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Author Topic: Gabrielle "Gabbiee" Swainson 15, Missing from SC Home 8/18/12(Body Found)  (Read 101540 times)
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« Reply #80 on: September 21, 2012, 09:22:08 AM »

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/19/ng.01.html
NANCY GRACE

Search Continues for Missing South Carolina Cheerleader; Teen Girl Vanished on the Way to Mall

Aired September 19, 2012 - 20:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, live, South Carolina. A 15- year-old high school cheerleader, Ridge View High, asleep in her own bedroom when Mom happens to check on her 3:00 AM, 7:30 AM she`s gone, Gabbiee never seen again.

Stunning new leads emerge. In the last hours, investigators reaffirm they`ve got rock-solid evidence she did not leave her home willingly and are convinced she`s still alive somewhere.

Bombshell tonight. Gabbiee`s mother comes forward, insisting Gabbiee is alive, being held. In the last hours, we uncover new searches by police just 12 miles east of Gabbiee`s home. What do they know? Tonight, we chase the leads. Where`s the cheerleader, 15-year-old Gabrielle?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabbiee`s out there hidden and we just have to find her and bring her home.

GRACE: Gabbiee did not leave her home willingly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A forceful and violent disappearance investigators believe was engineered...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By 52-year-old Freddie Grant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m appealing to him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s a monster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A monster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As monster as he is, I`m asking, you know, for God`s sakes, tell us where she`s at.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter is not home yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being charged with kidnapping 15-year-old Gabbiee Swainson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still not cooperating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) just calling him a monster. How does that advance the search for Gabbiee?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sizable collection of physical evidence that appears to tie the convicted felon to Gabbiee`s abduction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The duct tape was found in Mr. Grant`s house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabbiee`s hair, Gabbiee`s blood on duct tape in the suspect`s house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still have hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabrielle, Mommy loves you and Mommy is still trying to find you, baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)
 ::snipping2::

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight, live to South Carolina. A 15-year-old high school cheerleader, Ridge View high, asleep in her own bedroom. Mom checks on her by happenstance 3:00 AM, 7:30 Gabbiee is gone, her mom coming forward in the last hours, insisting she is alive and being held.

And in the last hours, we uncover new searches by police just 12 miles east of Gabbiee`s home. What do they know?

We are taking your calls. I want to go straight out to Dave Mack, on the case, morning talk show host, WAAX. Dave, what do we know?

DAVE MACK, CLEAR CHANNEL WAAX: What we know is that police, as well as her mother, believe she is still alive. And they believe that, Nancy because there just wasn`t enough blood found in the bedroom or at the kidnapper`s home, the alleged kidnapper`s home, to indicate that she is gone. So they`re operating on the pretense that Gabbiee is alive...

GRACE: Put Dave Mack up!

MACK: ... and they just want (INAUDIBLE)

GRACE: Dave Mack, you know, I appreciate all your journalistic integrity, but isn`t it true, Dave Mack, that duct tape was found in the handyman`s home? He did their yard Friday. She goes missing -- within 24 hours, that morning between 3:00 and 7:00 AM, she goes missing, all right?

The handyman, this guy, this helper, Freddie Grant, age 52, was in there front yard and back yard a couple hours before. In his home, we find duct tape with Gabbiee, 15-year-old Gabbiee`s hair and blood on it.

Now, you want to keep saying the alleged kidnapper? Can you give me one innocent scenario where her blood and her hair should be on duct tape in his home? Listening, not hearing!

MACK: There is no reason. I shouldn`t even say "alleged."

GRACE: OK. Go ahead.

MACK: So the kidnapper took Gabbiee from the home, but there`s not enough physical evidence to indicate that she was dead. And police know what they`re looking for and how much blood. So because of what they found at the scene, they believe Gabbiee is still alive.

GRACE: We are taking your calls. Ellie Jostad on the story, our chief editorial producer. Let`s just get down to it, Ellie. You and I have covered a lot of cases together. Let`s talk about the possibility that Gabbiee is alive.

