Two years and counting..........
Jennifer you are still in our thoughts and prayers.
Lord, please bring her home to her family and friends and let the truth be shown for all to see.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Still waiting................
Another Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone, but Jennifer is still nowhere to be found. I would imagine that this was an exceptionally hard time for her children, parents, other family members and friends.
If there is anyone at all out there that reads this blog, and you know something......anything at all about Jennifer's disappearance, please contact the Madison County Sheriff's Dept. Just put yourself in the shoes of her children, parents, family members and friends. If Jennifer was one of your loved-ones, wouldn't you want someone to speak out and possibly give you the closure that this family so desperately needs.
If there is anyone at all out there that reads this blog, and you know something......anything at all about Jennifer's disappearance, please contact the Madison County Sheriff's Dept. Just put yourself in the shoes of her children, parents, family members and friends. If Jennifer was one of your loved-ones, wouldn't you want someone to speak out and possibly give you the closure that this family so desperately needs.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Just a note to say.........
Jennifer, you are still thought about each and every day. We will never forget you and we will never stop putting your name and face out there, until you are found and brought home to those that love you.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Have You Ever Wondered..............
Have you ever wondered what goes thru the mind of a killer? Due to the fact that I used to work for a criminal defense attorney, that had also been the D.A. for a number years, prior to my employment with him, I was faced with having to think about this daily.
I worked a number of major murder cases with this attorney, as well as helping with research on capital murder cases that he was compiling for several books. Things that I learned about the criminal mind astounded me.
I learned for example, that there are those that kill, simply for the thrill of killing. These people are usually known for serial killings or mass murders. I learned that there are those that kill as a means of self-survival. These are people that are threatened, or their families are threatened with harm or death at that vital moment. I learned that there are people that kill in the spur of the moment, either for what is known as a "crime of passion", or because things simply got out of hand at the moment. These are people that kill because they feel that they have been pushed to the edge by a loved one, or simply got backed into a corner, with what they felt was no way out.
I know that Jennifer is dead. There is no other excuse for her not contacting her mother and children. There is no other excuse for her simply vanishing in the middle of the night. We have talked to many people that knew Jennifer personally for years. Each and every one of them have told us the exact same thing......Jennifer's children were her life and she would never have willingly just walked away from them for ANY reason. They have told us that the few times that Jennifer did leave her husband, that her children were always taken with her.
To me, this indicates that Jennifer was either a victim of a "crime of passion", or a crime that involved someone feeling that they had been backed into a corner with no way out. Due to the fact that Jennifer was such a small woman, I highly doubt that she had made anyone feel that they had been backed into a corner. Therefore, that leaves her being the victim of a crime of passion.
Please note that the things that I am about to write are only my feelings and observations concerning Jennifer's disappearance. They are not facts, simply my opinion of what may have happened to her.
In my opinion, Jennifer was not killed by simply a friend or acquaintance. I do not think that she was killed by a drug dealer that she owed money to. I truly believe that Jennifer was killed by someone close to her. Whether it was a deliberate premeditated murder, or a crime of passion....we will never know for sure. We can never know for sure, because Jennifer is not here to tell her side of the story about what happened in those early morning hours of July 12, 2008. Only the person that took her life is left to tell the story.
You have to wonder just how the person that took her life is carrying on in their day to day life. Are they simply going along as though they did nothing, with no remorse or guilt? OR, are the sins of their deeds living in their mind each and every day, each and every minute of the day? Do they think about the daughter and mother whose life they took? Do they think about how her mother must feel knowing that she will never see her daughter's face or hear her laughter again in this life time? Do they think about how her children must feel? They no longer have a mother there to greet them when they come home from school. They no longer have a mother there to listen to their problems. They no longer have a mother there to plan birthday parties and share in another year passed with them. They have no mother to decorate the Christmas tree and make sure that those special gifts that they wanted so badly are under the tree. They have no mother that will be there when they graduate from school. They have no mother to be there when they marry. Her daughters have no mother to be there when their children are born. They have no mother to simply say "I love you" to them, for no reason other than that she did love them.
Unfortunately, her children will probably go thru life believing that their mother did NOT love them and just walked away. Can you imagine how any child would feel, thinking that their very own mother did not love them or want them?
I sincerely hope that the person that took Jennifer from the people that loved and needed her, think about how she looked at the very moment the life drained from her body. I hope that they remember her face and her last words to them. I hope that they get to the point that they will no longer be able to function as a happy, normal person. I hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts their sleep until they are unable to sleep. I hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts their daily life, until they are unable to work.
As I have said before, I wonder if the person who killed Jennifer thinks that they will be given any mercy when they have to stand before God on their day of judgment. They can lie to humans and sometimes get away with it. However, you can never lie to God. He knows everything that you do and everything that you think. Do you honestly think that He will look at you when you stand before Him and believe your lies about her death and your part in it? It is not my place to judge you.....however I truly believe that He will cast you away from Him and that you will pay for all eternity for your part in Jennifer's death. The punishment that you would receive here on this earth and in this lifetime, is nothing compared to the punishment that God is able to pass down on your soul.
My greatest hope is that they will be man enough to stand up and admit to what they have done to this beautiful mother of 3. I sincerely hope that they do not choose to take the cowards way out, and end their own life. If they do decide that they cannot live with themself and try to take the cowards way out, I hope that they will at least have the decency to leave a letter telling what happened to Jennifer and where her remains can be found. They at least owe this to her mother and children.
Jennifer's family has spent over a year wondering who killed her and where she is at. The very least that someone could do, is to put them out of their misery and allow them to know where she is, so that they can bring her home and give her the decent Christian burial that she deserves.
I worked a number of major murder cases with this attorney, as well as helping with research on capital murder cases that he was compiling for several books. Things that I learned about the criminal mind astounded me.
I learned for example, that there are those that kill, simply for the thrill of killing. These people are usually known for serial killings or mass murders. I learned that there are those that kill as a means of self-survival. These are people that are threatened, or their families are threatened with harm or death at that vital moment. I learned that there are people that kill in the spur of the moment, either for what is known as a "crime of passion", or because things simply got out of hand at the moment. These are people that kill because they feel that they have been pushed to the edge by a loved one, or simply got backed into a corner, with what they felt was no way out.
I know that Jennifer is dead. There is no other excuse for her not contacting her mother and children. There is no other excuse for her simply vanishing in the middle of the night. We have talked to many people that knew Jennifer personally for years. Each and every one of them have told us the exact same thing......Jennifer's children were her life and she would never have willingly just walked away from them for ANY reason. They have told us that the few times that Jennifer did leave her husband, that her children were always taken with her.
To me, this indicates that Jennifer was either a victim of a "crime of passion", or a crime that involved someone feeling that they had been backed into a corner with no way out. Due to the fact that Jennifer was such a small woman, I highly doubt that she had made anyone feel that they had been backed into a corner. Therefore, that leaves her being the victim of a crime of passion.
Please note that the things that I am about to write are only my feelings and observations concerning Jennifer's disappearance. They are not facts, simply my opinion of what may have happened to her.
In my opinion, Jennifer was not killed by simply a friend or acquaintance. I do not think that she was killed by a drug dealer that she owed money to. I truly believe that Jennifer was killed by someone close to her. Whether it was a deliberate premeditated murder, or a crime of passion....we will never know for sure. We can never know for sure, because Jennifer is not here to tell her side of the story about what happened in those early morning hours of July 12, 2008. Only the person that took her life is left to tell the story.
You have to wonder just how the person that took her life is carrying on in their day to day life. Are they simply going along as though they did nothing, with no remorse or guilt? OR, are the sins of their deeds living in their mind each and every day, each and every minute of the day? Do they think about the daughter and mother whose life they took? Do they think about how her mother must feel knowing that she will never see her daughter's face or hear her laughter again in this life time? Do they think about how her children must feel? They no longer have a mother there to greet them when they come home from school. They no longer have a mother there to listen to their problems. They no longer have a mother there to plan birthday parties and share in another year passed with them. They have no mother to decorate the Christmas tree and make sure that those special gifts that they wanted so badly are under the tree. They have no mother that will be there when they graduate from school. They have no mother to be there when they marry. Her daughters have no mother to be there when their children are born. They have no mother to simply say "I love you" to them, for no reason other than that she did love them.
