Remembering Kyleigh Sousa

The spring semester had just come to a close, and the Memorial Day weekend was on the horizon for Kyleigh Sousa. The 21-year-old Arizona State University student was on her way to grab a bite to eat with a friend around 2 a.m. when her life changed forever. Tempe Police Sgt. Steve Carbajal said that Kyleigh was approached by a “brazen criminal” who was driving a silver Chrysler 300 or Dodge Charger.  He was described as being Hispanic and heavy-set. 

After talking to Kyleigh, the suspect grabbed her purse and she became entangled. Kyleigh was dragged by the vehicle, hit her head, and died. Sgt. Carbajal added, “She didn’t have an opportunity to get away” and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Now that school is back in session at Arizona State, the manhunt continues to find her killer.  Sgt. Carbajal told me this week that althought there have not been any public updates on the case, investigators are working every angle possible and hopefully the right lead will come in to put them on the killers track.

LICENSE FOUND: Investigators in Tempe Arizona confirmed to me that an Arizona license issued to a male friend of Kyleigh Sousa was taken by the suspect in this case.  Sgt. Steve Carbajal said, “Some time prior to June 20, 2010, someone placed the stolen license in a U.S. Postal Service mail box somewhere in the Metro Phoenix area.” Authorities need to figure out who mailed that license. The robbery/homicide took place near the International House of Pancakes at the 200 block of East Apache Boulevard on May 26, 2010. There’s a possibility there were other people inside the vehicle, and the suspect still has the purse. If we can find the purse and identify who mailed the license, it may lead to the suspect.

Tempe Murder Suspect Sketch

If you have any information, please contact the Tempe Police Department:

(480) 350-8311

By:  Michelle Sigona

Police sketch

Investigators say Morgan vanished on October 17, 2009 while attending a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Virginia. She was separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance. Authorities say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home, and that they shouldn’t wait for her. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building. Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County a little over three months after she vanished from the Metallica concert. Investigators told me her body could have been on the farm as many as 100 days.

Earlier this month, investigators released shocking information. They say the man who may have killed Morgan could be the same suspect that committed a sexual assault against a female in 2005. Virginia State Police officials confirm there is a forensic link between the 2005 assault and the murder. It’s quite interesting how the connection was made: police spokesperson Corinne Geller told me that the Virginia Department of Forensic Science processes and analyzes all of the evidence and lab work for every department. A hit came up in their internal database and they notified the Virginia State Police of the link in the cases. The authorities from the state police contacted the Fairfax City Police in Virginia and took a couple of days to compare notes. It appeared the cases stacked up, and this latest development was released to the public earlier this week.

Geller said, “It’s one of those things, you never know what the next phone call is going to bring.” She added, “We know he (the man in the sketch) had contact with her (Morgan) the night of her disappearance, but they don’t know if he is responsible for her death. We are looking to identify and question him, and put the next pieces of the puzzle together.” Within 24 hours of releasing the sketch, the state police had 50 leads. Right now their time is spent eliminating duplicates between the departments and prioritizing the tips.

In the September 2005 incident, police say a female was walking along Rock Garden Drive in Fairfax City from the Giant when she was attacked from behind. Authorities say she was dragged to a park and sexually assaulted next to a pool. I spoke with Sgt. Pam Nevlud with the Fairfax City Police department and she said, “We’ve gotten quite a bit of calls. That is very inspiring and we are hoping this leads to something.” As far as someone recognizing the sketch, Nevlud said, “People have little things that happen to them that they think are odd and that they don’t report to the police.” There’s a chance that there could be more victims who haven’t come forward, or others who have crossed his path, but haven’t called.

Last week, Alvin T. Daniels, 51, from Alexandria, Virginia was convicted of obstruction of justice in this case.  Investigators say he called in a false tip to Virginia State Police and accused another man of kidnapping Morgan.  Authorities checked out the lead, and determined the man accused of the kidnapping was not involved.

