Few persons by now have not heard the shocking news about the escape and rescue of three women held hostage for a decade in a house in Cleveland Ohio. [Photo Source: NY Daily News]
There was one abductor who allegedly kidnapped and enslaved the women between 2002 and 2004. He allegedly kept them in chains, bound them in duct tape, tortured and starved them, used them for sex, and fathered a child with one of them and, I say allegedly, which is an understatement, but until proven guilty in a court of law I must add that disclaimer. He also allegedly impregnated one of them multiple times, the older of the three women, subjecting her to extraordinary torture and abuse to induce abortions after causing her to be pregnant.
I'm not here to retell their story... you can peruse the following links among many for that:
NY Daily News
CNN
CafeMOM
All three were abducted from the same street in Cleveland between 2002 and 2004. All three were reported to the police as missing persons. Due to extenuating circumstances Michelle Knight was dropped from any missing person's investigation about two years after her disappearance. Only her immediate family continued to try to find her. The other two victims, Amanda Berry and Georgina DeJesus were still (allegedly) being "actively" pursued by law enforcement. However almost ten years had passed since they were reported missing.
A world renowned psychic had told the parents of Amanda Berry - on national television, that she felt Amanda was dead.
Georgina DeJesus had been best friends with the abductor's daughter, which the abductor allegedly used that relationship to trick Georgina into his car and captivity.
Another man, Fernando Colon, who formed a relationship with the abductor's ex-wife was accused and convicted of inappropriate relations with one of the abductors daughters, and allegedly told FBI investigators they should be focusing on the abductor, not himself. Apparently the FBI didn't take his concerns seriously, nor the testimony provided in court during his conviction. Colon suspected he was being setup... and we now know for good reason as to take attention off from the abductor himself.
NBC NEWS has the story: "The Cleveland (abductor) made accusations against Colon, 39, in July 2004, shortly after 14-year-old Georgina “Gina” DeJesus vanished on her way home from the west Cleveland middle school she attended."
Had (assuming Colon told the FBI what he says he did) Colon been listened to, might not the decade long abductions been brought to a close sooner? It's quite possible I believe. I also believe it's a wake-up call for law-enforcement and their methods that highlights a propensity toward tunnel-vision and priorities.
I'm reminded about two other missing person's cases that I blogged about previously.
Brianna Maitland and Maura Murray. Both women are still missing. Neither has been found. Both it has been speculated were abducted and there is no proof either is deceased. In the former case it is well documented law-enforcement was distracted by Brianna's use of drugs, especially marijuana, and possibly cocaine. What derailed the initial investigation into her disappearance was a firm belief that she had run away, that Brianna was of "questionable character" and that she had owed drug dealers money. Law enforncement speculated she had run away to avoid her debts.
The facts about her case, in my opinion, strongly suggest a possibility she could have been abducted and sold into white slavery. One person who was never officially made a suspect had connections to gangs in NYC. Another unofficial suspect had the money and connections to kidnap her and sell her off in Columbia. Yet another discovery was the alleged activity of a branch of the Chinese Mafia operating in the area at the time, according to my sources. Were any of these possibilities ever truly investigated? I rather doubt it.
In the case of Maura Murray, Attorney general Kelly Ayotte and NH law-enforcement were more interested in the theory of her disappearance being related to alcohol found in her car and irrational behavior and unusual web-searches she conducted before she disappeared. The family of Maura Murray seriously considered a slave-type abduction, but to my knowledge law-enforcement has never seriously considered the possibility. Efforts by Maura's father to communicate with then Attorney general of NH, Kelly Ayotte went nowhere. Kelly Ayotte is now a NH Senator and recently admitted her close ties with law enforcement were the feathers in her cap when making political decisions for the citizens of NH.
I was told by Brianna Maitland's father that one of the (to remain unnamed) suspects in Brianna's disappearance had threatened three of her girlfriends after the fact that if they said anything he "would make them disappear like he had Brianna".
So the question is, just how do you make someone disappear? Until the story of the three kidnap victims in Cleveland made the headlines one would think murder. But what if...
