Attorney General's Missing Children's Day.

Missing Children's Day on Channel 11, Little Rock

Attorney General hosts annual Missing Children's Day Ceremony

I spent the better part of Monday and Tuesday writing a speech for the Arkansas Attorney General's Office for Missing Children's Day. I put the link above in case anyone wanted to watch it. Channel 11 out of Little Rock did a nice piece and I, even though I look calm and collected was, as always, somewhat jittery. It gets me every time thinking that the worst of the worst happened to my daughter. She didn't deserve any of that. AT ALL.

But, in the past 13 years I have learned how to talk to the media, I have learned how to hook a wireless microphone (clipped on the back of my skirt and mic wire up through my jacket to my lapel) to myself. I can say the things I need to say without fear, I can talk about missing children and the things to do to prevent it all day long. Sad that I know all the statics in regards to missing children because I wanted to be a rock star when I grew up and I'm not kidding. I know, everyone wants to be a rock star but I was so certain that I sent a letter to Mutt Lange when I was twelve and he wrote me back (oh, how I wish I still had that letter) and expressed my desire. He told me to work hard, form a band and never give up. As with all the "rock star" dreams of a twelve year old, I put it aside and went on living my life.

Anyway...back to the past 13 years of knowing how to say the right things in front of a camera when you are speaking in terms of your beautiful little daughter who has been brutally murdered by a predatory monster. I know what to say and how to say it. 13 years is a lot of practice. But, one thing I was not prepared for yesterday was the face of one man. This man knows something very personal about me that I would rather be erased from his memory, from my memory. And there he was in that room full of people, ready to sit down to hear what I had to say. I was terrified. How could I talk about it with him looking at me, knowing what he knows, what he had to do to me, what he had to say knowing it would forever change and possible destroy my life forever?

It was Sheriff Mike Oglesby. Oh, he isn't the Polk County Sheriff anymore he's now a US Marshall and rightfully so, but when he told me "that thing," that life altering, heart ripping, thing he told me, my life changed forever. The Rebecca I was five moments before he walked in the door and told me "that thing" he knew is now forever dead. Not saying that he is responsible because he had to say it, had to put an end to the agony of me waiting for my missing child to come home safe. The knowledge he possessed when he walked in the door to tell me must have been an awful burden. I cannot image facing the mother of a 12-year-old girl and telling her "that thing."

He said it slow. While I was trying to run away from him, I saw his face, the grim look of death etched deep in his brow. And I tried to make my own door through the back of the room and only ended up in a corner like a caged animal. I had no other choice but to listen to his words of icky death from the pits of hell and when he said them it seemed to be in very slow motion...

"Beccccccccckkkkkkkkkiiiii, she's deaaaaaaaaaaad and Karrrrrrrrrrrrllllllllll Robertsssssssss hassssssss admittttttttteddddddd to killlllllllllllllllling herrrrrr."

All slow and the room spun.

So, yesterday when I saw him. My heart gave a big leap. He knew I had collapsed that day. He had heard me scream ,"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!" He knew. He knew it all. And I had to give a speech and speak about how in the past 13 years, I have finally found hope and peace and love again. How through the last 13 years I had come to hate God and then decide I still loved Him. While I gave my speech I looked at Sheriif Oglesby a few times in the back of the room, I could see the outline of his head, but the light was too bright in my face and I couldn't tell if he was crying or not, but most everyone else was crying. I can only assume he got somewhat choked up. I mean, I would have.

I have thought about this a lot in the past 24 hours and after seeing the band Aerosmith last night (it was a busy day) and watching these real rock stars perform I have come to a conclusion about my own life. We are all equally important, whether we make money to perform music to make people happy or we stand up and use our own experiences to help others cope with their own losses. Even if it is one person, even if it is making 17,000 people smile because your music is classic. It doesn't matter. We are all here for a purpose. And I had to smile at something Bill, this wonderful man who God put in my life, put on my FaceBook today and I quote: "Your speech was perfect today! Little Rock's Channel 11 did a great report on you and the entire event. I think you're the rock star. Aerosmith who??? :)"

I'll take that compliment, and even if he's the only one who thinks that, I guess that makes me a rock star. :D And I didn't need Mutt Lange after all.

Tragic End to Missing Teenager

Jones Arraigned, Pleads Not Guilty In Death Of Van Buren Teen

Lloyd Collin Jones

Angela AllenBy Jeff Arnold
TIMES RECORD • JARNOLD@SWTIMES.COM

A Lavaca man pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Sebastian County Circuit Court to first-degree murder in connection with the death of a Van Buren teen.

