SOMER RENEE THOMPSON - 7 yo - Clay County FL

Two weeks after 7-year-old Somer
Thompson disappeared while walking home from school, an anonymous donor
added $10,000 to the reward for catching her killer.This brings
the total Crime Stoppers reward for an arrest in the case to $15,000.
Just over an additional $30,000 is available through the Justice
Coalition for the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Somer."To
be eligible for the Crimestoppers reward, you do have to call the Crime
Stoppers number," said Wyllie Hodges, executive director. In addition
to calling 866-845-TIPS, tips can be e-mailed to rewards@fccrimestoppers.com, left on the Web site, or by text message by sending "TIP326" plus message to "CRIMES."All calls, e-mails and texts to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous.
Somer's
body was found two days after she disappeared in the landfill in
Charlton County, Ga., where Orange Park's garbage is dumped.Detectives
with the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement and the FBI continue to investigate Somer's disappearance
and slaying.
Despite 2,400 tips received, no one has come forward to say they saw the girl abducted or attacked.Investigators
have talked to all 161 registered sex offenders who lived within a
5-mile radius of Somer's home, but that doesn't mean they've been
cleared."There's someone out there who's killed a child, and
he's still out there in our community," Clay County Sheriff Rick
Beseler said last week. "He may not be right here in Orange Park, but
they're still out in society. And I want that person off the street."

The hunt for the killer of little Somer Thompson will hit national airwaves.Today
Clay County sheriff Rick Beseler met with a crew from America's Most
Wanted as the shows prepares to air the case nationally Saturday Night.The
reward offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction
of Somer Thompson's killer now stands at $45,000 from the Justice
Coalition and Crime Stoppers.A task force of investigators are trying to find the person or people responsible for killing the 7-year-old."The
task force still includes agents from the FBI, Florida Department of
Law Enforcement and U.S. Marshals, who have committed to remaining part
of our team until Somer's killer is caught," said Mary Justino of the
Clay County Sheriff's Office.Sheriff's deputies say so far 2,600
tips have come in, but they hope airing the case will help generate
solid leads that will lead to a person or persons of interest, and
eventually an arrest in the case.Justino said that no arrest has
been made. "We do not have anyone in custody and have not named any
persons of interest," Justino said.

