Maggie's Rose's Page

This is something I wrote many years ago. I posted it once on myspace, but for some reason, I feel it close to my heart tonight. Maybe its the fact that I actually saw the end of the rainbow during a storm tonight? (I don't think I've actually ever witnessed that before, btw) Who knows.... BurgerKings Angel Trudging unfamiliar streets Through a town I didn't know Refusing to admit defeat 'Braving it' for the two boys I had in tow. The three of us were backpacking Hauling lifes survival gear inside A home is what we were lacking Yet my despair I had to hide. Knowing not a single soul To help us with this plight "There's Burger King!" Yelled my nine year old His face filled with delight. I didn't want to take them in As I couldn't afford the food But my seven year old spied the jungle gym So I told them what we'd do The three of us got some water to drink And set off for the playground Upon a wooden bench I sat to think While the boys contentedly ran around A while later a young boy walked up to me You just can't imagine my surprise As the bag he offered over so cautiously Contained three burgers and some fries "My mom asked that I give this to you" He said … quietly slipping away. "Please remember that God loves you too, So have a very good day" "Bryan! Dwayne!" I called to the boys "Please follow that boy to his mother" I welled up with emotions inseparable The tears tracing one upon the other A few minutes later she came over to me That angel in simple human clothes And asked "Don't you have a place to sleep?" Dwayne informed her we were Locked out of our home "Please wait right here for me" She said That blessed angel without any wings She turned and simply walked away Did she even know how much hope Those few burgers could bring? About an hour later this angel returned Beckoning us to follow along We grabbed our packs and trailed behind This angel who was trying to right Something so wrong Crossing the street, with her guiding our way We wearily stepped into a motel She signed us in without question… Giving us a warm place to dwell! She made sure we three were settled Stocked the room with food That would last us many a day Then she left, that angel unnamed Promising that for us she would pray. I've never seen this woman again The angel disguised in human form Yet I know I've felt her Comforting my heart The times its felt most weary and forlorn. mammabear Bryan, Dwayne...if either of you 2 find this place...all I have to say is that I'm sorry. I tried so hard. I called every shelter in the book, first... I'm not sure how much you boys remember...Do you remember dragging logs and building that lean-to, shoving leaves in all the cracks, to keep out the cold? Do you remember me telling you guys that it was almost like one of our many camping trips? Sometimes it hurts to be this passive, when I want to just call out the people who stood by and did nothing. But, they have already done their damage. I read it's not good to insult the other parent...and since I have nothing nice to say, it leaves me with silence. mom

Today I read that there currently are 100,000 youth offenders locked in our adult prison system serving life sentences with No possibility of ever being paroled. Isn't that the saddest thing you can imagine? A child's life gone before age 18 after so many fought to save him while he was yet unborn. Why would we defend two such conflicting issues? If we are going to abandon them so young, why did we insist they be brought into the world in the first place?

We received word from Karrie today and are happy to say that she is doing fine, just taking a break. As you all know this work can take an emotional toll in many ways and sometimes it is best to stop and return later refreshed and renewed. This is where Karrie is right now. She is starting a new venture and our best wishes and our hearts will always be with her. Come home soon, Karrie!

Karrie, if you are still reading here, I can't tell you how saddened and surprised we are that you deleted your membership. You are a huge part of the heart of Peace 4 the Missing and your contributions are so appreciated. All of us are missing you, but we understand that sometimes people have their own reasons for being here and for not being here, and we respect those reasons and decisions. We all wish you well in your search for justice and our hearts will always be with you wherever you go. For everyone....Peace 4 the Missing is for YOU, not us, and we will always try to honor and respect what you are working towards while you are here. If there is anything that goes on, or is said, that upsets you or makes you uncomfortable, please let us help resolve it. Our doors are always open for you to come in, and if you feel it is time to leave, we can respect that also. Each of you are a part of what will make this site successful and each of you are important to us. Delilah and MaggiesRose

