Police hunt enters Minnesota for parents who fled South Carolina with 2½-year-old

The child was given to the couple by a relative who had custody, police said.

May 18, 2018 at 3:48AM
Jessica and William Ray
Jessica and William Ray (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Parents who fled South Carolina with their 2½-year-old daughter and who police say are addicted to methamphetamine have slipped into Minnesota after a month on the run, authorities said Thursday.

Jessica and William Ray were given the girl on April 15 by a relative who has protective custody. They showed up Monday in surveillance images at an Iowa hospital, according to Camden, S.C., police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Late Thursday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported that the three had been spotted at a gas station in Marshall, Minn. Police did not elaborate on what would bring the girl and her parents more than 1,200 miles from home.

The Rays, 36-year-old Jessica, 44-year-old William and Dakota, have been traveling in a gold 1996 Ford Aerostar van, sleeping in the vehicle, and "may be frequently changing license plates," a police statement read. They are likely begging for money, the statement added. "William and Jessica are believed to be heavy methamphetamine users, and law enforcement is concerned for the child's well-being," police said.

Jessica Ray is described as white, 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 112 pounds. She has long light brown hair and blue eyes.

William Ray is 6 feet 1, weighs 340 pounds and has light brown hair and brown eyes.

Dakota is 2 feet 6, weighs 25 pounds and has blond hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is urged to call Camden police at 1-803-425-6025 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

This surveillance image is from a hospital in Iowa on Monday showing the Rays with their girl.
This surveillance image is from a hospital in Iowa on Monday showing the Rays with their girl. (Vince Tuss/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Dakota Ray
Dakota Ray (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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