Amber Dubois -- Found Deceased 3/6/10 -- UPDATE: John Albert Gardner III admits he murdered Amber

AMBER LEEANNE DUBOIS




DEscriptION

Date of Birth:	October 25, 1994	Place of Birth:	Lakewood, California (Los Angeles County)
Sex:	Female	Hair:	Brown (short to medium length)
Height:	5'5" (at the time of disappearance)	Eyes:	Blue
Weight:	125 pounds (at the time of disappearance)	Race:	White

THE DETAILS

On February 13, 2009, Amber Dubois (age 14) disappeared while walking from her home in Escondido, California, to her nearby high school. At approximately 7:10 a.m., someone saw Amber walking hurriedly toward her school in the direction of the school's athletic practice field. Shortly thereafter, Amber was seen walking about a block further at a normal pace. She was in the company of an unknown male. It is possible that this male may have been the last person to see Amber before her disappearance.

Additionally, there was a red pickup truck that pulled into a parking lot on the school grounds near where Amber was last seen. This truck was parked only for several minutes before leaving the area. Law enforcement is interested in interviewing the driver of the truck.

The truck is described as a newer model,possibly a Ford, GMC, or Toyota, with chrome both above and below the grill. The vehicle is a full size, four-door crew cab pickup truck, red or maroon in color. The truck has chrome wheels and running boards and may be equipped with chrome rails or capsalong top of the bed sides. The truck may also have a fifth-wheel trailer hitch.

REMARKS

Amber was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Her jewelry consisted of a blue sapphire ring worn on her middle left finger. She was also wearing a silver claddagh ring, which is a traditional Irish ring given in friendship or worn as a wedding ring. It is described as two hands clasping a heart, and the heart is surmounted by a crown. Amber was carrying a black shoulder bag, which is similar in appearance to a computer laptop carrying case.

PERSON OF INTEREST

The unidentified male reportedly seen with Amber immediately prior to her disappearance is not a suspect in this case, but is someone that law enforcement would like to interview. Thisindividual is described below.

Age:	Approximately 13-18 years old (possibly middle- to high-school age)	Clothing:	Dark (Individual was possibly wearing a dark-colored backpack.)
Sex:	Male	Hair:	Dark (average length to short)
Height:	Tall	Complexion:	Dark
Build:	Medium build	Race:	Unknown

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/dubois_a.htm

Tip Sparks Major Search at Kit Carson Park

Police are acting on an unusual tip concerning a bag containing hair

By MICHELLE WAYLAND, ARTIE OJEDA and GENE CUBBISON
Updated 3:06 PM PST, Fri, Mar 5, 2010



A tip regarding a bag possibly containing hair that was found three months after the disappearance of Amber Dubois sparked a major search of Escondido's Kit Carson Park Friday.

Thursday night three children, an 8-year-old and two 11-year-olds, reminded their parents about seeing a "bag with what looked like hair coming out of it," Escondido police Lieutenant Craig Carter said.

The children made the discovery nine months ago and recalled it in light of the Chelsea King story. One of the children's parents immediately called police.

Thursday night, police secured an area near a pond in a wooded section of the park along a waterway and waited for daylight to further investigate the scene.

Escondido police called in a huge showing of search and rescue personnel including the sheriff's underwater search and recovery team. They found a sack in the southern reaches of the park, but said there was nothing inside.

"From what we understand, they don't feel it's going to be a body of any type. Because if it was, being this close to a snack shack where everybody has a party every weekend, someone would've noticed it by now," said Amber's father Maurice Luque.

A lot of other bags were found in the area, indicating transient camping. As long as all the resources were deployed -- boats, divers, search and rescue volunteers -- Escondido police said they would widen the search to see if anything useful turns up.

The area is about two miles northeast of the area where a body, believed to be that of Poway teenager Chelsea King, was found Tuesday after an extensive search. It’s also south of where Escondido teenager Amber Dubois disappeared.

