SKYLAR KAUFFMAN - 9 yo (5/2011) - Souderton (btwn Allentown and Philly) PA

Poster's note: Belongs here in Amber Alert anyway. More info and photo. to come I hope

According to broadcast reports, Souderton police are searching for a
missing 9-year-old girl named Skylar Kauffman who has been missing since
around 7:00 p.m. Monday.

She a white female, 4'6, 71 pounds,
with brown hair. She was last seen wearing a yellow Justin Bieber
t-shirt and black pants, she is described as a white female around 4
feet 6 inches and between 65- and 75 pounds.

The Pennsylvania State Police have been contacted about issuing an amber alert.

http://timesherald.com/articles/2011/05/09/news/doc4dc8b08315c0a599184099.txt

Poster's note: Tragic outcome.

Update: Search For Missing Girl Ends Tragically In Montgomery Co.

9-Year-Old Girl Found Dead Near Apartment In Souderton

Posted: 1:04 am EDT May 10, 2011Updated: 6:23 am EDT May 10, 2011

SOUDERTON, Pa. -- Police in Montgomery County say they have arrested the man they believe murdered a 9-year-old girl last night.Police said Skylar Kauffman was found dead near the spot in Souderton where she went missing several hours earlier.Kauffman was last seen playing in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Chestnut Street at about 5:30 Monday afternoon.An Amber Alert was issued and a search began at 7:00 Monday night.Her body was found several hours later, between the apartment building and a nearby cemetery.Police said evidence was gathered at the scene, including clothing with blood on it.Police are not saying who the suspect is, but he is expected to be charged later Tuesday morning.
http://www.wfmz.com/bucksnews/27834522/detail.html

Souderton girl, 9, found dead



A 9-year-old girl, Skylar Kauffman, reported missing from Souderton in
Montgomery County Monday night was found dead just after midnight near
where she was last seen playing, authorities are reporting Tuesday
morning.

Police are saying Skylar's death is a homicide, according to reports.

The Pennsylvania State Police issued an Amber Child Abduction Alert for
Skylar around 7 p.m. She was last seen playing around 5:30 p.m. Monday
in a parking lot near an apartment complex near the Hillside Cemetery at
Second and Chestnut streets in Souderton.
http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-souderton-skylar-kauffman-murder-20110510,0,7440118.story

A 9-year-old Montgomery County girl who was reported missing Monday
night has been found dead and police are questioning a 40-year-old
neighbor.Police said the body of Skyler Kauffman was found around midnight in a
Dumpster near the apartment complex in Souderton Borough where she was
last seen earlier in the day.How she died has not been disclosed, but Police Chief James P. Leary
told reporters the girl struggled during an apparent assault.Investigators are questioning a man in Skyler's death and Leary said they expected to charge him.The man had blood on his pants when police looking for the girl Monday night questioned him, Leary said."We have evidence linking him to the victim and to the crime," he said.Skyler was reported missing Monday when she did not come home for dinner and State Police issued an Amber Alert.More details are expected later.http://www.philly.com/philly/news/121553124.html

9-year-old Souderton girl found dead; suspect arrested

SOUDERTON, Pa. - May 10, 2011 (WPVI) -- The search for a missing girl in Montgomery County has ended in tragedy. Authorities found her dead body overnight in Souderton, and have ruled her death a homicide.
Police believe they have caught the man responsible for the death of 9-year-old Skylar Kauffman. A 40-year-old man who lived in the little girl's apartment complex has been taken into custody. Charges have not yet been filed against the man, but they are expected. Action News has learned that the District Attorney's Office will be taking over the case.
Police say the victim knew the man, whom they have not yet identified. He was found yesterday with blood splatter on his clothing.
Souderton Police Chief James Leary told reporters, "We are quite certain that we are going to link him conclusively to the crime with an overwhelming volume of physical evidence."
Skylar was last seen at 5:30 p.m. playing in the parking lot of her apartment complex. Police say her parents became concerned when she didn't show up for dinner.
Authorities from across the county mobilized for the search and an Amber Alert was called. Eventually, they found a blood trail in the basement of her home that ran cold. Then around midnight, authorities discovered her body wrapped up in a dumpster several hundred feet away from her apartment complex.
"Our police department has had multiple contacts with this little girl, and all of the contacts have been positive. She's nothing but a sweet, little, innocent girl. As for my fatigue, we'll work through it and make sure we dot all the I's and cross all the T's, make sure the perpetrator remains in jail," said Chief Leary.
Skylar was only 71-pounds, but she put up a fight, which left a tremendous amount of physical evidence for police.
Action News asked Chief Leary if he believes the suspect acted alone, to which Leary replied, "Absolutely. Totally one and done type of issue. And there is no reason to believe there are previous victims and there certainly won't be any more."
Police did notify the school district about Skylar's death so that grief counselors could be arranged for students.
Skylar would have been 10-years-old next month.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8122162

Man Charged With 9-Year-Old's Murder

Police: Neighbor, 40, Arrested, Being Charged

SOUDERTON, Pa. - Montgomery County district
attorney Risa Vetri Ferman says James Lee Troutman is charged with the
murder of his 9-year-old neighbor, Skylar Kauffman, in Souderton. Images: Suspect In Skylar Kauffman Killing There were also reports on Tuesday that Troutman confessed to police. Ferman said a searcher found a pool of blood in the apartment building on Monday night after Kauffman was reported missing. An investigator came on Troutman, 24, in the vicinity and Troutman appeared to have blood on his shoes. Ferman said Kauffman had been sexually abused and strangled.

