A month after the surprising rescue of three women abducted long ago and one girl born into captivity in a Cleveland home, we can reflect on the courage of that day.

First, a standing ovation for Amanda Berry who found some way to get to the front door and gain the attention of neighbors on May 6, 2013. Despite the ever-present danger to her life, she saved her daughter, Gina DeJesus, Michele Knight, and herself.

A tribute to Amanda and her co-captives. While facing terror and deprivation, these young women garnered enough resiliency and courage to survive a ten- to twelve-year ordeal. "Three women found alive after a decade in captivity endured lonely, dark lives inside a dingy home where they were raped and allowed outside only a handful of times in disguises while walking to a garage steps away," www.officer.com.

A hug to Jocelyn (age 6), Amanda Berry's daughter born in captivity, who never knew any other life until last month. May she know the pleasures of freedom and childhood that were kept from her for her first six years.

Cheers to the families of the missing girls turned women who suffered for so long and yet, as much as circumstances allowed, dared to hope for a miracle. Thankfully that miracle came.

A huge high-five to neighbor Charles Ramsey, and possibly other neighbors, who responded to things that didn't look or sound right at 2207 Seymour Avenue. Thank you for taking action.

A salute to the officers who first responded to the scene: Anthony Espada, Barbara Johnson, Michael Tracy, Michael Simon, John Graves, Matt Cavanaugh, and the rest of the Cleveland Police Department. Three of the officers described finding the missing women and the impact on themselves in the video, "Cleveland Patrol Officers Recount Finding Missing Women." When Michelle Knight ran from Officer Espada to Officer Johnson, she grabbed hold of Johnson and said, "Please don't let me go. Please don't let me go." They didn't.

An apology to the family of the accused in this abduction and torture case. If only the accusations and blame could be washed away and directed only where they belong...only toward the one man accused of these crimes, Ariel Castro.

Kudos to the Cleveland community which is doing what it can for these crime survivors in the wake of the tragedy. They have initiated the Cleveland Courage Fund for the four victims of this series of crimes. It will provide financial support now and into the future. An Ohio lawmaker has proposed a bill that would provide abduction survivors with a lifetime of medical care, a college education, and $25,000 annually, (www.abcnews.go.com). I hope the community will also help protect the privacy of these four survivors.

Elizabeth Smart, who had been held captive for nine months as a teenager, told Good Morning America, "I think it’s so important to respect their privacy to try to help give them every chance they can to find their own way, to find their own pathway back to some sense of well-being," www.latimes.com

Jaycee Dugard, a woman who had been abducted as a child and then held captive for 18 years, made this statement to the LA Times: "These individuals need the opportunity to heal and connect back into the world...This isn't who they are. It is only what happened to them. The human spirit is incredibly resilient. More then ever this reaffirms we should never give up hope."

May the survivors begin their life-long recovery while the justice system continues the process of investigating and prosecuting the accused for his unconscionable acts.

Two ways you can act:

• Cleveland Courage Fund: Make a direct contribution to the four who suffered most from this series of crimes. One-hundred percent of the funds will go to the three women and one child allegedly held captive by Castro. The fund had $850,000 as of June 7, 2013. Donate here: http://www.clevelandfoundation.org/about/cleveland-courage-fund/
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: Support the NCMEC in its ongoing efforts to locate missing children in the United States. You can help in many ways. Donate funds, stay informed, and/or spread the word about missing children in your area. Learn more here: http://www.missingkids.com/home

Resources:

Andolsen, Rita, "Cleveland Courage Fund Continues to Grow," www.wkyc.com, 6/7/2013.

Barr, Meghan, "More Details Come to Light in Ohio Kidnappings," www.officer.com, 5/9/2013.

Kiska, Paul, "Cleveland Courage Fund for Gina, Michelle, Amanda Climbs to $750,000 With More Ways to Help," www.newsnet5.com, 5/28/2013.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, "Statement from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on Recent Ohio Recovery," www.missingkids.com, 5/7/2013.

Ng, Christina, "Abducted Cleveland Women Bill Would Provide Them an Income, Education and Health Care," www.abcnews.go.com, 6/5/2013.

Pearce, Matt, "Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard React to Cleveland Kidnapping," www.latimes.com, 5/7/2013.

Plain Dealer staff, "Cleveland Police Video Interviews Officers Who Rescued Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight," www.cleveland.com, 5/17/2013.

