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

[NC Analyzer]

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

If you read the charging documents you'll see that Jersey's mom wasn't "up all night" at the neighbor's house. She returned from work at 11pm and stayed until midnight. She then went home with the girls, (ZH carried Jersey and mom carried the baby). The girls were placed IN THEIR OWN BED and mom discovered Jersey missing at 6:30am.

 

[norest4thewicked]

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 see keeping a child on a leash as anything other than another method to keep the child close while the parent is observing them and in a public setting. I don't see it as any different than using a stroller. The parent can drop the leash at any time and can scoop the child up in seconds.

CHAINING a child to a piece of furniture with a lock is absolutely different from the leash. What if there were a fire? What if the parents were incapacitated in some way? This chained child would be trapped and die.

I guess the proof that the two (leash and chaining) are totally different things is the fact that one is completely accepted and the other is against the law.

 

[ahintexas]

If you read the charging documents you'll see that Jersey's mom wasn't "up all night" at the neighbor's house. She returned from work at 11pm and stayed until midnight. She then went home with the girls, (ZH carried Jersey and mom carried the baby). The girls were placed IN THEIR OWN BED and mom discovered Jersey missing at 6:30am.

Ummm, I read that. But there is ALWAYS more to a story, and I am sure during the trial, we will find out. There is no reason to be nasty. Oh, and I never said she was "up all night." Good Lord.

 

[menmo]

I'm reading tweets that say Jersey's dad wasn't allowed to attend her funeral, judge turned it down.
eta
Larry Henry ‏@5NEWSLarry
Judge denies request for David Bridgeman to attend his daughter, Jersey's, funeral. He is in prison in her abuse.

That's BS that he even asked!! He abused her horribly, him and his wife, and he wants to go to her funeral? UGH! Makes me so mad.

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 think he went to EZ Mart for two reasons, one to make sure that DB boyfriend was actually working and another for an alibi. I know he had to know they had video there if his friends worked there.

He was shaking wasn't he? I'm guessing withdrawals too.

I think he's just a mean little perverted wussy that is scared now. Can you imagine after him getting beat on last night thinking he might get shot or something today? God forgive me, please but ha ha to that! He deserves to be scared.

I wonder if AHB & ZH had a key to DB's house since they babysat & were friends. Probably how he snuck in and grabbed Jersey. What a creep & then he cries? For himself...jmo

I wonder if DB felt rather safe and left the door unlocked this night or often.

As for DB boyfriend using his first and middle? name instead of first and last names, some of my FB friends do the same, or even spell their name differently. It makes it much harder if people are searching for you and you don't come up on google as having a FB in your name that way.

All MOO
RIP Jersey and may your family find peace and comfort somehow, some way.

 

[NC Analyzer]

I don't see keeping a child on a leash as anything other than another method to keep the child close while the parent is observing them. I don't see it as any different than using a stroller. The parent can drop the leash at any time and can scoop the child up in seconds.

CHAINING a child to a piece of furniture with a lock is absolutely different from the leash. What if there were a fire? What if the parents were incapacitated in some way? This chained child would be trapped and die.

I guess the proof that the two (leash and chaining) are totally different things is the fact that one is completely accepted and the other is against the law.

Absolutely agree. A child "leash" is a safety measure and often used to PROTECT the child from running out on a busy street or to insure the child isn't grabbed/kidnapped in the event mom looks away or becomes distracted for a minute while shopping, etc.
Not even remotely close to chaining a child to a dresser and subjecting the child to sleep in filth on the floor.

 

[ahintexas]

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.

you're right. It does look like that's the case.

 

[Jacie Estes]

LOL! I didn't mean I don't think she's a stranger to drugs. I also did not care for the self-serving press release (er . . . "letter") her attorney published today.

I don't know if it is because I am in a bad mood, upset and cynical because a friend's uncle was murdered, shot to death, yesterday, BUT I see the letter released by her attorney as a preemptive strike...it bothers me that the judge made the point of issuing a no-contact order for the Holly family to not contact the Bridgemans. Is there more that will come out, will there be another shoe dropping? I am sometimes amazed at what people masquerading as humans can do to other people.

 

[NC Analyzer]

Ummm, I read that. But there is ALWAYS more to a story, and I am sure during the trial, we will find out. There is no reason to be nasty. Oh, and I never said she was "up all night." Good Lord.

