The family of slain 12-year-old Mercedez Layne is rejecting claims that police failed to act quickly following her disappearance, insisting that officers devoted significant resources, time, and effort to the search from the very beginning.

In a public statement, the family said they witnessed first-hand the extensive work carried out by investigators after Mercedez was reported missing on June 6th.

They said officers from several specialised units, including the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Special Investigations Unit, South Western Division, Cyber Crime and Social Media Unit, and CCTV Retrieval Unit, were mobilised within a short time and immediately began searching for the child.