Now, cops are telling us, even from within the investigation, where we`ve been digging around, that she was taken unwillingly from her bedroom. Why do they think she`s still alive? Do we have any inkling as to their reasoning?

ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, what the sheriff is saying right now is that, yes, there was duct tape found with her DNA on it, with her hair and her blood on it. Yes, blood was found in her bedroom.

But the good news is, is that it`s not enough blood in the bedroom or on that duct tape or anywhere else that could tell them this has been -- this is someone who`s been murdered or even seriously injured.

Now, of course, we don`t know if there`s another secondary crime scene somewhere else, but what police have found so far is not enough for them to conclude that she was killed.

GRACE: Everybody, we`re taking your calls. Alicia, Kentucky. Hi, Alicia. What`s your question, dear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. I just want to say we watch your show every night, and my daughter can cue when you`re going to cut a mike. But my question is, with him being charged with the kidnapping, when will they start, like, a jury trial? Will they wait or...

GRACE: Oh, honey, honey, honey, honey! We`ve got so far to go. We`ve got so far to go. Think about it, Alicia in Kentucky. And thank you for what you said. One of my first friends practicing law, as a law clerk for a judge, was a woman from Lexington, Kentucky.

What do we have? We have him clammed up behind bars. In fact, Alicia in Kentucky, one of the reasons -- put up Freddie Grant, age 52.

Have you seen this guy? Have you hired this guy? Do you know him? And if so, what do you know? This guy did their yard. He had a key to their home. Mom said, I want my key back. He wouldn`t give it back. He made up a lie because when cops searched Freddie Grant`s home, they found the key.

Give me that shot, Liz, of the police chief holding up the key. They found it hanging on a cord in his home, a lanyard of sorts.

Alicia, so what do we have? We`ve got the key to her home that the mom gave him unwittingly. We`ve got blood on duct tape, hair on duct tape. That`s all we`ve got. His fingerprints, if they`re in the home, are rightfully there, Alicia, because he did some remodeling inside.

So what do I have? Police first became suspicious of him because he clammed up and wouldn`t even speak when they tried to ask him about Gabbiee. If he did take a lie detector and failed, which I doubt he would even take one, that`s not going to be admissible unless it was stipulated by both parties ahead of time -- agreed upon.

So all I`ve got is a piece of duct tape, Alicia. If I took that to trial right now, I may not get a conviction. Do I want to risk that? No, I do not. I need more, Alicia in Kentucky.

What do we have, Ellie? What do we have? He`s not talking.

JOSTAD: Right.

GRACE: He hasn`t confided in anybody. We may have a little bit of a similar transaction going on because his last girlfriend -- give them to me side by side, Liz -- looks a little bit like Gabbiee. She was very young compared to him. He`s what, 52, and this girlfriend was in her early 20s.

JOSTAD: Right.

GRACE: She goes missing. So Ellie, what do I have? I want to take it to trial, too, but what do I have?

JOSTAD: Well, Nancy, the other thing you`ve got, too, is cell phone records. Remember, Gabbiee`s mom, before she left for work, put a cell phone into Gabbiee`s hands or put it next to her. That phone was missing when Gabbiee was missing in the morning. And police say that they can prove that that phone went from Gabbiee`s house to the suspect, Freddie Grant`s, house. So we`ve got that information, as well.

GRACE: So we`ve got her at his place immediately when she goes missing. We`ve got some blood in her bedroom. To me, that`s enough to make out a kidnapping offense. Hop on your computer, El, and tell me what`s the max - - OK, never mind, I`ve got Clark here.

Clark, what`s the max we could get him in that jurisdiction on aggravated kidnapping or just straight kidnapping? Aggravated is probably with a weapon or some if other offense was included, like robbery or rape. What`s straight kidnapping? Give me the max you can get on that.

OK, to Victoria Taft, talk show host, KPAM. Weigh in, Victoria.

