Somer Thompson -- Found Deceased 10/21/09

http://www.wftv.com/news/21347761/detail.html

ORANGE PARK, Fla. --
Somer Thompson
An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 7-year-old North Florida girl who vanished after school.

More than 100 Clay County deputies and law enforcement personnel from neighboring counties were searching Monday and Tuesday in Orange Park for Somer Thompson.

The second-grader is white, 3-foot-5 and 65 pounds. She had brown hair tied in a pony tail with a red bow and was carrying a purple Hannah Montana backpack and lunch box.

Somer was last seen about 2:45 p.m. Monday heading home from Grove Park Elementary School. She was walking with her sister and some friends, but ran ahead of them.

I am so hoping this will not turn into another tragedy out of Florida.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=146917&provider=rss

Search for Somer Thompson Expanded, 'Hundreds' of Tips so Far


ORANGE PARK, FL -- Police have received hundreds of tips and leads so far for Somer Thompson, who investigators have been searching for since she didn't come home from school Monday.

An Amber Alert was issued for the 7-year-old this morning. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler says this is the longest a child has been missing in Clay County in 22 years.

At a morning press conference, Beseler said the agency has some "very good leads coming in." The agency is now processing those calls. He said there were 50 tips by 9 a.m. today and that by now there were hundreds.

The sheriff also asked for information about a blue sedan seen in the neighborhood 10 days ago. Authorities say the occupants, two men and a woman, tried to lure a young girl into the car.

Beseler would not elaborate further, except to say that the incident happened within a block of where Somer was last seen Monday afternoon. He said that right now there is "no reason to believe that is connected to Somer."

The search area was expanded to 3 miles early this morning, and just before 11 this morning, law enforcement expanded the search to a 5-mile radius. Beseler said there is "no indication" this is an abduction; he also said Somer does not have a history of running away.

Within that radius, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, are 87 sex offenders, and each is being checked out.

Deputies want people to search everywhere around their homes for the missing girl. In fact, they say several groups organized on their own and are expected to help with the search Tuesday.

Beseler says individuals can also come help with the search. They are preparing flyers that they will distribute across the county.

The little girl hasn't been seen since Monday afternoon. The girl's mother notified the sheriff's office around 5 p.m. that her daughter had not returned home from school.

"Her mother began looking for her, and after about two hours, [she] flagged down a patrol car and reported that Somer did not come home this (Monday) afternoon," said Beseler.

Beseler adds that Somer got into an argument with another child at school Monday, but is not saying the argument was connected to her disappearance.

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 sweatsuit with pink striped sleeves. She has no known health problems, Beseler said.

The sheriff says Grove Park is open Tuesday.

She was last seen at 2:45 p.m. walking home from school near West Gano Avenue and Debarry Avenue. [Map it]

She was with her brother and friends, but separated from them, running ahead towards her home.

The sheriff says they have checked with immediate family members, including the girl's father, who lives in North Carolina.

"We would ask that the public assist us in providing any information that anyone may have about this little girl's whereabouts...she has been missing for about seven hours now," said Beseler late Monday.

He added, "We're hoping that Somer has gone maybe to a friend's house or something like that, but we're leaving no stone unturned. We're diligently looking right now and we need help from the public."

Stay with First Coast News and firstcoastnews.com for the latest.

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 also can email cart@claysheriff.com.

There is video at this link too. If anyone lives near here please watch this. I am so tired of hearing about this damn stuff.

Somer's Father Pleads for Everyone to Search

ORANGE PARK, FL -- The father of Somer Thompson says there is nothing to describe how he feels right now.

"Just imagine it's your child missing," said Sam Thompson in a telephone interview with First Coast News Tuesday morning.

Thompson is asking everyone to do what they can to find Somer, the 7-year-old girl who disappeared while on her way home from Grove Park Elementary school.

"Please find my daughter," Thompson sobbed.

The girl's father is separated from Somer's mother, Diena Thompson, and lives in Graham, North Carolina.

He says his heart plummeted when deputies with the Clay County Sheriff's Office called with the news Monday afternoon. "There's absolutely no way to describe the feeling," said Thompson.

Thompson says he has no idea whether Somer ran off or if someone took her. He just wants her to come home.

"Someone knows where my daughter is, and I just plead with their sense of humanity to let my daughter go."

All of these stories of missing children are really just heart breaking. I don't know what it is about this little girl. This has really gotten to me this morning though. I am really hoping and praying she is found soon.

It is so frustrating that our children keep getting taken, or are murdered. Enough is enough! Something more has to be done!

I hope they find Somer safe. I'm with you Tracey. I am sick and tired of people hurting our children. I wish I knew what could be done to stop this. The only things I can think of are much longer prison sentences for sex offenders, and the death penalty for anybody who murders a child. It's ridiculous that there are 87 sex offenders that are free to roam the streets living within a five-mile radius in Somer's neighborhood.

I just wanted to add some photo's of Somer. I know we have some members from Florida & you just never know when or where you might spot one of these children. I am praying that she is returned home safely. I saw the grandmother of TV and my heart is breaking for her.

First Coast News interview with Sam Thompson, Somer's father.

Thanks J4A...I tried adding the news conference with both of her parents but for some reason, it just didn't want to post.

Thanks for posting this for us, Fysty & J4A!

