Jessica Ridgeway Murder: Investigation Focuses On Suspects Of Prior Kidnap Attempts, Points To Local Suspect
Jessica Christine Ridgeway , the grape-hued bespectacled 10 year old who lit up the court as a Stadley Lake pee wee cheerleader, left her Westminster home at 8:30am on October 5, 2012.
She was due to meet her walk-buddy Jeremy after speaking to him briefly from her Mom’s cell at 8:25am. When she did not show by 8:40am, he hitched a ride from his Dad to avoid missing the 8:50am bell. The drive route would not pass an “enroute” Jessica if she were to take the normal path to school.
Jessica never made it to Witt Elementary School (WES) and the school called her Mother’s cell by 9am to alert her to her absence.
Sarah Ridgeway, Jessica’s Mother, worked the night shift and never heard the cell phone she left downstairs. Later in the afternoon Sara retrieved the voice mail from WES, got in her car and began looking for her daughter.
Ridgeway reports her only child she shared with Jeremiah Bryant missing via 911 when she was unable to locate her. Jeremiah Bryant, Jessica’s Father, was alerted first by his employer when police were trying to determine his whereabouts, and then directly by investigators.
Despite the 6 hour delay Westminster Police reacted swiftly. They had interviewed children that normally walked to school with Jessica by the end of the school day and issued an amber alert by 9:15 PM Friday evening.
Victorious. This is the word splashed across Jessica’s pink backpack found by a neighbor in nearby Superior in the early hours of Sunday October 7th. It was believed to have been placed there between 6:45PM Saturday and midnight Sunday morning.
By Sunday afternoon Jessica’s family had confirmed the backpack ,complete with water bottle bearing her name , was hers. By Sunday afternoon investigators knew the chances of this ending well were lost when a clear and deliberate placement of a missing ten year old child’s backpack was a definite calling card intended for them.
The complete contents of the bag or any other evidentiary clues it yielded have not been released.
Hours before Waste Management crews would stumble across the horrific mutilated partial remains of the little girl whose abduction had thousands of law enforcement assets scrambling to find her and the rest of us with cable-holding our collective breath, Jessica’s parents were cleared of any involvement in her disappearance. An unknown predator was responsible, and HE was out there.
While it has not been disclosed publicly, sources inside the investigation speaking to BOC on the condition of anonymity have confirmed that both Sara Ridgeway and Jeremiah Bryant were administered and passed polygraph examinations.
Panic Button
82nd St, west of Quaker. Across from a series of abandoned buildings and near a dilapidated mine shaft, Jessica’s torso was discovered by a maintenance team routinely scheduled to clear debris from the area. While her remains were partially concealed by a dark garbage bag, it was clear whoever placed them where they were intended for them to found quickly. Close to a drainpipe that would have likely hidden the fate of the little girl indefinitely, her killer chose instead to traverse a culvert placing the bag inside the barbed wire fence on an elevated area visible from the road. Sources indicate to BOC that the the dismemberment was intentional and several body parts remain missing.
The state of her dismembered corpse delayed her identification from the prevailing methods of dental records and fingerprints and had to be confirmed via DNA through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) lab. It did not delay a thinly veiled and uniform look of panic among law enforcement officials in Westminster, Arvada, the FBI and the Jefferson County DA during the press conference announcing what everyone already knew.
An autopsy preformed last week awaits toxicology and other anthropologic study results to make a final determination on her cause of death, however, as police have established she was murdered there is no question her manner of death is listed as homicide.
Jessica Ridgeway was the victim of a child predator of the darkest variety, and he is likely a member of the immediate community living among those in their extreme fear and grief.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Last Fall, and as recently as a few weeks before Jessica was abducted, police in Jefferson county had been alerted to what they believed amounted to two different men suspected of attempting to lure children into their vehicles. A letter was sent home from Jessica’s school in September.
While it is not known if these suspects and composites are connected to Jessica’s murder, police would still like the public’s help in providing any information about their identity and whereabouts.
Last November a series of attempted abductions of young girls in Arvada caused Arvada police to release a composite of an as-yet unidentified suspect.