The incident in Montgomery County has stunned neighbors and police. Souderton Police Chief James P. Leary told Fox 29 News early Tuesday morning that a suspect was being interviewed. Kauffman was found dead around midnight, just a few hours after she was reported missing. She was last seen playing with friends in the parking lot of her apartment building at 2nd and Chestnut streets around 5:30 p.m. Fox
29's Steve Keeley reported that several neighbors told him that the
suspect had a prior run-in with Skylar Kauffman approximately two weeks
ago. Several people told Keeley they saw the girl running away from the
suspect's apartment, screaming and crying during that incident. Keeley
said the incident was confirmed by several officers as well as the
police chief, but no other details were available as of Tuesday morning. Ferman also confirmed the prior incident happened. She also said Troutman didn't have a criminal record. A
significant amount of blood and a trail with some of Kauffman's
belongings, including her boots, led police from the apartment
building's basement to the area where her body was found wrapped in a
blanket, Leary said. "She was out playing. She didn't return for
dinner. She was quite late. Her family became concerned. They contacted
us. As it darkened, we became concerned. When it became full dark, we
were very concerned," Leary said. "We mobilized our forces, and we
conducted a very, very careful search of the general area and a very
specific search of the local area. And unfortunately we found her body
in the Dumpster." Police believe the 9-year-old was beaten during
a sexual assault and violent struggle with her neighbor at the U-shaped
apartment complex. Officers interviewed the man once, felt
something was amiss, then questioned him a second time, which is when
they allegedly spotted blood. "Each time they noticed something
more and more alarming about his conduct and his response to the
questions," Leary said. "… As they interviewed him, they noticed some
blood on his person. And we have been able to gather some physical
evidence that has linked him to the crime." Police said the man
has been cooperative during interviews, and they are continuing to
investigate and collect evidence in the case. Police said the suspect
was known to them but not for anything like this alleged crime. Leary
said Kauffman's family has now been notified of her death, and the
police chief was working early Tuesday with school officials, who will
be notifying students of their classmate's death and providing grief
counselors. "We fully expect to continue our investigation, to
continue to gather the evidence, to analyze the evidence. We expect to
charge him within hours. We expect to successfully prosecute him," Leary
said.
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Souderton_Girl_Murdered_Police_Say_Skylar_Kaufmann_051011

The photo wasn't meant for this. In it, Skyler Kauffman's brown hair falls over her shoulders, framing a bright, toothy smile.
On Monday, the image became the cornerstone of an Amber Alert. By
Tuesday morning, it had gone viral in the worst way, as the face of a
9-year-old murder victim.


Police found the girl's body in the trash outside the Souderton
apartment building where she lived. They arrested a 24-year-old
neighbor, James L. Troutman, after he came to his door with blood on his
shoes. Later, they say, he confessed.
The family, friends and classmates who went to sleep worrying about Skyler woke up mourning her.
The girl they described Tuesday was an extrovert who loved to sing
and dance, relished the outdoors and had an independent streak - not to
mention an infectious grin. "She just had a smile that would not end,"
said Seward J. Foland of Telford, who called himself a family friend.
Gina McGonigle worked at a Souderton day-care center that Skyler
attended. McGonigle won't forget how the girl often bounded smiling into
the building and wrapped her arms around the teacher like they hadn't
seen each other in weeks.
"She is one of the kids that I remember the most," McGonigle said in
an email. She wished she could tell Skyler she will be missed - "and how
we could all use one of her bear hugs right now."
Skyler was an only child, living in the apartment with her mother, Heather Gebhard, and her grandmother, Pamela Gebhard.
On her Facebook page, the younger Gebhard had described herself as
"mom to a wonderful daughter" and joined groups including "Proud to be a
Mom" and "Click if you Love your Kids!"
After three years at Nash Elementary School in North Penn, Skyler had
transferred in January to E. Merton Crouthamel School in Souderton.
Both schools on Tuesday dispatched grief counselors for children.
Teachers at the Souderton school also gave children the option of
writing or drawing messages to remember the little girl. More than a few
drew Skyler engaged in one of her favorite pastimes: on the playground
swings.
"This is one of those days that you hope never happens," Souderton Area Schools Superintendent Fred Johnson said.
Trisha Williams said she met Gebhard when both were pregnant and
later saw her almost monthly at family-building classes hosted by
Grandview Hospital. Skyler, Williams said, was a leader, the type who
preferred running up a slide to gliding down it. "She knew what she
wanted to do and how she wanted to do it," she said.
Neighbors at the complex also described the girl as fearless, saying
she would sometimes run from unit to unit, knock on doors and strike up
conversations with tenants.
That included her alleged killer. Police said Troutman once let
Skyler and another girl in his apartment, after they knocked on his door
and asked to use his bathroom.
"She was very friendly, maybe too friendly," said Tom DiNora III, 36,
whose daughter played with Skyler. "I used to tell her, 'You can't just
walk into people's apartments or go down to the basement with people
you don't know.'"
Another neighbor, Corey Wagner, saw the girl's demeanor as refreshing. "She had a very strong personality," Wagner said.
Scores of people gathered outside the complex for an candlelight
vigil. Dozens more posted online condolences, some as the news broke
before dawn.
Foland, the family friend from Telford, said he met an older man from
the neighborhood Tuesday who Skyler and her friends regularly stopped
by his house to run errands or help him and his wife.
"She was an angel," Foland said. "She's going to be taken care of."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/121598988.html

I am so sorry to learn of this tragic outcome.

I'm stunned. WTF is wrong with these murdering beasts.

When 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman didn’t come in for dinner after playing
with friends Monday evening outside her Souderton Garden Apartments
home, her family went looking, then notified police who continued the
search and put out an Amber alert.

“It’s one of those situations
where everyone did what they were supposed to do,” Montgomery County
District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said. It wasn't enough.

James
Lee Troutman, 24, who lived in another apartment in the same complex at
Second and Chestnut streets, was arraigned Tuesday evening on charges
including murder, kidnapping and rape of a child.

Minutes before
midnight, Detective George Moyer had found Kauffman’s body wrapped in a
comforter under bags of trash in a trash container behind the
apartments.

Troutman had no significant police record, Ferman said.

“This is one of those terribly disturbing situations where they happen seemingly out of nowhere,” she said.

During the arraignment, Troutman sat for much of the time with his head cupped by one or both of his hands.

He
answered “yes” to Magisterial District Judge Kenneth Deatelhauser’s
question of whether he understood the charges, then was returned to
jail. Because of the charges, Troutman is not eligible to be freed on
bail, Deatelhauser said. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m.
May 19. Troutman did not have an attorney at the arraignment.

“Dirtbag”
was the first of the epithets shouted at Troutman as he was taken,
wearing a bullet-proof vest, from a police car into the arraignment.

