Missing Black teen didn’t get Amber Alert. Louisiana family says racism played a role

Nearly two weeks after a missing Black teen was found dead in a Louisiana cane field, some people are criticizing the small-town police department’s handling of the case.

Quawan Charles, known as “Bobby,” disappeared Oct. 30 after leaving without his family’s permission with a friend from his home in Baldwin, about 115 miles west of New Orleans, The Advocate reported.

Relatives say police refused to issue an Amber Alert when Charles did not return home, according to the Advocate.

According to the Louisiana Highway Patrol, an Amber Alert can be issued when there is evidence of an abduction or kidnapping and police “believe the child is in imminent danger.”

Demonstrators gathered outside the Iberia County Courthouse on Wednesday, calling for an arrest in the case, KLFY reported.

“If Quawan was a 15-year-old white female, they would’ve turned the city upside down for her,” said community activist Jamal Taylor, the Advocate reported. “It blows my mind the blatant disregard the police department had for the well-being of a Black child.”

Charles’ body was found Nov. 3, four days after he went missing, “facedown in a creek” in a cane field in Iberia Parish, according to the Advocate.

On Wednesday, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office said it was still investigating the “suspicious circumstances” surrounding Charles’ death.

“Investigators have interviewed multiple individuals and collected physical evidence,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “An autopsy has been performed and the results are pending at this time.”

Chase Trichell, an attorney for Charles’ family, said his clients suspect foul play after “gut-wrenching” photos circulated online of what appears to be the teen’s body, the Daily Advertiser reported.

“A gash marks his hairline over his left eye, while the left side of his face and nose appear to be swollen and rubbed raw and parts of his lips appear to be missing, exposing his teeth,” the newspaper reported, describing the image.

Charles’ family is pushing for an independent autopsy,, according to The Advocate.

McClatchy News reached out to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office for comment Friday but did not immediately get a response.

The family is also criticizing the Baldwin Police Department and Police Chief Harry Smith, who they say has been unavailable since the case attracted national attention.

Mayor Abel Prejean, who leads the town of about 2,500 people, said he hadn’t seen Smith in several months, according to KATC.

“During this last little interval with a young child that went missing and found dead, many people have called for him and he has not returned their calls,” Prejean told the news station. “You would think that when police chief would give direction and clarity and information to public during this time.”

Smith reportedly told KATC he’s “been around” and now works the night shift.

The department has since deleted its Facebook page.

This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Missing Black teen didn’t get Amber Alert. Louisiana family says racism played a role."