FL - Coralrose Fullwood, 6, found murdered, North Port, 17 Sept 2006

[RiverRat]

NORTH PORT -- More than two weeks after 6-year-old Coralrose Fullwood was found dead two blocks from her home, her family is slowly trying to regain some sense of normalcy.

Her mother, Ellen-Beth Fullwood, plans to return to her job as a speech therapist in Port Charlotte today for the first time since Coralrose was found Sept. 17. Her father, Dale Fullwood, returned to his job as a bartender in Fort Myers last week, and both parents have returned to their Calabash Lane home.

"It's hard to return to a normal life," said Marci Bartoe, Ellen-Beth Fullwood's sister. "Even though they are grieving for a daughter, unfortunately, they need to make a living. There are still bills to be paid, no matter what happens."

Meanwhile, the family is waiting for answers or an arrest, hoping that both will come once evidence collected from the Fullwood home, the family's minivan and the wooded area where the first-grader was found is processed and the results are released.

Bartoe said the results are expected next week, but it is unclear if police will make an arrest at that time. Investigators have mostly refused to speculate on what they are looking for or what direction the investigation is heading.

"It's the same thing we've been doing: following up on leads, waiting for forensics," said North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis, who would not specify what forensic evidence had been collected. "I don't see anything earth-shattering coming today or even tomorrow."

With no arrest more than two weeks after Coralrose was killed, speculation in the community is widespread, even showing up on Internet message boards.

Bartoe said a message posted on a heraldtribune.com message board under the screen name "efullwood" on Sunday was from Ellen-Beth Fullwood. It appeared to be in response to people who have blamed the family for Coralrose's death.

"If it makes you all feel safer by blaming us, then you go ahead. The worst has happened to us," the message said. "The sticks and stones you throw cannot truly hurt us ... I can face my maker with nothing but a messy house on my conscience, can you say the same?"

Days after Coralrose's death, Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Rick De Furia ruled that the Fullwood children could only see their parents during supervised visits. During that proceeding, De Furia described conditions inside the home as "deplorable."

Meanwhile, the four youngest Fullwood children also are trying to settle into a new routine, Bartoe said. A tutor has been hired to teach the children at their maternal grandparents' home in Fort Myers.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061003/NEWS/610030369

 

[Niner]

Hey RiverRat - just wanted to say "THANKS!" for posting all the articles!! I am following this case...

 

[SewingDeb]

Does anyone know who was with the kids that night before the dad got home from the bartending job? If the mom had up for 36 hours, then I wonder if Coral Rose was left with the 12 year old or left home alone. If there really are problems causing the two to live apart, maybe she is angry that he didn't help around the house more if he didn't work as long of hours as she had been working.

I don't think the mother worked 36 hours (she's a speech therapist, isn't she?)...she was just up for that long. I'm assuming she was at home with the children.

 

[RiverRat]

http://www.sun-herald.com/newsarchive2/100406/tp4ch8.htm?date=100406&story=tp4ch8.htm


NORTH PORT -- Though it felt uncomfortable, Monday night was the first night Dale and Ellen-Beth Fullwood spent together in their Calabash Lane home since their daughter, Coralrose was killed.

"She (Ellen) will not go into Coralrose's bedroom," Dale said. "She felt uncomfortable and slept on the couch."

Dale, stood in the middle of his clean house, said; "I'm on. I'm ready. They (Department of Children and Families) can come anytime."

Since Coralrose was found murdered Sept. 17 behind a home under construction, two blocks from her Calabash Lane home, the DCF has removed the Fullwood's four children, ages 4-12, from them. The children were not allowed to return to the home. They are in the custody of their grandparents in Fort Myers. The judge said the children might be allowed to return to the home once it is completely cleaned. During one of the recent hearings, the judge called the home "disgusting."

Dale said Tuesday was the first day his wife, Ellen-Beth went back to work.

"We are trying to get back into a family mode," said Fullwood, who is now living at his home. He returned to his bartending job a week ago.

Dale said it took him 15 minutes to clean the bathrooms, and two hours to clean the house. He said he spent another 10 hours cleaning mirrors, and all the little details.

The house has been treated twice for German cockroaches by A1 Superior Pest Control. Dale said the house was originally sprayed one week before Coralrose died. He said that was the reason officers noticed a large amount of bugs. The spray drew the bugs out. Dale spent the weekend cleaning up dead bugs.

The carpets were cleaned on Saturday.

"I've complied with what DCF has asked," Dale said. "I'm doing more than what DCF asked. I think am ahead of the game. I have a game plan to help keep the house clean once the kids return."

While cleaning, Dale said he was welcomed Sunday night by a surprise. A poem that was destroyed by rain was replaced, and it was waiting for him at his front door.

