Shop Here, Help Us Help Them

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Disappearance of Flagstaff (AZ) teens could be spurred by Jack Kerouac novel


Lauth Investigations
For Immediate Release
Contact: Thomas Lauth 317-954-1100
or Kym Pasqualini at kympasqualini@gmail.com

November 4, 2012 -  Joshua “Josh” Kinsolving and Madison “Madi” Baker, both 16-years old, left their homes in  Flagstaff, Arizona,on September 14, 2012. Both were reported missing to Flagstaff Police Department and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.com. Madi has Type 1 diabetes and did not take her medication with her. Authorities are concerned for the teen’s safety and both classified as Endangered Runaways in the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

The last time friends saw Josh and Madi, they were at Wheeler Park with some homeless people on the evening of their disappearance. From there the trail goes cold. The friends say one of the individuals was a “drifter” who goes by the name Joker, or sometimes Jester. The pair had backpacks and indicated they were heading to Las Vegas, Nevada. They could have also traveled to the coastal towns of California, Oregon, or Washington.

It is not uncommon for teens to dream of adventure and many easily lured onto the streets where they are at high risk of victimization. The lure for Josh and Madi seems to be even stronger as Josh has a love for the author, Jean-Louis “Jack” Kerouac. Kerouac was a popular novelist, often credited as being one of the forefathers of the hippie movement. His books such as “On the Road” and the “Dhama Bums” tell of his experiences with drugs, the homeless, poverty, and travel. Since Kerouac’s death in 1969, his literary prestige has grown and Josh’s interest in the author’s lifestyle may have been a contributor to the teen’s apparent decision to hit the road. Kerouac travelled everywhere with his notebook documenting his road experiences and it appears Josh and Madi may have left to experience the world, much like the author who he idealized.

The problem, the road is a dangerous place. When faced with no food or shelter children become easy prey to those with the intent to exploit them. Though the national scope of child sex trafficking is still uncertain, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), reports at least 100,000 children in the United States are trafficked each year. According to the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC), approximately 797,500 children under the age of eighteen are reported missing annually, calculating to nearly 2,185 children reported missing each day.

“It is imperative we find these children before something tragic happens,” says Kym Pasqualini, founder of Nation’s Missing Children Organization and the National Center for Missing Adults. Pasqualini now serves as an advocate and national expert on missing persons cases. “When kids are alone on the street, they are at extremely high risk to become the victims of crime.” 
###


Madison "Madi" Baker
Madison “Madi” Alexandra Baker
Endangered Runaway
DOB: 03/07/1996  Age: 16
Sex: Female              Race: White
Height: 5’5”             Weight: 120lbs
Hair:  Dyed black    Eyes: Blue
Date Missing: 09/14/2012
Missing From: Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff Police Department 928.774.1414



Joshua "Josh" Kinsolving

Joshua “Josh” Drew Kinsolving

Endangered Runaway
DOB: 11/25/1995  Age: 16
Sex: Male                  Race: White
Height: 5’10”           Weight: 140lbs
Hair:  Brown                        Eyes: Brown
Date Missing: 09/14/2012
Missing From: Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff Police Department 928.774.1414

About the Author: Kym L. Pasqualini is founder of the Nation’s missing Children Organization in 1994 and the National Center for Missing Adults in 2000. Kym is considered an expert in the field of missing persons and has spent 20 years working with government officials, law enforcement, advocates, private investigators, and national media. 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Veteran victim advocate gives Arizona an "F" for assistance to crime victims

This is an Arizona crime victim's submission to Project Unbreakable (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YN_GQStLbM), a program to raise awareness for sexual assault victims so they can be heard.

The federal government and the State of Arizona is failing its crime victims! From the failure to get a family to safety despite recorded death threats, failure to acknowledge crime's impact on the family, failure to appoint a victim advocate, to failing to offer any services to help victims cope, rebuild, and heal in the aftermath.

This is just one family out of thousands. When they have already lost every sense of security and feel hopeless, the final crime . . . when SSA tells a parent they can't issue Emergency Presumptive Assistance as noted on their website at www.ssa.gov unless the parent can bring the child in and they can "visually" see the impairment, like Down's Syndrome. First, emergency assistance would not be needed if they didn't drag their feet 3-5 months reviewing medical records.

For anyone who doesn't understand trauma - please see the attached as it is self explanatory! Didn't anyone tell them YOU CAN'T SEE PTSD! This is why we lose more US veterans annually to PTSD than we do on all our battlefields combined (they have no statistics of casualties of PTSD caused by sexual assault and survivors of child sexual abuse). How many more casualties do we need to offer help to those suffering from an "invisible" but debilitating injury?

