Posted on 02/25/2005 8:26:18 AM PST by varina davis
Search intensifies for missing Citrus County girl
Friday, February 25, 2005
Over 100 federal, state and local law officers are taking part, as the search for Jessica Lunsford continues.
The 9-year-old was last seen about 10 p.m. Wednesday. That's when authorities said her grandparents put her to bed in their Homosassa home.
They said her father Mark, who also lives there, returned home early Thursday to find her missing.
Today, authorities are beefing up the search for Lunsford.
"We've activated the CART Team which is the Child Abduction Response Team from the Tampa area," Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsey said. "We expect 20 to 25 additional investigators to hit the ground."
Search crews scoured the area around Lunsford's home Thursday using bloodhounds and helicopters.
Dawsey said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also getting involved.
He said even though family members are not suspected in Lunsford's disappearance, investigators interviewed them Thursday.
The search continued Thursday for Lunsford. "We're going through some basic investigation with them and we'll bring them back," Dawsey said. "Guess the real reason is we're looking at all avenues right now. It does not mean they're suspects by any means, but it was a very unique way the girl went missing and I'm not going to leave any stone unturned."
Lunsford is described as four-feet-ten-inches tall, weighing about 70 pounds with light brown shoulder length hair and brown eyes.
She was last seen wearing a pink nightgown and white silk shorts.
Meanwhile, Lunsford's father Mark and her granparents Ruth and Archie Lunsford held a news conference this morning pleading for her return.
"I ask you to please help me find my daughter and bring her home," Mark Lunsford said.
He also said his daughter has been with him since she was one-year-old and the last whereabout of her [Jessica] mother was in Ohio.
If you see Lunsford or know anything about her disappearance, call the sheriff's office at 352-726-1121 or call 911.
I don't understand how this sort of thing happens.
How do someone just walk into your house and grab one of your children?
I don't get it.
How do = How does
Prayers.
I don't understand either but I hope they find her unharmed.
Prayers for the little girl and her family.
I don't know about this one, but something stinks.
They'd have to be fast enough to dodge or outrun that .40 Corbon semi-jacketed hollow point first.
Polly Klaas was taken from the bedroom of her home too.
Good point. The Smart family in particular was dragged through every bit of slime reporters could think of. And none of it was true.
How do someone just walk into your house and grab one of your children?
If you had a hound or 2 (actually - 3) like I do, a cricket shifting it's weight gets the dogs up and into silent stealth/stalking, investigatory mode. They feed off each others fever and God help the soul that tries this in my place.
KJC1: Polly Klaas was taken from the bedroom of her home too.
xJones: Good point. The Smart family in particular was dragged through every bit of slime reporters could think of. And none of it was true.
Look, I'm single, never married, no bastard children, so I don't have any first hand experience with this, but I can't imagine that, if I did have a family, every door wouldn't be locked, there wouldn't be very large, very aggressive work dog in the house [preferably a mastiff], and there wouldn't be a 12 gauge shotgun by the side of my bed.
So I'd say the same thing to the Klaas & Smart families: How the hell did someone get inside your house in the first damned place?
You can't even take a nap around here for the sounds that the doors make when people open and close them.
Fox News:
She's found! In Ohio being debriefed.
I believe the mother's been found not the girl...
Correction:
In continuing to listen......questioning MOTHER in Ohio. Child NOT found. Sorry.
Thanks! I realized this as I listened. When the LEO used the word debriefed, I jumped to conclusions.
Do you know where in Ohio?
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