CO - Jessica Ridgeway, 10, Westminster, 5 Oct 2012 - #7

[courtneyb]

Oh, man... I'm heartbroken. I came to WS via Mickey Shunick, and haven't had the heart to really, really follow any story until I heard about Jessica. My 5 year old daughter has been sleeping with me since. We have always taught her to never talk to strangers, but last night I asked her, "What would you do if someone asked you to come with them to help them find their puppy? Or if they said they had candy?" You know what I got? A shrug. A flippin' shrug. Kids just don't get it, and I struggle with telling her WHY strangers are dangerous; what they could do to her. It's terrifying.

 

[scorekeeper]

Sweet Jessica...may you fly with the angels and run through the flowers and feel the sunshine on your face. I know your time here with us was short but you have taught us all about being strong. I want to let you know that you have some of the finest law enforcement officers looking for the monster that took you from us; they are working day and night and walking thousands of miles. Your smile has touched us all. You have 201 members and 196 guest looking for that monster. We love you.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Have not tried that...I thank you for the suggestion!

Please don't let your sister's negative reactions keep you from doing what is right to help your niece safe. If she is unwilling to heed the warnings from police about keeping the kids safe she is not doing her job as a parent. Your niece needs you more than you, (a grown woman and loving aunt), need the approval of your sis!

 

[vulture]

I don't have any kids myself. I am of the age where I was allowed to roam all over the neighborhood all day, as far as my feet or bike could take me. I feel really sad that it isn't safe any more. I drive Route 66 frequently and once I stopped in a small town to take a picture of an old gas station. A boy I'd guess between the age of 7-9 came by on his bike and asked me what I was doing. I told him about my Route 66 trip. He asked if he could go with me! I said it wouldn't be right for me to take him anywhere without his parents approval and it's not good to ride with people you don't know. Scary! This past summer I was in a small town in California and I was pulled over looking at my maps and a boy about the same age approached me and asked if I was lost, I said I had been for a moment but I looked at my maps and now I'm ok. I told him that was kind of him to help but in the future he might not want to get so close to a car with people in it he doesn't know. I hated having to tell him something like that but I felt it was right. In both cases there were no other people in sight. You'd think tiny small towns would be good places for kids to roam around, but you never know who is driving through and neither of these kids had any concern about talking to a stranger. Granted, I'm female and maybe seen as not threatening but it was still unsettling.

 

[MidwestMama]

Great idea on the friend with the dog suggestion ( I will see if she has one). She does have a cell with GPS, I have told her to always hold it in her hand. She lives in townhouses that back up to some creepy woods...nowhere I would be walking alone after dark...and it's not a protective barking dog either...its a friendly l'il king charles spaniel.
Definitely having hard time getting my sister to see the danger.

Ewww, stay away from creepy woods... Or maybe she could offer the compromise that she walks dog in daylight, adult walks dog after dark? Not perfect, but better. Oh, and I would hook a canister of pepper spray on the dog leash so she always has it. We can buy it in auto supply stores or (oddly) at Walgreens near us.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

This is very sad.I was hoping and praying this wasn't her.Rest in peace little one.I pray justice comes very quick for Jessica.

 

[carbuff]

Hi my Nursie! :blowkiss:

Me too, me too. I'm phrasing my posts very carefully. JMHO

I would guess it would be a good idea to be careful about posts that imply anybody is home alone, or going somewhere alone, etc.

 

[yathink]

I just think we need to stick to the facts - using her words in quotation marks only draws more attention to them and looks sensationalist, IMO. There was no reference to NG or explanation why you used them. I was highlighting it is best to discuss the facts given by LE - their statement was that Jessica's remains were not intact.

JMO

The intent of my post was in response to another post and not to rehash which description was more appropriate and made by whom. At this time it was known that the victim was no longer in tact regardless of how one describes it. The response was about the perp and the character or lack of ( my words/my interpretation/IMO). My intent was not to sensational anything,. Matter of fact it was the perp who did that. I was only offering my opinion of the perp's character, past possible criminal behavior and my opinion of possibly future criminal behavior if unchecked.

You have made your point and it is my hope that my post is better understood at this time and we can now move on .

 

[Peazzzer]

My heart is breaking for little Jessica, how many thousand times worse must her mothers heart be breaking? I will pray for her and I will also pray that the perp is caught in a timely manner, with all the I's dotted and T's crossed. I really truly believe that all child molesters should be given a life sentence for 1st offense and DP when they kill their victims!!!! No exceptions. Law. NOW!!!!

 

[Tracey4AU]

Praying for this devastated family and the entire community. Like everyone is saying....we all knew...but chose to hold on to hope.

Now, JUSTICE FOR JESSICA

 

[Kat]

http://www.wgme.com/news/top-stories/stories/iframe_vid_13861.shtml

I heart you too Jessica. Rest in Peace baby girl.

 

[MidwestMama]

Oh, man... I'm heartbroken. I came to WS via Mickey Shunick, and haven't had the heart to really, really follow any story until I heard about Jessica. My 5 year old daughter has been sleeping with me since. We have always taught her to never talk to strangers, but last night I asked her, "What would you do if someone asked you to come with them to help them find their puppy? Or if they said they had candy?" You know what I got? A shrug. A flippin' shrug. Kids just don't get it, and I struggle with telling her WHY strangers are dangerous; what they could do to her. It's terrifying.

It is a struggle to talk to young children without making them terrified. We used to make sure we told our kids that their swimsuit covered their private areas. NO ONE, stranger or not, had a right to touch or look at their private areas, except the doctor or nurse. We have had a molestation by a family member in our extended family and wanted to make sure they knew they can say NO to ANYONE. So sad to have to tell them but so neccessary.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

This is what I posted at the time.
Presser:
Agency heads will not answer questions today.

