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.
Those who know Jessica say she never does anything without her grandmother's permission.
Her first thought would be of her grandparents there in the house with her, to run and awaken them, too. Whoever it was would need a story to cover that, like, they already know and are outside, or they already went to the hospital and left me here to take you.
Something to cover it, and then, it had to be somebody she knew for her to open the door or go with them, period, and someone who convinced her about the grandparents' whereabouts.
Yes, the police must be following up big time and even shadowing some people. As you, sadly, I fear her fate is cast. Hope we are wrong.
It does sound like someone took advantage of an opportunity. Hindsight no doubt has the father wishing he'd made some different decisions -- he has 'been there' otherwise through the years for Jessica, it seems.
But no need to pile on him, he's suffering consequences beyond what I can imagine. Careful as I am and as seriously as I take my responsibilities to my family, I do sometimes leave a chink, an opening.
Prayer ping for Jessica -- if you have responded on a different thread, pls ping me -- thanks.
Look at that poor girls eyes...they are not the eyes of a happy girl! She looks resigned, afraid, they are almost "dead" looking eyes!
While reading thru all of the newscasts on the net I came across their street name, grandmother's name and with that I was able to look up their address. Then I was able to cross reference their address with know sexual offenders from Citrus county, Fl.
There is a known sex offender that lives on the street behind their trailer. From the map it appears to be less than 100 feet from their front door. The age of the offender is approximately the same age as the grandparents.
Man, does this freak me out.
In my earlier post I stated that most child abuse victims know their predator intimately, a neighbor, relative, etc. This guy is probably friends with grandpa.
she might have been clutching her stuffed animal while she slept, and that is why it is missing....
"he probably snuck in"
You say he chloroformed her and made off with her as she slept.
Ok, to all that, I say a door had to be unlocked, and he had to know where to go in the home to get her, and there was a dog (of unknown watchdog capability). Lots of "had tos" for it to work in his favor.
They say the dad claims to have found the front door unlocked when he got home at 6. If true, either the door was inadvertently not locked that night, and the perp seemed to know it, choosing that night to get in, or Jessica was awake and knew the person wanted access and granted it to him, probably because she knew him.
The police say there was absolutely no sign of forced entry.
"nutjob" - Well, they're Mormon. Mormons tend to believe that the unfortunate and the poor deserve a chance.
I have two children-girls- and I have made VERY sure that they understand that very bad people exist in this world. I have also provided them with the proper training on what to do in case something ever happens to them.
I think the most startling thing about this case, though, is that this little girl was taken from her UNLOCKED home in the middle of the night. WHY in the world would you leave your house unlocked when you have something as precious as a child sleeping, in what she feels, is the most protected place in the world ? Call me obsessive, but I check all of my doors probably three times before I can sleep well at night. Even then, I am always in fear of something horrible happening, so I sleep very lightly.
I am not placing blame, but you have to wonder!
Amen!
Elsewhere on tv accts that it had a habit of burrowing into a pile of blankets, and that's where it was found when the grandmother made the 9-1-1 call.
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." -- in bad things as well as in good, it would seem.
Joining you both in prayer. It is raining over most of FL including that area, BANDS of rain. . . . God, please be with Jessica, and work in the heart of anyone with power to do harm to her.
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