CO CO - Kayleah Wilson, 12, Greeley, 28 March 2010 - #5

[PickieChickie]

I have a feeling that LE has some idea of what happened to Kayleah and that it was very close in location to her home. I hope they can make a quick arrest...I do think it is someone who lived in the complex or very close by and at least knew Kayleah by sight, and maybe offered her a ride. Am hoping it is an unsophisticated offender who won't be able to hold up, if interviewed. It could be even more than one person, if of a younger age. Just a feeling I have, nothing to go on other than bad feelings.

I will say again that the possibility of Kayleah being a runaway came primarily from sources other than LE; as early as March 30, they (LE) was saying no signs of her runnnig away. I know when this happens, we want someone to direct our anger and frustration toward, but IMO that should be only the killer. And having 2-3 detectives working the case by this time is not unusual...sometimes in smaller cites there may only be one, with others ready to jump in at the slightest bit of new information.

It could be they had a good suspect but were waiting to find the body and didn't want to say, during the press conference, they think they know who murdered her because of worrying the person will take off.

How far from her house was she found?

 

[Oriah]

it went from 15 officers to 2 in under two months.

And yes, part of my anger is coming from a personal case. When I was in 6th grade my friend was abducted, raped, beaten, tied up, and left out in a field. Tina Marie Harmon. But even back then... in the 1980s no doubt... there was more media coverage than Kayleah has gotten. And trust me, LE could well have played the "run away" card in my friend's case as she came from not so stable a home and was also reported being seen "hitching" at a truck stop.

Trying to keep my anger in check = hard with Kayleah's case.

I understand your frustration and anger, nursebeeme. I think the 'runaway' label hurts missing kids in many, many ways- not just at the level of LE, but within the media, the public, the community- everwhere. But I also think that many kids DO run away, and because of that LE needs to look at leads that may come out of those possibilities as well, such as locations a child might be in, or favorite hangouts, or friends who may know more than parents or schools, etc.
So to me, what needs to be changed is not the label of 'runaway' but the perception that goes along with it; that runaways have 'chosen' to disappear and are therefore not in danger of harm or of being in harms' way. Or of the potential of an accident or crime befalling a person labeled as a runaway.
Its a tough mix, I think.

As for detectives going from 15 to 2 within 2 months.....I don't know. I wish that didn't happen, but it seems to in all but the most sensationalized cases; and that again seems like a perception that needs to be changed from the ground up. Just because a child is missing who does not catch the medias' eye or the publics' heart as quickly as another should never be a reason for a dropping off of manpower.
But it seems like it is.

O/T- but I'm so, so sorry for the loss of your friend.

 

[trigger]

I agree with you eyes4crime I scream that so many times it has to STOP this runaway stuff has cost to many innocent children's lives!!!

I know...it seems so senseless and it gets to me to. Its so frustrating. But as a 911 dispatcher when I receive a call and the parents say to me ..well they ran away again.. I want to say NO DON'T SAY THAT.. but in the end the case gets assign to a JAB Detective and he knows anyway.

Hoping for justice

 

[revampz]

Very sad to hear the news that she was killed.........I was in fact hoping she had runaway as a 12 year old not being seen for such a long time was not going to have a good outcome unless she had runaway.....

Yesterday when the maps were being put up on here with the A B C D on them, I straight away questioned whether she had in fact actually been seen at the mall....

I am sorry but something now is not seeming right.......her body was found in the opposite direction from her home and that comment re the family knowing more........

I am questioning whether she did actually head in that direction towards the birthday party or if in fact something happened closer to home.........

and now they are saying that they cant be certain it is her on the security camera....

after seeing where she was found, I bet she was killed near her home by someone she knew ........and no I am not pointing the finger solely at the family, but maybe someone in that apartment block or a fight with the boyfriend......

once again this is my opinion.....

and I am so sad for this little girl........this world seems so unfair sometimes doesnt it

 

[Cubby]

RIP Kayleah. My prayers to your family, friends and those who loved you.

 

[panthera]

I just got here tonight to find the sad news that Kayleah's death has been confirmed.

Rest in Peace, Kayleah and may the one responsible for your death be brought to justice :rose:

 

[WillenFan21]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37263906/ns/us_news/?ocid=twitter

They know COD:

Garner said Thursday the coroner's office ruled Wilson's death a homicide. He said police know the "manner and cause" of death but he declined to provided details. No one has been arrested, Garner said.

