Brittany Smith, 12 yr. old Virginia girl, kidnapped (FOUND SAFE!)

[trimmonthelake]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/around-the-nation/multistate-search-for-va-girl.html
Posted at 7:39 AM ET, 12/10/2010
Multistate search for Va. girl, 12
By The Associated Press

Authorities are ramping up their search for a missing 12-year-old Virginia girl by putting her picture on billboards in several states.

Roanoke County Police Chief Ray Lavinder said Thursday that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is preparing to advertise the search for Brittany Mae Smith on billboards in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, West Virginia and Ohio.

Police believe Brittany is with 32-year-old Jeffrey Scott Easley. The two haven't been seen since Brittany's mother, 41-year-old Tina Smith, was found slain Monday. Easley was Tina Smith's live-in boyfriend.

Lavinder says police have received more than 500 tips, but no confirmed sightings of Brittany and Easley.

At a news conference, members of the Smith family tearfully pleaded for Brittany's safe return.

[Titch]

What we don't know is how much cash they may have.  He or they could have taken any cash the mom had. 

Good point. He did think it through enough to get the card so I'm sure he would have taken her cash as well.

I suppose we can assume there has been no ATM withdraws using the card though because that would have been traced by now.

Brittany was last seen Friday night with Easley, who was pushing a Walmart shopping cart loaded with the blue Ozark dome tent, water and Gatorade. They bought the gear with Tina Smith's credit card, Lavinder said, and       tried    to use it to withdraw money from a Salem bank about the same time.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Easley charging him with abduction, attempted credit card fraud and credit card larceny.


Sounds as though they did try and use an ATM  - the word  - TRIED, I guess they must not have had correct PIN , doesn't LE normally want to keep DEBIT/CREDIT cards accessible so they can track if used?

I wonder if they got cash back at Walmart.  Trying to remember what the limit is and I want to say $100.  When you use your debit/credit card to purchase items and you can then request cash back.  I've done this with a debit card but never a credit card but I think you can.

Then again maybe they did use her debit card at Walmart and had the pin but there wasn't enough cash in the bank for them to take.

Walmart Card is a Discover Card that you can get cash back from.  When your total comes up, it immediately goes to a screen asking you how much cash you want.  No is an answer and it also has a touch screen where you can get back certain amounts.  I wonder if it would be up to your cash limit?  Any purchase over $100. they check your signature and may ask for ID. 

Do we know it was a Walmart CREDIT CARD. As a merchant that takes both Credit and Debit cards there are some huge differences that we need to be aware of. Credit cards, if not signed, are according to our agreement with Visa/MC supposed to require two pieces of ID - one has to be a photo.  If the card is signed, we CAN NOT ask for ID.  This is why it is so dangerous to not sign your card.

Debit cards are a different animal. With a PIN based debit we CAN NOT ask for ID. The PIN is supposed to keep it secure. The assumption is that if you have the PIN you are authorized to use it. As for cash back, each merchant can set their own limits. The Bank also give you a limit. What I suspect happened is that he used it and got cash back at walmart for the tent etc. Then he went to an ATM and had already hit the daily limit. He has not used it again because he would be tracked. But that is MOO.

Good morning everyone.

I wanted to respond to this bc I just went to Walmart yesterday (still Christmas shopping). I purchased 5 iTouches, 5 $25 iTunes cards, 3 pkgs of curtains for my son's bedroom, a bed ruffle to match the new sheets & blanket I bought him, a lamp with shade, 2 PS3 controllers, a Wii remote dual charger, 2 PS3 games, 1 Wii game, 5 bags of Christmas color Hershey's Kisses, 3 boxes of Ghiardelli brownie mix, 3 bags of caramel bits, a bag of mixed fruit, bag of clementines, Egg Beaters egg whites, Snickers Energy Bars, Vanilla Powerbars, Boost, and a case of water. It came to a little under $1600. I paid for ALL of it at the self check-out aisle (not all Walmarts make you check out in electronics like they used to years ago). I got $200 back so I could order a salad from Applebee's, then go real grocery shopping at Costco. I had no problem at all. I just scanned my card. This was our debit card, not even our Visa credit card. All you do is scan & punch in the pin...

