Authorities call off search for missing 3-year-old boy

Monday, August 21, 2006 CINCINNATI (AP) — The official search for a missing 3-year-old developmentally disabled boy has been called off after days of searching that included a helicopter, dive teams and hundreds of volunteers, a fire official said. Authorities will continue to investigate the disappearance of Marcus Fiesel by following up on any leads that arise, said Fred Buop, battalion chief of the Anderson Township fire department. Some scattered volunteers continued looking on Saturday, despite authorities ending their search late Friday night. "We are absolutely just flabbergasted. We have no idea what could've happened at this point," Buop said. The child apparently wandered away from his foster mother, Liz Carroll, after she passed out because of a heart condition Tuesday afternoon in a park in suburban Anderson Township. The 5-square-mile search area had been combed at least five times, Buop said. That included the park as well as surrounding residential and wooded areas. Literally vanished "This kid literally vanished — no evidence, no leads, nothing," Buop said. Authorities believe that Carroll, 30, of Union Township, was unconscious for about 10 minutes. When she came to, there were three toddlers nearby, but Carroll told people trying to help her that she had four children. The other children, her 2-year-old son Bryce, 1-year-old foster child Bradley and Kelly, 1, a child Carroll was baby-sitting, were safe. Carroll's husband, David Carroll, has said Marcus has the mental ability of a child 12 to 18 months old. Marcus joined the family about four months ago and has a history of wandering off, he said. Authorities said they searched the foster parents' home.