Image: Leanne Maxwell (2017)/SFist

In their closing arguments on Wednesday, defense attorneys for 26-year-old Antolin Garcia-Torres insisted that Sierra LaMar isn't dead. She's just missing. The Morgan Hill 15-year-old disappeared five years ago and her body has never been found.

Garcia-Torres was arrested for LaMar's murder - even without a body - and Santa Clara County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The trial has been going on since January and this week is attorneys' closing arguments.

In an unusual closing argument move, defense attorney Alfonso Lopez produced something he called a "shame bucket" and displayed it to the six man, six woman jury. Lopez kept dropping red balls in the bucket in an attempt to claim prosecutors haven't produced enough evidence to convict his client.

If we were on the jury, we would feel that a bucket prop to defend a man in the killing of an innocent child would be pretty crass. But alas, we are not on the jury.

Then, in perhaps an attempt to connect with younger, more social media savvy jurors, Lopez listed his Top 10 Reasons that Antolin Garcia-Torres is innocent. Just a reminder, this is a trial for a presumed dead child and not a late night talk show or Facebook click bait. Again, we don't have a law degree (unless watching a lot of ID: Investigation Discovery counts) but courtroom tactics like these seem incredibly gross when justice for a 15-year-old student is on the line.

"We don't see evidence she's deceased. She's missing, nothing else," said Lopez, who earlier in the trial argued that LaMar ran away because she was afraid to tell her mom that she might be gay and/or because of bad grades.

Prosecutors allege that LaMar's hair was found on a rope in Garcia-Torres' trunk, her clothes, which were discovered dumped in a bag, were dirt-stained and indicated she'd been dragged, and that Garcia-Torres purchased 20 gallons of bleach and a turkey baster that he can't account for. Garcia-Torres is also suspected of trying to kidnap three other women in separate incidents dating back to 2009. Oh, and Garcia-Torres' DNA was found on LaMar's pants.

Here is Lopez's complete Top 10 Reasons why his client didn't kill the victim, who is obviously not just missing. In typical Top 10 fashion, they start at #10 and work down. This is not a joke, he really did this:

1. 10. Garcia-Torres' calm demeanor on a Bank of America video after the girl disappeared.
3. 9. No tools to hide the body.
5. 8. No statement of guilt.
7. 7. No motive.
9. 6. No murder weapon.
11. 5. No eyewitnesses.
13. 4. No crime scene.
15. 3. No evidence of damage to her clothing.
17. 2. No cause of death.
19. 1. She's a missing person.

Nearly a year after the high-profile disappearance of his young daughter, the father of the still-missing toddler has taken his own life, family members say.

John Anthony Webb, 50 (pictured above left), had threatened to commit suicide for months after the disappearance of his daughter, Daphne Viola Webb, according to the girl's grandfather, Kevin Davis.

Daphne Viola Webb (pictured above right) was 21 months old when she was reported missing shortly after 11 AM on July 10, 2013. Her father told investigators that a stranger had abducted her after he left the girl in a car with his 87-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia, while he went into the Gazza Supermarket at 7838 International Boulevard to buy an energy drink. When he came out minutes later, he said he found the back door open, Daphne's empty car seat askew, and his mother's purse missing.

At the time of the disappearance, Webb was briefly arrested on suspicion of child endangerment. He was released two days later when the district attorney’s office declined to file charges against him.

Daphne's mother, Kiana Webb-Davis, convened a press conference a week after the disappearance, saying that the child had not been seen by any of her closest relatives, with the presumable exception of her father, since June 27, 2013.

Daphne was solely in her father's care after a February, 2013 incident in which Kiana Webb-Davis was caught driving a car with Daphne inside after taking alcohol and Vicodin, according to court records.

Webb-Davis pleaded no contest to misdemeanor child endangerment and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, and had entered a rehab facility in May on 2013.

At the July 2013, press conference, Davis, who is Daphne's maternal grandfather, made a plea for "people [to come forward] who have seen the child in the past couple weeks," but that plea was unsuccessful, as Daphne remains missing to this day.

According to Davis, the family has had little contact with police investigators, and spoke to them last in August or September. The family has heard no new information about any possible leads or the state of the investigation, Davis said.