Amber was last seen Feb. 13, 2009. She was 14 years old when she left to walk to Escondido High School from her home a few blocks away. Two witnesses said they saw her on the sidewalk just a few hundred yards from the school's main entrance. She never made it.

Registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III, the man charged in the murder and rape of Chelsea King, could be tied to Amber's case, according to Amber's father Maurice Dubois.

At the time Amber disappeared, Gardner lived just two miles from Escondido High School in the Rock Springs East apartment complex.

Amber's father said he can't help but draw connections between his daughter's case and Chelsea King's and that he's spoken with investigators with Escondido police as well as the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

On Friday he said he was happy that investigators were being aggressive in the search for his daughter.

Police said they were planning to start canvassing the neighborhood again to search for leads in the case.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Homicide-Investigators-Search-Kit-Carson-Park--86646937.html

FBI Will Analyze Contents of Bags Found in the Area

KNX 1070 News
Posted: Saturday, 06 March 2010 3:41AM

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (AP) -- Police drained a pond in a park north of San Diego on Friday, in their efforts to find a girl who vanished about a year ago in the same region where 17-year-old Chelsea King disappeared last week. And they planned to search the area through the weekend.

Investigators located a bag near the pond in Kit Carson Park that three children reported finding in May — three months after Amber Dubois, 14, vanished while walking to school, Escondido police Lt. Craig Carter said. The children told their parents the bag contained what looked like human hair, but the parents didn't think it significant at the time.

Read more: http://www.knx1070.com/Pond-Drained-Near-San-Diego--in-Search-for-Missing/6508785

Police end pond search for Amber Dubois

Mar 6 2010 4:55PM
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) Police in Escondido, Calif. say they've found no clues after draining a pond in the search for a missing teen, Amber Dubois.

A woman reported that her children had found what looked like a bag of human hair at Kit Carson Park.

Authorities say the search ended when police uncovered nothing of evidentiary value after draining the pond for a second day.

Police say the woman didn't make the connection to the search for Amber until another teen 17-year-old Chelsea King vanished last week about 10 miles south in San Diego. A body presumed to be Chelsea's was found Tuesday in a shallow lakeside grave.

Amber disappeared last year while walking to school. She was 14 years old at the time.

http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=533496

I was hoping they'd find some clues to Amber. It's hard to believe it's been a year already since Amber went missing and the pain and anguish her family continues to suffer. Just not knowing.

Amber Dubois Found Dead

EmailWritten by Deena on Mar-7-10 8:03pm

Amber Dubois, a 14-year-old girl who disappeared in February last year, has been found dead, authorities in San Diego County confirmed today. Her remains were found in north San Diego, according to LeftCoastRebel.com.

People feared John Albert Gardner, the man charged with 17-year-old Chelsea King's rape and murder in the same area, was also involved in Amber's disappearance. It is still unclear if the cases are connected. Amber's body was recovered in a different area of San Diego.

“The discovery was made in the early morning hours Saturday in a very rugged, very remote area of Pala," said Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher. “Escondido police and sheriff’s homicide was following a lead in the case when they made the discovery.”

http://www.zimbio.com/Amber+Dubois/articles/FX4i8u5ZJt6/Amber+Dubois+Found+Dead

Amber Dubois Found Dead: Map of Dissapearance, Escondido High School to 'North of' Pala, Scroll for UPDATES

by the Left Coast Rebel
3.07.2010

As many know, there have been several recent developments in the Amber Dubois case, the missing teen from 2009. Investigators had been working overtime near Kit Carson park on a lead. It turns out by chance that her body has been found in an entirely different area of San Diego, Pala to be exact. This just in from 10 News San Diego:

ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- Skeletal remains found in Pala were positively identified as those of missing Escondido teenager Amber Dubois, the Escondido Police Department announced Sunday.

Sign on SD (U/T) has more details:

“The discovery was made in the early morning hours Saturday in a very rugged, remote area of Pala," said Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher. “Escondido police and sheriff’s homicide was following a lead in the case when they made the discovery.”

