NATCHEZ — The Natchez Police Department is awaiting DNA results from evidence that could point to a suspect in the October armed robbery of three men at the Hampton Inn.

Natchez Police Lt. Craig Godbold said NPD sent DNA collected from tape used to restrain one of the victim’s hands to the state crime lab for DNA testing.

Two of the victims allege, however, that there is additional evidence that was collected after the robbery that is now missing.

Nathaniel Hickman and Aaron O’Brien, who were robbed at the hotel, say they believe a white Regions moneybag and several $100 bills that were reportedly found in the robbers’ getaway car never made it to an evidence locker at NPD.

Hickman and O’Brien had their transient gold buying and selling business set up in the conference room of the Hampton Inn on Oct. 28, 2012, when a hotel guest came in the room to look at merchandise.

Just before that, the two men say, a woman, who they believe was a hotel staff member, came in the room and said she was going to take out the trash.

“She came through and never even looked at the garbage can,” Hickman said. “She went to the other side of the room and unlocked the door (behind us) and went through it. Then she came back in through the door, as if to make sure we didn’t lock it behind her. In hindsight, I think that’s what she was doing.”

Within just a couple of minutes, Hickman said, two men with rags or bandanas over their face and guns came through that door and told Hickman, O’Brien and other man to get on the floor.

The robbers taped Hickman’s hands with tape, he said, and came from the maintenance room to get to the meeting room.

The robbers reportedly took $500 from O’Brien’s pocket, all of the men’s cell phones, a bag containing $15,000-$20,000 of jewelry and coins and a white Regions moneybag containing approximately $5,000.

A woman reportedly peaked around the corner, Hickman said, and saw what was happening and alerted hotel staff.

The robbers then fled outside to a gray Jeep Cherokee with an East Automotive tag. Hickman freed his hands, and he and O’Brien ran after the robbers.

O’Brien said he got in his vehicle to follow the robbers, but was stopped at an intersection and saw the robbers cross John R. Junkin Drive.

Approximately 15 minutes later, the police had located the vehicle at Susie B. West Apartments.

O’Brien said he, his father, Hickman and hotel staff were standing with Police Chief Danny White and heard over White’s cell phone speaker that officers saw through the window a cell phone, bags containing coins, a white Regions money bag and $100 bills strewn in the car.

Officers escorted the vehicle while it was being towed to the police station. When it arrived, O’Brien and Hickman said, the moneybag and cash was not in the car.

White was surprised when asked if he was told their was a moneybag and cash in the car.

“I went to the scene and was told there was a bag of coins in there and a phone,” he said. “That was the only thing, there was never anything about a moneybag.”

Hickman said he remembers hearing on the phone that the moneybag and cash was in the car, but said he does not remember who was on the phone with the officers.

“I honestly cannot tell you that … I was a little excited,” he said.

After the robbers’ alleged vehicle was towed to the station, O’Brien and Hickman used a cell phone application called Find My iPhone to locate their phones using GPS tracking.

O’Brien said several officers in different vehicles were with them at the time attempting to track the phones.

He said that it appeared the phones were moving along with them as they drove around town. When the group ended up at Susie B. West Apartments, where the vehicle was found, O’Brien and Hickman stayed in an officer’s vehicle, while police got out to look for the phones.

Police discovered the phones in the woods, O’Brien said, which he finds suspicious since the phones seemed to be traveling with the group on their hunt.

Godbold said the tracking device was consistently off while the officers were looking for the phones. The officers only found the phones, he said, because they had O’Brien and Hickman call the phones.

“We were crawling on our hands and knees in the middle of the night trying to find these phones, and we only found them because they were glowing because they were calling them,” Godbold said. “Even then the tracking device said they were 50 yards away from that spot.”

Godbold said O’Brien and Hickman were left in the vehicle because it is impossible for police to know what they might have encountered while searching for the phones.

“We can’t take them with us because it’s not safe,” he said.

Additionally, Godbold said O’Brien and Hickman were illegally selling gold in the hotel.

According to House Bill 1195 enacted in 2011, a gold dealer may operate only from the permanent place of business listed on a privilege license they must obtain before conducting business.

According to the law, a permanent place of business means “a fixed premises either owned by the dealer or leased by the dealer for at least one year.”

O’Brien said Estate Buyers Road Show, the business name for O’Brien and Hickman’s traveling gold business, received a transient vendor permit from the city. He said he was not aware of any state law that prohibited him from setting up shop in a hotel.

All in all, O’Brien and Hickman said they are disappointed with the progress made in the case and the lack of communication from the police department.

Godbold said he has attempted to reach Hickman, who lives out-of-town.

Godbold also contends that no money was found in the vehicle police recovered.

“(They) are insinuating that we stole money,” he said. “We recovered a car, and we recovered some of the evidence, but there was no money recovered.”

The jewelry and coins recovered were returned to O’Brien and Hickman, Goldbold said.

White said the department has been diligently working on the case and hopes to have it resolved soon. He said he does not know the reason behind the discrepancies in the officers’ account and the victims’ account of the evidence recovered.