“I understand they are undermanned and overworked,” Davis said in a statement to media Monday. “I just feel like we should have been able to count on them a little more than we have been.”

A week after Daphne’s disappearance, her mother discovered that she was pregnant, and gave birth to Daphne’s sister, Dawn, in January of this year, Davis said.

Davis-Webb was planning on dropping Dawn off with John last Thursday but decided not to when he talked about killing himself again, Davis said. He was found dead the following day.

Family members still in shock over this second tragedy said that they thought that Webb was still just stricken with grief over Daphne’s disappearance and wouldn’t follow through with his threats, Davis said.

According to a website set up by the family, "The family's effort in finding Baby Daphne will never end until she is home. We still are as hopeful and committed as ever." A $20,000 reward for information leading to Daphne remains unclaimed.

Ter'Rone Carter, a 27-year-old Hayward man, has been missing since February 21. The Alameda County's Sheriff's Office is now asking for help finding him.

BCN/Oakland Tribune has more:

Terrone [sic] Carter was reported missing last Friday and was last seen on Feb. 21 driving a green 1994 Dodge Caravan with the license plate 3JRL928, sheriff's officials said. The van, which they said belongs to Carter's mother, Sonja Carter, is dark green with a silver/gray trim and has a black roof rack as well as paint erosion on its top.

Authorities said Terrone [sic] Carter may have been heading to the area of Palmdale and Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County, where he may have met with an unknown woman.

Carter is also know to frequent Oakland and San Francisco. He's described as "a 27-year-old black man who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds." One of his last Facebook posts reads, "Wish I had somebody to share this life with. Counting hundreds on the table twenties on the floor fifties stay in my pocket."

If you've seen Carter, please contact your local authorities. His family, friends, and children miss him.

[Oakland Tribune, Danville Patch]

Luke Arduini went missing on New Year's Day. The photo of him wearing the black tie, taken on New Year's Eve, is the most recent. He's 28 y/o, works at Yahoo, lives in Oakland, and, according to Times Union, "has several tattoos, including one of a heart with green smoke and a ghost face on his left upper chest, another of a numerical Linux code on his left lower chest, a light green arm band on his left bicep and another tattoo of the number 42 on his throat."

Arduini is around 5’10”, 150-170lbs, has brown hair and brown eyes, was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt and red Converse All Star sneakers, and bears a large birth mark on the back of his upper thigh. He may also be in need of medical attention.

He was last seen in Oakland San Francisco at around 5 p.m. on January 1st. Arduini snapped this photo of the Bay Bridge before he went missing.

Anyone with information should call the Oakland Police Department at 510-238-3641 or Investigator James Vierra at 415-999-5911.

An update in the search for 21-month-old Daphne Viola Webb, who was abducted from her father's car outside of a liquor store on Oakland's International Boulevard yesterday: Oakland Police believe the girl was taken by an unidentified black or Hispanic woman, about 30-40 years old. Meanwhile, the girl's father John Anthony Webb was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of child endangerment.

Witnesses say the suspect had long, straight black hair and was wearing a light-colored shirt and jeans when she was spotted walking away from the car with Daphne. Oakland Police have not yet identified a vehicle connected to the case.

Although not a suspect in his daughter's abduction, Webb was arrested Thursday morning for putting his child in danger when he entered Gazzali's Supermarket at 78th and International Boulevard around 11 a.m. Wednesday. Webb is cooperating with investigators and says he was in and out of the store to buy an energy drink, but he left his daughter in his black Ford SUV along with the girl's 87-year-old grandmother who suffers from dementia.

As part of the ongoing search for Daphne, OPD and FBI investigators spent several hours searching a home on Greenridge Drive where the family has been living recently. Later in the evening, the search moved to Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park near Oakland International Airport. Police say they were searching every spot in Oakland that the pair had visited recently. Today, the department plans to search the lake at Shoreline park with an underwater robot.

Daphne is described as black, about 2 feet tall and weighing about 30 pounds. She has short, black, curly hair, a medium complexion, brown eyes and is missing part of her left ear. She was last seen wearing an orange, two-piece pajama set with pink hearts and pink socks.

Neighbors told the Oakland Tribune that Webb is "just an all-around great guy."

