These episodes have the effect of numbing the senses.
I do know that I have developed this incessant need to be surrounded by well cleaned and loaded firearms. ;)
Posted on 08/07/2005 1:06:11 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The family of Brooke Wilberger, a 19-year-old college student who vanished from Corvallis 14 months ago, said Wednesday they still want to find their daughter.
Brooke's mother, Cammy Wilberger, spoke at a press conference in Corvallis following the announcement that a 39-year-old man jailed in New Mexico on unreleated but similar kidnapping and rape counts had been charged with Brooke's kidnapping and murder.
Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser said investigators had not found Brooke's body but had enough other evidence to charge Joel Patrick Courtney, in custody in Albuquerque, N.M., with aggravated murder.
"Our main goal remains the same -- to find (Brooke) and see that justice is served," Cammy Wilberger said.
She thanked the hundreds of people who searched for Brooke, who was abducted in May of 2004 from outside her sister's apartment complex in Corvallis.
Cammy Wilberger also asked for privacy, saying that the Wilberger family did not want to inadvertently say anything that could compromise the case against Courtney.
"We believe families are eternal. Brooke will be with our family forever," she told reporters.
DA Heiser said the family of the man arrested in the case was "very cooperative" and helpful with investigators. Amid what he called "tremendous grief and guilt," Heiser said Courtney's family has been "forthcoming and candid."
"They've been put through the wringer on this," he said.
Members of Courtney's family addressed the media late Wednesday afternoon at a Portland church.
“First of all, we would like to convey our thoughts and prayers to the Wilberger family. As a family, we want them to know that we honor them and remember them daily in prayer," said Courtney's sister, Dina McBride of Beaverton.
His sister said Courtney had a "long history of run-ins with the law," much of it related to drug and alcohol abuse.
McBride said if her brother is found guilty of Wilberger's murder, he should be held accountable.
“We are a family who holds faith very dear. We believe that God is the definition of love. We also know from his word, the Bible, that he is the God of justice. Because of what we know of God, we believe that justice must be served," she told reporters.
Wilberger's disappearance last May riveted Corvallis, a town of 50,000, which includes a student population of 18,000.
Students on the campus of Oregon State University came to the press conference where Wilberger's family appeared sporting bracelets bearing the words "Find Brooke," while a local church still had a large sign calling for prayers for her safe return.
And in Veneta, the tiny Oregon town where Brooke grew up, her missing person posters are still tacked to light poles.
"I think one always has hope," said Lindsey Wilson, 20, who went to high school with Wilberger. "All we can do is pray to God and hope she's finding peace wherever she is," she said.
Where is the outrage. The daily updates for the last year of this beautiful girls disappearance. The break in news updates. I mean she is only missing in these United States for gosh sake. You do not even need a passport to go to Oregon.
The bumper to bumper resentment of those Oregons' not doing their job? Not saying they didn't do their job but how would we know. We know more about the Aruban police incompetence. I mean Laci Peterson received more coverage. The search parties the never ending coverage of this beautiful college student.
What no Aruba, no huge amount's of money on the families side. No news organization wanting to camp out on their front yard, follow the last steps of this young woman's day?
I am outraged. I am sick and tired of the media deciding what is and what is not important. This young woman disappeared, she is now the victim of a violent crime, there is outrage, it is for the lack of interest and the animal who allegedly took her from this earth. The parents deserve to find the body, they may have more to go on than Holloway case, lets hope someone out there helps this family find peace in the where about's of this young lady.
I agree, it is really bizarre how some cases demand minute by minute exposure while some others are forgotten.
There are only so many stories the media can cover, and they just pick which one can be told most sensationally. Maybe someday we'll have wall-to-wall coverage on every disappearance or kidnapping on hundreds of cable channels, but it's seems we've got too much coverage of this stuff now, not too little.
PING
I get ticked off about a lot of things. The lack of coverage of the great things our troops are doing in Iraq. The lack of responsibility of states and the issue of convicted sex offender's to name a couple.
I recall when this young lady went missing. Beautiful smart (she was home from BYU for the summer) and her parents said she was a loving daughter.
I am sick and tired of the media deciding which story is important and which one isn't.
