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

The Clay County Sheriff's Office says they are searching for a missing seven-year-old girl in the Grove Park neighborhood of Orange Park.

The child's mother notified police around 6:30 p.m. that her daughter, Summer Renee Thompson, had not returned home from school.

Thompson is a second-grader at Grove Park Elementary. Police say she is a white female, 3 feet 5 inches tall and about 65 pounds. She has brown hair and was last seen wearing a cranberry colored jumpsuit with pink striped sleeves.

She was last seen at 2:45 p.m. walking home from school near West Gano Avenue and Debarry Avenue. She was with her sister and friends, but separated from them, running ahead towards her home.

The sheriff's office will be holding a news conference between 9:30 and 10 tonight.

Anyone with information on Thompson is asked to call 911, or the CCSO non-emergency line at (904) 264-6512.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office is searching for 7-year-old Somer Renee Thompson.

Authorities were called when she didn't come home from Grove Park Elementary School on Monday.
The child is described as a white female, 3-feet 5-inches tall, 65 pounds, brown hair in ponytail. Officials say she was last seen wearing a cranberry-colored jumpsuit with pink striped sleeves. She was also carrying a pink, black and white-colored backpack, with hearts and skull-and-cross bones.Somer was last seen at 2:45pm, walking home from school near West Gano Avenue and Debarry Avenue. Investigators
say she was with her twin brother and friends, but after reportedly
getting into a fight, she separated from them, running ahead towards
her home on Horton Drive in Orange Park. Her mother was outside
in the neighborhood looking for the child when she flagged down a
passing deputy and reported the incident.Deputies are searching a three-mile area with close to 100 officials and K-9's. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Clay County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 904-264-6512.

Here is updated information from Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler, released at 6am Tuesday:
Somer has now been missing 15 hours. Deputies and helicopters were out all night using infared technology, they had K-9's out. They have interviewed all known sex offenders within a three mile radius of Somer's home. They'll search the same areas of the woods again today. Beseler says they don't know if there is a connection, but 10 days ago, Orange Park
Police investigated a report of an attempted abduction about a block
away from Somer's home. Sheriff Beseler says the description of that car is a blue Nissan Sentra with two hispanic men and one hispanic woman in it. They don't know if it's connected with Somer's disappearance, but Beseler says he wanted to get that information out. The FBI, Fish and Wildlife and FDLE are assisting Clay County Deputies. They've been asked by the public what they can do--there are no organized public searches at this time. But Beseler is urging you to look around your home and if anything appears to be suspicious, give police a call. Beseler says Somer was apparently involved in an argument with another child as she was walking home from school. She ran ahead, and was last
seen about a block from Grove Park Elementary. As for why an Amber Alert was not issued, Beseler says there are certain guidelines
that must be met, including evidence of an abduction. He says there is no evidence of an abduction at this time. "We know for sure
she is a missing child, and a small child out in this weather at night
for 13 hours or so is very, very disconcerting". Beseler says he plans to talk with FDLE today about the possibility of an Amber Alert being issued. Last night police and K-9 teams searched a one mile radius around the school. They'll expand the search grid today. He says Somer's mother is very distraught, they're trying to comfort her as much as possible. Beseler says she is being cooperative. Somer's father lives in North Carolina, he has been contacted there, and is cooperating as much as he can.

Clay County sheriff's deputies are stepping up their search of an
Orange Park neighborhood for a girl who they said has been missing
since Monday afternoon.Deputies said 7-year-old Somer Renee
Thompson was last seen in the Grove Park neighborhood. They said the
girl's mother called police and said her daughter never returned home
from school.Somer is described as 3 feet, 5 inches tall and 65
pounds with brown hair in a pony tail. She was last seen wearing a
cranberry-colored jumpsuit with pink striped sleeves. She also had a
black, pink and white colored backpack with a skull and hearts.Early
Tuesday morning, Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said the search
encompassed a one-mile radius around the girl's school, Grove Park
Elementary. As daylight breaks, he said the search will be expanded
farther.Beseler said deputies had been out all night using
infrared cameras and dog teams to search the wooded areas. Beseler said
they have also finished interviewing all the registered sex offenders
in the area. Tuesday morning, teams were continuing to search the
wooded areas within the one-mile radius.Beseler added that 10
days ago, the Orange Park Police Department received a call about some
people in a blue Nissan driving within a one-block area of where Somer
went missing. He said there were two Hispanic men and one Hispanic
woman who tried to lure a child into their car. The sheriff did not
expand further on that incident. Channel 4 is trying to gather more
information on that incident from Orange Park Police.Beseler is
asking residents in the Grove Park area to look through their yards,
parked cars and adjacent properties. He asked if you see anything
unusual, then please call police.Deputies and detectives from
every branch of the Clay County Sheriff's Office, approximately 100
personnel, are looking for Somer Thompson. Additional support is also
being provided by the agencies surrounding Clay County, such as St.
Johns and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) has also assigned a member to assist Clay County,
along with staff from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).The
Clay County Sheriff's Office has utilized reverse 911 as well as the
school system's automated phone message system to get information about
Somer to as many households as possible as quickly as possible.Deputies
said the girl was last seen at 2:45 p.m. walking home from Grove Park
Elementary School near West Gano Avenue and Debarry Avenue with her
twin brother and her sister, but separated from them after an argument
and ran toward her home."We are still hoping she is somewhere in
someone's home and we're hopeful we will get more calls on Tuesday,"
Beseler said. "We haven't ruled anything out yet."Deputies said
the girl's mother was outside in the neighborhood looking for the child
when she flagged down a passing deputy and reported the incident. The
girl's father lives in North Carolina and has been contacted.