After the arraignment, the shouts became such a din that individual ones could not be made out.

“You’re gonna burn,” one said.

“Die, Troutman, die,” another said.

Police
were called by Skylar's mother and grandmother about 7:11 p.m. Monday,
according to the affidavit of probable cause. Skylar had last been seen
by the family about 5 p.m.

Another resident told the responding
officer he had seen blood in a basement area of one of the apartment
buildings. When the officer went to the basement, he found both blood
and a clog that was similar to the one Kauffman had been described as
wearing, the court papers say.

Montgomery County Detective Edward
Schikel, of the Forensic Services Unit, who met and talked to Troutman
while investigating at the scene, saw what appeared to be blood on one
of Troutman’s sneakers, police said.

That attention to detail helped speed up the investigation and lead to the arrest, Ferman said.

“Without that observation, I don’t know if we’d be here today,” she said.

After
going to Troutman’s apartment and being given permission by Troutman’s
fiancé to search for the missing girl, Schikel found bloody clothes,
police said.

Troutman’s fiancée, Heather Clemens, said that
Troutman left the apartment about 5 p.m. Monday and said he was going
outside to play games on his cell phone, investigators said.

Clemens
later heard a female voice screaming loudly, “wailing” and saying no in
a way that was “long and drawn out when she said no, like nooooooo!
while she was still crying,” investigators said.

When Clemens
called Troutman, investigators said, she did not get an answer, but he
called back about five minutes later and said he was exercising at
Indian Crest Middle School. After she told him about the screams,
Clemens told investigators, Troutman said he hoped “everything’s OK.”

He later came home, changed, took a shower and they ate dinner, police said.

Troutman initially admitted to talking to Skylar around 5 p.m. Monday night, but denied killing her, police said.

He later admitted choking her, police said.

Troutman described the killing as having happened when he “snapped” and “It was like a white out,” police said.

Asked
by officers why he killed Skylar, he said he had to because once he
took her down the basement he knew she could get him in trouble,” police
said.

An autopsy showed Kauffman died of asphyxia and blunt force trauma, police said.

There
was no previous connection between Skylar and Troutman, other than
being neighbors, Ferman said. He was not a relative or friend of the
family.

There was, however, a previous incident, police said, in
which on April 18, Skylar and another girl were near Troutman’s
apartment when they needed to use the bathroom and he invited them to
use his.

Taking them to the bathroom, he told the girls to ignore the photos of naked women on the walls, police said.

The
girls became nervous and tried to leave, but found the apartment door
was locked, then unlocked it and escaped, police said. In that incident,
Troutman also allegedly asked the two girls if they wanted to see his
“bird,” police said.

No charges were filed in that case.

http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2011/05/11/news/doc4dca6d4bb3f08273444982.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Telford Fire Chief: Background check on James Troutman turned up nothing

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Telford Fire Company was one of the emergency Management response team units that responded to the Amber Alert issued on behalf of Skyler Rae Kauffman late Monday night.

In the case of this particular emergency — which tragically turned into a murder case — police needed the fire department’s light towers, lights and the generator that powers them to assist with the search.

Chief Ray Fegley added that fire police assisted with traffic control when police closed off streets in Souderton to expedite the investigation.

Firefighters from the department also lent a hand in the search for the girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed by a neighbor.

So imagine the department’s reaction to the announcement Tuesday that James L. Troutman, a “probationary” member of the department until he moved to Souderton, had been arrested and accused of the crime.

“Obviously we were all stunned. We were totally shocked when we found out who the individual was,” Fegley said.

Getting besieged with calls from news organizations, Fegley said the department felt compelled to issue a statement confirming that Troutman was a probationary member of the department from Jan. 12 to June 8 of last year.

“You’re always careful about the way things get realized,” Fegley said. “You have an organization that has good people doing good things. And (having a former member accused of violent crimes is) just a scary thought.”

When someone applies to become a volunteer firefighter, they are not automatically accepted. A probationary period for applicants requires a background check and an interview, in which they are briefed on the various time commitments that the fire company requires.

“There was nothing that turned up during that routine (background) check,” Fegley said.

According to Fegley, Troutman kept to himself, didn’t cause any problems, and described his time with the department as “unremarkable.”

“There wasn’t anything that stood out about the individual. He was a young man trying something new ... trying to find out his place,” he said.

When asked about the circumstances of Troutman’s leaving the department, Fegley said that he was in between jobs at the time and “trying to find a better apartment.”

He said that both Troutman and the department agreed that his new Souderton residence was going to be too far away from the firehouse to merit continuing his association with the fire company.

“The officers and members of the Telford Volunteer Fire Company extend sincere condolences to the family and friends of Skyler Kauffman,” said the fire company’s statement, signed by Fegley and president Ronald B. Chernuka.

Alleged Child Killer: I Got Rid of Her
By Teresa Masterson
NBCPhiladelphia.com NBCPhiladelphia.com
updated 5/11/2011 4:17:09 PM ET 2011-05-11T20:17:09

"I got rid of her."

That's what 24-year-old James Troutman told police about 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman, according to court documents.

The Souderton man abducted, raped, beat and strangled the third grader while police searched for the little girl Monday night, Montgomery District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman says.

“An autopsy was conducted earlier today. We found that Skyler died from asphyxia as well as blunt force trauma,” says Ferman. “She had significant genital injuries to her body as well."

The coroner listed the manner of death as "homicide" on Skyler's death certificate.

"Last night while I was eating dinner she was getting strangled," said Skyler's father Eric Kauffman. "Where’s the justice in that."

Troutman was arrested on charges of murder, kidnapping and rape of a child less than 16 hours after an Amber Alert went out for 9-year-old Skylar in the Montgomery County town.
Read more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42979292

please tell me this state has the death penalty -

The first incident should have been reported to LE and they should have taken action.

If she had a previous encounter with this POS that should have been the starting point for the search.

He needs to have "significant genital injuries" done to him.

If his bathroom was plastered with nudie pics his GF must have known he is a pervert.

That poor darling girl.

