Missing Donna Jou, 19 , San Diego State U Student 6/23/07

[IBE]

I met Jim Amormino about 30 yrs ago. IMO you can't find a more honest person.

This guy's address is about 10 blocks from where I used to live. And about 20 blocks now. I used to volunteer teaching "survival" English to homeless Hispanics that lived under this intersection and others.

Where is TES searching? I'll go on their site. I'd like to help. Red and Mrs. Red you have my email. Please email if I can help in some way. From her OC res. to West LA is a heck of a long way on a motorcycle.

Am confused... was she living in WLA???

[IBE]

Update... 1.5 miles from my home... 1 block from my bank. Am calling TES's toll free # to see if I can help.

[IBE]

Never made a tiny URL before. Here's a map so you can get an idea of where his house is.

http://tinyurl.com/2ejaj6

[FoolsGold]

The text message may have been sent under duress or she may have already been dead by this time. How long did it take the mother to notice the text message was unusual?
Please, I do hope there will be none of this 'missing' or 'still hope' nonsense.

[mrs. red]

The text message may have been sent under duress or she may have already been dead by this time. How long did it take the mother to notice the text message was unusual?
Please, I do hope there will be none of this 'missing' or 'still hope' nonsense.

what does that mean?  One would suspect as a parent that there would always be the wish to hold out hope...

of course it's easy for us to say she's gone... but we aren't her family.

[fran]

This is freaky. Hopefully this woman will be a bit more careful who she lets into her home. If anything, she needs to protect her children.

fran

http://www.fox30online.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=57e63341-bbaa-4e9c-a79d-745c42c17aa7&rss=10

<<snip>>
Prior to his arrest, Harley-Davidson said Burgess was working at the A1A Crab Shack and the Barrier Island Restaurant and living in her third-floor penthouse overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.

When she took Burgess in, Harley-Davidson said she knew he needed help after having legal troubles in California, but she said she had no idea just how much trouble that was.

"[His mother] did not tell me he was a sex offender," Harley-Davidson said. "She told me she had gotten him out of trouble in L.A., but never in my wildest dreams..."

For nearly two weeks, Burgess lived under her roof, but she said it was only after a few days that things started to get odd.

"A down (feathered) pillow was sliced, like, right open," Harley-Davidson said, "and the TV was ripped out of the wall."

But she said it wasn't until the cable went out that Burgess really freaked out.

"He was very excited that the news was not on," she said. "And he had made the comment that he was a news buff -- he had to watch the news. I think he wanted to watch the news so he could see his face plastered all over it."

Harley-Davidson said she knew she had to get Burgess out of her house when she found a pipe with marijuana in his room.

"My son told me this," she said. "I'm calling my brother saying 'get him out of my house -- do it now.'"
......................more at link.........................

[bleachedblack]

Missing teen’s father begs for help

Published July 31, 2007
NASSAU BAY — Anguishing about his daughter’s disappearance more than a month ago, Reza Jou asked Monday for the governors of California and Florida to expedite the extradition of a convicted sex offender who could know the teen’s whereabouts.

Donna Jou, 19, a 2006 Clear Lake High School graduate and student at San Diego State University, was last seen June 23 at a party at the California home of John Steven Burgess.

Burgess, 35, was arrested July 24 in Florida by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department on a drug charge, and he faces a California charge of failing to register his new address.

Meanwhile, Burgess isn’t cooperating with Orange County investigators from California who interviewed him in Florida about Jou’s disappearance.

Jou’s father wants Burgess taken to Los Angeles for questioning. Reza Jou asked attorneys general, governors and Burgess’ mother to intervene.

“He is in jail in Jacksonville, Fla., using his constitutional right not to speak about my daughter’s whereabouts,” Jou said. “This is a very urgent matter. My child’s life is in danger.”

Jou said he’d received no response to his urgent plea, but The Daily News contacted California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office for comment.

“Gov. Schwarzenegger is committed to expediting a request for extradition if charges are filed and a request is made by the local district attorney,” said Bill Maile, a spokesman for the governor.

Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s office, said Burgess is a “person of interest” in Jou’s disappearance, and that he could be extradited to California in two weeks.

Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office, said Burgess hasn’t been charged with a crime against Jou.

“If a case is presented by the sheriff’s office, we will review it and make a decision at that time,” Emami said.

“Obviously this is a huge tragedy for that family, who wants to know what happened to Donna, no matter what.”

