Somer Thompson -- Found Deceased 10/21/09

http://www.wftv.com/news/21347761/detail.html

ORANGE PARK, Fla. --
Somer Thompson
An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 7-year-old North Florida girl who vanished after school.

More than 100 Clay County deputies and law enforcement personnel from neighboring counties were searching Monday and Tuesday in Orange Park for Somer Thompson.

The second-grader is white, 3-foot-5 and 65 pounds. She had brown hair tied in a pony tail with a red bow and was carrying a purple Hannah Montana backpack and lunch box.

Somer was last seen about 2:45 p.m. Monday heading home from Grove Park Elementary School. She was walking with her sister and some friends, but ran ahead of them.

I am so hoping this will not turn into another tragedy out of Florida.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=146917&provider=rss

Search for Somer Thompson Expanded, 'Hundreds' of Tips so Far


ORANGE PARK, FL -- Police have received hundreds of tips and leads so far for Somer Thompson, who investigators have been searching for since she didn't come home from school Monday.

An Amber Alert was issued for the 7-year-old this morning. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler says this is the longest a child has been missing in Clay County in 22 years.

At a morning press conference, Beseler said the agency has some "very good leads coming in." The agency is now processing those calls. He said there were 50 tips by 9 a.m. today and that by now there were hundreds.

The sheriff also asked for information about a blue sedan seen in the neighborhood 10 days ago. Authorities say the occupants, two men and a woman, tried to lure a young girl into the car.

Beseler would not elaborate further, except to say that the incident happened within a block of where Somer was last seen Monday afternoon. He said that right now there is "no reason to believe that is connected to Somer."

The search area was expanded to 3 miles early this morning, and just before 11 this morning, law enforcement expanded the search to a 5-mile radius. Beseler said there is "no indication" this is an abduction; he also said Somer does not have a history of running away.

Within that radius, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, are 87 sex offenders, and each is being checked out.

Deputies want people to search everywhere around their homes for the missing girl. In fact, they say several groups organized on their own and are expected to help with the search Tuesday.

Beseler says individuals can also come help with the search. They are preparing flyers that they will distribute across the county.

The little girl hasn't been seen since Monday afternoon. The girl's mother notified the sheriff's office around 5 p.m. that her daughter had not returned home from school.

"Her mother began looking for her, and after about two hours, [she] flagged down a patrol car and reported that Somer did not come home this (Monday) afternoon," said Beseler.

Beseler adds that Somer got into an argument with another child at school Monday, but is not saying the argument was connected to her disappearance.

Thompson is a second-grader at Grove Park Elementary. Police say she is a white female, 3 feet 5 inches tall and about 65 pounds. She has brown hair and was last seen wearing a cranberry colored sweatsuit with pink striped sleeves. She has no known health problems, Beseler said.

The sheriff says Grove Park is open Tuesday.

She was last seen at 2:45 p.m. walking home from school near West Gano Avenue and Debarry Avenue. [Map it]

She was with her brother and friends, but separated from them, running ahead towards her home.

The sheriff says they have checked with immediate family members, including the girl's father, who lives in North Carolina.

"We would ask that the public assist us in providing any information that anyone may have about this little girl's whereabouts...she has been missing for about seven hours now," said Beseler late Monday.

He added, "We're hoping that Somer has gone maybe to a friend's house or something like that, but we're leaving no stone unturned. We're diligently looking right now and we need help from the public."

Stay with First Coast News and firstcoastnews.com for the latest.

Anyone with information on Somer is asked to call 911, the CCSO non-emergency line at (904) 264-6512, 1-877-227-6911 or 1-866-845-TIPS. You also can email cart@claysheriff.com.

There is video at this link too. If anyone lives near here please watch this. I am so tired of hearing about this damn stuff.

Somer's Father Pleads for Everyone to Search

ORANGE PARK, FL -- The father of Somer Thompson says there is nothing to describe how he feels right now.

