Below is a link to my first entry about Jhessye Shockley:
The mother of missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley, Jerice Hunter, was arrested on charges of child abuse this morning, and according to a police press conference held this afternoon, the abuse is directly related to Jhessye.
Police also said Hunter is their sole suspect in Jhessye’s disappearance and that they believe it is “highly unlikely” they will find Jhessye alive.
Police served a second search warrant on Hunter’s home early this morning, and arrested Hunter once they got there. They wont say what evidence they collected, or what led to the arrest, but they did say that as of this past week, they are now convinced Hunter is responsible for Jhessye’s disappearance. I’m pretty sure we all could have seen this one coming. This mother is absolutely despicable, and I can’t stop thinking about poor little Jhessye and her siblings, who are now in state custody. The fact that this horrible woman beat her children and then continued to pro-create makes me sick to my stomach. None of those kids deserve the crappy lives their mother has given them so far, and it is truly heartbreaking to think of what they’ve had to endure.
The reward for information leading to Jhessye has now been set at $25,000.
UPDATE: 11/22 2:35 PM
Hunter was in court earlier today, pleading her innocence. She was jailed on a $100,000 bond and I pray to god that no one bails her out.
Shortly after the hearing, police released the Probable Cause Statement, which is their basis for the arrest. I will link it below, but I must warn you that it is EXTREMELY disturbing. If you don’t want to read it, I will briefly summarize it by saying that Hunter’s other children ended up talking to their foster families about the abuse that Hunter caused to Jhessye. All of her children’s stories match, and they are all equally horrifying.
I’m as liberal as they come, but I hope she never sees the light of day again.
UPDATE: 11/28 8:35 PM
Hunter was released from custody this morning, when police decided not to file any official child abuse charges against her “at this time.” Police say that the decision by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office not to pursue a case right now is so “further investigation can be completed.”
It breaks my heart to type this, but I truly believe that Jhessye is no longer alive, and so I’m hoping that “further investigation” means that they are planning a capital murder case against Hunter.
I can’t believe this woman is free for even another day, but I also believe that everyone deserves their day in court. And if police need a little more time to solidify their case against her, I’m okay with it, as frustrating as it is.
SOURCES:
– http://www.arizonadailyindependent.com/2011/11/glendale-police-arrest-mother-in.html
– http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/149230
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