This was an article wrote in our local newspaper two years after my mom was taken. Janet did a great job with it. I remember it was on the front page of the paper. I felt like sharing it with all of you. Seeking Justice For Alice Donovan By Janet Blackmon Morgan The Sun News Missing Alice Jennifer Warner fantasized her mother would turn up somewhere with amnesia, "just like a soap opera." But faced with a guilty plea and confessions 18 months later, she knows Alice Donovan is dead. A pair of escapees from a Kentucky jail, Chadrick Fulks and Branden Basham, are charged with Alice Donovan's death. Prosecutors say the pair took her from the Conway Wal-Mart in the middle of the afternoon on Nov. 14, 2002, and killed her in Brunswick County, N.C. Sitting on the back porch with her family as she takes a drag from a Newport, Jennifer Warner squints in the afternoon sun. She points to a dogwood tree her mother had surrounded with a brick wall. A pair of hummingbird feeders hang in the shade of the leaves. "She loved nature and everything about it," she said. "She used to take my little boy, Anthony, out here and tell him about the birds and insects and bugs and trees. We were sitting out here the other night and he said, 'I want a elescope so I can look through the stars. I have a feeling MeeMaw's a star and God put her up there." Alice Donovan loved to garden, and she was so organized even her junk drawer was tidy. Today, there are weeds growing beneath her dogwood. She hammered so many nails for the home she and Barry were building she joked her right arm looked like Popeye. Today, the front porch posts haven't been painted and it is missing its railings. The windows in the dormers still display the stickers from the manufacturer. Seeking Solace, Justice Jennifer Warner's sister Angie Warner and their stepfather Barry Donovan look out past the dusty, barren yard to the tree. They talk quietly about revenge, raw pain and swells of emotions they say no one can understand. "Everybody says, 'I don't know what to say.' Hell, I don't know what to say," Barry Donovan says. But Barry Donovan knows what will help him heal - "just 10 minutes alone with those guys," he said of the Kentucky pair. "All I want is 10 minutes and, well, let's just say I do a lot of shooting." Healing is coming slowly, they all agree. But time and circumstances keep picking at the scab. Friday would have been Alice Donovan's 46th birthday. Today is Mother's Day. Her daughters eyes well with tears when thinking of the dates. This week marks the beginning of the sentencing hearing for Fulks, who pleaded guilty last week in her abduction and death. But he blamed her slaying on his co-defendant, whose trial will follow. "As the trial comes up, it's almost like we're having to relive everything," Jennifer Warner said. "I want it to be over, but I don't want to have to deal with it." Two time zones to the west, Judy Ezell is finding a way to deal with her sister's death and the resurgence of emotions from her home in Wiley, Colo. "Right now, I've had to focus my mind on other things so the grief doesn't set in. I've had to put all of that, her, aside," Ezell's said, her voice cracked and then stopped. "I've had to put her aside. I'm focusing on my gardening. That was something we shared. I think I can keep the connection with her that way and it's not so painful." Two of five sisters, Ezell said they matched up and remained close throughout their lives. She described being in the delivery room for the birth of Alice Donovan's daughters. She described playing cards on Sunday nights when they both had young families in New England. It wasn't unusual for the sisters to talk on the telephone for five hours at a time. As she talked by phone about her sister, Ezell said she was looking at a framed photograph of Barry and Alice Donovan on the porch of their new home after the roof had been put up. She'd found it after her sister was reported missing. Digging through letters and old pictures, Ezell said, she is making a box full of memories. "I've got one letter here," she said reading words Alice Donovan had sent her from her Horry County home. "It says, 'I wish you were here. I just want to hug and hold you. I miss you so much,'" Missing Alice Donovan is the worst part for her, Ezell said, "I don't have a big sense of bitterness," she said. "They were a couple of jerks, yes, but the whole thing was so random. It's not like they targeted Alice. The whole thing was so impersonal." But, Ezell said, the circumstances surrounding her sister's death have become personal for thousands who know the story. She's heard from strangers who say they are more careful when out in public. "I still shop at Wal-Mart," Ezell said. "But, I don't shop anywhere unless I see cameras, security cameras." Echoing her aunt, Jennifer Warner said she always parks on the same parking aisle and is hyper-aware of everyone around her. "I know how many feet it is to the door and back to my car. I'm always looking around and making sure I know everything that's going on around me," she said. "It's not the store's fault, but parking is the worst part." The Last Day Barry Donovan listens as Jennifer Warner talks about Wal-Mart. He adjusts his sunglasses and leans uneasily in his chair. The last conversation he'd had with his wife was about Wal-Mart. Around noon on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002, Barry Donovan said Alice Donovan told him she was going shopping at Wal-Mart and she'd be home later. They kissed and told each other, "I love you," as they always did. Around 4 p.m. Alice Donovan called home and her daughter Angie Warner answered the telephone. Her mother told her she was shopping and would be home late. The evening passed. Barry slept. By 2 a.m. Barry Donovan said he woke and realized his wife wasn't home. He began to worry. He called Horry County Police and was told he had to wait at least a day before filing a missing persons report. But they did check accident reports and area hospitals; no record of Alice Donovan. Before the sun