When the search began for Haleigh Cummings and Somer Thompson, two
North Florida girls who disappeared this year from their neighborhoods,
officers immediately started questioning registered sex offenders
living near their homes.Investigators spoke to 44 sex offenders within a 5-mile radius of
Haleigh's Putnam County home, where she was last seen on Feb. 9.In
Clay County, officers followed up with sex offenders living near
Somer's school after the 7-year-old vanished Oct. 19 while walking home
with relatives and friends. Her body later was recovered from a Georgia
landfill.The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which
maintains a Web site listing registered sexual offenders and predators,
showed about 70 sex offenders living within a 3-mile radius of Somer's
Orange Park school.No suspects have been named in either case.
But both disappearances highlight a message often repeated by officers:
Parents need to know their neighborhoods, check out who lives near
their children's schools and be proactive about keeping their children
safe."You need to be aware of what is around you," Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman Art Forgey said.Gainesville
Police Capt. Lynne Benck said, "My advice to parents would be that you
need to assume that predators are everywhere and they know where to
find kids."The number of sex offenders around some Gainesville elementary schools is higher than the Orange Park figure.More
registered sex offenders have addresses within a 3-mile radius of some
local elementary schools, all in east Gainesville, including Williams,
Duval, Metcalfe and Lake Forest, according to the FDLE listing.Each
of these schools has at least 100 registered offenders living within
that set distance. Because of the proximity of the schools, some of the
same offenders show up in sex offender searches by address for each
school.Another reason for the higher numbers near these schools
is the Alachua County jail, which lies within the 3-mile radius of all
four of the schools. Still, accounting for the almost 30 registered sex
offenders housed at the jail, these schools still have the highest
number of offenders living near them compared with other elementary
schools in the county.Numbers near other schools range from six to 96, according to FDLE. About 370 sex offenders live in Alachua County.News
of how many offenders live near her daughters' school doesn't surprise
Stephanie Elkins. She routinely walks two daughters, ages 7 and 9, to
and from Williams Elementary School at 1245 S.E. Seventh Ave.Officials
who work with sex offenders say some end up living in the same areas
because they can't find anywhere else they can afford and still abide
by mandates that determine where they can live.Elkins said she
wasn't aware of the number of sex offenders who live in the area. Based
on other crime-related problems locally, such as drug dealing, she said
she thought there might be other issues with the neighborhood and keeps
a constant eye on her daughters."My kids don't leave my side. I know where they're at," Elkins said as she walked recently with the girls after school let out.Many
students that day were leaving school with adults or older children who
drove or walked with them. School staff waited with others as motorists
drove up to ferry them home.Some children did head out on foot. Most were with other students in groups of three or more. Less than a handful walked alone.Still, Elkins said she's constantly surprised to see children heading home by themselves."Little bitty, tiny, tiny ones," she said of students she has seen alone on the streets near the school. "It's crazy at times."State
and local laws do put restrictions on where many offenders, based on
their crimes, may live. As long as registered sex offenders are
following the law, they can live where they want.In 2005,
Gainesville enacted an ordinance that prohibits sex offenders whose
victims were younger than 16 years old from living within 2,500 feet of
schools, day-care centers and some city parks.The ordinance is
stricter than state law, which states people convicted of certain sex
crimes after Oct. 1, 2004, involving a minor under 16 cannot live
within 1,000 feet of such locations.The city's ordinance has
resulted in more offenders living in the county than in Gainesville,
Gainesville Police Detective Leah Hayes said. With the ordinance's
requirements barring where sex offenders can live, "It cuts down most
of Gainesville," she said.Currently, 83 sexual offenders and six
predators - those convicted of a first-degree felony sex crime or
declared such by a court - live in the city limits, Hayes said.The city ordinance would not cover sexual offenders living in the county, meaning they may live closer to some schools.Hayes
said police in different districts of the city get alerts about
offenders who live in the zones they patrol. Those alerts notify
officers when someone has moved or when they're due to be checked.
Police check on offenders every 90 days and predators every 30 days.Officers
are aware of the proximity of offenders to certain schools and also
know the criminal histories of offenders, Hayes said, so they know who
to watch more closely.Earlier this year, Williams Principal
Valdenora Fortner said the school was contacted by a parent about the
number of offenders near the school. The concerned parent prompted a
reminder to staff that they need to be constantly aware of where
students are."We make sure they have the buddy system here at
school. We reiterate and remind faculty and staff, if they do send out
one student, send them out in pairs," Fortner said. "We're being
vigilant about and being reminded about the procedures in place."The school's guidance counselor also addresses personal safety with students.Fortner
recommended parents do the same to teach kids how to stay safe. Parents
also can run scenarios with their children, such as what to do if they
are approached by a stranger, she said.Like Fortner and Hayes, Benck urged parents to be careful and keep an eye on their children."When I pass a bus stop, I'm always happy to see one parent waiting," Benck said.Benck added that searches for sex offenders living near schools don't necessarily mean one area is safer than another."We
know about how many sexual offenders and predators are living around
each school. I don't think the sexual offenders and predators living
near a school put any one child at any more risk than they would be
outside their home or a park. Kids can be abducted just walking to a
school from their homes or standing at a bus stop," Benck said.And FDLE's list of sex offenders lists only people who have been convicted, Benck said."We
have found plenty of cases where there have been multiple (victims)
where the person was not in the system at all," she said. "Some of the
sex offenders who have the most victims probably have never been or
will never be identified."

Legendary Southern Rock Band Molly
Hatchet will hold a benefit concert at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at the
Orange Park High School football stadium.



According to band owner Bobby Ingram,
they have agreed to help the family of murder victim Somer Thompson and
the Justice Coalition to help raise money to increase the reward being
offered.



Orange Park High School Principal
Treasure Picket said, “We are pleased to help with this much needed
community outreach project.”



The band will also feature a specially
written tribute song for Somer as well as play their complete concert
line up of music including Dreams I’ll Never See, Gator Country,
Tumblin’ Dice, Whiskey Man, Devil’s Canyon, Beatin’ The Odds and
Flirtin’ With Disaster.



A $10 donation
will be taken at the gate to be divided between the Thompson family and
the Justice Coalition. In the event of bad weather, the concert will
move inside the school’s domed gymnasium.