So, here's what I'm thinking... I think they went to the ATM FIRST to try to take money out. They had the wrong pin, so were unsuccessful. Heck, maybe even Tina thought or suspected something so she changed her pin #. So bc they were unsuccessful in getting cash from an ATM, they decided to go to Walmart to use the card in a "credit" way. This is easy to do at self checkout. Stores very rarely make you show id nowadays. I've seen so many people just say they don;t have their license on them, they have to run to the car, etc - the cashier would just push them through and let them use the card...that is if they even went through a cashier. I'd bet they went through self checkout.

[crazybabyborg]

I wonder how well he knows the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail? People hike it all the time. If he had to ditch the car, there are campgrounds and shelters all along the way. I doubt if they would run into any hikers in this weather. I think there may even be cabins that would be empty this time of year.

I had the same thoughts, SuzieQ!


Most Parkway facilities are closed in the winter, although the road itself is open as long as snow or ice do not create dangerous driving conditions. The park information line, (828) 298 0398, is the most up-to-date source for road closures by section and access to Parkway weather reports. Year round facilities include the Peaks of Otter Lodge north of Roanoke, VA, the North Carolina Minerals Museum near Spruce Pine, and in Asheville, NC the Folk Art Center and the Destination Center.

Many of the towns and communities located along the parkway offer shopping, meals, and lodging year round.

http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/243-does-the-blue-ridge-parkway-close-during-winter/

[Titch]

Thanks Klaas. So Easley has 2 children; one with challenges and one he pays child support for?

I believe he only has one living child - he stated in the above letter that his son was born too early.

Right but then in his handwritten letter he talks about already paying child support so there must be another child likely from a previous relationship:

  I see that now, Thanks Klaas!!

Not only that but $258 X 12 = $3096 - so where was he getting the rest of his money? Better yet, HOW was he making the rest of his money? Look at his revenue in 2007 & 2008 - when was his $258 monthly child support ordered? Also, what kind of loser only pays $258 a month for his child? If I were his mother, I'd be uber embarassed to have a lazy son like him. Please don't anybody come back and yell at me, saying but it's the economy & work is hard to find. Please. I understand that but freakydude could have worked 2 jobs at McDonald's for all I care. You do whatever you have to do for your children. Period. Then to just make $5K in 2009 is appalling when knowing that he has to pay child support. I wonder if any of his tattoos have a big L in the center of them... I hope every single one of his friends are being thoroughly investigated. I wonder if this guy made & sold drugs.

[seahorse]

Trish,

Respectfully snipped...

So, here's what I'm thinking... I think they went to the ATM FIRST to try to take money out. They had the wrong pin, so were unsuccessful. Heck, maybe even Tina thought or suspected something so she changed her pin #. So bc they were unsuccessful in getting cash from an ATM, they decided to go to Walmart to use the card in a "credit" way. This is easy to do at self checkout. Stores very rarely make you show id nowadays. I've seen so many people just say they don;t have their license on them, they have to run to the car, etc - the cashier would just push them through and let them use the card...that is if they even went through a cashier. I'd bet they went through self checkout.

---


Trish,

Clever thinking.

[Titch]

This is the 2nd document that Lucky777 sent me and it appears to be a complaint for custody and child support of the minor child filed by the same exwife.  Again I have redacted names and SS numbers and anything else I felt shouldn't be posted:

From Lucky777 - Easley's answer to the above Complaint:

According th #2 in the above document, I'd say he has to be somewhat familiar with Blue Ridge Parkway Vinton or Troutville, considering the fact he lived in Rocky Mount, VA.

[seahorse]

http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=13647919

By Stephen McLamb


MARSHALL COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - Jeff Easley, the suspect wanted in connection to 12-year-old Brittany Mae Smith's abduction out of Virginia, has family in Marshall County and lived in north Alabama for several years.

Easley has been arrested at least twice in Marshall County and charged with misdemeanors.

Court records indicate Easley and his former wife purchased a home off Graceson Street in Albertville but the couple sold the house in 2009 during a divorce.

Boaz Police Chief Terry Davis says Easley was arrested at A&B Wrecker in February 2006 for disorderly conduct when he was found behind the fence trying to take back his vehicle after it had been towed.

Albertville police say they also arrested Easley.

"That was in February of '06. He apparently had interfered with an officer's ability to do an investigation on an incident," explained Albertville Police Chief Benny Womack.

Although there were claims of domestic violence, Chief Womack says he's unaware of any domestic calls to Easley's home while the couple was married.