Attempted Child Abduction Incidents
- On Saturday, November 12, 2011, just after 3:00 p.m. in the area of Danny Kendrick Park (7000 Ward Road) and the Apex Recreation Center. Arvada Police were called to the area on a report of an attempted child abduction involving a 12-year-old Arvada girl.
- On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, just after 8:00 p.m., a 6-year-old child was contacted by a man as she sat in a lounge area of the YMCA located at 6350 Eldridge Street. The suspect lured her outside and she was able to break free and return to her parents inside the building.
Indecent Exposure
- On Friday, November 4, 2011, three 12-year-old girls were playing outside in the area of 69th and Robb Street when the suspect approached the girls and exposed and touched himself in their presence.
Suspicious Incident
- On Monday, November 14, 2011, Arvada Police were called the area of 77th and Parfet Street where a 15-year-old girl was contacted by a man driving a silver or white four door car who began asking her for directions.
Although Westminster Police have publicly ruled out any connection to the Ridgeway case, about 8 hours away in Cody, Wyoming, Jesse Paul Speer, an acclaimed wilderness and wildlife photographer with ties to Colorado was arrested for abducting and sexually assaulting an 11 year old girl he forced into his vehicle after she declined along with her friends to help the man search for his imaginary dog.
On Monday October 8th, Speer is alleged to have sexually assaulted the child in his vehicle over a 4 hour period, finally releasing her with a bag over her head in a remote stretch of wilderness in temperatures under 30 degrees and known for heavy predatory wildlife. Speer , a highly experienced outdoorsman, knew the chances of his victim succumbing to hypothermia or worse- were strongly in his favor.
Fortunately, Speer’s victim was found wandering by a hunter and amazingly was able to provide a full description of her attacker, the route she was taken although her hands were bound behind her back and Speer’s repeatedly pushed her head down into the seat AND described that while she was being assaulted Speer’s had hundreds of pictures of naked girls strewn about the vehicle.
Westminster Police have not elaborated on the FBI’s exclusion of Speer in the Ridgeway case and the only known and verifiable whereabouts of Speer are based on video of him entering the Yellowstone National Park at 4PM October 7.
While I have faith in the FBI, I admit that that the likelihood of two separate and distinct perpetrators engaging in the stranger abduction and assault of similarly aged girls when the same also occurred a day earlier in Westminster being two different offenders is very slim- gives me great pause. Speer fits the suggested general FBI profile found below.
Speer is being held on a $2 Million dollar bond in Montana.
Much closer to home, as recently as last May, a female jogger was attacked by an unknown man who attempted to shove a cloth in her face she felt had some sort of chemical on it. It was the second attack on a jogger reported to police since 2010 and is currently unsolved. An 8 year old on a dry trail was similarly assaulted a few weeks before that about a mile away a few weeks prior to the May incident.
It is unknown if any of these incidents are related to the Ridgeway case, but until they can be excluded the possibility this suspect is not necessarily fixated on child victims should be of great concern.
If in fact Jessica did attempt to walk to school by cutting across 106th St, she would have been walking on the gravel open space trails that connect with the Ketner and Countryside loops.
The Suspect Profile
Well, sort of. The FBI, through Agent Dave Joly has released a public request for citizens and especially parents to remain vigilant and in particular to take notice:
FBI spokesman Dave Joly on Thursday asked for the public’s help in identifying possible suspects. He said the suspect could “be your boss, your friend” or a family member.
The FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit said that often, someone in the community will unknowingly be associated with the offender of the crime, and may be in a position to observe behavioral changes in that person. They will recognize the changes, and may even question the person about it, but may not relate the changes to that person’s involvement in the crime.
Immediately following the incident, he may miss work. The absence will be sudden and unplanned. He may either be a “no show” or he may offer a plausible excuse such as illness, death in the family, car trouble, etc.
He may miss scheduled appointments/commitments and be unaccounted for during this period. These appointments/commitments may include such things as medical appointments, meetings with a probation officer, prior commitment to a friend or family member, drug test, etc.
He may suddenly leave town, either with no explanation or with some plausible reason.
This individual may express an intense interest in the status of this investigation and pay close attention to the media. However, some offenders may quickly turn off media accounts or try to redirect conversations concerning the victims or their families.
