SOMER RENEE THOMPSON - 7 yo (2009) - Clay County FL

The report that 7-year-old Somer Thompson's body had been
discovered in a landfill shook the town of Orange Park, Fla., to the
core.
The little girl had disappeared walking home from
school two days earlier. Police quickly came to believe that the killer lived in the seemingly typical
suburban neighborhood.
It would take five months, more than 4,000 leads
and several blind alleys before police would hone in on someone who had been brought to their attention
even before Somer had disappeared.
Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday at 10 p.m.
Twenty-four year-old Jarred Harrell, who lived just a few houses from
where Somer was last seen, is now charged with first-degree murder in
her death. A month earlier, Harrell had been arrested and charged with
dozens of counts of possessing and producing child pornography and
molesting a different young girl. He has pleaded not guilty to all the
charges.

"You would look at this guy and you'd say ... big, gentle giant," a
family friend, Rod Buchannan, told ABC News. "Wouldn't hurt a flea. He
was very polite, very nice, you know."
But after his arrest, Harrell's family background began to unfold, and
soon a different picture emerged.
Jarred Harrell: Family Secrets


Twenty-one years ago, Harrell's mother, Annis Dailey, made headlines of
her own when she fell under the spell of her much older employer, Joe
Newman, a married man, self-professed inventor and "messenger of God."
Among the messages he claimed to have received from God was an order to
marry Annis -- and her 8-year-old daughter as well.

Jarred Harrell: Family Secrets


"God spoke to me the morning of Feb. 13, 1989, telling me to marry [the
girl] which is exactly five months to the day that Hurricane Gilbert
became the greatest hurricane of the century..." Newman was quoted as
saying by Mississippi's Georgia County Times. "God has chosen [the girl]
and Annis and Ellen [Newman's wife] in a special way to glorify God's
word and righteousness."
Newman claimed God would tell him when to consummate the "marriage" with
the little girl.
The tabloid Weekly World News ran a feature on the couple. "Everything
that's happened, God has a definite purpose to it," Annis was quoted as
saying. "It's taken a genius like Joe to lead it."
Jarred Harrell was 3 years old at the time. A Mississippi court ruled
Annis an unfit mother and removed the children.
Six years later, Annis regained custody of her children, but relatives
say things were never stable very long.
Records show that Harrell's mother had at least 56 different addresses
in almost as many cities while Harrell was growing up. She has been
married four times, filed for bankruptcy three times, has been evicted
from at least one home and was found guilty of grand theft after
allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from an employer.
But by last year, there were signs that Annis Dailey was turning her
life around. Her business profile for the Amelia Island Chamber of
Commerce boasts of a loving family. Her husband, General Dailey, had
recently been featured in the local media for his Good Samaritan work
organizing volunteers during emergencies.
Jarred Harrell: A Picture in Contrasts


At 24 years old, Jarred Harrell still lived with his mother and depended
on her financially.
Relatives say Harrell had always been overweight and slow in school, and
had often been picked on, even by his two younger step-brothers.
A MySpace profile Harrell kept showed glimpses of someone who can't take
it anymore, seemingly wanting revenge.
The song that topped Harrell's playlist was "Waking the Demon" by Bullet
for My Valentine. In the song, a victim of bullying is transformed by
blind rage and viciously attacks and kills his tormentor.
Was it a peek into the mind of someone who was about to snap -- or
nothing more than average teenage angst?

Jarred Harrell: Warning Signs


It turns out police had been tipped off about Harrell's alleged interest
in child pornography two months before Somer disappeared.
Lisa and Rod Buchannan knew Harrell through his stepfather, who was
active in their church. In the summer of 2008, when Annis asked whether
Harrell could move into an apartment complex with the Buchannans'
daughter, Katie, and her fiance, the Buchannans agreed.
But the arrangement didn't last long.
"Things turned up missing" within a month or two, Rod Buchannan told ABC
News' Chris Cuomo. Katie and her fiance said that one night they found
their iPod in Harrell's car.
"Being that he was a family friend, they give him an option," Buchannan
said. "Get your stuff, get out right now, middle of the night -- or we
call the police and put you in jail."
The Buchannans say Harrell left -- but he left behind his computer.
That was a mistake. Buchannan's son knew a dark secret about what might
be on Harrell's computer. He told his sister.
"So they decided to search the computer at that point," Rod Buchannan
said. "And that's when they found -- I mean, it was right there on the
desktop. There was no effort made whatsoever to hide the material."
The Buchannan siblings told their parents they had found child
pornography on Harrell's computer -- a lot of it.
"Stuff that our children shouldn't have seen," Rod Buchannan said.
"Should have never had to see."
Rod Buchannan took his wife and daughter to the police to turn over the
computer. He said that Katie told police she feared that Harrell might
have known some of the children in the pictures.
Harrell had plenty of access to kids. He babysat his sister's children.
His sister ran a business selling toddler items out of her home. They
lived in a neighborhood filled with young kids.
As it turned out, Katie Buchannan's fears were justified, authorities
say. After Harrell's arrest, police said, they found his camera. It had
more photos and a video on it of a 3-year-old child whom Harrell knew,
they said.
Somer's Mom: 'I Don't Feel Sorry for Him'