 

[nursebeeme]

I understand your frustration and anger, nursebeeme. I think the 'runaway' label hurts missing kids in many, many ways- not just at the level of LE, but within the media, the public, the community- everwhere. But I also think that many kids DO run away, and because of that LE needs to look at leads that may come out of those possibilities as well, such as locations a child might be in, or favorite hangouts, or friends who may know more than parents or schools, etc.
So to me, what needs to be changed is not the label of 'runaway' but the perception that goes along with it; that runaways have 'chosen' to disappear and are therefore not in danger of harm or of being in harms' way. Or of the potential of an accident or crime befalling a person labeled as a runaway.
Its a tough mix, I think.

As for detectives going from 15 to 2 within 2 months.....I don't know. I wish that didn't happen, but it seems to in all but the most sensationalized cases; and that again seems like a perception that needs to be changed from the ground up. Just because a child is missing who does not catch the medias' eye or the publics' heart as quickly as another should never be a reason for a dropping off of manpower.
But it seems like it is.

O/T- but I'm so, so sorry for the loss of your friend.

I agree and thanks for the kind words. ((ot/ the guy who killed my friend ate an olive pit before he was executed so after he died he could live on... he also killed at least one other child as well. Krista Lee Harrison. ))

On topic: the manpower dropoff should be a lesson in the future. They obviously missed something somewhere in their investigation early on. I hope that Kayleah's family can take this tragedy and make a change. It is truly heartbreaking.

 

[revampz]

i have been reading thru the comments on the news site and apparently the party was to finish at 8pm.........she was reported missing at 10,30pm

 

[Oriah]

I agree and thanks for the kind words. ((ot/ the guy who killed my friend ate an olive pit before he was executed so after he died he could live on... he also killed at least one other child as well. Krista Lee Harrison. ))

On topic: the manpower dropoff should be a lesson in the future. They obviously missed something somewhere in their investigation early on. I hope that Kayleah's family can take this tragedy and make a change. It is truly heartbreaking.

I, too, hope this is possible.

I know from my own perspective that each case we work, no matter the outcome, we try to learn what could've been done differently had we had the hindsight we do after resolution.

I can't change how LE works, but I can remember to remind myself and our team constantly that runaways are as much at risk as children of known or expected crimes and abductions.
And I can remind myself and them that walking along a ditch does not a thorough search make- they require knees on the ground, and sometimes more than twice.

 

[cakegirl0905]

Yes, and I'm thinking the criteria for an Amber Alert should be changed. They didn't have a description of a car, or of who took her. And she was considered a runaway because of her age? Or her weight?!? And then she turns up dead two months later. Perhaps an Amber Alert wouldn't have saved her, but it would have helped people be on the lookout.
I live about 10 miles from Greeley and had NO clue she was missing until my mom from TX told me so. The coverage here stunk. And there were no alerts of anything on the highways. If only they could have had her description up or something to let us know there was a girl missing.

I'm so frustrated. I feel like her family was victimized, their parenting skills questioned, people questioning Kayleah's behavior-including someone on WS saying she looked like she took meth-all the way to the police and FBI kind of sort of looking for her, but constantly mentioning she could have run away. It made everyone look at Kayleah and think she was some wild child from a dysfunctional broken home who was on the street somewhere. People took the situation less seriously, and that whole time she was stuck in a drainage pipe somewhere.

I'm sorry if some of my facts are wrong, but I feel like this case was fumbled and that things should have been taken more seriously from the start. She was only 12!!!

 

[RubyRed]

People will become complacent if the Amber Alert is over used. Without a vehicle, how are people going to look? You can't see everyone that is in a vehicle it would lead to people saying, What did that sign say? what did she look like? Just wouldn't be effective. I agree there is a problem on how to get the word out when no known vehicle is involved. It seems parents need to advocate for their child, become educated very quickly if their child goes missing.

 

[PickieChickie]

Police: Body found is 12-year-old Colorado girl


By P. SOLOMON BANDA ​

GREELEY, Colo. — Police confirmed Thursday that a body recovered from an irrigation ditch in northern Colorado is that of a 12-year-old girl missing since March and she was the victim of homicide.

Police retrieved the decomposed body from the ditch Wednesday, about a half-mile from the home of the missing sixth-grader. A worker checking the ditch after heavy rain found the body in about 3 feet of water, said Sgt. Joe Tymkovich.

Police met with Wilson's mother, April Wilson, before the public announcement, the chief said. "She's upset as you would expect," he said.

About 150 people gathered at the ditch after the body was found Wednesday evening, many of them carrying candles and teddy bears.

