PILAR RODRIGUEZ - 3 yo (1999) - Punta Garda/Hollywood FL

There could be a break in the case of a young South Florida girl who
disappeared in 1999 while visiting Punta Gorda in Charlotte County with
her babysitter.

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that crews are
searching a property in Charlotte County related to missing 3-year-old
Pilar Rodriguez. Rodriguez, from Hollywood, was last seen in early 1999
when her babysitter, Melissa Cooper, brought her to Punta Gorda for
vacation.

Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron says deputies began searching an
8-acre area in Punta Gorda Tuesday morning for any evidence in the
case, including remains of a body.

The original persons of interest in this case, babysitter Melissa
Cooper and her boyfriend Keith Wilson, continue to be a focus of the
investigation, according to the sheriff's office, although they are no
longer in the area.

THE HISTORY

In 1999, Pilar's father, Marco Rodriguez allowed the babysitter to take
his daughter on vacation for two weeks. Melissa Cooper took Pilar to
the Trail Apartments in Punta Gorda. Cooper's boyfriend, Keith Wilson,
was with them.

Pilar was never seen again.

Cooper claimed Wilson beat the child and buried her body. Wilson denied
the accusations and claimed Cooper was responsible for the girl's
death. Cooper also denied the accusations.

In March 1999, deputies searched a wooded area for Pilar after a tip
came in. Eight months later, deputies drained Preacher's Lake near the
Charlotte County Airport inhabited by alligators. They found some
unspecified biological matter which was believed to be a trace of
Pilar's remains. After the discovery, they announced they were
investigating her case as a homicide.

Divers also found several child size T-shirts in the lake including one
with a picture of Winnie the Pooh. Her father says Pilar had a t-shirt
like that with her when she left with Cooper. Nothing else was ever
found in the lake.

There have been no arrests or charges in the case. Even though her body
has never been found, Keith Wilson was sued for wrongful death by
Pilar's father. The suit was later dismissed.

Investigators have concluded a search at an eight-acre site for
evidence in the 1999 disappearance of Pilar Rodriguez, and are now
calling the cold case an active homicide investigation.
"The search was very successful," he said, declining to be more specific.Pilar
disappeared in January 1999, while on a trip with her babysitter,
Melissa Cooper, who had left Hollywood, Fla., to live with her truck
driver boyfriend in Punta Gorda.Pilar’s father, Marco, allowed
Cooper to take the child, as he was short of money and working a new
job. When the two did not return later that month, Marco reported his
daughter missing to Hollywood Police.Cooper and her boyfriend,
Keith Wilson, came under scrutiny from investigators when friends and
relatives characterized Cooper, now 33, as desperate for a family and
Wilson, now 38, as abusive toward Pilar.Wilson and Cooper have never been charged
with a crime and have denied being involved in Pilar’s disappearance.The two remain
primary suspects in the case, according to Cameron.Sheriff's
Office deputies, the FBI concentrated their search on Wednesday to the
backyard of the home on the property, where forensic teams removed soil
samples. Cameron said the search yielded some new evidence in the case,
although he would not elaborate.
harlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron said this morning that
authorities have more leads in the case as a result of the two-day
operation at 5052 Duncan Road initiated after authorities received a tip.

Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron has called a press conference
tomorrow to announce details of an arrest made in the 10-year-old cold
case of 3-year-old Pilar Rodriguez.
Pilar disappeared in 1999. Her father, Marco, told detectives he gave
her baby sitter, Melissa Cooper, then 22, permission to take the child
on a two-week vacation.He reported her missing when they didn't return.Cooper
later told investigators Pilar was the victim of a "totally senseless"
crime while she and her boyfriend were in Punta Gorda.Cooper's
mother, Deborah, has said her daughter claims the girl was fatally
beaten by her boyfriend, Keith Wilson. Wilson, meanwhile, denied hurting
the child, claiming Melissa Cooper told him the child's father had come
for the girl.

