year-old cousin, who shared a bedroom with him, says a Caucasian man and an African-American man abducted the child. Janet and Jyrine's father do not believe he was abducted, however; Janet believes there was an accident in the home that night and Jyrine disappeared as a result.

Most of the people in Jyrine's house the night he vanished have not been ruled out as suspects in his disappearance, but there is little evidence available in his case. His case remains unsolved.