Missing Baby Gabriel Johnson: Troubling Story Led to Baby's Disappearance

Missing eight-month-old blue-eyed Gabriel Johnson is the center of a storm of horrific lies and mystery. His jailbird mother, Elizabeth Johnson, 23, has either- A. Killed him B. Given him away. C. Sold him. He was last seen in San Antonio, Texas with her on December 26. When Johnson sent a text message to the alleged father, Logan McQueary, on December 27 that the baby was dead, the police were notified. Johnson later said she had given away the baby.

The skeletal version of this story goes like this. Tempe Arizona resident Johnson met Tammi Smith, allegedly at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Johnson, holding then-one-month-old Gabriel, was 'crying and depressed'. Smith 'approached' her (the single quotes denote Johnson's words from her jailhouse interview with KPHO. The topic of adoption arose. Johnson gave baby Gabriel to Smith to hold. The two women and baby shared the flight home to Arizona. Seven months later, on December 8, Johnson called Smith out of the blue and asked if she wanted to adopt Gabriel. But McQueary stepped and said no- even though Johnson had sole custody of Gabriel. The custody didn't become joint until December 14. Using Jack and Tammi Smith as proxy while on her 'Texas road trip' with Gabriel, Johnson told McQueary that he would never see Gabriel again if he didn't sign the papers. Yet, Johnson was also in contact with McQueary through phone calls and text messages.

On December 9, Johnson gave guardianship of Gabriel to the Smiths, who took the baby into their home. Some theorists claim that Johnson wanted to hide Gabriel. If she hid him for thirty days, she could claim that McQueary had abandoned him. But McQueary did not yet have joint custody. Although, on December 11, he filed for full custody- asking that Johnson have no visitation rights. On December 14, Johnson petitioned for a paternity test. On December 18, she left Arizona with Gabriel in her grandfather's Oldsmobile with a Global Positioning System (GPS).

Johnson arrived on December 20 in San Antonio and on December 26, in a park, she gave baby Gabriel to a couple who saw her 'crying and depressed' and 'approached' her. Why hasn't this supposed couple stepped forward yet? The FBI confirmed that on the same day, Johnson boarded a bus for Florida. On December 28, she missed the custody hearing. The judge awarded temporary full custody to McQueary and issued a warrant on Johnson for the violation 'custodial interference'.

Police arrested Johnson on December 30 at a Miami Beach youth hostel and found her abandoned car in San Antonio on January 5, 2010. The car had apparently sat outside a Motel 6 for the six days without being noticed. The police are analyzing the GPS. A news report indicated that Johnson's GPS signal emanated from Victoria Texas on December 27. Her cell phone signal was picked up heading for Mexico.

While McQueary is lying low, Jack and Tammi Smith have appeared on the Nancy Grace show. They no longer expect to adopt baby Gabriel if and when he is found. The Smiths have changed their tune from criticizing McQueary to saying he should have his baby back. The story behind the criticism has yet to be told.

Jack and Tammi Smith were named 'persons of interest' by the Tempe police on January 7. Johnson was extradited on January 10 from a Florida jail to one of the two Maricopa County Jails where she is held on a $1.1 million cash-only bond for four felony charges. She has an adult history of domestic violence and a childhood history of rages.

At this point in time, Johnson is facing up to fifteen years in jail based on her charges of conspiracy to commit custodial interference, custodial interference, child abuse, and kidnapping. She could end up with a murder charge.

Anyone with additional information as to the whereabouts of missing baby Gabriel Johnson is urged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at the 24-hour tip line. That number is 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Read HERE about Tammi Smith.

_{Sources: cnn.com; kpho.com; abc15.com}