Turnout was high on Saturday for a fundraiser honoring 7-year-old murder victim Somer Thompson.
The event was a bike ride at the Adamec Harley Davidson store in
Baymeadows. Organizers say the fundraiser was to raise awareness for
child safety, and to prevent a tragic situation like Somer's from
happening again. Many participants wore and decorated their
bikes in purple, which was Somer's favorite color. The money raised on
Saturday will go to the first-grader's family and the Justice Coalition. Somer was abducted while walking home from school last month. Her body was found in a Georgia landfill two days later. The reward for information leading to the arrest of Somer's killer is currently $45,000.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office has released two images of items
that might have been in 7-year-old Somer Thompson's possession when she
was abducted Oct. 19.

A pink tote bag and a lunchbox with a pink pig design haven't been recovered by investigators.

The items were flashed across television screens when they ran on an
episode of "America's Most Wanted" that aired Saturday night.

Witnesses believe Somer had the items when she was walking home from school on
Gano Avenue in Orange Park. Her body was found in a Georgia landfill
two days after she was reported missing. The items could provide evidence in finding whoever killed her.

The nights are the worst. Diena Thompson's mind races. She struggles to fall asleep and wakes up confused. It takes a moment for reality to hit again.
"I keep thinking that she's going to come in and this is just a
nightmare and I'm going to wake up," Thompson said in an interview with
"Good Morning America" in the living room of her home Friday. "And
she's just been at somebody's house spending the night."
But her daughter Somer is not coming home.
Three weeks ago Monday the 7-year-old was walking home from
school with her older sister Abby and twin brother Samuel. Her mother
was at work. And as usual, the children were to walk home together.
Friends' parents would keep an eye on them.
"I know that Samuel had lagged behind talking to a friend," Diena
Thompson told "GMA." "And Abby and Somer were together and that -- I'm
not sure what happened. Somer got teased a lot. ... She ran ahead, and
Abby just figured she'd catch up with her. And when she got to the
second crossing guard Somer wasn't there."
Somer was last seen in front of a vacant house on a block she walked every day. Investigators found her body
in a Georgia landfill two days later. Thompson does not know exactly
how her daughter died. It was recommended that she not view the body.
Her grief is immeasurable. She is anxious and guilt-ridden. But she is
speaking out now, at the three-week mark, because she wants the killer
put on notice that they are still hunting, and she wants other parents
to hear her words.
To date, investigators at the Clay County Sheriffs department
in Jacksonville say they have pursued more than 3,000 leads. But still
no arrests.
Over the weekend, authorities released sketches of two items
that Somer had with her on the day she disappeared, which have never
been recovered.

Police ask anyone who has seen the tote bag or zippered round lunch pail to call their tip line at (877) 227-6911.

Friends of Thompson have also established a Web site, www.rememberingsomer.com,
which is devoted to Somer's memory and the investigation.
"There's been amazing outpouring of support," said Thompson's lawyer,
Michael Freed. "There's been a trust created to help Diena raise her
surviving children in as normal a way as she can. And of course,
there's opportunities to increase the reward which hopefully will be
helpful as well. And, as Diena said, that really means a lot to her and
to the family," he said.
"I can't imagine them not catching him," Thompson said. "That's
my scariest ... I feel like there's a piece of broken glass in front of
me. And I've got all the pieces to the broken glass except for this
one, huge piece and that's to catch the monster who did this."




Thompson described Somer as a beautiful 7-year-old who always wanted to help, wanted to make people feel better.
"She just always wanted everybody to be happy with her. ... So sweet.
Hugged everybody," she said. Somer routinely hugged the crossing guards
she met on her route home from school.
The hard question Diena Thompson is now asking herself is
whether someone might have taken advantage of that kindness.
Investigators asked her if she thought Somer might willingly get into a
car with a stranger.
"And to hear the word 'yes' come out of my mouth cut me," Thompson said.
Because there have been no arrests and the sheriffs department
has not shared any concrete leads, Thompson worries that the killer may
still be in the community.
"I've thought, 'Please don't let it be one of these people
that's come around and hugged me and said how sorry they were.' I've
thought, 'I wonder -- when we were doing the candlelight vigils if --
if he was out there," she said.
And if it turns out to be someone she knew?
"God have mercy on their soul. And they better be lucky that the
Clay County Sheriff's Office is gonna get to 'em before I can."