The family lives in the 1700 block of Horton Drive in Orange Park."We
would ask that the public assist us in providing any information that
anyone may have about this little girl's whereabouts," Beseler said.
"Anyone that's in this vicinity, please be vigilant, be looking, search
around the area and call us if you saw anything."Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the CCSO non-emergency line at 904-264-6512 or 911.

The grandmother of 7-year-old Somer Thompson was in tears this
afternoon at her home in Orange Park as the search for the Grove Park
student who has been missing since Monday afternoon continued.
Debbie Bowling said the news has left her stunned. This is the kind
of thing you would never dream would happen in your family, she said.
Bowling's daughter, who is Somer's mother, is devastated, Bowling said. Law enforcement
personnel talked to her for most of the night as part of their
investigation. Bowling said her daughter keeps hoping the disappearance
of Somer is only a bad dream that she will wake up from.
The disappearance is uncharacteristic for her granddaughter who usually liked to play in the house, Bowling said.
She also thanked the community for their help and concern.

Somer Thompson's mom, Diena Thompson, will appear on all three network morning shows this morning.
The parking lot at Orange Park's Town Hall is filled with trucks, as crews prepare for the interviews inside council chambers.
Thompson will appear on Good Morning America on ABC and The Today Show on NBC.
A reporter for NBC News and several network news producers are also in Orange Park this morning.
Sheriff Rick Beseler will appear with Diena Thompson at 8:15 a.m. today.
The sheriff has indicated the search has expanded and there's a
statewide Amber Alert. But it's unclear if the search has expanded to
the southeast region or even the entire country.
Somer's mother gathered with friends for a candlelight vigil Tuesday night. Her father who lives in North Carolina also pleaded for her safe return.
The 7-year-old girl disappeared while walking home from Grove Park Elementary school
Monday afternoon. She was last seen with her hair tied into a ponytail
with a red bow. She wore a maroon sweatsuit with a pink stripe and a
black t-shirt. She was carrying a purple Hannah Montana backpack and
lunchbox.

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

Another sleepless night for the mother of a missing seven year-old.
Two days of searching in Orange Park and there is still no sign of Somer Renee Thompson. Somer's mom, Deana Thompson, pleaded for her daughter's safe return at a candelight vigil Tuesday night. "If anybody has her, please let her go. Pray for her, that she comes home". Investigators still aren't sure why Somer went missing. So
far there's no sign of a kidnapping. Miles and miles of woods and
waterways have been canvassed, and police have searched the homes of
dozens of registered sex offenders and predators.

"We believe
foul play is suspected due to the child's age, the size of the child,
the cold weather last night, the fact that this is totally out of
character for her", said Sgt. Dan Mahla of the Clay County Sheriff's
Department. Mahla
says more than 200 tips have come in. As for the suspicious blue car
from an attempted abduction nearly two weeks before Somer disappeared,
Sheriff Rick Beseler told ABC News that the car and occupants have been
found and interviewed. He says they are NOT connected to Somer
Thompson, but did not elaborate. This
morning the message goes national, as Deana Thompson is expected to go
on some national morning programs along with the Sheriff.

Many prayers for this family and the safe return of Somer

The mother of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, who vanished Monday afternoon
on her way home from school, joined Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler in
asking for help bringing the girl home."Just drop her off
somewhere," Diena Thompson said through her tears. "I don't care if you
ever get in trouble -- I want my baby back."Investigators said
they have hundreds of leads but no clues nearly three days after Somer
vanished while walking in her Orange Park neighborhood."We're still at a situation where Somer has disappeared off the face of the earth," Beseler said.Somer's mother joined Beseler in appearances all three national network morning news shows Wednesday.
"Somer, you're not in trouble -- if you're scared, just come home,"
Dina Thompson said directly to her daughter. "If somebody has her,
please, please bring her back to us. She belongs with her family."Beseler
said investigators are baffled. He said officers have expanded the
initial search area and interviewed about 75 known sex offenders in a
five-square-mile radius. Teams of volunteers are walking arm-to-arm
through the woods, and deputies are using helicopters and search dogs."We
just really need a break in this case. We need a tip, we need a phone
call," Beseler said. "Somebody knows where Somer is, and we need that
person to call us."Somer is described as 3 feet 5 inches tall
and 65 pounds with brown hair in a ponytail with a red bow. She was
last seen wearing a cranberry-colored sweatsuit with pink stripes on
the sleeve and pants. She also had a black, pink and white backpack
with a skull and hearts. She may be wearing a white hat and scarf.Her mother described a large, irregular shaped birthmark on Somer's left shin as an additional distinguishing feature.Beseler
also said Wednesday that investigators have located a vehicle and
person involved in a possible child-abduction attempt in Orange Park 10
days earlier and said there is no connection between that incident and
Somer's disappearance.Channel 4 also learned that a search was
conducted at the Folkston, Ga., landfill where Clay County's garbage is
dumped. Clay County officials said the search was routine, not the
result of a tip, and nothing related to this case was found.Nearly
100 sailors from Naval Air Station Jacksonville joined the search
efforts Wednesday morning, covering wooded areas and the grounds of a
wastwater treatment plant less than one mile from where Somer
disappeared.Texas Equusearch, a volunteer mounted
search-and-rescue team that was involved in searching for Haleigh
Cummings in Putnam County and Casey Anthony in Orange County was to
arrive in Orange Park on Wednesday afternoon.Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from Grover Park Elementary School in Orange Park.Thompson
said Somer was squabbling with another child, and her sister told her
to stop. The girl got upset, ran ahead of the group and wasn't seen
again.While investigators said they have no evidence someone
took Somer, they said her age and the length of time that she has been
missing make them very concerned for her welfare."She is
definitely endangered and we do suspect foul play," Clay County
Sheriff's Office Sgt. Dan Mahla said at a Tuesday afternoon briefing.
Hundreds of law enforcement personnel with the support of helicopters,
bloodhounds, dive teams have searched the neighborhood and nearby woods
since Monday night.FBI has also assigned a member to assist Clay County, along with staff from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.An
Amber Alert was issued at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Beseler estimates that more
than 10,000 fliers with Somer's picture were distributed across
northeast Florida by Tuesday night.After appearing on network news shows, Beseler expects they will begin getting tips from around the country.