Fiancee of Skyler's suspected killer speaks

SOUDERTON, Pa. - May 11, 2011 (WPVI) -- Action News sat down with the now former fiancée of James Troutman, the man charged with the death of 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman.
21-year-old Heather Clemens says it chills her to now realize she had been engaged to marry a "monster."

"Every time his face comes through my mind all I can see is just evil," Clemens said.
Heather Clemens dreamed of a bright future with the 24-year-old Troutman.
She says there was never a hint, until Monday, that he was capable of harming anyone.
"I couldn't believe it; I just couldn't believe it because that wasn't the person he was to me," Clemens said.
Heather started dating Troutman a year and a half ago and they lived at the Souderton Gardens apartment complex.
RELATED: View the entire interview with Heather Clemens
Police say Troutman took Skyler down two short sets of stairs to the basement where he raped the 9-year-old and killed her.
Heather was in the apartment above and heard screams, thinking they were coming from the apartment above hers.
"It's not unusual to hear screaming, laughter, on the occasion if a child is throwing a tantrum, telling their parents 'no,'" Clemens said.
Clemens says a while later, Troutman returned home and said he had been exercising at the track.
"He was very sweaty and he was covered in what looked like mud to me, dried mud, on his clothing from his chest down to his shoes," Clemens said.
She now knows it was blood, not mud.
The police told her yesterday morning that the man she loved had been charged with murder and rape.
"To turn around and here that he did such a horrible thing, I felt like I was living with a stranger, a monster, maybe, even a demon," the former fiancée said.
Clemens says she believed Troutman when he told her nothing happened when the police came to investigate an incident three weeks ago.
That's when Skyler and a friend told their parents that Troutman had locked them in his apartment and talked dirty to them.
The police investigated and never filed charges.
Heather says she has no words now for Troutman.
"The only thing I want to know is why, but I know, no matter what, there is no right answer; there's no words, I have nothing to say to him," Clemens said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Montgomery County coroner released the official cause of death for Skyler Kauffman.
According to Coroner Walter Hofman, Skyler died of asphyxia and multiple blunt force injuries, ruling her death as a homicide.
Skyler was last seen at 5:30 p.m. Monday playing in the parking lot of the Souderton Gardens apartment complex. Police say her parents became concerned when she didn't show up for dinner.
An Amber Alert was issued but, around midnight, authorities discovered her body wrapped in a blanket and buried in the dumpster.
Court documents say Troutman has admitted to choking the girl and repeatedly hitting her head against the floor.
Those same documents say police found bloody clothes in Troutman's apartment and he claimed he killed the girl "because once he took her down to the basement, he knew she could get him in trouble."
Troutman, wearing a bulletproof vest, covered his face as he entered the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.
Police had to tape off the area outside the courthouse, a street away from the apartment complex, for security reasons due to angry residents.
Heather Clemens says she is most distraught about what happened to Skyler and her family.
She wants everyone to know that if she had the slightest hint that Troutman could harm a child, she would have warned her neighbors and the police.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=8125415

Obituary: Skyler R. Kauffman




Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2011






Skyler R. Kauffman, age 9, of Souderton, left this earth unexpectedly for her heavenly home Monday, May 9, 2011.

Born in West Rockhill Twp., she was the precious daughter of Heather Gebhard and Eric Kauffman of Souderton.

A third-grader at E.M. Crouthamel Elementary School in Souderton, Skyler loved to dance and took dance classes at the Marlyn Abramson School of Dance in Lansdale. She loved music, loved to swim and especially enjoyed summer camp at Camp Hopwood in Towamencin.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her maternal grandmother, Pam Gebhard of Souderton; her maternal grandfather, Steve Gebhard of Pottstown; her paternal grandparents, Spencer and Carol Kauffman of Harleysville; her great-grandfather, Wallace Huhn of Telford; her great-grandmother Evelyn Gebhard of Pottstown; her great-grandfather, Charles Gebhard; as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her great-grandmother, Gladys Huhn.

Funeral Services will be held Monday, May 16, at 11AM in the Calvary Church of Souderton, 820 Route 113, Souderton. Interment will follow in the Keller’s Church Cemetery, Bedminster Twp. Family will receive friends Sunday, May 15, from 5 to 8PM in the Sadler-Suess Funeral Home, 33 N. Main St., Telford. There will be no calling hours Monday. Memorial contributions can be made to the Skyler Kauffman Memorial Fund, c/o Citizens Bank, 705 Route 113, Souderton, PA 18964. www.sadlersuessfuneralhome.net

http://timesherald.com/articles/2011/05/11/news/doc4dcb0126bb09e669832478.txt

Relatives grieve loss of Skyler Kauffman



Published: Friday, May 13, 2011

NORTH COVENTRY — Surrounded by his family, Steven Gebhard talked about the death of his only grandchild, Skyler Kauffman, and realized he won’t ever get to take her for a motorcycle ride like he wanted to.

“I didn’t get to see her for a couple years,” Gebhard said, acknowledging he lived out of state for a while. Gebhard, Skyler’s maternal grandfather, said he kept in touch in phone calls with Skyler and with his daughter, Heather, and he loved the “outgoing girl” who was always smiling.

“I said ‘When PopPop gets his bike, I’ll take you on a motorcycle ride,’” Gebhard recalled. “She loved that. But that ain’t gonna happen now.”

Skyler Kauffman went missing from the Souderton apartment complex where she lived with her mother Monday. She was found by investigators who had issued an Amber Alert for the 9-year-old, in a Dumpster hours after their search began. James Lee Troutman, 24, who lived in the same apartment complex as Skyler and her mother, has been charged with raping and murdering Skyler.

Gebhard, his brother, sister-in-law and mother described how their family learned of Skyler’s disappearance and eventually her murder initially through media reports, and prayed from a distance that Skyler would be OK.

“My daughter’s the one who called us and told us that they put an Amber Alert out for “ Skyler, said Jim Gebhard, Skyler’s great-uncle. “When we got the call they canceled (the Amber Alert) we were hoping and praying to God that they found her. But we got a phone call at 3 o’clock in the morning saying that she was dead.”

Steven Gebhard said he called his daughter after hearing Skyler had been found dead, and “that’s when she verified that my granddaughter was dead.”