VICTORIA TAFT, AM 660 KPAM: Well, Nancy Grace, I have to say that this guy looks like he`s guilty. He`s not saying one word. And he has DNA evidence in his house. And they sniffed in the junkyard across the street from his house. And now, hope against hope, they think that they might still be looking for a live young girl, poor Gabbiee, 15 years old.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: But explain to me why they think she`s still alive? Because you know that is in direct conflict to statistics. Why do they believe Gabbiee`s alive? Which means that somewhere, if that`s true, she`s being held against her will right now somewhere. If she`s still alive, somebody is helping him.

TAFT: Well, they think that there`s a dearth of evidence in the house and a dearth of evidence in his house. But he had a key. You`ve laid it out. The fact of the matter is the searches that we`ve seen so far are places where you don`t stuff somebody who`s alive, Nancy.

GRACE: OK. Got it. It`s 30 years for kidnapping, 30 years behind bars. And I want to find out something else while I`ve got you on the computer. In that jurisdiction, is it day for day? Do you get good time, or is it really 30 years? If he gets 30 years, does he do 30 years? Because he`ll never make it. He`ll never make it to 82 behind bars.

This family is so desperate to find their little girl, they are looking in trash cans for evidence of their little cheerleader. They can`t walk by a trash can without sifting through the trash can.

Hey, I have children, praise God. Can you imagine that you cannot walk by a trash can, a dumpster, without feeling you`ve got to pull your car over and get into the dumpster and start going through the dumpster, looking for evidence of your teenage girl?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m asking, you know, for God`s sakes, tell us where she`s at.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s not all over because my daughter is not home yet. She`s not here yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elvia says community support gets her through bad days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s when it`s over for me, when she comes home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s concerned people will give up on Gabbiee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)


GRACE: Tonight, police conducting searches just 12 miles away from where Gabbiee last seen in her own bedroom. This high school cheerleader at Ridge View High -- happy, upbeat, straight-A student, played an instrument in the church`s Praise Band, was going to a magnet school for children interested in medicine. Where is Gabbiee?

Police now intimating, as well as the family, they believe this girl is still alive somewhere, being held against her will. Where is she and what is happening to Gabbiee?

We are taking your calls. Out to Heaven, Illinois. Hi, dear. What`s your question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nancy, I was wondering (INAUDIBLE) you believe the motive of all this is. Has there been any evidence that maybe he was interested in the girl (INAUDIBLE)

GRACE: Well, typically, Heaven in Illinois, your motive is either going to be sex or money or somebody drugged out of their skull that doesn`t know what they`re doing, which is not insanity, I might add. Voluntary consumption of drugs or alcohol does not constitute insanity. So you`ve got sex, you`ve got theft. Nothing was stolen from the home, OK?

Let`s go back to Ellie Jostad. Ellie, wasn`t there something -- wasn`t Gabbiee questioning the disappearance of his last girlfriend?

JOSTAD: Well, Nancy, there`s another case that he`s involved in that he is considered a person of interest in. It`s a man who was found shot to death in his front yard. That man apparently argued with Freddie Grant about the missing girlfriend.

And Nancy, the other thing to mention, too is, is that Adriana Laster`s disappearance has led to a bunch of people coming forward that knew both Freddie Grant and Laster and say that he has a history of domestic violence with this former girlfriend.

GRACE: Unleash the lawyers, Becca Crumrine, John Manuelian, Kirby Clements. Out to you, John Manuelian, joining me out of LA. Weigh in, John. He`s clamming up. If he`s innocent, why?

JOHN MANUELIAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I don`t know why. But I can tell you that the defense attorney for him should step up, contact the prosecutor`s office and try to get a deal on the table so that we could find out some more information about where this girl is, if she is alive.

Remember, a defense attorney`s job is not only to defend, it`s also to protect the community. So I would be telling this guy, Look, if you know where she is, `fess up, mitigate your damages, don`t aggravate them.

GRACE: Before I go to Becca Crumrine and Kirby Clements, I`m hearing in my ear -- I`m just now in touch with Tembi Gray. This is the assistant director at GMG Music Center, where Gabbiee took guitar and vocal lessons. Tembi, thank you for being with us.

TEMBI GRAY, ASST. DIR. OF GABBIEE`S MUSIC CENTER (via telephone): You`re welcome.

