Today is a sad day. I and the team that I belong to, Amber Alert Mommy Squad have been following this case closely.It is with an incredibly heavy heart and baffled head that I bring you her story.
Zina Linnik was just a typical 12 year old enjoying the festivities of The Fourth of July with family and friends.Zina, whose family immigrated to the USA ten years ago to start a new life appreciated Independence Day moreso than the average person.On that Wednesday night Zina after being asked by her father to go outside to check to see if any other children in her family were in the alley(a safe place on this dead end road) behind their home, disappeared.Not just disappeared... but was forceably taken kicking and screaming. Her father rushing outside to barely catch a glimpse of a foreign man in an older gray van driving off quickly.Her father also caught a few numbers of the license plate on the van.An intense search began, an Amber Alert put into place.
Through diligent and tireless efforts of the Tacoma Police Department, its detectives and the FBI information was found several days later that pointed to a suspect.This suspect was found due to the facts that he had a similar van, the numbers the father had seen on the plate corresponded with the actual plate and that the suspect is an UNREGISTERED SEX OFFENDER. Not merely a sex offender but an offender of the worst kind, a sexual predator who had committed transgressions against children.
This suspect" alledgedly"( yes, I hate that word but in this country it is innocent until proven guilty) gave the authorities the whereabouts of Zina's body. Her body was found with the information provided by the "alledged" suspect on Thursday, July 12, 2007. As of this time, very little information is being given to the public. We know that this particular individual is a "person of interest", he is a convicted" sexual offender" who failed to register and possibly an illegal immigrant.He refused to cooperate with authorities further and ponied up an attorney quicker than you can bat an eyelash! Her body was recovered and at the time of my writing this, is being carefully examined as well as the undisclosed crime scene.I will post more information on this case as it is given to the public.More on this case at the following links:
http://www.komotv.com/news/8491402.html
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/8479002.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289165,00.html
http://blogs.king5.com/archives/2007/07/terapon_adhahn.html
Why do I post about this one particular crime you may ask yourselves? This crime is to close to home for me. As a member of my AAMS, we take personally crimes in our own hometowns. Of course every missing, murdered and hurt child is of upmost importance to us.As we are all mother's, we are devasted when a child is endangered in any way.We do our best through our self created little network to spread the word as soon as a child goes missing in our state. Whichever mommy is closesest to the current case spreads the word via emails, telephone calls, instant messages, etc...Zina's case being within ten miles of my home. The goal is to spread the information as quickly as possible to other areas of the state to aid in Joe Public knowing what is going on as much in real time as we can. This may seem just a small thing( i.e posting flyers) and in most cases has no bearing in solving cases. But it is our way of doing SOMETHING and to maintain our sanity in the process.
I speak only of "sexual predators" within the "sexual offenders" category. You can get caught urinating behind a bush on the side of the road and be labeled a "sexual offender". You can be an 18 year old male and have consentual sex with a 17 year old female and be labeled a " sexual offender" etc, etc, etc. A "sexual predator" should be in a category all its own.I tend to have more mercy on those labeled "sexual offender" versus utter contempt for "sexual predators".
I am going to be blunt with my feelings and may be difficult for you to stomach.My feelings will seem irrational and perhaps they are. Then again, children being harmed and dying in this manner IS irrational.It angers me to no end that NOTHING is being done to change laws. Each year on petitions and ballots I see issues such as: property taxes, which politician deserves to be re-elected, who deserves a raise, which roads need to be fixed, tougher laws for cigarette smokers, etc. I see nothing by way of making stiffer sexual predator laws. Why? Who is benefitting from letting predators run rampant? Is this some twisted version of population control?? Are certain predators being kept secret as they are considered " productive members of society" therefore letting crimes go unsolved?Three strikes when someone hurts a child before prison? Ten years or less sentences for sexual predators for devasting a child for life or killing them? The best we can do is label sexual predators level 1, 2 or 3 and expect them to go out in the world and live a normal life? Are we as parents expected to look over our shoulder's consistently to see which person is licking their chops at our children?Why is nothing more permenant being imposed by way of the law to aid our exhausted police forces and departments? Why isn't anything more cruel than prison time, chemical castration and in some cases physical castration being given to those who hurt our children? The laws in place now are obviously not frightening sexual predators nor intimidating them to stop so why not give them a reason to be afraid of their actions? Punishments that truly fit the crime regardless of how cruel and inhumane they are? I could go on and on but I will stop here. My heart sometimes takes over and will ramble on at a senseless pace, for that you have my apologies.
I end this entry with the hope that Zinia and her family receive justice to the fullest extent. As with Zinia and all other children their only crime is being young. That bears repeating...their only crime...is being young. As I have stated before here, I will continue to post updates as they are made available.
In the meantime I will hug my son closer and tighter to me . I will continue to sound off the names that have left a permanent scar on my heart.Child victim's in my state who have not seen justice yet. They will never be forgotten and hope will forever reign.Please, never forget.
Jennifer Bastian...
Michella Welch...
Adreanna Jackson...
Teekah Lewis...
Sophia Juarez...
Misty Copsey...
Jane Clark County Doe...
William Downey...
Ronald Frye...
Tyler Inman...
Auburn Washington Jane Doe...
Lenoria Jones...
Jeffrey Klungness...
Edward Ramirez...
Shelby Wright...
The Anderson children...
...and many, many, many more.
No comments:
Post a Comment