Emami said the district attorney is bound by law to make sure he prosecutes people believed to be responsible.

“I absolutely sympathize with the father, and we’re doing everything in our power to get answers, talking with everyone possible,” Emami said. “I don’t pretend to imagine what they’re going through with what happened to his little girl.”

Although Jacksonville authorities found Burgess’ truck Friday, Amormino said Monday there was nothing new to report in the case. Forensic experts were examining the truck for any signs of Jou’s disappearance, he said.

Burgess’ mother lives in the Jacksonville area, said Ken Jefferson, a spokesman for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

“He’s held on a $1 million bond at the Duval County Pretrial Detention Facility,” Jefferson said. “But he’s awaiting extradition and can’t be bonded.”

http://tinyurl.com/2h3owo

[IBE]

Beachedblack Thanks for keeping this thread updated.

[bleachedblack]

Beachedblack Thanks for keeping this thread updated.

You are most welcome,IBE so sad to read about these many families suffering the loss of a child.

[Red]

The Dana Pretzer Show - Wednesday, August 1, 2007. Special Guests Devlyn Steel, Wendy Murphy, Al Garza and Reza Jou

Reza Jou, the father of 19 year old missing Donna Jou will be interviewed tonight bt Dana Pretzer on Scared Monkeys radio.

Go to Scared Monkeys.com and click on Dana's radio page icon

[mrs. red]

Her dad was so sad... I do hope that he finds some resolution.... he mentioned TES will be there soon.  I had read (here I think) that the LE was a little uncomfortable with the searchers, so I am glad that it's getting worked out..

how truly sad all of this is.

[FoolsGold]

Neither extradition nor rendition need be expedited in this case.

He ain't talkin' in Florida, so he ain't gonna talk in California!

Ain't nothin' he can say dats gonna bring her back to life. Don't make no difference whether its California or Florida or half-way in between!

She went out seeking entertainment. He sought entertainment also! His entertainment involved rape and murder. So did hers...she just didn't know it.

[mrs. red]

Neither extradition nor rendition need be expedited in this case.

He ain't talkin' in Florida, so he ain't gonna talk in California!

Ain't nothin' he can say dats gonna bring her back to life. Don't make no difference whether its California or Florida or half-way in between!

She went out seeking entertainment. He sought entertainment also! His entertainment involved rape and murder. So did hers...she just didn't know it.

Extradition if it helps get this family answers should be expedited - I would much rather my tax dollars go to that than some of the stupidity it does go to.

[MuffyBee]

Neither extradition nor rendition need be expedited in this case.

He ain't talkin' in Florida, so he ain't gonna talk in California!

Ain't nothin' he can say dats gonna bring her back to life. Don't make no difference whether its California or Florida or half-way in between!

She went out seeking entertainment. He sought entertainment also! His entertainment involved rape and murder. So did hers...she just didn't know it.

No one can bring Donna Jou back to life.  There still should be justice for her ,as she was a victim.  She still has family and friends that would like to see justice served.  Extradite Burgess to California, where crime was committed.  Make it easier for her family and friends to attend any and all court dates and follow any legal proceedings.  Have you ever thought about what a victim's family goes through?  And maybe Burgess isn't talking now in Florida.  But maybe he will talk in California. Maybe he will be offered a deal, who knows?  It may be your opinion he won't talk, but it's my opinion he might-and if it means the possibility of some justice, it's worth it.  I don't really like the way your last sentences read:  :"She went out seeing entertainment.  He sought entertainment also!  His entertainment involved rape and murder. So did hers...she just didn't know it."   It strikes me as rather flippant, considering Donna Jou is no longer in this world.  Since when does going for entertainment mean being murdered?  Do you think Donna is responsible for her own death?  Like she asked for it?  I hope that isn't what you implied in your last sentences.  Please let me know if I read your post wrong.  No one can bring Donna Jou back to life, but Burgess can face the consequences for his actions.   

[fran]

FWIW, Donna was on Craig's List to advertise to do Math Tutoring over the summer. She was attending classes at Santiago College a couple of days a week. This guy answered her ad.

No one knows why Donna went with him that day, but we do know that this guy had a 'fake' picture on Craig's List and I believe I understood he answered her ad. So we don't KNOW that she knew she was going to a party. But we DO know that she locked herself in the bathroom at that house that day and called a friend down in San Diego and told them this guy was acting weird.