GRACE: Ms. Gray, what can you tell me about Gabbiee? I`ve got so much video of her singing. And I know she was a cheerleader and just so bright and sparkly, the love of her mother`s life.

GRAY: Yes. She is.

GRACE: Tell me about Gabbiee.

GRAY: Yes, she`s definitely a phenomenal young lady. She attended our summer camp this past June for an entire four weeks, where she was able to take lessons in vocal and guitar. She was able to interact with other students with a passion and desire to do the same thing in music.

And because she did so well during that first session, and her -- you know, her passion and so forth, we actually had her volunteer and come back the next month in July to volunteer as a teacher assistant and a mentor to our younger students.

And so Gabbiee -- she is -- she lights up the room when she comes in. I mean, she always has a smile on her face. She`s a positive person. She`s very intelligent, not only in music she`s gifted, but she`s also academically, you know, gifted in that area, as well. And so Gabbiee is a phenomenal young lady.

GRACE: You know, Ms. Gray, my mom also is a musician and she teaches piano. She plays classical piano. She says that if you`re musically gifted, it`s just -- you`ve got a muse. You`ve got something that other people don`t have.

I understand that Gabbiee played an instrument in her Praise Band at church?

GRAY: Yes, that`s correct. And I remember her telling me how she is joining the Youth Praise Band and she`s excited about that. And I believe her mom just got her a new guitar and an amp, and she was just really excited about that, you know, really excited about just everything coming up with the 10th grade year, just her future in general.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have great faith. The Bible said all you need is faith as small as a mustard seed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swainson describes her daughter as a good student, a cheerleader at Ridge View High School.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bring my baby home. I believe she is still alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls. Is Gabbiee still alive? If so, she is being held right now somewhere against her will. Her mom sees her 3:00 AM there asleep in her own bed, 7:30 AM she is gone. Her mom working overtime to try to send her to a good school, to get her guitar lessons, buy her a new guitar. Where is the cheerleader, Gabbiee? We are evaluating the clues left behind.

I want to go out to Ellie Jostad. Ellie, I also understand that searches are going down, we have learned in the last hours, within 12 miles of her home. Where are the searches?

(CROSSTALK)

JOSTAD: This is actually within 12 miles of the suspect`s home. Now, police will not talk about anything they`re doing right now as part of the investigation, but a source in Gabbiee`s family tells us that police have been doing recent searches near the suspect, Freddie Grant`s, home. This is just about 12 miles or so away from where he lived in Elgin, South Carolina.

GRACE: But that is not inconsistent with the cops` belief she`s still alive. They could be searching for other evidence...

JOSTAD: Correct.

GRACE: ... that has been discarded.

JOSTAD: That`s right, Nancy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabbiee`s out there hidden and we just have to find her and bring her home.

GRACE: Gabbiee did not leave her home willingly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A forceful and violent disappearance investigators believe was engineered...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By 52-year-old Freddie Grant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m appealing to him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s a monster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A monster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As monster as he is, I`m asking, you know, for God`s sakes, tell us where she`s at.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter is not home yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being charged with kidnapping 15-year-old Gabbiee Swainson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still not cooperating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) just calling him a monster. How does that advance the search for Gabbiee?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sizable collection of physical evidence that appears to tie the convicted felon to Gabbiee`s abduction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The duct tape was found in Mr. Grant`s house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabbiee`s hair, Gabbiee`s blood on duct tape in the suspect`s house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still have hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabrielle, Mommy loves you and Mommy is still trying to find you, baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls tonight. Where is Gabbiee?

To Pat Brown, criminal profiler, author of "How to Save Your Daughter`s Life," what do you make of this? Is there a chance she`s alive? We know cops are conducting searches. We`ve learned that in the last hours, 12 miles from her home. The family is saying she`s still alive, being held.

The guy behind bars, the handyman who had a brief relationship with the mom, has totally clammed up, not saying anything, Pat Brown.