After Harrell was arrested, Cuomo asked Somer Thompson's mother, Diena
Thompson, about her feelings about the murder suspect. Did it help her
understand how Harrell got to the point he allegedly did?
"No," Thompson said. "I don't feel sorry for him. You make choices in
life. And all of us go through trials and tribulations. ... I have been
through similar circumstances in my life, and I'm not killing, raping,
stealing children.
"You make choices to do things different. Stop the cycle, end the abuse,
don't do this."

http://www.wesh.com/news/23263346/detail.html
Harrell To Appear In Court On Somer Charges

Man Charged With Death Of Somer Thompson

ORLANDO, Fla. --

The man accused of kidnapping and killing a local
girl will appear in court Monday morning.Jarred Harrell, 24,
plead not guilty to murder and sexual assault charges in connection with
the death of Somer Thompson.Investigators said he grabbed the
7-year-old as she walked home from school last October.

SOMER NEWSER

Her body was found a few days later in a Georgia landfill

Diena Thompson kept her composure long enough to
take her first, in-person look at the man accused of abducting,
sexually assaulting and murdering her 7-year-old daughter last fall.

Thompson had been waiting for more than a month
to “see the face” of 24-year-old Jarred Harrell, who was charged March
26 with premeditated murder, sexual assault and performing a lewd and
lascivious act on a child younger than 12. Harrell already was in
custody on multiple counts of possession of child pornography after he
was arrested and subsequently extradited from Meridian, Miss., in
February.

Harrell has pleaded not guilty of the murder of
Somer Thompson, who disappeared Oct. 19 on her way home from Grove Park
Elementary School in Orange Park. Her body was found two days later in a
South Georgia landfill.

Harrell was led into a Clay County courtroom in
shackles on Wednesday, April 28, for a pre-trial hearing that had been
postponed two days earlier. He could face the death penalty if
convicted.

Diena Thompson, who sat between her parents,
Phillip and Debbie Bowling, remained silent but wary throughout
Wednesday’s 45-minute hearing that saw Circuit Judge John H. Skinner
deny three motions made by Harrell’s defense team. But she spoke
directly -- and with conviction -- afterward.



“He’s so much of a coward that he can't even
turn around and look at the mother of the child that he murdered,” she
said.



Harrell did not make eye contact with anyone
behind him, but appeared to fidget on and off as he listened to his
public defender’s request that prosecutors preserve as evidence any text
messages, instant messages or e-mails that might have been exchanged
during Harrell’s extradition.

The defense also requested that any notes
written by investigators prior to formalizing the murder and sexual
assault charges be preserved as well; and for the judge to issue a
protective order to minimize public communication about the trial.


All three requests were denied after prosecutors argued that the
first request was based on speculation, and that case notes basically
were irrelevant and “would not change the truth” about mounds of
evidence that already has been provided to the defense.

Thompson saw Skinner’s decisions as a step
forward in a long and painful process that won’t pick up again until
Harrell’s next pre-trial hearing on May 20.
“I hope the whole trial goes as well as today went,” said Thompson,
who has vowed to “stay in Harrell’s face” until a verdict is reached.

The Somer Thompson foundation is
pushing for a new bill that could soon be in the hands of state
lawmakers.Somer's law, which is under final review by the
foundation, would require sex offenders and predators to live outside
Somer's safety zones -- or a one-mile radius from any school.The
petition also includes a change to the Amber Alert system, requiring an
Amber Alert status be issued within 30 minutes of a possible kidnapping.Jarred
Harrell, the man accused of killing the 7-year-old Orange Park girl, is
still in jail.He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday on
some of the 58 felony charges he is currently facing.Investigators
said Harrell kidnapped Somer on her way home from school in October.
Her body was found days later in a Georgia landfill.