I wasn't trying to be nasty but the mom here is a victim and IMO no one has any business implying she did anything wrong. You agreed with the previous poster who suggested mom was hanging out at the neighbor's house all night. I merely pointed out that if LE entered documentation regarding the mother's activities the night of the abduction, that should be good enough.

 

[norest4thewicked]

I don't know if it is because I am in a bad mood, upset and cynical because a friend's uncle was murdered, shot to death, yesterday, BUT I see the letter released by her attorney as a preemptive strike...it bothers me that the judge made the point of issuing a no-contact order for the Holly family to not contact the Bridgemans. Is there more that will come out, will there be another shoe dropping? I am sometimes amazed at what people masquerading as humans can do to other people.

Sorry to hear of your friend's loss. I'm sure that you have been comforting him/her. That would upset anyone. This world gets crazier and crazier...

 

[gitana1]

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

Being eligible for parole certainly doesn't mean he'll get it. If you go down further, it states the length of the sentence and it ain't three years.


False imprisonment in the 1st degree is a class C felony: http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-5/subtitle-2/chapter-11/5-11-103/

Permitting child abuse can either be a Class C felony (if it included sexual intercourse, deviate sexual activity or serious physical harm to the child) or Class A misdemeanor (if it consisted of sexual abuse or physical injury to the child). http://www.angelfire.com/ar/LRfuzz1/527221.html

A class C felony can result in a sentence up to ten years. A class A misdemeanor can result in a sentence of no more than one year: http://felonyguide.com/Arkansas-Felony.php


Being designated a habitual offender means sentences can be extended. A class C felony sentence can be extended by this status anywhere from 3 to 20 years or 3 to 30, depending on what type of habitual offender the defendant is. http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-5/subtitle-1/chapter-4/subchapter-5/5-4-501/

I saw nothing in that about extending a misdemeanor sentence. Thus, it appears both of the dad's convictions were for felonies (which means the abuse resulted in serious physical injury to Jersey) and both of the sentences were within the regular guidelines of what he could have been sentenced to without the habitual offender designation (he was sentenced to 10 years for false imprisonment and 8 for permitting child abuse). And it appears, based on the step-mother's sentence of 12 years, since she was not sentenced as a habitual offender, that his enhancement wasn't that great: http://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/...haining-daughter-jersey-bridgeman-to-dresser/

She got 6 years for permitting child abuse, he got 8. So that was only two additional years for the same crime.

In other words, his lengthy sentence was more about what was done to the child than his repeat offender status.

 

[ahintexas]

I wasn't trying to be nasty but the mom here is a victim and IMO no one has any business implying she did anything wrong. You agreed with the previous poster who suggested mom was hanging out at the neighbor's house all night. I merely pointed out that if LE entered documentation regarding the mother's activities the night of the abduction, that should be good enough.

Well, for one, I agreed with wanting to know more. That is all. Don't attack me because you assumed I was agreeing with the "staying up all night" comment. :-/

 

[Jacie Estes]

Sorry to hear of your friend's loss. I'm sure that you have been comforting him/her. That would upset anyone. This world gets crazier and crazier...

Thanks, in my friend's case it is a familial thing and alcohol was involved so it is devastating to the entire family and community.

I've been shaking my head all day and then came here and read that someone raped Jersey. In 1994 the Crime Bill/VAWA stated that sex offenders who commit acts against children should get the death penalty. WHEN will this start happening on a regular basis? Get rid of all of them.

 

[NC Analyzer]

Well, for one, I agreed with wanting to know more. That is all. Don't attack me because you assumed I was agreeing with the "staying up all night" comment. :-/

Respectfully, my dear, I have not "attacked" you in any way. I have only stated the facts as they have been presented by law enforcement. I am a staunch victims advocate and this is a victim friendly site. I cannot, in good conscience, support any implication that this mother was responsible in any way for her daughter's death simply because she took her babies home and tucked them into bed. To imply different is cruel and unnecessary. JMO.

 

[menmo]

I have found AH FB page to be up and down several times in the last few days. My bet is there has been some SERIOUS editting going on. MOO

She is still friends with DB as of a little bit ago. If there is a no contact order for the Holly family to DB then wouldn't FB count? Regardless if she wants to be right now or not she is a Holly.

Amanda just posted on a friend's facebook something along the lines of this paraphrase: She has practically raised Jersey and her sister for a year or so. And she agrees with folks who say Zach is a disgrace and they are ashamed to know him. She feels really, really bad and worried because she's not sure how to react. She's in shock, especially to think that he was around her son and now her son has to find out his "daddy" killed his best friend. No one is feeling as horrible about this as she is.

