Heartbroken father calls son ‘amazing’ days after Amber Alert ends in tragedy
A heartbroken father on Monday said his 6-year-old son was “amazing,” “caring,” and “always wanted to make others happy,” just days after his son and the child’s mother were found dead in a Waxahachie parking garage.
An Amber Alert had been issued along with a warrant charging the mother with kidnapping.
John Wiedemann released the statement Monday, according to WFAA-TV, after the bodies of his son, Phillip Oliver “Ollie” Wiedemann, and the boy’s mother, 46-year-old Candace Harbin, were discovered Friday evening in the garage near the Ellis County Courthouse.
Ellis County Justice of the Peace Steve Egan said Monday that a ruling on the cause of the deaths is pending toxicology and other test results, which could take six to 12 weeks.
Waxahachie is in Ellis County, about 40 miles southeast of Fort Worth.
The Amber Alert was issued after John Wiedemann reported that his son was missing and the child was in the company of the boy’s mother, from whom he was estranged.
Wiedemann and his family expressed their gratitude to the Waxahachie police and Ellis County community for helping them search for Ollie. Wiedemann also thanked the Ellis County District Court for processing the paperwork that enabled the Amber Alert system to be activated.
“Ollie was an amazing young boy who cared about people,” his father said. “He always wanted to make others happy and if ever a classmate was having a tough day, he would reach out to help them. He loved swimming, Legos and superheroes, but most of all he loved going to school.”
John Wiedemann, called Waxahachie police at around 9 a.m. Friday and reported that his son and the boy’s mother had disappeared. Police tried to locate the boy and couldn’t find him, and they issued an Amber Alert around 5:20 p.m. Friday.
Police also issued an arrest warrant for Harbin, charging her with kidnapping.
The department posted Friday evening on Facebook, saying police believed Ollie Wiedemann to be in “imminent danger.” He had last been seen in the 400 block of West Franklin Street in Waxahachie wearing a blue polo shirt, tan shorts and tan shoes, according to the alert.
Harbin, who did not have legal custody of Ollie, was driving a white 2012 Nissan Quest minivan. It was the minivan where their bodies were found about 6:30 p.m. Friday. Fire department hazardous materials teams also responded to the scene, but police have not said why.
Wiedemann directed requests for comment about the ongoing investigation to Waxahachie police, who said they didn’t have any new information to release Monday.
“Our hearts are broken,” the father said, “and may never be whole again.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2019 at 3:34 PM.
