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

[tlcya]

Thank yous seem to not stick when I am on the tablet

So thanks to all who have posted, and to stormy (I think) whose link led me to images of charging doc.

 

[LisaB]

Beyond my not understanding the child sexual molestation compulsion, I have to wonder how severely impulsive he is or what the heck he was thinking when he just tossed her in the closet NEXT DOOR and then went home to go back to bed. Out of sight out of mind? Doesn't he watch ANY police shows?! :banghead:

After getting up to speed on the events that led to her father's incarceration, I wonder if he thought people would believe she had been sleepwalking again, and had left the house on her own. He may have figured he'd move her again later, but things happened too quickly.

I assume the redacted portion of the report of finding the body may have indicated that she was either partially undressed, or that there was blood present.

 

[Storm65]

I have a strong "feeling" that AH will break the judges orders and try to contact DesaRae. Then end up in jail on a contempt charge

 

[Magdalyn]

No one is feeling as horrible about this as she is.

Just a wild guess, Amanda, but I'm pretty sure Jersey's mom is just a touch more devastated than you.

:banghead:

 

[tlcya]

I cannot imagine what a hell it must be to know your husband, your child's father figure, the man you shared your life and bed with, has done this awful thing to a child you cared for, any child for that matter.

The stuff nightmares are made of.

 

[tlcya]

As far as hell goes, DesaRae must be in her own level of self inflicted hell, this person she trusted around her babies having done this.

I have nothing but compassion for all whose lives ZH has ruined with his attrocious acts.

 

[Magdalyn]

I cannot imagine what a hell it must be to know your husband, your child's father figure, the man you shared your life and bed with, has done this awful thing to a child you cared for, any child for that matter.

The stuff nightmares are made of.

It is. It would be horrifying. But were I her (Amanda), I'd keep my public statement simple--'We are devastated for Jersey and her mother. My son and i loved them as family. They are in our thoughts and prayers while we all come to terms with all that has happened' ... or some such.

'Cause while it is horrific to be the wife of that guy, Amanda still has her son, alive, and she (Amanda) can hopefully pick up the pieces of her life and 'move on'.

I've known mothers who have lost young children and mothers who have lost adult children. You never really 'come back' from that, ya know?

 

[norest4thewicked]

Strange....
After watching the father speak. And seeing the personal responsibility hes accepting for his actions and drug use. I honestly felt bad for him. Strange because I have nothing but anger to everyone else in this girls friends and family.

Please don't take offense to this but, just because what he did to this innocent child was LESS than murdering her doesn't make me feel one single bit sorry for him or what he did. He is an adult and there are adult ways of handling things. Chaining a child is not one of these things.

Somewhere, someone is probably feeling sorry for this ZH puke right now too. It's amazing to me how many criminals get sympathy from people. :furious:

 

[Storm65]

Please don't take offense to this but, just because what he did to this innocent child was LESS than murdering her doesn't make me feel one single bit sorry for him or what he did. He is an adult and there are adult ways of handling things. Chaining a child is not one of these things.

Somewhere, someone is probably feeling sorry for this ZH puke right now too. It's amazing to me how many criminals get sympathy from people. :furious:

No Offense taken at all. Dont get me wrong. I think he deserves every bit of the suffering he is feeling right now. In fact, I still think 18 years in the pen is way too easy on him.
It just made me feel a little bad for him when it showed him taking personal responsibility for his horrible actions and not making excuses. Sounds to me like hes been through drug treatment at prison and is working the program right. That being said....I hope he cries every night knowing what he did to that little angel.

 

[LisaB]

Just a wild guess, Amanda, but I'm pretty sure Jersey's mom is just a touch more devastated than you.