To the US Government and the State of Arizona - these are lives you are NOT saving!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Help Me Save the Life of Terrance Williams - Read My Personal Story


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is preparing to execute Terrance “Terry” Williams on October 3, 2012, in spite of staunch opposition to his execution from the victim’s widow, five jurors from trial, child advocates, former prosecutors and judges, faith leaders, mental health professionals, law professors and others.
I urgently appeal to Governor Tom Corbett, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, and District Attorney Seth Williams to spare Terrance Williams’ life and allow him to be sentenced to life without parole.
Terrance Williams, victim of child sexual abuse
scheduled for execution on October 3, 2012.
Throughout his childhood, Terry suffered prolonged violent physical and sexual abuse from older males. Born into poverty with a violently abusive mother and absent father, Terry faced abuse and neglect in his home that made him vulnerable to sexual predators. He was first raped by an older boy when he was only six years old, and he continued to suffer sexual abuse for the next twelve years.  Like too many other victims of child sexual abuse, Terry received no counseling or support to help him deal with the repeated traumas he endured; in fact, some of the people who were supposed to help Terry preyed on him.
As a teenager, Terry became acquainted with two middle-aged men who used their influence as a church leader and as a sports booster to get access to young boys. These men sexually abused and brutally exploited Terry. After years of suffering unimaginable horrors, when he was 17- and 18-years old, Terry killed these two men – and now faces death.
Terry’s tragic history of abuse was never presented at trial. Because of this, several jurors who sentenced him to death now support commuting his sentence to life without parole. At the time of trial, Terry was traumatized and ashamed of the violence he suffered, and his lawyer did not investigate obvious signs of abuse. The jury thus did not hear any evidence about the relentless abuse Terry faced, nor did they know that the two men he killed were in fact his abusers.
Jurors have stated that that if they had known all the facts about Terry's background and his abuse by the men he killed, they would not have voted for death.
The widow of the man whose killing resulted in Terry’s death sentence has forgiven Terry and does not want him to be executed.  She has found peace and closure and does not wish to see any more loss of life. The victim’s widow has expressed herhope that Governor Corbett, the Board of Pardons, and District Attorney Williams will show Terry mercy.
In addition to the victim’s widow and jurors, there has been an unprecedented outpouring of support from prominent groups and individuals across Pennsylvania. Child advocates, former prosecutors and judges, faith leaders, mental health professionals, law professors and others have publicly supported commuting Terry’s sentence to life without parole.
Terry is deeply remorseful for his actions and prays that the families of the men he killed can find peace.
You can read more about Terry's case, including the numerous letters in support of clemency, here: www.TerryWilliamsClemency.com
I join in asking Governor Corbett, the Board of Pardons, and District Attorney Williams to spare Terrance Williams’ life. 
by Sue Osthoff
Philadelphia, PA

Why I Need Your Help - My Personal Story
By Kym L. Pasqualini
Please read my personal story and letter to PA Governor Corbett, PA Board of Pardons, and District Attorney Williams asking to spare Terrance Williams life.

Governor Tom Corbett, PA Board of Pardons, District Attorney Seth Williams – please do not disregard my plea and personal story.

Kym L. Pasqualini - Age 9.
A month before my life changed forever.
I have served this country as a victim advocate for nearly twenty years as founder and former CEO of the Nation's Missing Children Organization (1994-2010) and the National Center for Missing Adults (2000-2010).

There is a reason I became an outspoken advocate for victims of crime  . . . because there was no one to advocate for me.  I am an adult survivor of child sexual abuse. I survived by turning my pain into a passion to help others but this was after years of suffering, suicide attempts, drug abuse, violence toward others, and crime.

I suffered years of horrific physical and sexual abuse by a man who was released from prison in 1973 after only serving 3.5 years on an original 1st degree homicide charge for killing his 5yr old son. His sentence reduced to involuntary manslaughter, deemed mentally ill and could not stand trial. When he walked free, my younger brother’s lives and mine were forever altered.

As a teen and young adult, I had fallen into a cycle of self-abuse and it was not until I stood in front of Superior Court Judge Nastro in shackles for a possession charge that my life was saved. Someone in authority had finally acknowledged my pain and told me I had value. My value had been raped from me beginning at age 9 but hearing Judge Nastro’s voice that day, for the first time in my young life I felt I had worth and empowered to change my life. Judge Nastro challenged me to direct my pain into something positive and gave me the opportunity to touch other lives. I am certain Terrance never had that chance. I have spent years in cognitive therapies, EMDR treatment for Complex PTSD, and still suffer.  Had I not had intervention, I am certain I would not be alive today or I would be in prison.  I did turn my pain into something positive and the agency I founded was funded $1 mil annually by US Dept. of Justice so I could turn a personal tragedy into something to help others. In fact, Governor Corbett, I have a signed recognition and proclamation acknowledging my work in PA - it is signed by you.