rose on Nov. 15, Barry Donovan was cruising the area shopping centers looking for his wife's blue 1994 BMW 318i. At the time, both worked for Precision Southeast. He said a friend at Precision Southeast had a son who worked at Wal-Mart. He was told if he brought in a photograph of his wife a store employee would review the tapes to see if they could spot her. But none of the photographs he had at home showed his wife with her new, short hair cut. So that morning, Jennifer Warner took her camera to Wal-Mart to get more recent photographs of her mother processed. That film turned out to be double-exposed: They couldn't tell what Alice Donovan looked like. Barry Donovan went to his bank, Carolina Trust, and requested a report of the couple's bank card activity. It showed charges from LIttle River, Cherry Grove, Shallotte, N.C., and Raleigh, N.C. The Little River bank reviewed the tape from the walk-up ATM. It was not Alice Donovan. "You couldn't tell who it was," he said making a quick motion with his hands framing from under his chin to just below his belly. "It didn't show a face, but you could tell it wasn't Alice. All you could tell was it was a man." All the information he'd gathered was turned over to the Horry County Police and Alice Donovan was registered as a missing person by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15. The Search Begins The Wal-Mart security tape records her being abducted at 2:45 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2002. Just more than an hour later, she made the call to her daughter, saying she'd be home late. About an hour earlier, two men had shot at Carl Jordan when he interrupted a break-in in his son's mobile home in the Forney community just southwest of Conway. Five guns were reported stolen. Police now believe the Basham-Fulks trail began when the pair escaped from the Hopkins County Jail in Madisonville, Ky., on Nov. 4, 2002. Within a 10-day span the pair are alleged to have: stolen cars, trucks and minivans; kidapped a man in Kentucky who they later left taped to a tree in Indiana; and abducted and killed 19-year-old Samantha Burns in West VirginiaBy Nov. 17, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Department was notified. Sheriff Ronald Hewett said Marine Corps helicopters were called in, private planes were put to the air to search, rescue units from around the county were activated including the N.C. Highway Patrol and about 100 volunteers. For nearly a week the dirt roads, swamps and fields in Brunswick County were combed hoping to rescue Alice Donovan. As the temperatures dropped and no sign of evidence was found, the effort turned to searching for remains. In the weeks immediately after his wife's disappearance, Donovan joined police and others in the search. "I searched when there was a possibility she might be found alive, but when I became clear she might not be found alive, I stopped," he said. "I didn't want to be the one to find her dead." He believes his wife would have escaped her kidnappers if she had a chance, he said. She was a fighter. But he saw the Wal-Mart video tape. "It was the middle of the day, but she didn't have a chance," he said. "They followed her into the parking lot and before she could get out the car Basham jumped out the truck and got in on her passenger side." Hewett said witnesses came forward who had seen the BMW, Alice Donovan with Basham and Fulks in the Beetree Farm area about 35 miles into Brunswick County from the state line. "There is no doubt Alice Donovan was brought to the Beetree Farms area with Basham and Fulks," Hewett said. "Our best evidence is Alice Donovan was killed there." Lingering Search, Emotions On Nov. 17, Basham was captured in Ashland, Ky. Three days later, Fulks was arrested Indiana. On Thanksgiving that year, Hewett said he and Basham drove around Brunswick County from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Basham did not provide any information that helped in the search. Hewett and Capt. Gene Caison of the sheriff's department, continue to search for Alice Donovan. Her story has touched the two men and their families. Each said they've told their wives and children to be aware in parking lots, no matter the time of day. "I've told them, 'Do not become a hostage,'" Hewett said. "We're in this business and we see things happen, but you never get used to this. This is the worst story I've ever seen with such a random act of violence." After meeting with about 25 hunting clubs in the county, Hewett said two hunting seasons have passed and they still haven't found any sign of her, but they've gotten about one report a month from searchers uncovering bones in the woods. Those have all proven to be animal remains, but the two hold out hope Alice Donovan's remains will be found to help her family find some comfort. Even though both men now face trial, the search continues and will, Caison said. When they do find her, her family says, they are going to bring her home up the dirt roads just east of Aynor near the Dog Bluff community to the two-story beige home with green trim she and Barry Donovan built. Although she was raised and lived most of her life in New England from New Hampshire to Maine, her family has settled firmly in the sandy soil of the southern coast. "Her heart belonged down here," Jennifer Warner said. "She loved the south." Barry Donovan nodded in agreement. His wife, he said, joked she was a "reincarnated southern belle." The couple, together for a dozen years and married for 10, moved south about seven years ago. They began building their dream home in 2000 and moved in a few weeks before Sept. 11, 2001. When Alice Donovan is found they will have her cremated and spread her ashes around the house she and her husband built together. "Over there, by the May pops, Alice always wanted a gazebo," Barry Donovan said, pointing to a corner of his sandy yard. "We'll get an urn or something and spread her ashes out there by the May pops." Staff writer Kenneth Gailliard contributed to this article. Contact JANET BLACKMON MORGAN

