FL FL - Trenton Duckett, 2, Leesburg, 27 Aug 2006

[nomoresorrow]

I am still holding on to the information about Trenton Duckett that I heard in a Sanford retaurant that Trentons body is in a junk yard near Leesburg, Florida.

Hi Harmless! There's alot of junk yard/salvage yards in/around that area. By any chance do you happen to recall hearing anything that might help narrow it down a little? TIA!

 

[Coldpizza]

This case has gripped me for so long. I followed it passionately on so many different sites. I saw the NG show live. I saw Melinda plead from the park, I saw Josh plead to the media as well. I truly believe I had a siting of Trenton near Plant City shortly after he disappeared. Hubby was there as well. I will say to this day it could have been Trenton. I do know that an Uncle lived here at the time. Joshes Uncle I believe. Maytruthprevail, I admire your dedication to this case and you are a true advocate for Melinda and her Grandparents. I hope the work you do will finally bring justice to all involved and will bring Trenton home.

 

[Maytruthprevail]

This case has gripped me for so long. I followed it passionately on so many different sites. I saw the NG show live. I saw Melinda plead from the park, I saw Josh plead to the media as well. I truly believe I had a siting of Trenton near Plant City shortly after he disappeared. Hubby was there as well. I will say to this day it could have been Trenton. I do know that an Uncle lived here at the time. Joshes Uncle I believe. Maytruthprevail, I admire your dedication to this case and you are a true advocate for Melinda and her Grandparents. I hope the work you do will finally bring justice to all involved and will bring Trenton home.

Another "sleuther" and myself went to Plant City. A psychic had gotten word to us that she "smelled strawberries". Plant City is the strawberry capital. James Duckett's brother lives there. Took a ride in his neighborhood and that's when we decided to create a postcard - the other sleuther did the graphics, the grandparents provided the picture - and we mailed the postcard to all the neighbors in that neighborhood. We also mailed the postcards to the daycare centers in Plant City. No response that we know of. We instructed them to give their tips to crimeline.

I recently went to visit James Duckett at Raiford Prison. I had some news for him that would help with his case which I forwarded to his attorney. He had told me that his brother and Josh Duckett visited him at the prison two weels before Trenton went missing more like the second weekend in August. He didn't know what prompted Josh to come see him, as he only visited him once or twice before in the whole 22 years he's been on death row. Melinda was supposed to see James that same Sunday Trenton went missing but James cancelled it - said some mixup with his brother visiting also. Josh told James about the *advertiser censored* - and didn't seem to upset by it according to James letter to me.

Since that time I came across some public records that included pages off Melinda's computer dated November 2005. You all remember the bottle and BJ picture the one used to discredit Katie Tagle (taunting her husband). A model named Mes came forward and stated that was a picture of her - she had her little boy pictured with her.

Melinda was receiving random phone calls from people she didn't know. She also had a post on her myspace from a RandomJ (Tampa area) Jonathan Ashley. He referenced the wooden thing and the baby chair. That was dated around her birthday.

I'm guessing that someone posted that picture on Melinda's myspace - like some sort of threat. She asked many people for money - $5,000 - and she needed it in 3 days - or so she told Nicole Diaz. She also stated that her friend in Lockport Nick Krystaf was going to scare Josh in order for her and Trenton to be safe.

After Trenton went missing, Melinda wrote to Stev Wilson (Whatshisname) and said, How are you? My friend Nick from Lockport who is stationed in Germany.

Soon after Melinda was dead.

Any ideas here?

 

[Tricia]

Melinda Duckett's estate sued Nancy and she has settled.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The parents and estate of a young woman who shot herself after she faced harsh questioning from talk-show host Nancy Grace have dismissed a lawsuit against CNN and the host.

According to court records, the settlement calls for Grace to establish a $200,000 trust dedicated to finding Melinda Duckett's missing son, Trenton, who was 2 when he disappeared.
*snip*

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40078411/ns/today-entertainment/

 

[ohiogirl]

After four years of litigation and extensive discovery, the parties now agree that Nancy Grace, the producers of her program, and CNN engaged in no intentional wrongdoing in the course of dedicating a program to finding the missing toddler, as alleged in the lawsuit," Jay Paul Deratany, a lawyer representing Duckett's family and estate, said in a statement.

How do they get that statement from a settlement?

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I don't know ohiogirl. I have mixed feelings about this to be quite honest. The money will go into a trust to find Trenton. That's good. Are people still looking for him?

What I don't like is the fact NG settled at all. I don't feel she was in any way responsible for that suicide. I really wish they would have fought it out. I'm not NG's biggest fan for sure but interviewing someone who later commits suicide is not a crime IMO.

 

[annmarie62]

I don't think Nancy Grace is responsible either. There was no gun to Melinda Duckett's head during that interview. Nancy just got to ask her the tough questions first. Any police interrogation would have eventually went that route, as it was clear from the start that she had probably killed and disposed of her son Trenton. I saw the interview when it first aired and I was proud of Nancy. I wanted to reach thru the TV screen and choke the girl myself. I know she had obvious mental issues, but she was also manupulative as hell. MOO!!:waitasec:

 

[impatientredhead]

At 200k it was probably way cheaper for Nancy to settle without admitting guilt than it would be to fight to a win and then fight an appeal. I can't blame her for settling.