---

[crazybabyborg]

I agree with you, Titch. He would be familiar with the Parkway. There are long stretches that only have sparse small towns located some distance from the Parkway itself, and lots of cabins and lodges that have already closed for the winter. I ate at Little Switzerland the last night they were open for the season, and that was over a month ago. There's approximately 300 rooms/cabins at the Switzerland Inn alone, and the entire "town" is desolate this time of year.

[Titch]

I agree with you, Titch. He would be familiar with the Parkway. There are long stretches that only have sparse small towns located some distance from the Parkway itself, and lots of cabins and lodges that have already closed for the winter. I ate at Little Switzerland the last night they were open for the season, and that was over a month ago. There's approximately 300 rooms/cabins at the Switzerland Inn alone, and the entire "town" is desolate this time of year.

Doesn't the FBI have helis with heat sensor devices built in so they can scout missing people, be it felons or victims of injustice? TES has this stuff, too...right? Our Coast Guard does, as well as any National Security outfit. I know it's expensive to use this equipment, and I know there's tons of people that go missing everyday, but if they can use these tracking devices for people stranded in avalanches then surely they should be able to use it in a situation such as this.

[Titch]

I agree with you, Titch. He would be familiar with the Parkway. There are long stretches that only have sparse small towns located some distance from the Parkway itself, and lots of cabins and lodges that have already closed for the winter. I ate at Little Switzerland the last night they were open for the season, and that was over a month ago. There's approximately 300 rooms/cabins at the Switzerland Inn alone, and the entire "town" is desolate this time of year.

Doesn't the FBI have helis with heat sensor devices built in so they can scout missing people, be it felons or victims of injustice? TES has this stuff, too...right? Our Coast Guard does, as well as any National Security outfit. I know it's expensive to use this equipment, and I know there's tons of people that go missing everyday, but if they can use these tracking devices for people stranded in avalanches then surely they should be able to use it in a situation such as this.

This brings me to another thought...

Have tracking dogs been out yet? I know they'd need an area but can't they just stop at a few places to see if the dogs hit on anything, just to try to get a correct path? If they're camping, they have to extrete their waste somewhere. Can't forensics swab under the toilet rim in Tina's house and present that along with Brittany's dirty clothes for the dogs to hit on? She has to be pooping somewhere if she's camping...not like there's a toilet in the wilderness.

[Titch]

I'd be investigating ALL small crimes in their area, no matter how trivial, bc maybe they're connected to Easley somehow. What are all the counties involved? I forget, have to look at my notes.

[klaasend]

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/270316

Unfruitful time lapse in search for 12-year-old Brittany Smith concerns police chief [with video]
Investigators are questioning whether 12-year-old Brittany Smith is a hostage or a willing companion.

By Amanda Codispoti

The grainy photo of Brittany Smith leaving the Salem Walmart a week ago with the man police say abducted her shows the 12-year-old girl clasping her hands, or perhaps picking at her fingernails.

At her side, Jeffrey Easley, her slain mother's 32-year-old boyfriend, pushes a shopping cart loaded with a tent, bottled water, Gatorade and camping equipment.

The picture, the last confirmed sighting of Brittany and Easley, betrays no clues that tell whether the child is a hostage or a willing companion, Roanoke County investigators said.

She's not being forced at gunpoint. She's neither resisting nor crying. She isn't running away.

Does that mean she's part of a plot to flee her mother's home on Fort Lewis Circle, where the body of Tina Smith, 41, was found Monday?

"Depending on his personality, she may not have been able to say no," said Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "If she refuses, there's coercion and an implied threat to the child's well-being."

Or she may have said yes.

Brittany and Easley knew each other well. Easley met Tina Smith online over the summer and moved into her house with Brittany in October.

Brittany's MySpace profile mentions the pair exercising together and watching movies.

Adolescents are more likely to comply with someone whom they see as an authority figure, said Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and the author of "You and Your Adolescent."

They lack the decision-making skills of adults, and focus on the immediate future.

"Twelve-year-olds are going to be more shortsighted, more impulsive and less likely to think of the risks involved," Steinberg said.

Photos from Brittany's Facebook and MySpace pages show a girl who looks older than 12, wearing eyeliner and fashion sunglasses.

Looks can be misleading, Steinberg said.