Nearly 200 sailors from Naval Air Station Jacksonville joined the
search efforts Wednesday morning, covering wooded areas and the grounds
of a wastewater treatment plant less than one mile from where Somer
disappeared.Texas Equusearch, a volunteer mounted
search-and-rescue team that was involved in searching for Haleigh
Cummings in Putnam County and Casey Anthony in Orange County was to
arrive in Orange Park on Wednesday afternoon.A search was conducted at the Folkston, Ga.,
landfill where Clay County's garbage is dumped. Clay County officials
said the search was routine, not the result of a tip, and nothing
related to this case was found.The Justice Coalition on
Wednesday offered a $25,000 reward for Somer's safe return and Florida
Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to visit the search command post in the
afternoon.Beseler also said Wednesday morning that investigators
have located a vehicle and person involved in a possible
child-abduction attempt in Orange Park 10 days earlier and said there
is no connection between that incident and Somer's disappearance.

Investigators Baffled

Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from Grover Park Elementary School in Orange Park.
Diena Thompson told detectives that Somer was squabbling with another child,
and her sister told her to stop. The girl got upset, ran ahead of the
group and wasn't seen again.While investigators said they have
no evidence someone took Somer, they said her age and the length of
time that she has been missing make them very concerned for her welfare."She
is definitely endangered and we do suspect foul play," Clay County
Sheriff's Office Sgt. Dan Mahla said at a Tuesday afternoon briefing.Beseler
said investigators are baffled. He said officers have expanded the
initial search area and interviewed about 75 known sex offenders in a
five-square-mile radius. Teams of volunteers are walking arm-to-arm
through the woods, and deputies are using helicopters and search dogs.

The search for a missing North Florida girl may be over.

Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler announced Wednesday afternoon that a
child's remains have been found in a Georgia landfill by his
detectives, who watched trucks from Orange Park unload their
collections.

"This is a routine thing that we always do when you have something like this happen," he explained.

Seven-year-old Somer Thompson vanished on her way home from school on Monday.

Clay County issued an Amber Alert and then conducted day and night searches for her.

The
girl's parents were notified to the discovery and are on their way to
the landfill. The remains were partially buried, so a positive
identification was delayed, Beseler said.

A criminal investigation has been opened. There is no suspect.

Governor Charlie Crist, who was in the area, showed up for the announcement.

"This is a very difficult day and a very tragic situation," he said.

A body found in a landfill has been tentatively identified as that of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, a Florida girl missing since Monday.
Sheriff Rick Beseler said on national network morning news shows Thursday that the identification was based on clothing on the body and a birthmark that matched the girl's.
The partially covered body of the child was found in a Georgia landfill near the Florida state line, after investigators followed garbage trucks leaving from the neighborhood where the child disappeared on her way home from school.

A body found in a Georgia landfill Thursday has been tentatively identified to be Somer Thompson, a 7-year-old North Florida girl missing since Monday. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said Thursday that the identification was
based on clothing on the body and a birthmark that matched the girl’s.The partially covered body of the child was found in a landfill in
Folkston, Ga., just over the Florida state line, after investigators
followed garbage trucks leaving from the neighborhood where the child
disappeared.Folkston is about 55 miles from Orange Park, where Somer’s family lives. (View Map)
Somer was last seen alive Monday, when she vanished after walking ahead of her siblings during their walk home from school.At
a news conference Thursday morning, Beseler said he still fears for the
community until a suspect is apprehended. He would not talk about what
evidence police have recovered, or whether investigators believe the
crime was committed by one or more people.An FBI forensic unit is helping process evidence from the landfill.Nearly
2,000 people from Clay County and beyond gathered outside Somer’s home
Wednesday night to support her mother, Diena Thompson. Donning pink
ribbons, the crowd held a candlelight vigil, praying and singing songs,
including Somer’s favorite: “You Are My Sunshine.”
Supporters comforted Diena Thompson, telling her not to blame herself for not knowing what happened to her daughter.
Somer’s twin brother, Sam, who was with her when she separated, reportedly
rearranged strewn mementos at a memorial for his sister, saying she would be so
happy to see them.

The 7 year old was found in a landfill just over the Georgia border.
48 hours after she vanished walking home from school in Clay County, a
hunch led detectives to that landfill where they found the missing
girl's body. During his Thursday morning news conference, Sheriff Rich
Beseler would not even say there was a crime here, only that the body
was that of missing 7 year old Somer Thompson, and that the autopsy
would begin in Savannah right away."At that time we hope to learn the cause and manner of death."When pressed, the Clay County Sheriff admitted, they are working a murder."There is a child killer on the loose, and that's why we are going to catch this person and bring them to justice."He would not discuss any of the evidence in the case or tell us why he
thinks foul play is involved, but did say finding the little girl's
body so quickly will be a great help to their investigation.