"Just imagine it's your child missing," said Sam Thompson in a telephone interview with First Coast News Tuesday morning.

Thompson is asking everyone to do what they can to find Somer, the 7-year-old girl who disappeared while on her way home from Grove Park Elementary school.

"Please find my daughter," Thompson sobbed.

The girl's father is separated from Somer's mother, Diena Thompson, and lives in Graham, North Carolina.

He says his heart plummeted when deputies with the Clay County Sheriff's Office called with the news Monday afternoon. "There's absolutely no way to describe the feeling," said Thompson.

Thompson says he has no idea whether Somer ran off or if someone took her. He just wants her to come home.

"Someone knows where my daughter is, and I just plead with their sense of humanity to let my daughter go."

All of these stories of missing children are really just heart breaking. I don't know what it is about this little girl. This has really gotten to me this morning though. I am really hoping and praying she is found soon.

It is so frustrating that our children keep getting taken, or are murdered. Enough is enough! Something more has to be done!

I hope they find Somer safe. I'm with you Tracey. I am sick and tired of people hurting our children. I wish I knew what could be done to stop this. The only things I can think of are much longer prison sentences for sex offenders, and the death penalty for anybody who murders a child. It's ridiculous that there are 87 sex offenders that are free to roam the streets living within a five-mile radius in Somer's neighborhood.

I just wanted to add some photo's of Somer. I know we have some members from Florida & you just never know when or where you might spot one of these children. I am praying that she is returned home safely. I saw the grandmother of TV and my heart is breaking for her.

First Coast News interview with Sam Thompson, Somer's father.

Thanks J4A...I tried adding the news conference with both of her parents but for some reason, it just didn't want to post.

Thanks for posting this for us, Fysty & J4A!

Here's yet another sad story about a missing child! Somer is an adorable little girl. Her twin brother is precious too. I pray that they find her soon. My heart, thoughts & prayers are with her family. What in the world is going on in Florida? It really makes you wonder. I hope this story has a happy ending.

Where is Somer Thompson? Police 'Desperately' Seek Tips in 7-Year-Old's Disappearance
Mom Diena Thompson: 'She's One of the Most Loving Little Girls in the Whole Wide World'

The mother of a missing 7-year-old Florida girl who police fear was abducted on her way home from school begged for her daughter's safe return today as police continued interviewing the dozens of sex offenders who live in the area.

"They should know that she's one of the most loving little girls in the whole wide world. She doesn't know a stranger," Diena Thompson said of her daughter, Somer. "And if somebody has her, please just bring her home."

Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler told "Good Morning America" today that police have interviewed nearly 60 of the 94 registered sex offenders that live within a three-mile radius and plan to expand their "circle of interest" to five miles out. But nearly 48 hours after Somer Thompson was last seen, they are no closer to finding her.

"This case is very troubling in that we just don't have a lot of information," Beseler said, asking the public for tips. "We really believe that ... Somer has been removed from the area."

Police had already been investigating a separate child abduction attempt two weeks ago in which the potential abductor tried to lure a girl into a car, one block away from the spot where Somer was last seen.

Beseler said today that authorities had located both the car and the individual and are "pretty confident" the cases are not connected.

Holding a picture of her daughter, Thompson told "Good Morning America" that her family, especially Somer's twin brother, are devastated.

"We just don't know what to do without her," she said.

Somer vanished Monday while on her way home from school with her twin and 10-year-old sister. She had argued with the two other children, Thompson said, and ran ahead of them, far enough that they lost sight of her.

When the other children got home and she wasn't there, they dropped their backpacks and went out looking for her.

Sheriff: 'We Desperately Need Someone to Give Us a Call'

Though Somer disappeared Monday afternoon, an Amber Alert was not issued until 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Beseler said that because no one saw an abduction, Somer's case did not initially meet the criteria set forth by the state to issue an alert.

But after she was not found by the next morning and considering her age and "some other factors," Beseler said, the state eventually issued the alert.

