Posted on 03/01/2005 6:28:07 AM PST by MisterRepublican
HOMOSASSA, Fla. — The full-scale search for a missing 9-year-old girl ended its final day as law enforcement officers turned to child abduction experts for help.
Investigators and hundreds of volunteer searchers have uncovered little evidence during five days of scouring the rural area where Jessica Lunsford disappeared, and the full-scale search was suspended Monday afternoon.
"To continue this, we would be spinning our wheels," said Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy.
Instead, law enforcement officers were turning to 20 experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help crack the case. They planned to focus on a three-quarter mile radius area around Jessica's home.
Jessica's father described the change as a second phase of the investigation. After making a plea for her safe return while choking back tears, he expressed confidence that his daughter would come home.
"Just drop her off. I'll come get her," Mark Lunsford answered when asked what he would say to whoever had Jessica. "I know whoever has got Jessie, they have to have a heart."
He also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support. "It's been overwhelming, the people that have shown up," he said. "It makes me feel real good to know everyone's trying to help me out."
Lunsford said he remains convinced that his daughter did not leave home voluntarily even though authorities have uncovered no evidence she was abducted. He said it's unlikely Jessica was lured away.
"She just didn't go with strangers," Lunsford said. He said authorities also are looking for a stuffed purple dolphin missing from his daughter's room.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Well since Dad was an avg. working Joe we can rule out the gardner or handyman around the house.
She had thre adults looking out for her. And as CitzenM I think it was mentioned Dad kept his private life outside of the home which would count out his social circle.
Mom from the blip I caught was not out to take her was cool with Dad having custody.
I would look for someone that travelled through the neighborhood frequently or was involved with the child at school or other out of home activities on a regular basis.
Was 6pm the time she went missing?
That could be someone coming from a job going home or to a place near by that they passed by the house on a reg. basis.
Say John Doe who travelled through the neighborhood twice a week going from work to the local gym, who may have known her via school or church.
All speculation.
Prayers for all.
I thought I heard him say he had occasionally taken Jessica with him to his friends' homes. I could be wrong.
Thanks, cyn. Like I said, where is Sylvia Browne when we need her? LOL.
sw
Thanks---I thought so. Our reliable "real media" outlets strike again.
"they've been trained to look for something that's a little specific..."
http://www.wfts.com/stories/2005/03/050301missing.shtml
...The new phase of the search is concentrating on a three-quarter-mile area where Sheriff Jeff Dawsy feels there is the greatest likelihood of finding clues.
Specialists pick up the search Tuesday.
"They will specifically look for any possible direction of travel. Even through we've had some bad weather, some tremendous rain, they've been trained to look for something that's a little specific," Dawsy explained, declining to say exactly what they were looking for.
"I've heard that, but all of the cases I'm aware of where the person failed one they really were guilty and where they passed them they really were innocent."
I know of two cases where polygraphs were utterly wrong. There was a case back in the 80's where a man's sister and mother, who was rich, were killed. The man, who was a natural suspect, flunked not one, but two polygraphs. Turned out he had nothing to do with it.
In the other case, a woman went to the police to report she'd been kidnapped and raped. She also told them that her attacker videotaped the assault. The cops gave her a lie detector test - they did that to all rape victims - which she flunked, and they not only refused to investigate her assault, but threatened to arrest her for filing a false police report. Guess what? She was telling the truth, which they discovered after two more women were kidnapped and raped in the same way. When they found the rapist, they also found the videotape he'd made of the first woman's rape.
The fundamental problem with lie detectors is that they measure, not lies, but physiological reactions, the same kind of physiological reactions that anyone who's under emotional stress - like a rape victim or a guy whose family has just been killed - is likely to display.
All I know is that if I was innocent of a crime, I sure as hell wouldn't my life to depend on a polygraph.
she must have been a beauty at one time, because her dtr is beautiful, and Jessica didn't get that from dad....
but mom looks like she has been rode hard and put away wet, so to speak....
the mother doesn't seem brilliant enough to arrange an abduction, so I count her out...
Yes, it could have been someone who was familiar with the families habits and knew the dad wouldn't be there when he took the child.
