Van Dam Volunteer Sets Up Shop To Help In Search For Missing Boy: Bill Garcia takes lead role.

Union Tribune ^ | May 3, 2002 | Mark Arner

[FresnoDA]

	Van Dam volunteer sets up shop to help in search for missing boy

By Mark Arner
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

May 3, 2002

Elizabeth "Ellie" Elmore's new office is the Moose Lodge at 30th and Date streets.

Spread before Elmore on a fold-up table across from the bar are two laptop computers, a video camera, a cellular phone and several stacks of documents.

About the case

Jahi Turner was reported missing by his stepfather on the afternoon of April 25. Tieray Jones told police he and his stepson were at a playground near 28th and Cedar streets, at the edge of Balboa Park, when Jones walked to a vending machine to buy a soda. The boy was missing when he returned, he said. Police now discount that story, saying they have no evidence the boy was at the playground that day, sources said. Jahi weighs about 30 pounds and is about 30 inches tall. Police ask anyone with information about the boy to call authorities.

San Diego Police Dept.
(619) 531-2000

Crime Stoppers
(619) 235-TIPS

Volunteer search line
(619) 570-1070

The 25-year-old San Diego State University graduate student is helping to coordinate the search for 2-year-old Jahi Turner, and throughout the day, scores of concerned residents who want to help come by and talk with Elmore.

This is the second time in a little more than two months that Elmore has looked for a missing child. Earlier this year, she helped in the successful search for the body of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, who prosecutors say was kidnapped while she slept in her bedroom, murdered and dumped off the side of an East County road.

Despite the odds against finding Jahi alive, Elmore, along with the more than 800 residents who have volunteered in the search effort, is not dissuaded.

Elmore is putting 10 to 12 hours a day into the endeavor.

"Children are my passion," said Elmore, who is earning a master's degree in elementary education. "I'm a teacher and I wanted to help."

What drew her to the search center?

"A little baby is missing and I felt I had the knowledge from the van Dam search to help," she said. "I have a system of how to organize searchers."

Among the documents on the table are fliers with descriptions of the missing boy, volunteer registration agreements and stacks of blank "hello" name tags for volunteers.

On one computer, Elmore is clicking in the names, descriptions and identification numbers for more than 100 volunteers who strolled into the lodge on a recent day to help.

On the other computer screen are maps of several areas in and around Balboa Park and downtown San Diego.

Volunteers have been concentrating on those areas since Jahi's stepfather told police the boy was missing from a Balboa Park playground after he left the child for about 15 minutes to get a soda from a nearby vending machine.

Police have now discounted that story, saying on Wednesday there is no evidence Jahi was in the park last Thursday, sources said. But Elmore and volunteers say that has not deterred them.

"Nothing had changed for us. We're still searching for Jahi."

By noon yesterday, more than 45 volunteers had shown up.

"The community is so wonderful for coming together for Jahi," Elmore said.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

The Fourth District of Appeals ruled late this afternoon that the affidavits for the search warrants may be unsealed and shown to the media. News reported maybe as early as Monday.

This will be interesting !!!!!!

[spectre]

Go to www.polygraph.com and learn all about how a person can beat the test! It's called the Sting Technique.

The fact is, the van Dams were associated with former law enforcement types, and could have had knowledge of the system that is being sold on this website. (They could have been coached too.) They'll even download it for immediate delivery.

For those who trust the polygraph as gospel truth...suggest you go over and read the comments.

sw

[mini_teacup]

awww isnt that a coinkydink? sounds like a partial search and maybe fishing expedition too.

[mini_teacup]

LOL well stupid is as stupid does right? i am over paranoid with my kids for lotsa reasons. One is todays times, one my crazy ex lol. So I admit I am paranoid, but still ugh i couldnt imagine leaving my kids alone.

[UCANSEE2]

LOL !!! If I didn't know better (actually I don't) I'd think that Diane might have once been Daniel. Maybe the last name tells more than we thought.

Isn't this case weird with names ? Like the police analyst of the PORN files on the computer. His last name is YOUNGFLESH !!!!!!!!!! Can there be anything more ironic ?????