Media Links **NO DISCUSSION**

[Angel Who Cares]

Chelsea's teacher: She couldn't have been a better person
Saturday, March 13, 2010
<snipped>
Chelsea King's teachers described her in speeches as an intelligent, beautiful young woman who could not have been a better person. Poway High School's Traci Barker-Ball said that when sheriff's officials asked her if Chelsea might have runaway soon after she disappeared, she said the 17 year old never would have inconvenienced others in that way. She was too considerate.

Struggling to hold back her emotion, Barker-Ball turned to Chelsea King's parents. "I have a message," she said. 'Thank you for sharing your Chelsea with me."

Teacher Curt Lewis read from her last class paper, on Tolstoy. In discussing the meaning of life, she argued for a "daring dash of joie de vivre."

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblo...eas-teacher-she-couldnt-have-been-better-pers

 

[Angel Who Cares]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_MKLIynJk[/ame]

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Another girl's death, another law
Legislative reaction to grief has not always proved effective in dealing with sex offenders.
March 14, 2010
<snipped>
Their names, breezy and alive, conjure the girls they used to be before they collided with horror. There was Megan Kanka, the 7-year-old from New Jersey. Her rape and murder at the hands of a neighbor who -- unknown to her parents -- was a sex offender inspired Megan's Law. That statute led to electronic lists of offenders' addresses.

There was Jessica Lunsford, the 9-year-old from Florida. Her rape and murder 150 yards from her home led to Jessica's Law, which banned predators from living near where children congregate.

There was Amber Hagerman, the 9-year-old from Texas. Her abduction and murder led to the creation of Amber Alerts, advising the public about missing children.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, a Republican from San Diego, announced last week that along with the King family, he was moving to create Chelsea's Law. It will be meant, as the other laws before it, to prevent what befell them from visiting any other family. Fletcher said that in drafting Chelsea's Law, he would draw together experts to craft something meaningful. He acknowledged the difficulty, however, if those experts propose throwing more money at the corrections system, where budgets for many programs have shrunk dramatically in recent years.

"There's a lot of potential savings within the corrections system," he said. He brushed aside the notion of a tax hike to fund strictures imposed by his measure. "Let's get through the process," he said. "It's a fair question. But I think the state has enough money to do this. I think it is a question of priorities."

There is no time frame yet for proposing the law that will carry Chelsea's name, he added. "Everyone wants action now," he said. "We owe it to the memory of Chelsea King to make sure that we do this right."
*Much more at link!

Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-week14-2010mar14,0,4125153.story

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Community honors Chelsea King as a 'shining light'
Last Updated: March 13, 2010 6:18 PM
<snipped>
King's parents, Brent and Kelly King, and her younger brother Tyler each spoke to those gathered and received a standing ovation.

The couple flanked son Tyler as he walked to the microphone and said of his sister, "Her spirit is so large, it defeats death." A montage of videos and photos was shown of King as a baby and as a teenager mugging for the camera and dressing in zany outfits

King's cousin, Stephanie Dorian, called her a "sparkly gem of a girl" and said the teenager's story has touched the world. "She has not died in vain," Dorian said. "Neither did Amber Dubois. Chelsea and Amber have become the catalyst to a new generation coming together before our very eyes to demand `No, never again.'"

Dozens of white doves were released as the King family wept and hugged on stage. Pastor Harry Kuehl of the Church of Rancho Bernardo gave a benediction and then led the audience in shouting, "Chelsea, we love you!" He offered the final words, "She heard us."

Volunteers who had handed out sunflowers before the ceremony gave mourners as they left the stadium packets of sunflower seeds inscribed, "With your help, Chelsea's light will never dim."
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.lajollalight.com/news/266926-community-honors-chelsea-king-as-a-shining-light

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Thousands Gather to Mourn Chelsea King
Outpouring of Grief Revitalizes Shaken Community at Teen's Memorial Service
POWAY, Calif., March 13, 2010
<snipped>
More than 6,000 mourners held sunflowers tied with blue ribbons as they said goodbye to Chelsea King, the straight-A student and cross-country runner who was known for her kindness and compassion.

