Fayetteville man remembers seeing missing siblings years ago as kids
Fayetteville police and the FBI spent most of Monday searching the former home of Blake and London Deven, looking for clues related to their disappearance.
The two haven't been seen in years and were just recently reported missing.
Gilbert Baez spoke with a neighbor who recalled his interactions with the children, years ago.
The crime scene tape and the investigators are gone, but what we've learned is that Ava Maxwell lives at this house, and she's been taking care of foster children for years.
We were shocked by what she told one neighbor she did with Blake Deven.
It's been seven years since James Howard moved into a house on Berriedale Drive. It's across the street from the one that Blake and London Deven lived in as children.
Howard said he last saw them about six years ago, but remembers Blake like it was yesterday.
"I've seen him enough because he was actually roaming the yard and the house and stuff doing things," Howard said.
Howard said the picture of London is younger than the teenage girl he saw at the house but is pretty sure that's who it is. Howard says they were foster children being taken care of by Ava Maxwell.
Maxwell still lives at the house. We knocked on the door but got no answer.
Howard said the last time he saw the children was around Christmas, six years ago.
"The girl would come out and stand by the mailbox and she would smoke a cigarette," Howard said. "At the time, she was probably about 17 years old."
Investigators say London Deven is now 27 years old. Court papers show they're siblings.
He said Blake was a little mischievous and recounted a conversation he had with Maxwell.
"I saw him run across the street and he almost got hit by a car," Howard said. "That's what really brought him to my attention. Maybe, probably about a month later, the lady came across and said she had sent him back to the state."
Howard is doing exactly what investigators want. They'd like for folks to share their last interactions with Blake and London to help them resolve this case.