Unfortunately, her children will probably go thru life believing that their mother did NOT love them and just walked away. Can you imagine how any child would feel, thinking that their very own mother did not love them or want them?
I sincerely hope that the person that took Jennifer from the people that loved and needed her, think about how she looked at the very moment the life drained from her body. I hope that they remember her face and her last words to them. I hope that they get to the point that they will no longer be able to function as a happy, normal person. I hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts their sleep until they are unable to sleep. I hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts their daily life, until they are unable to work.
As I have said before, I wonder if the person who killed Jennifer thinks that they will be given any mercy when they have to stand before God on their day of judgment. They can lie to humans and sometimes get away with it. However, you can never lie to God. He knows everything that you do and everything that you think. Do you honestly think that He will look at you when you stand before Him and believe your lies about her death and your part in it? It is not my place to judge you.....however I truly believe that He will cast you away from Him and that you will pay for all eternity for your part in Jennifer's death. The punishment that you would receive here on this earth and in this lifetime, is nothing compared to the punishment that God is able to pass down on your soul.
My greatest hope is that they will be man enough to stand up and admit to what they have done to this beautiful mother of 3. I sincerely hope that they do not choose to take the cowards way out, and end their own life. If they do decide that they cannot live with themself and try to take the cowards way out, I hope that they will at least have the decency to leave a letter telling what happened to Jennifer and where her remains can be found. They at least owe this to her mother and children.
Jennifer's family has spent over a year wondering who killed her and where she is at. The very least that someone could do, is to put them out of their misery and allow them to know where she is, so that they can bring her home and give her the decent Christian burial that she deserves.
Monday, July 13, 2009
One year and still waiting...........
Yesterday marked the one year anniversary since Jennifer disappeared. One year of 3 children not knowing where their mother is, or what has happened to her. One year of them possibly thinking that their mother did not love them enough to stay with them. One year of questions that have yet to be answered.
I have personally talked to people that have known Jennifer for many years. Every single one of them have told me that they know for a fact, that her children were the most important thing in her life and that she would have never willingly just walked away from them. Every single one of them have told me that she loved her children more than life itself. Every single one of them have told me that Jennifer personally told them just how unhappy she was in her marriage.
If Jennifer has told so many people the same thing at different times, it is impossible that they are all lying. They could not have possibly gotten together and said,"OK, if anyone asks this is what we say.". Why is this so impossible? Because some of these people do not even know each other personally.
Someone very close to Jennifer knows what has happened to her. Someone very close to Jennifer knows exactly where she is. Someone very close to Jennifer knows that she did not just get up in the middle of the night and walk away from her home and children, leaving her medications, her wallet containing all of her personal identification, her cigarettes and Heaven only knows what other personal items. Someone very close to Jennifer has to live every day with the fact that they are holding this information inside. They have to live with the fact that her children are suffering on a daily basis. They have to live with the fact, that no matter what they may do, her children are NEVER going to forget their mother and they are never going to stop wondering where she is and what has happened to her.
Jennifer's children will someday be adults. When they become adults, who is to say that they are not going to wage an all out investigation into their mother's disappearance? What is going to happen when they find out what did happen to her? Does the person holding the information that they need, think that they will be forgiven for taking the one person away from them that they so desperately needed while they were growing up? Do they think that they will be forgiven for taking Jennifer from her children's graduations, weddings and the birth of their children......her grandchildren?
I for one, hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts the person that has taken her from her children. I hope that her face and voice haunts them at every turn, whether they be sleeping, working, playing, taking a shower, or whatever else they may do throughout their day. I hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts them for the remainder of their days on this earth. Do they think that God will show them more mercy than they showed to Jennifer, when they stand before Him on their day of judgment? They really need to think about that...........
Jennifer, you may be gone......but you will never be forgotten.
I have personally talked to people that have known Jennifer for many years. Every single one of them have told me that they know for a fact, that her children were the most important thing in her life and that she would have never willingly just walked away from them. Every single one of them have told me that she loved her children more than life itself. Every single one of them have told me that Jennifer personally told them just how unhappy she was in her marriage.
If Jennifer has told so many people the same thing at different times, it is impossible that they are all lying. They could not have possibly gotten together and said,"OK, if anyone asks this is what we say.". Why is this so impossible? Because some of these people do not even know each other personally.
Someone very close to Jennifer knows what has happened to her. Someone very close to Jennifer knows exactly where she is. Someone very close to Jennifer knows that she did not just get up in the middle of the night and walk away from her home and children, leaving her medications, her wallet containing all of her personal identification, her cigarettes and Heaven only knows what other personal items. Someone very close to Jennifer has to live every day with the fact that they are holding this information inside. They have to live with the fact that her children are suffering on a daily basis. They have to live with the fact, that no matter what they may do, her children are NEVER going to forget their mother and they are never going to stop wondering where she is and what has happened to her.
Jennifer's children will someday be adults. When they become adults, who is to say that they are not going to wage an all out investigation into their mother's disappearance? What is going to happen when they find out what did happen to her? Does the person holding the information that they need, think that they will be forgiven for taking the one person away from them that they so desperately needed while they were growing up? Do they think that they will be forgiven for taking Jennifer from her children's graduations, weddings and the birth of their children......her grandchildren?
I for one, hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts the person that has taken her from her children. I hope that her face and voice haunts them at every turn, whether they be sleeping, working, playing, taking a shower, or whatever else they may do throughout their day. I hope that Jennifer's face and voice haunts them for the remainder of their days on this earth. Do they think that God will show them more mercy than they showed to Jennifer, when they stand before Him on their day of judgment? They really need to think about that...........
Jennifer, you may be gone......but you will never be forgotten.
Friday, June 12, 2009
11 months and counting.............
It sure doesn't seem like it's been 11 months...almost a whole year since Jennifer went missing. It is such a shame that this lovely young mother has still not been found, or heard from after all this time.
Thoughts and prayers go out to her children, family and friends. May God hold you close in his peace and love.
Thoughts and prayers go out to her children, family and friends. May God hold you close in his peace and love.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
8 Months and counting...........
Today marks the 8th month anniversary of Jennifer's disappearance. There still has been no word from her. There still have no sightings of her.
If anyone knows anything at all, no matter how small or insignificant you may think that it is......please contact the Madison County Sheriff's Dept. This beautiful young woman is a wife, mother, daughter and friend. Everyone that knows and loves her, has the right to know what has happened to her.
If this were your daughter, wife, mother, sister or friend......what would you do?
If anyone knows anything at all, no matter how small or insignificant you may think that it is......please contact the Madison County Sheriff's Dept. This beautiful young woman is a wife, mother, daughter and friend. Everyone that knows and loves her, has the right to know what has happened to her.
If this were your daughter, wife, mother, sister or friend......what would you do?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Channel 31 Interview
We were so very glad to see the interviews with Jennifer's parents and husband on WAAY TV. We also appreciate the thanks from her Dad and Mom, concerning the search party that we have worked on forming for the 6th of Dec.
My heart goes out to her children and parents. You can tell by simply watching and listening just how much pain they are in. I sincerely hope that this search turns up something that will enable the authorities to find Jennifer.
What bothered me, was the portion of the interview given by Jennifer's husband. He really didn't show any signs of being upset about her being gone, except for wiping at his eyes one time. He is "hurt" that people that don't know him or know of his "love for Jennifer", thinking that he could have had something to do with her disappearance.
I still do not think that he "gets it". It isn't just that he's suspected, as the husband of a woman that is missing in the public's opinion. It has been his actions during this horrible time that have made him seem suspect to the public. If he did want to look suspicious, then maybe he should not have waited 2 WEEKS to report Jennifer as missing. If he did not want to look suspicious, then maybe he should not have been standing around within days of her being missing, openly flirting and laughing with a fellow employee that was a female, for all to see. If he did not want to look suspicious, then maybe he should not have waited until he found out that someone other than himself, has organized a search party to look for his wife. He needs to understand that it has been no one but himself, that has made himself look guilty of something in the disappearance of Jennifer.
I personally think that he knows more than he is willing to tell anyone about her being missing. I will say this, AGAIN.......IF he is completely innocent in the disappearance of his beautiful wife, I will personally stand on the courthouse steps, during the busiest part of the day and make a public apology to him, for ever thinking that he might be guilty of something in this case. HOWEVER, if he does know something, and he is guilty of being involved in her disappearance, then I will make a point of sitting in the courtroom every single day of his trial, and pushing for the strongest sentence possible to be handed down to him.