Previously: Amber Alert: Toddler Kidnapped From Car In Oakland

An Amber Alert for a 21-month-old girl, abducted late this morning in East Oakland, has been issued. According to the Chronicle, "The girl, Daphne Viola Webb, was abducted from a car in front of Gazali's Liquor Store at 7838 International Blvd. at 11 a.m., the CHP said."

Daphne Viola Webb, according to the CoCo Times, is described as "black, about two feet tall, weighing 30 pounds, with a medium complexion, black hair and brown eyes, with part of her left ear missing. She was last seen wearing an orange pajama set with pink hearts and pink socks."

According to police, the toddler was taken by an unidentified black female suspect.

We'll update as soon as we know more. A photo of Daphne is not immediately available. UPDATE: Photo of Daphne above.

27-year-old Beau Rasmussen of Oakland has been missing since shortly after finishing the Bay to Breakers race on Sunday afternoon. After finishing the 7.46-mile footrace, Rasmussen told his friends he was going to Ocean Beach. His phone, credit cards and passport were all found later Sunday night near the Beach Chalet on the Western edge of Golden Gate Park.

A passerby picked up Rasmussen's belongings and dialed the last number called on his phone: a co-worker from EDF Renewable Energy in San Ramon. When Rasmussen didn't make it into work Monday morning, his co-workers alerted the Oakland police and filed a missing persons report.

Rasmussen is 6-foot-2, 195 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. his friends report he was last seen wearing jeans and a maroon football jersey bearing the number 28 and "Chris" on the back. Friends believe he may have gone swimming, but Coast Guard officials say their lifeguards didn't spot anyone matching that description going into the water on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, friends and concerned co-workers also went to Golden Gate Park to search for any signs of his disappearance, but turned up empty handed.

"It's not in Beau's nature to go missing like this," Rasmussen's friend and EDF Renewable Energy Vice President Mark Tholke told the Chronicle. "He's a very responsible young man. This is uncharacteristic, and that's why it's got us so concerned." A check of local hospitals and jails also failed to provide any leads as to his whereabouts.

ABC7 has more concerned interviews with friends and co-workers:

Anyone with any information about Rasmussen's disappearance should contact SFPD at (415) 553-0123, via the anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or by text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" in the message.

[Chron]
[Ocean Beach Bulletin]
[ABC7]

Police are asking the public to help find a 17-year-old girl, with the mental capacity of a 7-year-old, who was last seen at a housing facility on in Oakland on Tuesday night. Shyanne White was last seen at the Fred Finch Youth Center at 3800 Coolidge Avenue at around 7 p.m. According to Oakland Tribune, "Youth are allowed to leave and doors are not locked at the facility. The girl, who has severe autism, walked out and headed to the BART station that evening, said Fred Finch Chief Executive Officer Thomas Alexander."

White was trailed by staff "on foot and in a car to International Boulevard and 34th Avenue" close to the Fruitvale BART station, which is when they lost sight of her. According to her father, she doesn't have the mental virility to even buy a BART ticket.

The missing teen is white, 5' 4", 150 lbs. "with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes." She was reportedly last seen sporting "a pink shirt, blue hooded sweater with pink stripes, blue yoga pants and blue Converse tennis shoes."

Anyone with information as to her whereabouts should call the Oakland Police Department Family Youth Service Division at 510-238-3641.

69-year-old Charles J. Dowd boarded an Amtrak train from Emeryville to Chicago a few days ago, but while his luggage made it to the Windy City on Friday, he did not. The retired SF firefighter has now been reported missing, and his family is concerned that he may be disoriented and in need of medication.

Upon arrival in Chicago, Amtrak officials found Dowd's bags, medication, and cell phone, but no sign of Dowd himself. A train worker last spotted him as the train neared Omaha, and said he seemed confused about his whereabouts, believing he was in an apartment and needed to find the front door.

Amtrak officials describe Dowd as a white male, 5'10", 175 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact Amtrak police at (800) 331-0008; witnesses who may spot Dowd are also advised to keep him within their sights and call 911.

His family has also set up a Facebook page in an effort to located him.

Previously: Missing: Have You Seen Felicitios Vasquez?

[SF Appeal]

Felicitios Vasquez has been missing since 9/5/12. The 32-year-old man is described as 5'0", 140 lbs, black hair, brown eyes, land was last seen wearing dark clothing black shoes. Vasquez was last seen in the 100 block of Broad Street.

