Jhessye Shockley Missing: Candlelight Vigil for 5-Year-Old One Month After Disappearance (VIDEO)
A month after Jhessye Shockley was reported missing; a prayer vigil was held for the little Glendale Ariz. girl, even as there appear to be a lot more media attention, of late, being drawn to the case.
Jhessye Shockley Missing: Candlelight Vigil for 5-Year-Old Jhessye Shockley One Month after DisappearancePolice have reported that they have failed to come up with any new leads, still, the little girl's community appears to have maintained its search for the 5-year-old Jhessye. The community's effort is also increasingly being aided by the glare of the media spotlight, such as last week when the Shockley case receive national attention on the widely viewed missing person's TV program "America’s Most Wanted" (AMW).
The increasing attention might explain why, on Nov. 1, Phoenix, Ariz. Glendale police Sgt. Brent Coombs, said "investigators remain optimistic that they'll find Shockley."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
In an Interview with Phoenix KPHO TV on Wednesday night, Jerice Hunter, the mother of little Jhessye, who has been under a great deal of suspicion since her daughter disappeared due to a past conviction on child abuse charges, said a police detective held off administering a lie detector test following news of Jhessey’s disappearance because she had been expecting a child.
According to hunter, "That same detective contacted me a few days ago and said Jerice, you've had the baby, are you ready to take the polygraph? I said, 'OK sure, but I'd like my attorney to be present.' What's wrong with that?"
Hunter was sentenced to eight years in a California prison in 2006 for child abuse. The charges included the torturing of her 7-year-old daughter and the infliction of physical injuries on her other children.
The mother complained that investigators and the media had focused too much on her past instead of on finding her daughter.
"We feel that law enforcement is not active in finding Jhessye and that they're more active in persecuting me instead of finding out where she is," according to The Associated Press.
With an appearance on AMW and recent television interviews, including a prayer vigil over the weekend, it appears the case is receiving the exposure the family is hoping for.
Jhessye, who was reportedly last seen by Hunter when she left the little girl in her apartment before stepping out on an errand on Oct. 11, is African-American, has brown eyes with shoulder length hair, and stands approximately 3 feet and 5 inches tall, when last seen.
Anyone with information is asked to call 623-930-HELP (4357).
