FL - Somer Thompson, 7, Orange Park, 19 Oct 2009 #39

[Noway]

Oh... I TIA, but the public needs to know if there is still a child murder out there, IF there is a change in status. Hopefully, the press will keep on this, even if it turns into a cold case. I pray it doesn't of course!

I think I understand what you mean but even if JH is the killer, having Somer's killer behind bars is not going to make Orange Park safe.

Parents need to change their behavior. There are 161 RSOs within a 5-mile radius of Somer's house -- knowing that, I can't imagine a parent in that area thinking it would be safe for their children to walk home or be home alone just because Somer's killer was caught. But I am sure there are some.

And of course, there is the danger to children by those who haven't been caught yet, those whose perversion is unknown to their neighbors.

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

I think I understand what you mean but even if JH is the killer, having Somer's killer behind bars is not going to make Orange Park safe.

Parents need to change their behavior. There are 161 RSOs within a 5-mile radius of Somer's house -- knowing that, I can't imagine a parent in that area thinking it would be safe for their children to walk home or be home alone just because Somer's killer was caught. But I am sure there are some.

And of course, there is the danger to children by those who haven't been caught yet, those whose perversion is unknown to their neighbors.

STAMP. This is exactly what i have mentioned previously, no child is ever safe if these S.O's are out there. Parents always have to be extra vigilant when it comes to their children, IMO. I have been told in the past i am an "overprotective" mother! Better that IMO, than an "underprotective" one.

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

I think in a case like this where everything is front page news they would. But I don't think it's always the case.

Interesting article on naming someone POI
http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4042

That was a very interesting read! Just goes to show, POI, doesn't really mean anything much at all!

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

I also think if there is enough evidence to lay charges on J.H. for Somer's death, then why not go and do it? They had no apprehension with C.A. in the death of her child, and she is still facing other charges of fraud too! She was in prison even before they found her child's remains! If they have the right person in J.H., then why would their case not be airtight? They must have some concrete evidence by now, otherwise why Corey's statement! I don't feel all that cofident in this case.
Have L.E. ruled out all other possibilities does anyone know? Has Somer's family or those living in the household at the time gotten the all clear also? Just wondering.

 

[Noway]

I think the CCSO may be trying to fill in the parts of their case where a defense attorney could raise reasonable doubt.

 

[BeanE]

I also think if there is enough evidence to lay charges on J.H. for Somer's death, then why not go and do it? They had no apprehension with C.A. in the death of her child, and she is still facing other charges of fraud too! She was in prison even before they found her child's remains! If they have the right person in J.H., then why would their case not be airtight? They must have some concrete evidence by now, otherwise why Corey's statement! I don't feel all that cofident in this case.
Have L.E. ruled out all other possibilities does anyone know? Has Somer's family or those living in the household at the time gotten the all clear also? Just wondering.

BBM. In C.A.'s case, Caylee being missing was discovered mid-July. Her mother was not charged with homicide until the end of October - more than 3 months later.

IANAL, but my understanding is that they wait as long as possible to charge, to build their case, to better ensure a problem-free trial and conviction, because as soon as the person is charged, they can proceed with their right to a speedy trial.

 

[tarabull]

Fla. police hone missing children policies
Both at local and state level, authorities give them higher priority
Florida Times-Union
March 13, 2010

 

[Kimberlyd125]

thanks tarabull. That was a very interesting read.

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

I think the CCSO may be trying to fill in the parts of their case where a defense attorney could raise reasonable doubt.

Won't a defense attorney try to raise doubt in a case anyway, because as a defense attorney it is their job to do so?

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

BBM. In C.A.'s case, Caylee being missing was discovered mid-July. Her mother was not charged with homicide until the end of October - more than 3 months later.

IANAL, but my understanding is that they wait as long as possible to charge, to build their case, to better ensure a problem-free trial and conviction, because as soon as the person is charged, they can proceed with their right to a speedy trial.

But 3 mnths. later Caylee's body had still not been found. Didn't they find her remains 6 mnths later? Around Dec.
I think from memory C.A. was in jail a couple of times, before she was finally put in there to stay. Then again i suppose she did get bailed out by L.P. at least once. I guess J.H. doesn't have the bail part of it? Isn't he there with no bail? Initially it was a million dollars, but they then changed that from what i read. I wonder if it was only because of the child /molestation charges alone or something else?
Then look at Haleigh. They are in jail for drug trafficking, caught red handed by L.E., yet Haleigh is still missing, and they still have a bond they can get out of jail with, if they can get the money.

 

[Noway]

Won't a defense attorney try to raise doubt in a case anyway, because as a defense attorney it is their job to do so?

Of course they will. So the States Attorney is building the strongest case possible.

They question the evidence they have the way a defense attorney would and try to head off any problems.

JMO but I don't think it is rocket science why they have not yet charged him. They are using this time to their advantage.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Of course they will. So the States Attorney is building the strongest case possible.

They question the evidence they have the way a defense attorney would and try to head off any problems.

JMO but I don't think it is rocket science why they have not yet charged him. They are using this time to their advantage.

I totally agree. If JH is the killer, the stronger the case, the better the chance for justice for Somer. That's what we all want.

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

Of course they will. So the States Attorney is building the strongest case possible.

They question the evidence they have the way a defense attorney would and try to head off any problems.

JMO but I don't think it is rocket science why they have not yet charged him. They are using this time to their advantage.

