NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Investigators at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are shining a new light on a Bedford County case.

It has been 13 years since two children disappeared after their grandparents' home caught on fire. Now, new age progression photos reveal what they would look like today.

THE AMBER ALERT CASE

In 2012, Chloie Leverett and Gage Daniel were added to Tennessee's Amber Alert list.

At the time, investigators believed the siblings had died in a house fire with their grandparents, Bubba and Molli McClaran. Officials were able to locate the couple's remains, the family dogs, and even a pet bird. However, there was no sign of Chloie and Gage.

While some believed their remains turned into ash, investigators debunked that idea, saying it was nearly impossible.

"We did not find any remains in the house fire belonging to the children, so now we wonder, where are these children?" Tennessee Medical Examiner's Office Chief Odonatologist Dr. Mike Tabor questioned.

Eleven years after the siblings' disappearance, News 2 spoke with their mother, who explained she believes the fire was set on purpose and that Chloie and Gage were kidnapped.

Investigators have never determined the cause of the fire.

AGE PROGRESSION TECHNOLOGY

The Bedford County case is one of the latest cases to come out of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The organization's Forensic Unit was able to show that the children would look as teens and now in their 20s.

"Those eyes, we want to make sure those eyes staring back at us still look like the child," Colin McNally, with NCMEC's Forensic Imaging Unit, explained. "Then, depending on the age, we might be stretching the child's face to approximate that growth and development."

On McNally's unit is a team of four artists who are always working to reveal new images in hopes of bringing a child home.

"Whether they've been missing for two years or if they've been missing for 40 years, we want to create that updated image for the public to possibly recognize them," McNally said. "The most important thing about our job, though, is creating a face that looks like the child. It might be obvious to say, but it is really important for the public to understand that we are trying to create a tool for law enforcement to assist in the investigation that sparks recognition and looks like the child."

In 2024, NCMEC created 140 age progression photos just like Chloie and Gage. The unit is creating a story of mystery in need of solving, as they hope these pictures serve a purpose, so that someone else will recognize these eyes.

"It's a great opportunity for a NCMEC case in a case that law enforcement is working on for the family to have a new beacon of light and hope that the child is still out there; we never give up home that these children are still out there whether they've been missing for two years or 40 years," McNally said.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/we-never-give-up-age-progression-technology-being-used-in-hopes-of-solving-2012-case/