Yenko, Athena, "Police Recounts Emotional Cleveland Rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina de Jesus, Michelle Knight," www.au.ibtimes.com, 5/20/2013.

As progress is made with forensic technology, it still takes time to catch up with old cases. In 1980, when John Wayne Gacy was convicted of killing 33 men and boys in the Des Plaines, Illinois area, the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) did not exist. CODIS wasn't piloted for another ten years.

Since this prolific killer was known to travel extensively, it is still likely that additional murders could be attributed to him and closed for investigative agencies and victims' families.

Gacy was put to death in 1994. This was before an Illinois law allowed the DNA of convicted felons to be put into the database. There had not been any provision in Illinois law to allow Gacy's DNA to be added to CODIS as a felon. Therefore, other states with cold cases could not attempt to match DNA samples to Gacy...until now.

THE KILLERS
Cook County , Illinois, Sheriff's Detective Jason Moran became aware of vials of Gacy's blood in evidence with police and with the coroner's office. He also learned about a loophole. "Moran learned that when the state executes an inmate, the cornoner lists the manner of death as homicide. The law allows for the DNA of homicide victims to be added to the database" (CNN.com, 12-5-2012).

This loophole enabled law enforcement in Illinois to add the DNA of three executed murderers: John Wayne Gacy, Walter Stewart and Durlyn Eddmonds, to CODIS.

"Among the avenues investigators are now pursuing is the case of two teenage boys who were raped and slain in Michigan in the 1970s, when Gacy's killing was at its height and he was believed to have traveled to Michigan" (Chicagotribune.com, 1-29-2013).

There is another case being looked into on the East Coast. At the same time, investigators are making plans to reexamine the Illinois property where Gacy's mother once lived.

THE VICTIMS
Without CSI units collecting DNA in the 70's and 80's, identifying the decomposing remains of Gacy's victims was difficult. They had relied upon dental records and X-rays. Perhaps now his eight unidentified victims will have names...the right names.

In November 2011, DNA identified the man formerly referred to as Victim 19 as William George "Bill" Bundy, who had been reported missing in 1976. His sister, then 19 years old, suspected that her brother had been murdered when numerous remains were removed from under Gacy's home. She said her mother, now deceased, had always been in denial, and her brother's missing persons case was not pursued aggressively back then (CNN.com, 11-29-2011)

One family had believed that a man missing for 35 years had been murdered by Gacy. He disappeared during the height of Gacy's killing stint and his abandoned car was left near Chicago's O'Hare airport. In November 2011, the family gave DNA samples. It turns out that Theodore "Ted" Szal left home on his own and is still living in Oregon (Chicagotribune.com, 10-26-2012).

The mother of one boy missing from that period got other news when she paid to exhume the body whose grave she had visited routinely. She had doubted the identification because of "discrepancies she discovered in the dental records" (Chicagotribune.com, 10-26-2012). Her lawyers confirmed that DNA results showed that the remains were not her son. The orthodontist who made the original identification stands by it. There is some question of whether or not remains were mislabeled.

According to the mother's attorneys, "The identifications of all of Gacy's victims now are suspect and should be reviewed using DNA" (Chicagotribune.com, 10-26-2012).

THE HOPE
Detectives who investigate serial killers often wonder if all of the victims have been identified. We know that not all of Gacy's have been. Perhaps DNA and cooperation will enable victims' families to have answers, no matter how unpleasant. Occasionally the family of a person believed to have been murdered, like Ted Szal, will discover that he is alive and well, even if separated by choice. Hopefully DNA profiles of executed inmates in other states will be added to CODIS.


Resources:

Associated Press, "John Wayne Gacy's DNA May Help Solve Cold-Case Murders," NOLA.com, 12-3-2012.
Duke, Alan, "Cold case cops find new DNA Strategy," CNN.com, 12-5-2012.
FBI, "Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)," FBI.gov, (accessed 2-6-2013).
Mills, Steve, "Woman's Attorneys Say DNA Proves Gacy Victim was not Her Missing Son," Chicagotribune.com, 10-26-2012.
Mills, Steve, and Patrick Svitek, "Authorities Continue Search for Gacy Victims," Chicagotribune.com, 1-29-2013.
Wire Staff, "Illlinois IDs Gacy Victim After 3 Decades," CNN.com, 11-29-2011.

The Westminster, Colorado, community can begin to breathe a sigh of relief with the news of an arrest in the Jessica Ridgeway case.