The Dad said he spent the night with his girlfriend, but I also heard that he said he was out with "friends". Maybe both.
Sounds like the Grandparents were real Church people. They probably didn't approve of their son spending the night with ANY woman, especially at their own home, with a child there. So I don't give the Dad too many brownie points for keeping his love life separate from his family. It might have been out of necessity.
sw
Names in these cases, please. News cites would be helpful, too.
I have been a dog owner all my adult life 25yrs and the "dog or dogs" always bark "hey who's here" UNLESS they are sleeping soundly.
So perhaps the dog was in a deep sleep.
Also where did the dog sleep?
My boyz sleep in the room we live/sleep in and since I am an around the clock careprovider they sleep when I do. So someone could come up to the house and no bark while sleeping but come to the back door to our living/sleeping area via the back gate as some untrained people do ONCE or come through our other door say if it is my relief worker they always initially bark and then wag as they relize who it is.
But if we are all sleeping anyone can lurk the perimeter of the property quietly.
So where was her dog in relation to where she slept?
Coming up next 11:30 a.m. FOx News is going into Jessica's home on a tour FYI.
Oh and I just saw the dog. A doxie.
Barkers!
We had a lab (God rest his soul) who would wave at anyone trying to get into our house. Jack the Ripper could come to our house and unless Jack tried to get in through the garage (Lab's domain), Jack the Ripper would have free roam.
But if Jack stepped one teeny, tiny baby step into the garage our Lab would would have him by his throat.
His girlfriend anyway. Not sure about any male friends.
I'don't recall the exact time the father said he got home and heard the alarm ringing. Thought it was 5:45am or 6:45am? She was last seen at 10pm when she was tucked into bed. That leaves around 7 hours for when the disappearance occurs.
You are on target... too often going to church equates to an addition to a resume... I go to church so I must be good.. real belief comes from our behavior and our spiritual connection and commitment to God, family and community... I do go to Mass, almost every Sunday and drop in during the week... but I know that is just my moment of refreshment - for my test as a Christian is based upon the content of my character...
It goes back to what we all know... it is what I do rather than what I say that counts.. if they both line up then you have an honorable person...
My thoughts are centered around someone at the church or bar/pub, doing business with the family or a drifter from the Carnival she attended...
Could she just have been upset and or in shock over her missing daughter?
but mom looks like she has been rode hard and put away wet, so to speak....
Wonder if Jessica's father had anything to do with that.
No, Grandmother said Jessica went to bed at 10:00 pm. Jessica called for her to come "put me to bed, like you always do." Grandmother did, said prayers to her. It was not until the father came in - sometime around when Jessica's alarm clock was going off - that he went to her bedroom and found that she was missing. So somewhere between when the Grandparents went to bed, and when Dad came home in the early morning.
Grandmother who raised me to the age of 6 and very well strict routine down to diet, sports swimming and golf, art time, radio but no more than 30 min. tv, nap ect....wonderful memories untill I was put in Dad's custody his wife and family, he had no clue untill we talked before he passed on and made our peace. Grandmother passed on when I was 13 and other than when I ran away to be sent back home never was allowed to see her.
Mom moved back East and was through with kids I was the last 6 yrs since the 5prior with Dad and their divorce.
Mom ended up not caring for her mental health and was institutionalized I spoke to her but she was very ill and said I would have been aborted if it was legal. Thank God it wasn't. LOL
I tell ya what, never had a man fall in love with me so after I had my son I decided to return to my Catholic Faith and Chaste, God gave me all the Love and a special gift in my Cerebral Palsied Quad son and my Labradors.
I look at the rough road growing up was training camp for the work I do now. I have anger hidden away and trust is nilch but nothing in this world can replace the responsibility God gave me when I begged him for my sons life having been still born.
Life as an adult has been full, stressfull, exciting, full of hurdles not humanly possible but very rewarding and enjoyable only through the Love of God and doing my best to do what is right.
Sorry been up all night working and have a few hours to go before sleep so I am rambling.
Back to Jessie, Lord bring her home....
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