"Even if she's physically mature for her age, that has nothing to do with the maturation of the brain," Steinberg said. "We shouldn't be judging this girl's decision-making and competence on the basis of what her physical appearance is."

If Brittany agreed to go with Easley, it doesn't matter to the law, said Roanoke County Police Chief Ray Lavinder.

"What we're dealing with is a 12-year-old girl," the chief said.

Brittany isn't old enough to legally agree to do anything with Easley, said Roanoke Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Alice Ekirch, who specializes in prosecutions involving children.

"She's still a minor under the eyes of the law," said Ekirch. "She's not of an age to give consent."

Ekirch pointed to a 2008 case that involved a 10-year-old Roanoke girl who ran away with a 22-year-old man and willingly had sex with him.

The man was charged under a law that presumes anyone younger than 13 is incapable of consent, so any sexual intercourse amounts to forcible rape. He was not charged with abduction.

Police grew more concerned Thursday that none of the 500 tips from the public has led to a confirmed sighting of the pair.

"I've been in police work a long time. You can probably tell that in the lines on my face," Lavinder said Thursday. "Not to hear from anybody, not to have any confirmed sightings -- that's a great deal of concern."

The pair had little cash, and Lavinder repeated his belief that someone must be hiding them.

Palm Beach County, Fla., SWAT team deputies dragged a man from a gas station restroom Thursday after a clerk reported he matched Easley's description. The man had overdosed on drugs, said sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera, who praised the clerk for his vigilance.

Lavinder said Easley is about 50 pounds lighter than his original description of 265 pounds. And he could have otherwise changed his appearance.

"He could have shaved," the chief said. "There are wigs available."
Video: Let Brittany go, relatives ask Easley

Video by Ryan Loew | The Roanoke Times

As the trail grew cold, Brittany's relatives appeared in front of TV cameras Thursday, the third set of family members connected to the case to plead with Easley to let her go.

"Mr. Easley, I know you don't know me. But sir, please let Brittany come home for Christmas," said Rhonda Blanton, Brittany's aunt.

Lavinder said officers were searching campgrounds and parks. Photos of Brittany and Easley would be posted on billboards "very shortly" in Florida, Alabama, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina, Lavinder said.

Police are getting more help from MySpace and Facebook, which weren't initially cooperating with the investigation, Lavinder said.

Police won't say Tina Smith's cause of death and haven't declared Easley a suspect in her killing

[melisb]

Titch, good morning first of all!  I might be able to answer something for once!  The amount set for scumball to pay for child support is the bare minimum.  Well, it is here in FL.  That is just a little over $50/week per child!  Sad, right?  He apparently worked (if he did)under the table as a lot of scummy men do so they don't declare their actual earnings as the court would then base cs off of that figure.  This guy is a genuine creep!  I know this child has been manipulated but...don't throw nanners...have you encountered a child of 12 or 13 who is in their mind going on 21? I have!  My Son is 14 and the things I hear these children talk about you would think you were sitting in an episode of Sex and the City!! Besides that, what woman with a preteen or teen in the home meets a man online and moves him right in?  I don't want to bash the mother and I seem to be but I kinda feel like maybe Tina was more of a friend to her daughter and let her have a little too much freedom.  Maybe this isn't the first man Mom has moved in so quick?  Some parents do wwwaaaaaayyyyyy to much in front of their kids exposing them to so much that they feel they can do the same.  I'm running now!!! We have a Mom that seemed kinda desperate, a Son (RIP) practicing auto erotic asphy., and a 12yo baring 30yo cleavage and telling HCB she loves him!  Something was wrong in that whole picture. I am basing ALL of this on opinion and not hard fact!  Well except for the child support stuff.

[Titch]

Just as I thought, they are camping out.  Hopefully someone in a campground will spot them and turn them in.

Having never camped I would think this time of year you would need something more substantial than a tent. Are campgrounds even opened now.

4Donks, normally I'd agree with you but last night, when looking at walmart.com, this is the EXACT tent I picked out in my mind that they would purchase bc it's good for -15C! Comes with a sleeping bag, too!

