UPDATE 10 a.m.
The Billings Police Department posted to Facebook that the boy and woman have been located and are safe. No other information was immediately released.
"All the different website pages that Facebook has, really, I think, contributed to help get the word out there," said Maria Killsnight, Josiah's aunt.
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UPDATE 8:30 a.m. Tuesday
Authorities on Tuesday updated the Missing Endangered Person Advisory for Josiah Killsnight to an AMBER Alert.
“I would encourage every tribal government in the United States, that has access to federal funding especially, to begin educating tribal communities on how to, not only prevent child abductions, but how to activate their local resources," said Charlene Sleeper, a consultant for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in Billings.
The alert states the woman and boy are believed to be in the Billings area.
Read the full alert statement:
The Missing Endangered Person Advisory for Josiah Killsnight has been upgraded to an AMBER Alert. AMBER Alert issued on behalf of BIA Northern Cheyenne Law Enforcement. Josiah Killsnight has gone missing from Lame Deer on 2/5/2024. Josiah was home at his grandmother’s residence with a high fever. He was taken, on foot, from the residence by Kathryn Pretty On Top around 11:20am. She is not related to the child and does not have permission to be with him. She has no vehicle but may have gotten a ride to Billings and both Kathryn and Josiah are believed to be in the Billings area now. Josiah is a 9 year old Native American male with black eyes and black hair. He is 3 feet 10 inches tall and 96 lbs. Kathryn is a 50 year old Native American female with brown eyes and brown hair. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall and approximately 170lbs. If you have any information on Josiah or Kathryn, please contact: BIA Northern Cheyenne Law Enforcement Agency at (406) 477-6288 or DIAL 911.
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FIRST REPORT
A Missing Endangered Person Advisory has been issued on behalf of BIA Northern Cheyenne Law Enforcement.
Josiah Killsnight went missing from Lame Deer on Monday. Josiah was home at his grandmother’s residence with a high fever. He was taken, on foot, from the residence by Kathryn Pretty On Top around 11:20 a.m.
Kathryn is known to Josiah's family but there is no known reason why she would take the child with her, the advisory states. Kathryn has not made any threats to the welfare of the child but there is concern for his feverish condition. She has no vehicle but may try to hitch a ride to Billings or Crow Agency.
Josiah is a 9-year-old Native American male with black eyes and black hair. He is 3 feet 10 inches tall and 96 lbs.
Kathryn is a 50-year-old Native American female with brown eyes and brown hair. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall and approximately 170 lbs.
If you have any information on Josiah or Kathryn, contact BIA Northern Cheyenne Law Enforcement Agency at (406) 477-6288 or DIAL 911.
