Hickory , North Carolina ( CNN ) -- North Carolina authorities have been in contact with Zahra Baker 's biological mother in Australia and have asked for the medical records of the missing 10-year-old girl . `` We 're in the process of getting medical information from Australia , and we 're in the process of getting medical records here , '' said Clyde Deal , the deputy police chief of Hickory on Monday . Officials did not specify what kind of medical records they were seeking . Dental records are sometimes used to identify a body . Although authorities believe Zahra is dead , her remains have not been found . Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt has said that Zahra 's disappearance is being investigated as a homicide . Zahra was reported missing October 9 and no one other than a family member has reported seeing her since September 25 , when a woman reported seeing her at a furniture store , Deal said . Police have been searching for the girl in and around the city of Hickory . `` We 're speaking to her on a regular basis , '' Deal said of Zahra 's biological mother . `` She 's very concerned , and she 's very appreciative of everything being done to solve this case . '' The deputy police chief said authorities are not clear on the circumstances of the split between the mother and father . Police said last week that the girl 's stepmother , Elisa Baker , admitted to writing a fake ransom note that was left at the family 's home . She was arrested October 10 on unrelated charges , including writing worthless checks . More recently , authorities charged her with obstruction of justice , a felony , after she admitted writing the fake note , according to Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins . Elisa Baker remains jailed on those charges . Her bail has been set at a combined $ 70,000 , an amount her lawyer called excessive . Police said the girl 's father , Adam Baker , also faces bad-check charges , but has not been arrested . He is assisting police in their search . `` Every time we ask him to be somewhere , he 's there , '' Deal said . The disappearance of Zahra -- a freckle-faced youngster who uses a prosthetic leg and hearing aids -- has made international news . The girl lost her leg to bone cancer , according to CNN affiliate WCNC . Family members and neighbors have told reporters that Zahra 's stepmother had abused her . Her attorney , Scott Reilly , vehemently denied those allegations during an interview Monday . `` Whatever investigation was done , there was never anything substantiated regarding child abuse by Elisa Baker , '' he said . `` The lady saying they were keeping Zahra in the attic , and they thought it was squirrels , that lady has squirrels in her head , '' Reilly said , referring to a woman who spoke to the media . `` She had no business saying things that were untrue . Someone else says she was kept in a locked room and only allowed to come out five minutes a day to eat . Those people [ reporting that information ] should have their media credentials revoked . '' Earlier , a relative said that the alleged abuse was reported to the state Department of Social Services but the relative did not know the outcome . The state office said such a report would have been handled by a county office but that the agency is barred from commenting because of strict confidentiality laws . Reilly said he has filed a motion to reduce Elisa Baker 's bond , and a hearing has been set for Wednesday . HLN 's Beth Carey and Natisha Lance contributed to this report .
Police did not specify what kind of records they are keeping . Elizabeth , 34 , was last seen September 25 . Police are investigating her death as a homicide .