"She was a person who brought sunshine and light to school every day," said Dakota Douglas, Chelsea's friend and cross-country teammate. "She was an incredible person, was nice to everyone. I just can't believe that she's gone. School's not the same without her."

King, known for her gentle spirit, helped plan a prom for developmentally disabled kids, packed relief boxes for those in need in Africa and served as a peer counselor at her school.

During the memorial, a giant monitor over the high school football field reminisced of happier days -- Chelsea laughing with her friends, loving life. The school band filled the air with music; Chelsea had played the French horn in the band.
*much more at link!

Related
'Chelsea's Law': Track Sex Offenders Via GPS?
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/TheLaw/chelseas-law-track-sex-offenders-gps/story?id=10063652

WATCH: Calif. Fights for Tougher Sex Offender Laws
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/calif-fights-tougher-sex-offender-laws-10061280

Chelsea King's Dad: 'Justice System Failed'
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/chelsea-k...tem-failed-protect-daughter/story?id=10019280

WATCH: Chelsea King's Parents Fight for Justice
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/chelsea-king-parents-justice-rape-10017716

Cops Link King Suspect to Other Assaults
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/cops-link...ed-killer-linked-abductions/story?id=10012155

WATCH: Was Chelsea King's Death Preventable?
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/chelsea-kings-death-preventable-10007135

Article:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/thousands-gather-mourn-chelsea-king/story?id=10094325

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Thousands Of Sunflowers Donated For Chelsea King&#8217;s Memorial Service
March 12, 2010
<snipped>
8,000 sunflowers will help add a splash of color to the remembrance. King disappeared while jogging at Rancho Bernardo Community park more than two weeks ago. A registered sex offender is in custody and charged with her murder.

Florist Carma White says she hopes the flowers help lift the community's spirit. "What flowers bring is emotion to an event, regardless if that's a funeral, wedding, birthday, get well," she says. "Flowers bring an emotion and when you look at that emotion you see what people are trying to do. They're trying to show their love and their sympathy and their support for whatever situation is going on." White says she and two other florist donated the flowers and their time.

Article:
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/mar/12/thousands-sunflowers-donated-chelsea-kings-memoria/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

POWAY: Large crowd attends Chelsea King memorial
Service begins at Poway High School stadium
Posted: March 13, 2010 10:24 pm
<snipped>
Just like the sun's rays, Chelsea King's light shined through Saturday at Poway High School. The strawberry blond 17-year-old was remembered during a moving public memorial that attracted more than 5,000 people at the school's football stadium. Family, close friends and teachers spoke of a magnetic, goofy young woman who "exuded confidence" and "felt no need to conform."

Chelsea's parents thanked the community for its overwhelming support. They asked for their continued efforts, as they and local leaders push for stronger sex offender laws. "It's about protecting our children from evil," Brent King, Chelsea's father, told the crowd. "Give your energy to help Chelsea's light shine brightly."

Chelsea's mother, Kelly King, said the community, along with her daughter's spirit, continues to push the family forward.

The power to go on can be difficult to find, she said. "I will start walking, with your guiding light," Kelly King said, speaking to her daughter. "I will start running and it won't just be me. (All of the family's supporters) will be running with us. We will all cross the finish line together."

Chelsea remembered
Whether involving her friends in "an imaginary canoe trip" or zipping through a 900-page novel for the "intellectual challenge," Chelsea King inspired nearly everyone she encountered, those who knew her best said.

"Chelsea bounced into my life unexpectedly, a bit awkward and always lovable," said friend and Poway High classmate Emmeline Kim. The friend said she would get caught up in "crazy, ridiculous activities without hesitation" when she was with Chelsea, things she only dreamed of doing on her own.

Large banner photographs of Chelsea lined a fence at the stadium. Classmates wore her favorite color, orange, and blue for the color of her eyes. More than a dozen bus loads of people arrived early at the suburban school to ensure a seat in the bleachers.

