ADJI DESIR - 6 yo (2009) - Collier County, FL

Authorities and volunteers are conducting a heart-breaking search in Immokalee, Florida for 6-year-old Adji Desir. The special needs child was last seen around 5:15 p.m. on January 11, 2009, at his grandmother's residence in Farm Workers Village. According to the Collier County (FL) Sheriff, Adji may have gone outside to play and then vanished.

A billboard is about to go up in Immokalee with Adji's likeness and description on it, and authorities and volunteers have been searching for the little boy steadily since Saturday. At the moment police believe Adji wandered off and got lost. But they can't completely rule out an abduction.

Compounding the situation is the fact that Adji is disabled, and reportedly has a very limited vocabulary.

I normally am loathe to inject a personal note into any posts here, but I read about Adji's disappearance and it hit me that there is very little difference between Adji and my own autistic 5-year-old son. My son may have more than 5 words, but he is still just barely verbal and has been known to wander off in the past, though that has improved. The idea of a child with such limited abilities being lost is absolutely terrifying. The thought that he may have been abducted is a nightmare.

If you think you have information that might help in the search for Adji Desir, call 1-800-CRIME-TV or get in touch with the Collier County Sheriff's Office. [AMW]

http://www.truecrimereport.com/2009/01/where_is_adji_desir.php

The following is a timeline of the events over the past several days in the search for Adji Desir in Immokalee. (From January 15th, 2009)

Saturday

• 5 p.m. — Family members realize 6-year-old Adji Desir is missing from his grandmother’s Farm Worker Village home at 814 Grace St., Immokalee. Adji was wearing blue shorts and a blue T-shirt with yellow stripes when he disappeared.

• 7 p.m. — Family members call Collier County Sheriff’s Office after a 2-hour search.

• 7:42 p.m. — Deputies respond, begin searching Farm Worker Village and surrounding woods with bloodhounds, ATVs, on horseback, and in a helicopter. The first neighborhood canvass is conducted.

Sunday

• 8 a.m. — Command post implemented in Farm Worker Village. Lt. Thomas B. Smith named incident commander. More than 150 officers conduct ground search within a quarter mile of Farm Worker Village.

• 4 p.m. — Adji’s mother, grandmother and stepfather speak to media.

• 6 p.m. — Search reined in for the night. Sheriff’s Office’s helicopter continues search using infrared technology.

Monday

• 8 a.m. — Search expanded to 4-square mile perimeter, assisted by hundreds of law enforcement officers from across South Florida.

• 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. — Community volunteers begin canvassing Immokalee, handing out fliers with Adji’s photo, which are printed in English, Spanish and Creole.

• 6 p.m. — Search again reined in for the night. Seminole Police helicopter continues search from the sky.

• 8:45 p.m. — Case makes national news when Lt. Smith appears on Nancy Grace program on CNN Headline News.

Tuesday

• 8 a.m. — Search perimeter expands to 12 miles.

• 10 a.m. - Noon — Community volunteers again called out to pass out fliers door-to-door.

• 3 p.m. — Collier County Sheriff’s Office clears family members as suspects in Adji’s disappearance, including his biological father, who remains in Haiti.

• 8:45 p.m. — Smith appears again on CNN, says investigation is pointing more towards “someone being responsible for removing (Adji) from the village.”

Wednesday

• 8 a.m. — Search perimeter remains at 12 miles. Investigators conduct a comprehensive neighborhood canvass, contacting every resident in Farm Worker Village.

• 2 p.m. — Collier Sheriff Kevin Rambosk addresses media, presenting an overview of steps taken to date.

• 4 p.m. — Investigators begin combing through all the garbage collected over the week in Immokalee.

• 5 p.m. — Local businessman Del Ackerman offers $3,000 reward for Adji’s safe return, in addition to $2,500 offered by Collier County Housing Authority and $1,000 offered by Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.

___

Anyone with information about Adji is asked to call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 793-9300.

(Originally posted by Beach Potato, Feb. 13th, 2009 on the daily thread)


This just made me cry...
George and KFN were at the aid of Hayleigh Cummings family in a matter of hours after discovering the poor child missing.

Within the same distance, just south of Orlando a young child by the name of Adji Desir vanished nearly a month ago. Adji's family are not at all wealthy, they are of Hatian decent, and did I mention that Adji is mentally disabled? Even after National attention has been given to this poor child not so much as a phone call from KFN or an Anthony.

I am outraged! KFN collects donations under the false pretense that they are to help ALL children, to me it looks as if they only help the children who are going to bring them the most funds in return, and if you really want to get technical, as I did, I am playing the race card.

I have notified Kathi Belich, the main reporter in Orlando on the Caylee case, and have been working most of the evening to get in touch with someone in the Jesse Jackson camp.
I am not a happy camper about this. EVERY CHILD derserves to be found!