It is Jessica.
Family notified.
PD prayers and thoughts to family.
No details will be given that jeapordize investigation.
Focus changed to mission of justice for Jessica.
Massive team including local state and federal personnel.
Predator at large in community.
Doing all in our power to apprehend and keep community and children safe.
Thank you for all volunteers who have done all they can to help.
Please continue to help and support - be vigilant, call in tips, report suspicious incident
people or behavior.
Thank you to the FBI.
FBI talking now: condolences to family.
Commitment to solve will not waiver.
Tremendous leadership from local pd.
Working with agencies they will continue neighborhood searches.
More than 500 homes, 1500 vehicles already searched.
Special child abduction unit working with them.
Have been reviewing all RSOs.
Many hundreds have been searching. Public be tolerant.
Analysis continues.
Look for changes in habits, behavior, schedules. Report them.
Child abduction team is regional (work in this region of US)
Dogs have been and will be used.
Phenomenal lab work. Working 24/7.
Media and public cooperate but use restraint. Don't jeapordize case. Be mindful on family.
Jeffco DA:
Condolences to family and friends.
Its a tragedy.
So impressed with the community responce and LE coming together from many jurisdictions, state and federal. wonderful job.
They are on a mission.
The most important thing now is investigating, apprehending and prosecution of the person who did this. Bringing that person to justice.
We will not be talking to you or answering questions because we want to protect case.
I know you understand.
Spokesperson:
What does a command post look like:
we are working to take pic that wouldnt hinder investigation and will post it. ASAP will be posted to twitter.
We will answer questions. Limited by case preservation.
Engage community in watching for clues, reporting.
Engage family in talking to kids.
You know your neighborhood. Report immed. anything suspicious.
How was she IDd? DNA. no further details will be given.
Have conditions of crime scene been entered into FBI system and have they hit on any other case? we havn't released those details yet. We will not share if we are using FBI VCAP system.
School system has been and continues to be involved and cooperative.
Lock out was because of # of officers in the area.
Reaction to officers who are working on this case. Was it hard?
Difficult to answer. All have family. Obviously we are looking for someone who harmed a child is hard to deal with. That is their focus and the tireless work they have done and will continue to do until perp is found.

BBM ~ A thought just occurred to me, maybe they want the perp to be aware of and be sure that he understands that they are capable of using the FBI's nationwide system.

 

[passionflower]

Great idea on the friend with the dog suggestion ( I will see if she has one). She does have a cell with GPS, I have told her to always hold it in her hand. She lives in townhouses that back up to some creepy woods...nowhere I would be walking alone after dark...and it's not a protective barking dog either...its a friendly l'il king charles spaniel.
Definitely having hard time getting my sister to see the danger.

Buy her a tiny airhorn. Noise will chase people away and get her attention by good people. I even have one.

 

[Public_Hysteria]

The title changed to 'Found Deceased' as I was catching up on this thread. I knew it was coming, but it really doesn't make the news any easier. My heart is absolutely breaking for Jessica's family and friends, I can't even begin to imagine the horror they're facing. All the pictures of Jessica throughout the thread show such a beautiful innocent child, it's not right that her life was so cruelly taken away. Looking at these pictures have me in tears, this is someone's baby.

This is why I tend not to follow cases involving children, it just hurts so damn much when they aren't found safe. It's not right, not at all. I literally feel sick to my stomach.

RIP sweet child. I hope you have found peace. :candle:

 

[Ms Suzanne]

This reminds me of little Somer Thompsons story alot.Do they have a suspect or person of interest in mind right now? Did they do a FBI or a profile on her killer or abductor? Does any one please have a link to it?

 

[Tricia]

I am sick of these monsters killling our kids. OMG.

Do you know Jessica's family or do you know someone who does?

If so could you please contact me at tgrif@xmission.com

Thank you,
Tricia Griffith
Co-owner Websleuths.com



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[TGIRecovered]

Great idea on the friend with the dog suggestion ( I will see if she has one). She does have a cell with GPS, I have told her to always hold it in her hand. She lives in townhouses that back up to some creepy woods...nowhere I would be walking alone after dark...and it's not a protective barking dog either...its a friendly l'il king charles spaniel.
Definitely having hard time getting my sister to see the danger.

It would be a good idea not to post anything else which could identify her neighborhood or any other info which could be used by a pervert go after your niece. I know that sounds unlikely, but anyone can read here or sign up as a member. Preverts can google like the rest of us and when you do a blog search with Jessica's name, Websleuths comes up right at the top!

 

[TxLady2]

Not trying to put the focus on myself right now...but my sister lets her 12 year old daughter walk their dog alone. I have already gotten into a huge fight with my sister about this...and my niece does feel uncomfortable when she has to do so, especially at night. My niece came to me about it and I of course took her side, thus the fight.
I don't know what to do...I am more worried about this then ever!!
My niece even had a male neighbor come up to her at one point..at night and he got close enough to take his hat off his head and put it on hers...my niece was extremely uncomfortable, but since it was a neighbor, she didn't want to be rude...My niece text me and I got involved...it did NOT go over well with my sister. I had to back off...but how the heck to I get it through my sisters head that it is not safe, and cruel of her to make my niece feel so unsafe? I mean how do I do it without ruining my otherwise great relationship with my sister?
Felt the need to share this predicament.

That's entirely up to you, but if it were me, I would ask myself, what is more important... my sister being hurt and angry with me... or my niece's life.
Your sister would get over it if you interfered... but if her daughter is abducted and killed, she would never get over it. Nor would you.

 

[insatiable]

Wasn't there a white van visible on google maps street view on her street? I know there was like 7 or more white trucks/SUV/van from her home to the park when I counted earlier.