well not really sure where to start. I just happened to look up Jaclyn's name on google lastnight after watching phychic detectives on court tv. I was amazed and honestly freaked out on how many pages there were about her. I am a member of the family, and I guess I can try to answer some of the questions you all have had during the last couple years. She was from a small town called midlothian IL. She was 7 years old, and absolutely stunning. She was always so happy and full of life. We were only a couple years apart and grew up together. Jaclyn and I were very close I was an only child, she was all I had, we were cousins, but acted like sisters. The moments from the time we found out she was missing to the day we buried her will be burned into my memory forever. The years that followed werent much better, between media coverage and court issues, it was a very trying time for the whole family. Espically her parents, brother and infant sister. I will never forget the moment I answered the phone that morning and my aunt wanted to talk to my mom. I remember the sound of her voice and how terrified she sounded, I remember knowing something was wrong and sitting by my mom as she was told that she was missing. The next few moments I will regret probably for the rest of my life. My mom hung up the phone told me that Jaclyn was missing and I had to get ready quick we were going over there. I was only 9 years old and I remember laughing while I was looking for my shoes thinking to myself she was probably playing hide and seek. I still feel guilty for laughing to this day. I remember arriving there and there were cops all over, and walking in the house. It was the weirdest silence I have ever heard. It was at that moment that I realized there was no game of hide and seek, and that something was really wrong. There were so many people there yet you could have heard a pin drop. Every so often you could hear my aunt crying. I remember walking out of the house to the side where the broken basement window was and looking at the broken glass. There was a cop there picking up the pieces and stacking them to the side with his fingers. I remember thinking to myself "I wonder why he is touching that, wont he get cut?" Much of the next few days felt like an eternity, I passed out flyers we tied yellow ribbons around the trees, and my mom arranged that I stay with my father so I could get away from all of the media and stress. You couldnt turn on the tv without seeing her picture or hearing her story. Then that day came, I will never forget sitting in my grandmothers kitchen with my dad and his family. I remember the phone rang and my dad talked and hung up. He said we need to go to your aunts house, I remember feeling so briefly relieved and excited I couldnt wait to see Jaclyn. I of course asked all the obvious questions I remember his saying that he wasnt sure and that we would find out when we got there. I remember pulling up and my mom meeting us outside, I saw her face and I just knew something was wrong. She told me that shd had been found but that she was in heaven. I remember standing outside my aunts house on that lawn with my mom and dad hugging me while I wept. Later that night, I was in Jaclyns room hugging one of her dolls, and being told that I wasnt to go outside for anything, because it wasnt safe, and because there were news cameras all over. Over the next couple days I remember being so angry at the news people because I couldnt even go outside. The media was so bad that we were being literally shoved by the camera and media mob when we were leaving the church the day of the funeral. It was awful. Then of course was all the allegations about my aunt and uncle, and court trials. My family really was put through the ringer.
So I guess I should try to give answers to some of the posted questions.
As far as the "pot party theory" her parents passed the drug tests, which should say something. Also, I know it wasnt happening because I was supposed to spend the night at her house that night, but my mom had worked late and decided that she didnt feel like driving me at the last minute. I mean my bags were packed and I had just talked to Jaclyns mom.
Jaclyns biological father was in jail in florida at the time of the kidnapping. He was ruled out immediately because of that. His brother, the one with the mental disorder, was not in jail at the time. He had an alibi, but most of his witnesses later admitted to lying about it. He was documented stating very exact details of her room, and her body when it was found. Things that he would have had no way of knowing. However because of his mental illness, and the fact that the police were too distracted trying to cruicify my auny and uncle not much was looked into about him. He passed away a few years ago due to some form of cancer, prostate I think. At this point, even if he was the actual killer, it would be too late to do anything about it.
My aunt was accused of the murder but was aquitted, my uncle had to face trial and was convicted because there was the "nose witness" It was a dark parking lot, there was no moon that night, the man was quite some distance away, and had a record of mental illness. This man said he could see my uncles nose structure. To this day that still floors me, how could you possibly see anyones nose structure under those conditions. In addition, what kind of moron, would consider that credible evidence? I have a theory and this is a theory only, it was said that Jaclyns Uncle had a friend that lived in those apartments, who is to say the friend didnt put this guy(the nose witness) up to saying he saw something just to distract the police? Again this is just a theory...something to think about...but still a theory. My uncle's sentence was overturned and he was finally released once the state removed their heads from their rears and their noses from Daley's rear as well.
While I cant imagine how difficult it is to be an police officer, espically faced with something so horrible, these officers, states attorneys, people in office ect did my family and Jaclyn absolutely no justice. At the end of the day it was their lack of know how, lack of evidence and pressure to solve a case that failed Jaclyn and us all.
There is no closure or feeling of being at peace. How could there be a senseless tradjedy happened, and there will forever be a void in our lives. For so long I thought about her everyday, dwelled on it, blamed myself as time has went on those feelings have started to fade. I think about her all the time and I miss her like hell. It makes me sad that my husband never met her, that my children will never know her. That her own brother and sister have to be without the wisdom of an older sibling. I guess we are fortunate in some ways though, there are families out there that never find their loved ones, never know what happpened. Eventhough it surely wasnt the outcome any of us wanted, I thank God everyday that at least we know something. I do feel blessed for the time we did have together though short, it was better than nothing at all.
My truest and deepest feelings of sorrow go out to those families of a missing person, or that have lost a loved one. I pray that your questions be answered quickly and gently, that your loved ones return to you unharmed, that your sorrows are eased and finally that whoever is handling your investigations has at least half a brain and knows what they are doing!
I think my message is long enough, if there are any more questions I will be checking back often. I will answer what I can, I will not disclose any current personal information about my aunt uncle or Jaclyns siblings so please do not ask. Thank you all very much for not letting her memory die. The judicial system surely did.
