GUILTY CO - Paige Birgfeld, 34, Grand Junction, 28 June 2007

[SeriouslySearching]

There must be a reason the Grandparents have filed for custody. If they felt the children were well taken care of...I would think they would leave it alone and be supportive of exhubby #2. I hope for the children's sake, this isn't a frivolous action on their part because they are missing their daughter and I also hope the ex isn't keeping the children away from the Grands out of spite or resentment. As I said, I don't know the circumstances...but the kids need everyone to come together to be supportive of them during this tragic time in their lives. They are missing their mother...no matter what she has done in the past.

 

[Alice253]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5690113,00.html

Frank and Suzanne Birgfeld's daughter Paige has been missing two months. Police suspect foul play and have found little to suggest she is still alive.

Now they are banned from seeing their grandchildren.

The relationship between the Birgfelds and Rob Dixon, their missing daughter's ex- husband and father of her three children, has soured since late July.

The Birgfelds, who live in Centennial but are staying in their daughter's upscale Grand Junction home, say they have not seen their grandchildren - one of whom turns 7 today - in weeks.

snip....

Police have labeled Dixon, among others, a "person of interest" in his ex-wife's disappearance. They said Dixon has been cooperative.

The Birgfelds claim that Dixon had little contact with his children before their mother disappeared. Paige Birgfeld had sole custody but agreed to set up times for Dixon to see them, according to a divorce agreement.

A judge has ordered Dixon to keep the children in Colorado until custody is resolved.

snip...This correction was also added for the last sentence.

Correction
This story about a custody dispute involving the children of missing Grand Junction woman Paige Birgfeld should have said that an order requiring Rob Dixon, the children's father, to keep them in Colorado was rescinded Aug. 10, nine days after it was issued.

Much more at link.

OK, why did Paige have SOLE custody of the kids? Would a judge give him custody now, if he had been denied it earlier -and for what reason was he denied any type of custody (joint,etc)? Did he even ask for custody at the time? It sounds to me like he didn't even have court-ordered visitation but Paige was willing to work with him on it. I don't like the fact that the order to keep the kids in Colorado was rescinded.

To be honest, I hadn't really given this guy too much thought as the perp, but now I'm beginning to wonder. It's not out of the realm of possibility he knew who this Lester guy was and where he worked - maybe a set-up? For some reason I can't shake the feeling of - another man taking his kids away from maternal relatives (Stebic, Young, Raven) and maybe the police? I am just thinking out loud, but I have to say this bothers me. Maybe he wanted sole custody of the kids himself?

OK, I've rambled enough. I just wish LE would get a major break in this case.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Isn't the father of the kids the ex that Paige was afraid of? I hope others who were friends of Paige step in and let the judge know how often this dad spent time with his kids.

Does that article mean that now the judge says that the dad can take the kids where ever he wants? Does anyone know where he is from?

 

[Bobbisangel]

Isn't the father of the kids the ex that Paige was afraid of? I hope others who were friends of Paige step in and let the judge know how often this dad spent time with his kids.

Does that article mean that now the judge says that the dad can take the kids where ever he wants? Does anyone know where he is from?

 

[Quincy]

Rob Dixon is in fact the father of the kids whom Paige feared. In today's GJSentiinel is an article told from Paige's parents point of view. It's a pretty good read.

Uphill battles
Paige Birgfeld’s parents fight for custody of her children while hoping against hope she will walk through the door

By AMY HAMILTON The Daily Sentinel

Sunday, September 16, 2007

After more than two months of searching, tears and endless media interviews, the days now bleed together for Frank and Suzanne Birgfeld, who literally stopped what they were doing when their daughter, Paige Birgfeld, inexplicably disappeared in late June................(more)
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/09/16/091607_1a_Birgfeld_family.html

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I think this should make LE stand up and take serious notice of this guy. It goes directly to motive. They said his alibi was work...but they need to delve deeper into his friends and family to find out who is without an alibi.

I wonder if it is possible that the POI they found who was a client of hers..might have some connection to him or others he knows?

Something isn't right. LE needs to take a closer look and they need to find Paige. Perhaps they should look in Colorado...closer to exhubby #2.

 

[dmaze105]

My heart and prayers go out to Paige's parents, especially her dad. I hope the courts do the right thing as far as her children are concerned. May she be found quickly, for everyone's sake.

Anyone else notice the huge difference in grieving/moving on, etc. here between Paige's parents and Madeleine McCann's parents.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Paige's parents haven't done anything out of the norm. They didn't hire a PR team, lawyers, or fly around the world. (Altho...by the looks of things...could have well afforded all of it.) Paige's parents are looking out for the best interests of their grandchildren, too.