My heart goes out to her children and parents. You can tell by simply watching and listening just how much pain they are in. I sincerely hope that this search turns up something that will enable the authorities to find Jennifer.
What bothered me, was the portion of the interview given by Jennifer's husband. He really didn't show any signs of being upset about her being gone, except for wiping at his eyes one time. He is "hurt" that people that don't know him or know of his "love for Jennifer", thinking that he could have had something to do with her disappearance.
I still do not think that he "gets it". It isn't just that he's suspected, as the husband of a woman that is missing in the public's opinion. It has been his actions during this horrible time that have made him seem suspect to the public. If he did want to look suspicious, then maybe he should not have waited 2 WEEKS to report Jennifer as missing. If he did not want to look suspicious, then maybe he should not have been standing around within days of her being missing, openly flirting and laughing with a fellow employee that was a female, for all to see. If he did not want to look suspicious, then maybe he should not have waited until he found out that someone other than himself, has organized a search party to look for his wife. He needs to understand that it has been no one but himself, that has made himself look guilty of something in the disappearance of Jennifer.
I personally think that he knows more than he is willing to tell anyone about her being missing. I will say this, AGAIN.......IF he is completely innocent in the disappearance of his beautiful wife, I will personally stand on the courthouse steps, during the busiest part of the day and make a public apology to him, for ever thinking that he might be guilty of something in this case. HOWEVER, if he does know something, and he is guilty of being involved in her disappearance, then I will make a point of sitting in the courtroom every single day of his trial, and pushing for the strongest sentence possible to be handed down to him.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Search Party Times and Dates
We have planned a search party to look for Jennifer Powers. Please read the information and if you have any questions please ask.
Search Party time and date set for Jennifer Powers missing from Harvest, Alabama.
The date for the search party is Saturday December 6, 2008 and possible December 7. The meeting point will be at Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama. We will be meeting between 8:30-9:00 am there.
Please try to wear boots if possible and bring a flash light since we will be walking through wooded areas. Trash bags will be provided to everyone to place your trash in while walking through the woods. If you can please bring a small notepad and pen with you to take notes of the area you are in.
Please respect her family during this hard time. With the Holiday season closing in on us we don’t want them to feel any more pressure. We don’t require them there, but her family is more than welcome to join us. Remember she has 3 children and a husband at home.
If you have any questions please email helpfindher@live.com with your questions. If you would like to join us you can email and let us know, if you don’t email and still would like to join us on this search please feel free to show up at the High School.
There will be a 15-20 minute briefing starting at 9:05 am to go over all the information with everyone.
Thank you,
Helpfindher
Search Party time and date set for Jennifer Powers missing from Harvest, Alabama.
The date for the search party is Saturday December 6, 2008 and possible December 7. The meeting point will be at Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama. We will be meeting between 8:30-9:00 am there.
Please try to wear boots if possible and bring a flash light since we will be walking through wooded areas. Trash bags will be provided to everyone to place your trash in while walking through the woods. If you can please bring a small notepad and pen with you to take notes of the area you are in.
Please respect her family during this hard time. With the Holiday season closing in on us we don’t want them to feel any more pressure. We don’t require them there, but her family is more than welcome to join us. Remember she has 3 children and a husband at home.
If you have any questions please email helpfindher@live.com with your questions. If you would like to join us you can email and let us know, if you don’t email and still would like to join us on this search please feel free to show up at the High School.
There will be a 15-20 minute briefing starting at 9:05 am to go over all the information with everyone.
Thank you,
Helpfindher
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
4 Months and Counting.........
Today marks the 4 month anniversary of the disappearance of Jennifer Powers.
It has been 4 months with no word from this beautiful young mother of 3 children. According to her husband, Jason, she simply got up in the night and left their home. In addition to leaving her 3 children alone with no mother, she also supposedly left her wallet, containing her driver's license and other important documents that all women keep in their purse or wallet.
If her husband is to be believed, Jennifer walked away from everything that was her life. But, he also waited approximately 2 weeks of Jennifer being gone to contact the Madison County Sheriff's Department, to file a missing persons report on her disappearance.
He has made no attempt to make a public plea with the news stations or the local newspaper to get the info about Jennifer out to the public. He has made no attempt to have any search parties formed in an attempt to find Jennifer. He has made no attempt whatsoever to find his wife and the mother of his children.
We ask that you continue to remember Jennifer, her children and parents, in your prayers. Please pray that she will be found.....one way or another. Jennifer's 3 children, her parents, other family members and friends deserve to know what has happened to her. They deserve to be able to lay this matter to rest and start their long over due healing process.
If you have any info at all on the disappearance of Jennifer Powers, please call the investigations division of the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
It has been 4 months with no word from this beautiful young mother of 3 children. According to her husband, Jason, she simply got up in the night and left their home. In addition to leaving her 3 children alone with no mother, she also supposedly left her wallet, containing her driver's license and other important documents that all women keep in their purse or wallet.
If her husband is to be believed, Jennifer walked away from everything that was her life. But, he also waited approximately 2 weeks of Jennifer being gone to contact the Madison County Sheriff's Department, to file a missing persons report on her disappearance.
He has made no attempt to make a public plea with the news stations or the local newspaper to get the info about Jennifer out to the public. He has made no attempt to have any search parties formed in an attempt to find Jennifer. He has made no attempt whatsoever to find his wife and the mother of his children.
We ask that you continue to remember Jennifer, her children and parents, in your prayers. Please pray that she will be found.....one way or another. Jennifer's 3 children, her parents, other family members and friends deserve to know what has happened to her. They deserve to be able to lay this matter to rest and start their long over due healing process.
If you have any info at all on the disappearance of Jennifer Powers, please call the investigations division of the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Two weeks and counting.............
YES.......2 weeks and counting.........
In 2 weeks, I will be home for the holidays. I will be there until after Christmas, and I have MANY plans for this trip.
Of course, next to spending time with my family, my top priority will be helping to organize an actual search for Jennifer. Anyone that reads this blog, is more than welcome to join us. All you need to do is contact either of us by email and we will be more than happy to give you the details and what you will need to bring with you.
I have satellite maps of the area where Jennifer lived. These show all wooded areas and bodies of water that are located within several miles of her home. We will be using these maps as starting points and marking each area as it is searched. We sincerely hope that you will join us in an effort to find this beautiful young woman. Jennifer's 3 children and family have a right to know what has happened to her.
With that being said, I would like to take the time to add something here that has been bothering me. Please bare with me on this and try to understand that I'm merely an outsider trying to put the pieces together with this case, and posting my thoughts.
Jennifer's husband, Jason, apparently has been fired from his job. With that being said, let me say that I understand that he has to take the time to find new employment to financially support himself and the children. However, I'm most concerned that with extra time on his hands, he has not taken any of that time to remind people publicly that his wife has just vanished. There have been no reports of any searches. There have been no more articles written about Jennifer. There have been no news updates on any tv stations, or requests by Jason for help in finding his wife.
Why is he keeping silent? Why did he wait 2 weeks to report Jennifer missing? There are just so many why's that he has not taken the time to answer. As someone that worked in the legal field, it leads me to think that he does not want Jennifer to be found. Then, that brings me around to wondering why a man would not want his wife found. In my experience, the majority of people that have a spouse that has just vanished into thin air, would be shouting from the rooftops until that spouse was found. They would move Heaven and earth to find them. That doesn't seem to be the case with Jennifer's husband, so again I have to wonder "why?".
If I could see him face to face, I would have to say the following to him, "Jason, if you truly loved your beautiful wife, Jennifer, and you truly love the beautiful children that Jennifer gave you by birth, why don't you seem to want her found? Why, Jason, why?"
In 2 weeks, I will be home for the holidays. I will be there until after Christmas, and I have MANY plans for this trip.
Of course, next to spending time with my family, my top priority will be helping to organize an actual search for Jennifer. Anyone that reads this blog, is more than welcome to join us. All you need to do is contact either of us by email and we will be more than happy to give you the details and what you will need to bring with you.