The remains were positively identified through dental records, Maher said.

The discovery comes just days after the body of 17-year-old Poway girl Chelsea King was found buried in a shallow grave along the shores of Lake Hodges.

Investigators have been working to determine if John Albert Gardner III, a 30-year-old registered sex offender who was arrested in Chelsea’s slaying, may have also been connected to Amber’s disappearance. Gardner was living about two miles away from the area where the Amber vanished.

Sheriff’s officials are continuing to provide further information during a news conference in Escondido.

The discovery ends the painstaking search for Amber that took family members, law enforcement and hundreds of volunteers throughout southern California and into Mexico over the past 13 months.
Her family said it was unlikely she ran away. She had no extra clothes, and she was excited to purchase a lamb she was going to raise through the school’s agricultural program. The $200 check she carried to school that day has never been cashed, police said.

Instead, authorities have said she most likely got into a vehicle with someone, possibly someone she knew.

Two witnesses who knew Amber saw her walking on North Broadway near the football field with a tall, dark-skinned boy described as “doughy.”

But she, nor the boy, were ever captured on security cameras near the front of the school. Escondido police, with help from the FBI and other agencies, have spent thousands of hours investigating the case.

Last summer, search dogs from Maine hired by the family apparently traced her scent to the Pala library, but no one there remembered having seen her. Bloodhounds used by the FBI several months later found no hint of her there.

Authorities renewed the search effort again last week, draining a murky pond at Kit Carson Park after receiving a tip that three girls had found a bag with hair around it in the pond in May.

Divers scoured the pond and others combed the banks, but Escondido police concluded Saturday afternoon that no new evidence had been found.

Investigators have not revealed if they’ve been able to interrogate Gardner regarding Amber’s case since his arrest.

Amber’s father, Maurice Dubois, on Saturday likened the ordeal to a hellish, never-ending rollercoaster ride that he just wanted to get off.

“We need to have our closure. If she’s somewhere around, we won’t stop until we find her,” he said.

A $100,000 has been offered in case. It was unclear Sunday if the reward money would be paid to anyone.

Investigators have said Amber’s disappearance bore many similarities to Chelsea’s.

Chelsea, a senior at Poway High School, vanished Feb. 25 after apparently going for a run in Rancho Bernardo Community Park. She never returned home. Her black BMW was found in the parking lot.

A breathless five-day search in the vicinity ended Tuesday with the discovery of her body.

Gardner, who was arrested at a nearby restaurant, Hernandez Hide-A-Way, on March 28, has been charged with murder in Chelsea’s case, as well as assault with the intent to rape in a separate attack on a 22-year-old jogger Dec. 27.

Authorities identified Gardner from semen on a piece of Chelsea’s clothing that was run through a national DNA database at a state lab last weekend, California Department of Justice said.

http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2010/03/amber-dubois-found-dead-amber-dubois.html

Remains of girl found in area of recent killing
Amber Dubois had vanished last year; Chelsea King's death led to arrest

updated 2 hours, 43 minutes ago

ESCONDIDO, Calif. - The bones of a 14-year-old Southern California girl who vanished more than a year ago while walking to school were discovered in a rugged, remote area, authorities said Sunday, less than a week after a registered sex offender was charged with murdering another Southern California girl, 17-year-old Chelsea King.

The search for Amber Dubois had produced few leads until King disappeared Feb. 25, last seen wearing running clothes in a park about 10 miles south of where Amber was last seen walking with a man. A body presumed to be Chelsea's was found in a shallow, lakeside grave five days after Chelsea disappeared.

Searchers found Amber's skeletal remains early Saturday on the Pala Indian Reservation, north of San Diego, and the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed later in the day they were hers through dental records, said Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher.

Maher declined to answer questions during a news conference Sunday because he said the discovery was part of an ongoing murder investigation. He said a "lead" brought investigators to the reservation, but he did not elaborate.