Here's yet another sad story about a missing child! Somer is an adorable little girl. Her twin brother is precious too. I pray that they find her soon. My heart, thoughts & prayers are with her family. What in the world is going on in Florida? It really makes you wonder. I hope this story has a happy ending.

Where is Somer Thompson? Police 'Desperately' Seek Tips in 7-Year-Old's Disappearance
Mom Diena Thompson: 'She's One of the Most Loving Little Girls in the Whole Wide World'

The mother of a missing 7-year-old Florida girl who police fear was abducted on her way home from school begged for her daughter's safe return today as police continued interviewing the dozens of sex offenders who live in the area.

"They should know that she's one of the most loving little girls in the whole wide world. She doesn't know a stranger," Diena Thompson said of her daughter, Somer. "And if somebody has her, please just bring her home."

Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler told "Good Morning America" today that police have interviewed nearly 60 of the 94 registered sex offenders that live within a three-mile radius and plan to expand their "circle of interest" to five miles out. But nearly 48 hours after Somer Thompson was last seen, they are no closer to finding her.

"This case is very troubling in that we just don't have a lot of information," Beseler said, asking the public for tips. "We really believe that ... Somer has been removed from the area."

Police had already been investigating a separate child abduction attempt two weeks ago in which the potential abductor tried to lure a girl into a car, one block away from the spot where Somer was last seen.

Beseler said today that authorities had located both the car and the individual and are "pretty confident" the cases are not connected.

Holding a picture of her daughter, Thompson told "Good Morning America" that her family, especially Somer's twin brother, are devastated.

"We just don't know what to do without her," she said.

Somer vanished Monday while on her way home from school with her twin and 10-year-old sister. She had argued with the two other children, Thompson said, and ran ahead of them, far enough that they lost sight of her.

When the other children got home and she wasn't there, they dropped their backpacks and went out looking for her.

Sheriff: 'We Desperately Need Someone to Give Us a Call'

Though Somer disappeared Monday afternoon, an Amber Alert was not issued until 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Beseler said that because no one saw an abduction, Somer's case did not initially meet the criteria set forth by the state to issue an alert.

But after she was not found by the next morning and considering her age and "some other factors," Beseler said, the state eventually issued the alert.

"We desperately need someone to give us a call," he said. "All we need is one phone call, one phone call to bring Somer home."

Thompson, her eyes full of tears, also spoke directly to her daughter.

"I love you," she said. "And you're not in trouble. Just come home."

Sgt. Dan Mahla of the Clay County Sherriff's Office said Tuesday that it would be "totally out of character" for the second-grader to run away and not come home.

Somer was last seen just before 3 p.m. heading home from Grove Park Elementary School. She is 4-foot-5 and weighs 65 pounds. She was last seen wearing a ponytail with a red bow and carrying a purple Hannah Montana backpack and a lunchbox.

At 4 p.m. the girl's mother called home and was told Somer had not arrived. The mother left work and contacted the sheriff's office.

The search included canine units, mounted police, dive teams and helicopters with heat-sensing technology.

Several police agencies, the FBI and local volunteers began scouring the wooded areas in near where Somer was last seen.

He added that investigators have found "no physical evidence that might lead us to where she might be."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-missing-florida-girl-somer-thompson-begs-return/story?id=8877337

Vigil Held For Missing North Fla. Girl
Mother Begs For Girl's Safe Return

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- There was an emotional outpouring Tuesday night during a vigil for a missing North Florida girl.

A candlelight vigil was held by the community to offer support after the disappearance of Somer Thompson.

The 7-year-old's mother, Deana Thompson, begged for her daughter's return.

"Thank you everybody for helping me look for my baby, and please pray for her that she comes home, and if anybody has her, just please let her come home," Thompson said.

Somer disappeared Monday afternoon, and an Amber Alert was issued by police on Tuesday as investigators worked to follow several leads in the case.

Detectives said they've found no physical evidence but suspect foul play in the disappearance.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Somer is asked to call the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 877-227-6911 or 888-FL-MISSING.

http://www.wesh.com/news/21357885/detail.html

http://texasequusearch.org/

10/20/09 — Texas EquuSearch will be joining law enforcement in the search for Somer Renee Thompson, age 7, on Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. The Command Center will be located at Orange Park Athletic Association, 1086 Fromhart St., Orange Park, FL 32073. The website for the park is www.opaa.us.


Praying for Somer........ kh

Thank you so much for finding & posting that previous. I sure hope they find this little girl, safe & sound. My heart just broke, seeing her mom at the news conference this morning. Mom said that she has a twin brother and that he is frantic.

Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to be in Orange Park this afternoon to offer his support and meet with the family. Crist may also offer access to thousands of Florida National Guard personnel now training at Camp Blanding south of Middleburg.

The Justice Coalition will announce today it is offering a $25,000 reward for the girl’s safe return. Details are expected to come at an afternoon press conference.


kh

Oh no... This sounds like bad news. kh
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=132020&catid=57

Sad news....... a body has been found....... awaiting ID.
kh
http://twitter.com/jaxdotcom

This is horrible news. It really makes me sick. I hope it's not her, but the garbage in the part of the landfill where the body was found is from Orange Park.

Here is a link to live coverage from actionnewsjax.com.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=32432@wtev.dayport.com&navCatId=6

JFA~ It makes me sick too. As a mother and a grandmother........ I simply do not understand. kh

Oh, no.

Babs...... I feel your pain. Oh no! WHat can we do? kh