Baby Lisa Irwin Missing: Attorney Forced Off Case Vows to Continue Searching for Baby
Kansas City attorney Cyndy Short, who was reportedly forced off the Lisa Irwin case on Friday, issued a statement to the media Sunday that she and her legal firm "will continue to search for baby Lisa as concerned citizens."
Short is expected to say more to the media when she holds a news conference Monday.
The attorney represented the family of Lisa Irwin, the 11-month-old girl who has been missing for almost 4 weeks.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, the parents of the baby, claim that the Kansas City girl was taken from her home sometime between the evening hours of Oct. 3 and early morning Oct. 4.
Short and another family attorney, Joe Tacopena, had made a number of statements over the past week critical of police investigators. On Oct. 24, Short told ABC's "Good Morning America": "It almost seemed as if that was more for the public's benefit than for the benefit of doing a thorough search of this house," commenting on the manner in which investigators had been conducting a search of the Irwin's home.
Later in the interview, Short said: "There were so many crime scene people that were seen outside and seen coming in and out of this house…carrying a rolled up rug. It really gave the impression that there was a lot going to be removed from this house."
Still it appeared as if the local attorney had taken a more subordinate role to the high-profile New York attorney, Tacopena.
It is unclear why Short was forced off the case, but she was involved in the cancellation of a well publicized scheduled media tour of baby Lisa's home to have been given by the family. Short had issued an explanation based on what she described as exhaustion felt by members of the family.
"That last few weeks have been exhausting to everyone working on behalf of the Irwin family. It has exhausted Lisa's parents and her friends and family," Short said in a statement. "Therefore, the consensus is we all need a rest until next week," according to ABC News-National.
It is uncertain if Short's decision to cancel the media tour had anything to do with her hasty departure from the defense team, but neither the family nor Tacopena have addressed the issue.
Also on Friday, Tacopena, on behalf of the family, was granted a delay by police of a scheduled interview with the half-brothers of Lisa Irwin. The siblings, who are age 6 and 8, have been scheduled to meet with investigators at a later date.
