Murder of Jessica Lunsford
Jessica Lunsford | |
|---|---|
live burial | |
| Body discovered | March 19, 2005 |
| Parents |
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Jessica Marie Lunsford (October 6, 1995 – February 27, 2005) was an American nine-year-old girl from
Jessica Lunsford's murder influenced the introduction of legislation in Florida known as Jessica's Law, designed to protect potential victims and reduce a sexual offender's ability to re-offend, which has since influenced similar legislation in 42 other states.
On August 24, 2007, a judge in
Investigation
Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford disappeared in the night on February 24, 2005, from her home in Homosassa, Florida. After approximately three weeks of intense searching for her around the area of her home, John Evander Couey was arrested in Savannah, Georgia, for an outstanding warrant of cannabis possession, but was released after questioning because it was only a local warrant.[1] Couey was a 46-year-old long-time resident of Homosassa with an extensive criminal record, listing dozens of arrests for burglary and was a convicted child sex offender. Due to the laws at the time, Couey received only short sentences and was not monitored after release, despite his record of being an experienced trespasser and his repeated sexual offenses against children.
On March 12, Couey was arrested in
On March 14, Couey's half-sister Dorothy Dixon gave permission to police to search her trailer at West Snowbird Court in Homosassa. Couey had lived at the West Snowbird Court residence with Dixon; her boyfriend, Matt Dittrich; her daughter and son–in-law, Madie and Gene Secord; and her two-year-old grandson, Joshua. During the search a blood-stained mattress and pillows were found in Couey's closet in his room, and forensic analysis discovered both Couey's and Lunsford's DNA on the mattress.[3]
On March 17, Couey was arrested and charged with the murder of Jessica Lunsford, and transported to the Citrus County jail in Florida.
Couey's confession
On March 18, 2005, Couey made an audio-recorded and videotaped
In his confession, Couey said that he had previously seen Lunsford playing in her yard and thought she was "about six years old". On the night of the abduction, Couey had intended to just burglarize the Lunsfords' home, but saw Jessica and "acted on impulse and he took her". He entered Lunsford's house at about three o'clock in the morning through an unlocked door, awakened Lunsford, told her "Don't yell or nothing", and told her to follow him out of the house.
Discovery of Lunsford's body
On March 19, police found nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford's body at the residence on West Snowbird Court in Homosassa, buried in a
After the discovery of Lunsford's body at the residence, Dixon stated that a week earlier she had given Couey money for a bus ticket, and that he had telephoned her to say he had moved to Savannah, Georgia. Additionally, Dixon and the other residents of the trailer claimed to have never seen Lunsford at the home or noticed anything strange from Couey's room, which had not been used since he was last there.[7]
On June 30, 2006, a judge ruled that Couey's confession was inadmissible in court because when it was recorded police had not granted Couey's requests for a
Conviction
Criminal proceedings
The trial was moved to Miami after officials were unable to seat an impartial jury in Citrus County where the trial was first scheduled to be held.[9]
On March 7, 2007, Couey was found guilty of all charges in relation to Lunsford's death, including
On August 11, 2007, a jury overseeing the Lunsford case voted 10-2 that Couey be eligible for the death sentence. Defense for Couey argued that he had suffered from a lifetime of
On August 24, 2007, Couey was sentenced to death, in addition to three consecutive
Aftermath
Jessica Lunsford Act
Following her death, her father, Mark Lunsford, pursued new legislation to provide more stringent tracking of released
Wrongful death and negligence lawsuit
On February 19, 2008, almost three years to the day after her kidnapping and murder, Jessica's father was represented by Jacksonville, Florida lawyers in a pre-trial brief filed against the Citrus County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.[13] After receiving notice of the pending suit, Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy stated that he believed the case to be "baseless... There is only one person in the world that should be held responsible for Jessica Lunsford's death and that's John Couey."[14]
Following complaints and suggestions from Citrus County residents that the pending litigation was being pursued out of greed and that had he been a better father his child may still be alive,[15] Mark Lunsford and Jacksonville-based attorneys Eric Block and Mark Gelman held a news conference in Jacksonville, where it was stated that the pending litigation was "not for the money... but for change." Lunsford stated that changes were needed in procedures and policies. It is alleged that Couey had Jessica Lunsford alive in the trailer while Citrus County officials visited the trailer, that police dogs indicated Jessica was being held in the direction of the trailer and were ignored, that Citrus County officials actively pursued Mark Lunsford's father as their prime suspect while evidence pointed elsewhere, and that had Citrus County officials followed up on an outstanding warrant issued by Georgia, that Citrus County officials could have entered Couey's residence and possibly saved the child.[15][16][17]
Other media
Mark Lunsford becoming an activist for children's rights after the murder of his daughter Jessica is the subject of the 2011 documentary film, Jessie's Dad.[18]
The abduction of Jessica Lunsford was covered in 2013 on the TV series FBI: Criminal Pursuit in the episode "Lurking Menace".[19]
References
- ^ Perez, Mabel. "Judge throws out Couey confession", The Ocala Star Banner, July 1, 2006
- ^ "ANSWER BRIEF OF APPELLEE" (PDF). www.floridasupremecourt.org. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "ANSWER BRIEF OF APPELLEE" (PDF). www.floridasupremecourt.org. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ Partial transcript of Video Confession of Couey, CNN.com
- ^ a b Bruno, Anthony. Jessica Lunsford: Death of a 9 year old" Archived March 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, CourtTV CrimeLibrary
- ^ "Drifter says he held girl three days", CNN.com, June 24, 2005
- ^ "ANSWER BRIEF OF APPELLEE" (PDF). www.floridasupremecourt.org. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ Ross, Jim. "Judge: Couey confession out" St. Petersburg Times, June 30, 2006
- ^ Nesmith, Susannah A. "Wanted: Fair Jury...", pages 1A, 19A, The Miami Herald, February 11, 2007.
- ^ "Judge: John Evander Couey Not Retarded". Crime.about.com. Retrieved October 12, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Convicted child killer Couey dies in prison, Florida officials say". CNN.com. September 30, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
- ^ Ramirez, Jessica. "The Abductions That Changed America", Newsweek, January 29, 2007, pp. 54–55.
- ^ Szakonyi, Mark (February 21, 2008). "Local attorney plans suit on behalf of Lunsford family". Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ "Lunsford Plans to Sue Sheriff's Office". February 21, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ a b "Mark Lunsford to reveal new details of his lawsuit in Jacksonville today". February 25, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "'Not about the money'". CNN. February 26, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ "Mark Lunsford's allegations announced and Sheriff Jeff Dawsy's response". February 26, 2008. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ Garry, Stephanie (May 3, 2008). "Lunsford's pain vivid in documentary 'Jessie's Dad'". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- ^ idfullepisodes (April 2, 2013). "Lurking Menace". Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2017 – via YouTube.