"I certainly had hoped that when the day came to do a press conference on Amber it would be under much different circumstances, but that was not to be," he said.

Amber's parents, Maurice Dubois and Carrie McGonigle, appeared distraught at his side. Maurice Dubois briefly thanked everyone who searched for Amber since her Feb. 13, 2009, disappearance near Escondido High School, particularly volunteers.

"They were the most dedicated people you could ever imagine," he said. "Without them, we couldn't have done anything."

The search for Amber produced few leads until 17-year-old Chelsea King disappeared Feb. 25, last seen wearing running clothes in a park about 10 miles south of where Amber was last seen walking with a man near school. A body presumed to be Chelsea's was found five days after Chelsea disappeared in a shallow, lakeside grave.

John Albert Gardner III, 30, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murdering Chelsea and raping or attempting to rape her and attempting to rape another woman in December, a potential death penalty case.

Gardner was registered as a sex offender in Escondido, a north San Diego suburb, from January 2008 to January 2010, with some gaps, police say.

He served five years of a six-year prison term for molesting a 13-year-old neighbor in San Diego in 2000; he saw her at a bus stop and lured her to his home to watch movies, authorities said. He completed parole in September 2008.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35753586/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts

I was hoping for a better outcome. My prayers are with Amber's family. I wonder if the "lead" came from Gardner.

My heart goes out to her family. I can't imagine what they've been through. Now they have to face the reality of her death. Only 14 years old with such a promising life ahead of her.


J4A, I have to wonder about Gardner as well. He's extremely violent and should have never been walking the streets.

For me, it's just TOO coincidental that the remains were found so close together... I was hoping for another resolution to Amber's case... but I hope that somehow her parents can find some closure - it must be hell to think that your child is out there somewhere alive, enduring who knows what.... Now they know that she's not in that situation anymore...

i am with the rest of you.. i was really hoping that amber would be brought home alive.

at least now, for her family, the wondering is over, and they can lay her to rest properly.

my thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Escondido classmates mourn Amber Dubois

By Michael Burge, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Monday, March 8, 2010 at 9:21 a.m.

Tears mingled with raindrops outside Escondido High School Monday morning as students returned for class, a day after learning classmate Amber Dubois’ remains were discovered in Pala.

Students left flowers, cards and lighted candles at a banner calling for Amber’s safe return outside the school’s gates and signed a memory book, the ink running as the sodden skies soaked the pages.

“She was just one of the sweetest people I knew,” said Hailey Kosinski, a sophomore and Amber’s friend. “It’s horrible this happened to her.”

Amber, a 14-year-old freshman, had been missing for 13 months after she vanished while walking to school in February 2009. The search for her ended Saturday, when her remains were found in a remote area of Pala, in rural North County.

“When we heard we all broke down and we cried and cried and cried,” Hailey said. Asked about her grief, Hailey, who said Amber was one of her lunchtime companions, said,” It’s something that can’t be put into words.”

The search for Amber gained momentum after Chelsea King, a 17-year-old Poway High School student, disappeared Feb. 25. Chelsea’s remains were found Tuesday in a shallow grave near Lake Hodges.

John Albert Gardner, 30, has been charged in Chelsea’s rape and killing and police are investigating whether he played any role in Amber’s disappearance.

Escondido high school district spokeswoman Karyl O’Brien said the school has brought in crisis counselors to help students in their grief. She said many teachers and staff members are also affected, and will meet after school to support each other.

She said teachers also are aware to watch for students who may need help during the day and to refer them to counselors.

Escondido High School Principal Rich Watkins said in a statement the school staff appreciated the support of the community and police in helping search for Amber over the past year. The school was a hub for search and communication efforts.

“Our hearts go out to her family and friends, and it is a loss for our school and community,” Watkins said. He also praised the Escondido police.

“They interviewed hundreds of students this school year in an effort to find Amber. They never stopped looking,” he said.

