FL - Somer Thompson, 7, Orange Park, 19 Oct 2009 #34

[txsvicki]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that if Diena was taking night classes she might not have gotten home until after 8:30 at night. Was her live in boyfriend watching the kids and fixing their dinner those nights after he got home from work? No one has said how many nights Diena was gone to class, but it would have been at least two nights per week.

 

[ChickenPants]

I don't think it has ever been established AC went home. He may have gone straight to the OPAA where DT picked him up from. I know we have also discussed before the possibility AC had a cell phone, possibly DT or SP called or texted him to let him know to look for Somer.

Respectfully, it has not been formally established where anyone was at the time or after the time Somer left school.

We have no proof of where anyone was during the time Somer was at school, when the perpetrator could have been around the area or going to the area where she was abducted.

Every statement made by any person - parent, neighbor, friend, significant other - to LE or to news media can be considered unfounded unless and until proven otherwise. There is no evidence of anyone other than DT and SP having had or used cell phones (she apparently called CPC and that does not prove he had a cell phone) - and the alleged texts and calls are according to the original MPR and reports given by media.

LE has chosen not to divulge any collaborating evidence that proves the whereabouts of anyone, including any of the above persons.

LE has chosen not to clear anyone as a suspect. The only evidence we have to go by is documented evidence that has become part of the public record.The documented MPR contains statements made to the investigating officer, and these have not been proven to be true or false.

 

[ChickenPants]

This person could have watched her walk home a few times from school and that was the perfect opportunity.Especially if the person worked at the house on Gano.

That's true, good point about Gano, being a vacant house. I recall posting that probably - (kids are kids, they don't have the same adult understanding of things, as DT said) - other kids have hung around that house, because kids like to look for adventures, a piece of a board, peek through a window and run off, things like that. And everyone has established that she was friendly/looking for friends, etc.

Also, watching her (and her brother and big sister) walk home a few times...or watching/knowing she ran off and did her own thing many times.
That she would be by herself, then just wait there any day and let it unfold. Because, unless he was part of her household, or one of the neighbors that helped out, how would he know which days she did not have a ride? He would have to go by the odds that she'd be probably walking home and that she would break from the crowd and run off. He predicted what she would do and approximately where she would do it and then placed himself at the scene.

 

[ChickenPants]

yes, I have thought this very same thing....Somer would have turned left after coming out of the front of the school, she then would have headed down gano, she could have turned left down Grove Park Dr, or kept going down Gano and turned left on Debarry to head up to Kingsley, then take a right and not far on the right side of the road would be DT's office....I think there is also another road that she could have taken between Grove park and Debarry, but cannot recall the name right now....she could have also stayed straight on Gano, all the way to her big brother's school....the back left corner of the school, butts up to Mom's place of employment......hope this makes sense....

Can you clarify this again? Are you saying that DT's place of employment is directly behind the school?

hope this makes sense.....?

 

[ChickenPants]

my thinking is that maybe Somer stayed behind until the crossing guard left for the day, then maybe Mom and AC found her when they were out searching....Mom was prob fit to be tied by now.......MO

Well, again, there is no proof of either mom or AC's whereabouts whatsoever because there is no corroborating evidence to back up that MPR - that we know of.

As for searching, we know that characteristically Somer would come home (like Prissy in Gone With The Wind) shuffling along in her own sweet time. Just as the frantic persons (whomever) were busy calling all of the neighbors. This time, somebody nabbed her before she could get there (at least when SP was there at whatever time he was actually there). We have no information of anyone looking for her ever before. What a sad thought (IMO). We have a statement that her young sister was sent out to look twice while the very good friend sat there and said "look real good before I call your mom" (alleged IMO damning statement made to officer and documented on MPR).

We have no information as to when mom left work. We have her alleged co-workers saying she worked nearer to the house than we had realized. We have a poster here saying mom's work is right behind Somer's school. IMO we have a whole new ball game to win and I for one am not going to sit on the bench, no sir.