Authorities have made an arrest in the 1999 cold case homicide of 4-year-old Pilar Rodriguez.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron will have a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday
to announce a break in the cold case.Pilar
disappeared in January 1999 while on a trip with her babysitter,
Melissa Cooper, who had left Hollywood, Fla., to live with her truck
driver boyfriend in Punta Gorda.Pilar's father, Marco, allowed
Cooper to take the child temporarily but reported his daughter missing
when the pair did not return within a few weeks.Cooper and her
boyfriend, Keith Wilson, came under scrutiny from investigators when
friends and relatives characterized Cooper as desperate for a family and
Wilson as abusive toward Pilar.Wilson and Cooper have not been charged with a crime
and have denied being involved in Pilar's disappearance.Last November, forensic teams
excavated an eight-acre site behind the home of Wilson's grandmother.At the time,
Cameron said detectives had collected new evidence in the cold case, although he would not elaborate.

The babysitter of a four-year-old girl who
vanished during a trip to Punta Gorda 11 years ago is now charged with
the child's death.

Melissa Harding-Jones, 33, formerly Melissa
Cooper, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail Monday night on
charges of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child, out of Charlotte County.






"I can't believe that someone could hurt a little
four-year-old child - an innocent little girl," said Pilar's grandmother
Shirely Coler. "My granddaughter was a very cute little girl, a very
smart little girl - only four-years-old and she didn't have a chance at
life."

Harding-Jones of Lake Stevens, Washington, is being held pending extradition to Florida.

Rodriguez, who was four-years-old at the time,
went missing in early 1999 when Harding-Jones took her on vacation near
Punta Gorda.

Rodriguez was last reported to be at the Trail
Apartments outside Punta Gorda, where she and Harding-Jones were staying
with Keith Wilson, Harding-Jones boyfriend.

Last November, authorities searched a property once owned by a relative of Wilson's.

Prosecutors say new leads from that search resulted in the charges against Harding-Jones.

If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.

Deputies say Harding-Jones, now a married mother of two, has been cooperative and was not surprised by the arrest.

Authorities say the case is still open, they are
continuing their investigation and are actively seeking any information
as to what happened to Rodriguez.

The arrest warrant says Harding-Jones is
responsible for failing to protect Rodriguez from harm by another
person, causing the girl's death by "culpable negligence."

The assertion that another person being involved in the death led those at the news conference to question the status of Wilson.

Authorities would not comment on Wilson, who the sheriff says is still a suspect in the case.

The sheriff said their agency had not been able to contact Marco Rodriguez, the girl's father, to inform him of the arrest.

The woman arrested last week in connection to the 1999 disappearance
of 4-year-old Pilar Rodriguez has returned to Charlotte County to face
charges in the case.
Melissa Harding Jones -- formerly Melissa Cooper -- arrived at the
Charlotte County Jail late Friday following her extradition from
Everett, Washington on the charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child.Pilar
disappeared in January 1999 while on a trip with Jones, who had left
Hollywood, Florida, to live with her truck driver boyfriend in Punta
Gorda.Pilar's father, Marco Rodriguez, had allowed Jones to take
the child with her but when Jones, now 33, and Pilar did not return, he
reported the child missing.The case touched off an unprecedented
investigation in Charlotte County.Jones and her boyfriend, Keith Wilson,
came under scrutiny from investigators and reportedly told detectives conflicting stories.
A break in the case came last fall when local and federal forensic teams, acting on
a tip, searched an 8-acre site behind the home of Wilson's grandmother
near the community of Cleveland.Cameron said detectives had
collected unspecified new evidence and the cold case was considered an
active homicide investigation.Jones has a hearing scheduled for Oct. 18.
She is being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond.