O’Brien said the school may host a vigil this evening, but plans are still tentative.

Renee Harter, a ninth-grader, said, while Amber’s discovery brings closure for her family, “We were always hoping it was going to end in good news.”

Renee said Amber’s disappearance affected students in many ways.

“I’m a little more aware now,” Renee said. “I always get a ride to school so I don’t have to worry, but it always makes you a little more alert.”

Cards left at the banner for Amber, which has now become a makeshift memorial, expressed the feelings of many.

“Dear Amber — You’re in a much better place now. May you rest in peace,” one read.

Another, addressed to her family, said, “May memories bring comfort.”

Mark Rantz, an Escondido resident and rabbinical intern, stopped at the school to say a prayer.

“I prayed the mourner’s kaddish,” said Rantz, describing it as a prayer of grief, and a prayer to celebrate the life God gave everyone.

“I can’t imagine the horror (the family’s) or the horror of the King family,” Rantz said. “We carry the kids in our heart.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/08/amber-dubois-classmates-escondido-high-school/

My thoughts are with the family of Amber. I hope that they find some closure in this heartbreaking loss of their daughter. The past year must have been hell for them.

At least there is some closure now...I pray that they can find solace in the fact that she is with God...Their search is over...

Parents of dead SoCal teen urge new predator laws

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer Elliot Spagat, Associated Press Writer – Tue Mar 9, 3:49 am ET

ESCONDIDO, Calif. – The father of a 14-year-old girl whose bones were found more than a year after she vanished walking to school urged supporters to behave like his late daughter's favorite animal, the wolf, to hunt down child predators.

"Wolves hunt to survive, wolves hunt to together to catch their prey," Maurice Dubois told more than 1,000 mourners at a candlelight vigil Monday night for Amber Dubois. "We as parents and the community need to make a change for the protection of our children."

Mourners held a moment of silence for Amber, whose remains were found early Saturday in a rugged area north of San Diego, and 17-year-old Chelsea King, who disappeared Feb. 25 in a north San Diego park. A body presumed to be Chelsea's was found March 2 in a shallow, lakeside grave.

John Albert Gardner III pleaded not guilty last week to murdering and raping or attempting to rape 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway and attempting to rape another woman in December in the same park where King disappeared.

His public defender, Michael Popkins, did not respond to a phone message.

The registered sex offender was expected in court Tuesday for a brief hearing to address procedural issues.

Escondido police say Gardner, 30, is also a focus of their investigation into Amber's death.

Carrie McGonigle, Amber's mother, said laws need to be changed.

"I still see a lot of children walking by themselves and it scares me," she said on a chilly night in the courtyard of Escondido High School, near the spot where Amber disappeared Feb. 13, 2009, in the north San Diego suburb.

Police said Sunday that Amber's remains were identified through dental records. They have not said what led them to the remote area near Pala because the discovery is part of a murder investigation.

"Yesterday was my personal time for tears," Dubois told the audience. "Now, for Amber, it is our time to take action."

Amber, a member of Future Farmers of America, left home with a $200 check to buy a lamb on the day she vanished. It was never cashed, fueling suspicion of foul play.

But, as Dubois noted in his remarks, rumors that she was a runaway hampered the family's efforts to bring national media attention to their search. Gardner's arrest three days after Chelsea King disappeared renewed interest in Amber.

Amber was an avid reader and animal lover who had a horse at her grandmother's stable in the Los Angeles area.

Kelly Elsbernd, a cousin, said she and Amber grew up drawing animals together and pretending to be seals and otters when they went swimming.

"They never really played with dolls," said Nicole Elsbernd, Kelly's mother. "They played with bugs."

Jade Fidel, Amber's best friend, said Amber had two dogs, a cat and a bird but wolves were her favorite.

"She liked them," Fidel said. "They were free, independent."

