GUILTY TX - Alanna Gallagher, 6, Saginaw, 1 July 2013 - #3

[SapphireSteel]

In no way am I insinuating the parents should pay consequences BUT ... letting a barely six-year old roam the neighborhood unchecked and without older siblings around I think is absolutely ridiculous and asking for trouble. I'm sure this isn't the 'politically correct' thing to say BUT ... I think it's the epitome of irresponsibility to let a child that young be allowed that kind of freedom??? It's ridiculous.

All the kids did it where I live (except mine ).

My neighbour would let her 2 year old out on the main road in just a nappy.

I used to think she was mad/neglectful/a bad mom but the boy grew up just fine, as did his older brother and all the other kids around.

You would hate to live in my neighbourhood/city. Kids are everywhere here, alone and otherwise.

Child abduction and murder is very, very rare here and all the cotton wool kids (like my own) would have been safe too probably.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

All the kids did it where I live (except mine ).

My neighbour would let her 2 year old out on the main road in just a nappy.

I used to think she was mad/neglectful/a bad mom but the boy grew up just fine, as did his older brother and all the other kids around.

You would hate to live in my neighbourhood/city. Kids are everywhere here, alone and otherwise.

Child abduction and murder is very, very rare here and all the cotton wool kids (like my own) would have been safe too probably.

I would be more worried about the child being hit by a car than getting abducted...

 

[mahmoo]

Guess I'm just making excuses and having a hard time accepting this little girl was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Been following these types of crimes for a long time and it just NEVER gets any easier. Fingers crossed LE has some MAJOR leads.

 

[lunchbox]

All I know is that I had just started reading The Lovely Bones for the first time on the day this happened and I'm not sure I can continue reading it right now in light of Alanna's murder. Hits way, way too close to home right now.

 

[kdblaisdell]

People concerned about the safety of the world might be interested in
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, by Steven Pinker (The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined: Steven Pinker, Arthur Morey: 9781455883110: Amazon.com: Books). Quite a different perspective on things.

It's odd that as the world becomes safer, people perceive more threat.

I think it's because we get the news of the crimes over a wider area and more quickly, now. Awareness on a broader scale seems to make people believe there's more of a threat.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I'm hoping they have DNA.

She was tied, that implies to me that she struggled and he HAD to tie her to keep her under control. Hopefully scratched him or something.

lease:

Someone who lives nearby, knew the family, knew Alanna, who will be taking a day or two off work right now.

 

[Chris_Texas]

I would be more worried about the child being hit by a car than getting abducted...

And that would only make sense. Statistically, the overwhelming majority of crimes against children are committed by family and friends. Stranger abductions are astronomically rare.

 

[carbuff]

Guess I'm just making excuses and having a hard time accepting this little girl was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Been following these types of crimes for a long time and it just NEVER gets any easier. Fingers crossed LE has some MAJOR leads.

Yeah, as long as we can blame somebody's parent or babysitter or a relative or a neighbor's kid or something for being negligent or not taking enough precautions or whatever, we can pretend that it will never happen to us, because of course *I* am never negligent, never look away, never let my kids out of my sight, and they never disobey or ignore me or talk back and run out of the house in a temper, oh no oh no not me...

 

[pferrin]

Guess I'm just making excuses and having a hard time accepting this little girl was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Been following these types of crimes for a long time and it just NEVER gets any easier. Fingers crossed LE has some MAJOR leads.

I agree. It is difficult to listen and read this cases and follow them as they go to trial( when LE catches the perp)
This little angel is so beautiful and she has taken a big place in my heart. When LE releases so little info it is even harder.
By listening to the scanner it does help me. It gives me real time info and facts that are blurred on msm are clearer there.

I really wish LE had come out with a better statement such as "as always keep a close eye on your children. The statement they gave ... Even if they know who the perp is ... Was very unacceptable to me. Jmo

 

[Dora the Explorer]

I have to say, I am very grateful to have recently begun treatment for GAD/PTSD. Think I would be a basketcase if not for the wonders of pharmaceuticals. This is our second murder here this year.

...and there are kids playing outside even this late. Hopefully parents are close by.

 

[pferrin]

I have to say, I am very grateful to have recently begun treatment for GAD/PTSD. Think I would be a basketcase if not for the wonders of pharmaceuticals. This is our second murder here this year.

...and there are kids playing outside even this late. Hopefully parents are close by.

Dora congrats for getting the help you deserve. I have been thinking about going for help as well. May I ask did you go to family doc or psych? Thanks much

ETA I noticed that the fireworks this year had me jumping like crazy cause of PTSD.

Sorry for the O/T

 

[Tonya421]

All I know is that I had just started reading The Lovely Bones for the first time on the day this happened and I'm not sure I can continue reading it right now in light of Alanna's murder. Hits way, way too close to home right now.

O/T
"The Lovely Bones" is a great book; I read it several years ago. Not sure I could read it these days, not as much as I follow these tragic cases :nono:

 

[MagnoliaMom]

I live in Tarrant co. I just got back in town and caught up on this horrible, heartbreaking case. I'm locking my doors and not taking any chances with my kids, this scares me to death.