A judge during a hearing Tuesday set bond for the woman suspected in the 1999 disappearance and death of 4-year-old Pilar Rodriguez, while also agreeing to terms that would allow her to return to Washington state.
Melissa Harding Jones was given a $75,000 bond, with the condition she must pay an additional $5,000 if she leaves the state, according to State Attorney spokeswoman Samantha Syoen. Jones, 33, was being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bail. Jones — formerly Melissa Cooper — was extradited to Charlotte County last month, following her arrest in Everett, Washington, on the charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child. Pilar disappeared in January 1999 while on a trip with Jones, who had left Hollywood, Florida, to live with her truck driver boyfriend in Punta Gorda.Pilar's father, Marco Rodriguez, had allowed Jones to take the child but when Jones and Pilar did not return, he reported the child missing.The case touched off an unprecedented investigation in Charlotte County.Jones and her boyfriend, Keith Wilson, came under scrutiny from investigators and reportedly told detectives conflicting stories.A break in the case came last fall when local and federal forensic teams, acting on a tip, searched a site behind the home of Wilson's grandmother.Detectives collected unspecified new evidence and the cold case was considered an active homicide investigation.As of Tuesday evening, Jones remained at the Charlotte County Jail. She has a hearing scheduled for Oct. 18.

10:20 P.M. — A woman charged in the death of a 4-year-old girl more than 10 years ago was released on bail from Charlotte County Jail tonight.Melissa Harding-Jones, 33, is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child in the 1999 disappearance of Pilar Rodriguez.
Harding-Jones was released on $75,000 bail, plus an additional $5,000 to allow her to return to her home in Washington state.Sheriff’s deputies began investigating Pilar’s death in 1999 after her father, Marco Rodriguez, of Hollywood, reported her missing.Rodriguez allowed Harding-Jones to take Pilar on a two-week vacation to Punta Gorda and never saw his daughter again.Deputies brought Harding-Jones from Washington back to Charlotte County in August.

The State Attorney's Office has released over
800 pages of investigative documents related to the 1999 disappearance
of Pilar Rodriguez.
Pilar was never seen or heard from after a 1999 trip to Punta Gorda.
Detectives say Melissa Harding Jones, the
girl's babysitter, brought Pilar to an apartment with her then boyfriend
Keith Wilson.
Just this past August there was a big break in the case-
Deputies arrested Harding Jones and charged her with Pilar's death.
Over a year ago, detectives combed a piece of property on Duncan Road.
They say new evidence found there enabled them to arrest Harding Jones.
During the decade-long search for clues, hundreds of tips came in.
Psychics contacted Charlotte County deputies in an effort to find the missing 4 year-old.
One even drew a map of where she thought the little girl was buried.
Other tips included Pilar working in a prostitution house.
One person thought she saw her in a grocery store in Kentucky.
Another anonymous caller reported that the girl was dead, with her companion as the prime suspect.
People even contacted the sheriff's office
with their visions and dreams of what happened to Pilar. One woman wrote
that she dreamed Pilar was floating in a canal.
Also included in the discovery are maps of Kentucky, where Keith Wilson is from.
Deputies say they're still investigating him.
Harding Jones is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Jones to stand trial in Pilar Rodriguez case.

Jun 14, 2011
PUNTA GORDA Fla.- Melissa Harding Jones and her attorney started the day by asking the Judge to throw out the case against her. She is being charged with child neglect that stems around the case of Pilar Rodriguez who went missing while in Jones' care over ten years ago. Early on in the hearing it looked like Jones was ready to accept a plea deal from the state, but at the last minute she balked and backed out.

Jones' attorney argued that since the state doesn't have a body, that they cant tie child neglect to a murder and as such the statue of limitations has run out on that charge. But the state started calling witnesses to prove to why they think Rodriguez is dead. That list included Pilars father and Jones' mother and sister. Early in the evening the judge decided that there was enough evidence to continue and denied the motion to dismiss. Jones is now set to stand trial in September



Read more: http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2011-06-14/Jones-to-stand-trial-in-Pilar-Rodriguez-case#ixzz1PIDLUEOA

September 27th, 2011



Pilar Rodriguez


Harding-Jones in court
Missing: Pilar Rodriguez More>>

Attorney in missing girl case wants out



CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FL -
The attorney for the woman charged in connection with the death of Pilar Rodriguez told a judge Monday he wants off the case.