Using TOS as put out by Hoppy:

If I were mom, I think living so close to the school, I would either change my hours or make arrangements with my co-workers to escort my children safely home and get them settled in and then just make that little 1 minute drive back to work. Leaving them with a trustworthy adult. Of course, this would depend entirely on my being responsible enough to communicate with any neighbors who indicated they could not or would not be offering escort services to the kids on any given day.

But then, I would not expect teachers, neighbors or non-school related personnel to police the whereabouts of my children.

If I had a daughter who routinely ran off from her siblings, the ten year old being the surrogate guardian and being ill-qualified to babysit a child, I would pick up said child or have the child walked to my place of employment and there place the child in a room with a snack and a coloring book and dare her to move until I was ready to take her home with me. It is not unheard of for moms (many of whom I know) to have their children at their place of employment for a short time as long as the children behave.

If this did not work, I would be looking for another job. I definitely would not add school onto an already overcrowded schedule and expect my parents and other peripheral people to take responsibility for the raising of my young children. The bottom line for moms is: If you are working, your children are being "raised" for the most part of the day at school. After school, they are being "raised" by whatever adult is watching them until you get there. Hopefully they are not being "raised" by 10 year old siblings.

Maybe DT felt that she was lucky to work so close to home and did not realize this could happen? Maybe she took her luck for granted? That slippery slope happens to a lot of people.

My problem is this: IMO this tragedy did happen, and it does not look good for DT to lie on national TV saying Somer never ran off, and then spend so much time backtracking and defending herself. It does not look good. Not good. Neighbors still in charge of transporting chidren. Not good at all. IMO

 

[ChickenPants]

Hmmm...the digging equipment always surprised me, I agree about the shovel. Wasn't the piece of equipment either brought in at night or used at night? I don't recall. Could they have received a tip? Was it suppose to help in regards to the dumpster in some way?

The dog thing agghhh...seems too mixed up for me to even try...sorry I don't have a clue, I'll have to wimp out here.

Why is everything strange in this case???

If dogs - God Bless Them - can search through burning rubble for 911 victims when everything is absolutely destroyed beyond comprehension, it makes sense that they would find a little child, having sniffed things like her blanket or clothing from her room, or evidence of her in any one of those areas she went. Wherever they lost the scent is where she was grabbed. Simple.

 

[ChickenPants]

Thanks, I am not sure who, and how long the time outs are for, but can we at least give them time to come back and see the offer,before a decision is made on mod? I would really like to see it be someone who does not attack someone for even thinking that the family of little somer could be involved, because they very well could be...we have seen it before in soooooo many cases....thanks

IMO I must be missing something ... what exactly is the purpose of a sub-forum, and what would be the TOS there, and just exactly what would be discussed that is already not being discussed PERTINENT to trying to find out who murdered Somer Thompson. I already found and informed everyone of the Located! forum where everyone can freely go and give endless support to DT, share memories of Somer, and etc.

So is the sub-forum: Somer Thompson, exclude family, friends and co-workers as possible suspects, no family dynamics or parenting to be discussed.

I'd go for a mod position in a heartbeat if it meant that the mod makes sure everyone uses common sense in the context of the open investigation. I can't see any sub-forum that would be helpful. IMO common sense does not seem to be an objective term that can be moderated. There are plenty of support groups and Somer Thompson memorial sites on the internet. WS is Web SLEUTHS, if you get my drift.

 

[ChickenPants]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that if Diena was taking night classes she might not have gotten home until after 8:30 at night. Was her live in boyfriend watching the kids and fixing their dinner those nights after he got home from work? No one has said how many nights Diena was gone to class, but it would have been at least two nights per week.

According to "someone" (was it a person who responded to the news article?) DT attended school on the weekend. Apparently, CPC or grandparents or again "NEIGHBORS" watched children? This person also made a point to add that CPC took Somer to Golden Corrall, which once and for all should establish what a loving and protective significant other he really is (was) I don't know if he is still there or not.

