Memorial service held for 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, Lecanto, FL

Tampa Bay News 10 ^ | March 26, 2005

[CitizenM]

LECANTO, Fla. (AP) - About a thousand people gathered today at a Presbyterian church to remember 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who was abducted a month ago from her home in Homosassa.

The third-grader's body was found last week. A convicted sex offender has confessed to kidnapping and killing Jessica.

A private funeral was held yesterday. This afternoon hundreds of people watched a photo montage of Jessica's life: an infant embraced by her parents, a toddler on a playground swing, a child posing behind the steering wheel of a car.

The final shot showed a broadly smiling Jessica wearing a fuzzy, pink bucket hat -- the photo seen on the fliers posted across Citrus County after her disappearance.

[CitizenM]

I also heard on Fox there is a special program tonight about Jessica, and the efforts her father is making to try to prevent this from ever happening again.

It was mentioned that Couey had 23 previous arrests. They played a video of a comment he made the last time he was sentanced for molesting a 5-year old. It was chilling.

[coconutt2000]

All in favor of shipping child molesters to an unfriendly deserted island with no children, say "Aye."

I see no reason to support child molesters on the public tax dollar by putting them away for life. I see very little reason to execute them except for revenge, and frankly I don't think people that deranged are likely to care about a little thing called the death penalty. They're like drug addicts, and when they're hunting for a fix, consequences be damned. Then again, rather public executions of sex offenders who molest and kill children would be rather satisfying.

Perhaps we can get a court to determine that repeatedly violent sex offenders are in permanent vegetative states which will allow us to humanely starve them all to death.

[GregB]

My wife has a great idea that involves a sharp object!!!

[Txsleuth]

I saw a few minutes of the memorial when Jessica's father was talking--

It was absolutely heartbreaking...tears just started rolling down my face---

Fox had a guy on a few minutes ago and was asked whether he thought that sex offenders should have a moniter on at all times, and the guy said it prolly should be looked at---

If it is good enough to keep Martha Stewart in line, then of course, sex offenders should wear them---but, will the powers that be actually consistently "monitor" the monitor?

[NorCalRepub]

and as much as the creep who did this is guilty as hell, Fox also had a tape of him after his last sentence saying he had a problem that he wanted help with.....they sentenced him to five years and he walked without the help he actually pleaded for.....did you hear that?....that is not to side with him at all, but the state seems to inherit some blame in this as well.......

[Duke Wayne]

May the Lord hold her for all time. I know he will.

[Txsleuth]

You are sssssssooooo right---have you noticed how many of these "bad things" have happened in Florida?

I don't know if that state is "cursed" or what, but it just seems like these really horrible things just somehow happen in Florida---

I am not a hugh fan of Bill O'Reilly, but he has shown case after case of judges messing up, and the same agency that Jeb was going to use to help Terri Schiavo, has been castigated by BO for not following up on children that are in abusive homes, ....

[Psycho_Bunny]

If I were a Christian, I'd pray every night for forgiveness - in advance -  for what I'd do if I ever caught a man molesting a little girl.

Really.  Between that man and I, one of us will be dead.

[NorCalRepub]

so true......don't know if it is just the media focusing on Florida or what.......you guys have had a hell of a few weeks in Tx what with shootings, explosions, roof cave ins etc.....stuff seems to happen in bunches.....by the way, I love Mark Levin......though he should smile more......LOL

[SandRat]

Matthew 19:14Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Matthew 18:1-5 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

[Gorzaloon]

and as much as the creep who did this is guilty as hell, Fox also had a tape of him after his last sentence saying he had a problem that he wanted help with.....they sentenced him to five years and he walked without the help he actually pleaded for.....did you hear that?....that is not to side with him at all, but the state seems to inherit some blame in this as well.......

But I suspect these types are beyond the skills of a State-employed sociology major or a State-emloyed psychologist. Time and again, it it shown that they simply do not "get better".

I was at a library today, and saw posters of local sex offenders. Some of the things they had done, been convicted for, and done time for prior to their release were brutal and disgusting and life-ruining for the innocents. We, a group of strangers, discussed the posters among ourselves, until we became too angered, outraged and sickened to continue the discussion.

The posters contained an admonition that the use of the Offender Record to harass, threaten or discriminate was unlawful.

IMO, the posters should have been offering a bounty. Upon presentation of ireffutable evidence, in order to rule out "Setups", (something which kids have done to teachers), etc., there should be no further discussion prior to a bullet.

They do not "Get Better".

[NorCalRepub]

well you could castrate them voluntarily or there are some wicked drugs that kind of work.....didnt' this guy have like 28 violations up to this point.....????????

[Mears]

I spent the morning with my 9 year old grandaughter.

I'm a sweet li'l ole Grammy who would rip anyone to pieces,slowly,who did to my grandaughter what was done to little Jessica,

I can't imagine the pain,and rage.

[coconutt2000]

Your wife has an excellent idea. While I have qualms about using the death penalty too freely, a little bit of castration... coupled with some salt would go a long way to making me feel better.

(There are barbarians, and there are barbarians. Civilized folk are defined best by their value of innocent life. Everything else is just cosmetic.)

[patriciamary]

I believe in the Death penalty for ALL first time offenders of this terrible crime.We don't have to worry about them every doing this again.

[Non-Sequitur]

He had 23 prior arrests and was still paroled. Once paroled, the state was so inept that it promptly lost track of him. Once they lost track of him it wasn't much of a priority to find him. That allowed him to abduct and abuse her for a couple of days before killing her and burying her a few hundred yards from her own bed.

Maybe if the governor can spare some time from Terri Schiavo he could do a house cleaning of the appropriate state organizations and lessen the chances of something like this happening again.

[coconutt2000]

I agree with you, but I'm rather fond of my exile to a deserted island, populated only by sex offenders.

Ever since reading Lord of the Flies as a teen, I've wanted to ship off same sex criminals and trap them on an island devoid of a native population.

What they can do to one another would by far give me the satisfaction of knowing that sick mf's are abusing one another far away, rather than letting them free to do so again here, in our neighborhoods.

[coconutt2000]

Typo correction, "my idea of an exile..." for sex offenders.

[sgtbono2002]

There is no case on record of an executed felon ever harming anyone again. That is the best reason, Revenge? What wrong with that?

[ladylib]

The state knows they can't rehabilitate someone like that. They should have put him in an ankle bracelet, just like they did with that dangerous felon Martha Stewart. Either that, or get really honest with themselves and the people of Florida, and admit they can't or don't want to help him. If they don't have the guts or the will to sentence him to life in prison, they can put him in a walled-off Club Med situation for all I care, just so he's not around kids.

A woman from Florida got a speeding ticket. Shortly thereafter she received junk mail from every FL driving school in the state. She called a NY radio station and asked how come everyone in FL knows she got a speeding ticket, but the state is so damn stupid they can't track a sexual predator? Good question, lady.