:banghead:

My daughter was molested when she was just a little older than Jersey (8). When it was revealed, I felt horrified as her mother, but worse about inadvertently putting her in harm's way. I am harder on myself about that. I was more PROFOUNDLY affected when I learned WHAT had happened, and had panic attacks for weeks that eventually (years) later became infrequent enough for me to function, but I will NEVER get over, nor will my pain diminish, in knowing that I failed in my role as her mother, guardian, and protector. I feel as if I betrayed her.

 

[tlcya]

It is. It would be horrifying. But were I her (Amanda), I'd keep my public statement simple--'We are devastated for Jersey and her mother. My son and i loved them as family. They are in our thoughts and prayers while we all come to terms with all that has happened' ... or some such.

'Cause while it is horrific to be the wife of that guy, Amanda still has her son, alive, and she (Amanda) can hopefully pick up the pieces of her life and 'move on'.

I've known mothers who have lost young children and mothers who have lost adult children. You never really 'come back' from that, ya know?

I hear you, and don't disagree. I am keeping in mind though, some people are better at articulating their thoughts than others. I am extending to her the benefit of the doubt.

 

[LisaB]

Please don't take offense to this but, just because what he did to this innocent child was LESS than murdering her doesn't make me feel one single bit sorry for him or what he did. He is an adult and there are adult ways of handling things. Chaining a child is not one of these things.

Somewhere, someone is probably feeling sorry for this ZH puke right now too. It's amazing to me how many criminals get sympathy from people. :furious:

Not to make light of a sad situation, but there really ARE parents who walk their toddlers on a LEASH! Keeping the child tethered to them all the time. If he had tied her to HIMSELF instead of a piece of furniture, to prevent her reported sleepwalking, would you feel differently? Please don't throw anything at me, this is simply a tangent I have gone off on since the story broke.

 

[Magdalyn]

Not to make light of a sad situation, but there really ARE parents who walk their toddlers on a LEASH! Keeping the child tethered to them all the time. If he had tied her to HIMSELF instead of a piece of furniture, to prevent her reported sleepwalking, would you feel differently? Please don't throw anything at me, this is simply a tangent I have gone off on since the story broke.

I think since he got 18 years, the jury and judge felt from the evidence presented that his reasons/explanation were self serving and less than truthful. I thought I read in one article that choke chain (that bites into skin) was used. And I though some serious neglect (sitting in pee, sleeping on the floor?) was involved.


I'd have to go look that up though.

ETA:

The father added that he had first cut a belt to fit around his daughter's ankle and added a lock on it after she had broken free. Then after she complained about the pain in her leg, he chained her by the waist instead.

'It should be noted that the chain that David used was approximately one to two feet in length and appeared to be a dog choke collar,' Taylor added.

Both Bridgeman's father and stepmother pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, permitting abuse of a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor. For their crime, the father is serving an 18-year prison sentence, while the stepmother was sentenced to 12 years.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ather-chained-dresser-dead.html#ixzz2DZWLM1l1

 

[Charlie09]

Not to make light of a sad situation, but there really ARE parents who walk their toddlers on a LEASH! Keeping the child tethered to them all the time. If he had tied her to HIMSELF instead of a piece of furniture, to prevent her reported sleepwalking, would you feel differently? Please don't throw anything at me, this is simply a tangent I have gone off on since the story broke.

I think that's what he said, but I believe the evidence showed something far greater for him to end up with an 18 year prison sentence.:twocents:

 

[ahintexas]

I wish they would show more. Im left to do more speculating to what have might happened. From what has been released, it kind of looks like Jerseys mom was up all night at the neighbors, and about 3:45, ZH excused himself to go to EZ mart "to get something for his upset stomach" and then he might have raped the child.

I agree. Sounds like there is a lot more to the story, as always.