Gardner was registered as a sex offender in Escondido from January 2008 to January 2010, with some gaps, according to police. He served five years of a six-year prison term for molesting a 13-year-old neighbor in San Diego in 2000 and completed parole in September 2008

Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher told the crowd he would do everything possible to find Amber's killer.

"If not closure, we can certainly get justice," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100309/ap_on_re_us/us_missing_teen;_ylt=Ak6MkBun03.lWd6okhQMKLhH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTM0dGN0dDkzBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMzA5L3VzX21pc3NpbmdfdGVlbgRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzUEcG9zAzUEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNwYXJlbnRzb2ZkZWE-

"But, as Dubois noted in his remarks, rumors that she was a runaway hampered the family's efforts to bring national media attention to their search."

This seems to be the major issue in almost all missing people....I wish everyone would be treated as kidnapped until prove otherwise. It wouldn't be a waste of time or resources as it is a human who has gone missing, regardless of the reason...

I completely agree pi-girl - and this girl did NOT fit characteristically with normal runaways - she was happy - there was no evidence that she took clothes, or planned to leave - she was going to buy a lamb that very day for FFA - so to the contrary, everything pointed to the FACT that she DIDN'T run away, esp since her lamb check was never cashed and no doubt she would have had to have that $$ to survive if she ran away... But the media continued to imply that she might be a runaway... that in turn swayed the public opinion (as it always does) I truly don't think that LE ever portrayed her as a runaway, but I might be wrong on that as well, i just don't recall them ever saying that was a possbility. IMO, even if they might be a runaway, i think they should be looked for - they should be assumed kidnapped until proven otherwise...

Memorial set for Amber Dubois

March 14, 2010 10:00 AM NEWS

A March 27 public memorial is planned for Amber Dubois in Escondido High School's stadium.

The body of the 14-year-old girl, who was last seen walking to school on Feb. 13, 2009, was found March 6 about three miles north of state Route 76 near the Pala Casino.

A cause of death has not been established, but 30-year-old John Albert
Gardner III, who has been charged in the slaying of 17-year-old Chelsea King, is being investigated in connection with her disappearance and death.

Amber is expected to be buried during a private ceremony in Escondido on March 26.



http://www.lajollalight.com/news/267078-memorial-set-for-amber-dubois

‘Upbeat’ memorial to celebrate Amber
Escondido girl’s love of animals to be highlighted


Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 2:31 a.m.

AMBER DUBOIS MEMORIAL
When: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Escondido High School stadium, 1535 N. Broadway, Escondido

Shuttles: Noon to 3 p.m. from Escondido United Reformed Church, 1864 N. Broadway


Amber Dubois, then 13, and her father, Moe Dubois, at a family Christmas party.



Amber and her mother, Carrie McGonigle, on a trip to San Francisco when Amber was 13.



On a trip to San Francisco when Amber was 13.


When Amber Dubois went missing more than a year ago, family members, friends, law enforcement agents and strangers set out to find the Escondido teenager.

In the months that followed, an awful uncertainty gnawed at the hopes many initially held that the 14-year-old girl would be found alive.

On Saturday, a memorial for the freckle-faced freshman will be held at the Escondido High School stadium, an event her family has designed to celebrate Amber’s life and to comfort those aching over her death.

Amber’s remains were found March 6 in a rugged hillside area north of Pala. She had vanished while walking to school Feb. 13, 2009.

“I think it’s going to be very upbeat in Amber’s honor,” said Tina Leach, part of a core group of volunteers who spent most weekends for 13 months searching for Amber and blanketing the county with thousands of fliers. “I think it will bring resolution. It’s just very hard to believe this has happened.”

Leach didn’t know Amber or her family when the teen disappeared, but the mission of finding her brought Leach close to Amber’s parents, Carrie McGonigle and Moe Dubois. Leach was with McGonigle when word came of the discovery in Pala.

“I felt that Amber was alive the whole time,” Leach said. “The volunteers became a family, and we wanted to bring Amber home. We did bring her home — not in the way we had hoped, but at least now we know she’s safe.”