"We desperately need someone to give us a call," he said. "All we need is one phone call, one phone call to bring Somer home."

Thompson, her eyes full of tears, also spoke directly to her daughter.

"I love you," she said. "And you're not in trouble. Just come home."

Sgt. Dan Mahla of the Clay County Sherriff's Office said Tuesday that it would be "totally out of character" for the second-grader to run away and not come home.

Somer was last seen just before 3 p.m. heading home from Grove Park Elementary School. She is 4-foot-5 and weighs 65 pounds. She was last seen wearing a ponytail with a red bow and carrying a purple Hannah Montana backpack and a lunchbox.

At 4 p.m. the girl's mother called home and was told Somer had not arrived. The mother left work and contacted the sheriff's office.

The search included canine units, mounted police, dive teams and helicopters with heat-sensing technology.

Several police agencies, the FBI and local volunteers began scouring the wooded areas in near where Somer was last seen.

He added that investigators have found "no physical evidence that might lead us to where she might be."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-missing-florida-girl-somer-thompson-begs-return/story?id=8877337

Vigil Held For Missing North Fla. Girl
Mother Begs For Girl's Safe Return

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- There was an emotional outpouring Tuesday night during a vigil for a missing North Florida girl.

A candlelight vigil was held by the community to offer support after the disappearance of Somer Thompson.

The 7-year-old's mother, Deana Thompson, begged for her daughter's return.

"Thank you everybody for helping me look for my baby, and please pray for her that she comes home, and if anybody has her, just please let her come home," Thompson said.

Somer disappeared Monday afternoon, and an Amber Alert was issued by police on Tuesday as investigators worked to follow several leads in the case.

Detectives said they've found no physical evidence but suspect foul play in the disappearance.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Somer is asked to call the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 877-227-6911 or 888-FL-MISSING.

http://www.wesh.com/news/21357885/detail.html

http://texasequusearch.org/

10/20/09 — Texas EquuSearch will be joining law enforcement in the search for Somer Renee Thompson, age 7, on Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. The Command Center will be located at Orange Park Athletic Association, 1086 Fromhart St., Orange Park, FL 32073. The website for the park is www.opaa.us.


Praying for Somer........ kh

Thank you so much for finding & posting that previous. I sure hope they find this little girl, safe & sound. My heart just broke, seeing her mom at the news conference this morning. Mom said that she has a twin brother and that he is frantic.

Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to be in Orange Park this afternoon to offer his support and meet with the family. Crist may also offer access to thousands of Florida National Guard personnel now training at Camp Blanding south of Middleburg.

The Justice Coalition will announce today it is offering a $25,000 reward for the girl’s safe return. Details are expected to come at an afternoon press conference.


kh

Oh no... This sounds like bad news. kh
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=132020&catid=57

Sad news....... a body has been found....... awaiting ID.
kh
http://twitter.com/jaxdotcom

This is horrible news. It really makes me sick. I hope it's not her, but the garbage in the part of the landfill where the body was found is from Orange Park.

Here is a link to live coverage from actionnewsjax.com.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=32432@wtev.dayport.com&navCatId=6

JFA~ It makes me sick too. As a mother and a grandmother........ I simply do not understand. kh

Oh, no.

Babs...... I feel your pain. Oh no! WHat can we do? kh

You may not know, but I live in a town of 500 people. That's right... 500! Total. It is very rural. Finally, I have made the point to my tubby that this is why I don't let our wee one stand outside alone waiting for the bus in the morning.......it can happen in Anywhere, USA. Right under your nose. When you feel safe. When you feel confident. He doesn't think I am "overreacting" anymore. At least there's that. God Bless the children. Why, oh why, does this keep happening? kh

This is so beyond heartbreaking.... I know her parents are terrified right now... my heart goes out to this family.

Even if by some miracle it turned out not to be Somer.... it is still SOMEONE'S child. So sad....

I understand there was a fight on the way home from school with her twin brother and their older sister. And then Somer ran ahead.... Those poor children, what a nightmare for them.