“I thought maybe she was just over at her friend’s house and Heather couldn’t find her,” Steven Gebhard said, explaining what was going through is mind when he first heard his granddaughter was lost. “But when you issue an Amber Alert, it means that somebody took her, kidnapped her. I would have never imagined she was dead.”

“You wouldn’t think it would be a murder,” Gebhard continued. “I never thought this would happen to me.”

Gebhard said the family is going to try their best to get through Skyler’s viewing and funeral services scheduled for Sunday and Monday in Souderton, but he knows that won’t be easy.

Compounding the grief of losing his only granddaughter, Gebhard said, is not having answers from investigators about what happened and why action was not taken against Skyler’s alleged killer after an incident in April where the police were called.

According to published reports, Skyler’s mother called police April 18 after Skyler informed her Troutman, locked Skyler and a friend of the girl in his apartment.

Gebhard said something should have been done.

“Why wasn’t something done to him?” Gebhard said. He explained that Skyler did the right thing back in April by telling her mother of the incident allegedly involving Troutman, and Skyler’s mom did the right thing by calling police. Gebhard said the police should have done more.

Gebhard said other people should learn from what happened to Skyler to trust their instincts and not take no for an answer when something doesn’t feel right.

“Stay very close to your kids and make sure you check your neighbors,” he said. “If you have any suspicion of strange things going on in your neighborhood or anything, you’ve got to jump on it. Don’t hesitate to check it out. Call the police have them check it out. It could be nothing or it could be something really big."

That’s why we can't understand how (Troutman) wasn’t checked.

He said he wants to see justice for his granddaughter and his daughter who is grieving the death of Skyler. He wants Troutman, who he said came in and ate dinner after killing his granddaughter, to be convicted of the charges against him and get the death penalty.

“Skyler should still be alive,” he said.

Gebhard’s brother Jim said “You see this on the news all the time and you feel for the victim’s parents.

“You don’t think it will happen to you until it does,” he added. “A 9-year-old innocent child, her life was just starting, and now my brother doesn’t have his only grandchild.”

Steven Gebhard said he appreciates all the support from those in the community who have reached out to his family, especially to a motorcycle group that has offered their support.

Another person who has offered support is a friend of the family who has organized a yard sale in the 1000 block of South Street in Pottstown from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Sunday.

Anyone who has some items they could donate to be sold at the yard sale, as well as anyone who wishes to donate baked goods to be sold during the sale may do so. Money raised from the sale of those items, as well as any donations collected will help pay for Skyler’s funeral expenses, her family said.

TELFORD, Pa. - May 15, 2011 (WPVI) --
Family members and friends came out to show their love during a viewing
for the 9-year-old girl who was murdered last week in Souderton, Pa.

Pictures from the Skyler Kauffman case View all 33 photos

"It's horrible for the family, for everybody. It's just a horrible
thing to even think about," family friend Lana Goldstein said.
They came to comfort the family and say goodbye to Skyler, a vibrant
young girl taken from them too soon. "There's nothing you can do for them,
you wish there was something
you could to do to make their situation better, you would do anything to
bring her back, but you can't. So the best thing you can do is to come
and show you care," family friend Jen Kilgore said. "She was
just a happy, great, fun loving, little girl. She used to come to
Lutheran Community and visit her great-grandma, with the biggest smile
and her grandma would smile and it would just lighten up the day," Lana
said. Skyler was killed Monday in the basement of her apartment complex.
Montgomery County investigators say her neighbor, James Troutman,
brutally raped her, pounded her head against the pavement and strangled
her. He then dumped her body in a trash bin. Troutman faces kidnapping, rape,
and murder charges. "What a sweet, cute, little girl she was, I can't imagine something
so awful happening. It's bad enough to lose a child, but to lose a child
that way, I couldn't imagine anything worst," Jen said.
Loves ones and neighbors believe the tragedy could have been prevented.
Three weeks before the murder, Skyler and another girl used Troutman's
bathroom. The girls say he locked them in the apartment and asked if
they wanted to see his "bird." The District Attorney says
officers investigated, but there was not enough evidence of a crime.
Troutman is reportedly known to build birdcages and feed birds at the
complex. Today, however, was about the little girl who left a
big impact on her friends and family. It was about a grieving community
saying goodbye to the 9-year-old. A funeral for Skyler Kauffman is set for Monday at 11:00 a.m.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8132267

Hoping to bring something good to a community torn by the tragic murder
of Skyler Kauffman, a group of area residents would like to build a
playground, possibly across from the old high school building.

Stephanie
Haas of Harleysville, the parent of two daughters ages 8 and 7, said
the group met for about six hours on Saturday, talking about that they
could do.

“We were inspired by Skyler,” Haas said. “We want to do
something for the community. A playground will bring people together.
It’s a broken community right now.”

They settled on the idea of building a playground that would be dedicated to child safety and child abuse awareness.

They’ve
already contacted an Ithaca, N.Y., company that designs community
playgrounds, Leather & Associates, which designed a playground with a
castle theme in Doylestown.

The group wants to build something special, “not just a couple of swings and a slide,” Haas said.

They call their effort “Project Safe Playground.”

Shane
Landry of Souderton, another member of the group, said they hope to
find a sponsor, either an area company like Home Depot or Lowe’s, or
perhaps approach Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer’s foundation
for help, and also solicit smaller donations.

“It’s something we
thought would be a good idea,” said Landry, who has no children of his
own but lives about 75 to 100 years from where the murder occurred.

“It’s
pretty sad,” Landry said. “I have a couple of friends whose kids go to
that school (E.M. Crouthamel Elementary). I went there myself. I’ve
lived here for 30 years. Nothing like this has happened.”

Landry said he hopes a new playground will bring the community together.

In
addition to raising money for the design and equipment, the group will
also need to find and buy land “at a decent price,” he said.

“There’s tons of kids in that area (Souderton),” Haas said.

Before they design playgrounds Leather & Associates interviews kids
to find out what elements they would like to have in the playground. The
company also builds playgrounds that are accessible for disabled
children, she said.

Katie Tillman, a Hatfield mother, is also helping with Project Safe Playground.