Here ya go honeybunch. I don't know if the tent alone could be purchased or if it is only sold as a package deal. Now keep in mind what I said about those energy bars, protein bars, Boost & Slimfast. I really wouldn't be surprised. This is directly from walmart.com.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Everest-Mummy-5F-15C-Degree-Sleeping-Bag-with-Ozark-Trail-13-x-10-Dome-Camping-Tent/15077730#Specifications



Description:

Everest Mummy +5F/-15C Degree Sleeping Bag with Ozark Trail 13' x 10' Dome Camping Tent$64.00
Save with this bundle. Includes the Everest Mummy +5F/-15C Degree Sleeping Bag and the Ozark Trail 13' x 10' Dome Camping Tent.

Everest Mummy +5F/-15C Degree Sleeping Bag:
Mummy-style sleeping bag covers head and shoulders for added protection and warmth
Double-layer construction is one of the warmest designs; avoids "cold spots" where the fabric is sewn through
3.5 pounds of Micro Tekk Z1 fill
Polyester outer, polyester liner
Comes with a compression stuff sack
Dimensions: 84" x 33" x 24"

Ozark Trail 13' x 10' Dome Camping Tent:
Sleeps 6
Center height 6'
"Everdry" weatherproof system
Taped fly seams
Camping tent accommodates 2 queen-size air mattresses



Dear Lord, please don't let Brittany have anything to do with her mother's death. Please keep her alive. Please help her to safety if she were taken against her will. If she did have anything to do with this, then may you have mercy on her young soul. I suspect if that's the case, she was coerced, manipulated, controlled, used. Please help them find the way. Amen.

Cold weather camping is neither hard or expensive as that article states. My personal experience as a BSA scoutmaster for 11 years in an economically depressed area is of some value. My troop winter camped many times with the lowest being -20°. 

Tent have no insulating value. They keep the rain and snow off of you and break the wind. That's  about it.

Sleeping bags are the most important but you don't need an expensive arctic bag. A 4 lb is good to the teens, If it is colder out you can put a cheaper 3 lb sleeping bag inside of your heavier bag and that should protect you to well below 0°. The key is to strip down before entering your bag so you don't get it wet or dirty.

Air or foam mattress under your bag is a must. Or the cold ground will chill even the best sleeping bag.

Clothing, layering lighter garments is your best bet. Avoid overheating and sweating by removing layers as needed. Real wool is by far the best. A hat that covers the ears is a must. I've seen more frost bit ears than fingers or feet.

Food, although warm meals are nice they are not necessary. High energy bars, trail mix, and jerky can sustain you for a long time. I quick hot meal would be Ramen noodles w/shredded jerky it is a cheap filling meal. Freeze dried meals in the camping dept are more nutritionally balanced but also a lot more expensive.

I completely agree with you. Ya see, alot of people are automatically looking at the first tent that comes up on walmart.com bc it looks like the same tent, but the first one that comes up is smaller, then there's the next size which is this one only it's for "normal" weather, then there's this one that I've included above bc it's good for -15C. Walmart sells various protein & energy bars, such as Snicker's Energy Bars, Powerbar, Nature's Valley Oat & Grain Bars, etc. Then there's Boost and SlimFast. There's tons of energy drinks. My boys wrestle & use Boost during tournaments inbetween matches, plus the LOVE the Snicker's Energy bars. SlimFast is very nutritious, even though people only look at it as a meal replacement for diet aids. However, when paired with a can of tuna (you don't even need bread), you'd have yourself a complete and very healthy meal. Walmart also sells cases of yogurt very cheap. Something nobody's touched on yet is the fact that Walmart also sells hand warmers, body warmers, toe warmers, etc. They are only $1.97 for a multi pack. The heat in each lasts 12-18 hours.

Side note: If Brittany isn't getting enough fluids & proper heat, she could be developing a bladder infection right about now. She needs proper roughage & liquids.

[melisb]

One more thing and then off to work...does the pic of them at WalMart seem too low to be from store camera to any Monkey's other than me?  It looks more like a phone pic.  Brittany looks as if she is staring eye level with the person taking pic.  Wouldn't surveillance (sp?) be more over her head kinda looking down?

