GUILTY AR - Jersey Bridgeman, 6, raped & murdered, Bentonville, 20 Nov 2012 #1

[STEADFAST]

just make sure you don't post them unless okay-ed by a MOD. I fear we are in dangerous territory here and I live in fear of the time out, lol.

Don't worry. I don't think we're ever allowed to actually post pictures of facebook pages. Just like to have the screen caps for reference and aid in paraphrasing and as proof those posts were really there at some point.

 

[STEADFAST]

I would still like to know who placed the 911 call and wondering why LE won't release that information. Makes me think it was not mother otherwise why keep it hush hush. jmo

We'll find out tomorrow when the probable cause documents come out. There will be a detailed narrative about everything that happened from the time LE was called and any statements made. At least that's what I've seen in the past.

 

[norest4thewicked]

After watching this case closely and I hate to say that I feel that everyone who was connected to this child isnt "Quite right".

Also I dont think I can adopt the theory that kids arent safe anywhere. I live in Benton county, and I still feel safe with my kids being or even playing outside in about 95% of benton county. I think what people can learn from this case is that when you become a parent, you need to pick who you associate with with much higher standards.

Im sure I will be attacked for this, but I will express my opinion anyway.....I feel a lot of the blame for this has to fall on the mother. It is of my opinion that this little Angels horror filled short life and tragic end has a root cause in her mothers stupidity of who she chose to associate with.

Firstly, I want you to know that I am not attacking you. I value everyone's opinion.

That being said, I have to say that if you feel that your children are safe in any percentage of anywhere, that I ask you to please consider the fact that no one in our world today is safe from crime. Many predators will travel into a safe community just because there is often lowered security in these areas. And child predators and other monsters don't always hide in lower society. Just because you might associate with "higher standard" people does not mean that one of these people does not have a dark secret that could manifest itself at any time. We've seen it too many times in doctors, lawyers, nurses, clergy, etc. to not know that it is out there.

Who a person associates with is often determined for them by what they have known in their lives. Many people grow up and live the same lives their parents led. I can't blame this mother at this point, unless I hear something that indicates that she knew this person was a bad person and chose to ignore it. I also won't call her stupid. Perhaps her naivety led to her learning the hardest life lesson. We will know more about this in the coming days. Right now, I just have the deepest sympathy for the mother, the little siblings and what they have had to go through.

 

[Storm65]

At noon, KNWA said they had an interview with a neighbor who knew both the Hollys and DB. Unfortunately I missed it. Did anyone local here see it?

 

[Storm65]

Firstly, I want you to know that I am not attacking you. I value everyone's opinion.

That being said, I have to say that if you feel that your children are safe in any percentage of anywhere, that I ask you to please consider the fact that no one in our world today is safe from crime. Many predators will travel into a safe community just because there is often lowered security in these areas. And child predators and other monsters don't always hide in lower society. Just because you might associate with "higher standard" people does not mean that one of these people does not have a dark secret that could manifest itself at any time. We've seen it too many times in doctors, lawyers, nurses, clergy, etc. to not know that it is out there.

Who a person associates with is often determined for them by what they have known in their lives. Many people grow up and live the same lives their parents led. I can't blame this mother at this point, unless I hear something that indicates that she knew this person was a bad person and chose to ignore it. I also won't call her stupid. Perhaps her naivety led to her learning the hardest life lesson. We will know more about this in the coming days. Right now, I just have the deepest sympathy for the mother, the little siblings and what they have had to go through.

While thats true to a point that no one is safe 100%, personally I dont let the media do my parenting for me. I raise my kids exactly like I was raised. They are allowed go outside, play and be kids, unsupervised. The reason I say I dont let the "media do my parenting for me", is because we live in a time with a national sensationalized media. In reality, per capita, there are no more child abductions today than there were 40 years ago, when we were young and played outside. What we have now is the internet and a nationwide media that reports these things. 40 years ago, we most likely wouldnt have heard about this case, unless we were local. Personally, I think a lot of parents overreact to this hype and become over protective of their kids. Now with that said, just like I posted, we have parents who also under react, who hang out with scummy people and choose to live in "questionable" areas of town.
Dont get me wrong, its not that I dont have sympathy for the mother and family...absolutely I do. I just feel that a lesson can be learned from this.