I have satellite maps of the area where Jennifer lived. These show all wooded areas and bodies of water that are located within several miles of her home. We will be using these maps as starting points and marking each area as it is searched. We sincerely hope that you will join us in an effort to find this beautiful young woman. Jennifer's 3 children and family have a right to know what has happened to her.
With that being said, I would like to take the time to add something here that has been bothering me. Please bare with me on this and try to understand that I'm merely an outsider trying to put the pieces together with this case, and posting my thoughts.
Jennifer's husband, Jason, apparently has been fired from his job. With that being said, let me say that I understand that he has to take the time to find new employment to financially support himself and the children. However, I'm most concerned that with extra time on his hands, he has not taken any of that time to remind people publicly that his wife has just vanished. There have been no reports of any searches. There have been no more articles written about Jennifer. There have been no news updates on any tv stations, or requests by Jason for help in finding his wife.
Why is he keeping silent? Why did he wait 2 weeks to report Jennifer missing? There are just so many why's that he has not taken the time to answer. As someone that worked in the legal field, it leads me to think that he does not want Jennifer to be found. Then, that brings me around to wondering why a man would not want his wife found. In my experience, the majority of people that have a spouse that has just vanished into thin air, would be shouting from the rooftops until that spouse was found. They would move Heaven and earth to find them. That doesn't seem to be the case with Jennifer's husband, so again I have to wonder "why?".
If I could see him face to face, I would have to say the following to him, "Jason, if you truly loved your beautiful wife, Jennifer, and you truly love the beautiful children that Jennifer gave you by birth, why don't you seem to want her found? Why, Jason, why?"
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Things to ponder.............
As more time passes with Jennifer remaining missing, more questions and thoughts come to mind.
Some of those thoughts and questions are:
Someone has to know more about this case than they are sharing with the authorities. Maybe a neighbor saw something but is afraid to speak out. Maybe something was said to a friend, that they didn't think was important at the time. Maybe she didn't just walk away.
Everyone that knows anything about women, knows for a fact that they never leave home without their purse or wallet. That would be like leaving home with no clothes on to women. We have those things with us no matter where we go. We keep hearing stories from a few that say Jennifer had a drug problem. Well, how would she buy the drugs if she didn't have her wallet and money? That isn't something that you can get for free!
Did Jennifer have her own personal vehicle to drive? If she did, was it still at her home.....or was it missing also? If she did have a vehicle, and it's gone, she would need her drivers license. That once again points back to the wallet being left behind.
Did Jennifer have an ATM card or credit card? If she did, that again goes back to her wallet being left behind. If she had either or both of these, she would need them to get money. Have there been any cash withdrawals made on either of her cards? She would have to have money to eat at the very least.
Did Jennifer just leave her home wearing what she slept in? Did she take the time to change clothes before leaving? If she took the time to find clothes and change, wouldn't her husband hear her and wake up? If she didn't change before leaving, where could she go wearing either a nightshirt, nightgown or pj's? If a woman was walking around like that somewhere, she would most definitely be noticed.
Then there are the 3 children. Does anyone actually believe that it's OK for those kids to think that their mother just walked out on them? I don't care how many times you say "Oh, the kids are doing great", you have no idea as to what is going on in their minds. Do you honestly think that it's alright for these beautiful children to think that their mother doesn't love or want them? Is it OK for them to spend the rest of their lives believing that they were not worthy of their mother's love? Is it OK for them to believe that they may have done something that would make their mother leave them?
If anyone honestly believes that it's alright for these children to be put in this position......then you have no heart and you certainly do not truly love them. No one could love a child and let them live in the world that they have been thrown into.
SOMEONE knows something. SOMEONE knows what happened that night. SOMEONE knows where Jennifer is. SOMEONE is living in a world that will come crashing down around their heads when they least expect it. It may not be this week. It may not be this month. It may not be this year. It might be 30 years down the road, just like in the Jean Zapata case. But someday, when you least expect it and you think that Jennifer has been forgotten........it will catch up with you.
Some of those thoughts and questions are:
Someone has to know more about this case than they are sharing with the authorities. Maybe a neighbor saw something but is afraid to speak out. Maybe something was said to a friend, that they didn't think was important at the time. Maybe she didn't just walk away.
Everyone that knows anything about women, knows for a fact that they never leave home without their purse or wallet. That would be like leaving home with no clothes on to women. We have those things with us no matter where we go. We keep hearing stories from a few that say Jennifer had a drug problem. Well, how would she buy the drugs if she didn't have her wallet and money? That isn't something that you can get for free!
Did Jennifer have her own personal vehicle to drive? If she did, was it still at her home.....or was it missing also? If she did have a vehicle, and it's gone, she would need her drivers license. That once again points back to the wallet being left behind.
Did Jennifer have an ATM card or credit card? If she did, that again goes back to her wallet being left behind. If she had either or both of these, she would need them to get money. Have there been any cash withdrawals made on either of her cards? She would have to have money to eat at the very least.
Did Jennifer just leave her home wearing what she slept in? Did she take the time to change clothes before leaving? If she took the time to find clothes and change, wouldn't her husband hear her and wake up? If she didn't change before leaving, where could she go wearing either a nightshirt, nightgown or pj's? If a woman was walking around like that somewhere, she would most definitely be noticed.
Then there are the 3 children. Does anyone actually believe that it's OK for those kids to think that their mother just walked out on them? I don't care how many times you say "Oh, the kids are doing great", you have no idea as to what is going on in their minds. Do you honestly think that it's alright for these beautiful children to think that their mother doesn't love or want them? Is it OK for them to spend the rest of their lives believing that they were not worthy of their mother's love? Is it OK for them to believe that they may have done something that would make their mother leave them?
If anyone honestly believes that it's alright for these children to be put in this position......then you have no heart and you certainly do not truly love them. No one could love a child and let them live in the world that they have been thrown into.
SOMEONE knows something. SOMEONE knows what happened that night. SOMEONE knows where Jennifer is. SOMEONE is living in a world that will come crashing down around their heads when they least expect it. It may not be this week. It may not be this month. It may not be this year. It might be 30 years down the road, just like in the Jean Zapata case. But someday, when you least expect it and you think that Jennifer has been forgotten........it will catch up with you.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Into Thin Air.....48 Hours Mystery
I watched a very interesting 48 Hours Mystery over the weekend. What I saw, reminded me of the way that Jennifer vanished. The following is a recap of the show.
Jean Zapata vanished from her home in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1976. She left behind 3 children, friends and a mystery that would take over 30 yrs. to solve.
Her daughter, Linda, remembers that she spent her whole life from age 11 just telling people that her mother had abandoned her, when they would ask about Jean. She only knew what her father had told her on the day that her mother had disappeared. "At age 11, when my dad said she took off because she was stressed out, it was cemented in my head. She took off and she's raising another family somewhere."
But, had Jean really just taken off and left her family and friends behind?
Jean's best friend, Peggy Weekly, never believed that Jean would simply abandon her family. Peggy said that because of the way that Jean had been raised, she would never have walked out on her children. It was just too deeply ingrained into Jean to take care of her kids and be a mom.
It all started in Madison in the early 1950's, when Peggy and Jean became best friends. Peggy was with her best friend for all of the good times, including when Jean married Eugene Zapata. Jean and Eugene had 3 children, Christine, Steve and Linda.
Eugene was an engineer that worked for the Dept. of Transportation and Jean was one of a few female flight instructors.
At home, things were not going well. According to Peggy, Jean was happy in her marriage for the first half of their time together. But, it became one of those marriages where behind closed doors, there was trouble.
According to Peggy, "Jean told me that they were having problems in the bedroom, but she didn't go into any detail at all. She seemed to think that he had a lot more testosterone before they said "I do". But, we didn't talk about that a lot. After all, we were nice girls, and nice girls didn't have problems with their marriage."
Jean wanted to try to keep the spark alive in her marriage, even if it meant agreeing to do things that "nice girls" didn't always do. But no matter what she did, nothing worked. Eugene moved out of the house.
On Monday, Oct. 11, 1976, Linda remembers seeing her mother drinking her morning coffee. Linda left for school and never saw her mother again.
Ivan Norton worked with Jean at the flight school, and was surprised when she didn't show up to teach a student pilot that day.
At the house, where Jean lived with the 3 kids, Eugene was already explaining to the children where their mother was. Linda remembers asking her father where her mom was at. He told her that she probably needed a vacation or break and that she would probably be home in a couple of weeks.