There may be changes in the usual consumption of alcohol and/or drugs.
He may make a change in his appearance or alter something to prevent identification, such as changing the look of his vehicle, cleaning or discarding his vehicle.
Joly said the FBI is “working on an abundance of leads” in the case. He would not discuss specifics of the body that was found Wednesday and said the FBI is only wanting to give a profile to the public so that they might notice the behavior of the suspect.
Anyone with information should call the tip line at 303-658-4336.
(Editors Note: Ask for Suzie Salmon sweet girl- over by the canopy)
Research Credit: BOC editor Jacqueline Beaufort
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I don’t know how to ask this delicately and without coming across as superbly ignorant, so I’ll plunge ahead: will authorities be able to determine whether or not sexual assault occurred given the state of Jessica’s remains?
Also: if the two cases are indeed related, is it within the realm of possibility that the perp intended to dispose of the two girls in the same manner but came across an unforeseen “obstacle” in one of the scenarios? Team project, even?
If evidence of what I will call a typical sexual assault exists within the available remains, which can vary greatly in an offender motivation or profile, without being graphic, yes.
If this individual is what I suspect based on limited information, although in a sense he is sexually deviant and therefore motivated accordingly, it is possible there is no evidence of a traditional finding of sexual assault.
B
This perp is all about showing the world that he is powerful. He picks on those whom he can easily control and then does his deed.
He is one mean sick person to dismember the body,.
I would be looking for someone who works from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM or maybe even an earlier shift such as 3:00 PM till 11:00 PM. There would be no reason to miss work and he would have plenty of time to do his abduction and then the murder.
Children should be supervised all the way to school by at least two adults if they are walking until the perp is caught. All adults in the area need to be actively looking for a vehicle that may not belong in the neighborhood.
Thanks, Blink. I agree that the profile of Speer fits Jessica’s killer, as does the timing since he announced on his photography web site that he was going to be traveling and taking photos. His picture looks a bit like the first sketch above. Speer showed his capacity for reckless indifference or depraved heart by letting his WY victim go in the mountains, knowing her chances of survival were not great. Is murder that far off?
On the other hand, the horrific state of Jessica’s remains shows that the killer had some other agenda than just sexual assault. Speer doesn’t seem to have put forth the same effort. Jessica’s killer seems to have been showing off for LE. Speer doesn’t seem like he wanted more than to fulfill a sexual attack.
Just thinking out loud….
How far was the walk to meet with “walk-buddy”? which direction? And when “walk-buddy” was questioned by LE where was he located to be questioned?
These bones. Crying out for the end of evil, to banish the insanely motivated killers to a place where they can never hurt again–these bones will be redeemed.
@ atg
Agreed, but I would not rule out someone with extreme flexibility outside the office during the day, or that travels to different sites throughout the day.
He knew the profile before he offended. He is extremely organized and other things I am going to get more into once the comments get to second page, out of respect for the family. This type offender is caught due to the actual overplanning.
Thank you Blink for bringing Jessicas case to BOC. I have been following it with a heavy heart.
It is horrifying that once again a young girl was abducted within minutes of leaving her house on her way to school. It makes me think of Holly Bobo, another early morning daylight abduction.
Prayers go out to her poor mother and father , friends and family, and to her community.
It appears nowhere is safe any longer for children or teens to be out on their own.
I hope they catch this miscreant soon!!
Twink, one of the reasons I have been taking my time on this case is because for whatever reason, I knew this would be heinous, and I knew I would need to draw from recent training and study.
Speer clearly had begun the escalation process and I suspect had a triggering event.
I agree that the profiles differ in the fantasy continuum to a wide degree, but in profiling we know the exception can always be the rule.
@word
Yes maam
Been following since Day 1 and am leaving my overwhelming emotions aside when I post.
While Jessica could have been abducted anywhere along her path once she stepped outside her front door, I’m confused when media has repeatedly states Jessica was enroute that morning to meet her friend(s) at Chelsea Park.