Thanks to community
Chelsea's family hopes to channel the community's outpouring of emotion into change. People can find more information about the family's push to change laws at its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/chelseaslight.

The family held a private memorial for Chelsea on Friday.

"I had no idea the depth of human compassion until this tragic event," Kelly King told the crowd. "You never stopped. You never gave up hope." After the loss of his daughter, Brent King said he had a choice: "I could choose despair ... I could choose rage ---- I have enough of that in me to walk through the deepest parts of hell. Or I could choose hope. Because of you," he told supporters at the memorial, "I chose hope. Because of you, I will channel my rage."
*Much More At Link!

Chelsea: Share your memories or express your condolences
http://nctimes.com/news/opinion/edi...2de-51f9-92fd-6a0bbd131c08.html?mode=comments

Complete Chelsea King news coverage
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/collection_672152ae-270a-11df-a38b-001cc4c03286.html

Thousands of people hold up sunflowers during the Chelsea King memorial held at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway on Saturday.

Brent and Kelly King stand with their son Tyler as white doves are released during a memorial service for their daughter Chelsea King at the Poway High School football stadium Saturday.

A pair of teen girls embrace at the conclusion of a memorial service for Poway High School student Chelsea King at the Poway High School football stadium Saturday.

Brent and Kelly King and their son Tyler wave to the crowd of thousands Saturday as they exit the Poway High School football stadium at the conclusion of the memorial service for their daughter Chelsea King.

People hold up sunflowers during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

Friends of Chelsea King speak during a memorial service Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

Young women cry during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

Poway High School athletes walked onto the field together during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium.

People hold up sunflowers during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

Brent and Kelly King stand with their son Tyler as white doves are released during a memorial service for their daughter Chelsea King at the Poway High School football stadium Saturday.

An unidentified man is overcome with emotion during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

People hold up sunflowers during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

People embrace during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway.

Brent and Kelly King and their son Tyler wave to the crowd of thousands Saturday as they exit the Poway High School football stadium at the conclusion of the memorial service for their daughter Chelsea King.

Two Ramona High School students walk past a memorial wall set up at the entrance to the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium.

Next to a large photo of Chelsea King, Ramona High School softball player Lexi Slater, 16, cries as she and a fellow softball player, Courtney Fick, explain that even though they didn't know her, they wanted to come and show support at the memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium.

Several young men listen as others speak during the Chelsea King memorial Saturday at the Poway High School football stadium in Poway

The King family held hands as they entered the Poway High School football stadium for Chelsea's memorial service.

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/poway/article_13d226dc-c534-5f15-a6d5-b01c33f68790.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

More than 5,000 mourn Chelsea King
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 5:14 p.m.
<snipped>
More than 5,000 people gathered Saturday at Poway High School to celebrate the life of 17-year-old Chelsea King, in a memorial that alternated between tears over her loss and laughter at the joy she brought.

The memorial drew family, friends, community members and members of the law enforcement and search teams that had combed the region to find the Poway High teen when she disappeared while running in Rancho Bernardo Community Park on Feb. 25. Several thousand volunteers had helped in the search before her body was found five days later.

The memorial included a moment of silence in honor of Amber Dubois, the 14-year-old Escondido girl who disappeared while walking to Escondido High School 13 months ago. Her remains were discovered March 6 in a rugged hillside area three miles north of state Route 76 near the Pala casino in North County. Chelsea's parents, Kelly and Brent King, both offered words of consolation to Amber's parents who attended the memorial.

Kelly King said both sets of parents had grown close "as our daughters stand side by side together in heaven."
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/13/more-5000-remember-chelsea/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

ESCONDIDO: Volunteers clear brush, trim trees in Kit Carson Park
Recent attacks prompt effort to make area more safe
Posted: March 13, 2010 9:32 pm
<snipped>
Volunteers assembled at Kit Carson Park in Escondido to participate in a cleanup effort Saturday morning aimed at eliminating places where predators and thieves can hide to stalk passersby. Almost 100 volunteers' trimmed trees and removed excess brush along trails in the southern area of the park to improve visibility and safety for visitors, said Jerry Van Leeuen, director of community services for the city of Escondido.