No arrests have been made in Amber’s death, but Escondido police have said convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III is a focus of their investigation. Gardner is being held without bail after pleading not guilty to charges of rape and murder in the death of Poway teenager Chelsea King. Chelsea, 17, disappeared Feb. 25 after going for a run in Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Her body was found in a shallow grave near Lake Hodges five days later.

Amber’s memorial will pay tribute to Chelsea and to Danielle van Dam and Polly Klaas, two other slain children whose parents offered support to Amber’s parents over the agonizing months.

Brenda and Damon van Dam lost their 7-year-old daughter, Danielle, in 2002, when she was abducted from their Sabre Springs home by a neighbor and murdered.

Polly Klaas, 12, was kidnapped from her Northern California home by a stranger and murdered in 1993. Dubois and McGonigle asked Polly’s father, Marc Klaas, and his KlaasKids Foundation for Children to help search for Amber.

On Saturday, the parents of all four girls will release doves in their honor.

Chelsea’s parents, Kelly and Brent King, said the parents are forever linked by their children’s tragic deaths.

“The only other people who can truly understand what you’re going through and walk in your shoes are, unfortunately, the ones who have been there themselves,” Kelly King said. “So, I think you’re forever bound in experience and grief.”

Amber’s love of animals will be reflected at her memorial in ways that surely would have tickled the teen. She was the kind of girl who wore the same necklace for months because the ebony center on its silver pendant set off the shape of a tiny shining wolf. Amber loved wolves — their beauty, strength and the natural world they represented.

At the memorial, Frankie the TV star wolf will be one of a number of special animal guests. Frankie will be brought from Working Wildlife ranch north of Los Angeles, which is home to more than 100 animals that perform in television and movie productions.

The year-old black male wolf has appeared on late-night talk shows and the HBO vampire series “True Blood.”

Fallbrook-based Pacific Animal Productions will bring a llama, miniature horse, monkey and python as well.

“We were asked to bring them as a tribute to Amber’s love for animals, and we were happy to do that,” said Karla Majewski, owner of the private zoo that offers educational programs. “We chose these animals because we were told they were some of her favorites.”

Amber had been carrying a check for $200 the morning she disappeared. The money would have paid for a lamb she planned to raise as an FFA project.

The Escondido High FFA raised the animal and sold it last year in Amber’s name, donating the proceeds to search efforts.

Agriculture teacher Mark Reyburn will join Amber’s parents and friends as a speaker Saturday. Amber also leaves behind a younger sister, Allison, now 6.

McGonigle said her hope for the memorial is that “everybody leaves knowing who Amber was and that everyone leaves knowing that she lived a good life.”

One legacy of Amber’s disappearance has been an increased awareness of the need to teach teens self-defense strategies.

Escondido High Principal Rich Watkins said that awareness surged after Chelsea was killed.

“Amber was just being a kid when she was walking to school,” Watkins said. “It’s our job as adults to heighten their awareness but not to create fear. What would be truly tragic is if we didn’t learn from this.”

Escondido High and other schools in the district have emphasized that students shouldn’t walk alone and runners should train in groups. Last weekend, the school hosted a self-defense course for students.

Amber’s death “just opened our eyes,” said parent Lisa Schmitt, whose daughter, Jenna, took an agriculture class with Amber. “We can’t raise victims. Kids have to know what’s out there.”

In recent days, students from Escondido schools have collected 2,000 signatures on a petition calling for better enforcement and more funding for laws regarding sex offenders.

The petitions were presented at a forum Tuesday in Escondido about sexual-predator laws. Forum participants included state Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Solana Beach, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher and Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler.

“Amber was just walking on the street, and a lot of kids do that. It could have been anybody,” said Escondido High junior Hannah Navarra. “We’re doing this to show that there are kids at our schools who don’t feel safe and need these laws enforced.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/25/upbeat-memorial-to-celebrate-amber/