Vanished

by Jenna Jackson

A 37-year-old woman was kidnapped at gunpoint Monday night as she was leaving a well-traveled shopping center in Pearland. Texas EquuSearch is leading the search for her right now.

Even the search leaders say they aren’t optimistic about finding Susana De Jesus (pictured above) alive at this point, considering how she was taken. I know this kind of thing happens all the time–but this one stuck with me because of how brazen it was. And because of what this woman and her family have already gone through in the past year.

De Jesus was snatched as she was walking to her car in the parking lot outside of Catherine’s Plus Sizes, a boutique in a shopping center on Smith Ranch Road, where she has been assistant manager since November 2007.

She wasn’t alone–she was walking with a co-worker. The co-worker described a masked man who grabbed De Jesus at gunpoint and forced her into her own Cadillac. Then he drove the Cadillac out of the shopping center parking lot with another vehicle following.

The brazenness of abducting someone who is not alone–in a visible spot, even though it was late evening, is terrifying. To add to that, this poor woman lost her husband in a freak accident in May. His Corvette crashed into a concrete bridge support and burst into flames on the Gulf Freeway.

I feel very sad for De Jesus’ family–and am hoping the searchers have luck finding her today. The odds aren’t great that she’s still alive, considering the motive in this abduction was likely money. But I hope for the family’s sake that she is the exception–they’ve certainly had enough tragedy in the last year already.

A security camera snapped a photo later the night of her abduction of a masked man in the driver's seat of her black 2008 Cadillac at an automated teller machine outside a bank at 3636 Old Spanish Trail in Houston. He used De Jesus' card to withdraw cash.

It was not clear whether De Jesus was still in the car when the photo was taken, according to a story in the Houston Chronicle. Houston police found the Cadillac early Tuesday at an apartment complex in the 6000 block of West Airport.

Tim Miller, the director of EquuSearch, has organized volunteers to search for the missing woman today.

"We have one fairly small girl and really and truly, a big area," said Miller to the Houston Chronicle. "Where do you start with something like that?"

Based on phone calls he has received, Miller said he expects a huge turnout of volunteers today as a widespread search for Susana De Jesus begins.

The ATM where the man was photographed is about 11 miles from the store and another 11 miles from where the car was found.

Miller, who founded Texas EquuSearch after the 1984 abduction and murder of his daughter, Laura, said he and others in the group were trying to decide which of those three locations should be the focus of today's search.

Police said they don’t know why De Jesus was targeted.

Brazoria County sheriff’s Capt. Chris Kincheloe told the Chronicle investigators are not sure whether the abduction has any connection to a recent series of home-invasion robberies in Pearland and other communities in the area. Each of the crimes has been different, he said.
Miller said single women driving impressive new cars—such as De Jesus’ Cadillac—sometimes become targets.

“I don’t believe this was just random,” he said of the kidnapping. “I would anticipate he’d seen her over a few days or few weeks.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office at 281-756-2392, or investigator Wade Nichols at 281-756-2220. Brazoria County Crime Stoppers also is taking anonymous tips at 800-460-2222.

I’m hoping this will give just a little more publicity to the search for this woman. Maybe she is still alive–and maybe a random sighting will help discover her location.

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Casey Anthony’s Attorney Goes After Volunteers Who Searched for Caylee

Hunt for Justice by Cynthia Hunt

The defense attorney for America’s most notorious jailed mother is targeting volunteers who searched for Caylee Anthony, and it has Tim Miller fuming mad.

Attorney Jose Baez (pictured left with Anthony) is trying to force Texas Equusearch to give him every single record the organization has—more than 20,000 documents. Equusearch searched for Caylee, but it was not them who located her body in the end. Tim Miller leads the well-known nonprofit search organization, and he’s ready for a fight.

“Jose Baez, as far as I'm concerned, is not going to get one single piece of paper from me. Not one piece of paper,” Tim Miller told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Channel’s Monday Night broadcast.

