Missing Toms River Girl's Family: We Just Want Her Home

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Twenty-four hours after the attorney for the family of a missing Toms River girl issued an ultimatum warning those hiding her to turn her in, Ashley Combs remains missing.

On Tuesday, the fourth day since the 17-year-old Toms River High School North student failed to come home from school, the family's attorney revealed more information about her disappearance and the unusual step taken Monday to issue the ultimatum.

"I realize that this was an unorthodox approach," said Jef Henninger, the attorney hired by Rob Nieratko and his wife to assist in their efforts to find Ashley. "But it was necessary to either get her home quickly or to stop some people's thinking that she is just a runaway and that this is no big deal."

Ashley was reported missing Friday evening by the Nieratkos, and Rob Nieratko posted a message seeking help locating her that night. Toms River police have been investigating and have said her disappearance did not appear to be under suspicious circumstances. Police believe she left home purposely, and said Ashley has refused to give her location to people she has spoken with.

"While it is true that the evidence we have leads us to believe that she was not abducted from school, we have no evidence to believe that she had planned to be away from home for an extended period of time," Henninger wrote. "She did not have a change of clothes or much money."

"We also don't believe that she's living on the street somewhere," Henniger said. Read more: Missing Toms River Girl's Family: Send Her Home Or We Prosecute

Rob Nieratko, in a post Tuesday morning, added, "At the end of the day, Ashley is missing. If this were your child, you would be doing everything within your power to have her safely brought home. You don’t have to agree with my tactics in achieving this goal, but I believe that I am doing everything the right way."

"Whoever is helping her is toxic to her and does not have her best interests in mind," Nieratko wrote.

Henniger, who was hired by the family in part to help deal with the media response and to also help them navigate the legal system once Ashley is found, questioned whether Ashley is safe.

"Someone has her and that person knows that what they are doing is illegal and they don't care," he wrote Tuesday. "They are willing to sacrifice their job, their family and their own freedom by keeping Ashley away from her parents, family members, friends, school and a normal teenage life."

"To those that think she just ran away, ask yourself this: what type of person would risk everything to help a child runaway knowing that everyone is looking for her? Do you think that this person is mentally sound? Do you honestly think she is not in danger?" he wrote.

While there was some belief initially that she was with a friend, Henniger said, "I want to remind you that she is a child and her friends do not have their own place to live. All of her friends live with their parents or some other adult."

Rob Nieratko, in a post on Facebook later Tuesday morning, addressed some of the rampant speculation that has been directed at the family.

"First and foremost, my family dynamic is absolutely none of anyone’s business. All that matters is that my child is missing, I have not heard from her, I do not know where she is, who she is with or what she or they may be doing," he said, adding that neither he nor the police have spoken with her.

"Ashley lives a very comfortable life. She is not abused in any way shape or form. The only things she is not allowed to do are to have a cell phone, the reasons why are private and I will not elaborate, or have contact with her birth parents, again, I will not give specific information, as it is nobody’s business," he wrote.

The person harboring her is "willing to risk everything by keeping her away from her family and friends. She is missing school and will not graduate in June. Any person that would keep a child away from their parents knowing that they are breaking the law is a sick individual," Nieratko wrote. "My wife and I have Ashley’s best interest in mind and want this to end already. SEND HER HOME!!!"

Police have interviewed a number of her friends and other family members. The Nieratkos are Ashley's custodial parents and have raised her since she was young, but she is biologically Rob Nieratko's niece.

Her friends have denied knowing Ashley's location, Henniger said. "The family is hoping that they were all telling the truth because lying to the police is a crime and helping someone hide Ashley is also a crime."

"The evidence leads us to believe that she is with an adult (or adults) that are much older than she is. As I previously said, this is an adult that can afford their own place to live, job and family and yet, is willing to engage in criminal activity by keeping a child hidden away from her parents and her school," he wrote.

Henninger said the post on his Facebook page with the ultimatum reached 700,000 people and with media coverage from a number of outlets, he figures "at least a few million of people have seen Ashley's story. Whoever has her clearly heard our ultimatum, and they have ignored it."

"Ashley cannot stay hidden forever. Someone knows something. Someone lives next door to this person. Someone is going to hear something. Everyone knows this story and what she looks like," he wrote.

Anyone who has information is urged to contact Toms River police at 732-349-0150 or Henninger's law office at 732-383-6242.

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