I can attest to the fact that most victims of child sexual abuse do not come forward due to fear and shame - forced to live a life with a murdered soul and loss of innocence. My story is a perfect example of repeated failures in the criminal justice system as I first reported in 1979. The man who abused me is still out there and I am certain there have been more victims. For me, I have struggled through life haunted by this man who continues to harass me as recently as 2010. Have I thought of taking justice into my own hands? I would be lying if I said I had not because child sexual predators never stop!

Though I do not condone murder, I beg you to take into consideration that what Terry did should really be considered a form of self-defense,  as he was preyed upon.  Those of us who suffer from PTSD are consistently in "fight or flight" mode as a protective mechanism and suffer sometimes debilitating psychological and physiological effects.  A Montreal Study on brains of suicide victims who had been victims of child sexual abuse proved the trauma caused genetic changes in the brain.  I would be happy to share additional and astounding studies reflecting how trauma causes permanent changes and physical scarring of the brain. The years of abuse Terrance suffered should not be dismissed and clearly a contributor for entering the fight or flight mode and committing an act so he would no longer feel threatened by the abuser. The pain inflicted on victims does not go away once we are adults, if anything it becomes increasingly more difficult to cope as we age facing a proven brain injury that affects every aspect of our lives, including early mortality.

I beg for Terrance's life and for all of you to take into consideration the pain and suffering Terrance endured. Believe me when I say, living the aftermath of child sexual abuse knowing the perpetrator is still out there and experiencing constant inner turmoil that does not dissipate is a life sentence. In addition, knowing a predator is still out there potentially harming other children can cause a victim to feel hopeless or feel they must do everything in their power to save other victims.

I have assisted thousands of families of missing persons and worked closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement. I also founded a program called Life Corrections and have gone on to speak to women inmates sharing my personal story to help other’s overcome adversity and stop cycles of abuse. This is your opportunity to save a life that in return can help save other lives.

Senator Dick Durbin, Kym L. Pasqualini, Shelia Vojack,
and President Obama - 2005
What if I had not been given a chance?
To execute Terrance Williams would be an injustice as child predators, and in my case, child murderers receive less time than drug traffickers and released to continue preying on other victims.

I pray that each of you search your heart and exercise compassion. Terrance has the potential to help others by sharing his story, he has the potential to help others find the courage to report child sexual abuse, he has the potential to touch other's lives granted the opportunity and you hold his life in your hands. 

For one moment think of the helplessness one feels when they are the victim of rape. I know because I have lived it but I also know the system is still broken because my own child was a victim of rape. The adult predators still walking the street while I must watch my own child suffer from this life-altering experience. I urge you to focus on combating the perpetrators, improve the system, and prevent victims from feeling they have no options.

Again, I beg you not to take the life of a man who felt hopeless, felt he had no way out, and made a momentary decision he will regret for his lifetime. Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific experiences one can endure and in essence a life sentence. Incarceration for taking the life of a predator is punishment Terrance accepts but taking his life is removing any chance of helping other victims not make the same decision and it also removes the ability to empower victims to report crimes. I urge you to please search your hearts and pardon Terrance Williams.

Respectfully,

Monday, September 10, 2012

Pay It Forward - KPHO News 5

We may never know the impact we have in lives of others . . . likewise many we meet throughout our lives may never know how significantly they impact ours. Even through the tragedy of murder we can find hidden blessings through connections of the human spirit. 
Composite of individual and truck Diana Shawcroft and Jennifer Lueth
were seen getting into in  Glendale, AZ

I have forever been touched by Ashley Rojo and the entire Shawcroft family and grateful to KPHO News 5 for telling our stories. Forever in memory - my best friend Kathy Shawcroft (Ashley's grandmother) and Diana Shawcroft (Ashley's Aunt). ♥

Let's not forget that someone out there knows what happened to Diana and Jenny and coming forward with information can provide this family with answers and peace. Pay It forward PLEASE.

CBS 5 - KPHO

Thursday, August 9, 2012

KPNX News 12 Tells Our Story

So many people and individuals we have never met have reached out, even offering to let us move in with them.  I am forever indebted to you all and words can't begin to really express what my heart feels. 