City officials organized the effort in response to the slayings of two area teens. Chelsea King's body was discovered in a shallow grave March 2, days after the Poway High School senior disappeared while running near Lake Hodges. Soon afterward authorities found the decomposed body of Amber Dubois, 14, who disappeared in early 2009 while walking to Escondido High School. A registered sex offender has been charged in Chelsea's death and is being investigated in connection with Amber's.

After touring the area, Maurice Dubois, the father of Amber Dubois, said, "It's a smart thing to do. This is a perfect example of how a community in response to a tragic event can step up and make a difference."

Volunteer Megan Sicard, president of Escondido Charter Schools Key Club, said the deaths were "nerve-racking and angering." "Those girls weren't protected at all," she said. "They were attacked in the open during the day."

More cleanups and other events are being planned in the coming weeks, city officials said. A public forum on Megan's Law, which allows the public access to information on registered sex offenders in California, is set for March 23 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_e5b4f008-d5f0-51d8-b304-29b47c688ec9.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Friends, family celebrate Chelsea King at Poway memorial
Saturday, March 13, 2010
<snipped>
There was little black to be found in the stands and on the field at the Poway High School on Saturday. Instead, the color of the day was orange as a family, a school and a community took the next step in coping with the tragic loss of one of its shining lights in the death of Chelsea King.

&#8220;You are a community unlike any other community I have ever known,&#8221; said Chelsea&#8217;s uncle, Chuck McCully. &#8220;Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you to a community for all of your love and support through this tragic time in our lives." &#8220;Our hearts were shattered, our spirits were dampened and our faith was tested&#8230; Our hearts are mending, our spirits are being lifted and our faith has been restored. Chelsea is here today in spirit.&#8221;

Words like goofball, carefree and beautiful set common themes for those who took the end zone podium to honor Chelsea.

Friend and classmate Tara Trujillo spoke of being quiet and sometimes shy &#8212; except when she was with Chelsea. &#8220;If you ever stood within a two-mile radius when anything remotely funny happened, you would know what I&#8217;m talking about,&#8221; Trujillo said of being with Chelsea. &#8220;I never told her, but I always marveled at how she was able to mold herself into exactly who she wanted to be. I can only aspire to live my future as meaningful as hers was set in her mind to be.&#8221;

At the conclusion of the memorial, Tyler, Brent and Kelly released single doves before dozens of doves took and filled the skis above and around the football stadium. The doves were in memoriam of Chelsea and Dubois, who Kelly and other speakers paid homage to during Saturday&#8217;s ceremony.

&#8220;We as parents have been thrown into a club that no one wishes to be a part of,&#8221; Kelly said of the Dubois family. &#8220;Our family loves you and thanks you from the deepest part of our hearts.&#8221;
*Much more at link!

Slideshow: Chelsea King Memorial
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-0...ate-chelsea-king-at-poway-memorial?show=slide

Article:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-03-13/news/friends-family-celebrate-chelsea-king-at-poway-memorial

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Oscar Hidalgo 4PM (3/11)
Prison Spokeshole Tries To Explain John Gardner Parole Violations
http://www.kfi640.com/mediaplayer/?...demand&item=18081999&feed_name=JohnandKen.xml

*I read an article about the below news podscasts, & IMO they are a must listen too set! :wink:
Sex Offender Hotel 6PM (3/11)
Huntington Beach Neighborhood Living In Fear
http://www.kfi640.com/mediaplayer/?...demand&item=18082016&feed_name=JohnandKen.xml

Molester Hotel 2PM (3/12)
John And Ken Take Their Show To The Streets
http://www.kfi640.com/mediaplayer/?...demand&item=18098852&feed_name=JohnandKen.xml

Extended Stay America 3PM (3/12)
5 Sex Offenders In One Hotel
http://www.kfi640.com/mediaplayer/?...demand&item=18098915&feed_name=JohnandKen.xml

