UNIONVILLE, TN — On September 23, 2012, fire ravaged the home of Leon “Bubba” McClaren and his wife, Mollie McClaren. The 72-year-old couple died in the blaze, along with a bird and a dog, but no trace was found of the McClarens’ grandchildren, a pair of siblings who had been on the premises at the time.

In the wake of the fire, The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for Chloie Leverette, then 9, and her half-brother, Christopher “Gage” Daniel, then 7. Since then, though, the children remain missing.

Investigators were never able to determine the cause or the origin of the fire. Thirty propane tanks had been stored in the basement at the time, and while some of them reportedly ruptured, no explosion occurred.

Explaining the mystery, Dr. Mike Tabor, Chief Odontologist for the Tennessee Medical Examiner's Office, said, “We were not able to find any remains in the house fire that belonged to the children, so now we wonder, where are these children?”

In regard to claims that perhaps Chloie's and Gage’s bodies were turned to ash by the flames, Tabor points out that searchers discovered the intact remains of Mollie McClaren’s cockatoo, so he believes that, at the very least, identifiable teeth would have turned up.

Cheryl Daniel, the mother of Chloie and Gage, agrees with the doctor’s analysis. She said, “They did find my mom, they found my dad; they found a cockatoo bird and a poodle. I feel like if they were going to find those bones, they would've found something of one of my children, but nothing ever showed up."

So what happened? No one knows — yet. Mary Lamb, the aunt of the missing children, told a reporter, “I think that somebody came. They [the McClarans] let them in, and I think whoever came, they did what they wanted to do with the two [adults], and the house burned, and somebody took the children.”

Daniel said that the family is in regular contact with investigators, and she added, “We want Chloie and Gage to know that we love them very much — very, very much. They're always in my heart, always in my mind, and they are my soul. I hope whoever has them is taking good care of them and will please bring them home.”

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has created age-enhanced photos of what the children could look like today.

TRAITS & CHARACTERISTICS:

Chloie Leverette:

• Weight at time of disappearance: 75 pounds
• Height at time of disappearance: 4 feet, 8 inches
• Sex: Female
• Race: Caucasian
• Hair: Brown
• Eyes: Blue
• Age now: 15
• Date of birth: June 23, 2003
• Missing from: Unionville, Tennessee

Christopher “Gage” Daniel:

• Weight at time of disappearance: 50 pounds
• Height at time of disappearance: 4 feet
• Sex: Male
• Race: Caucasian
• Hair: Brown
• Eyes: Hazel
• Age now: 13
• Date of birth: June 29, 2005
• Missing from: Unionville, Tennessee

If you know anything about this case or where to find these kids, please contact our hotline (833-3-PURSUE) or submit a tip online.

For more on this case, watch the “The Escape Artist” episode of In Pursuit With John Walsh on Wednesday, March 6 at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery! Or catch up on ID GO.

Read more: WKRN, NCMEC