MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- There's a new sense of belief and a new focus in the search for Trenton Duckett after an eyewitness put a twist in the investigation.

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It has been nearly three months since the little boy disappeared from his mother's home in Leesburg. Numerous searches for him have all come up empty.

Marion County authorities, Wednesday, said a new eyewitness and new information are leading investigators in a new direction.

Detectives believe there may have been a conspiracy. They said Melinda Duckett wanted to keep her 2-year old son away from her soon to be ex-husband, so she found somebody to take Trenton away.

Detectives said the day 2-year-old Trenton Duckett was reported missing, Sunday, August 27, he was seen around noon with his mother, Melinda, going through the drive-thru of the Wendy's restaurant in the town of Belleview.

"We believe that it was possible during this time that she may have left that Wendy's and actually met someone to hand Trenton off," said Capt. James Pogue, Marion County Sheriff's Office. "We know from this investigation that Melinda is a very creative person, a very well-planned out person. Therefore we believe there was a conspiracy with someone else to possibly keep Trenton away from his father, Josh Duckett."

That's because the employee working the drive-thru said Melinda came back half an hour later to order more food. Only this time, Trenton wasn't in the car.

"This witness had an uncanny memory of people, what they ate, and different things that happened at the job," said Det. Rhonda Stroup, Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives said the witness remembers Melinda and Trenton, remembers the car Melinda was driving and a tattoo on her arm. It took more than two months for the person to come forward, but detectives said the witness passed a lie detector test.

The witness told authorities she may have seen Melinda at the restaurant a third time that day around 4 p.m. This time, she was with two males and a female, the witness said.

That information, combined with a record of several cell phone calls Melinda made that day, leads detectives to believe Trenton Duckett is alive.

"If this is not the case, then we are fully prepared to regretfully say we were wrong," Pogue said.

But Trenton's father, Joshua, prays they are right.

"I think, by getting his picture out there that much more, and by getting his name out there, we'll make people realize we believe he is alive," Joshua said.

Melinda Duckett committed suicide 12 days after she reported Trenton missing, perhaps taking the secret of what happened to Trenton to her grave. Detectives are determined to prove otherwise.