I'm glad you all are on this and posting updates, it does not look good at all.

A small childs body has been found in a landfill in Folkston, Georgia. HLN is reporting that the body is a small white child. It has not been identified yet but they are reporting that the trucks that go to this landfill are from the same area as Somer.

Thoughts and Prayers for the family of this child.

Our children should be safe walking home from school, playing in a park, riding a bike. Our laws need to change, we NEED to keep sex offenders off our streets and reclaim them for our children.

With that being said, the timeline is very narrow on this. The garbage came from her area.

They need to look very close to home. Where was the "friend" while the other kids were out looking? Did he go with them? Or did he stay behind in case Somer came home?

I'm not pointing fingers mind you, just asking questons I hope LE is asking.

OMG, this is about all I can take. Enough! There just has to be something that can be done. Does this seem to be happening more and more or is it now we just hear it more because of the 24 hour news? It sure seems to me though, that it's happening a lot more.
My heart is breaking for this family and this little girl. This isn't about parents who did something wrong. This isn't about a child who shouldn't have run off on her own. This is about sick bastards being loose in our society. This is about not being able to catch these sicko's early enough in their childhood and either get them help or lock them up. I don't know the answers. I sure wish I did. I am just sick over this. And I am pissed! I have had it. There are a hell of a lot of very smart people in this world. We have got to do something about this problem. I am sick of watching our children being taken from right under our noses and damn it, right out of our OWN freaking homes, where they should be safe, and murdered every single night on the tv!

i'm reading this child that was found, has the same birth mark as Somer Thompson has. Her father wants to take his other child(ren) (not sure if he has more than the other twin to Somer or not right now), back home with him and out of FL. The home of Disney, my ass!

Well, I'm not sure if my post above about the birth mark was actually accurate now or not. This article below says that the birthmark has not been confirmed. Although I say this certainly looks grim, I am hoping and holding out hope, this sweet, beautiful little girl, IS still alive.

I'm struggling tonight to not, scare the hell out of my children and NEVER allow them to leave my sight again!



http://blog.taragana.com/n/police-searching-for-missing-florida-girl-find-a-childs-body-in-landfill-not-yet-identified-202630/

Cops searching for missing Fla. girl find a body

ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Authorities say they have not identified a child’s body they found Wednesday in a landfill while searching for a missing 7-year-old girl. Family members were hopeful the girl is still alive, though neighbors in the girl’s community feared the worst.

The partially covered body of the child was found in a Georgia landfill near the Florida state line, after investigators followed garbage trucks leaving from the neighborhood where Somer Thompson disappeared Monday.

Sheriff Rick Beseler said investigators searched through 100 tons of garbage before finding the body. He first said the body was female, then corrected himself to say he could not confirm the gender.

Few other details about the body, such as a possible cause of death, were released. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation planned an autopsy Thursday.

Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from school Monday in Orange Park. She was squabbling with another child, and her sister told her to stop. The girl got upset, walked ahead of the group and wasn’t seen again.

The girl’s aunt, Laura Holt, said family members were going through an agonizing wait to find out whose body was found.

“I’m still holding out hope this is not Somer,” Holt said Wednesday night, her voice cracking.

Earlier, the girl’s father, Sam Thompson, who lives in Graham, N.C., pleaded for her safe return. Holt is his sister.

“Somer, your daddy Sam loves you unconditionally. Stay strong and don’t give up the fight or the hope that we’re going to be a family again. I love you,” he said before authorities revealed they had found the body.

That news was an awful blow to her brother, Holt said. He nearly had a breakdown not long after, when someone claiming to be part of the search team in Florida told him they had positively identified the child as his daughter because of a birthmark. The claim was quickly found to be false after a call to the sheriff, she said.

“My brother just fell apart. He thought he was having a heart attack,” she said. Thompson is now staying at an undisclosed family member’s home to get away from the “circus” in front of his house.