The CUE Center for Missing Persons will set out on August 21st for their 5th Annual "On The Road to Remember Tour 2008" in honor of those who remain missing, homicide and the unidentified. For more information contact CUE Center and see tour route schedule/information below: If there is a stop near you, I encourage you to show support for these families and Cue Center who does a remarkable job of searching for the missing and bringing awareness to them. Date & Time of Stop Address City Thursday, August 21 (leave 8:00 AM) Grouse Woods Drive Wilmington, NC Thursday, August 21st 11:30AM-12:30 PM 1004 Jefferson Street (Residence) Roanoke Rapids, NC Shonda Stansbury Friday, August 22nd 9:00-10:00 AM Need physical address (Ritter Park) Huntington, WV Jason Scott Adkins Friday, August 22nd 11:15 AM-12:15 PM 2800 Kanawha Blvd. (Daniel Boone Roadside Park) East Charleston ,WV Melanie Metheny Saturday, August 23rd 10:30-11:30 AM 501 South Atlantic Avenue Ocean City, MD Maryland Task Force Saturday, August 23rd 6:30-7:30 PM 305 High Street (Church of the Assumption) Hackettstown, NJ Allison Jackson Foy Sunday, August 24th 10:00-11:00 AM 83 Montfort Road (Lourdes Shrine) Litchfield, CT Mary Badaracco Sunday, August 24th 3:00-4:00 PM 240 Canoe Brook Road (Residence) East Dummerston, VT Bethany & Tina Sinclair Sunday, August 24th 6:30-7:30 PM South Swan St. and Madison Ave (NY State Cultural and Educational Center) Albany, NY Center for Hope/Suzanne Lyall Monday, August 25th 10:30-11:30 AM 3 Broome Street (Three Bear Hotel and Inn) Marathon, NY Bethanie Doughtery August 26th 10:00-11:00 AM 1052 Mount Vernon Ave (X'Quizit Studios) Columbus, OH Crystal Wilson August 26th 1:30-2:30 PM 300 Lincoln Street (Residence) Mount Cory, OH Annabelle Ludwig August 26th 5:00-6:00 PM 613 South 10th Street (Residence) Richmond, IN Niqui McCown August 26th 7:00-8:00 PM 2900 Park Road (Roberts Park) Connersville, IN Jason Dale Bolton August 27th 10:00-11:00 AM 2025 South US 31 (Gas Station/Restaurant) Tipton, IN Shannon Sherill August 27th 3:00-4:00 PM 3500 South Cottage Grove (Ellis Park) Chicago, IL Diamond & Tionda Bradley August 27th 5:30-6:30 PM Intersection Melissa & Rockhurst (Wipfler Park) Bolingbrook, IL Rachel Mellon August 27th 7:00-8:00 PM 200 Lindsey Lane (Bolingbrook Aquatic Center) Bolingbrook, IL Stacy Ann Peterson August 28th 10:00-11:00 AM 305 S. County Line Road (Maple Park Fire Dept) Maple Park, IL Bradley Olsen August 28th 5:30-6:30 PM McIntosh Hill Road & Hwy 79 Intersection Foley, MO Bianca Noel Piper August 29th 10:00-11:00 AM 510 1st Street (Jefferson County Sheriff Office) Hillsboro, MO Amanda Jones August 29th 7:30-8:30 PM 14635 Ember Road Craig, MO Branson Perry August 30th 10:30-11:30 AM 15706 Lawrence Avenue (Residence) Belton, MO Jesse Ross & Kara Kopetsky Saturday, August 30th 3:00-4:30 PM 2100 West High (Tom Watkins Park) Springfield, MO Jeremy Alex Grand Rally Stop Sunday, August 31st 3:30-4:30 PM 1035 Maurice Fields Dr., Paris, TN 38242 Paris, TN Rachel Conger Monday, September 1st 9:30-10:30 AM 3833 Nashville Road (Waffle House) Franklin, KY CUE Volunteers Monday, September 1st 5:00-6:00 PM 25 East Main Street (Old Fort Depot) Old Fort, NC Sheila Noblitt/McDowell SO Monday, September 1st 7:30-8:30 PM 3723 Oxford School Rd (Across/Bunker Hill Exxon) Catawba, NC Travis Baker Tuesday, September 2nd 11:00 AM-12:00 PM 1202 W. 4th Street (Frazier Park) Charlotte, NC Kristen Foundation Tuesday, September 2nd 4:00-5:00 PM 200 Columbus Corner (Wal-Mart Parking Lot) Whiteville, NC Carol Batten Dowless Tuesday, September 2nd 6:30 PM End of Tour 2008 Wilmington, NC