The mother of a 7-year-old child whose
body was found in a South Georgia landfill two days after she went
missing will have to wait until August to see what progress is being
made in the prosecution of her daughter’s alleged killer.
Diena Thompson of Orange Park was with
her father in a Clay County court room on Thursday, June 24, but the
accused murderer was not. Instead, attorneys for 24-year-old Jarred
Harrell spoke briefly to Circuit Judge John Skinner, telling the judge
during the pretrial hearing that depositions still are being taken.
Thompson and her father, Phillip Bowling, have said they plan to attend
as many hearings as possible, but expect the legal process to unfold slowly.
Harrell was arrested in February on 29 counts of possession of child pornography
and later was charged with thekidnapping, sexual assault and premeditated murder
of Somer Renee Thompson shortly after school let out on Oct. 19.
Investigators say they believe the child was lured into a house on Gano Avenue,
a few blocks from Grove Park Elementary School, where Somer attended.
Procescutors say they plan to seek the death penalty.
Harrell’s next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 3.

Somer Thompson's mother says she'll be at every court hearing for the child's accused killer.
The seven-year-old, whose father lives in Graham, disappeared on her way home from school in Florida last fall.
Her body was found in a trash dump two days later.
"It still doesn't seem real," said Diena Thompson. "I still don't believe it. I have a hard time really believing it."
Thompson says she wants justice for her daughter and wants to make the streets safer for children.
She plans to attend every hearing for Jared Harrell, who's charged with premeditated murder.
Harrell was supposed to be in court this morning, but the hearing was postponed until September 28.
"It is frustrating, but I know that it's what has to happen," said
Thompson. "You know, I've already been made well aware of the fact that
it's going to take a while to get this case going."
Harrell was arrested last February in Mississippi.
He also faces dozens of unrelated child pornography charges.

The man charged with murder in the death of 7-year-old Somer Thompson had a court date Tuesday, though he did not appear at the hearing.Jarred Harrell is facing 58 charges, including killing the Orange Park girl last October.Though Harrell was not in court, the case proceeded with a pretrial hearing. Other charges Harrell is facing include possession of child pornography, child molestation and promoting the sexual activity of a child, none of which are associated with Somer.Diena Thompson, Somer's mother, sat in court Tuesday as she has for all of the pretrial hearings in her daughter's case.
"I come to represent my daughter and all of the other children that are missing or murdered," Diena Thompson said. "I made a vow that I'd be here, and hell nor high water can keep me away."Thompson said she hoped to see the man prosecutors said killed her daughter, but instead, she saw a courtroom full of lawyers and procedure, as yet another court date passed without event."Yeah, it's frustrating because that means it's just going to take that much longer to get to trial," Thompson said. "But so long as they're going through the info and they're getting everything that they need to get to make sure he's where he belongs, then that's what we have to do."Police said Harrell abducted and killed Somer while the girl was walking home from Orange Park Elementary School. After a massive search, Somer's body was found days later in a Georgia landfill.Four months later, Harrell was arrested in Lauderdale County, Miss., and brought back to Clay County to face the charges.Harrell, who hasn't appeared in court since April, has waived his right to appear in any more pretrial proceedings, which means he likely won't be seen again until his trial starts sometime next year. The next scheduled court date is Jan. 1.Thompson said she's eagerly awaiting the trial date with a mix of anticipation and anxiety."Oh yeah, I think it'll be terrible," she said. "I've only seen him once in real life, and that was in his April appearance. So yeah, it'll be tough, but I have faith. That's all I have."

Taylor Burke, 16, is a home-schooled Clay County youth who did not know Somer Thompson, who was slain one year ago Tuesday. But Taylor lived near Somer's Orange Park-area home and was touched by the child's death. Here is a tribute she recently wrote:

Somer Thompson was 7 years old. Her favorite color was purple. She had a twin brother named Sam. She had brown hair. She had a mother named Diena.But a year ago, her life was taken. She was on her way home from school on Oct. 19, 2009, when she got in an argument with a group of friends and ran off.That was the last time anyone ever saw Somer. Anyone except the person responsible for her slaying.Two days after she went missing, Somer was found dead in a Georgia landfill.The little girl whose favorite color was - and always will be - purple, didn't even stand a chance to make her own mistakes and choices. Why?Because the power of Satan and evil took over someone's mind one day and he took this little girl. For what? To give the satisfaction of taking the life of this innocent, hopeless child? Why not just say no? Overcome the evil urge? Make yourself stronger. But no, of course not, someone went along with Satan.Is this how Somer's last day began? "Bye sweetie! Have a good day!" said a little girl's mother. "Momma loves you! Stay right with your brothers and sisters!""I know mom," the little girl said.I don't understand how such a human, just like me, created the same exact way, could have a mind the exact opposite. Because, seriously, let's be blunt. The thought of stepping on a worm breaks my heart. When a little bird's wings have been hurt, I rush to an animal hospital for it to be taken care of. Not just walk by and leave it to die.I would've let the little girl run home. There were houses right on down the road. But look at the mind we're dealing with. Someone who, instead of walking by the worm, squashes it completely.Is this how her killer approached Somer? "Hey! You know it's not safe to be running around out here by yourself," the man in the car said to the little girl walking on the sidewalk. "Come on, momma's waiting for you.""Are you momma's friend?" the little girl asked the man, as she hopped into his backseat.Oh, the wickedness. Why couldn't you have just kept driving? Minded your own business? Why push the brake instead of the gas? Why talk to the little girl instead of singing along to the radio? Why not turn up the radio instead of flipping the lock to unlock the car?Two days after she went missing, Somer was found dead in a Georgia landfill.A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste. Somer Thompson was not a piece of waste. She was not meant to be placed in a rubbish dump. The purpose of a landfill is to bury trash in such a way that it will be isolated from groundwater. We need to be that landfill for our children, to keep them isolated from the bad people of this world.

It's hard to believe it's been a year, seems like only yesterday.
Praying for strength for her mother, sitting through the trial is going to be extremely hard. God Bless her for seeing that Somer has the justice she so deserves.

About 400 children, teen-agers and adults gathered on the Orange Park Junior High School campus Tuesday night to remember -- and at least try to celebrate the abbreviated life of – Somer Renee Thompson.What began as a typical day exactly one year earlier turned into one of Clay County’s most tragic when the 7-year-old child who loved to hug everyone went missing. The news triggered an intense, community-wide search that ended two days later when Somer’s body was discovered in a South Georgia landfill."We grew up in this neighborhood and it really touched our hearts," said Katrina Black as she and her husband, Bryan, accompanied their 5-year-old son, Chase, from their car to the junior high campus. "Every story like this touches your heart and takes your breath away at the same time.""But it pulled our community together," her husband said.Just a few blocks from a temporary stage set up for the event -- sponsored by the newly formed First Coast Neighborhood Watch -- stands the house where detectives believe Somer was sexually assaulted and murdered by a 24-year-old man with a history of possessing child pornography.Now 25, Jarred Harrell has been charged with Somer’s abduction and murder. He has been sitting in a Clay County jail since February, when he was charged in the case. Harrell has pleaded not guilty, and is awaiting his next hearing scheduled for January.Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler told Tuesday night’s audience, which later lit candles and walked a quarter of a mile to a collection of memorabilia on display outside the Thompson family’s Grove Park home, that he still gets chills when he thinks about the events of Oct. 19, 2009."We clung to hope and we feared the worst," Beseler said. "Despite all the horrible things, this community unified for a common purpose. As we mark this occasion, we commit ourselves anew."That commitment has been fostered by Somer’s mother, Diena, who has made numerous TV and public appearances across the country on behalf of the Somer Thompson Foundation she established with Bobby Ingram, a Lake Asbury resident and lead guitarist for Southern rock band Molly Hatchett."It’s time for these predators and monsters to start being afraid of us instead of us being afraid of them," she told Tuesday’s audience, which erupted into shouts and applause.The mother of three surviving children said she thought Tuesday’s turnout was "wonderful," and that the past year has been painful despite receiving enormous amounts of support for herself and her surviving children."But as long as we keep her name out there, I can make this foundation work," she said. "It’s something I have to do."The evening’s events included songs performed by Molly Hatchet and a purple balloon release—Somer’s favorite color -- that prompted her mother to shout the often-heard phrase, "Justice for Somer!"Between speakers, an onstage butterfly release seemed to bring smiles and create soft moments of levity with adults as well as children.Still, teen-agers such as Concetta Masotti can’t help but think of the darker reasons for Tuesday’s anniversary observance."Me and my friends walk my friend’s little sister wherever she goes," Masotti said. "There’s so much out there now. "Somer’s sister, Abby, led a somber crowd in singing "You Are My Sunshine" -- Somer’s favorite song – just before the evening ended with a prayer by Pastor David Tarkington of the First Baptist Church of Orange Park."She became an entire community’s little girl," Tarkington said earlier. "It’s hard to see anything purple and not think of her."

Orange Park Neighborhood Changed One Year after Somer's Death



ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- The lazy little neighborhood which surrounds Somer Thompson's home some say is a haven for sex offenders.

Resident Virgil McWhite knows because after the 7-year-old was murdered he began to investigate just who was living near him.

"Soon as it happened, I checked it out. I was surprised how many were in the neighborhood," said McWhite.

