FL - Somer Thompson, 7, Orange Park, 19 Oct 2009 #24

[houndstooth]

AFAIK, LE cannot prevent next of kin from viewing the body of the deceased, unless they have a court order.

AFAIK, once the body is released to family members, next of kin & the funeral home make decisions regarding viewing/burial/cremation, etc.

If there was a court order preventing anyone from viewing the deceased, there has been no mention of it in the media or by LE.

I believe they were prepared to get a court order, if necessary. But, I think the "suggestion" coming from them was probably enough. It must have been, I don't think any family saw her.

 

[Noway]

Did they call DT? I think they called ST, which I thought was weird. Youwould think they would ask an officer of the other state to go talk to him.

The Sheriff said it was the hardest phone call he ever had to make.

ETA
I read this other places too but from http://www.amw.com/missing_children/brief.cfm?id=68853 (poorly written because it makes it sound like he made the call after the autopsy results but it was when the body was found in the landfill and tentatively IDd as Somer.)

Detectives followed garbage trucks from Somer's neighborhood to the landfill, just over the Georgia border.
Cops say the body was in one of them.

An autopsy was performed by the Georgia medical examiner, who was able to positively identify her through medical records.

Cops notified Somer's mother of the discovery.

"Needless to say she was devastated. It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never have to make another one like that," Clay County, Fla. Sheriff Rick Beseler said.

 

[what about this?]

No, I didn't see that - but I was thinking, if ST wanted to see his baby girl, even if her face was hurt beyond repair - I kind of wished they would have just let him touch her leg, because her legs were recognizable according to what they found.

 

[houndstooth]

Did they call DT? I think they called ST, which I thought was weird. Youwould think they would ask an officer of the other state to go talk to him.

You would think. The first time I started looking in depth at this case was upon reading from several major city online news accounts that "It was the Worst Phone Call I've Ever Had to Make". That is what got my interest.
I could not understand why something like finding a child in the dump would not warrant a personal visit to the family, but merely a phone call.

 

[Noway]

The sheriff told the girl's mother Wednesday night that her daughter had been identified. Thompson, he said, was devastated.
"It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never have to make another one like that," Beseler said at a Thursday morning news conference.

Watch sheriff announce that girl's body identified »

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/22/georgia.landfill.body/index.html

Hope link to video works.

 

[sorrell skye]

In my experience, when informing next of kin of the death of their loved one -especially in a high profile case such as this - LE does not do it by telephone.

 

[human]

The sheriff told the girl's mother Wednesday night that her daughter had been identified. Thompson, he said, was devastated.
"It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never have to make another one like that," Beseler said at a Thursday morning news conference.

Watch sheriff announce that girl's body identified »

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/22/georgia.landfill.body/index.html

Hope link to video works.

Called her? Isn't that kind of weird?

 

[Noway]

The only thing I can guess is that Diena asked him to call her the second he had found Somer, no matter what the conditions. Based on the clothing and birthmark, he felt he had.

But I did think it was odd. JMO

 

[sorrell skye]

IIRC, another deputy was dispatched to deliver the terrible news.

I think Beseler was referring to a phone conversation he had with DT later, after she had been informed of positive ID.

 

[what about this?]

Maybe he's not too fond -- but advised a lawyer

 

[Dee10]

http://www.up.edu.ph/upforum.php?i=125&archive=yes&yr=2006&mn=11
Examining the deceased may also reveal whether the person received injuries or trauma, both before and after death, as well as which changes to the body occurred as a result of decomposition.

Also I just want to add the police release a crime scene after they take whatever evidence they need.

 

[Noway]

IIRC, another deputy was dispatched to deliver the terrible news.

I think Beseler was referring to a phone conversation he had with DT later, after she had been informed of positive ID.

The article above said he contacted her [ame="http://websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4498246&postcount=407"]Wednesday [/ame]but from this, doesn't it sound like she was not positively IDd until Thursday?

An autopsy was also done Thursday and the body was positively identified as Somer Thompson through dental records. Police refused to divulge any other details about cause of death or about the condition in which the body was found.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2317154/somer_thompson_case_sheriff_says_there.html?cat=9


Personally, I think both situations call for a face-to-face from the Sheriff. JMO

 

[pinamia]

She might not have looked good or able to view if she really was shot in the head.