Seriously, Amanda? Geesh, you are not Jersey's mother. A mere babysitter and someone that lived next door that Jersey's mother assumed was a friend. Totally different feelings I'm sure. Totally disrespectful to say no one is feeling as horrible as you.

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.

Could he be taking personal responsibility right now because he's behind bars? Many of those incarcerated find God, read the Bible, change their life to help them get out and then once out BAM! right back where they were if not worse. I do believe that people can change but not until they show me!

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.

I sleep with white noise in my room so I sleep well. Could be she does, too, or she was just exhausted and hadn't gotten a good nights sleep for a bit, crashed out hard and that kept her from hearing it. I know people that leave their tv on while sleeping. Could be she does, too. Could also be that he's just a sneaky snake and when he slithered in it was done very quietly so she didn't hear him.

MOO

 

[Guinevere]

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.

That is certainly the impression I got from reading it. He either made some sort of incriminating statement or..... I'm wondering if he may have admitted to possibly some sort of molestation to explain away his DNA but is denying the accusation of murder ???? (Just throwing out a scenario)

Gosh those darned black out portions are going to drive me bonkers until I can actually read them!!!!! UGH! :waitasec:

 

[CountryGirl]

The charging documents make it seem like he was arrested Friday but I seriously doubt that is the case. There is quite a bit redacted between the mention of Holly contacting the detective on Friday and where it picks up where "Amanda said she and Zach were traveling to Springdale..."

There was mention a few paragraphs above that statement that the preliminary DNA results could be available as early as Monday, November 26th.

Since DesaRae was informed of the impending press conference (and the arrest) on Monday during the viewing, I seriously doubt he was arrested on Friday. LE would not keep that from the family for 3 days.

 

[Magdalyn]

Gosh those darned black out portions are going to drive me bonkers until I can actually read them!!!!! UGH! :waitasec:

I'm the same way. And then when I can finally read them...I wish I could UN-read them. :sigh:

 

[tlcya]

The charging documents make it seem like he was arrested Friday but I seriously doubt that is the case. There is quite a bit redacted between the mention of Holly contacting the detective on Friday and where it picks up where "Amanda said she and Zach were traveling to Springdale..."

There was mention a few paragraphs above that statement that the preliminary DNA results could be available as early as Monday, November 26th.

Since DesaRae was informed of the impending press conference (and the arrest) on Monday during the viewing, I seriously doubt he was arrested on Friday. LE would not keep that from the family for 3 days.

Good point. In addition, now that I consider it further, ZH and AH were friends and next door neighbors. DB would certainly have noticed ZH missing for several days and asked her friend, AH, about it. Particularly since she may have been leaning heavily on her friend in the days following Jersey's murder.

ETA the above is speculation based on what seems logical to me.

 

[Dr. Know?]

Thinking about the affidavit and all, it wouldn't have been a confession of the truth on Friday if it took until the 26th, Monday, to charge & arrest him. With prelim results due in that day, Monday, I think they just arrested him on the facts of DNA & other evidence. A confession would have been a bonus if he did give one after this affidavit was written but they wouldn't have waited all weekend had he told them what he really did.

Tired, long day just hurrying it up to wait for the news. The sadness is hitting about now for me...

 

[Jacie Estes]

She is still friends with DB as of a little bit ago. If there is a no contact order for the Holly family to DB then wouldn't FB count? Regardless if she wants to be right now or not she is a Holly.

Seriously, Amanda? Geesh, you are not Jersey's mother. A mere babysitter and someone that lived next door that Jersey's mother assumed was a friend. Totally different feelings I'm sure. Totally disrespectful to say no one is feeling as horrible as you.

Could he be taking personal responsibility right now because he's behind bars? Many of those incarcerated find God, read the Bible, change their life to help them get out and then once out BAM! right back where they were if not worse. I do believe that people can change but not until they show me!

I sleep with white noise in my room so I sleep well. Could be she does, too, or she was just exhausted and hadn't gotten a good nights sleep for a bit, crashed out hard and that kept her from hearing it. I know people that leave their tv on while sleeping. Could be she does, too. Could also be that he's just a sneaky snake and when he slithered in it was done very quietly so she didn't hear him.

MOO

FB absolutely counts as does email/Twitter; orders include 'electronic media'.