BACKGROUND OF MORGAN’S DISAPPEARNCE: According to a Virginia State Police press release: “During the course of the investigation, police have been able to establish a timeline of Miss Harrington’s movements once she ended up outside of the arena at approximately 8:30 p.m. After talking to her friends on her cell phone, she then walked through the parking lot of University Hall and was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot, which is also used for RV parking. At around 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road.”

According to Virginia State police, based off independent witness accounts, investigators believe on October 17, 2009 (the night Morgan Harrington went missing) that she was hitchhiking along Copeley Road Bridge. Investigators are now searching for a vehicle they believe stopped in the middle of the bridge and possibly picked up Morgan. Also, investigators need the public’s help in finding a young woman the night of the Metallica concert that may have loaned her cell phone to Morgan.

ABOUT THE FARM: I spoke with Nancy Bass, owner of the Anchorage farm for more than 30 years, and she says the area where Morgan’s body was found is not accessible by vehicle. Nancy and her husband David have an SUV, and there’s no way they could get down there. If it wasn’t for David on the tractor yesterday checking fences, Morgan may have never been found. David spoke out and said as soon as he saw the remains he instantly thought of Morgan. I asked Nancy about the hunters on her property, and she says when they first moved on the farm they did not allow hunting, but because of the trespassing, they decided to allow hunters assigned to different areas hoping that would keep an eye on things. Nancy says the main gate on the property is always open, it is never locked, but the pasture where Morgan was found is closer to a subdivision, only about 30 feet away. However Morgan got to that location may have been through the housing development, which isn’t too far of a walk. The Bass family owns more than 700 acres total, and the farm is only a few miles away from interstate 64. Police say the hayfield was cut in August, and Morgan’s body could have been there any time after mid-October when she went missing. Although investigators say they have not searched this area because they didn’t have a need to, I spoke with the CUE center for Missing Persons and they had a search scheduled with Morgan’s family and 1,600 volunteers at the end of this month.

The State Police told me the red digital camera Morgan was carrying the night she went missing still hasn’t been found. It is a Sony or Kodak. The suspect was described as a black male, between 25 and 35 and around 6 feet tall. In the 2005 attack, he was wearing a black pullover sweater with a zipper and light-colored pants.

On the FindMorgan website, her family posted this: “ We continue to work diligently with Law Enforcement to find justice for Morgan Dana Harrington and apprehend her killer(s). This is a difficult task during our worst nightmare with our limited energy and abilities. We will be successful though because of the strength we derive from the outpouring of love we have received from across the nation and beyond. Your support carries us as we continue to fight for Morgan and other precious children. We are so grateful to each of you. 2 4 1 The Harrington’s”

Virginia State Police have a tip line, please call them with any information: (434) 352-3467 or send them an e-mail: bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov or for to give information on the sexual assault, please contact Jefferson Crimestoppers: (434) 977-4000.

Remembering Morgan (family photo)

Kyron Horman (family photo)

A brand new website Bring Kyron Homehas launched to help find missing 7-year-old Kyron Horman.  The goal is to continue to raise awareness of the case, spread the word, download and distribute fliers in various languages and report strange or suspicious activity.  Kyron went missing on June 4, 2010 in Portland, Oregon.  He was last seen at the Skyline Elementary school where he attended a morning science fair with his step-mother, Terri Moulton Horman. 

The case has had many bizarre twists and turns since then, but to date investigators have not named a suspect or person of interest.  A grand jury has been behind doors for weeks hearing testimony and information from people who knew Terri, or who may have information about Kyron.  Investigators told me they’ve received thousands of leads in this case, but none have led them to Kyron.

If you have any information, please contact the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Tipline:  (503) 261-2847

Elias Abuelazam (suspect photo)

The man suspected of stabbing 18 victims and trying to flee from the country was taken down Wednesday night at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.  Elias Abuelazam, 33, was booked on a Delta flight for Israel when a tip developed into a strong lead that put investigators hot on his trail.  As he was waiting to get on his plane, Abuelazam was taken down around 10 p.m.  I spoke with Lt. Gene Kapp of the Michigan State Police and he said since Monday they’ve received 600 tips in this case, one of which turned out to be an excellent lead.  Abuelazam had his first hearing today and will not fight extradition to Michigan to face one inital charge of assault with intent to murder for a July 27, 2010 incident.