During the Holloway case 3 little boys went missing, found dead in a trunk. Some coverage but it was stateside give the audience a chance to get involved ask them to get involved we want to help. Instead on each of the nightly cable news shows it is never ending Holloway and now the Smith gentleman who became lost on a cruise ship. They are important stories but what the hell can I do to help in these news items.
Have the news cable shows become a nightly Oprah with a dash of news injected for authenticity?
I am ticked and I will remain so until something gives. Thanks for allowing me this rant.
It got a microsecond of attention on Fox last night.
In the natalee holloway case, reporters got to go to aruba! A free vacation!!!
Who wants to go to oregon to report on a story???
Yes you are right about that.
It is just to understand, that we listen hourly of the plight of a missing teen and we have no power to do anything over here but watch and offer a prayer.
Then there are cases that they cover for a day and if the audience were given half of chance could assist in some way.
Last year, we had back-to-back disappearances of 2 young women in our city, which, IMHO, could point to a "serial" situation, as they both had same hair color, etc. Our local sheriff was on Greta for about 3 minutes one night, and that was it. There is enough of this that goes on around the country that with 1 hour each night on the air, more of these cases could be covered than asking the same questions over and over to the same people on one case.
Not sure I want coverage 24/7 of any case, but I think it should be equitable.
I half to believe Greta's heart is in the right place I mean her show is what broke the story in our house. She followed up, but, did not fly to Oregon, like she did for the runaway bride, or her jaunts to Aruba to assist the mother of the missing teen. It seems to move it from a news item to a news magazine item.
If you cannot give the same to all then reduce it down and give a little and move on to other important new's items of the day.
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it.
It seems that in each of the non stop stories the parents were in the forefront pushing the story, the media runs with it non stop. Remember the girl from Modesto that had the affair with the congressmen, again in modesto Laci Peterson, Now its Holloway. Frankly I do not want to see non stop sensationalism. There are stories out there that will affect our country.
I am interested in the missing girls story but non stop?
That would definitely be the fair way to do it, but as we know, the media aren't about "fair". They cover what they want, and what will get them ratings. And since there is only room for one "hottest" crime story, this is the one they're riding.
I'm the least PC-person around, but I said early on, if this Aruba thing were about a fat black man instead of an attractive blonde white woman, it would have been mentioned parenthetically, if at all.
Brooke is/was really cute. What a tragic case. It must be hard for the family to watch the non stop Holloway coverage and wonder if this type of coverage could have helped locate their daughter. But even if someone isn't photogenic, aren't they loved just as much by their family and friends. Go to websleuths and there are several heart breaking stories there. I hate to bring it up again, but the Peterson coverage was over the top also. It got to the point that I could predict what was on the news. I told my husband, if I change to CNN I bet Laci will be on there also and sure enough it was.
I agree with you and applaud your good sense. Who knows maybe Greta will be surfing some time today and see our concerns and perhaps give consideration to a different format.
I admit, I also watch the Abrams Report, he to has dedicated a great deal of air time to the Holloway case, but he has tried to balance with other cases, still not enough in my opinion. But what I fear is it is the audience that demands the content of the show, if that is so I really must not know my friends.
Message from the Wilberger family
August 5, 2005
We would like to thank all those that have joined with us in so many different ways this past year in our search to find Brooke. Our main goal remains to find Brooke and see that justice is served. We believe families are eternal and Brooke will always be a part of our family.
This is not over yet; we support the district attorney, the police, and all the agencies still working on this case.
We ask that the media respect our privacy and realize that we do not have the answers to most of the questions you are asking. We do not want to compromise anything in this case. We recognize that to be at this point is an answer to many prayers. We thank you for that. Again, as a family our main goal is to recover Brooke.
Thank you.
Greg and Cammy Wilberger and Family
Source: http://www.findbrooke.com
Guess, what, that is the only place I heard it, at the top of the 9 CDT when the host tossed it to the sit in for Geraldo I could have sworn he said they would have an update during the show, but I had nothing again NOT A WORD.
These episodes have the effect of numbing the senses.
I do know that I have developed this incessant need to be surrounded by well cleaned and loaded firearms. ;)
If I am not mistaken, this got a lot of attention when the young lady was first missing.
There's only so much outrage to go around, I guess. But if the Natalee Holloway case is solved, expect Greta to head up to Oregon and beat this horse into the ground with nightly reports about the guy who's cousin's friend drove down the same road this missing girl once drove down.
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