In this video dated October 6, the reporter states Jessica was enroute to a friend’s house and the reporter is shown interviewing the friend’s mother while he is standing outside the friend’s home . . . the mother is standing and speaking off camera:
1:20 time mark
http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Jessica%20Ridgeway%20%20-CO-/?action=view¤t=100612Investigators-searchforJessicaRidgeway001.mp4&mediafilter=videos
Doing a google walk throughout the Streets, Ways and Circles in Jessica’s neighborhood to find the visible bits of the 2 houses shown in the video, I find them to be way past Chelsea Park and much closer to the final little bit of Moore Street that intersects with 106th.
Unless I missed LE stating that Jessica WAS enroute to Chelsea Park, her area of abduction broadens if she was indeed walking that morning to her friend’s house.
Like I first said, Jessica could have been taken from anywhere once she stepped outside that morning, but I don’t know if this particular friend would be waiting for her at Chelsea Park if the friend lives a distance south of the park.
@wpg
I ran into the same issue when trying to clarify.
I posted an image of the trail map I think is pretty telling, and frankly as I understand it, are similar in locations to other possible attempts.
I wonder if the snow paid a role in routes?
Thank you soooo much for covering this case Blink,
I have so hoped you would,
Christina Stoy says:
October 18, 2012 at 3:48 pm
(snip)
“Speer clearly had begun the escalation process and I suspect had a triggering event.”
Yes, and I have wondered if there was a triggering event in the life of the someone that took the life of Jessica.
So, so terrible.
@wpg, possible, but not enough info. Typically if the profile is right, no trigger outside of need and confidence in planning.
Blink, am I reading you right that Jessica’s backpack marked by
the murderer with the word “Victorious”?
Shades of the ‘ransom note’ in Boulder’s Jon Benet case, with the
exclamation ‘Victory’.
Could this abduction/brutal murder been the work of a pair of perps? Gosh, I hope parents in the area are keeping their eyes on all children coming and going. This is so frightening. Let’s pray LE gets some good leads.
You don’t have to post this Blink, but you may not realize:
In your article:
“The drive route would not pass an “enroute” Jessica if she were to take the normal path to school.”
the underlined link for the drive route takes one to your Kyron article.
Thank you wpg, I had to ping the article from the field, and it hyperlinked on the wrong word, my bad.
B
15. Christina Stoy says:
October 18, 2012 at 5:22 pm
@wpg, possible, but not enough info. Typically if the profile is right, no trigger outside of need and confidence in planning.
**********************************************
But the need, doesn’t just come out of the blue, does it?
Meaning he had to progress from somewhere, like porn or
bad relationship, etc?
Is this offender angry that he hasn’t been caught and given the attention he desires?
Precipitation Arvada, CO 10/05/12
Total Precipitation
0.02 IN
Rain and/or melted snow reported during the day.
Visibility
16.4 MI
Snow Depth
No data.
http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CO/Arvada/2012-10-05
So, what to make of the snow?
on to Pg 2, regarding :
“extremely organized”
and “overplanning”
How does that description fit Arvada priors?
@ venetia
The victorious is a nickelodeon trademark.
Many thanks for giving this your attention. So sad. So frightening.
Am I reading this right? The Speer attack in Montana happened Oct 8th 2012?? If Speer IS the perp in this case as well, it’s *beyond* worrisome that he perpetrated another attack so quickly. Isn’t there usually a cool-down period for these types of offenders?
@Rachel
Speer is not involved per the FBI.
Venetia says:
October 18, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Shades of the ‘ransom note’ in Boulder’s Jon Benet case, with the
exclamation ‘Victory’.
*******
Not to mention the initials JR…not that I am saying that that is connected in anyway. To add to co-inkys the placement of her backpack in relation to a previous murdered child’s home. You also have the irony of Jesse (Speer) and Jessica’s first names. It concerns me about the backpack being placed somewhere easily found before a body is even found. Why would someone create an additional crime scene with possible evidence? I am not totally convinced that Jessica did not make it to school as well. I wonder if there were any events planned at school the day Jessica disappeared. I can not help but think about Kyron…I wonder if the glasses were found in the back pack.
Kimberly, good questions, the problem is there is not enough Intel to profile specificity.
Without it everything distills to empirical data or like offenders and that gets risky.
