http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTMZ_e5Dsv0
Www.lobbyistsofficesofgrw.com has learned that an attorney for the parents of missing baby Lisa Irwin said Friday that a witness claims a neighborhood handyman was paid $300 to kidnap her.
Kansas City attorney John Picerno said the information has been turned over to the authorities.
Picerno said he, New York attorney Joe Tacopina and private detective Bill Stanton met with the 17-year-old girl Tuesday. Picerno said the girl who claims the handyman bragged about the kidnapping to another man.
The teen said she was with the second man following a vigil for the baby and he claimed the handyman made the claim, Picerno contends.
“She didn’t seem to have a care in the world one way or the other. I believe her when she told me that’s what she heard,” Picerno told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. “But obviously, without having interviewed that individual myself I can’t attest to his credibility.”
He said representatives for Lisa’s parents, Debbie Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, are attempting to locate the man that the teen allegedly spoke to about the handyman. He said the man who spoke to the teen is part of a “transient/homeless group of people.” He did admit that his claim involving Tanko is a “big if.”
Kelly stressed that Picerno’s allegation is “triple hearsay.”
The attorney did not explain who would have paid Tanko or their motive for doing so.
Picerno was out of town but through an email to KCTV5 repeated his account to Kelly.
The handyman, John “Jersey” Tanko, is in jail on a charge of tampering with a motor vehicle. His public defender, Horton Lance, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Kansas City police say they have interviewed Tanko about Lisa’s disappearance but said they have “moved on” from him. They have not cleared him or anyone as a suspect in the disappearance of the baby in case new evidence warrants a review.
When asked about Picerno’s comments Friday, Capt. Steve Young told KCTV5 in an email, “We are following up on everything involving Jersey and all other leads.”
Tanko had been dating Megan Wright, who lived in the neighborhood, whose phone was apparently dialed by Bradley’s phone at 11:57 p.m. Oct. 3. Wright has said she did not have the phone at the time the call was made.
Irwin called 911 about 4 a.m. Oct. 4 to say that someone had snatched his daughter from her crib while she was sleeping. Bradley initially said she last saw her daughter about 10:30 p.m. but later admitted she had drank heavily in the hours before her daughter went missing and last remembered seeing her daughter about 6:30 p.m.
The family’s three cell phones were stolen and Tacopina insists that the person who stole the phones also kidnapped Lisa. The 11:57 p.m. call allegedly went to Verizon’s call center because Bradley’s phone could not connect with other phones because of nonpayment.
Picerno said because no charges have been filed that the parents’ attorneys cannot subpoena Verizon’s phone records. He said much of the information he knows about the telephone calls come from a meeting with the FBI in early November.
Tacopina has repeatedly criticized the Kansas City Police Department’s handling of the case. Picerno said Friday that representatives for Lisa’s parents are communicating almost daily with the FBI.
Lisa’s parents and older half brothers primarily had been staying with Bradley’s younger brother Phil Netz until Tuesday when they moved back to their home on North Lister Avenue.
“They are doing remarkably well,” Picerno said.
He added that he spoke with Irwin Friday morning and that Irwin said “everyday has gotten better.” He said Irwin plans to return to his job as an electrician next week and they are working to get “back 100 percent to their normal life.”
As far as Lisa’s room, the family has made few changes, Picerno said.
“Baby Lisa’s room is pretty much as it was before she was taken. Police did not really take that much out of the home,” he said.