Myself and my family spent nearly a week with Adji's family. They are the polar opposites of the Anthony's, that family was so very helpfull, gratefull, and helped as best as they could to search for Adji within the search areas. (Even his elderly Grandmother who is disabled)

They were the first to mention that they did not have money to pay for a huge search, but that did not stop them. The family was out passing water to searchers and volunteers as well as homemade food. It was what they could do.
It breaks my heart to think that in the eyes of a foundation supposedly based on charity from the American public in efforts to search for any missing child, that they would so blatantly neglect Adji and his family.

Why hasnt LP posted any rewards on this missing child? Where is KFN? Why isnt George Anthony over in Amokalee? So many questions, so little answers. This child has been missing for 4 weeks and 3 days now. Why are people gathering up there?

.........and it truly pains me to say this, but why is this not front page news?
Why is it that we only (who is "we".....) seem to follow cases of little white children going missing? Or lovely, pretty white girls who go on vacation and disappear, or disappear from their apartments.
I'm fairly certain that people of all races go missing every day, and it is hardly, if ever, reported in the mass media.
People talk about the "liberal media" - well, the liberal media fails us time and again, not only politically, but in this instance by picking and choosing the stories we are allowed to hear.
This is a terrible, tragic story that I have only heard about HERE for the first time TODAY, and I live in Florida.

Vixen, I agree, This little boy needs to be in the spotlight. He has been missing for so long now and no leads. It is just so sad that some missing kids don't get the attention that some others do..

tears4caylee wrote:Why hasnt LP posted any rewards on this missing child? Where is KFN? Why isnt George Anthony over in Amokalee? So many questions, so little answers. This child has been missing for 4 weeks and 3 days now. Why are people gathering up there?

I agree... this makes me angry! Someone ought to contact LP and get him going on this as well. I get the feeling that he might not be aware of Adji's disappearance and will be happy to help. If not, he may find himself getting some really bad publicity the likes of which he's never seen before.

That poor family. This is just not right. It's been over a month now and still no leads.

This case was on NG twice and other news conferences were televised. The media nor LE are not to blame for the subsequent low media profile of this tragedy. It is the public who were clearly not interested so the media drop it and that is a sad indictment of our society today. I bet NG got no calls from "Sheba" etc and no emails from anyone and nobody started a blog about this little child. We have to look at ourselves for answers about why.

mamabear wrote:

tears4caylee wrote:Why hasnt LP posted any rewards on this missing child? Where is KFN? Why isnt George Anthony over in Amokalee? So many questions, so little answers. This child has been missing for 4 weeks and 3 days now. Why are people gathering up there?

I agree... this makes me angry! Someone ought to contact LP and get him going on this as well. I get the feeling that he might not be aware of Adji's disappearance and will be happy to help. If not, he may find himself getting some really bad publicity the likes of which he's never seen before.

LP knows, because NG had it on her show and LP was there...I just dont get it.

kiwimom wrote:This case was on NG twice and other news conferences were televised. The media nor LE are not to blame for the subsequent low media profile of this tragedy. It is the public who were clearly not interested so the media drop it and that is a sad indictment of our society today. I bet NG got no calls from "Sheba" etc and no emails from anyone and nobody started a blog about this little child. We have to look at ourselves for answers about why.

But I would very respectfully disagree. I don't get cable TV - just plain old antenna TV, and have not heard this story. I listen to the news (network and local) three times a day, read a daily newspaper, and really don't consider myself uninformed. The media decides which stories to put out there, but maybe it is the collective "us/we" who decides if it is deemed important.

tears4caylee wrote:

mamabear wrote:

tears4caylee wrote:Why hasnt LP posted any rewards on this missing child? Where is KFN? Why isnt George Anthony over in Amokalee? So many questions, so little answers. This child has been missing for 4 weeks and 3 days now. Why are people gathering up there?

I agree... this makes me angry! Someone ought to contact LP and get him going on this as well. I get the feeling that he might not be aware of Adji's disappearance and will be happy to help. If not, he may find himself getting some really bad publicity the likes of which he's never seen before.

LP knows, because NG had it on her show and LP was there...I just dont get it.

Now THAT'S just sad... it proves my worst fears about LP... and I really liked him there for awhile. GET YER TORCH AND PITCHFORKS!

This breaks my heart. That family needs and deserves any resources and help they need, I am in tears reading this post. I hope that LP will try to help them, somebody needs to help in the search for this precious little boy.

What about the Texas EquuSearch Orlando chapter... Have they been involved in this search?
I would assume so...has anyone heard?
I see on their site that they've joined in the search for Dominick Arceneaux.

I have not seen anything on the news that TES is involved at all in this search. Just the locals.

Search for Adji continues




Submitted by Jasmine on 9 February, 2009 - 10:49.





"The
Collier Sheriff's Office has received 250 tips leading us in a variety
of directions - some to people, some to vehicles, some to locations,"
said Lieutenant Tom Smith with the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

But a month later, he says none of those were very solid. But 30 leads are still under investigation.

"We have a full-time task force at the Immokalee sub-station. We have six investigators," said Smith.

The team continues to work two possibilities on what may have happened - a mysterious disappearance, or a mysterious abduction.