When Jean didn't show up for work after 3 days, Ivan Norton called the police and then called Eugene. "I says, 'Well, hey, have you turned her in missing to the police?' 'No, I haven't done it" said Eugene. And I said "Well, you don't have to. I did", Ivan recalls.
A week after Jean went missing, Police Officer Greg Martin showed up at the Zapata house. He was trying out for the detective squad, so he was assigned to what had been classified as just a routine missing persons case. "I went in and I noticed there was no damage, no evidence of a fight, no evidence of a struggle or anything that we could see. The first thing I noticed that was totally out of order was that her purse was there," he remembers. "A woman goes nowhere without her purse."
Officially, Jean Zapata was classified as a missing person by the Madison, Wisconsin police department. But, Martin was learning some things about the Zapata's marriage, which added to his suspicions. "Eugene had placed an ad for her in a swingers type magazine."
One day the post office had called Jean to complain about some x-rated material in a mailbox that was rented by Eugene. It was the first that she'd heard about a mailbox. She went to look and was horrified by what she found. According to her best friend, Peggy, "She (Jean) picks it up and is rifling through it, and she sees her own nude picture looking back at her, where her husband is pimping her out to anyone who subscribes to that magazine." Jean's divorce attorney, Daphne Webb, learned that the swingers' magazine was only part of the story.
Jean not only wanted a divorce, she wanted a restraining order.
Eugene moved out, but he did not move on. The divorce was bitter, and he seemed obsessed with Jean. "In today's terms, I would say she was describing stalking behavior. He would come to the house on the pretext of seeing the children, and he would go through her underwear drawer and her possessions. And, she found it very disturbing." Webb says.
The restraining order limited Eugene's visitation rights with the children to 9 am and 11am on Saturdays. That was the only time that he was permitted to be at the house.
On the Monday morning that Jean disappeared, she had phoned her attorney at about 8:15 am and left a message. When Webb returned the call about an hour later, it was Eugene that answered the phone. "Which was surprising because he was not supposed to be in the house." Webb points out.
When she was asked what she said to Eugene, Webb says, "Well, I said, 'I'm returning Jeanette's call.' And, he said, 'Well, I don't know where she is. Her car is still here.' I think that he said her purse was still on the table, and I didn't suspect any foul play...so, I just said 'Well, I returned her call. Let her know when you see her." Webb did tell the police about what had happened at the time.
After just 3 weeks, the case went cold. Eugene moved back into the house, and for Linda, it was if her mother had simply never existed. Linda says, "It's really odd, but somehow, no one talked about it. No one brought her up. I don't think that I used the word "mom" until I was in my late teens, early 20's. I don't know why. Back then, it was so taboo. And, no one told me not to talk about it, but the 3 of us kids, I think we all just shut down. For me, there was this enormous uncomfortable elephant in the middle of the room, and no one talked about it.
Two years after Jean disappeared, Eugene married his current wife, Joan. Linda now had a stepmother, but she still waited and hoped that her own mom would return. Years and decades passed, and the Zapata children grew up and moved out. Peggy moved away from Madison, but she never forgot about her best friend.
In November, 2004, more than 28 years after Jean disappeared, Peggy decided there was something she had to do for her best friend. Peggy contacted the Madison Police Department to see if they had a Cold Case Squad. They didn't, but the case landed on the desk of Det. Marianne Flynn Statz. Det. Statz said that she was immediately struck that more could probably be done with the case.
The detective did not believe that Jean had simply run away, like her husband had claimed for the past 28 years. Statz contacted every agency that she could think of inquiring about Jean. After a fairly extensive search, Statz concluded that Jean was most likely dead.
The detective started talking with anyone involved in the case back in 1976. She found Linda, the only Zapata child still living in Madison. Linda was working as a nurse at a local clinic, where the detective went to talk with her.
They went into a private room and the detective explained who she was, and that the investigation into her mother's disappearance was reopened.
Linda remembers, "...my gut dropped out, and I thought, 'Oh my God. Did you find her? I mean is she downtown right now? Is she out in the car?' You know, I thought they found her. They said no, but we're just going to reopen the case. The next question was...'Did my dad have anything to do with it? ' It just came out and I said 'I don't know why I asked that.'"
Statz knew that when she started investigating Jean's disappearance, that Linda might have to face a horrifying possibility. "What's worse? My father killed my mother? or, my mother just abandoned me?, Statz asks.
Ever since Jean vanished when Linda was just 11, she not only believed that she had been abandoned by her mother, but that she was also to blame for her mother leaving. Linda remembers, "I overheard my brother and sister saying it was my fault she left because I was a brat. And, I'm sure I was 10, 11 years old."
Linda was pretty sure that the investigator was on the right track in her investigation, and looking at the right suspect.....her father. Linda's siblings did not believe that their father had killed their mother. But, as painful as it might be, Linda was now determined to help the detectives find out whether it was true or not.
In April, 2005, word got back to her father, Eugene, that the case had been reopened. He and his 2nd wife were living in Nevada, but he suddenly showed up unexpectedly in Madison. Linda immediately called Det. Statz. The detective said that she was concerned that Eugene would tamper with any evidence he knew of in the case. Eugene managed to avoid the detective and flew back to Nevada. Two months later, Statz paid a surprise visit to his house, but it was clear that he was not talking or admitting to anything.
Linda was torn back and forth. She wondered how she could betray one and not betray the other. She wondered how she could do that to her dad and what kind of daughter was she. But then, she also realized that her mom had no one else to speak for her.
In August, 2005, almost 30 years after her mother went missing, Linda agreed to make 2 calls to her father and let the police tape the conversations.
In the recorded call to her father, Linda asks, "Just between you and me, can you at least tell me if - do you think she's alive?"
Eugene replied, "Well, first of all, I didn't have anything to do with her disappearance or anything - but, after all these years, you gotta think that no, she's not."
It took Linda a while, but she worked herself up to making an awkward, painful accusation, by telling her father that her gut told her that he had killed her mother.
All Eugene could say was, "Wow, that's pretty powerful".
Linda went on to tell her father that she knew it was, but that nothing had changed between them and she still loved him.
With a lot of work, Detective Statz was finally able to uncover handwritten notes made by Eugene. The detailed notes were just the evidence that prosecutor Bob Kaiser had been waiting for. The notes showed Eugene's obsessive state of mind when his wife filed for divorce.
"Was he going into her pants and sniffing the crotch of her pants to see if it smelled like spermicidal jelly? Yes. That's what he was doing. Breaking into her house, looking through everything in the house," Kaiser said.
Even though Jean's body had never been found, Kaiser went with what he did have, circumstantial evidence that Jean had been murdered. So, after 30 years from the time that Jean had vanished, Kaiser ordered police to arrest Eugene Zapata. Eugene was charged with first degree murder and on Sept. 4, 2007, he went on trial for the first degree murder of Jean.
The prosecution had to rely on evidence of Eugene's movements and the notes that he had tried so hard to conceal. According to the prosecution, Eugene's biggest mistake was answering the phone at Jean's home on Oct. 11, 1976, a morning that he had been barred from being there by a court order.
It took the defense less than one hour to present their case. They simply argued that the prosecution had failed to connect Eugene to any crime. Eugene never said a word in court.
Anyone looking for answers to this 30 year old mystery, would have to keep looking. Behind closed doors, the jurors argued and debated, but even after four days of deliberations, they could not decide what had happened to Jean, no matter how hard they tried. They left the judge no choice but to declare a hung jury.
On Sept. 17, 2007, Eugene walked out of court a free man. But, the husband of Jean and the father of her children, who had kept silent during his trial, was about to stun everyone. After three decades, two investigators and one trial, Eugene was about to break his silence and tell a chilling story. The prosecutor was ready to go back into court to try Eugene again. That's when Eugene suddenly announced that he was willing to plead guilty. Eugene was ready to finally answer the 30 year old question: what had happened to his wife and the mother of his children. BUT, he'd only give the answer if they would plead him down from murder, to a lesser charge.
The district attorney thought that Jean's daughter, Linda, should be the one to decide whether they should accept Eugene's plea, or start all over again in court. Linda said, "The only thing I want is for him to admit he did it. Tell us what happened to her. How he did it. And above all, I needed to see it come out of his mouth. I needed to see him say, 'I killed her.'" The deal was done, and Eugene, who had lied to his children, broke his silence and told his story to Det. Statz.