 

[mck16]

While thats true to a point that no one is safe 100%, personally I dont let the media do my parenting for me. I raise my kids exactly like I was raised. They are allowed go outside, play and be kids, unsupervised. The reason I say I dont let the "media do my parenting for me", is because we live in a time with a national sensationalized media. In reality, per capita, there are no more child abductions today than there were 40 years ago, when we were young and played outside. What we have now is the internet and a nationwide media that reports these things. 40 years ago, we most likely wouldnt have heard about this case, unless we were local. Personally, I think a lot of parents overreact to this hype and become over protective of their kids. Now with that said, just like I posted, we have parents who also under react, who hang out with scummy people and choose to live in "questionable" areas of town.
Dont get me wrong, its not that I dont have sympathy for the mother and family...absolutely I do. I just feel that a lesson can be learned from this.

I agree with you and I just wish a lesson had been learned less than a year ago. If that kind of danger could come from her own father she should have realized that it could come from unsavory people she was exposing her children to. I hope she gets out of there. jmo

 

[STEADFAST]

While thats true to a point that no one is safe 100%, personally I dont let the media do my parenting for me. I raise my kids exactly like I was raised. They are allowed go outside, play and be kids, unsupervised. The reason I say I dont let the "media do my parenting for me", is because we live in a time with a national sensationalized media. In reality, per capita, there are no more child abductions today than there were 40 years ago, when we were young and played outside. What we have now is the internet and a nationwide media that reports these things. 40 years ago, we most likely wouldnt have heard about this case, unless we were local. Personally, I think a lot of parents overreact to this hype and become over protective of their kids. Now with that said, just like I posted, we have parents who also under react, who hang out with scummy people and choose to live in "questionable" areas of town.
Dont get me wrong, its not that I dont have sympathy for the mother and family...absolutely I do. I just feel that a lesson can be learned from this.

A wealthy, respected person in the community could just as easily be a child murderer. It seems like fewer professional people are violent perverts because, after all, they're the 1% so naturally they'd be only 1% of the child molesters/murderers. We've seen plenty of cases of doctors, coaches, priests, millionaires, Sunday School teachers, etc., kill or molest children.

However, I am positive that Jersey's mom knew the couple next door were criminals and completely condoned their other activities. She seemed to welcome petty criminals into her and her children's lives. I don't think Jersey was in much more danger of being killed there than anywhere else, but she was sure in danger of being messed up psychologically or being molested eventually by some relative stranger allowed into her life.

As far as the neighborhood goes, the poor have to live somewhere. At least these are detached homes with yards and fairly neat.

Oh, and I completely agree with you about children being just as safe they've ever been -- safer, statistics show.

 

[Storm65]

I would like to add a few things. I seem to be coming off as a bit of a snob..lol
Living in NW arkansas and benton county, I know this area very well. Generally speaking, its a great place to live. Very little serious crime. However, the serious crime we do have tends to almost always be connected to one thing...Lower class meth users. I realize that no evidence has been provided that connect this case to meth use. (besides JBs father being a user), I just wouldnt be shocked if the other people in this case were not connected to the meth problem too. We have always had a joke about meth users in this area and EZ mart. It seems there is a connection with meth and EZ mart employees. Perhaps they dont drug test. Again, just my opinion.

 

[STEADFAST]

At noon, KNWA said they had an interview with a neighbor who knew both the Hollys and DB. Unfortunately I missed it. Did anyone local here see it?

I think the video is at this link. http://nwahomepage.com/

 

[STEADFAST]

I would like to add a few things. I seem to be coming off as a bit of a snob..lol
Living in NW arkansas and benton county, I know this area very well. Generally speaking, its a great place to live. Very little serious crime. However, the serious crime we do have tends to almost always be connected to one thing...Lower class meth users. I realize that no evidence has been provided that connect this case to meth use. (besides JBs step father being a user), I just wouldnt be shocked if the other people in this case were not connected to the meth problem too. We have always had a joke about meth users in this area and EZ mart. It seems there is a connection with meth and EZ mart employees. Perhaps they dont drug test. Again, just my opinion.

EZMart is open all night, has next-to-no security, and often booths or tables to sit at. It has always been the convenience store of choice for local drug users and also a favorite place to apply for people who like to steal from their employers. (My husband managed some EZMarts about 20 years ago.) Meth has completely changed the dynamics of the working class of Benton County!

 

[Abby Normal Again]

I think that's the million dollar question. More than likely she caught him doing whatever he was doing.

I have had the passing thought that she caught him and basically told him that her reservation in forgiveness is that she didn't want it coming back to bite them if she kept investing in their marriage. IOW, I hope he didn't feel like he was silencing her to protect his marriage. That said, it was a passing thought and I doubt it. I'd like to think most people would be above that sort of implication.

