The announcement about Darian came a few hours after Simpson told News Center 7 that the Internet might have played a "big role" in the girl's disappearance.
Darian was last seen outside her home in her pajamas about 6:45 p.m. Monday taking out the trash, family spokesman Troy Maxel told News Center 7 on Tuesday night. Darian lives near the private gated community of Lackengren.
Earlier Wednesday afternoon, Simpson said, “We want her home safe and feel for the parents who don’t know wheretheir daughter is, but it takes time to get this stuff done.”
He said he believed Darian left on her own accord and mostly was chatting online with adult males.
Sheriff's detectives were trying to backtrack Gardner's activity to figure out who she might have been talking to online and offline, he said. Detectives also werelooking through phone and Internet records.
Deputies had sent a photo of Gardner and information about her to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as well as to the National Crime Information Center.