John Gets Runaround 4PM (3/12)
Hotel Spokeshole Has No Answers
http://www.kfi640.com/mediaplayer/?...demand&item=18098969&feed_name=JohnandKen.xml

Worried Guests 5PM (3/12)
Hotel Guests Checkout
http://www.kfi640.com/mediaplayer/?...demand&item=18098949&feed_name=JohnandKen.xml

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Grieving father asks for action against 'pure evil'
Laws for tracking sexual predators must change, King says
published March 13, 2010 at 7:56 p.m., updated March 13, 2010 at 11:33 p.m.
<snipped>
An afternoon of fond and funny testimonials about Chelsea King ended Saturday with her father issuing a sharp call for action. It&#8217;s incomprehensible that convicted sex offenders are allowed to live among families, Brent King said. And to those who disagree, he said, &#8220;Let them live in your neighborhood next to your children. Not ours.&#8221;

King urged the thousands gathered at Poway High School&#8217;s football stadium to embrace one of his daughter&#8217;s favorite words &#8212; give &#8212; and join the mounting effort to change the way society deals with sexual predators like the man accused of killing her.

Give your time, he said &#8212; even if it&#8217;s just one hour a month. Give your voice, he said &#8212; even if it&#8217;s just to e-mail a legislator or cast a ballot.

And, he said, give your energy. &#8220;This is about protecting our children from evil,&#8221; King said. &#8220;Pure evil.&#8221;

Legal experts say other child-protection laws spawned by earlier tragedies &#8212; Megan&#8217;s Law, Jessica&#8217;s Law, Marsy&#8217;s Law &#8212; have had only limited effect.

Still, King&#8217;s call for change joins a rising chorus. Since Chelsea&#8217;s death, politicians and the public have been clamoring for tighter restrictions on sex offenders. Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, a Republican who represents the district where the Kings live, is working with law enforcement on an unspecified &#8220;Chelsea&#8217;s Law.&#8221;

Almost 8,000 people have joined a &#8220;Support One Strike Law for Sex Offenders&#8221; group on Facebook.
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/13/kings-father-calls-fight-against-evil/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Accused killer John Gardner is father of twin, 3-year-old boys
Posted: Mar 14, 2010 3:06 AM EDT
Updated: Mar 14, 2010 3:40 AM EDT
<snipped>
Birth records obtained by News 8 confirm accused killer John Albert Gardner is the father of 3-year-old twin boys. Gardner has been charged with the rape and murder of Poway High School senior Chelsea King, and police say he's a suspect in the murder of 14-year-old Amber Dubois. News 8 obtained the birth certificates for both boys from the San Bernardino county recorder's office. The records do not list Gardner as the father by name because he was not married to the mother when the boys were born. However, the records do indicate the father has the same date of birth as Gardner.

The records list the mother as 28-year-old Donna Hale of Rancho Cucamonga, California. A Facebook posting indicates she attended Rim of the World High School in the Class of 1999, the same high school Gardner graduated from in 1997.

The twins &#8211; who News 8 is not identifying by name &#8211; were born November 17, 2006 at Kaiser Hospital in Fontana, California, according to the birth certificates; 14 months after Gardner was released from prison. A publicly-posted Facebook photo appears to show Hale posing with her twin boys and current housemate. News 8's attempts to contact Hale were unsuccessful.

Article:
http://www.760kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12137850

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Even GPS as tool to fight crime has limits
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 12:14 a.m.
<snipped>
Sarah Terrell carries a Smith & Wesson pistol and a Gateway laptop computer. She&#8217;s a state parole agent who monitors sex offenders through GPS tracking technology. They can&#8217;t make a move without her ultimately knowing about it. They have to be home by 9 p.m. Terrell likes to check to make sure.

&#8220;It takes about an hour,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I&#8217;m a grandmother. I&#8217;m able to sleep better at night knowing they&#8217;re all accounted for.&#8221;

GPS is seen by some as a powerful tool against sex-offender recidivism. More states are using it, including California, which tracks every sex offender who&#8217;s on parole &#8212; about 7,000 people.