We came across these posters at 3rd Street on SOMA, but they've been seen up all around the city.

Anyone with anyone information about Vasquez's whereabouts or case should call SFPD at 415-575-4444 or 415-558-5508. Or you can call the numbers listed on the missing poster [Spanish-speaking only] at 415-691-5473 or 415-786-3844.

Additional details have come out in the search for 22-year-old Evan Flanary, who was allegedly on his way to meet a contact from a social media app before he went missing nearly a week ago on June 19th. According to one commenter on SFAppeal who says she's Flanary's sister, Flanary was last seen on the 400 block of Harrison Street near Fremont Street in SoMa around 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday.

According to KTVU, who picked up the story over the weekend, Flanary has no history of any medical or psychological conditions and wasn't known to be on any medication at the time. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt, a "Cal" baseball cap and a backpack.

Police have yet to stay which social media app Flanary met his contact on, but social discovery apps have been gaining in popularity recently. Grindr, the location-based app for meeting gay men, is arguably the most popular locally and has its own straight counterpart. Meanwhile, San Francisco-based Skout — which billed itself as a location-based flirting app — was recently implicated when three separate teenagers reported they were sexually assaulted by people they met through the service. Likewise, social discovery apps like Highlight, Banjo and Sonar, which use Facebook information to find potential new friends nearby, were also all the rage at SXSW this year.

As the CEO of Common Sense Media, which aims to protect children and families online, told KTVU yesterday: "The mobile app space is like the wild, wild west right now. There are no rules, so in a world where there's no rules and no sheriff problems can happen and I think that's what we're starting to see." The bottom line, as we've always seen with online services: please be careful and aware when giving out your location or meeting strangers from the Internet.

Anyone who may have seen Flanary is encouraged to call SFPD's missing persons unit at (415) 558-5508.

UPDATE: He's just fine. He fell in love and his cell phone died. The end.

Previously: Have You Seen This Man? 22-Year-Old Man Goes Missing
[Help Find Evan]
[KTVU]
[SFAppeal]

This 22-year-old man went missing recently, or so says his mom. According to his mother, Deborah Berlingeri, who posted an urgent plea asking for her son's whereabouts via Facebook, he was last seen in the Mission on June 19th. She alleges that he met someone via a social media app prior to vanishing, writing:

This is my son, Evan Flanary, 22, 6ft 1, 160 lbs, blonde/blue wearing blue jeans and gray hoody. Last seen on foot in the Mission district [o]n San Francisco on June 19 2012 meeting a stranger from a social phone app contact.

This is not like him to disappear. He has no money and his phone has died.

Anyone with information should contact the San Francisco Police Missing Persons Department or their local Police Dept. Share this website on Facebook or retweet on Twitter if you can assist. Your assistance is very much appreciated. Thank you.

She also created HelpFindEvan.com to help her find her boy. Berlingeri has also since filed a missing person's report with the police. She notes, "Officer Garcia said 'Do you have any idea how many missing person reports we took today?' " Scary.

Hope he's OK and contacts his mother soon.

The search for 15-year-old Sierra Lamar, a sophomore at Sobrato High School, continues today. Lamar was last seen on Friday "when she left her home near the intersection of Dougherty and Palm avenues, west of Monterey Highway, according to sheriff's officials. Sierra did not show up for school and was reported missing when she did not come home."

Authorities believed she might have been kidnapped, as opposed to running away, since her smartphone was found on Saturday "about three-quarters of a mile from her house." Info on the computer could've been helpful to the case.

Also, even though the Sheriff's Office confirmed that Sierra's father, Steve Wayne Lamar, of Fremont, is a registered sex offender, he is not a person of interest. Mercury News goes on to report that Lamar has "been fully cooperative since the beginning of the investigation."

Serra is 5-foot-2, "with a thin build, olive complexion and long dark hair," and last seen carrying a purse with "a black-and-pink design with the brand name, 'Juicy,' written on it."

Anyone with information about Sierra or her whereabouts is urged to call Santa Clara County Communications at 408-299-2311. During business hours, tipsters can call sheriff's investigators at 408-808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431.

[Mercury News]