I have no insight. No words of wisdom. Only tears for and with Jessica’s family. NOTHING will help your heart right now…in the months ahead you will realize people honestly mean that love. When you do… know that I am one of those that personally, and honestly feel and understand this unending pain. Bless Jessica. If my Megan can watch and comfort her… I promise you…she will. Peace to you…always.
I feel so terrible for Jessica’s mother. She must feel guilt (she shouldn’t, but I’m sure she does) for missing that one morning phone call.
I feel so sorry for her parents. She was innocently walking and someone grabbed her. I honestly don’t think it will happen again in this area. She met a monster. I only hope she didn’t suffer.
If there were several toros found in this area I would say someone in the area is involved. But I feel this is someone who is in town and moving on. JMO Either way I hope we catch the person and justice is served.
I was curious if it’s normal for a school to call a parent, leave a message re the child not showing up and to not follow up if they don’t hear back from the parent. If a child is in harm’s way, this leaves a big window of lost time.
@LYNDSAY
I agree she does, but I firmly believe it would not have prevented the outcome.
I’d like to add to the profile of the perp: Poor impulse control. Can never fill the void, and is compulsive with deviant sexual behavior targeted at a victim. The sickest of the sick. No cure for this type of pervert. Dangerous predator. Needs to be locked away forever. Will re-offend time and again and will escalate if released and given the chance to go out into society. And yes – alcohol and/or drugs plays a large part in his attacks.
Knowing what we know of Jessica’s remains, couldn’t we say that this is an extreme and deviant case of a very dangerous and sick perp who needs more added to his FBI profile for the safety of society?
If this guy actually works, then he should be displaying all kinds of odd behavior in public. What kind of person can go out and do what he did to a 10 yr. old girl, and then go to work? I don’t know about that.
Sue, respectfully, I cannot confirm much of what you are suggesting, with the exception that this individual is fearless as we define it, and a risk to public safety. Absolutely.
Just not enough info to make other educated assumptions at this point.
B
B
What a cruel, twisted SOB.
Another sweet innocent life – stolen by some cowardly POS that doesn’t deserve the air he’s breathing.
Sorry, but I’m pissed off.
Good to know you’re working Jessica’s case Blink.
Prayers to her mom & dad, family and friends.
Re the May 28th Ketner Lake attempted abduction of a woman whose mouth was covered by a chemically wet cloth. The jogger was able to break away and call 911 on her cell phone. The 2010 incident where a woman in the same area was chased has similarities.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/jessica-ridgeway-case-pol_n_1983280.html
Ketner Lake isn’t far from where Jessica was abducted.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/294986/339/Police-in-Ridgeway-case-look-for-link-in-May-case
Light skinned male
18 – 30′s (or someone who’s appearance with a ball cap may look that age)
Brown hair
Medium build
5’06″ to 5’08″ (Height can vary above or below these approximations)
If Jessica’s walking buddy’s dad was home in the mornings and gave his son a ride to school when Jess didn’t show up…uh, I’ve got questions:
Jess apparently called him and said she was on her way. Did walking-buddy’s dad call Jess’ mom?
Why didn’t walking-buddy’s dad drive the kids to school everyday?
What does the dismemberment of the body tell us about Jessica’s attacker?
It doesn’t appear that he did it to help dispose of her remains, because he could have left her body (intact) in the same location, partially covered by the dark garbage bag. On the contrary, it says something about him that he would mutilate her after death.
Maybe he thought that by dismembering her she would not be identified?
Possible for a disorganized offender. Not for this guy.
B
Word Girl says:
October 18, 2012 at 11:41 pm
If Jessica’s walking buddy’s dad was home in the mornings and gave his son a ride to school when Jess didn’t show up…uh, I’ve got questions:
Jess apparently called him and said she was on her way. Did walking-buddy’s dad call Jess’ mom?
Why didn’t walking-buddy’s dad drive the kids to school everyday?
_____
Good ?s WG. Looking at my own neighborhood’s and neighbor’s and husband’s behaviour, I would say the walking bud’s dad dropped the ball, is prolly beating himself up about not calling, but was likely checked out and cleared early. In our hood, sometimes kids take the bus and sometimes parents drive, and it depends on schedules. In walking neighborhoods, I suspect the same occurs depending on schedules and the weather.
Prayers and good vibes to Jessica’s family and all who loved her.