In October 2009, 161 sex offenders lived within 5 miles of Somer's home. One year later, the number of offenders has decreased to 145 sex offenders.

"It detoured them. It chased them away. They are somewhere else now," said McWhite.

In the Orange Park-area alone, the number of offenders has gone up by one in one year.

Somer's death changed everything in the neighborhood. Neighbors are on guard and McWhite said they are more aware.

MORE: Somer Thompson childhood slideshow

Slain Girl's Mom Appears At Court Hearing

Jarred Harrell's Next Hearing Passed Until March In Somer Thompson's Death
January 11, 2011

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- The mother of slain 7-year-old Somer Thompson was in court Tuesday morning for a pretrial hearing for the man accused of murdering her daughter.

Diena Thompson has promised to be at every hearing for Jarred Harrell, who's accused of killing Somer in October 2009 after kidnapping her on her way home from school.

Harrell was not in the courtroom Tuesday, and he will likely not appear in court until his trial begins.

Thompson listened to the judge list charges against Harrell for three cases: first-degree murder, child molestation and owning child pornography.

"It's never going to make sense to me or anyone else because we don't think like monsters do," Thompson said of her daughter's killing.

Harrell's next pretrial hearing was passed until March 12, and Thompson vows she'll show up then.

"I'll be at every one of his trials. He will have nothing but my beautiful face to look at for the rest of the time that he's in the Clay County
court system," Thompson said. "Because it's my daughter, and she'll never be left alone again."

Thompson said she doesn't understand why the judge doesn't require Harrell to show up in court. Harrell has waived his right to appear in any more pretrial proceedings.

"It frustrated me that I have to wait 40 minutes and then hear five seconds of, 'He doesn't have to show up,'" Thompson said. "If I got in trouble and I had to come to court, I'd have to be standing up there. I believe others in similar circumstances would have to make a court appearance. He did something wrong, and he should stand up there like a man and face it like a man."

Harrell is awaiting trial on 58 charges, including sexual assault and murder. He has pleaded not guilty. Harrell has not appeared in court since April.

Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Harrell is convicted, which is likely the reason for the drawn-out pretrial process.

Somer Thompson's mom to help find missing children

1/28 8:10 am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Comcast is taking action in the fight to solve missing children cases.

A new series started Thursday called Missing Kids On Demand. Comcast rolled it out to help police find new leads in cases. It features two local teens who disappeared in 2005. Mark Degner and Bryan Hayes walked away from Paxon Middle School and haven't been seen since.

Thirteen-year-old Hailey Dunn is missing in Texas. Her disappearance has become the new mission for Diena Thompson. Her own daughter Somer was found dead in 2009.

Diena Thompson started the Somer Thompson Foundation to help other families get through losing a child. This week, she awarded the first grant to families struggling in Texas.

Billie Dunn is struggling to hold it all together. "I think about Hailey 24 hours a day," said Dunn.

Dunn was awarded the first grant from Diena Thompson's foundation. "I was just thinking I have to go to work, but how am I going to pay my bills, then she gave me that grant and it's going to help a lot," said Dunn.

For more information on how you can donate to the Somer Thompson Foundation, click on the link below.

http://www.somerthompsonfoundation.org/donations.html

twinkletoe wrote:I think this was a poor choice. It may well turn out that Hailey's mother is involved in her disappearance. At the very least she brought a scumbag into her home and exposed her daughter to him. JMO.

I agree twink. If I had donated to the fund I would be furious!

GMJ Exclusive: Gag Order Issued in Somer Thompson Murder Case


GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. -- A judge has issued a gag order on Jarred Harrell's case. He's the man accused of killing Somer Thompson in Clay County in 2009.
After a couple denials, the protective order was granted on Dec. 14 and applies to just about everyone involved in the case, including prosecutors, defense lawyers, investigators and other people who may testify at trial.
In the order, Judge William Wilkes wrote, "Pretrial comments ... have been substantially adverse or hostile to the defendant."
The judge cited intense local, national and international media coverage of the case as one reason for the order.
"To protect ... the defendant's right to a fair and impartial trial in the county where the crimes were committed ... a protective order is necessary," the judge wrote.
Normally, evidence in a criminal trial becomes public record once it's turned over to defense lawyers. But in this case, that won't happen.
The order also bars the Clay County Sheriff's Office from releasing any more jail calls between Harrell and people who visit him. They previously released some of those conversations, including one that had Harrell telling his mom he wanted some pizza.



read more>

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=190722&catid=3

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- A local mother could see justice in the murder of Somer Thompson.

