Unsolved Murders/Missing Persons
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7th Ann ual Ann Dugger: JC is Champion for Justice . .2 Unsolved Murders/Missing Persons . .10,11 FUGITIVES CAPTURED Protect and Serve . .3 for L ighter Side . .12 DOMESTIC 2798 Family Support Services Missing Kids . .4 JSO Most Wanted . .13 VIOLENCE MISSING In The Spotlight: Lynn Polley . .5 Busted, Clay County Most Wanted . .14 PERSONS N.E. Florida Abuse Shelters . .7 Awards Dinne r Baker, Bradford, Nassau, St Johns Wanted .15 HOT LINE FOUND 181 Hats Off: Extraordinary Children . .9 Special Thanks . .16 A w ar ds Dinner 1-800-799-7233 NOVEMBER 5 AVAILABLE ONLINE 24/7 O CTO BER 2015 WWW.JUSTICECOALITION.ORG Volume 23 • Number 19 • FREE SAO awarded Domestic violence victim federal grant bears scars of abuse to test rape kits By Angela Corey “I prayed God woun’tl wdant thcemh graowinng ugp ien f oshter icamre as ” she had State Attorney By Shirley Shaw done, and she wanted them to have a father in a real home. So she finally decided to get married. We have some exciting The beautiful young woman – we’ll call her Tasha In the process of dealing with his ex-wife and chil - news to share at the State Attor - – always anticipated evenings at the jazz club where dren from that marriage, she began learning more ney’s Office (SAO)! Our office she could immerse herself in the rhythm of music and about him. Tasha said, “His ex-wife told me that Char - was recently awarded a $1.9 forget the loneliness and pain of her life. The daughter lie would eventually abuse me, beat me, as he had her. million federal grant from the of alcoholic parents, raised in foster homes where she But I wasn’t listening; the sun was really bright and I Bureau of Justice Assistance was sexually and verbally loved him – and believed that (BJA), which is dedicated to in - abused, she longed for some - he loved me. It took awhile vestigating and prosecuting crimes involving one to love and cherish her. but then the beatings started.” untested rape kits in our area. We are also proud One marriage for which She said, “Someone told to note that our office is just one of 20 jurisdictions she had held high expectations me, ‘When your husband is around the country and the only office in the state turned into an abysmal failure, mean to you, he is cheating.’ I of Florida to receive these federal grant dollars. so she was wary about making was so naïve I didn’t realize Recently, you may have seen news stories, lo - new male acquaintances. But that, even while I was preg - cally and nationally, about untested rape kits lo - then she met “Charlie” and nant, he had his lover in our cated in law enforcement property rooms around soon forgot all her home. He said she was just a the country. Here, in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, qualms about men. friend and convinced me to the topic came to our attention in April 2014, when The tall, handsome ask her to be a godparent to Assistant State Attorneys Theresa Simak and military officer, who our child.” It took a few years Adair Newman went to a conference and the sub - was pleasant, artic - before Tasha found out Char - ject of untested kits was discussed. As soon as they ulate, and loved jazz lie was indeed cheating, and returned from the conference, these two women as she did, seemed when she confronted him he started researching just how many kits could pos - to be every woman’s dream. He invited her to accom - beat, choked and ridiculed her. sibly be in property rooms in our area. pany him on a cruise and she fell head over heels in She bears scars to this day from injuries inflicted The SAO orchestrated a meeting between law love with him. on her, but he would tell friends and family that she enforcement agencies and a multidisciplinary But when Charlie proposed it took Tasha awhile to had done them to herself, that she was crazy – he even team was developed. The team, which is led by commit to another marriage. She didn’t know anything convinced police to Baker Act her – and to this day her the SAO, is supported by multiple agencies, in - about his background, and since he was away on mili - family is alienated from her because they believe him. cluding the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the tary duty she never learned about any other romantic Over the years, police came so many times to their Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) associations he might be enjoying. She had adopted and the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. Abuse two little boys – her sister’s children – because she did - (Continued on page 7) Our staff has spent the last 16 months finding resources to process, investigate and prosecute these cases. The federal grant dollars have paved the way for the SAO Cold Case Sexual Assault Testing Florida’s Unit. The Unit consists of the following: • Assistant State Attorney unprocessed • SAO Investigator • JSO Sex