The news everyone feared came before dawn Thursday: The child's body
found in a southeast Georgia landfill is that of missing 7-year-old
Somer Thompson.Clay County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mary
Justino said it was a visual identification based on the appearance,
clothing and the birthmark on Somer's left shin.The Georgia
Bureau of Investigation was to conduct a autopsy at a state crime lab
in Savannah, Ga., Thursday morning to determine the cause of death."There
is a child killer on the loose and we're not going to rest until we
catch this person and bring him to justice," Beseler said Thursday
morning.
The body of a small child was found about 3 p.m. Wednesday in a
landfill near Folkston, Ga., where Orange Park's garbage is dumped.A
van was seen driving out of the landfill just before midnight
Wednesday, escorted by several police cars. It was unclear if it was
the medical examiner removing the body because the van was unmarked.Beseler said he got a call about the visual confirmation about 9 p.m. and called Somer's mother, Diena Thompson."Needless
to say, she was absolutely devastated," Beseler said. "It was the
hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never
have to make another one like that."While Clay County detectives
are at the Chesser Island Landfill just south of Folkson, an FBI
forensic unit is the lead agency in processing evidence at the scene.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Charlton County Sheriff's
Office was assisting.
Somer disappeared while walking home from school Monday afternoon. A
massive search of Orange Park had been under way since Monday evening.Beseler
announced the grim news that a body was found at a Wednesday afternoon
news conference that was delayed for about 20 minutes because of a
"major development."Gov. Charlie Crist was on hand hoping to
rally efforts to find Somer and the Justice Coalition was set to
announce a $30,000 reward for Somer's safe return.
Instead, that reward will be for information for the capture and
conviction of whoever is responsible for putting the body of the child
in the trash."Everybody's just terribly, terribly sorry and your heart goes to the family," Crist said.Beseler
said Dumpsters in the area are emptied on Tuesdays, and that particular
garbage investigators were searching was dropped off Tuesday afternoon."Tuesday
morning, one of my detectives, Bruce Owens, came forward and said, 'You
know, I think it'd be a good idea to follow those garbage trucks and
let's look at the garbage on the front end rather than waiting and
maybe later on trying to go and uncover something,' which was a stroke
of genius," Beseler said. "It was a precautionary thing. We didn't have
any idea at that time that this would come about. But it was just a
really good move."State Attorney Angela Corey arrived in Orange
Park late Wednesday saying she was there to assist the sheriff and the
other law enforcement agencies working on the case."It's always
a tragedy when we lose a citizen," Corey said. "It is especially so
with someone who's a little angel like Somer. It just elevates
everything that we do to a new level."
Shelia Clifton, whose 8-year-old daughter, Maddie, was killed by a
neighbor in 1998, was at the Orange Park command center on Wednesday
trying to do anything she could to help the Thompson family."This
is so sad that this has happened all over again. It happens way too
often," Clifton said. "(Somer's mother) is going to be in shock for a
while. She needs all the love and care that everyone can give to her.
We need to find the person that did this. That is the most important
part right now."Theresa Neves, the grandmother of missing 6-year-old Satsuma girl Haleigh Cummings, said she was devastated by the news."It
breaks my heart," Neves said in a phone interview. "I feel so bad for
those people. I just pray that God gives that family strength. I don't
think there's anything you can say. We hope that God will give (Somer's
mother) the strength to get through this."Sue Rodriguez, the
grandmother of Brunswick boy Christopher Barrios, who disappeared and
was killed in 2007, reacted to what Somer's family must be going
through."The biggest thing is turn to your other family, and
everybody has to hold on to each other for all the comfort and strength
that they can get," Rodriguez said. "People will be praying for them,
and prayer will really hold you up real strong."
Clay County school representative Darlene Mahla said grief counselors
will be on hand Thursday morning for students and teachers at Grove
Park Elementary School, where Somer went to school.Anna Braddy,
whose daughter Kayla is best friends with Somer, said she took Somer to
school the day the 7-year-old disappeared. Braddy said it was a normal
morning and Somer was her usual self.

School dismissal at Grove Park Elementary would have been different
on any other Wednesday. But when the last pencil was put down, the last
bell rung on this day, heading home was a serious matter. It wasn't just 2:30 p.m. It
was 48 hours after the 2:30 p.m. when 7-year-old Somer Thompson started
her walk to her family's Horton Drive home and never arrived. "Our
days here are not normal right now," Principal Lynda Braxton explained
earlier from inside the school. "...We're trying to make the kids feel
needed and feel like their life is secure." Amber Alert fliers
lined dashboards in the cars of many parents who queued up along Miller
Street to pick up their children. Stacey Clark had hers in her Jeep
Cherokee right next to the school identification card with her grandson
Noah's name on it. The first-grader had called Somer his girlfriend and
liked to bring her drawings home from school. Noah had a question for his grandma the night before, after a school day when he said teachers told him to "pray a lot." "Is she ever gonna come home?" Noah asked about his classmate. On
Wednesday, very few students walked home from the school. Those who did
were with parents, volunteers, or a clot of other kids. There were no
peals of laughter, just a somber shuffling past searchers who were
handing out missing-person fliers. Pickup trucks with Navy and police
personnel jammed in the back joined the procession along Gano Avenue as
helicopter rotors beat the blue sky overhead. Park swings and
tennis courts along Somer's way home were empty as people who lived
elsewhere, people who never met her, stood in the streets where she was
seen last to spread the word about finding her. Dave Anderson,
27, manned the corner of Bay Circle East for hours after making his own
stack of fliers. The Jacksonville man had a silver pin fastening two
ribbons to his shirt. One was cranberry, the other pink. "These are the last two colors that she was wearing," he said of the symbol another volunteer gave him. Crossing
guards at the intersection of Debarry Avenue handed out fliers to cars
that slowed for the four-way stop - the last place Somer's siblings and
friends saw her about 2:45 p.m. Monday. Authorities think she
may have hit another child with a backpack and run off alone after
someone teased her. It was close to a place where deputies had a report
of a recent abduction attempt, one they've since said they don't
believe was related. Farther down Debarry, where the woods on
one side of the street get deep and the fence on the other side of the
street gets tall, only cars made the rest of the trip toward Somer's
home after school Wednesday. Near the corner of Post Oak Court,
large posters for Somer adorned another fence as Tonya Jennings kept a
close eye on grandchildren who are playmates of the missing girl. "We
have told them it's a very bad thing, and that's why we insist on being
out here," Jennings said of the reasoning she gave her 8- and
9-year-old grandkids about watching them play outside. Jennings
said it would be a familiar sight on another afternoon to see Somer
walking along the street, skipping and happily spinning in circles, as
the 7-year-old came into view of her own block in the near distance. And
while the scene in front of Somer's Horton Drive home was anything but
normal Wednesday, something did fit with what might happen after a
child's walk home on any other school day. Neighborhood
children, including Somer's 10-year-old sister, Abby, came together as
friends. They handed out fliers and collected donations from people
passing by in cars. They also signed a message board for the 7-year-old
that a neighbor put out. And like pint-sized cheerleaders waiting for a
different kind of homecoming, Abby and two other friends rallied in the
name of hope. "Clap, clap, clap for Somer," said the fifth-graders as they all stood in a line. And
as they put their hands together, for a few moments, their sweet
singsong broke the tension of a day after school that was anything but
normal. Hanging on a tree behind the trio was a reminder that a
first grader hadn't made her usual walk from Grove Park Elementary that
afternoon. "Please Bring Somer Thompson Home," a sign said. "We Miss Her!"