Agreed.
However, I want to say this- if a parent situation precludes someone from taking turns carpooling, and there is bus service available, can we have a daily parent assigned to walk with the kids to school, or an effort by the school to put kids without walking “teams” together?
Clearly, and those of you who are regulars know I have been beating this drum since day one-
The only way I know to protect from this type of offender is to eliminate the opportunity by not being alone, or having young kids alone. As parents, we have to mitigate the dangers as we see them, but also as we are warned.
I read some that are indignant that their child cannot enjoy the freedoms of being a child, walking to school like we did, etc. I regret the climate around our babies more than most, occupational hazard unfortunately, but it is what it is.
B
As stated by Blink, ‘maintenance team routinely scheduled to clear debris from the area’ is who found Jessica. Does this maintenance crew come on a schedule, ie, monthly, weekly, etc.? Could the perp be someone local who knows this crews schedule and is why he left her body there, knowing it would be found at that time? IMO, the backpack and body were planned ‘plants’ knowing when each would be discovered.
My deepest condolences to Jessica’s family as I cried tears when the body was found. Only a monster of the worst kind takes a child away from their family without an ounce of conscience. I don’t have any other words to say right now as this sickens me.
I think this guy with the rag is the one. First, you have to wonder how anybody could make her disappear so quickly/easily in broad daylight. It’s a big risk. Either it had in the park with his Vehicle nearby or the perp lives on the route she walked…How else can he make her disappear without anybody seeing a thing? Anybody could be looking out the window or walking out their front door. I was wondering if he rendered her unconscious frm behind & the chemical rag making her unconscious seems to fit the scenario. He probably couldn’t overcome the older women, so he went after smaller victim. Isn’t that what they do? Learn from their mistakes? I’d go canvassing all the houses on the route(s) she was possibly walking and look for somebody who fits that description. Otherwise, it happened somewhere in the park, before she met her little friend….Not to case any blame, but too bad Dad of the friend go looking for her? I mean, she was obviously on her way since she called beforehand.
Late yesterday afternoon, after I posted the piece, WPD renewed efforts to seek leads in the Kentner Loop angle.
B
Ridgeway, relative to Gary Ridgeway?
40. sunshine_4me says:
October 19, 2012 at 7:53 am
As stated by Blink, ‘maintenance team routinely scheduled to clear debris from the area’ is who found Jessica. Does this maintenance crew come on a schedule, ie, monthly, weekly, etc.? Could the perp be someone local who knows this crews schedule and is why he left her body there, knowing it would be found at that time? IMO, the backpack and body were planned ‘plants’ knowing when each would be discovered.
*********************************************
IMO, I think the back pack was deliberately left to be found NORTH, of where the perp needed to go. Seems like the heat was a lil too thick where he was and needed to re-direct it.
I also believe that he laid the torso where it was as a means to see it, to relive it and *get off on* the memories of such.
JMO
A dismemberment case made Denver headlines Oct 4 btw.
http://m.denverpost.com/denverpost/pm_14466/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=2suBK7KQ
I can’t put any ‘ball drop’ on the dad of boy who was to meet Jessica. I’m sure guilt is killing him. I look at my own son’s bus stop kids & parents. Some consistently show, some are hit or miss (parents drive them). My husband is same with our son, depends on how well the morning is going if he can get son ready for bus (if not, he drops him off at school.)
If the boy was my own and he told me he just talked to Jessica and she is meeting him at park, and then I find my son still at park as I’m trying to get out the door myself to work, I can easily see myself saying ‘maybe her mom told her after she got off phone that no, she wasn’t going to park, or no, mom’s going to drive you.’ Dad’s instinct was probably just get his kid to school so kid is not late and dad is not late to work.
The sad part about this story (and all other child abductions) is that it needs to bring awareness to all parents, no matter how good you think your neighborhood is, to keep an eye out for ALL children, not just your own.
