ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996               TAG: 9610280079
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: MANASSAS
SOURCE: Associated Press

LAST LOOK FOR TODDLER UNDERTAKEN MEANWHILE, FAMILY OFFERING A REWARD

After five days of searching nearby ponds, rivers and woods for a 2-year-old, police and volunteers Saturday made what may be their final search.

``The search looks less and less promising, and the abduction theory looks more likely,'' Prince William County police spokeswoman Kim Chinn said Saturday.

Karynne Sheldon disappeared from the front yard of a house where her mother worked as office manager for a construction company. Danielle Sheldon had gone inside the building to answer the phone. When she returned, Karynne was gone.

Police said they would decide Saturday evening whether to continue the search, which has included more than 700 trained search and rescue volunteers.

``We always look more for clues than the subject because there are many more clues,'' said search manager Todd L'Herrou of Appalachian Search and Rescue.

``We are looking for anything ranging from a scent to fingerprints, and any objects that could have been hers. So far, we haven't come up with anything,'' he said.

Meanwhile, police are pursuing more than 200 leads called in Friday after a public appeal from the family, Chinn said.

Police said they have interviewed Karynne's family and employees of the construction company. The Sheldon family is not suspected in her disappearance.

The family has brought in a private detective and is offering a $25,000 reward. More than 250,000 fliers with the child's picture have been distributed locally.

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