It is a struggle to balance that anger with a mother's need to stay
strong for her remaining children. Thompson said the ordeal has been
especially hard on Somer's twin, Samuel.
They used to play in the pool together and race each other to see who could stay underwater the longest.
"We used to nickname her 'Grace' because she couldn't really walk and chew bubblegum at the same time," Thompson said of Somer.
She loved to dance, but she had no rhythm, Thompson said.
"She was just so wonderful. And you take it for granted. You
never think you're gonna be sitting here," Thompson said. "And you have
a lot of regret because you may have been too busy. And you weren't
really busy. You were just too busy in your head. And I'll have to live
with that, and that's hard."
She said she would tell other parents to be sure and tell their children they love them every day.

"It don't take but a couple seconds. And when you think you're too
busy, really think about what you're saying you're too busy for.
Because you don't want to live with this. That's what I regret. It's
hard to live with regret and guilt," she said.
Diena understands acutely that the world's attention will move
on. The flowers in her home are beginning to fade. The vigils that used
to occur nightly have grown more infrequent.
But she is determined to continue the fight for justice.
"I know I'm not gonna let this monster win. I will be victorious
in the end, and he will pay," she said. "We're gonna get him, and he
will pay. And I hope he's scared."

Visit www.rememberingsomer.com for more information on the reward fund and family relief fund.

Police have asked that if you have any information about this case, contact the Clay County Sheriffs Department in Jacksonville, Fla. at (877) 227 - 6911 or the FBI.

Three weeks ago Wednesday the entire
community was shaken when the body of 7-year-old Somer Thompson was
discovered in a Georgia landfill.Police continue to try to find
out who kidnapped and killed her, having received more than 3,000 tips.
Somer's mom, Diena Thompson, is trying to help investigators find her
daughter's killer by bringing as much attention as possible to her
family's nightmare.But Diena has recently become the target of hate mail and hate calls.
The
distressed mother told Dr. Phil in a taped interview that someone told
her it's her fault Somer was killed. Diena will appear on the Dr. Phil
show Thursday."I got from a fellow here in Florida that said I
should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for child abuse
and child neglect for letting her walk," Diena said.She said she also got a letter suggesting if she hadn't let her daughter walk home from school she'd be alive."I've gotten terrible phone calls that I need psychological treatment," Diena said.Somer was walking home from Grove Park Elementary School when she disappeared."I'm just a single mom just trying to do the right thing," Diena said. "I do feel guilty. I don't know what else to say."She
said she is now trying to just survive, being lifted by the
overwhelming support of the community and devastated by hateful words
from people who've never even met her."I feel like a robot,"
Diena said. "I just get up and do what I have to do, but I can't let
them win. I just have to stay strong and maybe be a voice for other
children who've ended up like this or who could possibly end up like
this."

