Amber LeAnn Hess 17 year old missing in AZ.(BODY FOUND)

[AZSunny]

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3588879&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (AP) -- A 17-year-old Queen Creek girl is missing,

and authorities suspect foul play.

Pinal County sheriff's spokeswoman Bernadette Petros says the parents of Amber LeAnn Hess had been gone for the weekend and when they returned home last evening they found Amber was gone, along with her car.

They also found blood in the home and reported that a handgun was missing.

Petros says Amber had been last seen Friday about 2 p-m.

Amber is described as being white, five-feet-two, 145 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She has double piercings in both ears, as well as a bellybutton piercing.

Her missing car is a white 2002 four-door Mitsubishi Lancer with Arizona license plate 329-RJN.

[bleachedblack]

Sheriff: Body may be linked to missing girl

FLORENCE, Ariz. -- Authorities said Monday that they had discovered a burned body that they believed was connected to the case of Amber Hess, a 17-year-old Queen Creek, Ariz. girl who went missing over the weekend.

Police had not yet confirmed whether the body was Hess', said Jerald Monahan, Chief Deputy for the Pinal County Sheriff. But he said that undisclosed items at the scene indicated to authorities that the body was connected to the case.

The body was found by a Sheriff's deputy near Pinal County's Anthem development near Hunt Highway, Monahan said.

Hess was reported missing after her parents returned from a trip to Mexico and discovered a gun missing and blood in their home in Queen Creek, authorities said.

She was last seen on Friday.

Police have since been searching for Hess' missing white Mitsubishi Lancer.

"We certainly are still looking for the vehicle and any hope that Amber Hess is still out there," Monahan said.

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6708313

[Red]

This is not sounding like good news in the case of missing Amber LeAnn Hess ...

Burned body found, possibly linked to a missing 17-year-old girl

http://missingexploited.com/2007/06/25/17-year-old-amber-leann-hess-missing-since-june-22-2007-suspected-foul-play/

Go to update I

[Blonde]

Two Arizona Teens Arrested After 17-Year-Old Girl's Body Found in Desert

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

 

FLORENCE, Ariz. — Two teenage boys have been arrested in the killing of a Queen Creek girl whose burned body was found in the desert near Florence, Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez said Wednesday.

The 16-year-olds made statements that led detectives to believe they took part in the killing of Amber LeAnn Hess, 17, whose body was found in the desert on Monday. Her body has been positively identified using dental records, Vasquez said.

The suspects and Hess were acquaintances, Vasquez said. They may be

"Basically they just didn't like her and for whatever reason were planning to kill her," Vasquez said. "They went to her home and through a combination of beating, stabbing and choking, killed her."

The teens, who were not identified, will be booked on first-degree murder charges, and other charges are likely, Vasquez said. They likely will be charged as adults.

Hess' parents had been away on a trip over the weekend, and when they returned Sunday they found blood and signs of a struggle in their home.

Amber's 2002 Mitsubishi was located Tuesday just down the street from one of the suspect's homes, Vasquez said.

That assault is believed to have happened late Friday or early Saturday. Detectives aren't sure if Hess let the two boys into her home or if they forced their way inside.

"From what I'm told this girl fought for her life in that home, and she didn't die easy — it was very brutal," Vasquez said in an interview from Salt Lake City, where he is attending a law enforcement convention. "If they had been adults I would be screaming for the death penalty in this case."

Detectives got several anonymous tips that led them to the boys who were arrested. One tipster told of the teens coming to borrow supplies to use to use in cleaning up after the murder, Vasquez said.

Search warrants were served at the boys' homes late Tuesday, and "quite a bit" of evidence linking them to the crime was seized, Vasquez said. He said the crime was one of the most vicious he has seen in 30 years in law enforcement.

"She just didn't die quick enough for them. So they just kept doing different things to her," the sheriff said. "It's amazing in today's society how vicious 16-year-olds can get."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286981,00.html

[San]

Two Arizona Teens Arrested After 17-Year-Old Girl's Body Found in Desert

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

 

FLORENCE, Ariz. — Two teenage boys have been arrested in the killing of a Queen Creek girl whose burned body was found in the desert near Florence, Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez said Wednesday.

The 16-year-olds made statements that led detectives to believe they took part in the killing of Amber LeAnn Hess, 17, whose body was found in the desert on Monday. Her body has been positively identified using dental records, Vasquez said.

The suspects and Hess were acquaintances, Vasquez said. They may be

"Basically they just didn't like her and for whatever reason were planning to kill her," Vasquez said. "They went to her home and through a combination of beating, stabbing and choking, killed her."

The teens, who were not identified, will be booked on first-degree murder charges, and other charges are likely, Vasquez said. They likely will be charged as adults.

Hess' parents had been away on a trip over the weekend, and when they returned Sunday they found blood and signs of a struggle in their home.

Amber's 2002 Mitsubishi was located Tuesday just down the street from one of the suspect's homes, Vasquez said.

That assault is believed to have happened late Friday or early Saturday. Detectives aren't sure if Hess let the two boys into her home or if they forced their way inside.