Poor Donna, if ONLY she'd called 911 instead we wouldn't be here today and this guy would be sitting in an LA County jail for SOMETHING!

JMO
fran

[fran]

They'll probably have to offer him a deal, no DP to tell them where Donna is. If that's what it takes to bring Donna home to her family, then so be it! Let him be someone's 'friend' in prison while he serves LWOP.

At this point and time, I just want Donna home with her family. They deserve at least that.

fran

PS...this is a 'local' case for me and I have four daughters. I hate it when this happens. Especially so close to home.

[FoolsGold]

>Donna was on Craig's List to advertise to do Math Tutoring over the summer.
Well, meeting place and transportation should have been her decisions only.

>No one knows why Donna went with him that day,
Might have been something like 'my roommate's car broke down so he sent me' or something. It seems she was certainly not suspicious or atleast too trusting about things.
>But we DO know that she locked herself in the bathroom at that house that day
>and called a friend down in San Diego and told them this guy was acting weird.
Clearly, she was not brought up to be the type to call the local cops and say he was acting weird. Relying on friends in that situation, particularly a geographically distant friend seems strange. I think there was an awareness that things had deteriorated and she had made bad decisions but she somehow just didn't want to bite the bullet and do what had to be done. She wasn't in Kansas anymore. She knew it, but she didn't want to adjust her behavior to her new environment. She wanted to go back home to Kansas. It wasn't going to happen.

[klaasend]

Foolsgold - just so you understand, we don't tolerate blaming the victim here at SM.  Donna may have made a mistake but she didn't deserve to be harmed because of it.

[FoolsGold]

Nothing I've said in any way involves this "blaming the victim" crap. I've always thought its nonsense to think someone seeks their own death. I've just pointed out that for someone who was meeting a stranger she seems to have taken an unusual lack of precautions. (Although I doubt some of those oft-suggested precautions would ever have been any good. One girl in San Francisco arranged to meet at a crowded mall, it didn't help her one whit).  The odd thing here is the call to a friend when she was locked in a bathroom ... that is clearly a situation requiring 911. Was she too embarassed?

This Craigslist has probably generated zillions of contacts that have gone safely and some that may have gone exceptionally well... but there is always the chance of it being a creep. Convicts often use a different inmate's name or photo for in-prison solicitations. And from the defendant's present silence, he seems to know the ropes a bit too well. Many convicts claim they are in prison for a tax offense rather than a truly criminal act so as to manipulate women who might otherwise be more wary.

[fran]

Donna Jou's parents are immigrants. Donna was raised in Houston, Tx and her mom only moved to Rancho Sant Margarita so that Donna could attend college in San Diego. She has a brother attending Harvard.

Although extemely book smart, Donna's family said she was NOT 'street smart,' thus, imo, the mis-steps with regard to meeting someone from the internet. In addition, when they were to meet that day, the POI portrayed himself as a 'friend' of Donna's friend, I guess his way of putting her at ease. Had Donna been 'street smart,' it would have been a HUGE red flag, especially since he also said he wouldn't meet her at her house, but at the corner.

This guy is a 'predator' and practiced manipulater. He had a # of foreign students staying at his home, some with nothing more than a mattress thrown on the floor and their clothes in a suitcase, paying him hundred$ each month for their 'space.' He knew how to spot the 'most vulnerable' and use their naivete to his advantage.

Donna was unknowingly caught in this guy's web of deceipt which most likely cost her her life. Although by society's standard, at the age of 19 Donna was considered an adult, her sheltered upbringing by a doting immigrant family made her the 'perfect victim' for this blithe on society, Burgess.

It's easy for us who have studied several of these types of crimes, especially in hindsight, to spot these types of predators, but Donna had no clue the probable horror she was opening herself to. Even the fact that she called a friend rather than 911 when she became afraid of this guy, is additional evidence of her innocent nature.

If Donna only knew. If her parents only knew. But that's how these sort of things happen, the 'if onlys' are seen in hindsight and not real-time, and you have cases like Donna's hitting our headlines.

We need Donna brought home to her family, whether she's alive or not. At this point, I fear the worst, but either way, she deserves to be brought home and Donna's family needs everyone's support in their effort to do this. And IF the worst happened to Donna, whoever did this deserves to be punished and Donna and her family deserve justice.

JMHO
fran