217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121 http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm Ask the governor of Illinois to sign the hearsay bill and make this a law! Spend 10 minutes of your time making the call, writing the note, telling your friends, posting it on forums or blogs or myspace, or just sending it to your email list. Drew Peterson goes to court on Wednesday, if this law is signed in tomorrow an arrest could possibly take place on Wednesday, away from the children, and in a safe and controlled situation, allowing justice to be served! You can make a difference, even if you aren't fully aware of the situation, or even if you haven't heard about it at all, just know that there are two women, and four children who need your help. For those of you who have followed the case, now is your chance to put your money where your mouth is! Take a few minutes away from watching the stories on television, from reading the blog posts or articles written, and do something! Not everyone can be there to search, can be there to help take care of the children, some can't send money, some aren't able to hand out pictures or put up signs, but anyone who is receiving this email can click that link and ask that the hearsay law be signed. Tomorrow is go day. An effort is being made to have everyone call or write today and tomorrow, if the governor is listening we want to be heard loud and clear. Sign the hearsay law. Let Kathy and Stacy be heard. No one listened when they were alive, let them have a voice now!

Written, but not sent response to the www.deathrowspeaks.com penpal request of one of the vile killers of beautiful mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter, niece, friend and wife...Alice Donovan Ran across your "ad" for a Penpal and thought I'd respond... Life sure sounds lonely for you on death row, sorry to hear about the loss of your Mother, loss like that...it must tear you apart!!! I can't even begin to imagine THAT kind of pain. Sounds like you have found some interests to occupy your time though. Saw the photo you posted, flexing your muscles, you must work-out a lot, huh? Looks like you're pretty proud of your physique. You also mentioned reading as a hobby, that you enjoy Stephen King...can't say I share this interest, his books are a bit too dark for me, I suppose I'm a bit of a "wimp" that way, but reading or watching anything too violent really disturbs me... To tell you the truth, the very fact that you are allowed to do anything, at all, disturbs me. I can't wrap my mind around it...around you. I just recently read about you and ever since I've been regretting that I did. You terrify me, the fact that there are people in the world like you...makes it more difficult for me to sleep well at night. In fact, you've made me believe in monsters. I don't want to live in a world with Monsters! Let alone Monsters that we allow to freely share ONLINE, to publicly post about their "hobbies" and whine about their death row status, to be able to communicate AT ALL with the outside world...how could this be going on?!!! You know, since I heard about you, it's so much harder to assure my daughter at night that "there is no such thing as monsters," because now I know...there are! There are monsters! Monsters who MURDER Moms, Monsters who MURDER Grandmas, Monster who MURDER Wives, Monsters who violate and destroy EVERYTHING that should be kept MOST sacred in this world!!! Monsters who continue to TORMENT their victims families by posting ONLINE, Monsters who even DEATH ROW is not silencing. Monsters have no heart, they continue to drone sickly on about their monster thoughts, their monster hobbies, their monster feelings, desires and cares. But...WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MONSTERS!!! The ENTIRE UNIVERSE does not want to hear about you!!!! If even DEATH ROW cannot somehow awaken a conscious in your monster heart, well then...I'm afraid there is no hope. Why do you want to be a monster? Why are you giving yourself the freedom to communicate with the outside world? WHY WON'T YOU TELL WHERE YOU AND THE OTHER MONSTER DISCARDED ALICE DONOVAN?!!! You violated and murdered a sweet Mama, you violated and murdered an innocent Grandma, you violated and murdered someone's cherished Wife!!!!! And now...you won't even say where she is?!!! Why won't you?!! WAKE UP, MONSTER! YOU ARE ON DEATH ROW!!! What do you have to lose?! Whatever would hold you back from the iota of a bit of at least telling her family where Alice is? Do not be confused...If you take that knowledge with you to your soon upcoming grave, you WILL go to HELL...you WILL burn for eternity. Even Monsters must be afraid of ETERNAL, unrelenting, beyond even our concept of intensely painful, TORTURE...aren't they? Why won't you tell? Perhaps, you think there is still some chance for you to get off Death Row? Is that why you won't tell? If so, I'd like to help you out, save you the wasted time and energy of even fleetingly considering that insanely, idiotic thought. Monster? You won't get off Death Row. I personally along with so ever many more, PROMISE you that we will NEVER let that happen. What if Alice Donovan was your Mom? Think on that! What would you do if a Monster had taken her life?! How do you sleep at night, Monster...knowing that you will soon wake up one day closer to Hell? http://peace4missing.ning.com http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2008/07/alice-donovan-her-daughters-words.htm

