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The Search for Cathy Davidson

Source: US FBI

Murderous Mother Anna 

After Cathy’s disappearance, her stepmother Anna Young reportedly adopted extreme religious beliefs and started a cult in Alachua County, Florida, in the early 1980s. Separately, investigators from both the FBI and Alachua County began looking into mysterious deaths and disappearances within this cult. Several cult members reported extensive abuse and beatings of the members, particularly of the children.  

When members joined the cult, Young forced them to surrender their children to her oversight. The stories of abuse were vast, with Young physically hurting under the pretense of “beating the devil out” of them. 

In one case, Young beat 2-year-old Katonya Jackson and deprived her of her seizure medication, which led to her death. In another case, Young beat 5-year-old Emon Harper and then placed him in a hamper as punishment, without food or water, until he was later found dead by another cult member. Young directed cult members to burn his body in a barrel, and she collected Social Security benefits for him for several years as if he was living.  

Young also ordered cult members to take one young child to Puerto Rico and abandon him there—he has never been located. And when Young bathed a 12-year-old child in harsh chemicals and scalding water to “burn the devil out” of her, the child was left with severe permanent injuries and disfigurement. 

In 1992, Young left the cult she created, changed her identity, and spent the next nine years on the run after being charged for the abuse of the 12-year-old child.  

In 2001, law enforcement found her hiding in Illinois, but it wasn’t until 2017, after an extensive investigation by FBI and Alachua County, that Young was arrested for the deaths of Emon and Katonya. In 2021, Young pleaded guilty to their murders and was convicted. She was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison and died a month later in March 2021 from COVID-19.

The Search for Cathy

In late 2016, Joy Fluker, the only child of Young and Davidson—and Cathy’s half-sister—came forward to law enforcement with information that revealed more about her mother’s horrific past. Cathy’s mother, who moved to Texas, contacted the FBI office in Dallas to report what she had learned: that the alleged trip to Warren Dunes State Park and Cathy’s disappearance was a cover for a turn of events even more sinister.

The FBI contacted individuals nationwide who knew the Young-Davidson household around 1973. During the interviews, they learned that Young allegedly locked Cathy in a closet in the Young-Davidson home on Hermosa, which led to her death by suffocation. Witnesses reported observing Young and Davidson attempting to revive Cathy—and then Davidson and Young’s brother, Marvin Bobo, leaving with Cathy’s deceased body to dispose of it.

The FBI believes that, at some point, Davidson and Bobo told someone where Cathy’s body was placed. But Davidson died in 1988—he was found crushed under a car in a garage on the cult property. Some cult members believed that his death was not an accident and that he was starting to express remorse for Cathy’s disappearance. And Bobo—the last living individual known to be directly involved in Cathy’s death—died in 2007.

Despite the passage of time, the FBI is committed to finding Cathy and bringing closure in this case.

“Cathy’s family, still living, awaits to learn what has happened to her and where she is,” said FBI Detroit Special Agent Trisha Kovac. “I believe that someone out there knows something that can help us find Cathy and bring her back to her family.”

If you have any information about Cathy Davidson, please contact your local FBI office or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. You can remain anonymous.

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Year in Review 2023

Source: US FBI

Violent Crime 

The FBI’s top priorities are national security threats, but the Bureau plays a key role in combating violent crime in big cities and local communities across the United States. The threats vary widely, from bank robberies and art crime to human trafficking, gang violence, crimes against children, and drug trafficking.  
 
The Bureau’s Criminal Division this year accounted for more than 18,000 arrests and almost 10,000 indictments in violent criminal cases. The myriad FBI units targeting suspected criminals disrupted more than 2,500 operations and dismantled another 314. They located 2,401 children in the 12-month period that ended in September and were involved in more than 12,000 drug seizures. “To truly appreciate the impact the FBI and our partners are having,” Director Wray has said, “you’ve got to look at the cases.” 