“It
hit close to home,” she said, about the murder. “The idea of having a
safe place built... These things can happen anywhere. It’s a really big
thing that can happen in a small town where nothing ever happens.

“With something bad comes something good,” Tillman said. “It’s just a sad, sad thing.”

She also likes the idea that children can be involved in it and be a part of the planning.

“We’re
trying to make the best of an awful situation,” Tillman said. “We’re
trying to do something for everybody in the community.”

Meanwhile,
Brian Goshow, president of Souderton Borough Council, responded to
Haas’ request concerning the playground and put the item on the borough
council public works session agenda for June 13.

To help, send an e-mail to projectsafeplayground@gmail.com

http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2011/05/16/souderton_independent/news/doc4dd18687d4bc1852356008.txt?viewmode=2

James Lee Troutman is pleading not guilty to charges he
kidnapped, raped and murdered 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman in the
Souderton Gardens Apartment complex on May 9.

Troutman's attorney, Craig Penglase, entered the not guilty plea
during a formal arraignment in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court
before Judge William Carpenter. The District Attorney's Office
filed formal notice that they will seek the death penalty in the case.

District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman cited three aggravating
factors that empower prosecutors to seek Troutman's death:
Kauffman's age, that other felonies were committed along with the
murder and the elimination of a witness to a crime.
Troutman is charged with first and second degree murder,
kidnapping to facilitate a felony, kidnapping to inflict terror,
rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated
indecent assault of a child, unlawful restraint, false
imprisonment, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
As prosecutors read aloud the charge of rape of a child causing
serious bodily injury, Skyler's father, Eric Kauffman began sobbing
uncontrollably and his own father embraced him as they sat two rows
back in the courtroom gallery. Later, as Troutman was escorted out
of the courtroom by a half-dozen deputies, an unidentified man both
embraced and restrained Eric Kauffman, saying, "You're a better man
than that."Skyler's mother was also in the courtroom with her family.
Heather Gebhard and grandmother had frantically searched the
apartment complex when she didn't come home for dinner on May 9
after spending the evening playing in the courtyard. Police joined
the search and Skyler's body was found hours later in a dumpster at
the rear of the apartment complex.According to court records, Troutman took Skyler into the
basement of the apartment complex and raped her. Then he choked her
and beat her head on the cement floor until she was dead, police
said. He was arrested that night after a detective spotted him
walking in the apartment building with blood on his sneakers.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/troutman-pleads-not-guilty-to-killing-year-old-skyler-kauffman/article_6b4def6e-f8bb-5f59-9935-5213089c99f7.html

Troutman pleads not guilty to killing 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman

WPVI-TV 6 Action News

James Troutman is escorted to a courtroom in the Montgomery
County courthouse for an arraignment Wednesday morning. photo
courtesy of WPVI-TV 6 Action



FILE PHOTO - James Lee Troutman, 24, of Souderton, is charged in
the kidnapping, rape and murder of 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman on May 9.
Updated: 6:16 am, Thu Jul 21, 2011.
By Matt Coughlin
Staff Writer

James Lee Troutman is pleading not guilty to charges he kidnapped, raped and murdered 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman in the
Souderton Gardens Apartments complex on May 9.

Troutman’s attorney, Craig Penglase, entered the not guilty plea during an arraignment in Montgomery County Court before JudgeWilliam Carpenter. The district attorney’s office filed formal notice that it will seek the death penalty in the case, something District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman initially said nearly two months ago.

Troutman, 24, is charged with first- and second-degree murder, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, kidnapping to inflict terror,
rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault of a child, unlawful restraint, false
imprisonment, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

Carpenter scheduled a pretrial conference with the attorneys in the case for Oct. 28, scheduled the trial to begin Jan. 9, 2012, and remanded Troutman to prison without bail.

Yet while Wednesday’s court proceedings were largely a formality, the pain from the horrific loss of a daughter was still
felt in the courtroom.

As prosecutors read aloud the charge of rape of a child causing serious bodily injury, Skyler’s father, Eric Kauffman, began
sobbing uncontrollably and his own father embraced him as they sat two rows back in the courtroom gallery. Later, as Troutman was escorted out of the courtroom by a half-dozen deputies, Eric Kauffman’s father and an unidentified man both embraced and restrained Eric Kauffman. The other man could be seen saying, “You’re a better man than that.”

Penglase said at this point his client plans to go to trial. He reiterated that mental health is an important aspect of the case,
but declined to discuss the defense’s plans specifically. Troutman has been diagnosed as suffering from Asperger’s syndrome since elementary school.

His client understands the charges and knows his life is in on the line. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Troutman would be sentenced to life in prison or death, according to state law.

Penglase said o nths of his life have been. Troutman has been in county prison without bail since his arrest May 10. Prison officials have made special accommodations for Troutman, lining his cell with acrylic glass to keep other
prisoners from urinating and spitting on him repeatedly, Penglase said.

After the arraignment, Ferman cited three aggravating factors that empower prosecutors to seek Troutman’s death: Kauffman’s age, other felonies that were committed along with the murder and the elimination of a witness to a crime.

Penglase said Ferman’s first two aggravating factors are obvious if his client is found guilty of killing and raping a child. However, he said, through the discovery process he’s seen no evidence of rape, noting that Skyler was sadistically injured with an unknown object, but not necessarily raped.

And Penglase said the third factor, the killing of a witness, does not apply. He said that factor is designed to cover cases
where a killer is getting rid of a witness to a different crime, not the murder.

Troutman is accused of taking Skyler from the apartment complex courtyard to a basement below his apartment, according to court records. There, police said, he raped the third-grader. Then he choked her and slammed her head against the basement concrete before wrapping her lifeless body up in a comforter and dropping her in a trash bin, according to court records. For six hours, police, firefighters, Skyler’s family and neighbors searched for the little girl. Police found a pool of blood and one of Skyler’s clogs in the basement below Troutman’s apartment and shortly before midnight they found her body.

Troutman was taken for questioning that night when an alert county detective spotted blood on Troutman’s sneaker and began asking questions. By the next afternoon he was charged with Skyler’s murder.