I am not sure that FB post on the 16th by ZH is related at all to Jersey. I have a feeling this is a guy who frequently makes big "mistakes" that almost always adversely affect his life and relationships.

This is my logical POV as well.

At noon, KNWA said they had an interview with a neighbor who knew both the Hollys and DB. Unfortunately I missed it. Did anyone local here see it?

I did not. I looked on their website, but don't see anything like that yet.

While thats true to a point that no one is safe 100%, personally I dont let the media do my parenting for me. I raise my kids exactly like I was raised. They are allowed go outside, play and be kids, unsupervised. The reason I say I dont let the "media do my parenting for me", is because we live in a time with a national sensationalized media. In reality, per capita, there are no more child abductions today than there were 40 years ago, when we were young and played outside. What we have now is the internet and a nationwide media that reports these things. 40 years ago, we most likely wouldnt have heard about this case, unless we were local. Personally, I think a lot of parents overreact to this hype and become over protective of their kids. Now with that said, just like I posted, we have parents who also under react, who hang out with scummy people and choose to live in "questionable" areas of town.
Dont get me wrong, its not that I dont have sympathy for the mother and family...absolutely I do. I just feel that a lesson can be learned from this.

Have you read "Free Range Child" or anything about the author? That is basically her premise. And I've long held the belief that kids need some freedom. One thing I don't think she balances well is the idea that when you know better you do better. For example, people often argue against safety seats by saying "I didn't use a carseat and I'm still alive." And while that is certainly true, carseats exist because many people didn't make it to today to argue the other side of that argument.

Since I haven't run the numbers myself- let's assume that, statistically, we are safer from abductions today. Perhaps in part to an increase in parental convictions in cases that previously would have been labeled as a stranger abduction. OTOH, we can always learn from history and improve our odds. Information is power, so we should heed the new information that internet and media give us access to. I fully believe that kids need to run free in the woods. I think they need to have their imagination take them away, and believe they are being chased by wolves from time to time. I'm just always trying to balance that with new information and arm them with the skills they need to stay safe. Not stranger danger, but how to trust that gut feeling- if it doesn't feel right, LISTEN. And, yes, part of that is that I don't let them have as much run of the well populated neighborhood as I had when I was a child.

But I hear you and agree with much, I am just constantly conflicted on finding that balance.

 

[norest4thewicked]

While thats true to a point that no one is safe 100%, personally I dont let the media do my parenting for me. I raise my kids exactly like I was raised. They are allowed go outside, play and be kids, unsupervised. The reason I say I dont let the "media do my parenting for me", is because we live in a time with a national sensationalized media. In reality, per capita, there are no more child abductions today than there were 40 years ago, when we were young and played outside. What we have now is the internet and a nationwide media that reports these things. 40 years ago, we most likely wouldnt have heard about this case, unless we were local. Personally, I think a lot of parents overreact to this hype and become over protective of their kids. Now with that said, just like I posted, we have parents who also under react, who hang out with scummy people and choose to live in "questionable" areas of town.
Dont get me wrong, its not that I dont have sympathy for the mother and family...absolutely I do. I just feel that a lesson can be learned from this.

I am not talking about letting the media do your parenting for you. I am retired LE and have worked with LE for many years. I can tell you that people are fooling themselves if they believe that things are the same today as they were 40 years ago and that we are just hearing about it more today. This is a fallacy that is put out there by a lot of folks and I can understand wanting to believe it. I'm a mother myself and it was very hard to go to work every day and know about things in the community I lived in that no one else knew about and still trying to feel safe. I can only tell you for a fact, that there is a LOT going on today that was never even thought of 40 years ago. To believe that a child is safer if you have the right friends, or if you do the right things is just not a rational way to live in today's world.

What might be a "questionable" part of town to one might be all that another can afford. And, this particular crime of child killing happens in the very best of classes...not just the lower class.

 

[tlcya]

http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-today?nxd_id=385292

video of the presser given yesterday

Just bringing it forward

 

[Abby Normal Again]

I am not talking about letting the media do your parenting for you. I am retired LE and have worked with LE for many years. I can tell you that people are fooling themselves if they believe that things are the same today as they were 40 years ago and that we are just hearing about it more today. This is a fallacy that is put out there by a lot of folks and I can understand wanting to believe it. I'm a mother myself and it was very hard to go to work every day and know about things in the community I lived in that no one else knew about and still trying to feel safe. I can only tell you for a fact, that there is a LOT going on today that was never even thought of 40 years ago. To believe that a child is safer if you have the right friends, or if you do the right things is just not a rational way to live in today's world.