Lloyd Collin Jones, 36, is accused of killing 16-year-old Angela Allen of Van Buren, whose family reported her missing Feb. 11.

A first-degree murder warrant, which was served on Jones Tuesday at the Sebastian County Detention Center, set his bond at $1 million cash.

Circuit Court Judge Stephen Tabor continued Jones’ bond at $1 million cash when Jones appeared for arraignment via video from the detention center Wednesday morning.

Tabor also assigned the public defender’s office to represent Jones.

Jones was developed as a suspect after deputies from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office learned Jones and Allen were exchanging text messages and met on a social-networking website called Mbuzzy.com, according an arrest warrant affidavit.

The investigation subsequently lead to property outside Lavaca owned by Jones’ brother, where Allen’s remains were discovered in a barrel buried near an old unused well house, according to the affidavit.

On Saturday, Jones’ father visited him at the detention center, where his father asked him what was going on.

“The defendant stated ‘Did they find her?’ and ‘I panicked — I did it,’” according to the affidavit.

Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue said the investigation into Allen’s death is ongoing.

Maj. Kevin Nickson, Sebastian Sheriff’s Office public information officer, said during a Tuesday news conference that investigators were still conducting interviews, re-interviewing some people and a forensic examination of Jones’ computer was still under way.

Jones is a level 3 sex offender who was convicted of rape in 2001 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released from custody in September 2008, according to the Arkansas Department of Correction.

The jury that convicted Jones of rape on April 27, 2001, asked the trial judge if it could sentence Jones to five years in prison because jurors thought a 10-year sentence was too long.

Rape is a Class Y felony punishable by 10 to 40 years or life in prison.

Then-Circuit Court Judge James Marschewski determined the jury recommendation was an illegal sentence and imposed the 10-year sentence.

Allen’s family reported the Butterfield Junior High student missing Feb. 11, after she said she was going to walk around the neighborhood at about 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10, and never returned home.

Jones admitted picking up Allen in Van Buren and “making out” with her near the Arkansas River before he violently pushed her in the water and left her there after learning she was 16 years old, according to the affidavit.

Van Buren Police Chief Kenneth Bell said during a Friday news conference that Jones “groomed” Allen as they conversed back and forth.

“They built a relationship, and he picked her up” Feb. 10, Bell said. Investigators believe it was a mutual arrangement at the time, but they could not confirm that fact.

Although Jones told investigators he pushed Allen in the river, on Tuesday a deputy medical examiner with the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory told Sgt. Anthony Sacco, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, there was no fluid in Allen’s lungs and she was immediately placed inside the barrel after she was killed, according to the affidavit.
Preliminary autopsy results indicate Allen was strangled.

First-degree murder is a Class Y felony.

Not One More Child.

Not 1 More Child from PROTECT on Vimeo.

Appeal, appeal, appeal - Justice for Andi.

*DISCLAIMER* Sensitive subject matter, please be advised this blog should not be read by children due to brutal violence and language.*

Supreme Court of Arkansas Streaming Media Archive: www.courts.state.ar.us (please clip and copy into browser, Blogger won't let me link.)

CR 10-1068 Karl D. Roberts v. State of Arkansas, from Polk CircuitNovember 03, 2011 - 8:58 AM
Please click the ORAL ARGUEMENT tab on the left and the video should pop up. Each side has 20 minutes to present their side. The decision should be given within a couple of weeks and I will post it here.

No one ever believes they will be a crime victim. In fact, I was raised a pretty sheltered life. I was a tomboy who got dirty, rode my bicycle, brought my mother the biggest toads (much to her horror) I could find and played outside all the time. I never thought about bad things when I was a kid. There were some hard times, sure, of course, but there were more great, great times. Laughter and silly games with the neighbor kids after dark: kick the can, witches midnight hour and my family, thanks to my Grandma Brake on my moms side and the Petty family on my dads side we always had the best Christmas'. And I felt the importance of raising my girls with a sense of family and fun and laughter. Life really was pretty good.

May 15, 1999 evil knocked on the door and stole my oldest daughter, Andi. She was kidnapped out of the security of her own living room at the tender age of 12 years, one month, and 5 days. She was minding her own business, not bothering anyone, but was simply making some chicken tenders for her step-siblings, being selfless and making sure those little children had something to eat. Her step-momma was working and her daddy was down the hill not far from the house fishing. She waved bye to him when he left. He has since said that image is seared in his mind and it haunts him. I cannot imagine being one of the last persons to see her alive. It truly makes me very, very sad. He wasn't even that far from the house.