I think that what i was trying to say was, if there was concrete evidence as in DNA for eg., to tie J.H. to this crime, then to my way of looking at it, that evidence would be undeniable no matter what way you look at it, and it would definitely and undeniably tie him to the crime against Somer. No argument in that! There would be no argument with that evidence! So how much of a stronger case would they need than that. Then a jury panel would not need to be convinced of his guilt either, DNA doesn't lie! So maybe everyone is right in saying they need more time to make this a stronger case, because at the moment it isn't?
From some cold cases i have seen, there was nothing really to go on, and once DNA and forensic evidence was established, that is when an actual arrest and charge was made. Just as with the evidence they have with his child /molestation charges and the arrest for that,
landed him in prison. I don't think they needed to buy more time in that case. I am sure that DNA evidence would certainly be back by now.
Wasn't he initially just arrested on child viewing charges from what was handed in on a computer that was his? They had no hesitation to put him in jail then, with a million dollar bond. The molestation charges came after that when the camera was discovered didn't they?

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

The other thing i wanted to mention was, did L.E. just arrest J.H. initially with the computer evidence and throw him in jail, and then work on establishing whether it was really all of his content on the computer/s?

 

[New1]

I think that what i was trying to say was, if there was concrete evidence as in DNA for eg., to tie J.H. to this crime, then to my way of looking at it, that evidence would be undeniable no matter what way you look at it, and it would definitely and undeniably tie him to the crime against Somer. No argument in that! There would be no argument with that evidence! So how much of a stronger case would they need than that. Then a jury panel would not need to be convinced of his guilt either, DNA doesn't lie! So maybe everyone is right in saying they need more time to make this a stronger case, because at the moment it isn't?
From some cold cases i have seen, there was nothing really to go on, and once DNA and forensic evidence was established, that is when an actual arrest and charge was made. Just as with the evidence they have with his child /molestation charges and the arrest for that,
landed him in prison. I don't think they needed to buy more time in that case. I am sure that DNA evidence would certainly be back by now.
Wasn't he initially just arrested on child viewing charges from what was handed in on a computer that was his? They had no hesitation to put him in jail then, with a million dollar bond. The molestation charges came after that when the camera was discovered didn't they?

There COULD be argument if JH's DNA was found on somer. It would depend, though, on WHERE it was found on her. If it was his DNA from semen then that would pretty much be a slam dunk. But if it was DNA on her clothes or in her hair, they could argue that the DNA got on there by being mixed in with the trash - his household trash mixed with whatever trash was found around or on top of somer. That trash could have been picked up by the same truck and dumped together. So IMO it would depend on where on the body the DNA was found.

I still don't think Somer was molested, but that is JMO. With her being found in the landfill, I think they have all sorts of DNA from so many sources they cannot rule anybody out, and they very well may have found JH's DNA on or around the body, but just so much other DNA, some identifiable and some not. But IF somer was molested and they find JH's DNA from semen, they he is most likely a goner.

According to witnesses, Somer was seen at the 1080 Gano house, at Grove Park Drive, and the dogs lost her scent at Gano and Debarry. If this is correct, she would have been past JH's house if she made it to Debarry. She would have even been past those apartment buildings on Gano. No witness has said (as far as we know) that they saw her go past 1152 Gano nor stop there, although people had seen her stop there on other occasions to pet the white dog, but the dog was gone on that day - JH's parents reportedly took the dog when they moved to Callahan, so somer would have probably known the dog had not been there for two weeks.

IMO it defies logic to think that somer got that far past JH's house, but that he was following her in broad daylight and snatched her in a crowd of other kids and crossing guards, parents walking with their kids, LE parked in the OPAA parking lot within sight of JH's house, cars going by, etc. It could have happened that way, but it's hard for me to imagine that scenario. But unless she veered off the normal path home, it seems SOMEBODY did snatch her off that busy street with all this going on and nobody saw or heard a thing.

Some witness saw her on the swings. WHICH swings? WHERE? Did any two witnesses see somer at the same place at the same time? It's hard to tell. It seems people saw her everywhere except where she was abducted.

 

[New1]

The other thing i wanted to mention was, did L.E. just arrest J.H. initially with the computer evidence and throw him in jail, and then work on establishing whether it was really all of his content on the computer/s?

IIRC they first arrested him for the child found on his computer and the disk, then after he was brought back to clay county, they arrested him for child molestation after they found the video of him molesting the 3 year old relative.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

New1: Can I ask why you think Somer was not molested? I mean I would hope and pray she wasn't, but I think she was.
One of the reasons I think she was is the fact they named a child freak that molested before a POI.

What would have been the reason for someone to kill her and put her in the garbage if it were not a sex crime?

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

That is exactly what my previous post was about. I do in fact think she was sexually molested, otherwise L.E. would have had to extend their looking at POI's. If it was a murder alone, this could definitely have had other connotations and implications attached as to "reasons why", IMO.
New1, i agree if his semen is found as DNA, he is most definitely a goner! This is definitely how other rapes&murders have been solved.

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

New1: Can I ask why you think Somer was not molested? I mean I would hope and pray she wasn't, but I think she was.
One of the reasons I think she was is the fact they named a child freak that molested before a POI.

What would have been the reason for someone to kill her and put her in the garbage if it were not a sex crime?

Murderers usually have "their reasons", as screwed up as they are to a normal person. One reason could be extreme anger toward a family member, as a "payback", in other instances. Just examples of maybe "why".

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Murderers usually have "their reasons", as screwed up as they are to a normal person. One reason could be extreme anger toward a family member, as a "payback", in other instances. Just examples of maybe "why".

Of course I know there are tons of reasons people murder. Well, reason's in their minds...really no reason to ever murder.

But, I just don't see those other reasons coming into play on this case.

We have wondered and guessed since Oct. if Somer was sexually assaulted or not. I think the fact the only POI ever named in this case is a pedo tells me this crime was sexually driven.