 

[zannah]

We are thinking about giving Somer her own sub forum.

Do you all think you will have enough to talk about to keep a sub forum up and running? Please let me know what you think on this thread.

Also, if we do make a sub forum, we will need a moderator. You wouldn't be a full fledged moderator. You would be like a "moderator light."LOL.

If you are interested please email me at tgrif@xmission.com and put in the subject line; SOMER

Thanks,
Tricia

I think a subforum would be extremely helpful as it would enable posters to concentrate on areas most of interest to them without having to plow through endless extraneous posts. It would also make locating pertinent information a simpler proposition than trying to locate it in an older thread.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/...enathompson11-12-09.jpg&jwidget_action=search

tell me if this works.

it look's like this page was done by cranky crankerson

Thank you very much.Yes it works.

 

[ChickenPants]

I think a subforum would be extremely helpful as it would enable posters to concentrate on areas most of interest to them without having to plow through endless extraneous posts. It would also make locating pertinent information a simpler proposition than trying to locate it in an older thread.

I respect your reasoning, but I have personally concentrated on my area of interest for quite some time, whereas others have discounted that as an area of interest to them, to the extent that they deplore it as an area of interest.

As for locating pertinent information, we always have Noway's summaries to just click to find pertinent information; a sub forum that concentrates on some areas of interest and discount all possibilities seems extraneous to me, IMO.

 

[Sunshine77]

Re: availability of child care. One would assume it was available if it was stated that after school care on campus was at a free or reduced rate, which is specific information. Another poster sleuthed the YWCA and their information is out there on their web page.

I understand there are a lot of latch key kids in the world or this would not have been a topic of debate for a lot of years since moms have gone to work.
My concern is these particular children, the age of AT and her burden of responsibility, particularly when it's known that Somer was always running off and people having to look around for her. Its a lot to put on a 10 year old. Also I am concerned if the house was left open, prob. she had a key. But DT stated on an interview that the neighborhood was so safe she would fall asleep with the garage door open and things in the garage (meaning they could have been taken, etc.)

I totally get that people are stunned this could happen in this community, that DT worked, etc. It seems, though, that there were some concerns and in spite of those - and the fact that a year past this investigation Somer was still running loose - Dt might have done better having at least Somer supervised, since leaving it to AT was a handful, IMO. In other words, if a babysitter quit (or was fired - and posters here have said she might have made that all up) because she was frustrated with Somer and the neighbor call-down list, well...imagine the frustration of little AT. Ten years old is still a little girl.

As for the other arrangements...do you leave them up to chance and at the last minute? Or were there real arrangements? Trust it will all fall into place? Do you have plan A,B, and C with the 10 year old being "C", and is everyone aware of these plans....even a perp?


Contractory news reports for sure. So I read the whole news report, watch video, if any, and then read the comments made by others. I take the whole picture into consideration and then try to match it up to the scenario of October 19. Something led up to that tragedy. In spite of news and comments, some facts are facts. She was off alone, and she is dead. Those two facts are supportable.
Although the DCF report has been repeatedly called "unfounded", it remains one documented report, whereas we have a long history of a little girl who was left unsupervised for long periods of time.

I am very familar with daycare/afterschool programs in the area, and assistance available. I have lived in this area ten years. I know several parents who receive this assistance. I know people who are receiving this assistance who are paying around $150 a week/over $500 a month for afterschool care for their children. Do I think it is worth it? Absolutely. But not everyone has this financial ability. $500 a month is a significant expense, and not as easy as cutting back on lunches out, etc. You say you would assume the care was available if it was stated it was at a free or reduced rate, but that wasn't stated. What the article stated was that the school was "trying" to make it available. I know that there are typically long wait lists for this assistance in the area, and that is why I have questioned if it was actually available, since everyone seems to be jumping on DT for not taking advantage of it.