Here’s a look at just a few significant cases and accomplishments: 

  • Operation Ghost Busted: 76 individuals were charged with involvement in a drug trafficking operation that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam (Xanax) in the greater Glynn County area of Georgia. Details
  • Operation SpecTor: This coordinated operation spanning nine countries and dozens of law enforcement agencies across the U.S., Europe, and South America targeted darknet drug markets. Efforts resulted in seizures of more than $50 million in cash and virtual currency, 1,875 pounds of potentially lethal pills and other drugs, and 288 arrests. Details

  • Operation Cross Country: The FBI, working with partners, identified and located 200 victims of sex trafficking during a two-week nationwide enforcement campaign in July. The operation also led to identification or arrest of 126 suspects of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses and 68 suspects of trafficking were identified or arrested. Also located were 59 minor victims of child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation offenses and 59 actively missing children. Details

  • January 6: In what the Department of Justice has called the FBI’s largest ever investigation, the Bureau continues to seek the public’s assistance in in identifying individuals who made unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. In the 34 months since the attack on the Capitol, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Details 
  • Transnational Organized Crime: The FBI is focused on the cartels trafficking narcotics across the border. The FBI has 328 pending investigations linked to cartel leadership; 78 of those are along the southern border.

Multiple field offices conducted operations this year targeting gangs or criminal networks. In July, for example, an FBI-led joint operation targeting violent criminals in Tucson, Arizona, resulted in 88 arrests. A month earlier, in Erie, Pennsylvania, an FBI-led Safe Streets task force targeted a local drug gang. Also last summer, an FBI-led operation in Dallas seized more than 540 grams of cocaine, more than 1,100 grams of methamphetamine, and more than seven grams of fentanyl, along with nine firearms and over $10,000 in cash.

The FBI, along with the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, conducted an early morning operation on July 27, 2023, that resulted in 15 arrests of suspected drug gang members and violent criminals. This footage is from operations at multiple locations.

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SWAT at 50

Source: US FBI

Early 90s  

In 1992 and 1993, respectively, multiple SWAT teams respond to the 11-day Ruby Ridge and 51-day Waco standoffs, following unsuccessful arrest efforts by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Neither is resolved without loss of life, including the lives of small children at Waco after the Branch Davidians set fire to the compound. It becomes a time of deep reevaluation at the FBI.

1994

As a result of Ruby Ridge and Waco, the FBI stands up the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) as the FBI’s preeminent response group. For the first time, all critical incident components are housed together and can coordinate rapidly: crisis managers, tactical teams, crisis negotiators, behavioral analysts, bomb techs and aviation, and surveillance and strategic information groups.

1996 

The 81-day standoff with the Freemen of Montana, one of the longest in FBI history, unfolds under heavy international media scrutiny—and in the light of Waco. The Freemen are wanted for a host of white-collar crimes related to sovereign-citizen ideology, for refusing to vacate foreclosed land, and for threatening to kill local officials.

Able to bring CIRG capabilities to bear, FBI tactical teams, negotiators, and profilers work together and with other agencies to pressure the heavily armed group—including by eventually staging two armored personnel carriers, borrowed from the Las Vegas Police Department and stenciled with “FBI” in large letters, in plain sight of the compound. In ones and twos, the occupants exit the compound, with the last Freemen surrendering peacefully on June 13.

1997 and beyond

SWAT teams are critical to the FBI’s response to all major incidents in the U.S. and overseas when Americans are concerned, including the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the Oklahoma City bombing two years later, the East Africa embassy bombings in 1998, and 9/11. SWAT teams are also part of all major special events, including the Olympics in Atlanta and Salt Lake City, and they are deployed in the aftermath of major hurricanes. Enhanced teams deploy with HRT and are embedded with the military on deployments during the global war on terror.

