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Former investigators discuss theories on what may have happened to Isabel and what's going on behind the scenes.

Reporter: Tammy Vo

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - What happened to Isabel? Where is she? What are police doing behind the scenes to try and find her? Police aren't able to answer too many detailed questions but former investigator, Kathy Rau, shares her expertise with KGUN 9.

"I don't envy those officers. I have been in that command post and on those investigations..." said Rau who is now the Executive Director the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center. Rau worked as an investigator with Tucson Police for 25 years, and worked on crimes involving children including missing child cases like that of 7 year old Karen Grajeda. She disappeared from her southside apartment complex in 1996. She was never found.

Rau says that sometimes, the families and the community can lose hope. "I remember sitting with a parent one time about two days into the investigation, where we are now, and this mom said "I don't know whether to hope my child is alive or to hope she's dead."

Rau says that it's unusual for a child to vanish from his or her bedroom and in cases like this, and police always look first at the family's inner circle and work their way out. She adds that it's unlikely that a stranger walking down the street took the little girl. In cases like this, it's someone closer to the family or someone who has been paying attention to the victim.

"Whether it's someone close to the family or someone who has been around or watching the comings and goings... and maybe somehow she caught this persons eye" explains Rau as one possible theory. What will bring Isabel home? Rau says, it will come down to someone who may be close to the family and knows something, or someone in the public who is paying attention.