After forcing her into his vehicle, this predator drove her 10 miles away down an old logging road in an adjacent town and told her to get out of the vehicle. She was crying, he told her to, "Shut the fuck up." Then he forces her to disrobe in front of him. Next, he pushes her to the ground, the hard rocky terrain. If anyone has ever strolled down an old dirt road or stepped off into the Ozark forest they know that it is covered in rocks, tree branches, pine needles and debris. He didn't care, he pushed her down onto her back and brutally raped her. She cried, plead, fought, scratched and when he was finished he got off of her and through tears she asked him to take her home. He said no. She then told him, "If you take me back, I won't tell my daddy, I won't tell anyone. Please take me home." He again refused and put his hands around her neck and strangled her. It took several minutes for her to die in his hands. If you have a few minutes I would like you to imagine this scene and look at the clock for two to three minutes and imagine being a 12-year-old child being strangled. Hold your breath and see how long you can do it. I can only hold my breath for 24 seconds before I am pretty uncomfortable.

You may ask why after 12 years am I torturing myself writing this blog. You may ask why I am not letting my daughter rest in peace and moving forward with my life. The answer is this. After this predatory monster brutally raped and strangled my first born child and disposed of her clothing in the Buffalo River right outside of Cove, Arkansas he dragged her small nude body into the woods and left her there, face up, eyes open, tongue bitten nearly in half from her fight for her life and after all this he went to his parent's house and had a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, she was laying there alone and naked in the forest for three days and during those three days it stormed something awful, the cloud cover made the nights awfully dark, she was terrified of the dark. But, she was deceased you say. I don't care. She was afraid of the dark. Additionally, animal activity did what animals do to a decomposing body and part of her thighs and arms were...sorry I cannot even say. Then her killer assisted in the search for her. Unbelievable. So, when someone says I should let her rest in peace it is awfully difficult when I have an agency called the ACLU, ie, Karl Roberts vs. the State of Arkansas fighting to save his pathetic life, and tomorrow morning at 8:58 AM via live stream satellite, some 12 years after my daughter was brutally murdered, me and my family are faced with the seemingly never ending appeal process. This is where some defense attorney, some bleeding heart individual, is fighting for the life of a confessed child rapist and murderer, this pathetic creature who has been rotting on Death Row in an Arkansas prison longer than my daughter was even alive on this planet.

Don't get me wrong, I truly believe Andi is in the arms of the Lord in heaven. I have nno doubt. I also believe that as her mother I am her voice now. It is up to me, my job as a parent to create a legacy for her. To see to the unfinished business of her sweet little life. I do that by speaking out. I do that by being involved. I teach, train, help victims, love parents who have or are walking in the same shoes I have walked in. And tomorrow at 8:58 AM there is yet another hearing, another appeal, and I am asking those of you who are willing and able to watch via satellite, to log in and do so at:
Supreme Court of Arkansas Streaming Media Archive:

www.courts.state.ar.us

CR 10-1068 Karl D. Roberts v. State of Arkansas, from Polk Circuit November 03, 2011 - 8:58 AM
Please click the ORAL ARGUEMENT tab on the left and the video should pop up. A wonderful lady name Laura Shue for the State of Arkansas and someone on Roberts' latest defense team each have 20 minutes to present their side. The decision should be given within a couple of weeks and I will post it here.

To those of you who have made it this far into the blog post thank you for your support and thank you for never forgetting Andi.
All my love,
Rebecca
Andi's Mommy

Prosecutor: Body Found By Crews Searching For Girl

Remains Not Identified As Search For Celina Cass Continues

CANAAN, Vt. -- A body has been found by a dam on the Connecticut River by teams searching for a missing 11-year-old girl.

Crews searched an area near the Canaan Hydro-Dam as investigators continued to look for clues in the disappearance of 11-year-old Celina Cass, who was last seen in her West Stewartstown, N.H., home on July 25.

Essex County state attorney Vincent Illuzzi said a female body was found near the dam, but no identification had been made.

At about 10:45 a.m. Monday, a dive team came up from the water, and shortly after, other investigators and Assistant Attorney General Jane Young went to the scene. The media were asked to leave the area.

Roads on the Canaan side of the river were closed off, blocking the view of the river.

Monday afternoon, several of Celina's relatives had gathered at her home and could be seen crying.

The FBI has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the location of Celina and the arrest and prosecution of a suspect.

