WLFI reports missing father and 4-year-old found dead in Gainesville; Oklahoma alert does not confirm deaths

WLFI, a television station in Lafayette, Indiana, published a video report Oct. 15 about the discovery of a missing father and his 4-year-old child in Gainesville. The report's headline says the two were found dead. Oklahoma's Department of Public Safety lists the child's AMBER Alert as "LOCATED," but its page does not confirm the deaths or a recovery in Gainesville.

The department identifies the child as Andres "Harry" Furley, 4, and his father as Caleb Furley, 25.

The Federal Communications Commission lists WLFI-TV as a licensed commercial station serving Lafayette on virtual channel 18. The station posted its video at 1:20 p.m. Eastern time. The posting establishes that WLFI published the report. It does not independently verify the deaths.

Oklahoma's alerts lay out how the case unfolded. According to the state's Oct. 13 Endangered Missing Advisory, Andres was last seen with his father around 7 p.m. on Oct. 11, and Norman police took the missing-person report the next day. The Oct. 14 AMBER Alert said Caleb Furley failed to show up for an exchange with the child's mother and was wanted on a parental-kidnapping warrant.

An Oklahoma court docket lists a child-stealing case against Caleb Thomas Furley, filed Oct. 14, alleging an offense on Oct. 12. The docket records an arrest warrant issued by Judge Cory Ortega, with bond set at $250,000. The entries are allegations. The docket shows no conviction.

Oklahoma's public safety agency says an advisory covers an endangered child who does not meet AMBER criteria. An AMBER Alert requires a reasonable belief that an abduction occurred and that the child faces imminent danger of serious injury or death.

Texas sets its own bar. Texas DPS says its statewide AMBER criteria require attempted murder or murder during an abduction by a parent or legal guardian, along with other danger and investigative requirements. The agency also describes a law that took effect June 13, 2023, honoring Athena Strand, 7, who it says was kidnapped and murdered in Wise County in 2022. Under that law, a local police chief who decides activation is warranted can issue an AMBER Alert before all statewide criteria are verified. The alert reaches a 100-mile radius and adjacent counties.

Texas DPS traces the AMBER system to Dallas-Fort Worth, where it began after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington in 1996. Texas built its statewide network by executive order in 2002 and by legislation in 2003.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children counted 37 AMBER Alerts that originated in Texas in 2025. Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico each had three or fewer. The center describes these as alert counts, not population-adjusted abduction rates.

Texas DPS cautions that the "Found" and "Discontinued" labels on its archived alerts are preliminary and unofficial. The agency says it keeps no comprehensive official record of outcomes and directs people to the investigating agency for verification.

_Editor's note: Everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law._