Stephanie Chen at CNN has the sorry story of how sex offender Phillip Gariddo eluded law enforcement officials for 18 years while imprisoning Jaycee Dugard in his back yard.
Chen writes:
(CNN) -- More than two dozen times in the past three years, authorities came to Phillip and Nancy Garrido's ramshackle home at 1554 Walnut Ave. in Antioch, California, a rural property where Jaycee Dugard is said to have been confined for 18 years.
And each time, they left without learning of the secret shed where Dugard lived.
The Garridos have pleaded not guilty to charges of abduction and forcible rape. They are being held without bail in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez, California.
After she was abducted in June 1991, at age 11, Dugard's disappearance spawned a massive search that continued, on and off, for almost two decades. Federal agents remained committed to the case, chasing thousands of leads.
But they apparently never had the Garridos on their radar.
I find none of these police excuses to be satisfactory. Least of all the sherriff who responded to an actual complaint that there were people "living in the back yard." He spoke to Garrido on his FRONT LAWN and was convinced otherwise?? WTF???
ReplyDeleteI dare say.... if Garrido had been keeping men as slaves ... and the police had missed the clues ... it would be front page news. And the officers involved would be in BIG trouble.
This poor family. To have lost a daughter so young, and have her returned after years of slavery.... one can only imagine.
You're right, SYD. It's absolutely stunning that this went on so long under the nose of the authorities, and it's not BIG NEWS.
ReplyDeleteBut as I've noted repeatedly our media for the most part is dangerously juvenile and ill-informed.
Un. Be. Lievable.
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