“These volunteers have been very, very valuable in the past on searches. They're going to be very valuable in the future on searches for missing children. And will they come the next time, when they're afraid that their information is going to be given out? We have not one piece of paper that will be valuable to Jose Baez in any way, shape or form. So I will fight this to the very, very end,” Miller said. (Picture Above Texas Equusearch had around 150 volunteers searching for Caylee September 1, 2008)

Tim Miller’s Story is One of Grieving Parent Turned Everyday Hero

If you don’t know Tim Miller’s story, you should. In 1984, Miller’s 16-year-old daughter Laura was abducted. During the next year and a half, Miller says he tried to drink himself to death. He knew in his heart that his daughter was dead, but the fact police never found Laura’s body made every parent’s worst nightmare even darker.

A year and a half after her disappearance, some kids stumbled onto a foul odor in a remote Galveston County field about an hour outside of Houston. The bodies of four girls had been buried and Laura Miller was one of them. A serial killer had used the field as a place to dump his young victims.

Miller never forgave himself for not searching every square foot of Texas for Laura. This father’s pain led to Miller’s founding of Texas Equusearch 15 years later (Miller left, at his daughter Laura's Grave).

As a reporter, I’ve watched Miller and his heroic army of volunteer searchers time and time again. They brave the worst weather and land conditions to exhaustively help families and police find missing people. They provide invaluable manpower and assistance that police just don’t have. Often Miller and his compassionate army will locate a body that in all likelihood would never have been found without them.

Miller’s single purpose for living is to provide this heroic service. You should see this compassionate man help families. He knows exactly how they feel. It’s been amazing for me to see the sacrifices he and his proficient and professional volunteers make. They take vacation time from work. They often use their own equipment and money to help. The leave their families and travel wherever needed. They suffer harsh weather conditions and the worst terrain just to serve families at their most desperate hour. (Left,Texas Equusearch volunteers comb the woods looking for Caylee)

Tim Miller has spent his entire life’s savings to fund Texas Equusearch which evolved into a nonprofit. In the group’s first six years, they found more than 500 bodies. They have helped in countless high profile cases, but they are just as quick to respond to any family in need. Many times I have seen Miller’s people searching even when police are barely working the case. Miller is expanding and starting new branches across the United States because the tragic business of missing people is booming.

Should Anthony’s Attorney Get Documents about Volunteer Searchers?

When I first heard Anthony’s defense attorney wanted Miller’s records, I felt conflicted. The pro-information journalist in me reasoned that since the search was done in public, for the public good, perhaps the information of all volunteers involved should be available to anyone who wants it. Journalists believe in free information, and that public light sanitizes events and helps ensure justice.

There is what’s right legally, and there’s what’s right ethically.

The thought of an attorney, who is defending the ultimate monster mother for the murder of her precious daughter, combing Miller’s volunteer records to try to find anything that could cast a shadow of doubt on his searchers, makes me sick.

However, there are legitimate legal questions that need answering. We still don’t know how long Caylee's body was buried in the woods near the Anthony home. Could the body have been placed there while Casey was in jail? Knowing the facts that all of us know—that’s unlikely.

Some questioned how Miller’s volunteers could have missed the remains when they were searching, but Miller explains that the wooded area was under several feet of water until recently; a fact police records substantiate. Miller didn’t want to search an area covered in three feet of water because he was afraid their equipment would damage the toddler’s body and the evidence if she were there.

How do you think the court will rule? Will Miller have to turn over all of his records to Casey’s attorney? What do you think is right?

Can you imagine a technicality that would allow this mother to walk free? I know you are thinking that will never happen. Two letters come to mind-O.J.

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To Write or Not to Write

by Diane Fanning

Throughout the publication of eight true crime books, I’ve heard from a lot of readers. Once in a while, I get what I consider is a slanted criticism. Some folks bash one of my books in an attempt to come to the defense of the perpetrator, telling me I am biased because I wrote that a convicted murderer is actually guilty. Other people simply do not want a book written about a particular case under any circumstances.

I collided with that reaction last week as I worked on a book about the Caylee Anthony case. I checked my inbox and found this email from Marty: “There is a rumor you have been given a contract to write a book on the Caylee Anthony story and her egg donor. Is this true?

If so, shame on you. Just another vulture profiting from this heinous crime. This poor child has not even been laid to rest and the vultures are circling. I will not purchase your books or anyone who tries to profit on the blood of sweet Caylee.”

I responded: “My objective in writing is to memorialize the victim so that all of my readers understand the great loss we as a society suffer when an innocent is killed through an act of violence. And to educate and empower my readers to limit the incidents of homicide.”