Crime Detectives (2) sexual assault kits • SAO Victim Advocate • Community Based Advocate assaults as well. Some rape kits, state compounds this problem. • Prosecution Support Specialist Joined by state lawmakers, law however, remain unprocessed While it is clear it will take more re - • Site Coordinator enforcement and victims' advo - when suspects confess or defen - sources to address these problems, Our goal is to take a victim-centered ap - cates, I committed broad support dants contend that sexual acts were testing these unprocessed kits is a proach, which provides services and information for testing Florida’s unprocessed consensual. Testing costs, which public safety issue that deserves in a timely and sensitive manner to our victims, sexual assault kits. There is esti - can run $1,000, are a factor, as are our immediate attention. while reducing the number of untested kits in ev - mated to be thousands of untested long delays at underfunded crime The Florida Department of idence. We will also aggressively investigate and sexual assault kits in Florida, hold - labs. Other states have demon - Law Enforcement, in conjunction prosecute cases to get justice for the victims! ing key DNA evidence that could strated that testing every kit results with local law enforcement agen - When the SAO applied for the BJA grant ear - help law enforcement solve and in more rape convictions, because cies, is currently conducting a lier this year, the team determined there were prevent violent crimes in Florida unexpected DNA matches pop up statewide assessment of un - 1 1,982 untested rape kits in local law enforcement and across the country. on the national database. processed sexual assault kits to property rooms. Hundreds of those kits have al - Rape victims are asked to forgo For years our state crime labs identify how many kits across the ready been tested. The goal is for all untested rape showers and submit to heart-rend - have struggled to keep up with the state have not been processed. As kits to be submitted for testing and the DNA in - ing procedures for collecting DNA extreme demand created by violent part of my commitment to test formation stored in a national database. that attackers might leave behind. criminals, gangsters and synthetic these kits, I will work with law en - Along with our federal grant award, the FDLE This evidence helps authorities drug pushers. As I have discussed force ment, state lawmakers a nd prosecute the immediate crime, in multiple Florida Cabinet meet - victims’ advocates to review the SAO (Continued on page 2) and it is entered into a nationwide ings, turnover in the state crime Bondi DNA database that can solve other labs due to pay disparity across the (Continued on page 4) The views, opinions and positions The Justice Coalition is a grass roots, non-profit (501(c)3), non-partisan organization that operates on contributions, expressed in articles submitted by monthly and/or periodic proceeds from fundraising events and newspaper advertisements, etc. Please help us continue our advocacy for contributors to the Victims' Advocate newspaper do not innocent victims of violent crime in NE Florida. Visit our website at www.justicecoalition.org or call (904)783-6312 to see how you can be a part of this vital service. necessarily reflect the views of the Justice Coalition Justice Coalition: A Champion for Justice their loved one, to be faced with the times in past issues of our newspa - tion favorable to their position. At By Ann Dugger, Executive Director prospect of re-living details of the per, the Victims' Advocate , we’ve in - this point, parties are free to use hy - Justice Coalition murder during the trial is distress - cluded a section called Courtroom pothetical analogies to make their ing, to say the least. Lingo, where we give definitions of points, to comment on the credibility One of the Our assistance during the above words/ phrases used in the judicial of the witnesses, to discuss how they most valuable scenario is what most victims we process. I was thinking of what believe the various pieces of the puz - services provided serve are most grateful for. Over and might be the most unfamiliar, intimi - zle fit into a compelling whole, and by the Justice over we receive letters, emails, ver - dating words a newcomer will en - to advocate why jurors should de - Coalition to fami - bal testimony of gratitude for just counter, and our Senior Victim cide the case in their favor. lies of murder vic - being there, being a shoulder to lean Advocate Lysa Telzer thought these • Burden of proof – the duty tims is helping on, acting as liaison between them might top the list: placed upon a party to prove or dis - them through the and courtroom personnel or detec - • Opening statement – The open - prove a disputed fact, or it can define maze of the crimi - tives as they work to bring justice in ing statement at the beginning of the which party bears this burden.