Eugene told Statz that he had gone over to Jean's house, and shortly thereafter, an argument broke out. It turned violent, he said, when he grabbed a paperweight and hit Jean in the back of the head with it.
Jean laid on the ground still alive, and then Eugene strangled her. He claimed to have no memory of actually having his hands on her throat, but he did have a memory of his hands and forearms hurting a lot. He then got a cord and wrapped it around her neck to make sure that she was actually dead.
Linda asked that her father's entire confession be videotaped. The defense agreed, on the condition that she would be the only person to see it and then it would be locked away forever.
When Linda was asked what it felt like seeing her father's confession, she says, "I just felt sick to my stomach. I felt so sad. But, it was also very therapeutic. I felt like I was there for my mom again. The truth is coming out. This is what happened. And it was big, almost a relief."
Eugene Zapata returned to court once again, this time to face his sentence and to face his daughter. The same daughter that he had lied to for 30 years.
Linda stated that she felt as if she had a huge weight off of her shoulders. She now knew that her mother did not abandon her and she could begin the mourning process. On April 12, 2008, she held a memorial service in the same church where Jean had been a member.
She said that it was if her mother were saying, "What took you guys so long?"
Jean Zapata vanished from her home in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1976. She left behind 3 children, friends and a mystery that would take over 30 yrs. to solve.
Her daughter, Linda, remembers that she spent her whole life from age 11 just telling people that her mother had abandoned her, when they would ask about Jean. She only knew what her father had told her on the day that her mother had disappeared. "At age 11, when my dad said she took off because she was stressed out, it was cemented in my head. She took off and she's raising another family somewhere."
But, had Jean really just taken off and left her family and friends behind?
Jean's best friend, Peggy Weekly, never believed that Jean would simply abandon her family. Peggy said that because of the way that Jean had been raised, she would never have walked out on her children. It was just too deeply ingrained into Jean to take care of her kids and be a mom.
It all started in Madison in the early 1950's, when Peggy and Jean became best friends. Peggy was with her best friend for all of the good times, including when Jean married Eugene Zapata. Jean and Eugene had 3 children, Christine, Steve and Linda.
Eugene was an engineer that worked for the Dept. of Transportation and Jean was one of a few female flight instructors.
At home, things were not going well. According to Peggy, Jean was happy in her marriage for the first half of their time together. But, it became one of those marriages where behind closed doors, there was trouble.
According to Peggy, "Jean told me that they were having problems in the bedroom, but she didn't go into any detail at all. She seemed to think that he had a lot more testosterone before they said "I do". But, we didn't talk about that a lot. After all, we were nice girls, and nice girls didn't have problems with their marriage."
Jean wanted to try to keep the spark alive in her marriage, even if it meant agreeing to do things that "nice girls" didn't always do. But no matter what she did, nothing worked. Eugene moved out of the house.
On Monday, Oct. 11, 1976, Linda remembers seeing her mother drinking her morning coffee. Linda left for school and never saw her mother again.
Ivan Norton worked with Jean at the flight school, and was surprised when she didn't show up to teach a student pilot that day.
At the house, where Jean lived with the 3 kids, Eugene was already explaining to the children where their mother was. Linda remembers asking her father where her mom was at. He told her that she probably needed a vacation or break and that she would probably be home in a couple of weeks.
When Jean didn't show up for work after 3 days, Ivan Norton called the police and then called Eugene. "I says, 'Well, hey, have you turned her in missing to the police?' 'No, I haven't done it" said Eugene. And I said "Well, you don't have to. I did", Ivan recalls.
A week after Jean went missing, Police Officer Greg Martin showed up at the Zapata house. He was trying out for the detective squad, so he was assigned to what had been classified as just a routine missing persons case. "I went in and I noticed there was no damage, no evidence of a fight, no evidence of a struggle or anything that we could see. The first thing I noticed that was totally out of order was that her purse was there," he remembers. "A woman goes nowhere without her purse."
Officially, Jean Zapata was classified as a missing person by the Madison, Wisconsin police department. But, Martin was learning some things about the Zapata's marriage, which added to his suspicions. "Eugene had placed an ad for her in a swingers type magazine."
One day the post office had called Jean to complain about some x-rated material in a mailbox that was rented by Eugene. It was the first that she'd heard about a mailbox. She went to look and was horrified by what she found. According to her best friend, Peggy, "She (Jean) picks it up and is rifling through it, and she sees her own nude picture looking back at her, where her husband is pimping her out to anyone who subscribes to that magazine." Jean's divorce attorney, Daphne Webb, learned that the swingers' magazine was only part of the story.
Jean not only wanted a divorce, she wanted a restraining order.
Eugene moved out, but he did not move on. The divorce was bitter, and he seemed obsessed with Jean. "In today's terms, I would say she was describing stalking behavior. He would come to the house on the pretext of seeing the children, and he would go through her underwear drawer and her possessions. And, she found it very disturbing." Webb says.
The restraining order limited Eugene's visitation rights with the children to 9 am and 11am on Saturdays. That was the only time that he was permitted to be at the house.
On the Monday morning that Jean disappeared, she had phoned her attorney at about 8:15 am and left a message. When Webb returned the call about an hour later, it was Eugene that answered the phone. "Which was surprising because he was not supposed to be in the house." Webb points out.
When she was asked what she said to Eugene, Webb says, "Well, I said, 'I'm returning Jeanette's call.' And, he said, 'Well, I don't know where she is. Her car is still here.' I think that he said her purse was still on the table, and I didn't suspect any foul play...so, I just said 'Well, I returned her call. Let her know when you see her." Webb did tell the police about what had happened at the time.
After just 3 weeks, the case went cold. Eugene moved back into the house, and for Linda, it was if her mother had simply never existed. Linda says, "It's really odd, but somehow, no one talked about it. No one brought her up. I don't think that I used the word "mom" until I was in my late teens, early 20's. I don't know why. Back then, it was so taboo. And, no one told me not to talk about it, but the 3 of us kids, I think we all just shut down. For me, there was this enormous uncomfortable elephant in the middle of the room, and no one talked about it.
Two years after Jean disappeared, Eugene married his current wife, Joan. Linda now had a stepmother, but she still waited and hoped that her own mom would return. Years and decades passed, and the Zapata children grew up and moved out. Peggy moved away from Madison, but she never forgot about her best friend.
In November, 2004, more than 28 years after Jean disappeared, Peggy decided there was something she had to do for her best friend. Peggy contacted the Madison Police Department to see if they had a Cold Case Squad. They didn't, but the case landed on the desk of Det. Marianne Flynn Statz. Det. Statz said that she was immediately struck that more could probably be done with the case.
The detective did not believe that Jean had simply run away, like her husband had claimed for the past 28 years. Statz contacted every agency that she could think of inquiring about Jean. After a fairly extensive search, Statz concluded that Jean was most likely dead.
The detective started talking with anyone involved in the case back in 1976. She found Linda, the only Zapata child still living in Madison. Linda was working as a nurse at a local clinic, where the detective went to talk with her.
They went into a private room and the detective explained who she was, and that the investigation into her mother's disappearance was reopened.
Linda remembers, "...my gut dropped out, and I thought, 'Oh my God. Did you find her? I mean is she downtown right now? Is she out in the car?' You know, I thought they found her. They said no, but we're just going to reopen the case. The next question was...'Did my dad have anything to do with it? ' It just came out and I said 'I don't know why I asked that.'"
Statz knew that when she started investigating Jean's disappearance, that Linda might have to face a horrifying possibility. "What's worse? My father killed my mother? or, my mother just abandoned me?, Statz asks.
Ever since Jean vanished when Linda was just 11, she not only believed that she had been abandoned by her mother, but that she was also to blame for her mother leaving. Linda remembers, "I overheard my brother and sister saying it was my fault she left because I was a brat. And, I'm sure I was 10, 11 years old."
Linda was pretty sure that the investigator was on the right track in her investigation, and looking at the right suspect.....her father. Linda's siblings did not believe that their father had killed their mother. But, as painful as it might be, Linda was now determined to help the detectives find out whether it was true or not.