That’s when I learned why Marty was so distressed. She thought that the Anthony family would profit from my book and she suspected the family aided and abetted Casey. She was certain that I could not write about the story without the permission of the family.

That is one of the most persistent myths of true crime writing and it’s not true. When a story is news, a true crime writer, just like a newspaper or television journalist or a blogger can write about it—no permission needed.

Marty, though, did not believe me when I told her that I did not have a financial agreement with the Anthonys. Because of that, she was still angry and wrote: “Just disgusting. I intend on boycotting this particular book of yours, and any "sponsors" affiliated. I will also contact your publisher to convey my sentiments and I am gong to ask bloggers on "many" Internet sites to do the same. Get ready to be "bombarded". The public does not need you to tell us "Caylee's story".

Well, I was bombarded but not exactly as Marty imagined.

Only one other person sent a negative email. That woman wanted me to reconsider writing a book about Caylee. That’s another point where the reality of true crime writing calls the shots. I’d already signed a contract with my publisher. Once any writer signs, there is a legal obligation to produce a book. Changing your mind is not an option.

The rest of the flood of messages I received were positive—supportive not just of me but of the many other ethical people who write about crime in any medium. Stephanie’s email expressed that attitude but also praised this whole group: "I am a fan of Women in Crime Ink blog... I wanted you to know that I support your writing this book. Here's what I just recently posted:

‘This writer is a member of a fantastic group of women DEDICATED & DEVOTED to victims of crime.‘…I find it to be part of my personal integrity to financially support the work of highly devoted and ethical writers such as Diane Fanning. In other words, buying her book (or one like it that meets my standards) is my "vote" for responsible writing (and journalism) that is sensitive to the victim's sad story and attempts to explain in order to help others understand and be forewarned. I know that you would want some other family to gain insight that would prevent another precious little girl being murdered like Caylee, right? Well, only the GOOD books about this story will do so, not the shallow and sensationalized ones. And I believe D. Fanning is extremely ethical, responsible, and respectable. IMO.

‘Every time you read a news story about Caylee, someone is making money. Oh, well, news is different... No, it's not. It's just that news articles can only go so far. If you're like me, you hunt around for different sites, different articles, different authors of the articles to read about aspects of this case such as the psychology involved, about how the justice system in Florida works and is different from what I am used to, about the financial impact this case has had on the OCSO and the citizens of Orange County, about groups like TX Equusearch, about the shadiness of Kid Finders, etc., etc. Well, a book can put this all together for us and perhaps draw some well-founded conclusions and thoughts and I am looking forward to reading such a book, by such a person as is a member of Women In Crime Ink.'”

Thank you, Stephanie! I’ve always been proud to be part of this incredible group of woman, but never more than now.

Writing true crime is challenging and, at times, heartbreaking work. We are often haunted by crime scene photographs, sickened by autopsy reports, threatened with law suits and revolted by some of the people we interview.

One of the things that keeps me going are readers like Stephanie who understand that knowledge is empowering and possesses the potential for saving lives. I write true crime books because I want to understand why these crimes happen and how I can protect myself and loved ones from becoming victims--and to share that information with my readers.

In short, I write true crime because I want to make a difference.

I can't do anything for Caylee but honor her memory with my words. But I hope that what I am writing about this little girl will one day be used by someone to protect the life of another innocent child.

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Scared Monkeys Tonight

The Dana Pretzer Show On Scared Monkeys Radio

Sunday, December 21, 2008 - Tonight’s Guests: ADA Robin Sax, Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch, Victims’ Right Advocate Wendy Murphy and Author Diane Fanning .

Tune in tonight LIVE at 9:00 eastern as Dana Pretzer welcomes the following guests:

ADA Robin Sax – She will be discussing her new book “Predators and Child Molesters: What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Kids Safe”

Wendy Murphy, a victims’ rights, sex crimes, violence against women and children advocate and the author of And Justice for Some will be discussing the Casey Anthony case and the recent events in the discovery of Caylee Anthony.

Author Diane Fanning will be discussing her new book The Pastors Wife the story of the Mary Winkler case. She has also just signed a contract to write a book on the Anthony case.

Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch will be discussing the Caylee Anthony case.

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