Lawyer for Sky Metalwala's father says it's time mother's family came forward

BELLEVUE, Wash. — An attorney representing the father of missing toddler Sky Metalwala said at a news conference Wednesday that it was time that the family of the boy’s mother came forward.

Clay Terry, the lawyer for Sky’s father, Solomon Metalwala, said he wanted to release what he called “interesting information” but because the investigation was ongoing, police preferred he not release any sensitive details.

Terry said that the mother, brother and two close friends of the boy’s mother, Julia Biryukova, seem to be protecting Biryukova, and while those people have been interviewed by the police, they haven’t spoken to publicly or been as forthcoming as the boy’s father has.

While police won’t say what the friends and family of Biryukova said during the police interviews, Terry described they and the boy’s mother as “conspicuously absent” and found it unusual that “they wouldn’t come forward and help the little boy they said they love.”

Terry and Solomon Metalwala expressed frustration that people who are closest to Biryukova haven’t helped the Solomon Metalwala’s family in their own investigation as to what happened to the boy.

“Every effort we’ve made, they’re conspicuously absent and we don’t know why and we’re asking them to come forward,” said Terry.

Terry said he believed that Biryukova, her friends and family have more information than what they have given.

Police from Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond continue to investigate the case and Terry said they were hopeful that there had been progress.

He said tips were still coming in on the case but not as many as when the boy was first reported missing on Nov. 6 by Biryukova.

Biryukova told police she, her 2-year-old son and her 4-year-old daughter ran out of gas in Bellevue.

Biryukova said she and her daughter left the car locked, with 2-year-old Sky Metalwala sleeping inside.

When they returned about an hour later, the boy was gone, Biryukova said.

Officers later found that there were 2.2 gallons of gas in Biryukova's car and it had no mechanical problems.

Investigators learned that the child had not been seen by anyone for about two weeks.

Police said foul play was suspected in the case, but there were no suspects.

Police said that Biryukova has cooperated with authorities, but has declined to take a polygraph test and is speaking to authorities only through her lawyers.

Anyone with any information regarding the disappearance of Sky Metalwala should contact Bellevue police at 425-452-2564 or pdtipline@bellevuewa.gov.

KIRO