I would say there is a huge difference.

 

[chicoliving]

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Colorado police named a suspect Tuesday in the disappearance of missing mother Paige Birgfeld.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office named Lester Ralph Jones, 56, of Grand Junction, Colo., a suspect in Birgfeld's June 28 disappearance.

Jones had been named a person of interest in the case. He worked at an RV dealership near where Birgfeld's burned out car was found July 1. Foul play is suspected in Birgfeld's disappearance, police said.

Police did not release details of Jones' relationship with Birgfeld, nor whether he was in custody.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299027,00.html

 

[concernedperson]

They must have some other info on him to name him a suspect. Otherwise, the status quo would remain in effect....poi.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Finally! Maybe this will put the pressure on him to give up her location.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Finally! Maybe this will put the pressure on him to give up her location.

I sure hope so BUT would he have been so stupid as to burn her vehicle right by where he works if he is the one who murdered her? That is kind of like hanging a red flag out there with his name and address on it once they found out that he had been a client of hers. I guess that killers aren't usually known for their brains. Wonder when he will be arrested or if he will just wear the tag suspect for the next year or so.

 

[AMF]

It appears that the police are using this announcement to see if they can stir up any "tips" from the community. They don't appear to have any additional evidence. I noted that they said the ex-husbands have been "cleared" whatever that means. and they aren't releaseing any other theories such as her walking away or being taken by a 'trucker' since the car was so close to a truckstop. So often law enforcement gets caught up in the "one good suspect" and quit looking at the big picture. I agree that criminals aren't known for their "smarts", but if all they have on LRJ is that he has a criminal record, he may have been a client, her number may have been in his address book, and he worked near the site that her car was burned, then I think they should keep working on the bigger picture. IMO. I don't believe that the search dogs can be used as 'evidence' since they can not be proven to be a 100% right all the time. They used them so long after the fact, that the scent they may have been following could have been from any time after the actual disappearence. They can be a good investigative tool, but unless they lead the cops straight to the body will they never be anything other than a tool. I hope the cops are keeping an open mind and still looking at the big picture, otherwise they may never solve this case.

 

[Sally]

On Monday, the Birgfelds offered a 15 thousand dollar reward to anyone with information. As of yesterday, there had been four calls, one of them a wrong number. I am postiing the link to the Sentinel with the article and blog entries discussing the case. Some of them are interesting.
http://www.gjsentinel.com/search/content/news/stories/2007/10/09/100907_1B_Birgfeld_reward.html

 

[Bobbisangel]

I feel so bad for these parents. They have not only lost their daughter but all three of their grandchildren. It seems like Paige would have some paperwork somewhere in the house pertaining to the will and the name of her attorney. Wouldn't she also have a copy of the will either at home or in a safety deposit box at a bank? She seemed like a pretty organized woman especially with all of the many hats she was wearing...she had to be organized.

I hope Paige is found soon..that someone makes that one call that they need. You don't hear of that happening very often. I've often wondered how many rewards are collected in a years time. Do they really work?

 

[SeriouslySearching]

They only work if the killer has a big mouth or has given himself away to perhaps a spouse, family member, or a friend by his actions and if they would sell him out. This is the only real reason that rewards are offered. My guess would be there aren't many rewards which are truly collected by people providing information to lead to a conviction.

 

[Rick777]

There has been nothing new in this case in months. It drives me crazy.

I live near this case, and it seems like community uproar has died down and it's becoming a cold case too soon. If Lester Ralph Jones is a suspect, why is he not behind bars being pressured? What, if anything was found when his house was searched? It seems like he is just going on with things...

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Until they have enough evidence one way or another on that guy...they can't charge him. I personally think they are looking closer at the exhusbands in this case. Still...they need evidence and prefer to find her body for that. They don't want to charge anyone until they know they can get a conviction within the time placed on them after they file.

 

[Bobbisangel]

I guess the only good thing here is that the statue of limitations for murder never run out. I hope the killer isn't getting to comfortable thinking he got away with murder. I think it is one of the ex-husbands but I could be way off base. Seems to me it was the dad of the children that she was afraid of.

 

[Rick777]

I guess the only good thing here is that the statue of limitations for murder never run out. I hope the killer isn't getting to comfortable thinking he got away with murder. I think it is one of the ex-husbands but I could be way off base. Seems to me it was the dad of the children that she was afraid of.

They were pretty quick to dismiss the ex-husbands. They had great Alibi's. It could be one of those murder for hire things though...with one of the ex's paying up.