A woman, who did not want to be identified, tells First Coast News' Monica Landeros she asked investigators to search this vacant home and dumpster on Monday night.
She says, "I'm upset. It's like, should I have looked, should I have gone in the dumpster?"
Garbage Trucks Lead To Missing Girl's Body
Somer's body was found miles from her home in Clay County. It was quick thinking by a detective that led to the break in the case.
Detective Bruce Owens said he alerted Beseler that clues could be found in trash from around Orange Park.
"If a truck was seen, it would be best to follow it to its next location, so they could search or follow it to the closest landfill, so they could isolate it from the dump," Owens said.[
Owens said he got dozens of deputies and police officers on the road after Somer was reported missing. He said he wanted all garbage trucks checked as quickly as possible.
"Time is of the essence. That collection was being done by outside companies," Owens said.
Dozens of squad cars stayed on the trail of the garbage trucks as they traveled across the state line into Georgia.
"They sifted through about 300,000 tons of waste," Owens said.
About 200,000 tons of trash was searched at a landfill in Clay County, and 100,000 tons was searched at a dump in Folkston, Ga.
After hours of work, the fears of investigators turned into reality. The body of a young girl was found and identified as Somer.
Beseler praised Owens for his effort.