Sam Thompson said Thursday he's so
angry, he has no words to express his feelings over the death of his
7-year-old daughter Somer, found dead Wednesday in a trash dump in
southern Georgia.

Somer Thompson

"The
tears have dried up and I am so angry I can't express in words,"
Thompson said Thursday from his home in Graham. "They disregarded my
child like a piece of trash."Authorities said Thursday morning
they believe a body found under trash in a landfill is that of Somer
Thompson, who vanished on her walk home from school in Orange Park,
Fla., on Monday.It's what Thompson said he feared ever since Somer disappeared -- the abduction and murder of his little girl."There
are some really sick people in this world," Thompson said. "I forgive
you now, but there is no measure of punishment that you deserve. Expect
the same death my daughter went through."Thompson said he has
been unable to travel to Florida due to injuries he suffered in a
recent car crash, but he said he is flying to Florida Friday to prepare
for Somer's funeral.Thompson's three children live in Florida with their mother."Without
my family and friends, and my church and my faith, I don't how I would
take another breath," Thompson said. "I don't know how I would do it
and it would be the same for anybody. The human body is not designed to
deal with this kind of pain."Donations for Sam Thompson and his
family in Alamance County were being accepted from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at
Southern Alamance High School on Southern High School Road in Graham.

An aunt of a Florida girl who disappeared Monday says the family is
"torn up" over news that a body believed to be the girl's has been
found in a landfill.Laura Holt says there's nothing worse that a
person can do than "to kill a child and dump her in the dump like a
piece of trash." Holt says whoever killed the 7-year-old doesn't
deserve to live.The body was found in a Georgia landfill about
48 miles from the Jacksonville suburb where Somer Thompson vanished on
her way home from school. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler says the
tentative identification was based on clothing and a birthmark.The Georgia Bureau of Investigation plans an autopsy today.The
sheriff says investigators have questioned more than 70 registered sex
offenders in the area, and that process is continuing. Florida
Department of Law Enforcement records show 161 offenders live in a
5-mile radius of Somer's home.

Authorities are calling the death of 7-year-old Somer Thompson a homicide.Clay
County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mary Justino said dental records
confirmed that the body of a small girl found in a Georgia landfill is
that of the child reported missing Monday.Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from school in Orange Park, Fla., a suburb of Jacksonville.She lived there with her mother. The girl's father, Sam Thompson, lives in Graham, N.C.
Justino did not say how the girl was killed, but she said the girl's death was
a homicide. She said authorities have not located a suspect.A
mobile forensic unit was looking for evidence at a home at 1080 Gano
Ave. near where Somer was last seen by other children. The home, which
was the site of a fire months ago, is vacant, Justino said. The
homeowners gave permission for the search.An autopsy was
performed Thursday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in Savannah
after the body was found near the Florida state line.
Investigators followed garbage trucks leaving the neighborhood where the child disappeared to the Georgia landfill.
Somer's father and other family members were "torn up" after hearing the news,
aunt Laura Holt said. She hopes authorities will find her niece's
killer.

http://www.wftv.com/news/21400501/detail.html
Community Searches For Answers, Child Killer

