Missing Girl May Be Dead Over Year

Father Only Reported 6-Year-Old Gone This Week

(CBS)  A missing girl case in Colorado has turned into an investigation of a possible murder, with a bizarre twist.

Rick Sallinger of CBS station KCNC in Denver reports that the effort was massive, the clues scarce as a search was conducted in Aurora, Colo., this week for 6-year-old Aarone Thompson.

"I'm worried and concerned about her. It's cold," her father, Aaron Thompson, told reporters. "If anybody has information about her, please call the police."

He said she must have left the family home on Monday following an argument about a cookie.

But, Sallinger says, after days of searching, things suddenly changed.

"Not recently, but over a period of time, up to possibly a year-and-a-half ago, Aarone Thompson may have been murdered," Aurora Police Chief Terry Jones announced.

Jones says he based that on information from someone close to the family.

From the start, Sallinger said, some things just didn't look right. The only picture of the missing girl was a year-and-half old, and police said the family was less than cooperative in their investigation.

Seven other children have now been taken into protective custody.

Police say they think the murder occurred in their house.

"We have people of interest," Jones said. "We will be looking at the father and people living in the home. We do not have a body."

A big question: If the girl has been dead for so long, why report her missing now?

"It's only conjecture," Jones said. "Aarone's birthday is coming up the 13th of this month. There may be other issues."

One thing's for sure, Sallinger says: What began as a missing person investigation now appears to be nothing of the sort.