As with any high-profile case, the intense search for a killer in
the slaying of 7-year-old Somer Thompson has generated rumors and
speculation that can be costly and a frustrating distraction to
investigators.Once, after a swirl of suspicions about a blue
Nissan’s possible connection to the case were found to be untrue, calls
about the vehicle continued in the Clay County case, Sheriff Rick
Beseler said.“We got 79 additional tips about the blue Nissan after we already said we were not looking for it,” he said.Other
false alarms included a connection to a sex offender arrested in
Georgia and suspicions generated by mistakes in a police report.“You spend a lot of time and energy chasing leads when you have completely eliminated them,” Beseler said.Rumors,
often magnified by bloggers who become attracted to crime cases,
usually steal valuable time that could be spent in the field, said
Bruce Herring, director of the Institute of Police Technology and
Management, which contracts with the University of North Florida and
provides law enforcement agencies with instruction.“Most of it is negative,” he said of the impact.Not always, though. Perpetrators as well as the curious read those entries, he said.“Tidbits come that lead to a bad guy once in a while,” Herring said.That means it can be risky to ignore tips.And high levels of exposure keep the public’s attention focused on the case
A flood of calls
Roughly 3,375 tips have poured into the Clay County Sheriff’s Office since the
Orange Park girl disappeared Oct. 19 as she was going home from Grove
Park Elementary School. The first-grader’s body was found two days
later in a Georgia landfill.No arrests have been made.The
report of the blue Nissan, which had been linked to an apparent
abduction attempt of a 5-year-old girl a little more than a week before
Somer disappeared, drew wide interest. A woman who believed she foiled
the kidnapping was part of a Sheriff’s Office news briefing where she
recounted helping the crying girl who said she was being lured into the
vehicle.The suspicions were dismissed when detectives later
learned the Nissan was being driven by an officer with the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement who stopped after thinking the girl had
nearly been struck by a car.But the calls didn’t stop and Beseler worries the confusion could lead to something being missed.“Potentially
someone could have real information and say, 'Oh, they are not looking
for a black van; they are looking for a blue Nissan,’ ” he said.
Quashing rumors
In another case that has gripped Northeast Florida, investigators decided
to ignore rumors they knew were untrue, but found it important to
quickly quash the fast-growing ones.The Putnam County
disappearance of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings in February generated wild
speculation, including a claim that her body had been found. Lt. Johnny
Greenwood of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said that allowing that
to go unaddressed would have been irresponsible.“We had to respond,” Greenwood said in an e-mail.Haleigh, whose sixth birthday was in August, remains missing.In the Clay County case, a mistake on a police report set off one wave of suspicion.The
day Somer disappeared, a deputy who was among those who responded to
the missing girl’s home was called away to an unrelated armed robbery.
He arrived at the second scene and caught four suspects, Beseler said.
When the officer wrote the report, he forgot to change the address on
the call, resulting in armed robbery arrests mistakenly tied to the
Thompson home.“The public sees that and goes ballistic,” Beseler
said. “People on blogs and all over the country were writing all these
theories. We worked and tried to put that rumor out for several days.”The
nature of the case has also meant attention has been focused on sex
offenders. One of those men, who worked on a renovation crew months
earlier at a house near where Somer was last seen as she walked home,
has been interviewed. Another, whose name was on the initial police
report after a woman thought she spotted him near Orange Park, was in
Texas. When he discovered he had incorrectly been mentioned in the
case, he nervously went to authorities there to say he was not near
Florida.
Arrest in Georgia
Speculation has come from other places as well.When
Georgia authorities arrested a sex offender from Florida who had moved
to Albany, they notified the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.In the
Oct. 26 arrest, the man — whose crimes in Florida were in Hillsborough
County — was charged with attempting to entice a child. Beseler said
the man is not a suspect in the Somer case.Herring, who has
worked on other high-profile cases, said as cases drag on the potential
grows for investigators and the agency to be accused of being inept or
covering something up.“Early on, you have a whole lot of public opinion in your favor,” he said. That support can disappear later.“The public starts to get impatient,” he said.Last week, a crisis-management team within the department began offering services to employees who may feel overwhelmed.“I’m still optimistic — very optimistic — we are going to solve this case,” Beseler said. “Will it be in a couple of days? No.”

Friends of Somer Thompson and her family want to keep her memory alive, while protecting other children from going missing.
She disappeared on her walk home to school in Florida last month.
Police later found the seven-year-old's body in a Georgia landfill.
Her father, Sam Thompson lives in Graham.
This weekend, two events are being held in Somer's memory.
A memorial service is planned tomorrow in Graham.
Sam Thompson said it will show how important his daughter was to everyone.
Another event scheduled for Sunday is aimed at preventing other children from disappearing.

Members of the band "Something Wicked" said they're planning something good.

"Child safety is the upmost important thing that we can provide to our children," said Todd Davis.

The issue hit home for the bass guitarist. He was childhood friends with Sam Thompson.
"With me going to school with Sammy and my son going to school with
his daughter, Sommer, it's just like me losing a kid. I just figured
this was the best way I could do to help a friend out," Davis said.

The event at the Fat Frogg Elon will raise money for Thompson, and awareness for child safety.

Law enforcement will be at the event to provide information to parents and kids.

"Of course, we're always trying to impose on children that you don't
talk to strangers," said Lavell Lovette, Elon Police Chief.

Thompson said Somer knew that rule.
"Kids have love in their heart," he said. "It doesn't take but a
second to take their mind off of what they've been taught," Thompson
said.

"We teach the parents that the kids need to know their names, their address, their parents' names," Lovette said.

She said parents should have their children fingerprinted, which she
said unfortunately usually is only used for identifying a body. She
said the prints can be done at a police station.
Or, she said, parents can have their kids put their hands on a piece
of paper, which parents should then fold and put in an envelope with a
picture of the child.
Davis said Somer's case has influenced his own parenting skills.

"I seem to love a little bit more on my children and I've played with
them a little bit longer and tried to keep them up a little bit later
and I've also went on the Internet and looked at a bunch of safety tips
and stuff," he said.

"I pray that God surrounds all of our children with angels and protects them from these predators," Thompson said.

