From the start the case baffled detectives, who initially believed the family may have ventured out on their own and planned to return. There were no signs of a struggle or forced entry. A check of the family’s computer revealed searches suggesting an international trip, including “What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?” But friends and family insisted the couple would never travel there with their children. San Diego County sheriff’s investigators eventually handed the case off to the FBI, saying they believed the family was out of the country.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 07, 2019 12:56 UTC