 

[STEADFAST]

I think that's what he said, but I believe the evidence showed something far greater for him to end up with an 18 year prison sentence.:twocents:

He was sentenced as an habitual offender. Also, it doesn't look like they really expect him to be incarcerated that long. What does PE/TE Date mean, I wonder, because his is 03/08/2015


http://adc.arkansas.gov/inmate_info...ame=Bridgeman&firstname=David&sex=M&agetype=1

 

[Magdalyn]

He was sentenced as an habitual offender. Also, it doesn't look like they really expect him to be incarcerated that long. What does PE/TE Date mean, I wonder, because his is 03/08/2015


http://adc.arkansas.gov/inmate_info...ame=Bridgeman&firstname=David&sex=M&agetype=1

PE=Parole Eligible TE=Transfer Eligible

 

[gitana1]

It also says her mother called in the missing child report.

Things that are confusing me:
DesaRae is Jersey's mom
Desiree is Kyron's mom.
The accused has the last name "Holly" (a girl's name) that makes me think of Holly Bobo.
Jersey was the name of a shady (male) character in the Lisa Irwin abduction.
And when someone here referred to her as "Jersey girl" I was reminded of OUR Jersey Girl whose avatar is on a swing.

I am also trying to understand what "differences" there are between the cases where a non-family member is charged, and those in which nobody is charged and the parents are suspected. Sierra Newbold, Isabel Celis, Haliegh Cummings, and Jersey Bridgeman were all kidnapped from their beds as their families slept. All are similar in age. Why are some of these parents still eyed suspiciously because "peope don't kidnap little girls from their beds" when CLEARLY, they DO! Agreed they lived dangerously, there were drugs/alcohol issues in several of the families, but is it simply because the bodies have not been recovered? If that were the case, there would not have been an arrest in the Sierra LaMar case, as her body has yet to be recovered..

In this case (and Sierra's) there was direct evidence pointing away from the parents and to a third party (zach holly). In the other cases, there is no evidence pointing to a third party that we know of while it appears that there IS some evidence pointing to one of the parents (or step parents). That is the difference.

Not to make light of a sad situation, but there really ARE parents who walk their toddlers on a LEASH! Keeping the child tethered to them all the time. If he had tied her to HIMSELF instead of a piece of furniture, to prevent her reported sleepwalking, would you feel differently? Please don't throw anything at me, this is simply a tangent I have gone off on since the story broke.

I don't know that parents who use leashes in public keep their kids tethered to themselves "all the time". I have no problem with parents of young children using a leash in public places, especially where there are tons of people or traffic, even though it looks a bit weird.

And to echo what the others have said, there is NO WAY these people got 12 and 18 years for trying to prevent a sleepwalking. No way. People commit some horrific crimes against kids and get much less time. People who actually kill kids can get less time sometimes. So, speaking as an attorney, I can tell you that whatever was done to poor Jersey was horrific. Horrific enough that the state sought a long sentence, horrific enough that it wasn't pled down to less, horrific enough that a jury and/or judge found a lengthy sentence was appropriate.

18 years. What daddy did to Jersey was no "mistake".

 

[ahintexas]

Man, all of this just brings up more questions.
Now, to me, it looks like perhaps ZH raped her while they were babysitting her, then perhaps later knew when she woke up, he would be busted, so he kidnapped her from the home and killed her.
If this is the case, I would love to know where his wife was during the rape. Perhaps she knew it happened at the time, and is working with the cops to save her own .
Also, I have driven by that house a few times. Its very very small. I still dont get how anyone could take a child from that house without the mom knowing about it...if she was really home.

Sigh...so many questions

I've driven by several times, and I ask the same question... how did he get her out without anyone waking up? I don't get it. Also, if he and his wife babysat all the time, I am almost willing to bet that his Nov 16 FB post about "making a hug mistake" was about sweet Jersey.

 

[Marbir]

Hey if you read the affidavit
http://nwahomepage.com/images/Multi_Media/nwahomepage/nxd_media/dox/pdf/2012_11/probable%20cause%20afidavit.pdf

Doesn't it seem like Holly was arrested Friday Nov 23 when he came into the police station and made a statement. And the arrest wasn't announced until preliminary DNA results confirmed it Monday.