CONTINUED AT SOURCE: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gn8IXcjcb6_Ima2NNrCSsomdjCUgD9FQSFTO0​

 

[cluciano63]

Amber Alerts were instituted for a very specific type of abduction, where LE can use the info of a car description and flash it on highway signs, etc....stop me if I'm wrong about that. I think another type of alert might need to come about to alert communities of a missing child without a known vehicle being involved and perhaps if there is an outcry or her family takes it up, there could be a Kayleah Alert in the future, that is geared more toward teaching ground searches, training dogs, helping families deal with LE and media to avoid the phrases that lead public to think "runaway" etc...at the same instigating all of the searching procedures when an alert goes out.

LE is never going to get it right in these cases as so often, the child is deceased before they even get the first call. It is a fact that most police departments and other LE agencies are understaffed and working on far too many cases at a time. I honestly believe that the police in Greeley are tormented by Kayleah's death and will always feel they should have done more, even if they did not have any leads coming in or any idea where to search next. Yes, it is especially sad that Kayleah may have been overlooked in an earlier search but we don't know for sure that she was at the spot or visible at the time.

I've been drawn to Kayleah from the start as she so resembles my niece at that age and seemed to be something like my niece as well, a tomboyish, quiet kind of girl who looked a little older than her age. I am heartbroken that she had to become a victim, and hope LE is zeroing in on someone right not. I hope that person is feeling the heat and pressure and knows that their time as a free person is coming closer to the end. I hope that the people in Kayleah's neighborhood will cooperate fully with LE and speak up about anyone or anything that stands out.

 

[nursebeeme]

People will become complacent if the Amber Alert is over used. Without a vehicle, how are people going to look? You can't see everyone that is in a vehicle it would lead to people saying, What did that sign say? what did she look like? Just wouldn't be effective. I agree there is a problem on how to get the word out when no known vehicle is involved. It seems parents need to advocate for their child, become educated very quickly if their child goes missing.

I completely agree with this. Amber alert cannot be abused for what it embodies.

It is too vitally important to keep the amber alert the same as the Nation knows what it means.

However, perhaps it is time to introduce a new alert/new type of alert that would pertain to those children missing but not witnessed in a vehicle?

Enter the ____________ alert (sandra, neveah, kayleah, lindsay, list goes on)

an alert that would be designed to indicate a severely endangered missing person under suspicious circumstances. perhaps this type of alert could just be an automatic nationwide bolo...etc.. but something that separates things and gets the missing person the media attention they deserve.

jmoo

 

[RoseWhite]

Such a sad week. Rest in peace, Kayleah.

 

[Miss Justice]

Such a sad week. Rest in peace, Kayleah.

word.

 

[Natal]

I understand your frustration and anger, nursebeeme. I think the 'runaway' label hurts missing kids in many, many ways- not just at the level of LE, but within the media, the public, the community- everwhere. But I also think that many kids DO run away, and because of that LE needs to look at leads that may come out of those possibilities as well, such as locations a child might be in, or favorite hangouts, or friends who may know more than parents or schools, etc.
So to me, what needs to be changed is not the label of 'runaway' but the perception that goes along with it; that runaways have 'chosen' to disappear and are therefore not in danger of harm or of being in harms' way. Or of the potential of an accident or crime befalling a person labeled as a runaway.
Its a tough mix, I think.

As for detectives going from 15 to 2 within 2 months.....I don't know. I wish that didn't happen, but it seems to in all but the most sensationalized cases; and that again seems like a perception that needs to be changed from the ground up. Just because a child is missing who does not catch the medias' eye or the publics' heart as quickly as another should never be a reason for a dropping off of manpower.
But it seems like it is.

O/T- but I'm so, so sorry for the loss of your friend.

I think "runaway" was one of the possibilities, which of course allways has to be considered since the vast majority of kids reported missing are just that, but more likely the number of investigators was reduced because they ran out of leads to follow not because of any label applied to the case. But now that her body has been found there will be all sorts of evidence associated with it they can follow up on, so you can expect to see a lot more resources in the immediate future. However, if they don't make any progress it will slowly revert to cold case again.

 

[Fairy1]

I'm so sorry for the outcome of this case. But so grateful my own DD is no longer living in Greeley. I hope they find Kayleah's killer SOON!

 

[sarx]

I completely agree with this. Amber alert cannot be abused for what it embodies.

It is too vitally important to keep the amber alert the same as the Nation knows what it means.

However, perhaps it is time to introduce a new alert/new type of alert that would pertain to those children missing but not witnessed in a vehicle?

Enter the ____________ alert (sandra, neveah, kayleah, lindsay, list goes on)

an alert that would be designed to indicate a severely endangered missing person under suspicious circumstances. perhaps this type of alert could just be an automatic nationwide bolo...etc.. but something that separates things and gets the missing person the media attention they deserve.

jmoo

The Nixle system is perfect for this, it's just not being utilized enough.