Continues

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29066965/

• reply
  

A month later, missing Immokalee 6-year-old not forgotten




Submitted by Jasmine on 10 February, 2009 - 17:12.





But
as time passes by, Collier County Housing Authority executive director
Esmeralda Serrata said she fears people might forget about Adji Desir.
“That’s been my concern,” she said. “This child is still missing. There is still hope that he is out there.”
The disappearance of 6-year-old Adji from his grandmother’s Farm
Worker Village home in Immokalee on Jan. 10 shook the small community.
And although the ground search was called off, authorities continue to investigate.
Continues
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/feb/09/month-later-missing-immokalee...

I haven't been able to find much news on this precious child. I've emailed NG asking her to speak just as loudly for Adji as she does for Caylee and Haleigh. :( :(

I've emailed TES, NG and this reporter:
RENEE STOLL, REPORTER
rstoll@fox4now.com
asking them to do more for this precious child! They need to speak loudly for him too!

Also send an email to the Naples News: mjspartz@naplesnews.com

I received an email from TES confirming what I had suspected, TES was not called to search by either the family or LE. If we want this child's story and picture out there, we need to keep pushing media to tell it, IMO. We've been able to assist Caylee, maybe we can assist in getting Adji's story and picture out there too :( :( :(

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=26260&z=3

Let's hope this gets more information on this precious child!

Search for Adji: Six weeks later


By WINK News



Story Created: Feb 19, 2009 at 5:32 PM EST
Story Updated: Feb 19, 2009 at 7:19 PM EST
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, Fla.- The Collier County Sheriff's Office says a film crew from "America's Most Wanted " will be in Immokalee Friday morning to focus on the search for missing six-year-old Adji Desir.

He vanished from the Immokalee Farmworkers Village about six weeks ago while playing outside with other children.

Investigators working his case have not given up hope. Every day there are at least four Collier County investigators focusing only on the search, but they've almost exhausted every lead.

Once again, they are asking tipsters to come forward.

"For a little kid playing out front, that's not an unusual thing, but for a little kid to all the sudden disappear and no body sees anything...I don't buy that for a minute," said Trish Routte, with Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.

Lt. Tom Smith with the Collier County Sheriff's Office tells WINK News they are currently interviewing every sex offender and predator in Collier, Lee, Hendry and Glades counties. That alone is about 1,000 interviews.

The investigation is still focusing on two theories: whether Adji simply walked off or was abducted. Ground search efforts have resulted in no clues, however investigators have not been able to exhaust the abduction theory.

Crime Stoppers of Southwest Florida is reminding people, there is still a $33,500 reward for information leading to Adji. (emphasis added by me)

"I think there's a very high likelihood that the people who did see something or did see something suspicious, maybe they're afraid to come forward because they're not here legally. Honestly in this case, we don't care if the tipster is here legally or not. We don't care who they are, we just care about what they know," explained Routte.

Tips are anonymous and no matter who it is, the tipster with the information leading investigators to Adji will get the money. All they have to do is call Crime Stopper at 1-800-780-TIPS.

The "America's Most Wanted" episode featuring Adji is expected to air next Saturday night.

Adji was last seen on Saturday, January 10th at 5:30pm. He is three feet tall, weighing 45 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt with thin yellow stripes, blue shorts with flamingos going down the sides, and black and grey sneakers. He is developmentally delayed.

http://www.winknews.com/news/local/39871642.html

Oh, I pray this child is found. This is just so heartbreaking. Someone somewhere had to see something surely.

I sent an email to the Napels newspaper as follows:

To: Spartz, Mary Jo
Subject: Re ADJIR DESIR

I would like to make a request. I have been following the cases of Caylee anthony, Adjir Desir, Haleigh Cummings and all the other missing children in Florida . I am very upset that Adjir's name has not been put out there, just like all the other children especially Caylee and Haleigh. Why is there so much discrimination in this world that a Black child is not acknowledged as much as a white child. This little boy needs to be looked for and found no matter what the circumstances, Just like Haleigh. I see that Haleigh's family is out there everyday on television talking and Adjir's family is not. Leonard Padilla right away went to Haleigh's town and not one mention of him going to Adjir's town. This truly upsets me. PLEASE LET US NOT FORGET THAT ADJIR DESIR IS ALSO MISSING. EVEN NANCY GRACE HAS FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS CHILD...VERY UPSETTING. PLEASE DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO PUT HIS NAME ON EVERY TV STATION AND EVERY NEWSPAPER. THANK YOU. A CONCERNED CITIZEN

And the editor sent me one back as follows


Cc:


"Spartz, Mary Jo"

Thank you for your comments and thoughts.
We would like to share them with our readers through our Letters to Editor
column. Would that be OK?





Sincerely,





PHIL LEWIS


EditoR





AND OF COURSE I SAID YES THEY CAN SHARE MY EMAIL...

Good on you Tears4! :bom:

kiwimom wrote:Good on you Tears4! :bom:

Tks Kiwi, I just dont understand it. They said they will print my letter in the Naples News.