In April, 2005, word got back to her father, Eugene, that the case had been reopened. He and his 2nd wife were living in Nevada, but he suddenly showed up unexpectedly in Madison. Linda immediately called Det. Statz. The detective said that she was concerned that Eugene would tamper with any evidence he knew of in the case. Eugene managed to avoid the detective and flew back to Nevada. Two months later, Statz paid a surprise visit to his house, but it was clear that he was not talking or admitting to anything.
Linda was torn back and forth. She wondered how she could betray one and not betray the other. She wondered how she could do that to her dad and what kind of daughter was she. But then, she also realized that her mom had no one else to speak for her.
In August, 2005, almost 30 years after her mother went missing, Linda agreed to make 2 calls to her father and let the police tape the conversations.
In the recorded call to her father, Linda asks, "Just between you and me, can you at least tell me if - do you think she's alive?"
Eugene replied, "Well, first of all, I didn't have anything to do with her disappearance or anything - but, after all these years, you gotta think that no, she's not."
It took Linda a while, but she worked herself up to making an awkward, painful accusation, by telling her father that her gut told her that he had killed her mother.
All Eugene could say was, "Wow, that's pretty powerful".
Linda went on to tell her father that she knew it was, but that nothing had changed between them and she still loved him.
With a lot of work, Detective Statz was finally able to uncover handwritten notes made by Eugene. The detailed notes were just the evidence that prosecutor Bob Kaiser had been waiting for. The notes showed Eugene's obsessive state of mind when his wife filed for divorce.
"Was he going into her pants and sniffing the crotch of her pants to see if it smelled like spermicidal jelly? Yes. That's what he was doing. Breaking into her house, looking through everything in the house," Kaiser said.
Even though Jean's body had never been found, Kaiser went with what he did have, circumstantial evidence that Jean had been murdered. So, after 30 years from the time that Jean had vanished, Kaiser ordered police to arrest Eugene Zapata. Eugene was charged with first degree murder and on Sept. 4, 2007, he went on trial for the first degree murder of Jean.
The prosecution had to rely on evidence of Eugene's movements and the notes that he had tried so hard to conceal. According to the prosecution, Eugene's biggest mistake was answering the phone at Jean's home on Oct. 11, 1976, a morning that he had been barred from being there by a court order.
It took the defense less than one hour to present their case. They simply argued that the prosecution had failed to connect Eugene to any crime. Eugene never said a word in court.
Anyone looking for answers to this 30 year old mystery, would have to keep looking. Behind closed doors, the jurors argued and debated, but even after four days of deliberations, they could not decide what had happened to Jean, no matter how hard they tried. They left the judge no choice but to declare a hung jury.
On Sept. 17, 2007, Eugene walked out of court a free man. But, the husband of Jean and the father of her children, who had kept silent during his trial, was about to stun everyone. After three decades, two investigators and one trial, Eugene was about to break his silence and tell a chilling story. The prosecutor was ready to go back into court to try Eugene again. That's when Eugene suddenly announced that he was willing to plead guilty. Eugene was ready to finally answer the 30 year old question: what had happened to his wife and the mother of his children. BUT, he'd only give the answer if they would plead him down from murder, to a lesser charge.
The district attorney thought that Jean's daughter, Linda, should be the one to decide whether they should accept Eugene's plea, or start all over again in court. Linda said, "The only thing I want is for him to admit he did it. Tell us what happened to her. How he did it. And above all, I needed to see it come out of his mouth. I needed to see him say, 'I killed her.'" The deal was done, and Eugene, who had lied to his children, broke his silence and told his story to Det. Statz.
Eugene told Statz that he had gone over to Jean's house, and shortly thereafter, an argument broke out. It turned violent, he said, when he grabbed a paperweight and hit Jean in the back of the head with it.
Jean laid on the ground still alive, and then Eugene strangled her. He claimed to have no memory of actually having his hands on her throat, but he did have a memory of his hands and forearms hurting a lot. He then got a cord and wrapped it around her neck to make sure that she was actually dead.
Linda asked that her father's entire confession be videotaped. The defense agreed, on the condition that she would be the only person to see it and then it would be locked away forever.
When Linda was asked what it felt like seeing her father's confession, she says, "I just felt sick to my stomach. I felt so sad. But, it was also very therapeutic. I felt like I was there for my mom again. The truth is coming out. This is what happened. And it was big, almost a relief."
Eugene Zapata returned to court once again, this time to face his sentence and to face his daughter. The same daughter that he had lied to for 30 years.
Linda stated that she felt as if she had a huge weight off of her shoulders. She now knew that her mother did not abandon her and she could begin the mourning process. On April 12, 2008, she held a memorial service in the same church where Jean had been a member.
She said that it was if her mother were saying, "What took you guys so long?"
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Three months and still nothing
Well, it was 3 months on Oct. 12th, since Jennifer went missing.
Unless, by some miracle she walks back into her home within the next few weeks, her children will be getting ready to spend their first Halloween without their mother. Imagine being a child and not having your Mother to help you pick out your costume, to help you get all dressed up and then to take you around to say those magic little words "Trick or Treat!". Imagne not having your Mother there to help you pick thru your "stash" and see all of the goodies that you got. Imagine not being able to give your Mother her favorite piece of candy that was found in your bag.
I pray that Jennifer is found alive and well. But so much time has passed, that I'm so afraid that won't be the case. With each day that passes, the chances of her being found alive and well slip further and further away.
If someone has done something to her, I hope that her face and voice will haunt them until the day that they die. We all need to remember that all because we THINK that we have gotten away with something that we've done on this earth....it will catch up to us. We may not pay for it in this lifetime, but when we have to stand before God to be judged.....we will most assuredly pay for it then.
We are planning on organizing a search party when I get there in Nov., if Jennifer has not been found by then. We will post more info here, on the myspace pages and on the new forum, as we get more details. You can also email us at the email address furnished on this blog, or at my personal email address: djansons52@yahoo.ca
In the meantime, if you have any info, please contact the Madison County Sheriff's Dept.
Unless, by some miracle she walks back into her home within the next few weeks, her children will be getting ready to spend their first Halloween without their mother. Imagine being a child and not having your Mother to help you pick out your costume, to help you get all dressed up and then to take you around to say those magic little words "Trick or Treat!". Imagne not having your Mother there to help you pick thru your "stash" and see all of the goodies that you got. Imagine not being able to give your Mother her favorite piece of candy that was found in your bag.
I pray that Jennifer is found alive and well. But so much time has passed, that I'm so afraid that won't be the case. With each day that passes, the chances of her being found alive and well slip further and further away.
If someone has done something to her, I hope that her face and voice will haunt them until the day that they die. We all need to remember that all because we THINK that we have gotten away with something that we've done on this earth....it will catch up to us. We may not pay for it in this lifetime, but when we have to stand before God to be judged.....we will most assuredly pay for it then.
We are planning on organizing a search party when I get there in Nov., if Jennifer has not been found by then. We will post more info here, on the myspace pages and on the new forum, as we get more details. You can also email us at the email address furnished on this blog, or at my personal email address: djansons52@yahoo.ca
In the meantime, if you have any info, please contact the Madison County Sheriff's Dept.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
New site for Jennifer set up
In addition to the blog, we have set up a new site for Jennifer.
The link to the site is:
http://helpfindjenniferpowers.freeforum.ca
Since this is a forum, you can use any screen name that you choose, so that you will still be anonymous in your postings.
Please feel free to check it out and post.
Deb
The link to the site is:
http://helpfindjenniferpowers.freeforum.ca
Since this is a forum, you can use any screen name that you choose, so that you will still be anonymous in your postings.
Please feel free to check it out and post.
Deb
Monday, September 29, 2008
Body Identified as Jennifer Hampton
Unfortunately, the body found in the water close to Oak Ridge, TN., has been identified as that of Jennifer Hampton, 21.
The official word came in today. The authorities are maintaining that this was a homocide, but no details are being released at this time.
Let's offer our thoughts and prayers to her family. Her poor parent's must be so lost.
This is TWO women that went missing and have been found murdered in a very short time!
What is happening that these women are being attacked and slaughtered like cattle and then disposed of like a piece of trash?? Whatever happened to men that knew how to be a man and walk away instead of doing these horrendous deeds?
