KCTV 5Police search drainage ditch behind missing baby's home

The search for Lisa Irwin is now in its eighth day, and an entire neighborhood continues to hope for good news.

"Everybody is praying for her," said Jasmine Thach, who lives near Lisa Irwin's Northland home.

This comes as police investigating Lisa's disappearance searched a neighbor's backyard Monday. Investigators also searched a drainage ditch behind baby Lisa's home.

About half a dozen investigators poked around behind the house. A clanking noise like bottles hitting each other could be heard.

"It doesn't look too good, you know, seeing investigators coming back-and-forth and back-and-forth," said Joseph Robinson. "They've got to be coming out here for something. Something ain't right."

A makeshift tribute to Lisa has sprung up at Chelsea Avenue and Lister Street near her home. Thach dropped off a stuffed bear Monday.

"It's sad," she said. "You need to go down there and give some love."

Lisa, who turned 11 months old Tuesday, was last seen a week ago. Her mother, Deborah Bradley, says she put the baby down about 10:30 p.m. last Monday. Her father, Jeremy Irwin, reported her missing at 4 a.m. Tuesday. He said he found her crib empty when he came home for work.

Neighbors say police interviewed them about a homeless man who frequents the area.

And police are struggling to find answers.

Kansas City police spokesman Steve Young told The Associated Press on Monday that detectives are pursuing leads but are, "at the mercy of the next good idea."

"Detectives are still tracking leads as we speak," said Young.

According to police, detectives were leaving in pairs from the command post Monday morning to track down information that came in over the weekend.

The investigation is being scaled back. More than 300 law enforcement officials were working to find Lisa last week. That is down to about 50.

Neighbor Norval Nichols said the past week has been filled with anxious moments for residents.

"It seems like yesterday. I just wish they would find her," he said.

On Sunday evening, a Northland street was packed as residents came together to pray for baby Lisa's safe return.

Dozens of friends, family and neighbors gathered, all wanting answers to the heartbreaking mystery and closure for the Irwin family.

"It shows that people care. I just want them to know that we care and what is best for everybody," said neighbor Vicki Nichols.

CLICK HERE FOR SPECIAL TEAM COVERAGE OF THE SEARCH FOR BABY LISA.

Investigators spent another day on Sunday searching for clues.

Kansas City, MO, police arrived at baby Lisa's home mid-day Sunday.

Detectives reenacted the reported abduction by going into the baby's window where the alleged kidnapper entered late Monday into Tuesday before taking the 10-month-old baby.

Investigators recorded all their more than half-a-dozen attempts.

At the same time, police were called to Edwardsville, KS on a tip.

Detectives searched the wooded area where it went into the Kansas River.

Police said they received information that it is where baby Lisa's father had a job recently; they left empty-handed.

"It is a long amount of time, considering it is a baby abduction... so you talk about a 24-hour rule as being crucial amount of time you can throw that out," said Jeff Lanza, former FBI agent.

Lanza is following the baby Lisa case.

He said after a week, police probably have all they need at the family's home.

"They probably have covered every possible piece of evidence that they originally recovered at the scene, but sometimes you go over things again and find something else... you talk to people again, and they mention things they had not mentioned before," said Lanza.

What has surprised him about the investigation was a police news conference on Thursday night.

"What was unusual to me was that the police came out and said that the family was not cooperating. That was an unusual step in an investigation... from their standpoint," said Lanza.

As Day 7 arrived, more than 250 tips later, there still is no sign of baby Lisa, but the former agent said hope should not fade.

"You have got to keep hope alive. Even though time passes, things can happen at the flip of a switch and all of a sudden you have a case solved," said Lanza.

Police say the family is now cooperating.

CLICK HERE FOR SPECIAL TEAM COVERAGE OF THE SEARCH FOR BABY LISA.

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