Part of our lives was ripped away when we were already facing difficult times. We only pray to re-stabilize, for mom to go back to work, to be able to take drives to the lake, and have time to heal. The simple things. I want most of all to see my daughter be able to enjoy the rest of her childhood. ♥ Thank you News 12 and everyone who has embraced us.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

SHAME ON ARIZONA - KEEP CUTTING HEALTH AND CRIME VICTIM SERVICES

SHAME ON ARIZONA for not acknowledging caregivers and add in those who have been impacted by crime with minimal, if any support and access to resources. Crime Victim services and the behavioral health system (needed in the aftermath of trauma) DO NOT work hand in hand. 

Also, I pray for the woman I just met whose daughter's jaw was fractured to pieces after being attacked. She informed me nearly a year later Victim Compensation has refused to help pay for her daughter's facial reconstruction, not to mention Mom lost her job because she too was forced to make a decision between work and staying by her child's side during her hospitalization and trauma experienced in the aftermath. Crime and trauma affects entire families!

So, to all who moved at a snail's pace (if at all) each time I called, those who left work each day to the security of their home and their children - I send a sincere thanks. I'm left to pack up my life and what security we had left after having it ripped apart by criminals and all the state support we have received following. I hope you have appropriated enough funding to the local shelters because they need to make space.


Please read Mary K. Reinhart's Arizona Republic article written a year ago. Things have only gotten worse and my family is a walking example. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/08/05/20110805arizona-respite-care-trimmed-15-percent.html

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Bikers Against Child Abuse make abuse victims feel safe

Bikers Against Child Abuse - Photo courtesy of AZ Republic
Tough exteriors but this is a group of Angels who touch lives of children and families in time of trauma and crisis and the impact they make in crime victim's lives just can't be measured! I know personally. 

Click here to read the Arizona Republic article:
Bikers Against Child Abuse make abuse victims feel safe


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Private Investigators – The Sherlock Holmes of today


Private detectives today break the age-old mold


Due to blockbuster movies, books and television shows people may have a notion that private investigators sit in their smoke filled offices smoking a pipe while hired by some jilted homemaker to follow around her cheating husband. While investigators do follow cheating spouses, the world of private investigation has expanded beyond our wildest dreams with use of new methods of investigation and ever enhanced technology.
Private investigators have existed for over 150 years. In 1850, Allan Pinkerton founded Pinkerton National Detective Agency in France. Eventually it became the most recognized private investigation firm in the United States, even coining the term private eye.
Private investigators of today are creative and masterful in their investigative techniques whether investigating a murder, searching for a missing person, tracking down art thieves, corporate investigations that can include everything from employee background checks to financial and insurance fraud. In essence, the private detectives of today are responsible for ensuring the quality of the workforce today. They can provide clients with background information about a person or corporation.
Instead of smoking a pipe and lurking in the shadows, the private detective of today may be a master at Yoga, sipping on green tea while sitting in his vehicle providing surveillance on a Fortune 500 company employee suspected of embezzlement. Similar to sworn officers, many private investigators are experts in their fields and tracking down witnesses in a homicide case to unearth new information to provide a family with justice. They may be infiltrating the child sex trafficking rings to rescue children or making a buy of stolen jewelry from an international crime ring.
Not always the most glamorous job, but the investigators of today possess skills that make them masters in their trade. Gathering and analyzing information, private investigators know where to go to obtain the most up to date and accurate information on subjects of interest. Their findings and expert testimony can make or break a court case. Whether they are on a fact finding mission, verifying an identity, generating new leads on a cold case, tailing a person of interest with GPS, or taking baby diapers out of trashcans to obtain DNA for the subject of a paternity test the new age private eyes are masters of their universe.
For more information please contact Lauth Investigations at 800.889.3463 or visit their website at www.lauthinvestigations.com

About the Author: Kym L. Pasqualini is founder of the Nation’s missing Children Organization in 1994 and the National Center for Missing Adults in 2000. Kym is considered an expert in the field of missing persons and has spent 20 years working with government officials, law enforcement, advocates, private investigators, and national media. 


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Examiner.com Article - Local heroes offer victims of child abuse hope and empowerment



Bikers Against Child Abuse International (BACA) was founded by John Paul ‘Chief’ Lilly, a licensed clinical social worker who serves as faculty at Brigham Young University working with abused children. Chief identified several gaps in the system that hindered a child’s ability to heal in the aftermath of abuse, first being safety for the children and second, funding for therapy.  

Determined to ensure no perpetrator who has victimized a child should make the child feel powerless, Chief put thoughts into action and rallied bikers in his community to join him in an effort to protect children. In 1995, the first ride to visit wounded children and adopt them into the biker community was organized by Chief in Utah. Word travelled fast and bikers throughout the country embraced the mission. BACA now has presence in nearly every state in the U.S. with two BACA chapters in Arizona.