I'm not here to support DT. I am here because I want the person(s) responsible for her murder brought to justice. If there is some evidence that DT was involved, by all means I want to know it. I've said from the start that I have formed the opinion that DT probably wasn't involved, but am open to changing that if some new evidence is put out there. IMO (and I'm not directing this at you, but in general) people make themselves feel better when something like this happens by justifying all the ways it would never happen to them because they are a "better" parent. Stats tell us that abductions are an extremely rare occurence (about 115 per year in country), and that perps prey on vulnerability, whether that is a child walking home from school, to a friend's home, a park, or any other activity that a child this age routinely does. The Sheriff himself said that a child had not been missing this long in this area in 20+ years. IMO, that indicates a pretty low risk to allow a child to walk home. Since Somer disappeared, I've seen people blame DT, LE, the school district, and DCF. Nobody could have predicted this.

 

[ChickenPants]

Well, in 2 more days it will be 3 months since Somer was murdered. We have no hard evidence that is available to public and little on documented record.

We have no media attention except the latest update which has been sleuthed by some and vilified by others. There is a monster - a killer on the loose. Is he ready to strike again? LE has indicated when asked that the case is "far from cold"...which is either not true, or is true. If it is true, then the statement "far from" infers that they are watching someone. If they are still waiting for evidence, it won't mean much unless they are also waiting to attach it to their suspect

and we know that everyone is a suspect.

 

[ChickenPants]

I am very familar with daycare/afterschool programs in the area, and assistance available. I have lived in this area ten years. I know several parents who receive this assistance. I know people who are receiving this assistance who are paying around $150 a week/over $500 a month for afterschool care for their children. Do I think it is worth it? Absolutely. But not everyone has this financial ability. $500 a month is a significant expense, and not as easy as cutting back on lunches out, etc. You say you would assume the care was available if it was stated it was at a free or reduced rate, but that wasn't stated. What the article stated was that the school was "trying" to make it available. I know that there are typically long wait lists for this assistance in the area, and that is why I have questioned if it was actually available, since everyone seems to be jumping on DT for not taking advantage of it.

I'm not here to support DT. I am here because I want the person(s) responsible for her murder brought to justice. If there is some evidence that DT was involved, by all means I want to know it. I've said from the start that I have formed the opinion that DT probably wasn't involved, but am open to changing that if some new evidence is put out there. IMO (and I'm not directing this at you, but in general) people make themselves feel better when something like this happens by justifying all the ways it would never happen to them because they are a "better" parent. Stats tell us that abductions are an extremely rare occurence (about 115 per year in country), and that perps prey on vulnerability, whether that is a child walking home from school, to a friend's home, a park, or any other activity that a child this age routinely does. The Sheriff himself said that a child had not been missing this long in this area in 20+ years. IMO, that indicates a pretty low risk to allow a child to walk home. Since Somer disappeared, I've seen people blame DT, LE, the school district, and DCF. Nobody could have predicted this.

Respectfully:

Either there is daycare at free/reduced rate or there is not. Waiting list or not. Two options were declined. Somer was 6 years old when that happened. It is one year later. Choices are choices, it's all about context.

I do not feel better blaming anyone. I am outraged and very angry. I have never said DT killed her child. If you want "evidence" there is none, but you can go to statistics and likelihoods and LE and FBI or anywhere you like, to see that a common cause of child homicide is unstable home environment and lack of parental supervision. Posters: argue with me all you want. It's there in the statistics. NOBODY EVER POSTS ABOUT THOSE STATISTICS.

What, in your opinion, constitutes vulnerability? That is the issue here. The fact that Somer was, at ages 6 and 7, still a baby in some ways, and extremely vulnerable. We are NOT talking about the issue of the three children walking home unattended. SHE RAN AWAY ALL OF THE TIME AND DT LIED ON NATIONAL TV AND SAID SHE NEVER DID IT BEFORE. Please will you explain why she would say that? The only reason I can think of was to make herself not look guilty, and if you are not guilty, you have nothing to hide or defend.