Every time that I hear another body has been found, I hold my breath until an ID has been made. I pray everyday that "our" Jennifer will come home safe and sound. But, with each day that passes, I fear that will never happen.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up. Those children need their mother to be with them especially at Christmas. I'm an adult. I lost my mother 3 years ago, but I can tell you now, Christmas is NEVER the same without your mother being there with you, no matter what your age.
Keep your emails coming. Maybe one of those will be the one that will unlock this whole mystery.
Friday, September 26, 2008
77 Days with no answers
It has been 77 days since Jennifer Powers left home. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. The holidays are not far off.Don't you think that her kids would like there Mom home to eat Turkey at Thanksgiving and open gifts on Christmas.
Why hasn't Jennifer's picture been on the news. Does anyone care that she walked out of her house in the middle of the night.
There have been a few other cases that have been pushed under the rug. A few people gave me a great idea. We are going to start writing letters to our congressmen/women. There has to be more done than oh she/he left on there own. They need to follow every clue and not just say there is no foul play. The way the law sees it is no body no foul play.
If you would like to write a letter that would be wonderful. I will post the link at the bottom of this post. It will give you the info on the members of congress that Represent the area Jennifer went missing from.
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALSR&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=AL&zipcode=35803&plusfour=N/A
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALJR&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=AL&zipcode=35803&plusfour=N/A
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALJR&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=AL&zipcode=35803&plusfour=N/A
Why hasn't Jennifer's picture been on the news. Does anyone care that she walked out of her house in the middle of the night.
There have been a few other cases that have been pushed under the rug. A few people gave me a great idea. We are going to start writing letters to our congressmen/women. There has to be more done than oh she/he left on there own. They need to follow every clue and not just say there is no foul play. The way the law sees it is no body no foul play.
If you would like to write a letter that would be wonderful. I will post the link at the bottom of this post. It will give you the info on the members of congress that Represent the area Jennifer went missing from.
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALSR&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=AL&zipcode=35803&plusfour=N/A
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALJR&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=AL&zipcode=35803&plusfour=N/A
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALJR&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=AL&zipcode=35803&plusfour=N/A
Friday, September 12, 2008
Today marks the 2 month anniversary............
Today marks the 2 month anniversary, since Jennifer "left home".
This has to be the hardest thing that her children and parents have ever had to endure. Can you imagine not knowing where your mother/daughter is, or what has happened to her?????
Her children may laugh and continue with their lives, but in the backs of their minds, they have to be thinking about their mother and wondering why she would leave them. Her parents must be thinking about the phone calls that never come from her anymore, or the visits with their daughter that they must have looked forward to.
How could anyone live with themselves if they had something to do with this beautiful young woman now being "missing"? How could they look at her children, parents, family and friends, knowing that they have that piece of missing information that would bring her home. How could they sleep at night? Would her face and voice not haunt their dreams and every waking hour?
If anyone out there knows anything at all about the disappearance of Jennifer, they need to contact the proper authorities immediately. Please help to bring her home, for her children and parents.....if for no other reason.
This has to be the hardest thing that her children and parents have ever had to endure. Can you imagine not knowing where your mother/daughter is, or what has happened to her?????
Her children may laugh and continue with their lives, but in the backs of their minds, they have to be thinking about their mother and wondering why she would leave them. Her parents must be thinking about the phone calls that never come from her anymore, or the visits with their daughter that they must have looked forward to.
How could anyone live with themselves if they had something to do with this beautiful young woman now being "missing"? How could they look at her children, parents, family and friends, knowing that they have that piece of missing information that would bring her home. How could they sleep at night? Would her face and voice not haunt their dreams and every waking hour?
If anyone out there knows anything at all about the disappearance of Jennifer, they need to contact the proper authorities immediately. Please help to bring her home, for her children and parents.....if for no other reason.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Body found in well identified........................
The body found in the well at 229 Henry Bayless Rd., Ardmore, TN, has been identified as 36 yr. old Rachel Michelle Lane.
This case started out as a child's report of sexual abuse to a school counselor. It went from a report of sexual abuse, to the search for a missing person and then finally a case of murder.
The TN. Dept. of Human Resources, referred the case to Investigator Joyce McConnell. McConnell went to the home of Keith Allen Lane, 35, to investigate the allegations of child sexual abuse. McConnell also wanted to speak with his wife, Rachel Michelle Lane. Lane told McConnell that he and his wife were "seperated and his wife was out of the house".
Lane was living with his mother, and he and Rachel were married and had one little boy. Lane had another child, a biological daughter, and there was one more little boy in the home, a nephew. According to McConnell, the Lane's were in the process of divorcing.
McConnell said that she came to interview Rachel Lane, because "when you are working a child abuse case, you need to talk to the mother as a possible witness." However, McConnell could not find Rachel to talk with her. She finally located Rachel's mother. The mother was living in another state and had not heard from her daughter. The more McConnell checked, the more suspicous she became and the more the mother checked.
Rachel's mother filed a missing person's report on June 30th, and Rachel was listed as officially missing.
McConnell obtained a search warrant, to search the Lane home on Henry Bayless Rd. after further investigation. They searched for 2 days, and on Aug. 14th, investigators found the remains of a woman, 28 ft. down in the bottom of a hand-dug well on the property.
The medical examiner identified the remains as that of Rachel Michelle Lane with an old x-ray. Rachel had been in an automobile accident in Feb. and had pins in her ankle. The pins were what led to the positive ID.
Autopsy results cannot be released yet, but the TN. authorities believe that they know the cause of death.
A Preliminary Hearing has been held for Keith Allen Lane, and the case was bound over to the Lincoln County Circuit Court. A grand jury will convene on Sept. 16th to decide if there's enough evidence to indict Lane on the following charges:
1) Criminal homicide in connection with his wife's death;
2)Sexual battery by an authority figure; and
3)Assault in connection with abuse of one of the children.
The child's name and age are not being disclosed.
Keith Lane is being held without bond in the Lincoln County Jail and all 3 children have been removed from the Lane home.
McConnell says that she doesn't know if Rachel would have ever been found if there had not been an investigation of child abuse in the Lane home.
***NOTE***
This story was taken from the Athens-News Courier.
This case started out as a child's report of sexual abuse to a school counselor. It went from a report of sexual abuse, to the search for a missing person and then finally a case of murder.
The TN. Dept. of Human Resources, referred the case to Investigator Joyce McConnell. McConnell went to the home of Keith Allen Lane, 35, to investigate the allegations of child sexual abuse. McConnell also wanted to speak with his wife, Rachel Michelle Lane. Lane told McConnell that he and his wife were "seperated and his wife was out of the house".
Lane was living with his mother, and he and Rachel were married and had one little boy. Lane had another child, a biological daughter, and there was one more little boy in the home, a nephew. According to McConnell, the Lane's were in the process of divorcing.
McConnell said that she came to interview Rachel Lane, because "when you are working a child abuse case, you need to talk to the mother as a possible witness." However, McConnell could not find Rachel to talk with her. She finally located Rachel's mother. The mother was living in another state and had not heard from her daughter. The more McConnell checked, the more suspicous she became and the more the mother checked.
Rachel's mother filed a missing person's report on June 30th, and Rachel was listed as officially missing.
McConnell obtained a search warrant, to search the Lane home on Henry Bayless Rd. after further investigation. They searched for 2 days, and on Aug. 14th, investigators found the remains of a woman, 28 ft. down in the bottom of a hand-dug well on the property.
The medical examiner identified the remains as that of Rachel Michelle Lane with an old x-ray. Rachel had been in an automobile accident in Feb. and had pins in her ankle. The pins were what led to the positive ID.
Autopsy results cannot be released yet, but the TN. authorities believe that they know the cause of death.
A Preliminary Hearing has been held for Keith Allen Lane, and the case was bound over to the Lincoln County Circuit Court. A grand jury will convene on Sept. 16th to decide if there's enough evidence to indict Lane on the following charges:
1) Criminal homicide in connection with his wife's death;
2)Sexual battery by an authority figure; and
3)Assault in connection with abuse of one of the children.
The child's name and age are not being disclosed.
Keith Lane is being held without bond in the Lincoln County Jail and all 3 children have been removed from the Lane home.
McConnell says that she doesn't know if Rachel would have ever been found if there had not been an investigation of child abuse in the Lane home.
***NOTE***
This story was taken from the Athens-News Courier.
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