I did call a tip in re: the red truck, it may be nothing but several times on trash day I have seen a red, older model truck with green and blue paint on it driving in my neighborhood. I last saw him the first week of June. I got a very good look at the driver as he was digging in my neighbors trash, I made direct eye contact with him and he just stared at me, no wave or smile. I just wish I could have seen his license plate

Glad you called that it.

Besides thinking he could possibly be the perp, your post made my mind start wondering if he could have found this wrapped package in someone's trash and discarded it in a rush when he found out what he had.

Would cadaver dogs hit if taken all through the neighborhood?

 

[SapphireSteel]

Glad you called that it.

Besides thinking he could possibly be the perp, your post made my mind start wondering if he could have found this wrapped package in someone's trash and discarded it in a rush when he found out what he had.

Would cadaver dogs hit if taken all through the neighborhood?

Scent trails end if the target is driven away by car.

 

[SuperTmo]

I'm not sure what you mean. Acceptable by whom? Are you saying the parents should face consequences? Consequences worse than their daughter being dead?

Sorry if I'm coming across somewhat harsh here--I'm not a parent and I am always somewhat taken aback at the willingness of other parents to second-guess and crucify the parents of dead kids. Happened with JR's mom too. Where is the empathy?

It should not be acceptable to the child's parents!!! My daughter is 5, and there is not one SINGLE REASON she needs to be out roaming our neighborhood. My impression of the OP's statement was that the parents of this child shouldn't have just let their young kid wander freely. Sure the child wanted to, but that does not mean she should have been allowed to. My job as a mother is to set the boundaries for my daughter. She wants a LOT of things that aren't good for her. She is pretty certain she doesn't think Kindergarten is the best idea for her. Should I just shrug my shoulders and be like, "well, she'll do what she wants!" and let her make her own choices? NO! This is not Alanna's parents' fault that this happened, and I don't blame them for the decision of a horrible person. I just wish they had kept a tighter rein on her, and maybe this wouldn't have happened.

Sure, maybe playing outside with other kids in and of it self isn't dangerous. But it is NOT SAFE or WISE to let very young little kids wander around alone on a regular basis. It just isn't. And not just because they can be kidnapped either! Hit by a car? Bit by a dog? Find a nasty dirty needle (that actually happened while I was playing with a kid outside while a nanny in a super nice neighborhood)? Lots of things can happen that little kids aren't equipped to handle!

Maybe kidnapping is rare, things like this seldom happen, blah blah blah, but when they do, the alone kids are the ones that make the easiest targets... There are freaks in the world who want nothing more than to find a kid playing alone out by the street.

It just seems that the kids who have a known, longstanding history of wandering aimlessly alone on a regular basis, unsupervised, and with nobody checking up on them...are the ones that end up with their very own thread on WebSleuths.

Rest in Peace Alanna. I'm so sorry this happened to you. You deserved so much better.

 

[SCHMAE]

And that would only make sense. Statistically, the overwhelming majority of crimes against children are committed by family and friends. Stranger abductions are astronomically rare.

Right, I think it's less than 5 % are stranger abductions.
I wrote upstream and it 's worth repeating imho...... our
children have the right to walk to a neighbor's house and
survive. There is nothing wrong with assuming they should
live through the day when they're out being children.
It's a horror and a tragedy and I'm so sad for her mama
I'm sure her own grief and guilt outweigh anything that
can be imagined.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

Why is it in every case, no matter how old the child is, no matter what the circumstances are, the parents are always blamed for the actions of some sick perp. Does it have something to do with human nature?

I have seen parents blamed for teens being abducted and parents blamed when the perp abducted the child out of the home.

Yet, the circumstances surrounding this case are still unknown. There are certain things that I am just not comfortable "assuming" or passing judgement on.

eta: I just want to add that I see this in comments all the time under MSM articles as well and it just makes me wonder about the human nature of wondering about the parents being neglectful.

 

[SCHMAE]

The randomness of crime is unsettling and hard to think about. Placing blame comes easier. Picture this... a child climbs a tree and falls down and breaks an arm. Doesn't one parent turn to the other parent and say " why did you let him climb that tree? ' I think so . It's automatic . Very few would say ' well once in awhile people fall out of trees so this is just a statistical / probabilities issue and no one is at fault' . The second is true but who says that ?

 

[BeginnersLuck]

The randomness of crime is unsettling and hard to think about. Placing blame comes easier. Picture this... a child climbs a tree and falls down and breaks an arm. Doesn't one parent turn to the other parent and say " why did you let him climb that tree? ' I think so . It's automatic . Very few would say ' well once in awhile people fall out of trees so this is just a statistical / probabilities issue and no one is at fault' . The second is true but who says that ?

This is so true! I think it is impossible to understand why any human being would commit such a horrific act. I always want to know why? How can we stop or prevent this in the future? I want answers. It is so frustrating to not have those answers.

 

[floridamomma]

as was mentioned earlier, i think it eases a parents fear factor to judge. i can say, " well MY daughter would never be in wal mart with a rso, therefore shes safe from rso's..." or, "i would never let my 6 yr old roam the neighborhood, so that would never happen to MY kid!"

fact is, we would like to think we can protect our kids from everything. i know i try, and while i dont want to admit it, there are opportunities every day for any of my kids to die. i prtotect as much as possible, often to their dismay.