Orange Park is a suburb of Jacksonville just south of Jacksonville Naval Air Station. The area where the girl disappeared is a heavily populated residential area with homes, apartment complexes and condominiums.

A crowd of about 150 people, some crying, gathered across the street from Somer’s home, many clutching their children tightly. Others placed flowers under a tree.

“We are all devastated,” said Tonya Jennings, a grandmother who lived three doors away and often saw the girl and her siblings come home from school. “I knew her.”

Jennings, 61, was with her two granddaughters, Nina Guitierez, 9, and Aria Michaels, 8, who attend Grove Park Elementary School with Somer.

“We will need to be more vigilant. There are pedophiles everywhere in the area,” she said.

John Latavia, 43, said his children attended school with Somer.

“All we can do is pray and come together,” he said.

Associated Press Writers Jeffrey S. Collins in Columbia, S.C., Tom Foreman in Raleigh, N.C., and Dorie Turner in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Oh, God...this is just horrible news...

Tracey, I know what you mean. I have been going through emotions from crying to down right pissed, as well. It's just horrible. My grand daughter is almost 11 yrs old and I still won't allow her to walk to school, even though she begs to do so. I hear, almost every day, "But Nana, so & so walks". Well, I don't care what her parents allow her to do, you know? I just can't do it. I refuse to! It's a scary world out there.

Yesterday, I saw something that scared me half to death. One of my neighbors' children (a few doors down), when he was in high school, was removed from normal public school for kissing two children (boy & girl) approx. 6-7 years old, in a hallway at school. This was at least five years ago. I was told this by his aunt. Yesterday, I saw him on the corner as a school crossing guard! I will NEVER allow my grand daughter to walk to school at this rate. There are just too many freaks out there.

I pray that this is not little Somer, but I guess it doesn't matter as it IS SOMEONE'S little girl, either way, it's a child that lost it's life in some manner.

FystyAngel wrote:A small childs body has been found in a landfill in Folkston, Georgia. HLN is reporting that the body is a small white child. It has not been identified yet but they are reporting that the trucks that go to this landfill are from the same area as Somer.

Hi, Fysty!

I saw this on HLN last night too. Sad to say this, but, my instincts tell me that it is little Somer. My heart aches for her family.

The way things are these days, I don't think parents should allow their children to walk home from school alone. Their parents should take them to & from school. They might have to rearrange their schedules, but, it would surely keep their child safe from predators. Just look at how many sex offenders live in Somer's neighborhood! One can never be too careful where their children's lives are concerned.

I agree that it is probably Somer. I don't blame any parent who won't allow their kid to walk home from school or walk anywhere without an adult for that matter. It's getting too dangerous to even let your children play in the front yard without being out there with them or at least constantly watching out the window. Victoria Stafford disappeared while walking home from school, Lindsey Baum disappeared while walking home from a friend's house, and Sandra Cantu and Nevaeh Buchanan disappeared while playing outside by themselves. It is sad that in order to keep our children safe, we can't give them anywhere near as much freedom as we had when we were kids.

Body Of Missing Fla. Girl Found In Garbage Dump
Sherriff Decries 'Heinous Crime,' Says 'There Is A Child Killer On The Loose'

ORANGE PARK, Fla. (CBS) ―Authorities say they have tentatively identified missing 7-year-old Somer Thompson's body, found Wednesday in a landfill.

The partially covered body of the child was found in a Georgia landfill near the Florida state line, after investigators followed garbage trucks leaving from the neighborhood where she disappeared Monday.

Sheriff Rick Beseler said investigators searched through 100 tons of garbage before finding the body.

"There is a child killer on the loose… this is a heinous crime that has been committed," Bessler said. "Had we not done this tactic I believe this body would have been buried under hundreds of tons of debris and probably would never have been discovered."

"This is the break in the case that we needed. Now we just need one more break: to find the people responsible for this," Bessler said.

The identification was made using a birthmark and clothing.

Few other details about the body, such as a possible cause of death, were released. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation planned an autopsy Thursday.

Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from school Monday in Orange Park. She was squabbling with another child, and her sister told her to stop. The girl got upset, walked ahead of the group and wasn't seen again.

Authorities launched a massive effort to find her - searching block by block - even interviewing more than 75 registered sex offenders who live within a few miles of the girl's home, reports CBS News correspondent Don Teague.

Earlier, the girl's father, Sam Thompson, who lives in Graham, N.C., pleaded for her safe return.

"Somer, your daddy Sam loves you unconditionally. Stay strong and don't give up the fight or the hope that we're going to be a family again. I love you," he said before authorities revealed they had found the body.

Orange Park is a suburb of Jacksonville just south of Jacksonville Naval Air Station. The area where the girl disappeared is a heavily populated residential area with homes, apartment complexes and condominiums.

A crowd of about 150 people, some crying, gathered across the street from Somer's home, many clutching their children tightly. Others placed flowers under a tree.

"We are all devastated," said Tonya Jennings, a grandmother who lived three doors away and often saw the girl and her siblings come home from school. "I knew her."

Jennings, 61, was with her two granddaughters, Nina Guitierez, 9, and Aria Michaels, 8, who attend Grove Park Elementary School with Somer.

"We will need to be more vigilant. There are pedophiles everywhere in the area," she said.

John Latavia, 43, said his children attended school with Somer.

"All we can do is pray and come together," he said.

I feel ya, babs. I feel ya. kh kh

I have a niece that lives in the Orange Park neighborhood...It is upscale but has a lot of crime...I worry about her and her son all the time...I feel badly for Somer's siblings...It is difficult to explain death to children...Hopefully they will take advantage of grief counselling...Hospice has a great grief service...

Estee wrote:I have a niece that lives in the Orange Park neighborhood...It is upscale but has a lot of crime...I worry about her and her son all the time...I feel badly for Somer's siblings...It is difficult to explain death to children...Hopefully they will take advantage of grief counselling...Hospice has a great grief service...

{{{{Estee}}} Oh my goodness, talk about hitting waaayy too close to home. I can't imagine how worried you must be. I am sure that the parents in that community will be like hawks watching out for their children. At least until, this child killer is found. I only pray so any way.

I have to say, for the most part, I am just really angry about this. I can't remember feeling this kind of rage in a while. It's like we have all said, there just has to be more we can do. But what are the answers. I don't know. It kind of made me angry to see the Gov. of Fl on tv last night. All I could think is he was there because someone told him it was a good idea as a photo op to show he is upset. But look at the history of what has been happening in Fl, esp. and what is being done? Not enough!

I am happy they found Somer so quickly because hopefully this will help find her killer. It's bizarre to me that this killer had what seems to be only a few hours. Does it seem to anyone else here that she was literally kidnapped and killed immediately? My goodness, what kind of monster does this? My he/she be found swiftly and be put to death!

Ok, and I am going to bring this up to discuss. Somers mother. She appears to be medicated or something. I have seen her a lot on the news, yet haven't seen any actual tears. Sound like crying, kind of looks like crying. But no tears. And did anyone hear her answer to the reporters when she was asked if Somer's dad would be coming from S. Carolina? She said, well, not to stay at my house. You could definitely tell there are very bad feelings between them still. But now? I don't know. Just odd.

Please don't misunderstand what I mean here. I am only bringing this up, to point out that, I will not ever go off of a parents reaction to something like this again. All it would have taken were a few variables of this situation for people to be pointing fingers at her. Saying she doesn't look like a grieving mother. Say for instance, Somer had made it home, left the house, and didn't tell anyone, no one had seen her and then turned up killed. It's very possible, even I would be saying, yep, something happened in that home.

So, I guess I'm just saying, we've seen so many variations of what the families go through now. I sincerely believe, no one can say how you would react if this happens to your family. I think she is in complete shock and it hasn't hit her yet. My heart just breaks for her when reality finally comes crashing down. I pray for a very swift resolution to this case. May Somer rest in Peace and justice be hers soon!