Someone added a large bear that had a poem for Coralrose at a makeshift memorial in front of the home. Because of the rains, it became soggy, and the Fullwoods never got a chance to read it.

"A neighbor who wrote it took the original frame and put a new copy of the poem in it," Fullwood said.

While reading the poem, Dale said it starts to hit him at the middle of it.

"For all the joy thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run ..." Dale read aloud. "It overwhelms me."

"You never know what you have until it's gone," Dale said. "That's how it hits me."

Coralrose was last seen sleeping in her bed by her father when he got home from work at about 2 a.m. When Coralrose did not come out of her room the next morning, Dale could not find her or her comforter, and called 9-1-1 at 7:57 a.m.

No arrest has been made, and police have yet to label anyone as a suspect or a person of "special interest" in the case.

According to North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis, the department is working on 200 leads generated by investigated. On Tuesday, the Sarasota Dive Team searched canals near the Fullwood home as part of the routine investigation.

 

[GlitchWizard]

IT ONLY TOOK HIM TWO HOURS TO CLEAN HIS HOUSE?

He needs to come clean my house. Mine must be worse.

http://www.sun-herald.com/newsarchive2/100406/tp4ch8.htm?date=100406&story=tp4ch8.htm


NORTH PORT -- Though it felt uncomfortable, Monday night was the first night Dale and Ellen-Beth Fullwood spent together in their Calabash Lane home since their daughter, Coralrose was killed.

"She (Ellen) will not go into Coralrose's bedroom," Dale said. "She felt uncomfortable and slept on the couch."

Dale, stood in the middle of his clean house, said; "I'm on. I'm ready. They (Department of Children and Families) can come anytime."

Since Coralrose was found murdered Sept. 17 behind a home under construction, two blocks from her Calabash Lane home, the DCF has removed the Fullwood's four children, ages 4-12, from them. The children were not allowed to return to the home. They are in the custody of their grandparents in Fort Myers. The judge said the children might be allowed to return to the home once it is completely cleaned. During one of the recent hearings, the judge called the home "disgusting."

Dale said Tuesday was the first day his wife, Ellen-Beth went back to work.

"We are trying to get back into a family mode," said Fullwood, who is now living at his home. He returned to his bartending job a week ago.

Dale said it took him 15 minutes to clean the bathrooms, and two hours to clean the house. He said he spent another 10 hours cleaning mirrors, and all the little details.

The house has been treated twice for German cockroaches by A1 Superior Pest Control. Dale said the house was originally sprayed one week before Coralrose died. He said that was the reason officers noticed a large amount of bugs. The spray drew the bugs out. Dale spent the weekend cleaning up dead bugs.

The carpets were cleaned on Saturday.

"I've complied with what DCF has asked," Dale said. "I'm doing more than what DCF asked. I think am ahead of the game. I have a game plan to help keep the house clean once the kids return."

While cleaning, Dale said he was welcomed Sunday night by a surprise. A poem that was destroyed by rain was replaced, and it was waiting for him at his front door.

Someone added a large bear that had a poem for Coralrose at a makeshift memorial in front of the home. Because of the rains, it became soggy, and the Fullwoods never got a chance to read it.

"A neighbor who wrote it took the original frame and put a new copy of the poem in it," Fullwood said.

While reading the poem, Dale said it starts to hit him at the middle of it.

"For all the joy thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run ..." Dale read aloud. "It overwhelms me."

"You never know what you have until it's gone," Dale said. "That's how it hits me."

Coralrose was last seen sleeping in her bed by her father when he got home from work at about 2 a.m. When Coralrose did not come out of her room the next morning, Dale could not find her or her comforter, and called 9-1-1 at 7:57 a.m.

No arrest has been made, and police have yet to label anyone as a suspect or a person of "special interest" in the case.

According to North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis, the department is working on 200 leads generated by investigated. On Tuesday, the Sarasota Dive Team searched canals near the Fullwood home as part of the routine investigation.

 

[kgeaux]

IT ONLY TOOK HIM TWO HOURS TO CLEAN HIS HOUSE?

He needs to come clean my house. Mine must be worse.

That's what I'm thinking! It takes me five to six hours and mine is no where near what he was dealing with. I wonder if he worked alone, or had a crew with him?

 

[GlitchWizard]

That's what I'm thinking! It takes me five to six hours and mine is no where near what he was dealing with. I wonder if he worked alone, or had a crew with him?

He probably cleaned like my daughter cleans. She gets the floor wet and says "it's mopped" and wipes a surface and says she's dusted. His house probably doesn't look better to anyone but him.