If Troutman is found guilty, the jury will have to decide if the prosecution is able to prove the aggravating circumstances that warrant the death penalty, while Penglase will attempt to show mitigating factors which would disqualify his client from
execution. Mental health could be an issue then as well.

Aspergers makes normal social interaction difficult, P lase said. Penglase said Troutman’s family has been proactive in getting him help. Troutman has been in treatment since he was 5 years old and was diagnosed with a handful of different issues until being diagnosed with Asperger’s a few years later. He attended school in the North Penn and Souderton Area school districts where he took special education courses. A special education classmate, who asked
not to be identified, said he was “very nice,” and “very smart.”

At the time of Skyler’s death, allegations — fueled by police reports — arose that he should have been arrested weeks earlier after an incident where he allegedly locked Skyler and another girl in his bathroom and asked if they wanted to see his “bird.” But officials with knowledge of that earlier incident said the girls had locked themselves in the bathroom and that Troutman could have had a bird in one of the many cages he made. He was also known to feed the birds in an area at the rear of the apartment complex.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/troutman-pleads-not-guilty-to-killing-year-old-skyler-kauffman/article_6b4def6e-f8bb-5f59-9935-5213089c99f7.html

DA: Pa. man was angry at girl, 9, before murder

Associated Press | Posted: Friday, October 7, 2011 5:54 am

Prosecutors say a suburban Philadelphia man accused of killing his 9-year-old neighbor had been angry at the girl and said he wanted to "snap" her neck.
Twenty-four-year-old Souderton resident James Lee Troutman is charged with first-degree murder in the May 9 death of Skyler Rae Kauffman. Authorities say she was choked and beaten to death.
Prosecutors say in court papers filed Thursday that Troutman believed Kauffman had gotten him in trouble in connection with an incident at his apartment the month before. Court papers allege Troutman told a friend he was angry at Kauffman and wanted to "snap" her neck.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman wants the alleged statement allowed as trial evidence.
Defense attorney William Craig Penglase says mental health will be an issue in the case.


Read more: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/national/article_e362c6f1-d555-5acb-b966-fdf8b0afdbe3.html#ixzz1a6ph0tqX

Prosecutors in Montgomery County are asking a judge to allow jurors to
view crime scene photographs during the trial of a man accused of
killing his 9-year-old neighbor last spring.
Twenty-four-year-old James Lee Troutman of Souderton is charged
with first-degree murder in Montgomery County in the May 9 death of
Skyler Rae Kauffman.
The (Pottstown) Mercury says prosecutors said in papers filed Thursday that jurors should not be
"unduly insulated" from a full understanding of the crime.
Defense lawyer William Craig Penglase will be able to challenge the request in a hearing before trial begins in January.
Prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty, citing other
offenses committed, the child's age and their contention that she was killed to prevent her from testifying.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=8384183

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Trial-Begins-for-Alleged-Child-Murderer--136927583.html

The trial is set to begin on Monday for a man accused of murdering a 9-year-old girl back in May 2011.

Police say that 24-year-old James Troutman raped, beat and killed his neighbor Skyler Kauffman in the basement of their Souderton apartment building on May 9.

Kauffman’s body was found only a few hours after she was reported missing in the dumpster of the apartment building. Police say they followed a trail of bloody clothes.

While interviewing Troutman, police noticed blood on his sneaker. Later, he admitted to killing the third grader, wrapping her in a blanket and tossing her in a dumpster, according to court papers.

Prosecutors claimed in court papers filed last October that Troutman believed Kauffman had gotten him in trouble in connection with an incident at his apartment a month before her death. Court papers allege Troutman told a friend he was angry at Kauffman and wanted to "snap" her neck.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case. Troutman pleaded not guilty back on July 20.

Troutman told police: "I'm a monster"




Skyler Kauffman of Souderton




FILE PHOTO - James Lee Troutman, 24, of Souderton, is charged in
the kidnapping, rape and murder of 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman on
May 9.


Posted: Monday, January 9, 2012 1:00 pm

Updated: 2:35 pm, Mon Jan 9, 2012.

By Margaret Gibbons
Staff writer

"I'm a monster. I'm a monster."

Those are the words that James Lee Troutman, with tears streaming down his face, repeatedly used in statements he gave to police in admitting to the murder and sexual assault of 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman in Souderton last May, according to the testimony of Montgomery County Homicide Det. Christopher Kuklentz.

Kuklentz read those statements in court Monday morning during a pretrial hearing on a defense motion to suppress Troutman's statements at the time of his trial.

Troutman, 25, formerly of the Souderton Gardens apartment complex, is charged with first and second degree murder, kidnapping and related offense for in the May 9 sexual assault and killing of Kauffman, who also lived at the complex.

Troutman, who has been held without bail since his arrest on May 10, allegedly wrapped the girl's lifeless body in a comforter and dumped it a nearby outside trash bin at the complex.

The county coroner listed Kauffman's death as asphyxia and multiple blunt injuries to the head.

District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, who is personally
prosecuting the case, has said she will seek the death penalty for Troutman if he is convicted of first degree murder.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/crime/cops_intell/troutman-told-police-i-m-a-monster/article_b912f979-1a49-53aa-a484-02597fc6043c.html

Defense lawyer wants judge to prevent use of Troutman’s personal documents as evidence

Posted: 01/09/12 05:36 pm

NORRISTOWN — A Halloween search of the jail cell of an accused Souderton
child killer was scrutinized in court Monday as the man’s lawyers
implied prosecutors unfairly obtained the accused’s confidential
handwritten notes.

“I’ve never see it before. I certainly didn’t expect it,” defense
lawyer William Craig Penglase testified, implying it was the first time
in his career that he encountered an incidence of prosecutors being able
to read what he believed were private, or privileged, communications
between he and a client.