"From what I'm told this girl fought for her life in that home, and she didn't die easy — it was very brutal," Vasquez said in an interview from Salt Lake City, where he is attending a law enforcement convention. "If they had been adults I would be screaming for the death penalty in this case."

Detectives got several anonymous tips that led them to the boys who were arrested. One tipster told of the teens coming to borrow supplies to use to use in cleaning up after the murder, Vasquez said.

Search warrants were served at the boys' homes late Tuesday, and "quite a bit" of evidence linking them to the crime was seized, Vasquez said. He said the crime was one of the most vicious he has seen in 30 years in law enforcement.

"She just didn't die quick enough for them. So they just kept doing different things to her," the sheriff said. "It's amazing in today's society how vicious 16-year-olds can get."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286981,00.html

OMG this is heartbreaking.

[MsVada]

WTF is wrong with these kids?  Didn't they have anything better to do with their time?  I wonder what their parents have to say about what their boys did

[Jennifer34]

Perhaps we should be trying teens as adults?  Part of the problem seems to be a lack of consequences for bad behavior, which sends the message that anything is acceptable.  This is absolutely horrific.

[Sleeks]

WTF is wrong with these kids?  Didn't they have anything better to do with their time?  I wonder what their parents have to say about what their boys did

I could not agree more Ms.DarthVada.  Just like the story a couple of months ago where 2 - 10 year olds and 1 - 17 year old beat up a homeless man.  The mother (after the 10 year old was sentenced) had no comment for the press.  

Think about it, what the Heck could she say... I didn't teach my child how to love and respect all peoples.  I didn't pay attention to see if he had any evil idiot friends, etc.

[Sam]

I think this whole thing is a real tragedy. Three families destroyed. I also do not think you can blame all this on parents. Some folks are just evil and sometimes no matter what parents do. JMHO

[Sleeks]

Perhaps we should be trying teens as adults?  Part of the problem seems to be a lack of consequences for bad behavior, which sends the message that anything is acceptable.  This is absolutely horrific.

Jennifer34 I ABSOLUTELY agree with you.  All too often the younger people of today are spoiled beyond belief and basically get away with everything with No consequences, then they learn NOTHING.  So we end up with a bunch of narcissistic Paris Hilton's walking around.  How completely sickening. They have no idea what it means to actually be self sufficient or accountable.  It is really very sad.

If all the states were in agreement and started trying them as adults - they too would think twice before acting like idiots or worse.

[MuffyBee]

July 31, 2007
Pre-trial for teens accused of killing girl postponed

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/94205

[FoolsGold]

Far more likely that there is a real motive other than just this "we didn't like her so we killed her" nonsense.

Pregnancy? Did the fire burn too much? Worry over support or rape/statutory rape charges is more likely than just 'we didn't like her'.

[Nut44x4]

Suspect changes plea in Arizona teen’s 2007 murder
Reported by: ABC15.com staff
Last Update: 3:54 pm 

PINAL COUNTY, AZ -- One of two suspects in the 2007 murder of an East Valley teen changed his plea in court on Monday.

Todd Hoke has reportedly changed his plea of not guilty to guilty on a 1st Degree Murder charge.

The partially burned body of 17-year-old Amber Hess was found on June 25, 2007 in the desert northwest of Florence.

Early in the murder investigation, police were eyeing two boys eventually arrested for fatally stabbing her, dumping her body in the desert and leaving it partially burned.

On June 25, the day after she was reported missing, Pinal County Sheriff's deputies took a pair of shoes and a gas can from the home of Nicolas Castillo, a 16-year-old from the Queen Creek area, according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said they later searched Castillo's bedroom and found a bloody t-shirt, Hess' i-Pod and her parents' camcorder.

On June 26, investigators told Castillo and Todd Hoke, a 16-year-old from the Queen Creek area, that the case was now focused on them.

Sheriff Chris Vasquez said the boys, who went to school with her, planned the attack for weeks and killed her because they didn't like her.

Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez said indictments were handed down June 28th, 2007 charging the two murder suspects/

Both Hoke and Castillo are charged with the same 7 counts.

1.  Murder 1st degree-premeditated  class 1 felony
2.  Murder 1st degree-  class 1 felony
3.  Burglary 1st degree-residence  class 2 Dangerous felony
4.  Theft - gun  class 6 felony
5.  Theft of means of transportation  class 3 felony
6.  Tampering w/physical evidence  class 6 felony
7.  Concealment of a dead body  class 5 felony

Authorities were drawn into the case after Hess' parents reportedly returned home from a weekend at Rocky Point, Mexico, and found a bloody kitchen and discovered both their daughter and her car were missing from their home.

Deputies said they found a pool of blood on the kitchen floor and blood splattered on the walls as well as the kitchen counter.

Portions of the blood appeared to have been partially wiped up, or hosed off. The water hose was left running outside.

Hess' bedding was found in their bedroom. Curtains were missing. The door to her room was found off its hinges.

Paperwork later indicated Hess was pregnant.
http://www.abc15.com/content/news/southeastvalley/queencreek/story/Suspect-changes-plea-in-Arizona-teen-s-2007-murder/CAAUnIDL2U-C1wEwnvv6mA.cspx