A separate $5,000 reward from an anonymous citizen was announced for anyone who can provide information leading to her whereabouts.

Celina's family said they last saw her at her computer shortly before she went to bed the night of July 25. The next morning when they went to wake her up, she was gone.

Her disappearance led to a massive law enforcement effort involving more than 50 FBI agents and an equal number of officials from state and local police, search crews and dive teams. Investigators have said that they had received hundreds of tips but few solid leads.

Over the weekend, Celina's father, Adam Laro, pleaded for her safe return. Monday morning, her stepfather, Wendell Noyes, was taken by ambulance to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital.

Celina Cass

Authorities are examining "every facet" of missing 11-year-old Celina Cass' life, including computer records on the girl's home computer, the New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General tells FoxNews.com.

Celina, whom friends describe as sweet and reliable, was last seen by a family member Monday night at her home in Stewartstown, N.H., a small town near the Canadian border. She was reported missing Tuesday morning and those who know the child say it's unlikely she ran away.

Celina Cass, 11, was last seen Monday night inside her Stewartstown, N.H., home near the U.S.-Canada border.

July 28: Residents of Stewartstown, N.H., post missing posters for Celina Cass in Colebrook, N.H.
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Senior Assistant Attorney General Jane Young told FoxNews.com that the investigation is being treated as a missing person case.
"At this time, she is a missing child," Young said. "We're looking at all facets of her life."

FBI child abduction specialists as well as the New Hampshire and Vermont State Police and U.S. Border Patrol scoured fields, woods and the Connecticut River on Thursday for any sign of the girl, according to local reports.

Police have said that there's no indication Celina ran away or that someone took her, and there are no signs of a struggle.

Young said Thursday that authorities did not issue an Amber Alert because the case did not meet the criteria for one. Amber Alerts usually require a description of a vehicle or person the child was last with, Young said.

A flurry of activity was seen Thursday in and around the three-story house where Celina lives with her mother and stepfather. The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that state police detectives wrapped the driveway of the girl's home in yellow tape on Wednesday.

The FBI, meanwhile, said it had enlisted a four- to six-person "child abduction rapid deployment team" to pitch in. Young told FoxNews.com that the FBI had sent agents as far away as New York and Virginia to assist in the search. She also said law enforcement is canvassing "every house" in the neighborhood and "talking to everyone."

"She never went anywhere without her mom or sister," said family friend Rebecca Goodrum, 30, fighting back tears and holding a lit candle Wednesday night at a vigil held in a park in neighboring Canaan, Vt., about a half-mile from the girl's home.

"She is very shy," said Kayla Baglio, 18, who knows her, too. "If she doesn't know you, she'd look at her sister to see if it was OK to talk to you."

Celina's friend, 11-year-old Makayla Riendeau, described the girl as very athletic and a stickler about getting her school work done on time.

"She's a very good friend, and she never lets anybody down," Makayla said.

At midday Wednesday, about a mile north of town, five officers with the U.S. Fish and Game Department searched the woods behind an apartment building. They carried bags and boxes, but it was unclear if they collected anything.

Plainclothes police officers wearing purple rubber gloves were also seen surrounding a red pickup that was parked across the street from the girl's home, photographing it and looking inside. When news cameras began shooting pictures of what was happening, troopers moved a cruiser and a New Hampshire State Police SUV in front of the scene, to block the cameras.

The girl's disappearance hung heavy over Stewartstown, a community of 800 residents with one blinking streetlight and a handful of stores. Friends posted fliers of the girl on trees, utility poles, storefronts and car windows, and stood along the street in front of her house, waving motorists down to hand them copies.

"It's creepy," said Shannon Towle, who owns Towle's Mini-Mart on Route 3. "Things like this don't happen here. I know that's kind of a tired phrase. I'm an overprotective mom as it is. Now it's going to be way worse."

After sunset on Wednesday, about 80 people -- many with candles in hand and tears in their eyes -- gathered for the nighttime vigil. A framed picture of the girl sat on a picnic table, surrounded by candles. Friends, classmates and even people who didn't know Celina were among those in the crowd, and young children sobbed as adults comforted them.

Goodrum, of nearby Beecher Falls, Vt., said she was praying that Celina, whom she's known since she was 2, is safe.

"She was beautiful," said Goodrum. "She was the light of everything."

Towle said her 13-year-old daughter, Echo Towle, asked her mother whether she thought Celina was still alive.

"How do I answer that question? And do I want to?" Towle said. "I don't want to think about it, but I pray every second that she is okay."