BACA is a volunteer organization whose members include people from every occupation, including but not limited to business owners, law enforcement officers, construction workers, teachers, doctors, media personalities, you name it. Even rockers like Dee Snider, former lead singer of Twisted Sister sports a BACA patch. The only individuals not permitted into BACA membership are child abusers and pedophiles. Fingerprint and background tests are conducted on all BACA members.

Phoenix child is victim of rape
A young teen-age girl becomes the victim of a rape in Phoenix while babysitting for her neighbor’s young child. Only doors away from her own home, the parents of the toddler she regularly babysat for raped the young teen in twisted, disgusting fashion. Mom and daughter received death threats if they reported the incident to authorities; they were intimidated and harassed. After telling her mother what had occurred, and fearing for her daughter’s life, the mother immediately reported the incident to local authorities. Forced to relocate fearing for their safety, the mother wishes her and her daughter’s identities remained anonymous for this report.  

“This experience has completely changed our lives,” says Mom.  “Living in fear and dealing with the emotional aftermath of crime can be very isolating.” Without help from state Crime Victim Relocation Assistance, the pair forced to move into anonymity, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulder in fear to make sure the perpetrators do not follow them to their new home.  “Watching your child suffer from trauma is unimaginable but I do not think people realize the additional challenges families face in the aftermath of crime,” Mom adds.

Emotional trauma is not the only challenge faced by families attempting to heal from the effects of violent crime. Victimization affects entire families with increased expenses, loss of work and de-stabilization of the family core. For this single mother, who has been self-employed for twenty years and hit hard by the economic crisis, resources to help stabilize have been minimal. Trying to pay the bills has become an additional source of stress as Mom attempts to balance caring for her daughter now diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), requiring intensive treatment. “A parent can’t choose between saving your child’s life, ensuring your child is receiving the appropriate medical care and working twelve hours a day to survive because caring for your child become your full-time job,” says Mom.

From helpless to healing
After calling local, state, federal and social service agencies throughout Arizona and receiving little assistance, Mom received a referral to what she thought was a somewhat unconventional resource. Mom’s friend, a former Special Agent for the FBI gave her the number for the Maricopa County Chapter of BACA.

Bikers Against Child Abuse making a difference in the lives of children.
“I was at a point of feeling beyond helpless,” says Mom. Following the advice of her friend, she called BACA and reached a comforting voice on the other end of the phone. The woman introduced herself by the name of Sassy. “Hearing her voice I immediately knew I reached someone who understood our plight.” They scheduled a time to meet in person.  

All BACA members go by nicknames. Pipes is a man over 6ft tall and President of the Maricopa County Chapter of BACA, accompanied by Sassy, BACA Treasurer and Child Liaison, arrived at the mother and daughter’s home to assess how BACA could help. “We offer families support services to ensure the child feels safe and empowered,” says Sassy. “We welcome the victim and their family into our BACA family and walk beside the child for the long haul to help them feel safe, promote healing and gain strength, especially important if the child must  face their abuser(s) in court.”


BACA touches the life of Phoenix child
On the afternoon of June 3, 2012, approximately 20 BACA members roared into the apartment complex where the young teen and her mother live. Out walks a tiny sixteen year old barely 4’ ft. 9” and 90 lbs. She is accompanied by several friends and family members to greet her visitors as they get off their motorcycles. Neighbors begin peeking out their windows.

Pipes, President of Arizona BACA reassuring the child victim she now
has a new family to watch over her.
The BACA members, both men and women, lined up in single file to introduce themselves to the child and her mother. Along with Pipes and Sassy, there was Dom, Harmony, Rembrandt, Rock, Uno, and on and on until all made their introduction. What followed brought grown men to tears.

Pipes, who towers over most grown men, bent over to tell the young girl she no longer has to live in fear, and to look out at each of the members who are now her family. They present her with a vest complete with her new BACA name – “Feisty” - and then Harmony, a beautiful woman with black hair wearing a leather vest gently ties a BACA doo rag to Feisty’s head. They proceed to pass a blanket with the BACA logo around to each member to fill it with love. Each member, some wearing doo rags, some with long beards and tattoos, hug the blanket tight then pass it to the next member.  Filled with the love from the big hearts of volunteer bikers dedicated to helping children heal from abuse, they presented the blanket to Feisty as tears ran down the faces of onlookers.

Harmony, member of BACA ties Feisty's doo rag as Feisty
 holds her love filled BACA blanket.
The teens’s great Uncle, a veteran of the United States Army, with tears in his eyes said, “This is probably the most awesome group of volunteers I have ever met. The support they are giving Feisty is immeasurable,” the Uncle said. “It was a feeling of brotherhood that I have not felt for years and you know they have your back covered.”