Penglase, who represents James Lee Troutman, the 25-year-old Souderton
man accused of the alleged rape and murder of 9-year-old Skylar
Kauffman, wants a judge to prevent prosecutors from using as trial
evidence any documents seized by authorities from Troutman’s jail cell
on Oct. 31. Penglase, under questioning by co-defense lawyer John
McMahon Jr., implied Troutman’s notes were written for Penglase during
trial preparation periods. The notes, Penglase implied, addressed issues
involving Troutman’s potential defense theories, mitigation
information, trial strategies and DNA and other forensic evidence in the
case.
“These are all strategies that we either have to employ or not employ
based on the evidence that’s available,” Penglase claimed, suggesting
many of the notes are protected by attorney-client privilege. “The fact
they have that…it’s terrifying.”

The disclosure of Troutman’s handwritten notes “is grossly
prejudicial” to Troutman’s ability to aid in his own defense, gives
prosecutors direct knowledge of defense strategies and an unfair
advantage heading into trial, Penglase implied in court papers.

Penglase testified that when he initially had a difficult time
communicating with Troutman, he developed “a methodology” whereby he
asked Troutman to put his thoughts in written form so that they could
discuss them at future meetings

When the notes were seized by authorities during a search of Troutman’s
cell, Penglase claimed Troutman became distrustful and he had to rebuild
a working relationship with Troutman.


However, Deputy District Attorney Thomas W. McGoldrick implied the
documents were not considered attorney-client privilege because much of
what was contained in Troutman’s writings had been revealed to third
parties by Troutman and couldn’t be considered confidential

County Detective Christopher Kuklentz testified that when he reviewed
the documents seized from Troutman’s cell he disregarded any material
that could potentially be protected by attorney-client privilege

“I was cognizant of it and did my best to separate it,” Kuklentz said.


http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120109/NEWS01/120109599

UPDATED: James Lee Troutman’s alleged confession will be heard at murder trial

COURTHOUSE – A Souderton man’s alleged confession to sexually assaulting and killing a 9-year-old neighbor girl will be heard by a jury when his trial begins later this year, a judge has ruled.

“There was no improper police conduct here. The defendant’s Constitutional rights were not violated,” Montgomery County Judge William R. Carpenter said Tuesday, ruling that alleged statements given to detectives by accused child killer James Lee Troutman are admissible trial evidence. “All the statements were voluntary and not the product of coercion or delay.”
Troutman, 25, wearing a blue prison jumpsuit, did not react to the judge’s ruling, handed down after a pretrial hearing at which Troutman and his lawyer sought to prevent a jury from ever hearing his alleged incriminating statements.

The judge, who still must rule on other pretrial issues, has not yet set a trial date for Troutman, who is charged with first- and second-degree murder, rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment and abuse of a corpse in connection with the May 9, 2011, rape and killing of Skyler Rae Kauffman.

Troutman and Kauffman were neighbors at the Souderton Garden Apartments on East Chestnut Street.
District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, who is being assisted by Deputy District Attorney Thomas McGoldrick, and defense lawyer William Craig Penglase could not comment about the judge’s ruling as they are prohibited by a gag order imposed by the judge in the high-profile case.
But in court on Tuesday, McGoldrick characterized the crime as a “brutal” sexual assault and murder of a little girl. McGoldrick revealed authorities found Kauffman’s blood “all over” clothing worn by Troutman.
“That’s essentially the case. He crushed her skull and strangled her,” McGoldrick said in court, revealing Kauffman died of blunt force trauma and asphyxia and was sexually assaulted before Troutman allegedly hid her body in a trash Dumpster at the apartment complex.
Ferman argued Troutman’s confession was obtained “within the bounds of the law” and that the statements, allegedly given during five interrogation sessions from 12:01 a.m. to 1:26 p.m. on May 10, were admissible prosecutorial trial evidence. Prosecutors said Troutman was very talkative and that at no time was he coerced or threatened to talk to investigators.
Detectives never displayed their weapons and Troutman never asked for the assistance of a lawyer while being questioned, according to testimony.

Troutman’s alleged confession was revealed Monday during testimony by county Detective Christopher John Kuklentz.
“He repeatedly said, ‘I’m a monster.’ He continued to ask us to shoot him so he would not go to jail,” Kuklentz testified, recalling the chilling words uttered by Troutman.
It was during a 22 minute portion of the interrogation, between 2:48 and 3:10 a.m., when Troutman was questioned about blood on his sneakers, that Troutman’s “eyes welled with tears” and he raised his hands with a choking gesture, Kuklentz testified.
“He demonstrated the choke. He had tears running down his cheeks. He said, ‘I’m a monster,’” Kuklentz recalled.
With the alleged confession in hand, detectives subsequently administered Troutman his rights and took him into custody at that point, testimony revealed.
A short time later, Troutman was asked what he did with Kauffman’s pants.
“I pulled them off of her and put them around her neck. I tied them around her neck,” Troutman said, according to testimony.
Troutman, according to testimony, allegedly told detectives he initially encountered Kauffman in the complex about 5 p.m. May 9 and that he convinced her to go to a basement area of the building where he lived, under the guise he wanted to show her something.
Troutman allegedly went on to tell detectives, “I snapped.”
“It happened so fast. It feels like a blur,” Troutman allegedly stated, according to testimony.

Testimony revealed that when detectives asked Troutman about a large amount of blood discovered in the basement of the building where Troutman resided he allegedly replied, “Her head hitting the floor a couple times, at least.”
Troutman, through Penglase, implied his Constitutional rights against self-incrimination and to the assistance of counsel were violated during the interrogation, which took place over the course of about 13 hours.
“It’s too long a period of time under any circumstances,” Penglase argued to the judge. “I think that goes beyond all grounds of decency. Clearly, he was in a stressed state of mind. He was fatigued.”
Penglase, of Doylestown, previously hinting at potential defense strategies, said, “mental health will be an issue in this case.” Penglase previously said Troutman reported suffering from autism or Asperger’s syndrome.
But Kuklentz testified on Monday that a review of Troutman’s medical records showed no reference that he was ever treated or diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
Kauffman, authorities alleged, went missing while she was playing in the courtyard of the apartment complex where Troutman also lived around dinnertime on May 9. Minutes before midnight Souderton police found Kauffman’s body wrapped in a comforter under bags of trash in a Dumpster behind the apartments.Follow Carl Hessler Jr. on Twitter @MontcoCourtNews


http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120110/NEWS01/120119969/-1/NEWS&pager=1