Posted: 5:39 am EDT October 23,
2009Updated: 7:45 am EDT October 23,
2009ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- Somer
Thompson's face, with chubby cheeks and thick brown bangs, still smiled
from missing person posters plastered on nearly every utility pole
along the mile-long route from her elementary school to her home.In
front of a small church and in front of well-kept homes framed by tall
trees with Spanish moss hanging from the branches, handmade signs
implored anyone with information about the 7-year-old's disappearance
on her walk home from school to call the sheriff's office.INTERVIEW: Somer's Mom On Good Morning America
VIDEO REPORT: Team Coverage On Discovery Of Body
NEWS CONFERENCES: Emotional Mom Reacts | ID Confirmed
TRACKING THE KILLER: Techiniques & Tactics Used
RAW INTERVIEWS: Grandparents | Detective
SLIDESHOWS: Mom Attends Vigil | Georgia LandfillThe
messages were left over from when the middle-class neighborhood held
out hope she would be discovered safe until they learned her body was
found Wednesday evening in a Georgia landfill some 50 miles away.The
next afternoon, authorities searched a vacant home a couple of blocks
into Somer's daily route, just past a wooded area and across the street
from a playground and baseball diamonds."It's crazy to think
something like this could happen here," said neighbor 17-year-old
Andrew Carlson as he watched investigators dressed in protective white
suits go in and out of the empty house and comb through a construction
trash bin outside. Construction crews had been working on the house,
which was damaged in a fire several months ago, he said.Authorities
say Somer squabbled with another child Monday and then walked ahead of
the group of kids and was never seen again. So far, the police have not
made an arrest but have questioned more than 155 registered sex
offenders in the area. State online records show 88 sex offenders live
in Orange Park, a Jacksonville suburb of about 9,000 people just south
of Jacksonville Naval Air Station.At an intersection about
halfway into her walk, where Somer would have crossed the street and
turned right on the road that led straight home, a purple ribbon --
which supporters and family members have been wearing -- was tied to
the pole of a stop sign.On Thursday evening, a steady flow of
people -- many of them parents, clutching the hands of young children
-- walked down that same road toward Somer's house to support her
grieving family with a candlelight vigil.Around a tree across
the street from the girl's house, supporters had created a memorial,
leaving hundreds of stuffed animals, flickering candles, signs and
balloons.Diena Thompson, Somer's mother, came out with purple
ribbons tied in her hair to thank the group who sang "Amazing Grace"
and "You Are My Sunshine," then recited the Lord's Prayer."I wish I could hug every one of you," Thompson said. "I love every one of you."Cries
of support came from the crowd of about 200: "The community is behind
you!" and "We're here for you. You're in our prayers."After
Somer vanished, investigators tailed nine garbage trucks from her
neighborhood to the Georgia landfill, then picked through the trash as
each rig spilled its load. They sorted through more than 225 tons of
garbage before their worst fears were realized: Sticking out of the
rubbish were a child's lifeless legs.Sheriff Rick Beseler said
the quick discovery of Somer's body, two days after she disappeared,
may have saved precious evidence that could lead to her killer."Had
we not done this tactic, I believe that body would have been buried
beneath hundreds of tons of debris, probably would have gone
undiscovered forever," he said.Searching landfills is common
when children disappear, but it is unusual to try to zero in on them
more efficiently by tracking a neighborhood's garbage trucks, said
Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children.An autopsy to establish the cause of death is done, but
authorities would not disclose their findings. At a news conference,
Beseler would not say if Somer had been sexually assaulted or answer
other questions about the condition of the body."I fear for our
community until we bring this person in. This is a heinous crime that's
been committed," Beseler said. "And we're going to work as hard as we
can to make this community safe."The girl disappeared in a
heavily populated residential area about a mile from a stretch of
fast-food restaurants and other businesses. Investigators will
presumably try to pinpoint the trash bin or garbage can where she was
dumped, based on the trash around her and the truck's pickup route.The
sheriff said he had told Diena Thompson to prepare for the worst, and
called her after receiving news her body was discovered."Needless
to say, she was absolutely devastated," Beseler said. "It was the
hardest phone call I've ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never
have to make another one like that."

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21389447/detail.html
Clues Sought In Somer's Death

North Florida Child's Body Found In Georgia Landfill

POSTED: Thursday, October 22, 2009
UPDATED: 8:28 am EDT October 23,
2009
ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- Authorities
on Friday continued to search a home not far from where Somer Thompson
disappeared, looking for clues to who killed the girl. VIDEO: House Searched


During a news conference on Thursday, police said a body found under
trash in a landfill is that of the 7-year-old north Florida girl who
vanished on her walk home from school. In addition to the
house, which is just one block from Somer’s school, authorities also
were searching a trash bin near the house. Investigators in white
jumpsuits had removed a few plastic bags and a piece of carpet foam,
Local 6 News reported. The trash bin is located where Somer was last seen on Monday just before she ran from two other children and vanished.
It was not clear what led investigators to the vacant home, but the
house does have a history. Local 6 News reported that there was a fire
there one year ago and it has been under construction for several
months. Detectives also searched a public rest room in a
playground across the street from the house. They went into the men’s
room for several minutes and came out carrying a bag, Local 6 News
reported. Somer’s mother said she just hopes that the search will bring police closer to her killer.
“Please keep praying that we find this person and he gets what he
deserves,” Diena Thompson said. “Justice for Somer. Justice for Somer.”
During Thursday's news conference, a Clay County Sheriff's
Department official said the body was positively identified as Somer
through dental records. The sheriff's department said all but
5 sexual offenders in a five-mile radius of the girl's home have been
interviewed and cleared. Investigators are still working on numerous
leads. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said the initial
tentative identification was based on clothing and a birthmark that
matched the girl's. An autopsy was performed Thursday by the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation in Savannah after the body was found near the
Florida state line. The Sheriff's Department said it does know preliminary results on the autopsy, but it cannot disclose details. During a news conference Thursday evening, Diena Thompson thanked people for the outpouring of support she has received.
"I said yesterday on the news that I didn’t care if you ever got into
trouble. I want you to know that I will not sleep until this person is
found," Thompson said. "I hope they get you and I hope they make you
pay for a long time." "You don’t do this to a little baby. You put my little baby in the trash like she's nothing. That's not OK," Thompson said.
Detectives spotted the legs first and found the body partially covered
by garbage Wednesday in a Georgia landfill, after investigators
followed garbage trucks leaving the neighborhood where the child
disappeared Monday. Somer's father and other family members
were "torn up" after hearing the news, aunt Laura Holt said. She hopes
authorities will find her niece's killer. "I don't think they
deserve to live," Holt said. "I don't think there's anything worse that
a person can do -- to kill a child and dump her in the dump like a
piece of trash Beseler wouldn't talk about what evidence
police have recovered, or whether investigators believe the crime was
committed by one or more people. He said police have questioned more
than 70 registered sex offenders in the area, and that process was
continuing. Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show 161
offenders live in a 5-mile radius of Somer's home. "I fear for
our community until we bring this person in. This is a heinous crime
that's been committed," Beseler said. "And we're going to work as hard
as we can to make this community safe." The sheriff said he
told the girl's mother to prepare for the worst, and called her after
receiving the news Wednesday night. "Needless to say, she was
absolutely devastated," he said. "It was the hardest phone call I've
ever had to make in my life, and I hope I never have to make another
one like that." Beseler credited one of his detectives with
suggesting on Tuesday that the landfill be checked. Trucks were
scheduled to pick up garbage in Orange Park on Tuesday morning. He said
detectives were told to go through the debris looking for evidence as
the trucks brought it in. "Had we not done this tactic, I
believe that body would have been buried beneath hundreds of tons of
debris, probably would have gone undiscovered forever," he told
reporters. Even if the body had been found later, key evidence could
have been destroyed or degraded, the sheriff said. An FBI
forensic unit is helping process evidence from the landfill in
Folkston, Ga., about 48 miles from where the girl disappeared.
Two deputies stood guard at mother Diena Thompson's home early Thursday
morning. It appeared to be full of supporters. An oak tree across the
street was decorated with flowers, candles and pictures of Somer.
"This has been so unreal for the neighborhood," said Sharon Galloway,
who lives across the street from the Thompsons. "I just hope they get
that son of a gun." At a nearby shrine formed by flowers and
dozens of teddy bears, Catherine Sullivan held her teary-eyed
5-year-old daughter, Nya Frederick. They drove to the Thompsons'
neighborhood from Jacksonville because Sullivan wanted to show her
child the danger of being too friendly with strangers. "She seemed to understand when I explained to her, her mommy wouldn't see her anymore," she said.
Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from school in Orange Park.
She was squabbling with another child, and her sister told her to stop.
The girl got upset, walked ahead of the group and wasn't seen again.
Authorities launched a countywide search involving helicopters, dogs
and volunteers walking arm-to-arm through wooded areas. Orange
Park is a suburb of Jacksonville just south of Jacksonville Naval Air
Station. The area where the girl disappeared is a heavily populated
residential area with homes, apartment complexes and condominiums. The girl's father, Sam Thompson, lives in Graham, N.C. The family is expected to make funeral arrangements on Friday.

