<BR> Jahi Turner search being restarted by<BR> private investigator<P><BR> <P> 2-year-old has been missing since April <P> By Chet Barfield <BR> UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER <P> July 13, 2002 <P> A private investigator who spearheaded volunteer searches for missing 2-year-old<BR> Jahi Turner in April and May is again seeking clues to the boy's disappearance. <P> This time, Bill Garcia is using his own detective agency. He said he was retained by<BR> Jahi's relatives in Maryland and is working for almost no fee. <P> "We're going to get them some answers," Garcia said. "We're going to pursue an<BR> investigation from scratch and try to find out what really happened." <P> Jahi was reported missing April 25 by his stepfather, Tieray Jones, at a small<BR> playground at 28th and Cedar streets. Jones told police he brought the toddler to<BR> the park from their Golden Hill apartment about a mile away, left him for 15 minutes<BR> and returned to find him gone. <P> Hundreds of volunteers scoured area streets, canyons and neighborhoods in<BR> weeks of fruitless searching. San Diego police launched a massive and<BR> unprecedented search at the city's Miramar landfill, sifting through 5,000 tons of<BR> trash. Nothing substantial was found in either effort. <P> Jahi's mother, Tameka Jones, an 18-year-old Navy seaman, was deployed on a ship<BR> when her son was reported missing. She and Tieray Jones declined comment<BR> yesterday. <P> Absent other new leads, San Diego police are considering a landfill search at Otay<BR> Mesa. A decision is expected to be made by next week, said investigations Capt.<BR> Mike McCulloch. <P> "It's still an open investigation," McCulloch said. "We're still following up on some<BR> leads, but as with any case, the more time that goes on, it slows down a little bit." <P> Garcia said he is not seeking volunteer help in the private investigation, which was<BR> launched at the request of Jahi's biological father, Tramane Sampson of Frederick,<BR> Md. Sampson could not be reached for comment yesterday. <P> Garcia said he and his staff will be handing out brochures and fliers describing Jahi<BR> and circumstances of his disappearance. The aim will be to find someone who can<BR> shed some light on the case. <P> "Sometimes people are hesitant to talk to police," Garcia said at a midday news<BR> conference. "What we're hoping is that the person or persons who know<BR> something about this will come forward and we can get it resolved." <P> Anyone with information is asked to call San Diego police at (619) 531-2000 or (619)<BR> 531-TIPS, or Bill Garcia Investigative Services at (619) 293-3620. Garcia's agency<BR> also can be reached by e-mail at surveil@pacbell.net <P> "I feel pretty confident that the child is not in the area (where he was reported<BR> missing), at least not in the canyons or anything like that," Garcia said. "We hope<BR> the child is still alive. My gut instinct tells me he is." <P><BR> Chet Barfield: (619) 542-4572; chet.barfield@uniontrib.com