???
What if the alleged abductor was suspected of selling drugs? Well, now you've got a whole other story. Think about it. Marijuana being the most popular drug they'd be going through his trash, monitoring his electric use, watching his spending behavior, GPSing his activities, and documenting who he associated with.
The focus of law-enforcement is obviously zeroed in on the War on Drugs... narcs in schools, drug testing and the assumption that marijuana users are more dangerous to society than the alleged kidnapper of the women in Cleveland. Water seeks the path of less resistance and so does law-enforcement.
The fact is there was reason to put a little time into focusing on the alleged abductor of the women in Cleveland. He was seen with a the daughter of one of the missing women in a park in Cleveland - did anyone wonder who was she? Did anyone question it? Neighbors, whether they actually did call police, claim they tried several times to report suspicious activity at the house. Were the calls ignored? Drop a dime, turn in a drug dealer, suggests that Americans are taken more seriously if reporting drug violations, not the sober activities of a kidnapper/rapist.
Compared to those suspected of drug violations where the following questions are asked by law enforcement; what was his electric bill considering he was a supposed single guy? What was in his trash? What was his water bill? What groceries did he purchase? All of those things are questioned by law enforcement for those suspected of possessing, dealing, growing illegal drugs; however, in the case of a butterfly collector, where perhaps by current numbers, thousands of persons are being held as captive in some nut-case's home, what is law-enforcement doing?
I'd say, not much.
I'm not saying finding and busting a meth-lab isn't important. I'm not saying drug use can't be dangerous and cause for concern. What I am saying is that the War on Drugs and especially law enforcement's targeted pursuit of casual cannabis use is a bright red herring, itself a major threat to public safety and a significant diversion from what's necessary to truly protecting the American people.
Do you think what happened in Cleveland was an isolated event? It isn't. Human trafficking is perhaps more common than crack-houses and drug use. It's time we got our priorities in order. It's time we focus on the real dangers in society, not the scapegoats.
It's TIME to Stop the Hurt and find those who are missing without making it necessary for them to find us.
Amanda Berry (16), Georgina DeJesus (14) and Michelle Knight (21)
There was one abductor who allegedly kidnapped and enslaved the women between 2002 and 2004. He allegedly kept them in chains, bound them in duct tape, tortured and starved them, used them for sex, and fathered a child with one of them and, I say allegedly, which is an understatement, but until proven guilty in a court of law I must add that disclaimer. He also allegedly impregnated one of them multiple times, the older of the three women, subjecting her to extraordinary torture and abuse to induce abortions after causing her to be pregnant.
I'm not here to retell their story... you can peruse the following links among many for that:
NY Daily News
CNN
CafeMOM
All three were abducted from the same street in Cleveland between 2002 and 2004. All three were reported to the police as missing persons. Due to extenuating circumstances Michelle Knight was dropped from any missing person's investigation about two years after her disappearance. Only her immediate family continued to try to find her. The other two victims, Amanda Berry and Georgina DeJesus were still (allegedly) being "actively" pursued by law enforcement. However almost ten years had passed since they were reported missing.
A world renowned psychic had told the parents of Amanda Berry - on national television, that she felt Amanda was dead.
Georgina DeJesus had been best friends with the abductor's daughter, which the abductor allegedly used that relationship to trick Georgina into his car and captivity.
Another man, Fernando Colon, who formed a relationship with the abductor's ex-wife was accused and convicted of inappropriate relations with one of the abductors daughters, and allegedly told FBI investigators they should be focusing on the abductor, not himself. Apparently the FBI didn't take his concerns seriously, nor the testimony provided in court during his conviction. Colon suspected he was being setup... and we now know for good reason as to take attention off from the abductor himself.
NBC NEWS has the story: "The Cleveland (abductor) made accusations against Colon, 39, in July 2004, shortly after 14-year-old Georgina “Gina” DeJesus vanished on her way home from the west Cleveland middle school she attended."