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20 Years at the TSC

Source: US FBI

The TSC is the final arbiter of watchlisting decisions, and it keeps rigorous and continuing quality control measures over the terrorism watchlist to ensure that nominations continue to satisfy the criteria for inclusion and that information offered in support of the nomination is reliable and up to date. Quality control measures include regular reviews and evaluations by the nominating agency, NCTC, and the TSC to verify that each nomination meets the watchlist inclusion criteria.

In addition to maintaining and regularly reviewing the watchlist, the TSC responds to queries from federal, state, and local agencies—as well as certain foreign partners who have information sharing agreements with the United States—for a variety of screening purposes.

“We’re the unclassified system for sharing information,” said Glasheen. “The TSC has the authority to accept, maintain, and share identifying information on people who are on the watchlist.”

Around-the-Clock Response

The TSC operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call center staff, who work across three shifts, answer inquiries immediately as they come in. To ensure continuity of operations, a small room next to the call center houses a few bunk beds in case employees can’t travel home between their shifts for some reason, such as inclement weather.

Some inquiries are routine screening procedures. Others are triggered by live encounters, like a police officer calling to report a potential watchlist match of someone they’ve pulled over.

The TSC conducts identity resolution, looking at all available information to verify whether the name that triggered the inquiry is the same person on the watchlist.

“The call center tries to resolve identity resolutions within minutes,” said Glasheen.

The TSC then responds to the inquiry with one of three possible answers: positive match, negative match, or inconclusive.

“We don’t dictate what actions should be taken when a screening agency encounters an individual potentially on the watchlist,” said Glasheen. “We say only whether it’s positive, negative, or inconclusive. Then it’s up to the caller, within their own authorities, to determine what actions they take based on that information.”

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FBI, HSI Investigation Leads to Historic War Crimes Indictment

Source: US FBI

The U.S. government on December 6 announced that it has brought its first-ever charges under the War Crimes Act of 1996 against four Russian-affiliated soldiers who allegedly violated the human rights of an American residing in Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

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FBI Underscores Commitment to Protecting American Jews, Muslims, Arabs Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

Source: US FBI

In the wake of Hamas’ October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel and the ensuing crisis in the Gaza region, the FBI has collaborated with our law enforcement partners to investigate potential threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions.

FBI executive leadership—and community outreach specialists in our 56 field offices across the country—have also reached out to civic and faith-based organizations to reiterate the Bureau’s mission; our dedication to protecting people’s rights to live, work, and worship freely; and the resources we offer the public to safeguard their circles from hate crimes and other threats.

Within the first 30 days of the current conflict, FBI Director Christopher Wray reached out to national-level partners and participated in a topical conference call. Deputy Director Paul Abbate and representatives from multiple HQ divisions attended a meeting with an interfaith council related to the crisis. And Office of Public Affairs Assistant Director Cathy Milhoan reached out to the FBI’s national partners and community leaders reiterating our commitment to partnering with and protecting them during this time.

“I understand this is an elevated time of concern for your communities, so I want to assure you: the FBI will not tolerate violence—especially violence motivated by hate and extremism,” wrote Milhoan in a recent letter to the Bureau’s national partners and community leaders. “We will continue to do everything in our power and use all our legal authorities to protect the American people and pursue justice for all victims, their families, and their communities.”

CRU directed all Bureau field offices to provide outreach to their Jewish and Muslim communities, Hoffman said. This outreach looked different for different field offices, depending on resources and the populations who call their areas of responsibility home, he explained. In Baltimore, for instance, field office personnel visited every mosque and synagogue within the office’s area of responsibility to directly communicate with their leadership.

CRU estimates that field offices undertook over 660 conflict-related engagements with community partners within the first 30 days of the conflict. In that same period, personnel from the Bureau’s 56 field offices had topical conversations with faith and civic groups in their areas of responsibility on a daily basis. Headquarters CRU staff also helped faith-based groups address threats they received in connection with the conflict.