Embraced by a new family, Feisty now has someone she can call or text 24-hours a day. Mom says she has already noticed a big difference in her daughter. “She feels empowered and is transitioning from victim into a young lady who is empowered to seek justice for herself and others because she no longer feels alone and powerless,” says Mom.



More about BACA
Prior to accepting any case, information provided by the victim’s parent or caretaker is then verified with the investigating law enforcement agency. Case information is verified by utilizing various methods such as speaking to the detective, reviewing police reports, court transcripts, and medical records if necessary. Two BACA members are present when meeting with the child at all times.

BACA is not a group of biker vigilantes. BACA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization run by volunteers who care about children. Donations to the organization help finance everything from paying for therapy by licensed practitioners to activities the help empower a child such as karate lessons, horseback riding, cheerleading camp, even driving the child to appointments.

Raising public awareness, BACA members organize public events to educate the public of the epidemic of child abuse. The organization works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies throughout the country. At times they are even accompanied by police escorts during public activities or visits to homes of children, to ensure the public they have nothing to fear from this tough looking group of individuals riding motorcycles into their neighborhoods.

After the initial assessment and meeting with the victim and family, BACA has various levels of intervention.
·         Level 1 Intervention consists of deploying a ride to the victim’s home, showing physical presence, and holding a ceremony that inducts the child into the BACA family, ensuring the victim they are not alone.  Two BACA members are assigned to the child as primary contacts and available 24 hours a day to provide support should the child experience fear or just need to talk.

·         Level 2 Intervention includes assigning BACA members to provide visible security at the home of the victim to ensure the victim’s safety and deter further abuse.

·         Level 3 Intervention may be carried out if Level 2 has not served as a deterrent to the perpetrator.  Level 3 can include written contact on BACA letterhead addressed to the perpetrator to deter additional intimidation or harassment of the child.

·         Level 4 Intervention could include conducting a Neighborhood Awareness Ride in the general location of the perpetrator to hand out stickers and literature to families to help deter an abuser from claiming additional victims and raising awareness of those that live in the general vicinity and may be at risk of victimization. BACA does not condone or support use of aggression. 

If the child requests BACA physical presence in the courtroom, BACA members will also accompany victim to court appearances to help prevent the child feeling intimidated or frightened while having to testify.

For more information or to make a donation to Bikers Against Child Abuse please visit http://arizona.bacaworld.org/

Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults

riter for Examiner.com


Friday, June 8, 2012

Hope revived in search of Elizabeth Gill, child who disappeared in 1965

Elizabeth Gill

Elizabeth Gill was only 2 ½ years old when she vanished from her family’s home, in the area of the 300 block of south Larimer Street in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The little blonde haired toddler had been playing in the front yard with a sand pail on June 13, 1965, at approximately 4PM. Decades later, the family has never given up the faith that they will find her alive.
The family has long believed a group of drifters that had been staying at a hotel in the area of Elizabeth’s residence may have kidnapped her. A witness reported seeing the individuals on two different occasions try to lure Elizabeth into their vehicle. The drifters had been selling purses close to the house, and early on in the investigation considered persons of interest, but could never be located.
Elizabeth Gill sitting on porch of her home
Detective Jim Smith reopened the cold case in 2003. Smith told the Associated Press, “What do they think about every night, every holiday, every birthday? Their family has never been complete. They are always going to wonder what happened to Elizabeth. If I could give them an answer, it would be one of the greatest things that’s has ever happened to me as a law enforcement officer.”
Recently, the family hired a private detective who visited with Smith and Elizabeth’s sister, Martha Gill-Hamilton.  Mike Neverett, a Florida private investigator, and Smith believe it may only be a matter of time before they solve this mystery. Neverett traveled to Missouri this April to meet with Elizabeth’s family and the detective to research the case.
Taking an interesting approach, Neverett, who has been involved in the case for over seven years, recently visited the old Gill home on Lorimar Street and began taking pictures of what he describes as “pictures through the eyes of a child.” Clicking pictures of surrounding homes and the neighborhood from the height Elizabeth would have been at time of her disappearance. He hopes this may jar the memory of a woman who would now be 49 years old, and the youngest of ten children. Elizabeth’s father passed away in 1970 never knowing what happened to the youngest apple of his eye, but Elizabeth’s mother and remaining siblings have never given up hope of being reunited.
Age Progression and pictures of the Gill sisters
Having worked alongside law enforcement for nearly two decades with many cold cases, I agree this case had all the potential elements of a solvable case. With increased national news exposure, law enforcement and private investigators working cooperatively, and especially utilizing the power of social media, there is a good potential of bringing Elizabeth home to her family. The pictures could be the key to jogging the memory of a woman who has never truly known who she is.
Even I have memories of standing in my crib calling out to my mother because I had an earache. I could not have been more than a year and a half old. The mind stores everything and things decades old like a smell, a sound, and yes, even a picture can take us back. We also know in every case of a suspicious disappearance of a child or adult, someone out there knows something.
We can all take a part in reuniting Elizabeth with her family by sharing her information. Let us all unite as a real social community and bring Elizabeth home!
For additional information, please visit www.missingkids.com. If you have information or believe you may be Elizabeth Gill, please call Det. Jim Smith at the Cape Girardeau (MO) Police Department at 573-335-6621, ext. 1120.
About the Author: Kym L. Pasqualini is founder of the Nation’s missing Children Organization in 1994 and the National Center for Missing Adults in 2000. Kym is considered an expert in the field of missing persons and has spent 20 years working with government officials, law enforcement, advocates, private investigators, and national media. 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The 1968 disappearance of Madeline ‘Lynn’ Babcock