Had (assuming Colon told the FBI what he says he did) Colon been listened to, might not the decade long abductions been brought to a close sooner? It's quite possible I believe. I also believe it's a wake-up call for law-enforcement and their methods that highlights a propensity toward tunnel-vision and priorities.
I'm reminded about two other missing person's cases that I blogged about previously.
Brianna Maitland and Maura Murray. Both women are still missing. Neither has been found. Both it has been speculated were abducted and there is no proof either is deceased. In the former case it is well documented law-enforcement was distracted by Brianna's use of drugs, especially marijuana, and possibly cocaine. What derailed the initial investigation into her disappearance was a firm belief that she had run away, that Brianna was of "questionable character" and that she had owed drug dealers money. Law enforncement speculated she had run away to avoid her debts.
The facts about her case, in my opinion, strongly suggest a possibility she could have been abducted and sold into white slavery. One person who was never officially made a suspect had connections to gangs in NYC. Another unofficial suspect had the money and connections to kidnap her and sell her off in Columbia. Yet another discovery was the alleged activity of a branch of the Chinese Mafia operating in the area at the time, according to my sources. Were any of these possibilities ever truly investigated? I rather doubt it.
In the case of Maura Murray, Attorney general Kelly Ayotte and NH law-enforcement were more interested in the theory of her disappearance being related to alcohol found in her car and irrational behavior and unusual web-searches she conducted before she disappeared. The family of Maura Murray seriously considered a slave-type abduction, but to my knowledge law-enforcement has never seriously considered the possibility. Efforts by Maura's father to communicate with then Attorney general of NH, Kelly Ayotte went nowhere. Kelly Ayotte is now a NH Senator and recently admitted her close ties with law enforcement were the feathers in her cap when making political decisions for the citizens of NH.
I was told by Brianna Maitland's father that one of the (to remain unnamed) suspects in Brianna's disappearance had threatened three of her girlfriends after the fact that if they said anything he "would make them disappear like he had Brianna".
So the question is, just how do you make someone disappear? Until the story of the three kidnap victims in Cleveland made the headlines one would think murder. But what if...
???
What if the alleged abductor was suspected of selling drugs? Well, now you've got a whole other story. Think about it. Marijuana being the most popular drug they'd be going through his trash, monitoring his electric use, watching his spending behavior, GPSing his activities, and documenting who he associated with.
The focus of law-enforcement is obviously zeroed in on the War on Drugs... narcs in schools, drug testing and the assumption that marijuana users are more dangerous to society than the alleged kidnapper of the women in Cleveland. Water seeks the path of less resistance and so does law-enforcement.
The fact is there was reason to put a little time into focusing on the alleged abductor of the women in Cleveland. He was seen with a the daughter of one of the missing women in a park in Cleveland - did anyone wonder who was she? Did anyone question it? Neighbors, whether they actually did call police, claim they tried several times to report suspicious activity at the house. Were the calls ignored? Drop a dime, turn in a drug dealer, suggests that Americans are taken more seriously if reporting drug violations, not the sober activities of a kidnapper/rapist.
Compared to those suspected of drug violations where the following questions are asked by law enforcement; what was his electric bill considering he was a supposed single guy? What was in his trash? What was his water bill? What groceries did he purchase? All of those things are questioned by law enforcement for those suspected of possessing, dealing, growing illegal drugs; however, in the case of a butterfly collector, where perhaps by current numbers, thousands of persons are being held as captive in some nut-case's home, what is law-enforcement doing?
I'd say, not much.
I'm not saying finding and busting a meth-lab isn't important. I'm not saying drug use can't be dangerous and cause for concern. What I am saying is that the War on Drugs and especially law enforcement's targeted pursuit of casual cannabis use is a bright red herring, itself a major threat to public safety and a significant diversion from what's necessary to truly protecting the American people.
Do you think what happened in Cleveland was an isolated event? It isn't. Human trafficking is perhaps more common than crack-houses and drug use. It's time we got our priorities in order. It's time we focus on the real dangers in society, not the scapegoats.
It's TIME to Stop the Hurt and find those who are missing without making it necessary for them to find us.
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