It is ten past nine in the evening and I am telling myself I really need to go to bed. But my mind is going a million miles a minute with thoughts of my mom and of all the other missing people I have read about on peace 4 the missing.. Will there ever be an end to our wondering? Will we ever get the answer we so desperately seek? It angers me that our loved ones are out there somewhere. And someone knows where they are and will NOT tell. UGH!!! How can people be so careless, uncompationate??? I just don't understand.. I probably never will either. For the past three weeks I have been working seven days a week from 4:30 am to 3pm..I am totally beat when I get home. Physically and mentally..Only four more weeks of this and I will have a normal work week!! So can not wait..I miss spending time with my new husband and his family..My nephew just arrivived in town a few weeks ago and I have not been able to visit him yet.. I have a couple projects I would like to start for my mom but I just don't have the energy to them right now..Sigh... And in the process of all of this I for some reason un be known to me I decide to start the long awaitedhealing process of losing my mom! Wow what was I thinking,! There is a season for healing my cousin Gina told me..I guess it's my season.. I will get through the long hours and days at work..That is temporary, not permanet, thank god. And I will heal.. My aunt told me that god doesn't give you more then you can handle..

As you know this is a new venture for us and changes are bound to happen in order for everyone to benefit from the site. We would like to be able to better serve each and every one of you by aiding the awareness of your individual cases. Our thoughts are this. Each week we will feature a member's case or cause. This will go in the direction that YOU choose and we will aid you in your quest as best we can. This way, instead of being all over the place, we can concentrate on one at a time as they come. We truly want to be a place where you are helped and give you the opportunity to help others, not just a social place or information deposit. That being said, we would like to clean up some duplicate areas so that everyone can easily find what they are looking for. If you find that things are missing and you need it, please make a copy for your self. We will not touch anything on your personal pages. Those are yours to do what you like. We will try to archive everything that we can. We are going to put the chat area back to the front page so it is easier for everyone to get to know each other and also ask questions if a member is on and you need help. We encourage you to join and use chat as much as you like. We are chatters!! Also, please remember we have never done this before, so have patience with us as we are trying to grow this site into something for everyone. We welcome all of your suggestions and I think the best way to go about getting them to us is send a private message to me, Delilah, or MaggiesRose so we don't clog up the site with back and forth chatter. Thanks to each of you for making this site our dream come true.

Today is dedicated to Lisa Hatchell and bringing awareness to her case. As of 4pm EST, there were 105 views and 25 comments on the Current site. The article has been on the front page of their news section all afternoon, so thousands have seen her picture, even if they didn't read the article. Articles about Lisa have been posted in about 10 new sites and on several social networks. There are currently 35 candles lit from people all over the internet who have left messages from their hearts. They are all there to light Lisa's way home. We have been able to put Alonie in touch with an advocate who has agreed to look into her case and talk to police in behalf of Lisa's family. Did we bring Lisa home? No, but I believe we have at least taken one step closer to that goal. It is a long and winding road, as many of you know. None of us here are professionals, we are just winging it most of the time, but our hearts and minds and fingers are in the right place and God will guide us.

In the words of an old die hard hippie woman....Peace, man! Not long ago Maggiesrose and I started talking about building a place where families of missing persons could come and do what they needed to do to make their life a little bit more comforting despite the pain and sorrow they have endured. We talked and talked about what to offer and just how to do it and finally came up with the premise that if we build it, they will come. We have seen a growth in members these last few weeks and in all reality is more than we expected! We really didn't know if you would find us! The results have been positive and that is what we hoped for. All that being said, I just want to make you aware that sometimes people who don't have peace on their minds will join. So, in case you are wondering why we lost a few members today, that is why. It is to be expected that some people will join just to read and educate themselves, and we welcome those members, but sometimes people will join for all the wrong reasons or really not know what we are all about. We made the decision to put new membership on approval. What that means is, just like always, please invite as many as you like, but before they will become full members they have to be let in the door! The site is public so anyone can read and look around before they make the decision to join. We feel this way it will keep those who do not have our best interests at heart on the outside. One of our goals is to keep you all protected anyway we can. Several of you have been through enough and don't need to be bothered or not feel safe here. This is your haven .....