Lt. Kapp realizes that if the tip had come in just a few hours later, the alleged suspect may have been on the flight across the world. “Everyone was working hard to place him there, and the fact that we had the contacts and the communications with the federal agencies to move that quick to make the apprehension for us,” added Kapp. 

Authorities confirm that Abuelazam moved to Flint, Michigan in early May and three search warrants have been executed in this case; one on the suspect’s vehicle, one for the suspects home and one for the suspect’s uncle’s home, which is right next door to where he was living.  Lt. Kapp said Abuelazam’s uncle is cooperating with the investigation.  I spoke with neighbor Jeff Schmitz who lives on Maryland Avenue, just two doors down from the suspect.  He said Abuelazam was fairly quiet, wasn’t home much and didn’t cause any problems.  Schmitz said he learned recently that one of the earlier attacks in Michigan was only two blocks away from his home.  What is interesting is one of the attacks in Leesburg, Virginia occurred only one block away from the suspect’s former home.

A warrant was issued Thursday for that charge that injured Antwoine Marshall. More charges expected in the near future.  Authorities are stopping short of saying that the crimes were racially motivated, but that is something they are looking into at this time.  Abuelazam had ties to Michigan where he was living on Maryland Avenue, and also in Leesburg, Virginia where he owned a home and was married, now divorced.  He was arrested in Arlington, Virginia on August 5, 2010 for failure to obey a highway sign and the officer realized he had an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor assault out of Leesburg, Virginia.  He was immediately taken into custody and his SUV was impounded.  During the arrest, investigators seized a knife and a hammer inside the vehicle, but Abuelazam was released on bond on August 5, 2010 at 7:52 p.m.   Authorities believe he attacked two more men before taking off for Toledo, Ohio last weekend where they say he stabbed another man.

Abuelazam is being questioned in Atlanta by the taskforce, and is awaiting extradition back to Michigan. 

There’s a lot more to learn about this case and others.

By:  Michelle Sigona ]]> http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/08/alleged-serial-stabber-arrested-in-atlanta-awaiting-extradition/feed/ 1 http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/08/sexting-when-your-privates-go-public/ http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/08/sexting-when-your-privates-go-public/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:10:07 +0000 Michelle Sigona http://www.michellesigona.com/?p=5597

“When Your Privates Go Public” – A THIN LINE

MTV spotlights sexting, explaining what it is and sharing true life stories of how it ruined some teen’s lives. It is true that many teens simply don’t understand that sexting is considered child pornography, and many parents don’t realize this practice even exists. However, there are serious repercussions. A Thin Line highlights “Sexting in America” in parts I, II & III. This series is easy to watch for parents and teens. Richard Guerry with the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell phone Communication talks about how the proactive photos are often stolen and sold on a digital black market to drive underground websites. The moral is, if you don’t want the photo haunting you later in life, then don’t take the picture. MTV says 1 in 5 sexting messages sent are forwarded on to others.

This week the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office is moving forward with charges against four 15-year-olds at a high school for posting naked pictures of female classmates on the Internet. The teens are cited for possession of harmful matter depicting a person under 18 and sexual exploitation of a minor and will have to face a juvenile court judge.

Taking the pictures, sending the pictures, or keeping the pictures of underage teens can land you in deep water. So what do you do? How do you learn more? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a NetSmartz division designed to tackle issues like Sexting and Cyberbullying. The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell phone Communication offers courses and tips to help children and parents. They teach you how to use your digital technology to make smart decisions.

By:  Michelle Sigona

This is a great program to protect the senior citizens of our nation who can no longer take care of themselves. Maryland State police used the system for the first time in November 2009 to help locate an elderly man, and it worked. The victim was found safely by a BGE worker on a street corner. The alerts are generally displayed on highway billboards and over local television and radio stations. Please consider registering your family member or friend on line, it provides a safe and secure place to store vital medical information that can be easily accessed in case of an emergency.