[klaasend]

Titch, good morning first of all!  I might be able to answer something for once!  The amount set for scumball to pay for child support is the bare minimum.  Well, it is here in FL.  That is just a little over $50/week per child!  Sad, right?  He apparently worked (if he did)under the table as a lot of scummy men do so they don't declare their actual earnings as the court would then base cs off of that figure.  This guy is a genuine creep!  I know this child has been manipulated but...don't throw nanners...have you encountered a child of 12 or 13 who is in their mind going on 21? I have!  My Son is 14 and the things I hear these children talk about you would think you were sitting in an episode of Sex and the City!! Besides that, what woman with a preteen or teen in the home meets a man online and moves him right in?  I don't want to bash the mother and I seem to be but I kinda feel like maybe Tina was more of a friend to her daughter and let her have a little too much freedom.  Maybe this isn't the first man Mom has moved in so quick?  Some parents do wwwaaaaaayyyyyy to much in front of their kids exposing them to so much that they feel they can do the same.  I'm running now!!! We have a Mom that seemed kinda desperate, a Son (RIP) practicing auto erotic asphy., and a 12yo baring 30yo cleavage and telling HCB she loves him!  Something was wrong in that whole picture. I am basing ALL of this on opinion and not hard fact!  Well except for the child support stuff.

I gathered from his note that the $258 was for one child, his son from a previous marriage.  I don't think at the time of the Complaint/Response, child support for his daughter had been ordered/set yet by the judge.

[melisb]

Titch, good morning first of all!  I might be able to answer something for once!  The amount set for scumball to pay for child support is the bare minimum.  Well, it is here in FL.  That is just a little over $50/week per child!  Sad, right?  He apparently worked (if he did)under the table as a lot of scummy men do so they don't declare their actual earnings as the court would then base cs off of that figure.  This guy is a genuine creep!  I know this child has been manipulated but...don't throw nanners...have you encountered a child of 12 or 13 who is in their mind going on 21? I have!  My Son is 14 and the things I hear these children talk about you would think you were sitting in an episode of Sex and the City!! Besides that, what woman with a preteen or teen in the home meets a man online and moves him right in?  I don't want to bash the mother and I seem to be but I kinda feel like maybe Tina was more of a friend to her daughter and let her have a little too much freedom.  Maybe this isn't the first man Mom has moved in so quick?  Some parents do wwwaaaaaayyyyyy to much in front of their kids exposing them to so much that they feel they can do the same.  I'm running now!!! We have a Mom that seemed kinda desperate, a Son (RIP) practicing auto erotic asphy., and a 12yo baring 30yo cleavage and telling HCB she loves him!  Something was wrong in that whole picture. I am basing ALL of this on opinion and not hard fact!  Well except for the child support stuff.

I gathered from his note that the $258 was for one child, his son from a previous marriage.  I don't think at the time of the Complaint/Response, child support for his daughter had been ordered/set yet by the judge.

Sorry Klaas if I didn't make that clear!  All my figures are based on one child only!  I have and ex male friend my hubby and I have now cut off because he quit his high paying job and works under the table and keeps moving around so he can't be served to pay for his THREE children.  All I can say about that is thank God the mother of these children has a good head on her shoulders, a good paying job (same place for 10 yrs.)and she isn't 30 yet!  I have turned this POS' addys in to the CS office repeatedly and nada!  They have to go through the court and change the addy each time and by then he's moved again!  Someday though he'll be caught!

[Titch]

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/270316

Unfruitful time lapse in search for 12-year-old Brittany Smith concerns police chief [with video]
Investigators are questioning whether 12-year-old Brittany Smith is a hostage or a willing companion.

By Amanda Codispoti

The grainy photo of Brittany Smith leaving the Salem Walmart a week ago with the man police say abducted her shows the 12-year-old girl clasping her hands, or perhaps picking at her fingernails.

At her side, Jeffrey Easley, her slain mother's 32-year-old boyfriend, pushes a shopping cart loaded with a tent, bottled water, Gatorade and camping equipment.

The picture, the last confirmed sighting of Brittany and Easley, betrays no clues that tell whether the child is a hostage or a willing companion, Roanoke County investigators said.

She's not being forced at gunpoint. She's neither resisting nor crying. She isn't running away.

Does that mean she's part of a plot to flee her mother's home on Fort Lewis Circle, where the body of Tina Smith, 41, was found Monday?

"Depending on his personality, she may not have been able to say no," said Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "If she refuses, there's coercion and an implied threat to the child's well-being."

Or she may have said yes.

Brittany and Easley knew each other well. Easley met Tina Smith online over the summer and moved into her house with Brittany in October.

Brittany's MySpace profile mentions the pair exercising together and watching movies.

Adolescents are more likely to comply with someone whom they see as an authority figure, said Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and the author of "You and Your Adolescent."