 

[Mira]

i can clean my friend kim's 'sty' (her word) in about 2 hours. it was always a joke with us, as when i would go there i started cleaning my way in when i visited. she really only cleaned when her mama 'threatened' to come over LOL
one day she called me, frantic. 'linda wants a slumber party tonight, can you come?' not to the slumber party...to clean!. i did, of course


most of what folks call 'filth' is actually clutter. with kids in the house, a lot of clutter accumulates fast. (she has 3) kim is lazy, she dumps the wash on the couch and it may stay there for days. i once told her she didnt need dressers, she needed more couches. her kitchen looks like a tornado has been through it, but most of it is just a days worth of dishes. her floors always need sweeping and her carpet always needs vacuuming, but her kids are healthy, its mostly just clutter.

 

[GlitchWizard]

If I had a hitch and trailer, I could clear up things in two hours. Oh yeah, and bulldozer.

i can clean my friend kim's 'sty' (her word) in about 2 hours. it was always a joke with us, as when i would go there i started cleaning my way in when i visited. she really only cleaned when her mama 'threatened' to come over LOL
one day she called me, frantic. 'linda wants a slumber party tonight, can you come?' not to the slumber party...to clean!. i did, of course


most of what folks call 'filth' is actually clutter. with kids in the house, a lot of clutter accumulates fast. (she has 3) kim is lazy, she dumps the wash on the couch and it may stay there for days. i once told her she didnt need dressers, she needed more couches. her kitchen looks like a tornado has been through it, but most of it is just a days worth of dishes. her floors always need sweeping and her carpet always needs vacuuming, but her kids are healthy, its mostly just clutter.

 

[packerdog]

I supose it wouldn't take long to flush the toilets (LE said that toilets weren't flushed) spray some tilex in the tub and let the hot water run, throw out the spoiled food and maybe the dishes, vacume up the bugs, wash the clothes, and spray alot of lysol. Why couldn't this have been daily? Why would it take a court to remove their children to get their attention? They were slobs and thought it fine for their children to live in filth.

 

[bakerprune64]

I supose it wouldn't take long to flush the toilets (LE said that toilets weren't flushed) spray some tilex in the tub and let the hot water run, throw out the spoiled food and maybe the dishes, vacume up the bugs, wash the clothes, and spray alot of lysol. Why couldn't this have been daily? Why would it take a court to remove their children to get their attention? They were slobs and thought it fine for their children to live in filth.

Exactly Packerdog. Their chidlren shouldn't have been taken to wake them up! They should ahve been doing this all along. IMO, I think if the kids are returned home soon, that weekly unannounced visits to the home should be conducted by the DCF, and if the family is out of compliance, they should loose the kids for a set amount of time until they can literally "clean up their act." These are unacceptable living conditions even for my dogs

 

[gardenmom]

No kidding, if it only took 2 hours to clean then it should have been an easy maintenence job to keep it from happening in the first place. I don't get it.

 

[SewingDeb]

I wonder where the two hours comes from? I read it was 2 hours then 10 hours doing mirrors and such...then the carpets were cleaned on Saturday. That adds up to way more than 2 hours in my mind.

Glad they got the job done. I hope there are answers soon about who killed Coralrose.

 

[Amraann]

I wonder where the two hours comes from? I read it was 2 hours then 10 hours doing mirrors and such...then the carpets were cleaned on Saturday. That adds up to way more than 2 hours in my mind.

Glad they got the job done. I hope there are answers soon about who killed Coralrose.

That isn't what the article said... He said it took 2 hours to clean then 10 hours to do the little things like mirrors etc ... The little details is what I think he called it.

 

[GlitchWizard]

That isn't what the article said... He said it took 2 hours to clean then 10 hours to do the little things like mirrors etc ... The little details is what I think he called it.

Ten hours of little things - okay, that makes more sense.

 

[SewingDeb]

That isn't what the article said... He said it took 2 hours to clean then 10 hours to do the little things like mirrors etc ... The little details is what I think he called it.

Thanks Amra....still that's 12 hours altogether. 2 for the main part (plus 15 minutes I think he said for cleaning the bathrooms). I'm proud of him for doing all that work so he can bring his children home.

I was glad to see they had already had an exterminator in for the bugs before this all came out.

 

[concernedperson]

So, I see her murderer hasn't been arrested yet. I hope it is soon.

 

[txsvicki]

I'll bet that it's at least 6 months before the kids will be allowed to go back home and that in the meantime the parents will have to get social worker regular visits, counseling, classes, and have a regular babysitter for their long work hours. That is, unless one is charged with the murder of Coral Rose, then it might be never back to that house.

 

[SewingDeb]

Still no arrest? Bumping for Coralrose.

 

[Sheromom]

Why is there NO news at all? Is anyone here local to that area?