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 ...
I just remembered that at yesterday's press conference the father was asked again if they kept a key hidden for the front door that could have been used and he said they did keep a key hidden but it was still there.
Made me think of "Dial 'M' for Murder" (just on this key point---I'm hoping this girl is found alive, of course), where the would-be murderer enters the apartment by using the key left for him *and then puts it back in the hiding place* before entering, so I figure that if it is someone outside the family but who is friendly with the family and knew about that key...it is possible they gained entry with that hidden key.
The father said it was a Purple Stuffed Dolphin she had won at a fair with him, that was missing.
Either she carried it out with her, or the perp committed a so-called "act of love and buried it with her".
Anyone else have any other explanations for the missing Dolphin she slept with?
sw
I know what you mean.I am constantly worried about my 12y/o daughter,because she looks older than she is and that makes it so much more dangerous in todays society.
I don't let her go anywhere by herself and that sometimes restricts her freedoms,but she understands my concern,even if she whines at first.
I show her all these sad stories to make her aware of how many bad people are out there and she prays with me for the families of missing children and the kids.
It is a sad and dangerous world out there and our kids need to be aware of it.My 17 y/o son is very protective of her,despite of him arguing with her all the time over little dumb things.
He tells her that she can't go around the corner to her friends house by herself and takes her to make sure nothing happens to his baby sis.
I will keep praying for Jessica and her family.
He loves and provides for his daughter. They obviously have a very close relationship. He is just decent enough not to bring any girlfriends in for "sleep overs." A pretty good standard in my opinion. After all, he is entitled to have normal persuits.
After seeing him so many times on TV, learning he had been cleared, and even took and passed a lie detector test, I have no doubt he is sincere and not a suspect.
I do feel, as I stated on other threads, that Jessica got up and went outside to meet someone she had pre-arranged to meet. As I said, maybe someone she really trusted, like from her church. It could have been that she mentioned wanting to give a gift or something to her dad or one of her grandparents. That person could have lured her out with the idea they had something to surprise them with. Thus she went to get it, left the door unlocked because she was intending to go back in.
The Dad and grandparents both have said she never went anywhere without telling them. But if someone she truly trusted said something like "Tomorrow morning I will bring a present (or something) over for you to give (Daddy?) as a surprise so meet me at 6 outside in your back yard..." or something like that - she just might have done that. Just MHO. And...have you been to the website for Jessica? It is: www.jessicamarielunsford.com
Please visit it and post your prayers.
I did write to Fox about that. no comment received back. Obviously that is another story that the police do not want the spotlight on because they want the focus on Jessica right now. We will hear in time, I suppose.
contrast the coverage this case has gotten as compared to the Van Dam or the Smart cases....
blonde and beautiful people that live in rich areas....
and then we have this redneck Southerner who ,GASP, probably watches Nascar and listens to country music.....
note to all parents...if something bad happens to your family, make sure you are rich and beautiful to start and make sure you get that Public relations guy on board ASAP......./rant/
Yes, Cyn. Going with your theory, the perp knew where the key was, and the little girl might have been told she was going to see her father because he was in an automobile accident, etc. So she was very quiet and went along. We have to explore all options, don't we?!
I would love to hear what his OTHER children have to say about Jessica's father. Most of all, Jessica's half sister should be very concerned. OR did he keep them estranged from her life, like he did her own Mother?
sw
I don't think we know enough to state categorically one way or the other.
Someone mentioned the key and it being replaced and I thought of that, too.
They have said she is not.
Cherry, you've been on these sleuth boards for a long time, so do you think the Dad is innocent? I'm still on the fence.
sw
If Jessica was yanked out of her bed in the middle of the night, wouldn't she yell and scream? Also, the dog didn't bark. The grandparents were close by. It had to be someone she knew, who let her take her doll.
or (2) if you really suspect a family member *which I totally doubt* remember, it was the Grandmother who said the dog did not bark. At which case (since Dad did not come home until morning, and was hearing her alarm going off) the abduction would have been before Dad got in. So Dad could not be sure if the dog barked or not, he was not there.
(3)That leaves grandma and grandpa. Grandpa - No way, he is devistated. And if grandpa sleeps like my husband he would never have heard the dog bark. I have to shake my husband to wake him. He has slept through dogs barking, cat fights outside, things falling in the house, etc. LOL
(4) So only grandma is the one to have known if or if not the dog barked. Grandma abducting and hiding her own grandaughter - Oh, I really doubt that.
Haven't seen the grandfather to be able to form an opinion of him one way or the other...but just wanted to toss in the key thing as a possibilty.
The dad told about it when asked and actually dismissed it as saying "it couldn't have been used because it's still there" and I thought that didn't prove it hadn't been used and thought of that movie.
It also occurred to me he seemed really sincere and a guilty person wouldn't eliminate such a chance to point attention away from themselves and instead opine that couldn't have been the means of entry.
If that makes sense.
Also the dolphin story made me think he's truthful. He said he won the dolphin at the fair for her. Then he "corrected" to say something like "Well, we say I won it...these things get expensive" and it made me think she had liked that purple dolphin (my daugter has one just like it---I'll bet it's the same style I've seen at fairs and little girls do love them) so he bought it and said he'd won it so she would think he was cool. You know?
Yeah there is allot of truly missing people out there.
Makes you wonder for every killer caught how many go free?
Creepy.
The father has a right to a personal life. It's commendable that he stayed at the girlfriend's house instead of bringing her to his own home. He left his child in the care of his parents. How many millions of times does that happen in this country...with no bad occurrences?
After the dust has settled, we might learn more about this case. I'm seriously thinking there have to be some clues or tips the police have that we don't know about.
Silvia Browne, here's your big chance to prove yourself.. (you fraud), where are you?
Has the media reported why the child was with Dad and what kind of relationship the child had with her Mom?
I know a Judge ordered me to live with my father at six and he left me with the wolves, I spent most of my childhood running away looking for Mom or Grandma only to be returned and told not to tell what was going on in that house.
Finally court ordered me to stay home or live in jail as a repeat runner until 18. I worked, went to school and stayed in my room with knives untill two weeks prior to my 18th then I ran like hell, and now live far away from those evil days.
Amen! The leadership is much to blame for this… refusing to promote to their followers that personal responsibility is an important aspect of belief. Most of the people our family has had problems with the past few years claimed themselves to be “Christian.” It’s become especially difficult, for us, to trust someone who claims this before anything else. It hs been so bad that my wife and I have stayed away from church and now refer to ourselves as “Believers.”
Our nation’s culture and value system is sinking faster than the Titanic.
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