I appreciate all of your support on this...I still find myself slightly surprised at the compassion, concern, and over all warmth that's felt here on Peace4. I plan to continue with this blog thing...at least for now, although to be honest I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with it all...or when I might just stop. Do any of you know how to get a scanned document (or 2) from my comp to this blog? I tried a few times earlier, but didn't quite figure how to go about it. mammabear

The last time I ever saw my 2 sons was November 3rd, 1998. Since that date, I have spent the last near 10 years in battle with a system which seems to protect the abductor. I am talking about Parental Abduction. No matter how many times I called the police, they wouldn't file a missing report on my sons, Bryan and Dwayne Ferrell. The current laws in PA. do not consider it a kidnapping if the abduction occurs BEFORE custody issues are resolved. No police report = no case or poster on NCMEC. To the rest of the world, my sons were never missing. I was not a perfect mom! I will state that right off. I was still partying when I should have been learning how to bake cookies. Somehow the partying got carried away, and I wound up doing 3 months county time for a D.U.I. That's my crime. It's nothing to be proud of...yet I will not hide this fact when my plans are to eventually present several letters and documents on this case. This is something I live with everyday of my life. If you want to judge me by that alone, fine! There are thousands upon thousands of blogs written by people who hide their faults behind a perfect persona of the person they wish they were. So no offense, but if you can't deal with my mistakes, then please just go read one of those blogs! The courts have NEVER stripped my parental rights, put the boys in foster care, or filed a restraining order against me. The abducting family took it upon themselves to try and judge me without a trial or a jury. Dodging my attempts to bring this to court, the -X- continued to hide Bryan and Dwayne with various family members throughout a few different states. Lately I've thought a lot about writing this story. I've weighed the pros and cons. Is sharing this case of parental abduction something that could hinder any possible reunification later on? I find myself in confusion and doubt...Am I still a mom searching for her sons? Or does my continued search make me someone who is invading the privacy of 2 teens? (Bryan and Dwayne are much older now, at 18 & 16) Am I now considered a harrassing stranger, rather than a mom wanting to know where her sons are? Along with the mistakes I DID make, over the years, these boys have been told many lies of things I DIDN'T do. ( But I'm not ready to get into the cover-up and betrayal of West Virginia CPS, or school district, yet!) These are just a few of the thoughts that generate confusion. Since I struggle with these questions, The only thing I have to go on is the last conversation I had with my son, Bryan. It was about 3 months after the abduction. (Feb. 1999) I somehow managed to actually talk to him on the phone while he was in Ohio. Our conversation was brief...then I heard wrestling in the background, and a hang-up. Someone pried the phone out of a nine year old boys hands and hung up on me. The last words I ever heard from either of my sons was, "Mom, please come get me!" I do not know if Bryan still wants me to find him. My guess is no, he dosen't. (at least not yet) I believe he has been taught to fear and hate me. Bryan and Dwayne will need someone to be angry with. I am the absent, alienated, target parent, so it may as well be me! BUT!!! Until the day I hear my sons tell me they never want to see me again, I need to act upon those last few words..."Mom, please come get me!" Some days I feel that at least one of my sons know I am online here, and they just aren't ready to talk yet. I guess only time will tell. mammabear

I am bringing a post here from Justice in Miami. If you are not familiar with Lilly's case, this blog is written by her friend, Janet. She has singlehandedly tried to find Lilly for over a year. We have been doing our best to get the word out over the internet and get some recognition for her. No media has EVER written one word about Lilly's disappearance, and the police have been extremely slow and incompetantly handling her investigation. Please go to the blog, or any of the other sites, and read about her case. Like so many others, this is an outrage.

"Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated." -Lamartine Since the moment I received the phone call from Lilly's mother, I knew this was going to be a life changing event. Although, I was used to losing touch with Lilly every once and awhile, this was different. The more I learned about the details, the more I knew something was terribly wrong. Why would Lilly just take off and leave her precious baby behind? She would never do that!! Christen and Kelly wanted to make it seem like she killed herself. Why else would they come up with that story of her walking out with bungee cords (in pajamas to pick flowers)? A short time after Lilly disappears, Christen's Cadillac SUV disappears. And Kelly moves in with Christen. According to them, there was another person in the apartment the night Lilly vanished. A mysterious guy by the nickname "EJ" or "AJ". It's been more than one year since that fateful night. And police have yet to interview Kelly in person. She left Miami, last year and by the looks of it, she is too much of a coward to come back. Both Christen and Kelly claim they don't don't anything about "EJ/AJ", not his real name, not his address, nothing. The only thing they could come up with is that he moved to Germany. If you are from the Miami area and know anything about "EJ" or "AJ", please contact Detective Mancha at 305-418-7245. If you knew Lilly and/or Christen Pacheco or Kelly Starling and could offer some insight, please email me. This has gone on way too long. Someone out there knows EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO LILLY. I urge you to contact the detective or call the tip line at 305-471-TIPS, you can remain anonymous if need be. Just make the phone call, please. No matter how small a detail, no matter how silly you think it may be, your information could help solve this mystery. It's been a hellish experience for Lilly's family and friends. Please help bring Lilly back home. For the most recent update on Lilly's case, please read Murder, Money & Power Miami Style. Very raw and unfiltered truth about what we are dealing with in the real life mystery of Lilly Aramburo's disappearance. Please comment and make a quick phone call to the US Attorney's Office at 305-530-7679. It appears the US Attorneys office are the only ones who can properly investigate this case. Also, please continue sending emails to Governor Charlie Crist and media. It makes absolutely no sense that after all this time, not ONE article has been written about Lilly's case in local newspapers like The Miami Herald or Miami New Times. The local news channels are not helping either. It's not due to lack of effort, I testify to that. www.justiceinmiami.blogspot.com www.murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com