Action News has learned a plea deal is in the works and Jarred Harrell will plead guilty to all charges Friday in court.

Somer
was murdered in 2009. She was kidnapped on her way home from school. It
wasn't until months later, when police named Jarred Harrell a person of
interest.

Harrell's name came up after Rod Buchanan's children
found kiddie porn on Harrell's computer. Harrell was their roommate.
"What they saw are things no one should ever have to see," said
Buchanan.

But Harrell wasn't just their roommate, he was a
long-time family friend. "He spent many nights at my house and ate at my
table," said Buchanan.

Buchanan says that's what even more
scary. He's glad Harrell is finally admitting to the charges. "I hope
Miss Thompson finds relief, and even Somer's grandfather."

Buchanan
knows nothing will bring Somer back to her mother but he is glad his
family was able to help police close the case, giving Diena and this
community closure. "We are not heroes but as I told the kids, doing the
right thing is not always the easiest. We didn't do anything that anyone
else wouldn't have done, especially when it comes to a child," said
Buchanan.

Harrell is expected to be in court Friday. It's the first time he will be face to face with Diena Thompson since April, 2010.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Plea-deal-in-Somer-Thompson-case/oAzI0m-P9EyZ-pfeBLlqbg.cspx

Minutes after a man pleaded guilty to kidnapping, raping and murdering
7-year-old Somer Thompson, who was dumped in a trash bin and later found
in a landfill, the little girl's twin brother addressed his sister's
killer.
"You know you did this, and now you're going to jail," 9-year-old Samuel Thompson said to Jarred Harrell from the witness stand.
In
a deal sparing Harrell the death penalty, the 26-year-old Harrell was
sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Somer's
family was in favor of the deal because Harrell agreed not to appeal any
of his convictions.
"Your punishment does
absolutely not fit your crime," said Somer's mother, Diena Thompson.
"Remember now, there is no safe place for you. You do not have an
impenetrable cell. There will be no peace in the afterlife."
Somer was a second-grader living in Orange Park,
Fla. — a suburb south of Jacksonville — when she disappeared while
walking home from school on Oct. 19, 2009. She was with her sister and
some friends, but ran ahead of them after they had a spat.
It
was a route she had taken many times before, and she often stopped at a
home to pet a white dog. Usually, no one came outside. On the day Somer
disappeared, authorities said Harrell lured her into the home where he
was living with his mother.
Two days later, she was discovered in a landfill in southern Georgia.
Harrell
wasn't arrested until about three months after Somer's death.
Initially, authorities interviewed convicted sex offenders within a
5-mile radius of Somer's suburban north Florida home, but didn't come up
with any substantial leads.
On a hunch, they
tailed nine garbage trucks from Somer's neighborhood to the landfill and
picked through the trash as each rig spilled its load. They sorted
through more than 225 tons of garbage before they spotted her legs
sticking out of the garbage.
Harrell lived
with his parents on a neighborhood street Somer took to get home. Police
said Somer was lured into the home and later asphyxiated and tossed
into a trash bin, though they have not released any more details about
her death.
After Somer vanished, Harrell moved to Meridian, Miss., to live with an aunt.
He
drew the attention of law enforcement two months before Somer
disappeared, but he wasn't arrested. His roommates in Florida said they
kicked him out for stealing and they discovered child pornography on his
computer, which was turned over to investigators.
The Clay County sheriff's office said Harrell wasn't taken into custody then because detectives had to prove Harrell downloaded the child porn.
He
only became a suspect in Somer's disappearance after Somer's friends
showed officials where they had last seen Somer — the home with the dog.
Also, the parents of one of Harrell's roommates drove by Harrell's
parents' home and noticed how close it was to Somer's home. When they
saw Harrell's car in his parents' driveway, they told detectives.
According to authorities, Harrell confessed to sexually molesting and killing Somer, then disposing of her body. DNA evidence found on Somer also linked Harrell to the crime.
Harrell
pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual battery,
possession of child pornography and other sex charges, some stemming
from an unrelated molestation case involving a 3-year-old relative.
Authorities did not release details of that new case.
The
discovery of Somer's body touched off an outpouring of support in
northeast Florida and southern Georgia for the Thompson family; days of
vigils and fundraisers were held so Somer's mom could financially afford
to stay home with her other children. A mountain of stuffed animals,
balloons and notes to the family sprung up near a tree across from the
little girl's home.
Like most little girls, Somer loved to dance, play dress up, draw and color. Her favorite color was purple.
At
her funeral, hundreds of purple balloons were released into the sky;
purple flowers adorned her wooden casket and her family wore purple
ribbons.
Somer had her brown hair in a ponytail with a red bow when she went missing. She was carrying a lunch box and wearing Hannah Montana backpack. It was purple.
"This
will be that last breath that I waste and use on you. It is now time to
take out the trash," Somer's mother said. "No punishment given to you
will be good enough to soothe our spirit."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-03/killer-florida-girl-sentenced/52953020/1?csp=34news

Thus comes to an end this horrific tale of the "Monster in the Neighborhood". They are out there, caregivers. They lurk, creep and fantasize. Some, like this asshat, follow through on their fantasies.