They lack the decision-making skills of adults, and focus on the immediate future.

"Twelve-year-olds are going to be more shortsighted, more impulsive and less likely to think of the risks involved," Steinberg said.

Photos from Brittany's Facebook and MySpace pages show a girl who looks older than 12, wearing eyeliner and fashion sunglasses.

Looks can be misleading, Steinberg said.

"Even if she's physically mature for her age, that has nothing to do with the maturation of the brain," Steinberg said. "We shouldn't be judging this girl's decision-making and competence on the basis of what her physical appearance is."

If Brittany agreed to go with Easley, it doesn't matter to the law, said Roanoke County Police Chief Ray Lavinder.

"What we're dealing with is a 12-year-old girl," the chief said.

Brittany isn't old enough to legally agree to do anything with Easley, said Roanoke Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Alice Ekirch, who specializes in prosecutions involving children.

"She's still a minor under the eyes of the law," said Ekirch. "She's not of an age to give consent."

Ekirch pointed to a 2008 case that involved a 10-year-old Roanoke girl who ran away with a 22-year-old man and willingly had sex with him.

The man was charged under a law that presumes anyone younger than 13 is incapable of consent, so any sexual intercourse amounts to forcible rape. He was not charged with abduction.

Police grew more concerned Thursday that none of the 500 tips from the public has led to a confirmed sighting of the pair.

"I've been in police work a long time. You can probably tell that in the lines on my face," Lavinder said Thursday. "Not to hear from anybody, not to have any confirmed sightings -- that's a great deal of concern."

The pair had little cash, and Lavinder repeated his belief that someone must be hiding them.

Palm Beach County, Fla., SWAT team deputies dragged a man from a gas station restroom Thursday after a clerk reported he matched Easley's description. The man had overdosed on drugs, said sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera, who praised the clerk for his vigilance.

Lavinder said Easley is about 50 pounds lighter than his original description of 265 pounds. And he could have otherwise changed his appearance.

"He could have shaved," the chief said. "There are wigs available."
Video: Let Brittany go, relatives ask Easley

Video by Ryan Loew | The Roanoke Times

As the trail grew cold, Brittany's relatives appeared in front of TV cameras Thursday, the third set of family members connected to the case to plead with Easley to let her go.

"Mr. Easley, I know you don't know me. But sir, please let Brittany come home for Christmas," said Rhonda Blanton, Brittany's aunt.

Lavinder said officers were searching campgrounds and parks. Photos of Brittany and Easley would be posted on billboards "very shortly" in Florida, Alabama, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina, Lavinder said.

Police are getting more help from MySpace and Facebook, which weren't initially cooperating with the investigation, Lavinder said.

Police won't say Tina Smith's cause of death and haven't declared Easley a suspect in her killing

Mr Lavinder, with all due respect, I disagree with you on some points...a major one being the fact that she's only 12. I understand this and agree what her mind SHOULD be as a 12 year old. However, where I strongly disagree with you, as well as any other authority speaking with you, is the fact that this 12 year old girl lived her life on the net. Her online social networking presence alone belies her maturity level. She appears wiser in ways that some of us parents don't want our 12 year olds to be like. She cussed, dressed provocatively showing about 3-4 inches of cleavage, posted alot of personal information on the net, the list goes on. Do I think this is normal? Yes, I do, for the simple fact that most of our children are growing up in the age of technology. With that, they are waaay more curious that you or I were at their ages...assuming innocence. I understand she can't make good conscious decisions maturely. It absolutely doesn't take away from the fact that she withoutadoubt participated in a very questionable relationship, whatever that may be, with Jeffrey Easley. I blame Easley for many things, including coersion at this point, but the fact remains that Brittany could have gone with this guy willingly and also may have participated in her mother's death. I swear to GOD I sure hope that's not the case, I swear I sincerely hope this little girl is innocent from any wrongdoing, but when I look at her online presence it does appear as if she's MOI wise beyond her years... I understand the law is the law and not to be misconstrued, but, and this is a big bit, technology being what it is should really have something to do with new laws & procedures taking place in our government. Just a side note: Many kids, my son included, are idiots on the net - including FB & MS. They post way personal things. I found my son's cell on his FB & so had his a/c deleted. Guess what he did - he started up another one using his full name. Total idiot. He's almost 17 so I really can't do much about it now except monitor him. He's not innocent as far as alcohol is concerned, either, as he tried drinking 4 Locos a couple of months ago. He was grounded, but again - alot of this stuff is normal - including stuff that Brittany did online. Is it alright? NO. But is it normal & popular? Yes.