 

[fran]

NG is an advocate for those who no longer have a voice. I don't see this as a negative for NG at all. She probably feels good about giving funds to search for Trenton. With it, she also gets to once again declare she did nothing wrong.

Thank you Nancy,
fran

 

[jjenny]

At 200k it was probably way cheaper for Nancy to settle without admitting guilt than it would be to fight to a win and then fight an appeal. I can't blame her for settling.

My feelings exactly. They probably would have spend more on lawyers trying to defend this. Those lawyers don't come cheap.

 

[Texas Mist]

Lawsuit settlement gives renewed hope in search for Trenton

By Nick VinZant, Reporter
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 10:17 PM

TAVARES -- The family of Melinda Duckett has settled a lawsuit with CNN over her suicide.

Now Melinda’s ex-husband Joshua Duckett is pleading for the money to go to good use.

With his lawyers by his side, Duckett walked up to the podium Tuesday and made a heartfelt public request.

He wants the $200,000 won in a settlement by the estate of his late ex-wife to be used to help find their son Trenton, who disappeared from his Leesburg bedroom in 2006.

more here

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2010/november/171200

 

[fran]

http://www.wesh.com/r/25675676/detail.html

Settlement Reached In Duckett, Nancy Grace Lawsuit

Agreement Needs Judge's Approval

According to court filings, if Trenton Duckett is found alive before he turns 13, he would receive any remaining funds.

The attorneys for Duckett's estate said they now believe Grace and CNN "engaged in no intentional wrongdoing."

According to a statement from the law firm, an apology was extended to Grace and CNN for any suggestion that either "deliberately caused the family distress or Duckett's suicide.

<<<<<<<<<<<more at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[tlcya]

uggh

no comment

 

[Nova]

At 200k it was probably way cheaper for Nancy to settle without admitting guilt than it would be to fight to a win and then fight an appeal. I can't blame her for settling.

She may have had no choice. I'm sure she, the program and CNN all have insurance; it's practically boilerplate in such policies that the insurance company can force a settlement if it decides settling will cost less than going to trial.

I've worked on more than one case where such a settlement was forced--over the objections of the defendant and his lawyers, who thought they could win.

(Note: As far as I know, the insured party can always overrule the insurance company and continue the suit, but in doing so s/he forfeits her/his insurance coverage, a very expensive gamble.)

In this case, however, since the insurance company's money went to the sort of cause NG supports and she got an admission from the plaintiffs that she had engaged in no wrongdoing, why should she object?

 

[Bobbisangel]

Why is Josh asking that the money be used to find Trenton when that is what the trust is for....to find Trenton and keep looking until he would be 13 yrs old. Does he want control of the trust? I wonder who will be keeping track of where the money is going and what they are doing with it?

I've never believed that Melinda did anything to Trenton. I still believe that she gave him to a couple who lived so far away that no one would even recognize Trenton and that he would just blend in with the family. I think the family are oriental.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Some more info about the trust...BBM


Joshua Duckett praises settlement

[snip]

The agreement between CNN and the estate of Melinda Duckett was reached in federal court in Ocala and calls for $200,000 to be placed in a trust fund and administered by Kathy Calvert, Trenton's adoptive grandmother.

The purpose of the fund is to find Trenton, who would be 6 today.

CNN will create the Trenton Duckett Irrevocable Trust in the amount of $200,000 to find the boy, according the settlement. If Trenton is found alive before his 13th birthday, all remaining money is dedicated to Trenton, and he can use it when he turns 18.

If Trenton is not found or is found dead before he is 13, all remaining money goes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

[snip]

"I welcome Melinda's family's help in the search for Trenton," Joshua Duckett said in a statement. "It's not every day that a single missing child receives $200,000 to aid in their search. And if for some reason, Trenton is not found in seven years, the money is transferred to NCMEC to help with other children. This is a blessing."

Duckett said he thinks Calvert will manage the money well.

"I do not want this settlement to cause chaos and unscrupulous people asking for money because they are supposedly searching for Trenton," Duckett said.

The money should go to legitimate purposes such as law enforcement and the family following up on leads, he said, adding that the family still receives numerous tips on Trenton's whereabouts every month.

More: http://www.dailycommercial.com/111010duckett2

 

[danisisa]

I believe it could be with someone or a couple where one of them is Filipino. Many people mistake Filipino for Hispanic. I have read up on the case and people said they saw MD with an older hispanic couple. I am thinking Filipino and TD ended up with a Filipino mom and WHite dad. JMO

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Josh Duckett says settlement puts focus back on finding Trenton

With a film crew in tow, Josh Duckett used a small stage to renew his plea for help in finding his son, Trenton, who has been missing since Aug. 27, 2006, when he disappeared from his bedroom in Leesburg.

[snip]

The film crew, affiliated with Lifetime Television, one of the so-called "women's channels" on cable TV, is preparing a 30-minute documentary for broadcast in January about the continuing search for the missing child.

More: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/os-lk-duckett-what-now-20101112,0,915259.story

 

[Jolynna]

Maytruthprevail has posted LE's interviews of Melinda's best friend, Cara, and her brother on her website: http://duckettbucket.blogspot.com/

They are interesting reads for anyone who followed this case.

 

[Kimster]

Trenton is our Featured Cold Case from 1/30 to 2/5/2011.