Friday, Jerice Hunter appeared at a vigil and said to the news crews that if they wanted to find Jhessye, they would search the homes of the 500 sex offenders in that area. Reportedly,police have questioned all sex offenders in the area. Plus, police say the polygraph test has no happened as Jerice Hunter said she wanted. It is not clear if it is because of police or Hunter
According to her mother, Jhessye Shockley, went missing a month ago yesterday. Jerice Hunter said she has begged for a polygraph from the beginning. While that seems strange, usually the family is looked at first, this is what she has said. There were reports last week that the Glendale police were working with the FBI to give Hunter a polygraph. That is the last we heard.
Jhessye Shockley is a beautiful little 5-year-old, whose cousin said, wanted to be a ballerina. She has a smile that would light up a room, and eyes that in some photos look bright and happy. Other photos she seems to have eyes that are old and wise. There is no doubt that Jessie, (Jhessye), (Jahessye) and her siblings have had a rough life. Jessie was born shortly before Jerice Hunter was sentenced to eight years in prison. She was charged with torture of her children, and entered a plea of no contest. Of the eight years, Hunter served four. While she served her time, her mother Shirley Johnson, had her children but Jessie was a new born,and went to 4 cousins who raised her. They did not want Jerice to take Jessie, as Jessie did not know her, but Jerice called the police and they told the cousins they would have to give Jessie to her mother. The number of children gets confusing, the police, investigating the torture, reported a 14-year-old young man, a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old, both girls. Now it is reported there were three girls and Jessie. I am not sure where the other girl came from. Shirley Johnson gave Jerice, the children she had kept for her. Johnson said she wanted the children to form a relationship with their mother.
This is where it is very hard to remain neutral. I will not go into all that happened that sent Jerice to prison. I have written an article about it, which can been seen here. It is brutal and it is a fact that those children should not have been given back to Jerice, but they were.
Jessie was reported missing October 11, a Tuesday. Jerice said that she had to run errands, and depending on which report you believe she said:
1) the older children were in the back of the house doing chores and she told Jessie to watch television.
2) the older children were in the back yard playing and Jessie was getting ready to join them
3) the older children were playing in the front yard and Jerice locked Jessie in the house, so she would be safe.
The older children reportedly told police, the last time they saw Jessie, she was in the front yard.
Jerice said the door was unlocked, which could mean Jessie had unlocked the door and went out. The older children could have unlocked it and let Jessie out. Jessie could have unlocked the door and went to the front yard to play with her sisters.
There was a massive search by Glendale police, who called this a kidnapping. Because, they had searched a three mile perimeter around the home and did not find Jessie. There were vigils held, flyers handed out, a march on the capitol to demand help. There were claims that the police were not doing all they could because Jessie was black, which to most people did not ring true. The police had searched pools, bins, dumpsters, pools, woods and more. Then and rightfully so, there was a massive online assault against media. This case had not gotten the coverage that Lisa Irwin, a white 11-month-old was getting. It took time but they finally started covering the story.
Then the news of Hunter’s criminal backround was brought out, and the family were accusing everyone of focusing on Hunter’s backround instead of looking for Jessie. Right after the release of the information on Hunter, two of the four cousins who raised Jessie came forward. One of the cousins, Lisa Vance. said she had seen marks on Jessie and she was not acting like herself. Mahogany Hightower, said she had called CPS several times because she believe Jessie and her older sister were being abused. Hightower said CPS told her they had interviewed the children and they denied being abused. When reporter Laurie Roberts called Hunter to ask her about Hightowers claims, this is what Hunter told her, “I don’t care about what she (Hightower) told you,” Hunter said, clearly agitated by my call. “I don’t communicate with those people. Those people are not credible. They’re angry, OK?” She then hung up on Roberts.
On the heels of the cousins accusations came the revelations that Jessie was absent the week and a half, before she went missing. A family member, who remained anonymous said, Hunter told the school that Jessie had ringworm and would not be coming in.
The police have not made any statements about these revelations. With no leads, and no news about the polygraph for Jerice, has this case become cold? I do not think that will happen, Jessie’s smiling face will haunt quite a few people until she is found.