http://www.wesh.com/news/21389441/detail.html
Sheriff Checks Home Near Where Somer Disappeared

Authorities Identify Orange Park Girl Somer Thompson

POSTED: 6:28 am EDT October 22,
2009
UPDATED: 8:34 am EDT October 23,
2009

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- A medical examiner confirmed with dental records on Thursday that a child found in a Georgia landfill is Somer Thompson, the 7-year-old Orange Park girl who disappeared on her walk home from school. A memorial outside the home of Somer Thompson (inset). During a news conference at 4 p.m., a Clay County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said investigators were not releasing the manner or cause of death at this time. She said officials are following many leads and are encouraged, but they do not have a person of interest.She also said that state forensic investigators were working in an abandoned house near Somer's school. Investigators said they expected to be there throughout the night.The home, just three blocks away from Somer's school and eight blocks from her home, was the last place that her friends and other witnesses said they saw the 7-year-old alive. Neighbors nearby said the home caught on fire months ago and has been abandoned ever since. More Detectives said they hope to find evidence in and around the abandoned, burned out house. The girl was last seen alive outside the home, walking on the sidewalk alone."That was the perfect opportunity, no one else around," Somer's mother, Diena Thompson, said. "That's the only thing I can think of: 'I'm going to take you to your mom.'"Authorities made the discovery in a Georgia landfill Wednesday afternoon. They said the body was found in a heap of garbage that was tracked from Somer's hometown of Orange Park.Diena Thompson gave an emotional news conference on Thursday, and said she would tell the person who killed her daughter to "watch out. We're coming. We're going to get you."Thursday Afternoon News Briefing | Video Of Somer's Mother She said she always warned her children to be wary of strangers, speculating that perhaps when Somer ran off from her friends, she met someone who grabbed her."I want someone to have to pay for what has been done to my family," Diena Thompson said. (Watch Complete Video Of Diena Thompson)Somer's father wept as he learned the news at his North Carolina home. He said he can't believe his daughter was thrown out like a piece of trash.Samuel Thompson is in the process of getting a divorce from Somer's mother.Investigators hoped more clues would be found at the landfill."I believe, the early discovery of the body, that it's going to greatly enhance our investigation," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said.Authorities will also continue to talk to registered sex offenders in the area and vowed to find their killer."There is a child killer on the loose, and that's why we are going to catch this person and bring them to justice," Beseler said.Investigators have received more than 600 tips and they're still following about 200 leads. They said that certain people have come to light, but no one is a suspect and the child's killer has not been arrested.At what's become a nightly candlelight vigil, neighbors and loved ones who had been praying for Somer's safe return prayed for justice Thursday night.Somer's family is meeting to make funeral plans on Friday.Garbage Trucks Lead To Missing Girl's Body Somer's body was found miles from her home in Clay County. It was quick thinking by a detective that led to the break in the case.Detective Bruce Owens said he alerted Beseler that clues could be found in trash from around Orange Park."If a truck was seen, it would be best to follow it to its next location, so they could search or follow it to the closest landfill, so they could isolate it from the dump," Owens said.Owens said he got dozens of deputies and police officers on the road after Somer was reported missing. He said he wanted all garbage trucks checked as quickly as possible."Time is of the essence. That collection was being done by outside companies," Owens said.Dozens of squad cars stayed on the trail of the garbage trucks as they traveled across the state line into Georgia."They sifted through about 300,000 tons of waste," Owens said.About 200,000 tons of trash was searched at a landfill in Clay County, and 100,000 tons was searched at a dump in Folkston, Ga.After hours of work, the fears of investigators turned into reality. The body of a young girl was found and identified as Somer.Beseler praised Owens for his effort."If you ask me, I'm humble about the remarks by the sheriff ... I just feel it was one of the other investigative techniques that we have always used at law enforcement agencies," Owens said.The landfill is now a crime scene with techs working around the clock, combing through about 225 tons of garbage tracked from Somer's neighborhood at about the time she disappeared.Investigators said the landfill search could take several days.