When reading Easley's documents from prior court cases, I see he was on suicide watch for sometime. With the murder of Tina, this is something I worry about now. Knowing that Brittany posted something about living her life & dying the way she wants, then I seriously wonder if they could be living life for as long as they can right now but may have a suicide pact to enact if found. Then again, this dear sweet little girl could have been taken against her will & is fearful for her life. Only thing is that she doesn't look scared at all in the Walmart surveillance video. Is it possible she didn't know her mother was murdered? Could she have thought they were all going camping together but just she & Jeff were picking the stuff up at Walmart? I guess anything's possible.

[Titch]

Titch, good morning first of all!  I might be able to answer something for once!  The amount set for scumball to pay for child support is the bare minimum.  Well, it is here in FL.  That is just a little over $50/week per child!  Sad, right?  He apparently worked (if he did)under the table as a lot of scummy men do so they don't declare their actual earnings as the court would then base cs off of that figure.  This guy is a genuine creep!  I know this child has been manipulated but...don't throw nanners...have you encountered a child of 12 or 13 who is in their mind going on 21? I have!  My Son is 14 and the things I hear these children talk about you would think you were sitting in an episode of Sex and the City!! Besides that, what woman with a preteen or teen in the home meets a man online and moves him right in?  I don't want to bash the mother and I seem to be but I kinda feel like maybe Tina was more of a friend to her daughter and let her have a little too much freedom.  Maybe this isn't the first man Mom has moved in so quick?  Some parents do wwwaaaaaayyyyyy to much in front of their kids exposing them to so much that they feel they can do the same.  I'm running now!!! We have a Mom that seemed kinda desperate, a Son (RIP) practicing auto erotic asphy., and a 12yo baring 30yo cleavage and telling HCB she loves him!  Something was wrong in that whole picture. I am basing ALL of this on opinion and not hard fact!  Well except for the child support stuff.

I gathered from his note that the $258 was for one child, his son from a previous marriage.  I don't think at the time of the Complaint/Response, child support for his daughter had been ordered/set yet by the judge.

Sorry Klaas if I didn't make that clear!  All my figures are based on one child only!  I have and ex male friend my hubby and I have now cut off because he quit his high paying job and works under the table and keeps moving around so he can't be served to pay for his THREE children.  All I can say about that is thank God the mother of these children has a good head on her shoulders, a good paying job (same place for 10 yrs.)and she isn't 30 yet!  I have turned this POS' addys in to the CS office repeatedly and nada!  They have to go through the court and change the addy each time and by then he's moved again!  Someday though he'll be caught!

I know, Klaas, that it was for only 1 child from his 1st marriage. I still think it's minimum, though. I even thought that maybe it has to do with the demographic. I know my BIL bought his 1st home for $850K & is a condo in Santa Monica. Our home was $135K years ago, now worth $260K, and we have 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 living rooms, etc. In other words, we got more for our money. Things are more expensive in Cali than they are in most parts of Jersey. However, even in the most desolate area, $258 per month in child support sure seems like that bare minimum. That's chump change to most people nationwide. My son is 16 years old & makes $150-$200 weekly working only part time at our local pizzeria. IMO, this guy should have a big L tattooed in the middle of his forehead.

[Bearlyhere]

I wonder how well he knows the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail? People hike it all the time. If he had to ditch the car, there are campgrounds and shelters all along the way. I doubt if they would run into any hikers in this weather. I think there may even be cabins that would be empty this time of year.

I had the same thoughts, SuzieQ!


Most Parkway facilities are closed in the winter, although the road itself is open as long as snow or ice do not create dangerous driving conditions. The park information line, (828) 298 0398, is the most up-to-date source for road closures by section and access to Parkway weather reports. Year round facilities include the Peaks of Otter Lodge north of Roanoke, VA, the North Carolina Minerals Museum near Spruce Pine, and in Asheville, NC the Folk Art Center and the Destination Center.

Many of the towns and communities located along the parkway offer shopping, meals, and lodging year round.

http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/243-does-the-blue-ridge-parkway-close-during-winter/

I hope the Monkeys are taking precautions against this man.