What might be a "questionable" part of town to one might be all that another can afford. And, this particular crime of child killing happens in the very best of classes...not just the lower class.

I grew up in the ghetto of our town. Where drug deals and gangs were completely normal. I had access to drugs at an alarmingly young age. Pizza wouldn't deliver in our neighborhood, because it wasn't safe. I walked around until 11-12 feeling quite safe. There was no hurting children in our neighborhood because there were people with power who wouldn't tolerate it. Of course once you got to be a teenager, well... some ideals about women were not always so generous.

Anyway, I was a victim of certain abuses in those years, and the person at fault in was a much wealthier class. A pastor at a church, and on city counsel. An all around socially impressive dude.

Like you said- that type of victimization does not know social bounds. If anything, I think it gets swept under the rug more the higher up the social ladder you go. It's easy to feel protected by wealth, if I'm being honest I kind of do as well. Like you said, it's a false sense of security, though.

 

[STEADFAST]

I am not talking about letting the media do your parenting for you. I am retired LE and have worked with LE for many years. I can tell you that people are fooling themselves if they believe that things are the same today as they were 40 years ago and that we are just hearing about it more today. This is a fallacy that is put out there by a lot of folks and I can understand wanting to believe it. I'm a mother myself and it was very hard to go to work every day and know about things in the community I lived in that no one else knew about and still trying to feel safe. I can only tell you for a fact, that there is a LOT going on today that was never even thought of 40 years ago. To believe that a child is safer if you have the right friends, or if you do the right things is just not a rational way to live in today's world.

What might be a "questionable" part of town to one might be all that another can afford. And, this particular crime of child killing happens in the very best of classes...not just the lower class.

This is from the U.S. Department of Justice and so is not put out there by people with an agenda -- these statistics have been kept through many different administrations and political trends. That's why I believe them.
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/htus8008pr.cfm

The nation’s homicide rate fell to 4.8 homicides per 100,000 U.S. residents in 2010, its lowest level in four decades, the Bureau of Justice Statistics announced today. Much of the decline was in the nation’s largest cities, those with a population of one million or more, where the homicide rate dropped dramatically from 35.5 homicides per 100,000 residents in 1991 to a low of 11.9 per 100,000 in 2008.
. . . Most homicide victims under age 5 were killed by a parent. In 2008, 59% of young child homicide victims were killed by a parent, 10% were killed by some other family member and 30% were murdered by a friend or acquaintance.

Notice that only leaves 1% of murdered children under age 5 to have been murdered by a total stranger. All the more reason to watch carefully who you let into your home even more than where you allow your kids to roam.

ETA Not that you'd allow a kid under 5 to roam anywhere!

 

[Abby Normal Again]

http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-today?nxd_id=385292

video of the presser given yesterday

Just bringing it forward

Child abduction response team and child abduction rapid response team. (paraphrasing from video)

From my own experience I was pretty sure they had specialized training and protocol for this situation. They were way to efficient to be otherwise. Very proud of our area LE.

 

[tlcya]

Agree Abby, LE was spot on with their prompt response.

 

[norest4thewicked]

This is from the U.S. Department of Justice and so is not put out there by people with an agenda -- these statistics have been kept through many different administrations and political trends. That's why I believe them.
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/htus8008pr.cfm
Notice that only leaves 1% of murdered children under age 5 to have been murdered by a total stranger. All the more reason to watch carefully who you let into your home even more than where you allow your kids to roam.

ETA Not that you'd allow a kid under 5 to roam anywhere!

I'm very familiar with this study. However, when you say that they have no agenda, that isn't necessarily the case. I know that crime statistics are very important to departments, and getting them "down" is extremely important to agencies who rely on outside monies, etc. I don't ever hang my hat on "studies" because every single one can be manipulated to one advantage or another. Can you see how it would benefit departments all over the USA to say that crimes are down? I'm only saying this because I am very familiar with that aspect and while I don't think that these "studies" want to necessarily lie to people, many are manipulated in a positive way for whatever political motive there is.

But, this is pretty off topic for this thread. :seeya:

 

[ahintexas]

At noon, KNWA said they had an interview with a neighbor who knew both the Hollys and DB. Unfortunately I missed it. Did anyone local here see it?

It was like 2 seconds. Nothing to write home about.

 

[Donjeta]

If children are safer today than they used to be and parents are more watchful or paranoid than they used to be there might be a connection imo. We'd need to compare the safety of the children who run equally freely to the safety of the free range children of days long past.

I am happy to read that they have been able to make an arrest.

Rest in peace, Jersey, and may there be justice for you.