BREAKING: Bodies May Be Mom, Girl Named in Amber Alert

DETROIT, MI – An amber alert for 4-year-old Savannah Walker remains in effect as police in Detroit investigate the discovery of two bodies inside a torched home that could be those of the missing Howell girl and her mother, Heidi Walker.

Michigan State Police issued the amber alert about 1 a.m. Saturday for the blond haired, blue-eyed girl, and named Marcus Hightower, 33, as a person of interest. Hightower is believed to have been in a relationship with Heidi Walker.

On parole for assault with intent to commit murder charges, he is on parole as considered armed and dangerous, State Police said. He is described as a 5 foot, 9 inch black male with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen in what is thought to be a black Ford Explorer near Cadillac and Jefferson on Detroit’s east side.

Saturday morning, Detroit Police Chief James Craig told WWJ that the bodies discovered in the abandoned house “could be the missing mother and daughter, but we haven’t confirmed that.” The house is about 4 miles from where Savannah and her mother were last seen.

The girl and her mother were reported missing from their Livingston County home on Tuesday and the investigation reportedly stalled, prompting family members to contact State Police.

Craig said he didn’t want to be “overly critical,” but said Detroit and State Police should have been notified earlier.

“Certainly there were indications early on that something more should have been done,” Craig told WWJ. “It was not done.”

“There was some information that that agency had early on that could’ve been worked through this agency — Detroit police — and MSP,” Craig said.