Having sufferd the loss of my youngest son (26) I can tell you that one truly SUFFERS...I had to pull all my inner strength together (with a few Prozac and a lot of faith)...I've never been one to openly cry, but cry in the privacy of my home I did...I had to be the ROCK of my family..to help my girls and other son thru this loss...I still have very depressing days and little memories bring me to tears...Shock is what hits you initially...everything seems so surreal...it still does for me...I try to think of it as him being away on a trip...It is very hard...

Estee, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your son. I can't imagine.
I just hope and pray that Somer's siblings and friend are not feeling any guilt, they of course did nothing wrong. A monster yanked this child out of this world in a matter of moments. It's just so tragic. I have to believe that the swift action and brilliant "hunch" which was immediately acted on by the police will lead them right to the killer, just as it lead them to Somer's body. I believe that will happen.
My heart goes out to her parents and family for this horrific loss. Now they will have to endure learning the details of little Somer's last hours on this Earth.

Estee wrote:Having sufferd the loss of my youngest son (26) I can tell you that one truly SUFFERS...I had to pull all my inner strength together (with a few Prozac and a lot of faith)...I've never been one to openly cry, but cry in the privacy of my home I did...I had to be the ROCK of my family..to help my girls and other son thru this loss...I still have very depressing days and little memories bring me to tears...Shock is what hits you initially...everything seems so surreal...it still does for me...I try to think of it as him being away on a trip...It is very hard...

Estee~

Hugs to you! I am so sorry you have had to endure the loss of a child. My heart bleeds for you.

I've been blessed (and Pray I continue to be) enough not to have had enndured that, but I have been around family and friends who have. I just can not imagine having a child taken from you like this.

Whoever did this had a very limited timeframe. It has to be somebody close. IMO

Mom 'will not sleep' until daughter's killer found

# Story Highlights
# NEW: Authorities remove "evidence" from landfill where girl's body found
# Somer Thompson was in fight at school on day she disappeared, police say
# "I hope they get you" is grieving mother's message to killer
# Girl's body found in landfill 55 miles north of town where she was last seen

(CNN) -- The news was devastating, the aftermath surreal.

Diena Thompson clutched a tissue in her right hand, frequently wiping her eyes as she told reporters that she couldn't believe it was her daughter whose body was found in a Georgia landfill. Her visage revealed the weight of grief and a yearning for justice.

Standing outside her home in Orange Park, Florida, Thompson looked into the camera and, with her voice cracking, sent out a stern warning to her daughter's killer.

"I want you to know that I will not sleep until this person is found. I hope they get you and I hope they make you pay for a long, long time. You don't take from somebody. You didn't just take her from me. You took her from my family, you took her from all these people. And you don't do this to a little baby and put my baby in the trash like she's nothing. That's not OK, this is not OK."

The body of her daughter, 7-year-old Somer Thompson, was found in a south Georgia landfill, Clay County, Florida, Sheriff Rick Beseler said Thursday morning.

Authorities on Friday were combing were through a "tremendous mountain" of garbage at the landfill, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Some possible evidence has been removed from the landfill, but authorities won't describe what they found, said Mary Justino of the Clay County Sheriff's Department. Police have no suspects, she said.

She said other law enforcement teams are focusing on the locale where the child apparently was last seen. Justino said witnesses, including some children, saw her on the sidewalk in front of a vacant house that is being renovated after a fire.

"Since Monday, we have been trying to figure out who frequents that area," including anyone working on the home, she said.

Authorities are treating the death as a homicide.

Somer became separated from her siblings and schoolmates on her way home from school in Orange Park, Florida, on Monday.

She was seen in a fight at school before she disappeared, according to a police report released Thursday. Her 10-year-old sister told police that Somer had gotten into a fight with another girl at school earlier in the day.

The sister said she brought up the fight while she and her brother walked Somer home from school, and that Somer ran off from them, apparently upset. The sister said she lost sight of Somer in a group of other kids leaving the school, according to the police report.

