Live PD turns its focus on search for missing girl to help Richland County Sheriff

A South Carolina girl has been missing for more than a month, and the popular television show Live PD is helping with the search.

The A&E TV show about law enforcement dedicated a segment of Saturday night’s program to the search for Amirah Watson at the request of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

The 10-year-old was never returned to the custody of her father following a visit with her mother in January, the sheriff’s department said.

“Our friends at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department are asking for your help to find a missing South Carolina girl,” Tom Morris Jr. said on the program.

Amirah was last seen Jan. 31 in Dillon County, when she was picked up by her mother Tynesha Brooks, the sheriff’s department said. Dillon County is about 100 miles east of Columbia.

The 41-year-old Brooks lives in Richland County, according to the sheriff’s department.

Amirah was supposed to be brought back to her father, who has primary custody of the girl, on Feb. 2, the sheriff’s department said. Neither mother nor daughter has been seen since the last day of January.

“There is now a warrant for Brooks arrest for not returning a child within 72 hours of a custody order,” Morris said.

Deputy Molly Nations joined Live PD to provide more information on Amirah.

Nations said there has been no contact with Amirah or her mother since February. Investigators spoke with Brooks on the phone Feb. 6, but she refused to tell them her location, the sheriff’s department said.

“They could be anywhere,” said Nations, who did not speculate if Amirah’s life was in danger. “We don’t know where she’s at, where she could be staying, who she’s with. Amirah’s safety is our primary concern, as well as the fact that she’s been out of school for five weeks.”

The sheriff’s department described Amirah as a 5-foot, 100-pound child with brown eyes, black hair, and braces on her teeth.

Brooks was described as a 5-1, 140-pound woman with brown eyes and black hair, according to the sheriff’s department.

“I gave her a hug, I gave her a kiss and said ‘enjoy your weekend,’ ” her father Mansoor Watson said about the last time he saw Amirah, WLTX reported.

Anyone with information on Amirah and her location is asked to call 911, or the National Center for the Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678.

This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 10:54 AM.