The sadness was still there, a heavy, overwhelming force. It could
be seen in the tear-streaked faces of those drawn Thursday to the house
where Somer Renee Thompson lived,
leaving flowers, notes, stuffed animals, candles and even a Hannah
Montana balloon at a nearby impromptu memorial to the dead 7-year-old
girl. A box of tissues sat on a utility box nearby, for anyone who needed them. But
anger was just below the surface, a mighty anger at the person or
persons who police say snatched and killed a child whose life should
have run a much longer, happier course. "I'd kill him with my
own two hands, and it would be righteous," said Kenneth Young, who
lives a half-block away. "I know we're a country of rights, but where's
her rights? Where's her family's rights? Where's the neighborhood's
rights?" Stacy Apostol came from her home on Jacksonville's Westside with two of her three children. "I hope the guy who did it drives by here and sees all the support, to know that we would kick his butt," she said. Young
said he and his 12-year-old daughter knew Somer, who was one of a group
of neighborhood children of mixed ages who would play outside. She was
outgoing and enjoyed life, he said, and was "joined at the hip" to her
twin brother. Young's daughter cried all night and asked her
father how she could handle this sadness. He said that when he doesn't
know the answer to a question, he can usually fake an acceptable reply
until he gets the real answer. Not this time. "I told her I
don't have an answer. I can't explain to you how this happened, why it
happened," he said. "All I could say is, there's evil in this world,
and it's all around us." Thursday afternoon, there was a nonstop
traffic jam near the house, located on a corner lot in a middle-class,
leafy neighborhood of cul-de-sacs and single-story homes. A teenage
girl leaned from the window of a passing SUV, a purple ribbon around
her wrist. She called out: "We love Somer." Volunteers passed
out purple ribbons to passing drivers and collected donations in
buckets. One driver overshot the people with buckets, then stopped and
simply handed a $20 bill to a passing pedestrian. For the family, she
said. Apostol couldn't sleep Monday night after hearing of
Somer's disappearance, and at 2 a.m. wanted nothing more than to get
flashlights and go look for her. She said she called Jacksonville
police, but they told her they weren't taking volunteers at that time. "I
couldn't sit there no more," Apostol said. "It was getting colder and
colder, and they said she didn't have a jacket - this little baby
doesn't have a jacket, and she's cold, and she wants her mom." Casey
Page, 15, a freshman at Orange Park High School, rode his bike to the
memorial across the street from the Thompson home to leave a poster.
Somer's death is all anyone talked about at school, he said. One teacher cried all day. Even the kids who act like they don't care about anything couldn't keep up that pose that day. Some students even said they wished it had happened to them instead of to Somer. "People don't want a little girl to end like this," he said. "She's supposed to live until she's 60 or 70."

Investigators left about 1 a.m. Friday morning, but the abandoned house is still a crime scene with 24-hour police protection.
Three police officers are on each end of the house and crime scene
tape still keeps everyone away. Gano Avenue, a major roadway through
this neighborhood, is still blocked off, with a Florida Department of Law Enforcement unit parked in the street.
Just after 11:30 p.m. Thursday, crews brought in a digging machine
from the State Fire Marshall's Office to dig at various parts of the
property and to lift heavy objects, according to officials. This is the
area where 7-year-old Somer Thompson was last seen. FDLE agents are
working overtime at the home, searching for evidence.
Dressed in protective white suits, several agents from the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement sifted through a dumpster several blocks
from Somer Thompson's home.
"On this side, it's pure pandemonium," said neighbor Andy Carlson.
Andy Carlson watched the search with his sons. He said it's strange seeing this type of thing in his neighborhood.
"I'm not used to all these cops all over the place," added Carlson.
Investigators collected evidence and also searched inside the vacant
home at 1080 Gano Avenue. Police say the home has been empty for
several months since a fire.
Carlson says the home was being renovated: "You can see in the windows, it's gutted. It just has two by four framing."
A woman, who did not want to be identified, asked investigators to search this vacant home and
dumpster on Monday night.
She says, "I'm upset. It's like, should I have looked, should I have gone in the dumpster?"
Meanwhile, neighbors hope Somer's killer is found soon and wonder if any clues are inside the home.
"I really hope there is not somebody in this neighborhood that could do that to a child," said Carlson.
Somer's mom said she knew the home on Gano Avenue was vacant, but
added that she never had any concerns about the home until now.
Somer disappeared on her walk home from school Monday afternoon.
Detectives searched a Georgia landfill Wednesday afternoon and a
child's remains were found.
At a Thursday morning news conference, investigators confirmed that
the remains found were that of missing 7-year-old Somer Thompson.
Investigators are currently searching the home on Gano Avenue and say they plan to search well into the night.

Police are asking anyone with information about this case to call 1-877-227-6911.

(CNN) - Investigators in Georgia are combing through a "tremendous mountain" of garbage at a landfill, searching for clues to the slaying of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, a sheriff's spokeswoman said Friday.

Authorities found the Florida girl's body Wednesday in the landfill near Folkston, about 55 miles north of Orange Park, Florida, where the girl was last seen by her siblings.

Some possible evidence has been removed from the landfill, but authorities won't describe what they found, said Mary Justino of the Clay County Sheriff's Department.

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

Police have no suspects, she said.

"We know the cause of death. Our focus is on we want to preserve the integrity of this investigation and are not releasing any information that in the long run would prevent us from prosecuting and convicting the person who did this to Somer," Justino said at a news conference.

"For that reason at no point will we discuss cause of death, the manner in which she died or any other details regarding what was done to this child"



http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/