Madeline 'Lynn' Babcock vanished 1968

According to the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as of May 1, 2012, there are 47,673 active missing adult cases in the United States. Many of these cases date back decades.
Madeline Anna Babcock was 35 years old when she vanished from Venice, CA. The beautiful young woman who went by the nickname Lynn, had been employed as a barmaid at Fred’s Tavern and worked a second job on an assembly line at a local factory, in Santa Monica.
According to Patricia Foy, Madeline’s sister, the last time anyone heard from Madeline was the afternoon of June 11, 1968 at approximately 4:00pm when she called her mother from a payphone in Venice. She told her mother that she planned to have a friend drive her to her mother’s home the following day, approximately 20 miles away; she never arrived.
In July, Madeline’s mother and sister travelled to Venice in search of her, and they were told by the owner of the tavern that Madeline had not reported to work the first week of July. Madeline’s property owner at her apartment on Flower Street permitted her mother and sister entry into her apartment, where they found all of her personal belongings were gone. It appeared she had moved out, though the property owner had not been aware of any activity at the residence. The identity of Madeline’s friend who she indicated was going to drive her to her mother’s home was never identified. Foy and her mother proceeded to attempt to make a missing person report with Venice Police Department, but they were told by police that Madeline probably left willingly; her family disagrees.
Madeline Babcock's disappearance remains mystery
In 1968, law enforcement’s handling of missing person cases was very different than it is today. The FBI’s NCIC system did not exist and families were lucky to get police to accept a missing person report. Currently, Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the case, but leads have grown cold in the years following. She would be almost 80 years old today.
In 2007 a person came forward and said they may have possible information that Madeline had been located, but unable to speak for herself. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS), Madeline was born with hydrocephalus, an often disability condition that can cause swelling of the brain. Madeline’s mother has since passed away but Foy provided a DNA sample to cross-reference with the DNA from the unidentified woman but it was not a match.
Often long-term missing person cases fall through the cracks and sadly, decades can pass without resolution for surviving family members. Many families have turned to private investigators for help. With any cold case, private investigators focus on reviving leads by interviewing individuals who knew the missing person at the time of their disappearance, former coworkers, friends, and family.  Working cooperatively with law enforcement, private investigators bring with them a new set of eyes to review details of the case and the ability to spark the interest of media providing exposure necessary to potentially generate new leads. Advocates caution families to check the work history of any private investigator they plan to hire to avoid becoming victims of financial and emotional exploitation, but also agree hiring a private investigator may be their only hope to find the fate of their missing loved one.
About the Author: Kym L. Pasqualini is founder of the Nation’s missing Children Organization in 1994 and the National Center for Missing Adults in 2000. Kym is considered an expert in the field of missing persons and has spent 20 years working with government officials, law enforcement, advocates, private investigators, and national media. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Local Phoenix man brings hope and healing to survivors of child sexual abuse at Examiner.com

Paul McLaughlin, founder of S.C.A.R.S. Photo courtesy of ABC News.
I would like to share my most recent Examiner.com article about a personal friend and a Hero in my book. What he has done in his life is AMAZING but what he is doing now is a BLESSING to many! Please read about Paul McLaughlin's inspirational story and why he founded the new nonprofit S.C.A.R.S. I encourage you to support this agency making a difference in so many lives. ♥


Please click the link to read more Local Phoenix man brings hope and healing to survivors of child sexual abuse

Thursday, May 24, 2012

May 25th, National Missing Children's Day - CBS KPHO News Interview

Julie Patz, mother of Etan Patz who vanished May 25, 1979. 
Kym Pasqualini talks to Catherine Anaya, news anchor with KPHO News 5 in Arizona about the history of National  Missing Children's Day, May 25th.