Sadly this nightmare will never be OVER for Somer's family. They will ache for a child's life snuffed out way too long before she had a chance to do so many things.

We can only hope that this perp will be so tortured by his fellow inmates that his demise will come swiftly either by his own hand, or theirs.

Diena Thompson's and the rest of her family's words to the court were heart wrenching.

Diena Thompson would not acquiesce to the plea until the POS agreed to not appeal his sentence. A wise woman.

Her behavior and the way she handled this whole ordeal are polar opposites to the Ant Farm's behavior.

A class act in the face of an adversity incomprehensible to most of us.

JMO.

I cried listening to the family members, especially the precious little twin boy.

I just can't comprehend the evil in so many people.

Diena Thompson: Life will never be the same

Jarred Harrell pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old to avoid death penalty


Published On: Feb 10 2012 12:57:49 PM EST
Updated On: Feb 10 2012 06:35:00 PM EST

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
For the first time since Jarred Harrell pleaded
guilty to killing 7-year-old Somer Thompson, Diena Thompson talks about
her agonizing decision to agree to a sentence that would allow "the
monster" to avoid the death penalty so she can stay strong for her other
children.
One week ago, Harrell pleaded guilty to charges he
kidnapped, raped and murdered Somer, and to unrelated charges of sexual
assault and child pornography, and he agreed to be sentenced to six life
terms plus 35 years. The plea agreement spared Harrell the death
penalty.
Thompson said Friday that while she feels Harrell is evil
and deserves to die, she signed off on the deal prosecutors made with
Harrell because the agreement stipulated that he would not appeal any of
his convictions.


"I really had to take into account my other children and
what this could mean for them," Thompson said. "I wanted to fight him
tooth-and-nail -- Somer's mommy, Diena, does. But my other kids' mom
says we need to protect them. Somer, I can't do anything else -- he took
her from us. I can still help the other ones."
Thompson said Somer's twin, Samuel, made his own decision to address in court the man he calls "the monster."
"When
he saw everyone up there he said, 'Mommy, I want to get up there.' And I
said, 'You get up there and tell him what you want to tell him, and he
just made me so proud."
Somer was a first-grader living in Orange
Park when she disappeared while walking home from school on Oct. 19,
2009. She was with her older sister, twin brother and some friends, but
ran ahead of them after they had a spat.
It was a route she had
taken many times before, and she often stopped at a home to pet a white
dog. Usually, no one came outside. On the day Somer disappeared,
authorities said Harrell lured her into the home.
UNCUT: Diena Thompson's news conference | SPECIAL SECTION: Justice For Somer
Clay
County Sheriff Rick Beseler said Harrell had raped and asphyxiated
Somer and dumped her body in a commercial trash bin in Fleming Island by
the time her mother flagged down a deputy to report her missing.

Harrell wasn't arrested for months, and then only on child
pornography charges. He wasn't indicted for Somer Thompson's murder
until five months after her death, then waived his appearance in court
for the next 18 months when he agreed to plead guilty and accept
sentencing.
Asked how she has remains strong during those two
years, Thompson said: "I don't have any other choice. It's either stand
up and fight or lay down and die. This is my world right now and this
is what I have to live with."
Thompson said she was given some
insight into the investigation along the way -- including that they were
investigating a child pornographer whose computer was seized two months
before Somer was killed -- she is hoping more of her questions about
the case will be answered when evidence in the case is released, which
could happen as early as next week.
"I would like to know how did
he get her in the house. What did he say to her? There are so many
unanswered questions," Thompson said.
Thompson said she plans to
continue working with police to get child pornographers off the street,
and use her influence to help convince lawmakers to adequately fund
those efforts.
"Child pornography is one of the worst pandemics in
this country, and we know that these pornographers are going to hurt
other children," Thompson said. "So if we don't start going after them,
they're going to pluck off our children one by one."
http://www.news4jax.com/news/Diena-Thompson-Life-will-never-be-the-same/-/475880/8627126/-/rtea2i/-/

Jarred Harrell tells a harrowing, changing tale of killing and attempting to rape 7-year-old Somer Thompson in video released by authorities Thursday among thousands of pages of records in the 2009 slaying.