This world is a much different place then when I grew up. I walked to elementary school by myself (about 1 mile), 1/4 of trip along the edge of woods. There is no way in heck I would allow my 8 year old to do the same now. I know my neighbors think me and husband crazy, but when our son plays outside, if we can’t see him, his name is yelled from the door. Which he usually has just gone around the corner of the house just out of site. Son knows very well of awareness of strangers and non-strangers. I chuckled because a neighbor up the street the other day was riding his bike past our house. (we see him drive by but don’t know him). Our son was behind my car watching him. I asked, what are you doing? He said, I’m watching him, because he was staring at me when he rode by and i wanted to keep an eye on him so he didn’t try and ‘snatch’ me.
How I wish the world was not like this.
Sunshine4me, my daughter is 15 and I still have concerns about letting her out of my sight, and normally do not unless she has a friend with her. Sometimes I wonder if I am too paranoid or over protective, but then there are cases like this that remind me that I’m not. However, I’m afraid there are alot of parents that just do not realize how dangerous the world can be, or think it won’t happen to them or not in their neighborhood.
I lay absolutely no blame on the friend’s dad. It would have been nice had he thought to find out why Jessica was a no show, but the responsibility of Jessica’s safety lies with her own parents. Hate to say that here…after a tragedy…but it’s true. Sorry if that’s too blunt. I know we all need to look out for each other and each others kids, but I’m sure he just thought that there was a change in plans.
I wonder if the perp was on the maintenance team or somehow connected? Or because he wanted her to be found…..Did he put her where he could watch and see her be found? Does he live close to that location? The daylight abduction, the backpack found, the location where she was found…..Just all seem deliberate. Did he keep parts for trophy’s possibly…. Did the police have dogs trying to track her scent at all?
from Blink’s article:
“When she did not show by 8:40am, he hitched a ride from his Dad to avoid missing the 8:50am bell. The drive route would not pass an “enroute” Jessica if she were to take the normal path to school.”
____
True about the driving and walking routes being different route . . . and if by chance Jessica did make it across to the open space bordering her school:
1.
driving route from Jessica’s home (also friend’s) to Witt Elementary
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=10786+Moore+Street,+Westminster,+CO,+United+States&daddr=W+107th+Ave+%26+Moore+St,+Westminster,+CO+80021+to:Witt+Elementary+School,+Westminster,+CO,+United+States&hl=en&ll=39.886426,-105.113883&spn=0.012118,0.019419&sll=39.889225,-105.112027&sspn=0.005458,0.008926&geocode=FRezYAIdGRm8-SlbN85F5YtrhzE1UyWZnVwUgg%3BFQ6mYAIdKh68-SntrKua5ItrhzEJJehaFBx6Gg%3BFfSaYAIdYh28-SEP0sbVvAewHylPnUP94otrhzEP0sbVvAewHw&oq=Witt&t=h&mra=ls&z=16
2.
walking route option taking Moore all the way down to 106th,
then crossing to the open space before the school
(cutting through Chelsea Park and walking south on W 107th Ave to “Point B” another option)
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=10786+Moore+Street,+Westminster,+CO,+United+States&daddr=W+107th+Ave+%26+Moore+St,+Westminster,+CO+80021+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=39.885784,-105.112209&spn=0.012118,0.019419&sll=39.886398,-105.112815&sspn=0.002142,0.002427&geocode=FRezYAIdGRm8-SlbN85F5YtrhzE1UyWZnVwUgg%3BFQ6mYAIdKh68-SntrKua5ItrhzEJJehaFBx6Gg%3BFbieYAIdIBu8-Q&oq=Witt&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=2&sz=19&z=16
3.
walking option and biking/walking routes
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=10786+Moore+Street,+Westminster,+CO,+United+States&daddr=W+107th+Ave+%26+Moore+St,+Westminster,+CO+80021+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=39.887183,-105.110192&spn=0.012118,0.019419&sll=39.885784,-105.112209&sspn=0.012118,0.019419&geocode=FRezYAIdGRm8-SlbN85F5YtrhzE1UyWZnVwUgg%3BFQ6mYAIdKh68-SntrKua5ItrhzEJJehaFBx6Gg%3BFbieYAIdIBu8-Q&oq=Witt&t=h&dirflg=b&mra=ltm&z=16&lci=bike
question:
When “Point C” (kind of an eerie spot) is reached, which pathway option then is chosen to get into the school’s parking lot . . .
____
ps
above is only an option – - does not exclude abduction taking place closer to home