Thompson said he appreciates the events in memory of his daughter.
Without the support, he said the pain of losing Somer would be too much to bear.

The memorial takes place Saturday at Riverside Baptist Church. It's
located at 1568 East Harden St. in Graham. It is scheduled from 3 p.m.
to 4 p.m. It's open to the entire community.
Organizers ask everyone to wear purple, which was Somer's favorite color.
"Let's give Somer the best sendoff any child could ever have," he said.

On Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. the child safety event will be held at
the Fat Frogg Bar and Grill located at 2009 Timberline Station Drive off of West Haggard Ave. in Elon.
It will last until about 8 p.m. The event is geared toward families and will include bands and food.
Davis said a percentage of the proceeds will go to children's charity, but the details are not finalized yet.

Friends and
family of a murdered child gathered at Riverside Baptist Church in
Graham Saturday, Nov. 14 to remember her life.

Seven-year-old Somer Thompson disappeared one month ago while walking
home from school in Florida. Her body was later found in a Georgia
landfill.

Close to 100 showed up, and most in attendance wore purple clothes or
ribbons -- it was Somer Thompson's favorite color -- and sang her
favorite song, called "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus.

Somer Thompson's father Sammy said that his 7-year-old, Somer's twin, has lost the most.

"He cries himself to sleep at night. And I guess we pretty much all cry ourselves to sleep right now." Sammy Thompson said.

The family is leaning on friends and family for support. Pastor Bob
Stephenson held the memorial service at his church in Graham for family
and friends who couldn't make a memorial service in Florida. Somer's
grandparents attend the church.

"It's been terrible. You can't imagine the horror of losing a child,
especially under the circumstances with all of the unknowns, but
they've been strong." Stephenson said.

Sammy Thompson said that closure will be difficult, but he is confident that police will arrest her killer.

Sunday in Orange Park was Somer's day.
A day where musicians performed on stage and kept the spotlight on the issue threatening their community.
"I traveled all over the country playing my music and I came home to
raise my children because this is a safe place and we got to keep it
that way," says local musician Will Sabo.
Sabo founded the group "Rockers Against Sexual Predators", RASP, the
day after Somer Thompson's body was found and he immediately had more
than a hundred members.
"It's our job, not just as parents but as a community to keep our children safe and taken care of," says Sabo.
Sabo brought ten bands to the stage for a Somer's Day concert Sunday
at the Orange Park Town Hall and they joined with a wide mix of other
groups at the event.
There were organizations giving away child I.D. kits and self defense classes.
With new partnerships like RASP, and a new focus on keeping kids
safe, this community plans to stop what happened here from ever
returning.
"We want our kids safe, we want everyone safe, we want our communities back," says Sabo.
All the money raised at the event will go to the Thompson family,
some will be used toward the reward for information in the case.
The tipline to give information in the Somer Thompson case is 1-877-227-6911 or email cart@claysheriff.com.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday they have received 4,200 leads in the abduction and murder of Somer Thompson. The
7-year-old disappeared on her way home from school in Orange Park
October 19. Her body was discovered in a Georgia landfill 50 miles
away, where trash from her neighborhood was dumped. The Clay
County Sheriff’s Office says agents from the FBI, FDLE, U.S. Marshal
Service, and NCIS are continuing to help in the investigation with
agents assigned to the team. We have now received 4,200 leads
and detective teams continue working to follow up on all remaining
workable tips. We remain hopeful that Investigators say evidence
is still being processed at a lab. "Waiting on lab results is part of
this process," said Sheriff Rick Beseler in a written release. "The
results can take weeks to return and cannot be rushed or hurried
because this is information that will point us in the right direction
and tell us where to go." There is a $45,000 reward for information leading to the killer through First Coast Crime Stoppers.

A motorcycle ride will be held Saturday to benefit Somer Thompson's family and try to set a world record for the largest such poker run against sexual predators.The
run will begin at 10:30 a.m. at The Bayard Rooster, 12661 Phillips
Highway, Jacksonville, and end at Whitey's Fish Camp on County Road 220
on Fleming Island.Bands Big Engine, Malice, Southbound, Thermal
Image and Big Baby are scheduled to perform at Whitey's beginning at
noon; the Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleaders, The Roar, will host a a
candlelight vigil at 7 p.m.For more information and to register for the run, go to https://sites.google.com/site/somersride or call organizer Laura Evans at (904) 683-6372.