Harrell, then 24, initially told Clay County detectives he blocked memories from the day he killed the girl. But more than 90 minutes after the start of questioning, Harrell admits he tried to sexually assault the child after she was dead. He gave details about the sex attack after detectives told him they found DNA on her body.

“Something happened that we haven’t talked about yet,” a detective says. “Maybe it was something that you’ve put out of your mind and put in a box and put away. But right now, while we’re talking and we can do something to explain it, we need to get it out of the box and look at it and figure out what it is.”

Moments later, Harrell admitted to removing the clothes from Somer’s lifeless body.

“Honestly, I didn’t remember this until now,” Harrell says.

Read: Court documents released Feb. 3, 2012

Harrell, appearing mild-mannered when talking with detectives about the slaying, wept with his mother, who spent about 15 minutes alone with him in the middle of the interview. He rubbed his face periodically and slumped on a sofa in the small interview room. In one of the stranger moments, Harrell, while alone, snapped his wrists with handcuffs that had previously been removed.

Harrell is serving life in prison after being convicted Feb. 3 of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual battery and lewd and lascivious conduct.

Harrell initially told detectives he was in his mother’s Gano Avenue home on Oct. 19, 2009, when Somer somehow appeared in a doorway of his home looking for his dog. She started getting nervous and began screaming.

Harrell said he smothered Somer by holding one hand over her mouth and the other behind her head, which he demonstrated for detectives Ken West and Stephen Coyne. He said it occurred in the kitchen.

“She kind of went limp,” he told them in a small room at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. “So I started to panic.”

He tells detectives how he put Somer in a large plastic box and drove her body to the rear of Fleming Island’s Beauty and the Beef restaurant, where he used to work and left her in a Dumpster. The garbage was hauled away the next day.

Harrell doesn’t initially talk about attempting to rape Somer. But about 40 minutes into the interview, he begins to add more to the story.

“Is it possible you moved her clothes to be able to see some stuff before you put her in the box?” one detective asked.

“I didn’t do it purposely and if it’s something more than that, I’ve blocked that out,” Harrell said.

He said he later returned home after a massive search had begun. He remembered seeing people with flashlights and inquired about the activity as if he didn’t know what had happened.

“I had asked them what all the commotion was and they said a little girl went missing,” Harrell said.

The interview in the video was done in February 2010 after detectives returned to Clay County with Harrell, who was arrested in Mississippi on unrelated child-pornography charges.

When he was arrested in a CVS drugstore parking lot in Meridian, detectives talked with Harrell about links they had between him and Somer and asked how he would rate himself on a scale of one to 10 with 10 equating a monster.

“I am going to be a 10,” he told them.

In his confession, Harrell wondered if he could get help with his child-pornography fixation.

“I want to get help, but I don’t know if I can do it under the guise of Somer,” he said.

DNA swabs taken from Somer’s body matched samples of Harrell’s DNA profile while eliminating 89 percent of the remaining population, new state attorney records show. Eleven other people investigators thought could be connected to the case were eliminated by the DNA findings.

Following Somer’s disappearance, friends of Harrell said he began acting strangely. He lost weight, became reclusive and began growing facial hair, they told investigators.

Harrell also was prone to off-color sex-laced jokes about children and was known to say “I am not afraid to steal a child,” when he saw one, the documents said.

In another he asks and answers: “What is worse than finding 10 babies in one trash bin? One baby in 10 trash bins.”

Somer disappeared on the way home from Grove Park Elementary School in Orange Park after running off from her siblings. Among tips detailed in the documents was that Somer often stopped by the Gano home on her way home from school to pet a large white dog. Harrell said his family did own such a dog, which was taken to their new home when they moved to Callahan two days before Somer went missing.

Harrell tells the detectives Somer simply appeared in his home asking about his dog, and it’s not something he planned.

Near the end of his confession, Harrell asks one of the detectives if they are going to talk with Somer’s mother, Diena Thompson. The detective told him they would.

“Can you just tell her that I really am sorry. It’s not a regretful thing, it’s a remorseful thing. I really am sorry that it happened. I know I’m going through some rough times, but I can’t imagine what she was going through. I never had a kid, so I don’t know what that kind of bond is like.”

Clay investigators met with Thompson this week before releasing the records. She could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The detective and Harrell talk a little more about mothers and kids and then his partner walks into the room to help take Harrell away.

“We’re just talking life,” Harrell said.

http://m.jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-03-01/story/jarred-harrells-story-police-about-how-he-killed-somer-thompson-changed