Rodriguez disappeared in February 1999 while visiting Punta Gorda with her then-babysitter Melissa Harding-Jones and
Keith Wilson, Harding-Jones' then-boyfriend.

In court, Harding-Jones' attorney Robert Barrar told the judge he wants off the case because he received some sort of
threat from someone close to his client.

There will be a hearing Wednesday on Barrar's motion to withdraw.

Outside the courtroom, Harding-Jones could be heard saying, "You have nothing to worry about," and "He's not a threat."

Harding-Jones was arrested in August 2010 and charged with homicide-negligent manslaughter for allegedly failing to
protect Rodriguez.
http://www.abc-7.com/story/15552263/2011/09/26/attorney-in-missing-girl-case-wants-out

Lawyer requests funding in Harding-Jones case

Posted: Sep 28, 2011 3:46 PM CDT

Melissa Harding-Jones' lawyer is staying on her case. But before the case moves forward, a judge will decide whether taxpayers will foot part of the bill for her defense.

Wednesday, Harding-Jones and her lawyer Robert Barrar told a judge they're moving forward together.

"She is relying on me to defend her," Barrar said.

It was just this Monday that Barrar asked off the case. But Wednesday, he wouldn't go into detail on what type of "threats" almost derailed them.

"I'm not going to make any further comment on that," he said.

Instead, he painted a picture of what a trial for Harding-Jones may look like.

She was arrested in connection to the 1999 disappearance of young Pilar Rodriguez.

Barrar says he believes the state will argue that Harding-Jones didn't prevent her then boyfriend, Keith Wilson, from beating the child to death.

For her defense, Barrar will have to hire experts. And Wednesday, they asked the court to pay for them.

In open court, Harding-Jones testified that she's broke. And her husband, Neil Harding-Jones, argued the properties he owns are worthless.

But the state argues the husband's annual salary of $70,000 should be considered.

"What is his is hers. What's hers is his," said prosecutor Daniel Feinberg.

Barrar argued that the experts will determine whether Harding-Jones' diabetes affected her thinking and address whether Wilson affected Harding-Jones' decision.

"The battered woman syndrome is not applicable in this case," said Barrar.

And it's still uncertain when this case may go to trail

"We've entered a plea of not guilty. Until the case is resolved, that is our plea," Barrar said.

http://www.abc-7.com/story/15572029/2011/09/28/lawyer-requests-funding-in-harding-jones-case

No plea deal for Melissa Harding Jones
Story Created: Nov 30, 2011 at 4:38 PM America/New_York

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla.- The woman accused of having a hand in the disappearance of Pilar Rodriguez will be going to trial. Melissa Harding Jones accepted a plea deal in the case of the missing Punta Gorda toddler, but WINK News is learning that deal is off the table.

The last time Melissa Harding Jones was at the Charlotte County courthouse, she accepted a plea deal but the judge said no. This time, no plea deal and her lawyers are set to go to trial.

Harding Jones was not in court Wednesday as her lawyer argued on her behalf. She's accused of standing by while her boyfriend at the time allegedly killed Pilar Rodriguez.

Her attorney asked the state to pay for expert witnesses for Harding Jones because she says she couldn't afford it. The judge said no.

Her attorney told WINK News the plea deal is now off the table and that it was the state's choice.

