Amber Alert issued for Spencer kids (Small town Iowa kids grabbed by parents - FOUND)

The Des Moines Register ^ | 12/11/03 | Register News Services

[Rightone]

Spencer, Ia. - An Amber Alert was issued Wednesday night after three children were reportedly nabbed out of the home of their grandparents by their parents, who lost custody the day before, Spencer police said.

The suspects are Samantha Pardue, 30, and John Davidson of Georgia, the parents of the children. Spencer police officials said temporary custody was granted to the children's grandparents the day before.

[ladyjane]

Hi Chesty - Barefoot kids in the house are fine for the most part. But these kids were on anti-biotics, had a strep throat and asthma. If they have that much wrong with them then they probably are frail.

[xJones]

The suspects are Samantha Pardue, 30, and John Davidson of Cleveland, Ga., the parents of the children. Spencer police officials said temporary custody was granted to the children's grandparents the day before. They said the parents lost custody of the children because of financial and drug problems.

We hope the best for the 3 children, but God help the grandparents also. What a nightmare....

[davidosborne]

I agree.... we must STOP these Amber Alerts for custody battle cases..... Maybe they can create another system for these... I hate to see this become a Boy who cried wolf system...... what do you all think we can do about this...

[Rodney King]

I agree, Amber Alerts should not be used for custody cases for the obvious reason that if all the amber alerts are custody cases, then people will become de-snesitized to them. We had this argument on FR a month ago, but most people are too emotional and don't see why issuing amber alerts over custody cases might cause some people to pay less attention to an Amber Alert when it is a stranger abduction.

[curlewbird]

One reason I heard on the radio (local story here) was that they took them away due to denial of critical care and substance abuse. That came from the police chief. The grandparents only got custody on the 3rd of December.

[ChemistCat]

Kids are more likely to be killed by a family member than by a stranger. If these parents are really strung out on drugs (gosh, look at the name of the youngest child!) then there's reason for concern even without knowing why they lost custody.

That said--my children are all in the lowest 15% of height and weight for their ages, and the middle one has been diagnosed with failure to thrive several times--and I took nothing during my pregnancies with them and they are well cared for. They are just small, as I was growing up--and the middle one has no great interest in food of any kind. She'd rather read than eat. She doesn't ever seem to be hungry! I know she's in a growth spurt not because she says she's hungry, but because she eats marginally better. I reward the first and third ones on occasion with food...the middle kid, I reward with other books when she eats well. I'm not saying failure to thrive can't be caused by drug use and neglect--but sometimes it's not.

[Rightone]

If every time a kid was taken by a relative after a divorce, separation or whatever, the whole Amber Alert system would become worthless. This sort of thing happens many times a day.

Your premise that a family member is more likely to kill might be true, but the family member does not first abduct the child and run off to do the killing.

[ChemistCat]

Remember that psychotic grandmother who took her 2 year old granddaughter and drowned her in the river in Utah?

I'd far rather have a few Amber Alerts that aren't appropriate than miss a chance to save a child in the hands of a psychopath--related or not, custody-battle related or not.

A friend in Germany had her children abducted by their father and taken out of the country. He told her flat out he'd kill them before he let her have them again. US Marshalls took the kids back at gunpoint once they were found. They were 2 and 6 and didn't even speak English when he took them. He had rat poison stocked up to give them if he thought they might be taken back.

[curlewbird]

"I'd far rather have a few Amber Alerts that aren't appropriate than miss a chance to save a child in the hands of a psychopath--related or not, custody-battle related or not."


I would agree with you there. This area of the state is very quiet and RARELY has anything this big going on. If they were too quick in issuing an Amber Alert it is because in the last few years, there was a child in a neighboring town killed by someone, (the mother's boyfriend was aquitted) and last year in another town a little ways away, a father and mother were charged with the murder of their adopted child after relatives in Michigan called authorities there and wanted someone to check on him. He was found buried in the basement of the home and had been dead for at least a year. So, I think this was the right thing for the authorities to do. With the one child having asthma, if they didn't take an inhaler with them, he is in very real danger. Hope they really do take them to Georgia and they are found safe and sound - soon!

[Dubya]

I am praying that these kids are safe.

[Yeti]

I went to Weather Underground(pretty good site), but I couldn't find anything about Amber alerts. Do you mind if I ask you where you found it?

[Rightone]

I get emails from Weather Underground because I signed up for "member" status. Costs a couple of bux a year.

Anyhow, then you can go in and set up your email for Public Service Announcements and a lot more, too. Their email just popped in last evening.

[Yeti]

I get emails from Weather Underground because I signed up for "member" status. Costs a couple of bux a year.

Thanks.

I think there's a really big future in that, low-cost information subscriptions.

[tiki]

Prayer bump.

[trussell]

http://codeamber.org/pardue/

You can go to this site and sign up to get amber alerts from all over emailed to you.

[Yeti]

Thanks : )

[Bob J]

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[mafree]

I pray the kids are found safe and that the whole family heals.

[Rightone]

JUST IN:

Well, this is why we shouldn't cry WOLF! No other info than this, but they cancelled it. This is NOT what Amber should be used for. Am hopeful the kids are fine!!!

Public Information Statement

1134 PM CST Thu Dec 11 2003

                  ...Amber alert cancelled...
  
the Amber alert issued Wednesday December 10 2003 for three children 
starla Marie Pardue...Ryan lee Pardue...and skyla arzula Mumper has 
been cancelled.

[trussell]

Still haven't got this info on the CodeAmber site. Hopefully they will add some info.

Praying for the children harder now than before. A cancel without more info is usually not a good sign.