Have you been keeping up with the search for missing 10-year-old Colorado girl Jessica Ridgeway? It's already day five of the search, five days since the little girl left for school and didn't come back. With only the discovery of her backpack to go on, it's no wonder the cops are making an unusual plea to the public.
The cops in Westminster, Colorado -- who are now looking at Jessica's disappearance as an abduction rather than a runaway -- say they don't really care about the usual details released in an alert for a missing child. What she's wearing is off the table. What's on the table are some facial features very particular to Jessica.
They've released several photos of Jessica along with a family video, and they're asking people to really take a good, long, hard look at what they see:
She has a gap between her two front teeth. When you see that video, it's fairly obvious and a distinguishing characteristic. As well, she's got a sore at the top of her nose just below where her glasses sit. That sore doesn't heal, so it's a good indicator. If you see someone you think is Jessica those two things are good to pay particular attention to.
Obviously you hope the cops know what they're doing, but I can't be more impressed with the officials in Jessica's case for making this distinction. Too often the details the members of the media (myself included) spread, hoping we're helping the investigation, are either vague or easily changed.
Who cares if they were wearing a red shirt? Don't you think an abductor would know that? Even hair color can be easily changed.
And I hate to say it, but as the mother of an elementary schooler, I'll admit that kids' faces tend to run together after awhile, at least when you're talking generic details: hair color, eye color, glasses.
But these details about Jessica won't change, and they're distinctive enough to give people who want to help something solid to work with. Now we just need to get them out there to enough people to help get this poor little kid home to her sad family.
If you know anything about what happened to Jessica after she left her mom on Friday morning to make the three-block walk to school, call the Westminster Police at 303-658-4336 or email PDamberalert@cityofwestminster.us. If you don't, keep this information moving!
What do you think of the details that have been released? Will you be sharing them?
Image via Westminster Police
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Comments 32
I hadn't heard about this-- how sad. I just don't understand how people allow their kids to walk alone these days. I did it as a very young child, but I would never would let my child walk alone-- EVER.
I agree poppy. I would never allow my kids to walk to or from school (even though we are only 4 blocks away) or anywhere else for that matter. There are just too many crazy, sick people out there.
Some Schools do not cover busing for children who live with in a certain distance, and it is not always feasible for parents to walk their children to school every day. I know my mother wouldn't have been able to, I walked myself a quarter mile every day to the bus stop from 2nd grade on. I think it is a fail on the schools part, not to cover busing.
in my town if you live under 2 miles away from school you walk. parents and kids walking almost 2 miles a day...not everyone has a multi car family, what do they do? honestly i was a walker but my schools were 1-2 blocks awaay until highschooll which was a mile..
I hear a lot of people saying how they'd never let their child walk alone. She lives where people know her, she meets her friends at the park, I bet they walked alone there too... but here is the big question: do you ever allow your child to go outside to play? even with other kids they can be and have been abducted. hinesight is always 20/20.
I'm sorry...4 blocks, 3 blocks alone? She's 10, not 5. I was playing in the woods and down by the creek and walking to my friend's house (6 blocks away) at 8. I can look out my window and see 4 blocks down the street. That may not always be the case, obviously. But no, villianizing mom and saying she should have walked her daughter a few blocks is not what we should be doing here. The person who took this poor girl, who may have hurt her in any way, who may be terrifying her is who the villian is. I'm sick of everyone playing a part in the grand scheme of parents feeling they should have to hold their child's hand until they're 18 years old. No, she SHOULD HAVE been able to walk 4 blocks to school.
Hope she is found safe and well x
According to the cable-news show "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell", Jessica Ridgeway's school had just recently sent warning-letters home to the parents of the school-children warning them that there was a possible child-abductor in the area. And Jessica Ridgeway's mother still let her daughter walk 3 blocks by herself on her way to school? I've said it before and I'll say it again: the mother dropped the ball in this case. (link below):