Austin Reed Sigg, a local 17-year-old, was arrested for the October 5, 2012, abduction and subsequent murder of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway. Although innocent until proven guilty, an AP report says that the young man's mother made the call that led Sigg to turn himself over to police. She had no other comment.

In a news conference today, police announced that Sigg would be charged in the abduction and murder of Jessica and also in the attempted abduction and attempted murder of a 22-year-old runner on May 28 of this year. His home, in the area of both crimes, is currently being searched for forensic evidence and a vehicle has been removed from the garage. Police are also searching a Dumpster across the street from Sigg's home. Most of the evidence used as a basis for the arrest is sealed by court order.

If after reading details and seeing Sigg's picture you have more information to report, please contact police:

Tip line: 303-658-4336
Email: PDamberalert@cityofwestminster.us

Even though steps are being completed by the criminal justice system, these crimes are not done for these families or for this community. Especially since horrible crimes were committed against a child, adults will need to continue to provide support.

In How to Talk with Children in the Aftermath of Violence, Scott Hirschfeld explains these steps:

1. Validate feelings
2. Listen first
3. Respond honestly
4. Encourage non-violence
5. Avoid violent imagery
6. Limit media consumption
7. Focus on what's important
8. Counter bias and hate
9. Watch for warning signs

Hirschfeld suggests seeking assistance from a doctor or mental health professional if a child exhibits these symptoms: difficulty sleeping, trouble eating, fear of routine activities, refusal to separate from family members, or changed behavior that may be aggressive or withdrawn.

Some questions will be answered by the continuing investigation, some will not. Best wishes to the family, friends and community of Jessica Ridgeway. Let us continue to put our best foot forward in every missing child case. Hopefully few families and neighborhoods will have do deal with such extreme fear and grief.

Related stories:

Westminster Police arrest 17-year-old Austin Sigg in Jessica Ridgeway abduction, murder case, The Denver Channel.com Oct. 24, 2012.

Arrest Made in Ridgeway Case, Westminster Police Department Public Safety News: Oct. 24, 2012.

Purple was 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway's favorite color. Purple balloons and flowers now decorate memorials for the recent murder victim. Although hundreds searched for her, they were unable to rescue her from the hands of a monster. Now all efforts must be directed toward capturing and prosecuting her killer.

Jessica left for school on the morning of October 5, 2012. She never arrived. Hundreds of private citizens in her Westminster, Colorado, community joined authorities to search for her. Sadly, they did not find her alive. This is a time line of some of the steps taken to find Jessica and now to find her killer:

• Jessica left for school in Westminster, CO, 8:30 AM 10-5-2012
• Jessica's mother, who works nights, slept through calls from the school, 10-5-2012
• Jessica's mother reported her daughter missing, 4:30 PM 10-5-2012
• Amber Alert issued, evening 10-5-2012
• Family involvement was ruled out, 10-6-2012
  
• Fliers distributed and 100s of volunteers assisted authorities in search, 10-6-2012
• Dive team went on Ketner Lake, 10-6-2012
• Jessica's backpack found in Superior, CO, 6.4 miles NW of her home, 10-7-2012
• Neighbors held a vigil for missing girl. Family talked to media, 10-9-2012
• An unidentified body was found in Arvada, CO, SW of Jessica's home, 10-10-2012
• Crisis Center opened in Westminster, CO, 10-11-2012
• Officials verify that the murdered body was Jessica Ridgeway, 10-12-2012
• A celebration of Jessica Ridgeway's life, 2 PM 10-13-2012
• Memorial service held, 10-16-2012
• Autopsy performed, 10-16-2012

Next, society needs to continue to pursue the murderer and bring that person to justice. When Jessica's body was found, police described it as being "not intact." It took two days to positively identify the young girl who had just wanted to go to school. As Westminster Police Chief Lee Birk announced at an October 12 press conference, "Our focus has changed from a search for Jessica to a mission of justice for Jessica." (Denver Post 10-12-2012)

If you traveled through the Denver area, especially along the Denver Boulder Turnpike, between October 5 and October 10, 2012, try to recall anything suspicious and report it to the Westminster Police tip line: 303-658-4336.

What to Do if Your Child is Missing (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)
On the trail of a killer (Denver Post, 10-13-2012)
Jessica Ridgeway killing: Police look for suspect in two near-abductions (ABC News, 10-15-2012)
A girl's neighbors are left to grieve and fear a predator in their midst (New York Times, 10-16-2012)
3,000 embrace memories, smiles of slain 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway (Denver Post, 10-17-2012)