Also, you can also request brochures for free of charge to healthcare facilities, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and emergency responder agencies. If you require more than 100 brochures, please contact the corporate office at:

866-840-3639

By:  Michelle Sigona

Photo courtsey of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The kids are out of school, the sun is shining longer and play time is in full effect!  Whether your children are swimming at pools with friends or are home alone for longer periods of time, there are a few tips you should consider to keep the kids safe.   For children coming from divorced homes, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children suggests making sure all of your custody documents are in order and certified copies are available in case your children are not returned from a scheduled summer visit.  NCMEC also published a list for parents to review with children. 

The goal is safety!

1.  MAKE SURE children know their full names, address, telephone numbers and how to use the telephone. 

2.  BE SURE children know what to do in case of an emergency and how to reach you using cell phone or pager number.  Children should have a neighbor or trusted adult they may call if they’re scared or there’s an emergency.

3.  REVIEW the rules with your children about whose homes they may visit and discuss the boundaries of where they may and may not go in the neighborhood.

4.  MAKE SURE children know to stay away from pools, creeks, or any body of water without adult supervision

5.  CAUTION children to keep the door locked and not to open the door or talk to anyone who comes to the door when they are home alone.

6.  DON’T drop your children off at malls, movies, video arcades or parks.  These are not safe places for children to be alone.  Make certain a responsible adult supervises your younger children at all times when they are outside and away from home.

7.  TEACH your children in whose vehicle they may ride.  Children should be cautioned to never approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless accompanied by a parent or other trusted adult.

8.  BE SURE your children know their curfew and check in with you if they are going to be late.  If children are playing outside after dark, make sure they wear reflective clothing and stay close to home.

9.  CHOOSE babysitters with care.  Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors.  Many states now have registries for public access to check criminal history or sex-offender status.  Observe the babysitter’s interaction with your children, and ask your children how they feel about the babysitter.  

10.  CHECK out camp and other summer programs before enrolling your children.  See if a background screening check is     completed on the individuals working with the children.  Make sure there will be adult supervision of your children at all times, and make sure you are made aware of all activities and field trips offered by the camp or program.

By:  Michelle Sigona

1 in 7 kids are solicited for sex online.  This alarming statistic was recently released from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The survey says 1 in 33 kids receive aggressive online solicitations to meet in person and 34% of kids say they’ve had communication with people they don’t know.  NCMEC maintains a proactive approach to protect children and teens and now they have two brand new items for children between the ages of 8 and 12.  The NSTeen site now has animated video and educational games for children in this age range.  “Cyberbully Zombies Attack” and “Mike-tosis” both target information about technology, safety and cyber bullying prevention.  Although these sites are for “tweens,” parents and teachers are encouraged to log on and educate themselves on the dangers lurking online for kids.  The content is available in English and in Spanish.  NSTeen is an entity of the main hub of NetSmartz.  

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says its CyberTipline has handled more than 903,240 calls of child sexual exploitation.  According to a press release on their site, the Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 34 million pornographic images. 

By:  Michelle Sigona

NetSmartz is a unique resource provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The safety approach this program offers is one-of-a-kind. The goal of the NetSmartz program is to team up with law enforcement, educators, and parents to educate the safest practices on the web.

NetSmartz411 is a page specifically designed for parents. You can send detailed questions to experts, and get all the answers needed about the newest lingo used by kids or technology. You can even call 1-888-NETS411 and ask an expert a question over the phone. Parents and teachers, this resource is FREE and it is something you can actively be involved with. If you take the time to learn the latest trends of the virtual like gaming, social networking, sexting, video sharing, photo sharing and blogging it may prevent a potentially negative situation in your child’s life.

If you have questions, or need more resources, please visit the RESOURCE section of this site or if you have a specific question you would like to ask, please visit the ASKMICHELLE section.

By:  Michelle Sigona