The medical examiner in Savannah, Georgia, used dental records to positively identify the body as Somer's, said Clay County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mary Justino.

Authorities now are turning their full attention to finding the child's killer.

Beseler held up a map dotted with markers as he said on CNN's "American Morning" that detectives have questioned more than 70 registered sex offenders or predators living within five square miles of Somer's home.

The landfill where her body was found is near Folkston, Georgia, 55 miles north of where the girl became separated from her schoolmates on her way home from school in Orange Park on Monday.

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.

Authorities will work to pinpoint where the garbage load that contained the girl's body came from, Beseler said. The garbage that was brought into that part of the landfill was collected in the Orange Park area, he had said Wednesday, noting that authorities routinely search garbage when a missing person case has been initiated.

The investigation has now turned into a murder probe.

"There is a child killer on the loose," the sheriff said. "I fear for our community until we bring this person in."

Rewards totaling $30,000 have been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible.

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

Detectives locate dump truck that brought Somer Thompson's body to landfill

Detectives searching for the person who murdered a 7-year-old girl outside Jacksonville have located the dump truck that transported her body to a south Georgia landfill.

Somer Thompson disappeared while she was walking home from school Monday. Her body was found by detectives Wednesday afternoon.

"We are making progress into narrowing down - not only the contents of that garbage - but where it came from," said Clay County Sheriff Spokeswoman Mary Justino.

Investigators continue to comb through a vacant home about 500 yards from Thompson's school. It was near that house that the girl was last seen alive.

Asked about reports that the home was a murder scene, Justino responded, "I can not confirm that... we are not that far along."

She would not comment on any evidence that has been collected from the landfill, dump truck or the vacant house but said everything with any value to the investigation is being processed by the FDLE.

http://wdbo.com/localnews/2009/10/detectives-locate-dump-truck-t.html

Somer's Mom on The Early Show


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Sex Offender Worked on Renovation at Gano House

A sex offender named George Vinson worked on the renovation of the vacant house where Somer Thompson was last seen alive.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=147122

My heart breaks for Somer's mother and family. Watching her on the news shows breaking into sobs just tore me apart. I feel her anger and helplessness. She has to bury a baby, something no parent should have to do.

I have a question. I am just watching NG from last night and hearing about this abandoned house the police are looking at. They say there is no physical evidence that actually shows that a crime has taken place there. What brought them there are the multiple witnesses that say Somer was last seen there.

So, WTF? Multiple witnesses?? They see a little girl is playing at an abandoned house and no one says anything and tells her to go home? Now this is only my first reaction. I don't know much about this just yet. All I can think though is, adults in our communities need to be more involved with one another. We need to know when something looks off and find a way to watch over each others kids. It's a fine line, we have to walk because we can't be "too close" because there are those who accuse people of wrongdoing for getting "involved" too. But I think part of the reason this seems to be happening more is because we no longer know our neighbors and our neighbors kids, like we used too. Because I'll tell you, if a stranger or strange car had been in my neighborhood where I grew up, everyone knew it! Nowadays, I couldn't tell you much about what it strange in my neighborhood or not.

I agree with you, Tracey. People don't want to get involved. I am very curious to know who the witnesses were and what did they see. Was she walking past the house, was she sitting on the steps, was Somer going in???

Tracey I was confused on that. Did they see her playing at the house, or just walking on the sidewalk in front of the house? Either way, I wish somebody who noticed her walking alone had taken the time to make sure she got home safely. I agree that it's a shame that neighbors don't seem to know each other much anymore. We need to be more vigilant and watch out for each other's kids in these dangerous times we live in. It is amazing that I can take a half-hour walk through my neighborhood on a beautiful day and see only a few kids outside and even fewer adults. In 2003, we had a major power outage in my area, and it was amazing how many people were outside. It reminded me of when I was a kid. We had lived in our house almost a year and got to know a lot of our neighbors for the first time.