“The reality is the better we know our communities, the better we can protect them,” Hoffman said. “At its highest level, engaging in collaborative FBI-community partnerships allows both groups to build meaningful relationships based on trust, break down barriers and stereotypes, increase transparency, and promote understanding. On a more granular level, partnering allows community and faith-based groups to have their voices heard and bring their unique knowledge to the table to work collaboratively with us to solve crime problems facing their community.”

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FBI Update on Bourbon Street Terrorist Attack

Source: US FBI

The FBI continues investigating the horrific attack on innocent victims on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the early morning hours of January 1, 2025. 

The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. Attached is a more recent photo of Jabbar.

FBI special agents and our law enforcement partners are currently conducting a number of court-authorized search warrants in New Orleans and other states. The FBI’s Evidence Response Team continues to process the crime scene to meticulously gather all relevant evidence. The FBI plans to turn over the Bourbon Street crime scene to local authorities by early tomorrow morning. Additional FBI resources, including victim specialists, are responding to assist victims and family members. 

Anyone with information, photos, or video should call the FBI at 1-800- CALL-FBI or visit www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack.

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FBI Statement on the Attack in New Orleans

Source: US FBI

Today, at approximately 3:15 a.m. CST, an individual drove a pickup truck into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 10 and injuring dozens of others. After hitting the crowd, he exited the vehicle and fired upon local law enforcement. Law enforcement returned fire, and the subject was pronounced deceased at the scene. Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to a local hospital. 

The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented, and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle.

An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations. 

Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter. The FBI’s special agent bomb technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe. 

The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We are aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject.

The FBI has set up a digital tip line, and we ask anyone with information or video of the incident to submit them to www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. 

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FBI Offers Reward in Death of Minor on Ute Mountain Ute Reservation

Source: US FBI

The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the man wanted in the shooting death of a minor on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in Colorado.

A federal arrest warrant has been issued for Jeremiah Hight, who is wanted in the death of the minor in Towaoc in the early morning hours of Dec. 11.

Hight, 23, is a Native American man with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 6’0” tall and weighs 400 pounds. He has tattoos on his right leg, left arm, right arm, right shoulder, neck, and left shoulder. He has a pierced left ear and a scar on his chest.

He has ties to Monument Valley in the Four Corners area.

He might be armed and has proven he can be dangerous. Anyone with information about the homicide or the whereabouts of Jeremiah Hight is urged to call 1.800.CALL.FBI (800-225-5324) or make a report at tips.fbi.gov.

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FBI, DC3, and NPA Identification of North Korean Cyber Actors, Tracked as TraderTraitor, Responsible for Theft of $308 Million USD from Bitcoin.DMM.com

Source: US FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, and National Police Agency of Japan are alerting the public to the theft of cryptocurrency worth $308 million U.S. dollars from the Japan-based cryptocurrency company DMM by North Korean cyber actors in May 2024. The theft is affiliated with TraderTraitor threat activity, which is also tracked as Jade Sleet, UNC4899, and Slow Pisces. TraderTraitor activity is often characterized by targeted social engineering directed at multiple employees of the same company simultaneously.

In late March 2024, a North Korean cyber actor, masquerading as a recruiter on LinkedIn, contacted an employee at Ginco, a Japan-based enterprise cryptocurrency wallet software company. The threat actor sent the target, who maintained access to Ginco’s wallet management system, a URL linked to a malicious Python script under the guise of a pre-employment test located on a GitHub page. The victim copied the Python code to their personal GitHub page and was subsequently compromised. 

After mid-May 2024, TraderTraitor actors exploited session cookie information to impersonate the compromised employee and successfully gained access to Ginco’s unencrypted communications system. In late-May 2024, the actors likely used this access to manipulate a legitimate transaction request by a DMM employee, resulting in the loss of 4,502.9 BTC, worth $308 million at the time of the attack. The stolen funds ultimately moved to TraderTraitor-controlled wallets.  

The FBI, National Police Agency of Japan, and other U.S. government and international partners will continue to expose and combat North Korea’s use of illicit activities—including cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft—to generate revenue for the regime.