Missing 33 years, police arrest the now 51-year-old, Pedro Hernandez for the kidnapping and murder of  6-year-old Etan Patz.

My heart goes out to every family that must endure a minute, let alone years not knowing where their precious child is. ~Kym L. Pasqualini




Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Crime Victim Advocate SPEAKS OUT ABOUT RAPE



I wish people really realized the effects of child rape! Absolutely life-altering for the child - and if you think life just bounces back to normal for the victim let me tell you behind the smile they try to show on the exterior - inside is confusion, self-blame, anger, and despair . . . a darkness no parent wants to see. To add to the victim's hopelessness, creating doubt they CAN make it through the experience, we live in a society where teens think it acceptable to further torment a victim as if they somehow deserved being raped by adults. Bullying is traumatic enough without having to suffer being bullied after such a traumatic event.

If you think rape only affects the victim . . . let me let you in on something. Rape affects every facet of the family core - the victim suffers emotional and psychological trauma, fear, lack of trust, and potential self-harm, just to name a few. As parents it is our instinct to protect. Attempting to keep the family core stabilized in the aftermath of crime is made more difficult by magnified external pressures and speaking as a single parent we don't have the resources or buffer that allows us one bit of wiggle room. We are forced to focus on maintaining stability and a safe place to come home to because bills don't allow you a leave of absence to deal with trauma - but if you can't focus on the healing of the victim you may not have a child who will be coming home. I don't wish this experience on anyone.

To the State of Arizona, you bring tears to my eyes. You not only abandoned us when we needed crime victim relocation when I BEGGED that my child's life be protected from adult perpetrators who just so happen to be affiliated with a dangerous group on the FBI GANG list . . . and why? Because some well-paid employee of the state has FAILED to pass the resolution that sits on someone's desk that already INCLUDES crime victim relocation costs! 



Now, you fail to help me as a single parent in the aftermath. Loss of work is also an impact of crime (especially in a single parent household). I can't afford to lose more work . . . but when your child is suffering, a parent doesn't have any choice but to take whatever time and effort necessary to save their child's life! Life doesn't simply go back to normal or I wouldn't be exhausted and up at 4:00AM. Bills could care less if you are on watch because the pain your child is experiencing is too much to bear.


You know what? I'm sure many crime victims would agree we wouldn't care if we had to pay the state back for crime victim benefits to maintain the basic stability we had before the crime so we don't risk losing our child's life to the sick predators who already tried to murder their soul! Yes I'm pissed!!


Respectfully,


Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder
Nation's Missing Children Organization, Inc. & National Center for Missing Adults



Recipient of the 2005 Arizona Attorney General Award for Distinguished Service to Crime Victims and Leadership

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

A Crime Victim's 'Shout Out' to the Arizona Criminal Justice System and State Leadership


2005 Award for Leadership and Distinguished Service to Victims of Crime presented by Attorney General Terry Goddard.


This is the letter I posted to The Arizona Attorney General and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office FB pages because life just doesn't bounce right back to normal, the effects of crime can be life-altering and long-lasting. Our story has not ended and we do face continued struggle. I vowed with every ounce of energy I have left in me that this would not happen to another family! 

When a child has been the victim of a violent sexual crime and there exists police recorded death threats to the child's life, crime victim relocation in order to protect their child's life becomes the family's only option. Currently Arizona Crime Victim Compensation does not cover financial assistance with costs associated with relocation to safety though I am aware of a resolution that 'sits' waiting to be passed that could have helped my family re-stabilize.

In already tough financial times for many of us, we certainly do not put away a savings in anticipation of becoming a crime victim. At a time when a victim family should be able to deal with the emotional trauma and focus on reclaiming their lives in the aftermath of crime, they should not have to face additional financial burden, relocation expense, and even loss of income as a direct result of crime.

As a crime victim advocate for nearly twenty years, I have served this state and the nation to ensure crime victims received services they needed unique to each family's circumstances. We are not only feeling the emotional and psychological effects of my daughter becoming a victim of a violent crime in the state of Arizona, continued fear for safety, and added financial burden; but now the feeling of abandonment from the very state I served for two decades of my life. Please tell me where the justice is in this and what your office will do to prevent this from happening to another family. I appreciate your attention to this matter.
Thank you.
Founder of Nation's Missing Children Organization & National Center for Missing Adults

Recipient of the 2005 Arizona Attorney General's Award for Leadership and Distinguished Service to Victims of Crime, presented by Terry Goddard.