A trial date has not yet been set. Her next court date is set for February.

http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2011-11-30/No-plea-deal-for-Melissa-Harding-Jones

2/9/2012 1:30 PM CRIMINAL CASE MANAGEMENT THOMPSON, NICHOLAS R 4TH FLOOR CHARLOTTE COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER

http://courts.co.charlotte.fl.us/BenchmarkWeb/CourtCase.aspx/Details/167182

5/31/2012 1:30 PM

CRIMINAL CASE MANAGEMENT

THOMPSON, NICHOLAS R

4TH FLOOR CHARLOTTE COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER

http://courts.co.charlotte.fl.us/BenchmarkWeb/CourtCase.aspx/Details/167182
http://courts.co.charlotte.fl.us/BenchmarkWeb/CourtCase.aspx/Details/167182

Accused child killer Florida bound
Extradited from Kentucky on a murder charge

July 25, 2013
By Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel


Keith Wilson is arrested in Kentucky in connection with the 1999 death of 4-year-old Pilar Rodriguez of Hollywood.
(Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, courtesy)

A Kentucky man accused in the 1999 disappearance of a 4-year-old Hollywood girl was being brought back to Florida Thursday to face a first-degree murder charge, Fort Myers television station WINK-TV reported.

Keith Wilson, 42, was arrested in Bath County, Ky., on July 16, just hours after former girlfriend Melissa Cooper -- now Melissa Harding-Jones – pleaded guilty in Punta Gorda to being an accessory after the fact in the death of Pilar Rodriguez.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-07-25/news/fl-pilar-rodriguez-extradition-20130725_1_murder-charge-kentucky-man-child

Arrest report contains gruesome details of child's abuse and death
Girl was beaten, raped, locked in closet, report says

August 2, 2013|By Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel
Pilar Rodriguez endured physical and sexual abuse before a fatal blow to the head lead to her death in Punta Gorda in 1999, according to an arrest affidavit from the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department obtained Friday.

Keith Wilson, 42, was extradited from Kentucky recently to face a murder charge in Charlotte County for the death of the 4-year-old Hollywood girl.

He was arrested in Bath County, Ky., on July 16, just hours after former girlfriend Melissa Harding-Jones pleaded guilty in Punta Gorda to being an accessory after the fact in the death of the girl.

Pilar's body was never found despite extensive searches, including draining a lake.

According to the arrest report, Harding-Jones told investigators in 2009 that Wilson was abusive during their relationship. He would beat, choke and forcibly have sex with her. She broke up with him, moved in with her mother in Hollywood and started baby-sitting Pilar.

Her relationship with Wilson resumed. Harding-Jones spent some weekends with him and on Jan. 31, 1999, she had permission from Marco Rodriguez, Pilar's father, to take his daughter on a two-week vacation to Punta Gorda.

Once they arrived, Harding-Jones told Wilson that Rodriguez had made sexual advances toward her. That made Wilson angry and that's when the abuse started, Harding-Jones told detectives.

Wilson did not want Pilar in his home. When she wasn't forced to stay awake all night by standing up, she slept in a closet. Wilson made Pilar wear a dog collar and tied the leash to the bed frame. He would make her take cold showers, then air dry; he cut her hair short to make her look more like a boy, the arrest report stated.

Harding-Jones told detectives Wilson had intercourse with Pilar a few days before the child's death. She said that on Feb. 12 or 13, 1999, an angry Wilson hit Pilar, causing her to fall and hit her head on the floor. The child complained of head and stomach pains and had diarrhea. She died the next day, Harding-Jones said.

Wilson came home from work and decided to dispose of the body. His stepfather, Jesse Clapham, told investigators that he saw a rolled-up pink blanket in the trunk of Wilson's car. He saw a child's foot, the skin turned purple, sticking out. He said he asked Wilson if it was Pilar. Wilson said it was and that she had suffocated, the report stated.

The search began after Marco Rodriguez reported his daughter missing on Feb 22, 1999.

The report says cadaver dogs reacted to a scent on Wilson's sofa, on the floor of his home and in the trunk of his car. Detectives found traces of blood on the floor near the bathroom that were comparable to the blood of Pilar's parents.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-08-02/news/fl-pilar-rodriguez-arrest-affidavit-20130802_1_pilar-marco-rodriguez-keith-wilson