But people have done terrible things while under this surveillance anyway. They simply cut off the bracelets and went about their horrible business. Or they&#8217;ve done crimes while wearing them.

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/14/even-gps-as-tool-to-fight-crime-has-limits/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Thousands fill stadium to honor slain Poway teen
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 12:19 a.m.
<snipped>
Chelsea King wasn&#8217;t afraid to die.

In one of the slain Poway High School senior&#8217;s last school papers, she analyzed Leo Tolstoy&#8217;s 1886 novella, &#8220;The Death of Ivan Ilyich,&#8221; and yearned openly for a &#8220;noble life&#8221; of meaning.

&#8220;I will not live in fear of my own mortality,&#8221; she wrote. Her English teacher, Curt Lewis, shared those words yesterday during a memorial service for Chelsea at Poway High School&#8217;s football stadium.

At the service yesterday, many in the crowd wore orange, Chelsea&#8217;s favorite color. Student ushers handed each person a sunflower tied with a blue ribbon, the same color of blue as the teenager&#8217;s eyes. Lining the field were enlarged photos of Chelsea as a girl wearing a princess crown, jumping rope, posing with her younger brother, Tyler.

Anton Walker described the first time he and Chelsea went on a date and she mentioned having just finished reading another Tolstoy classic &#8212; the 900-page &#8220;Anna Karenina&#8221; &#8212; &#8220;for fun.&#8221;

Like others at the ceremony, Brent King spoke fondly of Chelsea&#8217;s sense of humor. She once locked two sets of keys in the trunk of her car (which she nicknamed Leslie). After three hours of work to extract the keys from the trunk, her dad reminded her to take her license with her on her way

She opened her wallet to show him her license &#8212; and out came a third set of keys that had been there all along. &#8220;Chelsea gives her smile, and it wipes away anger and sadness,&#8221; her dad remembered. Chelsea&#8217;s 13-year-old brother spoke publicly for the first time yesterday. He said people have asked him repeatedly over the past two weeks if he&#8217;s all right. Not yet, he said.
*Much More At Link!

Chelsea King&#8217;s brother, Tyler (blue shirt); mother, Kelly; and father, Brent, were among thousands of people who raised sunflowers yesterday during the Memorial Celebration for Chelsea King at Poway High School&#8217;s football stadium. Like other speakers at the ceremony, Brent King spoke fondly of Chelsea&#8217;s sense of humor.

&#8220;I want to say I&#8217;m OK, but I&#8217;m not OK, because the best thing in my life has been taken away from me, which was Chelsea.&#8221; -- TYLER KING, 13-year-old brother of Chelsea King.

Each sunflower was tied with a blue ribbon to represent Chelsea&#8217;s eyes.

Photo Gallery: Chelsea King Memorial Celebration 1-53
More than 5,000 people turn out for the Saturday, March 13, 2010 memorial celebration for the life of Chelsea King at Poway High School.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/photos/galleries/2010/mar/13/chelsea-king-memorial-celebration/

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/14/celebrating-chelseas-life/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Ex-friend: Gardner sexually abused and suicidal over breakup
Posted: Mar 12, 2010 3:03 PM EST
Updated: Mar 13, 2010 4:11 PM EST
<snipped>
A former close friend of accused killer John Gardner has come forward with shocking revelations about his past. Jennifer Brandt and Gardner weren't close in high school, but became friends shortly after they graduated from the Class of 1997 at Rim of the World high school near Lake Arrowhead, California. "He was a fun and crazy guy," Brandt said.

That was the John Gardner who Jennifer Brandt thought she knew, until his 2000 conviction for molesting and assaulting a 13-year-old girl. "Pretty much all of his friends were hurt and betrayed by him after that. We stopped all contact with him," Brandt said.

Gardner also threatened suicide a couple years after high school when his then girlfriend Jennifer Tripp dumped him, said Brandt. Tripp is a couple years younger than Gardner and was still in school at the time of the breakup, according to Brandt. "He missed her and he would cry about it and there was nothing left to live for without her," Brandt recalled Gardner telling her.

