Search Suspended For Fla. Girl (Jessica Lunsford)

Fox News ^ | March 1, 2005 | AP

[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.

[spectre]

Not fair. Most of the clues we had with Scott Peterson had to do with his demeanor, attitude and even the way he wore his hat. What he sold, etc. He didn't cry enough either, and played alot of golf. And WHO can forget the orange hair?

It was OK to nit pick Scott, but not this guy? It wasn't easy saying a man would kill his wife and unborn child for a new girlfriend. But it was the only conclusion we could make.

We're painting a picture. What else do we have to work with? The cops don't even have evidence of a kidnapping. They won't call it that. OR should we just accept someone's word as gospel, and maybe end up with nothing less than an Alien Abduction, when in reality someone in that house, or a friend of the family are number one suspects untill they are ruled out.

sw

[Netizen]

That, and with the grandparents saying grandpa lets the dog out early in the am, they might be leaning towards looking more at grandpa than Mark.

Anybody know if grandpa was up early that morning to let the dog out?

[spectre]

Thanks, Netizen. I'm trying to look at all the angles, but I wish we had more "angles" to work with, LOL.

Have we heard from his grown children from his first marriage yet? I'm sure they will be going down to Florida to support their dear father. I would.

sw

[cyncooper]

Remember the woman who killed her twin boys by strapping them into the back of her car & drowning them,then crying for the cameras,saying "a black man" carjacked her? It's possible to beat a polygraph test,and really determined lunatics can lie their way out of anything,and make people believe it

First, I do not think Susan Smith passed a polygraph. In fact, I'm pretty darn sure she did not.

As several of us noted earlier in the thread, most people did not believe her early on.

[cyncooper]

She has a 5 year old son with her husband. She also has 3 other kids from her marriage with Lunsford.

Where did it say she was the mother of his older kids? I was thinking the older kids had a different mother.

[A knight without armor]

Just my one cent worth here about the alarm clock.

I heard it was going off when the father got home. He took a shower and when he got out he could still hear it going off, checked in on her and discovered her missing. He then went into the sleeping grandparents' room to see if Jessica was in their bed.

I wonder if it was their routine that the father gets home right at 6:00 a.m. and gets Jessica ready for school, because if not I find it strange that Jessica's alarm would be set for a time before the grandparents even wake up.

I saw the story on "Prime Time" or a similar program the other night and it demonstrated the clock going off at 6:00 a.m. That is why I assume it was 6:00 a.m.

Another thing is when you comment that ...the grandparents did not hear the alarm clock either... If Jessica normally got up before they did I can believe it. You can quickly get accustomed to an alarm going off in the next room and in a couple days it's like you don't hear it anymore.

Albeit I still think it is odd that Jessica would be getting up earlier than the grandmother.

I can also picture the dog not barking, even if a stranger came in quietly. Sometimes these dogs, perhaps especially the little ones, really can sleep through things.

I never heard why the front door was left unlocked as the grandmother said. Did she forget to lock it or did she have a reason for leaving it unlocked or in the morning did she just find it unlocked? I'm not clear on the explanation.

[cyncooper]

I'll bet he's from Ohio, too. He said in one of the interviews posted up thread that they recently moved to Florida.

[maggief]

FYI,

911 call replay coming up on Greta.

[cyncooper]

You are correct...I heard that the family in the Carolinas set up the website, too. It has nothing to do with the new computer.

[Krodg]

...if I was not a stay at home careprovider

Sorry to intrude, but what exactly is a 'stay at home careprovider'?

[Netizen]

Seems kinda handy that they had it so they could get a website up and going to ask for $.

oh yeah

[maggief]

http://www.wtsp.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=12199

Unedited 911 call Audio

[spectre]

Go figure?

See all of you good people tomorrow. And May God hold Jessica in the Palm of his hand...

sw

[blu]

Let's not forget the 40-some registered sex offenders who live in Jessica's town, one of them is her neighbor. Remember the VanDams? I agree, the parents have to be closely examined. However, we shouldn't ignore other possibilities.

One reason I doubt the father or the grandfather had anything to do with it: That Grandma looks like she could still whoop some ass bigtime!!!

[Netizen]

I'm trying to look at all the angles, but I wish we had more "angles" to work with, LOL.

Bet LE wish they had more to look at, too. I don't even know if the older children have been interviewed yet. It would be interesting to see what they have to say though.

[Netizen]

Where did it say she was the mother of his older kids? I was thinking the older kids had a different mother.

They do. I didn't realize at the time that she was the second ex wife. Did he have 4 kids with the first wife and 1 with the second?

[Netizen]

I wonder if it was their routine that the father gets home right at 6:00 a.m. and gets Jessica ready for school, because if not I find it strange that Jessica's alarm would be set for a time before the grandparents even wake up.

I wondered about that, too. Her getting up before the grandparents.

I heard it was going off when the father got home. He took a shower and when he got out he could still hear it going off, checked in on her and discovered her missing.

Still, why not shut off the alarm? If the grandparents weren't up yet, and obviously they weren't, why not shut it off so as not to bother them. Why let it ring and ring and ring? Unless he was hoping it would wake them up, maybe. Maybe he wanted somebody else to find the empty room.

I wouldn't leave the alarm ringing while I took a shower, even if I lived alone! It just doesn't make sense.

[Bellflower]

Yeah, what in the heck was the deal with that sub-plot? They find a body, it's not Jessica. Well, was in another little girl? Who was it? Was it that girl that disappeared from Florida Childrens Services? Why was there no reporting on the other body? Weird.

I thought the same thing. WHO is this little girl and what is going on?

[oceanperch]

you can do a search on my bio and posts.

Hope that helps.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

Same here. :(

This story is just to darn depressing.

I will keep Jessica and her family in my prayers.