ST. MARTIN PARISH — Authorities continue searching for 39-year-old Danielle Escue Lea and her 10-year-old daughter, Alayna Lea, after investigators developed information placing the pair in St. Martin Parish months before they were reported missing.
Danielle and Alayna were reported missing out of Baton Rouge on July 28. According to the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, investigators believe the mother and daughter were in the Butte La Rose area during late April and possibly into May.
St. Martin Parish Sheriff Becket Breaux said investigators are committed to pursuing every possible lead.
"We're not leaving any rock unturned. If there's foul play. Involving any individual. We're gonna find out and we're gonna put them where they belong."
The investigation now involves the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, the Louisiana State Police and the Baton Rouge Police Department. WAFB confirmed that Danielle Lea's mother is an employee of the Baton Rouge Police Department.
Breaux said investigators have used multiple resources as they continue searching for the missing mother and daughter.
"We did excavations on locations. We went by boat looking at the area. We use drones. We use canines. There's a whole bunch of instances where we're trying to locate the individuals."
While reporting in Butte La Rose, KATC visited the area near the Happy Town campground after speaking with several community members who said they had heard rumors about property that may have been connected to 42-year-old James Michael Nona. Authorities previously identified Nona, of Montgomery County, Texas, as the man Danielle and Alayna were reportedly with before his arrest in Texas on unrelated charges.
When asked about those rumors, Breaux said investigators are still working to determine whether any connection exists.
"It might have been a relationship between the two and whether there was a conglomeration between the two to purchase property or we're still looking into that and the investigation is undergoing."
Breaux said investigators continue to follow every tip they receive in hopes of finding answers.
"Running on tips, we've been getting tips and every lead we get or tip we get, we're surely going all the way to the end and exhausting all avenues."
Anyone with information about Danielle or Alayna's whereabouts is urged to contact the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office at (337) 394-3071 or St. Martin Crime Stoppers at (337) 441-3030. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the P3 Tips app, and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.