No, we can't... In my humble opinion and own life experience, only God can do that. And sometimes, even HIS peace is not one we are capable of truly comprehending nor accepting in this life on earth. So, why are we here then, at Peace 4 the Missing? Why do we and why should we care? Because, even if, God willing, we are "only" somehow able to bring about even one mere drop, the tiniest of sprinkle of a peaceful, even momentarily peaceful feeling to those forced to endure the anguishing pain of the missing, then it is worth it. It is worth our efforts, it is not a waste of time nor energy. Because they, we all, desire, truly need even a temporary mere moment of peace-like relief...because a heart and soul can only take so much. Because we do care and its always better to try to do something loving than to do nothing at all. Thank You all, you beautiful souls, angels my life has been touched by in this place. Thank You for being you, thank you for caring, thank you for making this world a tiny sprinkle of a drop better. Because, somehow, amidst all the pain, that truly does mean so much. And thank you, most especially, all you brave, courageous souls of the missing, those very ones we are lead to want to feebly attempt to bring the merest amount of peace-like moments to...you are the ones who have opened our eyes to this cause, the ones we so admire, the ones that despite their own agony, somehow, quite miraculously choose to reach out to others, to transform their own pain as a catapult to actively aide others reeling in the pain of having a loved one missing. You inspire us, you encourage us to do more and our lives are so much better due to you.

In this notoriously safe small town of mine, yesterday, right during a very LOUD thunderstorm, the jewelry store downtown was robbed, the owner as well as a 77 year old customer were both murdered, shot execution style in the back of the head, the robber or robbers have yet to be caught... Here's a link to the story... http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=94856&catid=14 http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2008/07/grand_haven_jeweler_second_man.html Hard to believe, the man was a saint, he had a big golden retriever that he brought in to work with him everyday, thus our frequent visits due to my daughters love affair with the dog...he was always so excited to see the girls, always remembered their names...such a terrible tragedy, hard to digest. The girl in the photo and daughter of the store owner who found them, Stacey, is friend of mine, our daughters have played together numerous times and she lives just a few blocks from me... That one photo in the link above is of her, taken right after she found out/them...that seems so inappropriate a photo to me, doesn't it?! I just wondered if maybe the internet could please help find these or this monster that committed this.

In light of the sickening tragedy of 12 year old Brooke Bennett...I am once again reminded of the essential importance of protecting our children from Predators. For as much as we desperately want to, we cannot turn back time...are unable to protect and save Brooke from all the horrific events that her innocent life was forced to endure. However, let us not let her persecution be in vain! My fervent prayer is that her story will become a catapult towards awareness and protection of many children on how best to keep them safe from the evil sickness of a Child Predator. http://activelyaware.blogspot.com/2008/07/heavens-newest-angel-brooke-bennett.html PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON ANY IDEAS, LINKS, SUGGESTIONS, ETC. THAT YOU HAVE REGARDING...

http://susangelmore.blogspot.com/ Susan Gabrielle ELmore Burns (Gabby) has been missing since February 25, 2008. Susan Elmore has dark brown hair and eyes. She weighs 115 pounds and is 5'4. Susan Elmore was last seen with a wanted violent sex offender Keith Lee Burns in Columbus, Texas. *Please spread the word wherever you can about this missing young girl.*

http://www.murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/ Once again it is time to mobilize. There has been new evidence uncovered that may be able to bring Lilly home to her family and friends and give answers to them. Once again, MDPD has been dragging their feet. They have been informed that the area you will see in the above pictures may be where the remains of Lilly Aramburo lie and they have not made any arrangements to conduct a search of the land. Let's all unite our efforts to bring Lilly home. Please take the time to email MDPD, news media, post on your blogs, message boards and forums. This area may have promise to bring the resolution we have all been working so hard to find.