 

[Sunshine77]

Let's be realistic here. Fourteen dollars an hour is not rich, but I work with c.n.a.'s who make much less than that and do not have live-in males to assist them. Their children are in day care. Either that, or they choose to work the later shifts and have family help out. One of them lives in low-income housing by herself with her son and struggles to pay her phone bill. But her son is in day care. Anyone who claims they are a single mother applying for public assistance knowing that she lives with a male who contributes to (other) financial situations is a liar. Anyone.

Further, her domicile is paid for. That means the $14.00 per hour would cover groceries, utilities, cable, entertainment, etc.

Fnally, the after school care was offered as free or reduced. She would have to take a personal risk in asking for free care under the circumstances. An honest assessement of her true financial situation would certainly make her ineligible for free anything.

BBM. That is your assumption. You don't know that DT wasn't paying rent to live there. You don't know if her parents have the financial ability to pay for two homes. Neither do I. Public record shows that DT & ST had foreclosure proceedings in SC. Maybe her parents put the house in their name because DT didn't have the credit rating to be able to do so.

My point is, so many little assumptions like this have been made along the way, with no facts to prove it one way or another. And if anyone questions all these little assumptions that have been used by some to paint a certain picture of DT, they are jumped all over, IMO.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

It was agreed she would not have to go to daycare if it caused a financial burden.We have not heard Somer ran off all the time.That is not a fact.

 

[human]

Let's be realistic here. Fourteen dollars an hour is not rich, but I work with c.n.a.'s who make much less than that and do not have live-in males to assist them. Their children are in day care. Either that, or they choose to work the later shifts and have family help out. One of them lives in low-income housing by herself with her son and struggles to pay her phone bill. But her son is in day care. Anyone who claims they are a single mother applying for public assistance knowing that she lives with a male who contributes to (other) financial situations is a liar. Anyone.

Further, her domicile is paid for. That means the $14.00 per hour would cover groceries, utilities, cable, entertainment, etc.

Fnally, the after school care was offered as free or reduced. She would have to take a personal risk in asking for free care under the circumstances. An honest assessement of her true financial situation would certainly make her ineligible for free anything.

I don't know what the rules are in Florida, but I don't think her BF's income would come into play. Anyone know?

 

[ChickenPants]

It was agreed she would not have to go to daycare if it caused a financial burden.We have not heard Somer ran off all the time.That is not a fact.

Then apparently everyone who stated it and included her regular places of running (water, tree houses, neighbors) lied. She only ran off ONCE, on October 19, and the sheriff is a liar, too, for saying she had a slight history of running. The only one who really told the truth is DT. She said it right on TV and we should just take what she says is true, proven or not.

BTW as a professional singer I can tell you that it is impossible to sing when a person is crying. So figure that one out, and get back to me. Here are some links: Amazing Grace, You Are My Sunshine (words to second verse changed to fit the situation).

When a person is truly emotionally distraught, that person is not able to make carefully-worded statements speaking to specific subjects and then lapse into sobbing. Either a person is crying/sobbing or they are not. One cannot turn it on and off. Well, some people can. I am sure we have all met them.

Fortunately, LE is aware of these verbal and non-verbal cues so further discussion is not necessary.

 

[Sunshine77]

I don't know what the rules are in Florida, but I don't think her BF's income would come into play. Anyone know?

I'm not sure of this. I'm going to check with some people that I know that receive assistance and see if they can tell me.

 

[ChickenPants]

I don't know what the rules are in Florida, but I don't think her BF's income would come into play. Anyone know?

If the truth was told, the mom would be ineligible for free/assisted day care. The combined incomes - whether legally documented or not - would knock them out of eligibility. Of course, that depends on whether the truth is told. At $14.00 per hour a SINGLE MOM would indeed have to cut some corners to use it. But for the purposes of discussion, she did chose NOT to.