Brandt also believes Tripp &#8211; the girlfriend who broke Gardner's heart -- resembles both Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. "From the photos that I see&#8230; the blue eyes, the straight hair&#8230; they all look like the girl he dated in high school and broke his heart," Brandt said.

*Extended Interview Clip - Jennifer Brandt (MP3 audio)
http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/kfmb/misc/jennifer_brandt.mp3

Lake Arrowhead Mountain News - Jennifer Brandt Interview
http://www.crestlinecourier-news.com/articles/2010/03/11/news/news1.txt

Video: Former friend reveals Gardner's confessions 2:23
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4618415&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: Ex-friend says Gardner told her he was sexually abused 1:42
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4617302&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12131701

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Video: KTLA: Chelsea King Remembered in Huge Public Memorial-- Brandon Rudat reports 2:25
Chelsea King Remembered in Huge Public Memorial
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobe...in-Huge-Public-Memorial-Brandon-Rudat-reports

Video: Saying Goodbye To Chelsea 2:23
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobe...4-a62dda623bd1/News/Saying-Goodbye-to-Chelsea

Video: Keeping Chelsea\'s Memory Alive 2:51
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobe...f86a46211/News/Keeping-Chelsea-s-Memory-Alive

Video: Sex Offender Law Problems 7:00
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobe...1-a18069944bd1/News/Sex-Offender-Law-Problems

Video: Chelsea King Memorial 2:21
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobe...-8c38-5ab0450cecf8/News/Chelsea-King-Memorial

 

[Angel Who Cares]

U-T Editorial: A call to action
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
What happened to Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, and to too many others before them, is unacceptable. But even as this community continues to grieve, the challenge now is to act &#8212; to mobilize behind a course of action to accomplish these goals:

&#8226; Better ways to spot potentially violent sexual offenders before they metastasize into real offenders; and better mental health treatment for all offenders.

&#8226; More effective laws to deal with sexual predators once convicted.

&#8226; More effective law enforcement policies and procedures for responding to attacks on children, in particular, and notifying communities about these attacks.

&#8226; More effective policies and procedures for probation officers in the sentencing process and in monitoring sexual offenders not sent to prison; and for parole officers in monitoring sex offender convicts once they are released from prison, as well as the process of deciding when convicts who violate parole are recommitted to prison.

&#8226; Better ways for families and neighborhoods to protect themselves.

We accept the challenge and offer our voice of leadership for the cause.
*More at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/14/a-call-to-action/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Thousands mourn death of Southern Calif. teen
&#8216;The best thing in my life has been taken away,&#8217; younger brother says
updated 11:15 a.m. ET, Sun., March. 14, 2010
<snipped>
Thousands of teachers, classmates and neighbors filled a high school football stadium Saturday to honor a 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a shallow, lakeside grave, allegedly killed by a registered sex offender.

Dozens of doves were let go at the end of the nearly two-hour service for Chelsea King as many in the bleachers raised sunflowers with pale blue ribbons tied around the stems.

Family and friends told the crowd of Chelsea's big dreams, terrific sense of humor, sense of style, athleticism and thirst for knowledge and adventure.

Not guilty pleas

Straight-A student
One stranger wrote about desperately wishing to have met Chelsea.

"You wanted to change the world and you did, you brought our whole community together," the message read.

The invitation-only ceremony was held under heavy security. The family also held a service for about 150 people on Friday.
*Much more at link!

Today Show Video: Thousands mourn slain California teen 1:30
March 14: Teachers, classmates and neighbors filled a local stadium to honor 17-year-old Chelsea King.
[ame="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/35859682#35859682"]Today Show Video Player[/ame]

Article:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35855163/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Video: Thousands Mourn Death Of Southern Calif. Teen
Thousands of teachers, classmates and neighbors filled a high school stadium Saturday to honor a 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a shallow, lakeside grave as her parents vowed to dedicate themselves to protecting children from sex predator.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZiUBBY-8tU[/ame]