Somer was definitely not shot or stabbed. Either one would have been disclosed. Somer was most likely beaten to death. That's what it sounds like to me. The killer could have had scratches on him that's what the LE said. So it was a beating. The monster most likely beat her in the face repeatedly until she died. This was a person with violent issues who did not kill her by suffocation or shooting etc. He wanted Somer to suffer. This wasn't an accidental murder. It was intentional and planned. She was definitely targeted.

 

[sorrell skye]

The article above said he contacted her Wednesday but from this, doesn't it sound like she was not positively IDd until Thursday?

An autopsy was also done Thursday and the body was positively identified as Somer Thompson through dental records. Police refused to divulge any other details about cause of death or about the condition in which the body was found.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2317154/somer_thompson_case_sheriff_says_there.html?cat=9


Personally, I think both situations call for a face-to-face from the Sheriff. JMO

I think @ that time they were identifying the victim based on clothing & the birthmark on her leg. IIRC, both DT & ST were contacted & asked to verify victim's ID based on that info. (I don't know if I remember this correctly or not.)

But if they were notified by phone call of positive ID after the ME examined dental records - then I'm completely outraged. No parent should ever have to be informed by phone call!

I'm just trying to get the timeline down as to when the parents were notified and how and who notified them.

And I agree - face-to-face is called for.

 

[Dee10]

Somer was definitely not shot or stabbed. Either one would have been disclosed. Somer was most likely beaten to death. That's what it sounds like to me. The killer could have had scratches on him that's what the LE said. So it was a beating. The monster most likely beat her in the face repeatedly until she died. This was a person with violent issues who did not kill her by suffocation or shooting etc. He wanted Somer to suffer. This wasn't an accidental murder. It was intentional and planned. She was definitely targeted.

Your theory sounds very plausible, up until I got confused over your last sentence I bolded. I am not clear on what do you mean, she was definitely targeted? Do you mean Somer in particular, or any child that could have been walking alone that particular day?

 

[hoppyfrog]

The sheriff told the girl's mother Wednesday night that her daughter had been identified. Thompson, he said, was devastated.
"It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never have to make another one like that," Beseler said at a Thursday morning news conference.

Watch sheriff announce that girl's body identified »

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/22/georgia.landfill.body/index.html

Hope link to video works.

This doesn't say the sheriff phoned the mom.

Read carefully: he said it was a hard phone call but doesn't say to whom the call was made.

He could have phoned another LE and that LE went and talked to the mom in person.

Hoppy

 

[Dee10]

I didn't see the pictures that guy posted that night, but I have to say this is the CREEPIEST PICTURE I have scene in a long while. That is down right disturbing and disgusting:shocked2:

ETA I was referring to the picture of Jon B. gravesite with Patsy.

 

[Noway]

[ame="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33427923#33427923"]msnbc.com Video Player[/ame]

From Thursday October 22 @ 1:30

Authorities immediately notified Somer's family and Wednesday night her mother made a tearful appearance thanking supporters at a vigil outside her home.

At about 2:44 on the video, the Sheriff and AB (neighbor who took Somer to school that day) are on.

Says based on the clothing and birthmark "we went ahead and contacted Somer's mom" ... official determination hopefully by noon today (10/22).

 

[Noway]

This doesn't say the sheriff phoned the mom.

Read carefully: he said it was a hard phone call but doesn't say to whom the call was made.

He could have phoned another LE and that LE went and talked to the mom in person.

Hoppy

"The sheriff told the girl's mother Wednesday night ... It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life,

What am I missing? I don't think it would be that hard to notify another LEO. JMO

Even knowing you were going to pass the buck and have him CALL the mother.

 

[Noway]

I don't know how good any of these sources are:

Beseler said he told the child's mother, Diena Thompson, about 9 p.m. last night in a phone call after receiving more information from his investigators at the landfill.

http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2009-10-22/update-body-found-ga-landfill-somer-renee-thompson



During a 7:15 a.m. news conference, Sheriff Beseler said they were able to make a positive identification of the birthmark on the lower extremity of the child, along with some clothing items that she was wearing.
After positively identifying the body, Beseler called Somer's mom, Diena Thompson.


http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=116008&catid=8