Two Weeks After His Disappearance, The Search For Barway Continues

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Wednesday marks two weeks since a Twin Cities fourth-grader never made it safely home from school.

Police say Barway Collins' father knows something about the 10-year-old's disappearance, but he's repeatedly denied doing anything wrong.

In the last known image of the boy, Barway is seen opening the door to his apartment building in Crystal, but he never goes inside.

The Jacob Wetterling Resource Center is among several groups being called in for backup on the search.

Carol Watson, of Missing Children Minnesota, has worked hundreds of local missing person cases and fears the publicity on Barway's case won't last forever.

"It becomes a dance of trying to keep it in front of the public eye," Watson said.

And that's where the case has been since March 19, the day after the Barway was last seen getting off his school van.

On day two, the Crystal police chief went public.

"At this time, we do not believe he's in danger," Chief Stephanie Revering said two weeks ago.

As days went by, suspicions grew.

Revering said Pierre Collins, the boy's father, was not being truthful, and he was named a suspect.

Officers say Barway's father was seen next to the Mississippi right after Barway disappeared.

He maintained his innocence on a national platform, telling Nancy Grace, "I did not see my son, I did not see my son that day, I saw him for the last time in the morning when he got ready for school, that's the last time I saw him."

Things got heated at a search over the weekend. Barway's stepmother and others screamed at Barway's father.

On day 14, Barway was seen on the national registry of missing children.

Support groups are currently working to keep the face of a little boy on a big stage.

"It is important that things get dealt with very quickly, because peoples' memories fade," Watson said.

One group expected to help police in this case is Team Adam. The team is part of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and it's a group of retired investigators.

Because they specialize in these searches, they can come in and connect families with the right organizations and officers with the right search technology.