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER, AUTHOR OF "ONLY THE TRUTH": Yes, I don`t believe the police really think that she`s alive. I think they`re just keeping that option open. I think they probably think she was strangled in his home.

This man is an anger retaliatory killer. He does things just on the spur of the moment when he thinks it`s a great idea. Hey, here`s a girl to kidnap and rape. I don`t see him as the type to plan carefully, to make a bunker to put her in. And if she`d been in a -- she had to have assistance or she`d be dead by now a month later.

GRACE: Out to the lines. Shy, Oklahoma. Hi, dear, what`s your question?

SHY, CALLER FROM OKLAHOMA: Hi, Nancy. I was just wanting to say I love you very much and Oklahoma loves you.

GRACE: Thank you. Thank you.

SHY: I was -- you`re welcome. I was calling to see, have the guy wanted to make any type of deal to try to, you know, lower what he might get or to try to find her?

GRACE: You know, Shy in Oklahoma, let`s go to the lawyers on that. I see where you`re coming from, like make a deal in exchange for getting a light sentence, tell where she is, be she dead or alive.

Becca Crumrine, John Manuelian, Kirby Clements. What about it, Kirby?

KIRBY CLEMENTS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, quite honestly, I mean, as a defense lawyer, that`s -- you really couldn`t tip your hand too much. I think that the ball is in the prosecution`s court. They should probably say, look, we`ll forego the death penalty if your guy will tell us where this woman -- where this young lady is. If they want it -- if they really want to find her and --

GRACE: Well, wait a minute. Put Kirby up.

CLEMENTS: And resolve that matter.

GRACE: Kirby, what the lawyers say amongst themselves, their plea negotiations, will never come into evidence. So --

CLEMENTS: Well, no, no. That`s true.

GRACE: -- the defense lawyer could absolutely say, hey, you give me a deal, you give me the right number of years, I`ll tell you where Gabbiee is.

CLEMENTS: But no, but that --

GRACE: Now that way the lawyer would be saying whether she`s dead or alive. But no, no, no. If a deal`s in place, then a deal`s in place. If they find the body or they find Gabbiee, the prosecution is still bound to the deal. Who would -- they wouldn`t care if it came out then. They`d be walking off with a sweetheart deal. Am I right, Becca?

BECCA CRUMRINE, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: You know, absolutely. But the same point, I mean, you know, what`s the prosecution losing by doing that? And he needs to talk. The defense needs to tell him he needs to talk that -- he needs to tell them where her body is.

GRACE: Well, OK, morally you`re right, but under the law, Becca, of course they don`t have to.

CRUMRINE: Of course.

GRACE: Of course he needs to, but he`s not going to unless he has an incentive. You`ve got a carrot and you`ve got a stick, Manuelian. You can offer him a deal in exchange for where she is, dead or alive. That`s a pretty steep price in my opinion. Because I`d want to know before I enter into any deal, is she dead or alive, because I would not offer him 10 years if she`s dead. If it`s a kidnapping and she`s alive? Maybe. If I could find her and save her life, hell yes, Manuelian.

MANUELIAN: But whatever you do, you`re still helping your client out. I mean you could tell this guy no matter if you start assisting right now you`re making your situation better, not worse, so there is incentive.

GRACE: OK. I want to go back to you, Kirby. The possibility of a deal in exchange for the location of Gabbiee. I mean, Kirby, if there`s a chance to save her life, I`d offer the guy straight probation to save her life, I`d give him anything to save her.

CLEMENTS: No, I agree. And when I was a prosecutor, I would have -- anything you want. I mean you`re not going to walk away free, but anything you want if this girl is going to come back alive. I agree with your other guest who said that they don`t think -- we really don`t think she is alive. But quite honestly as a prosecutor, I would say if she`s alive, you -- we won`t -- you will not be executed, obviously. We will offer you something that you can live with. But we need to find this girl.

GRACE: Oh, no, no, you`ve got to be specific, Kirby. You`ve got to be specific. If she`s alive, the family would probably go with an extremely light sentence, if she`s alive.

CLEMENTS: No -- absolutely.

GRACE: Which makes me wonder, Kirby, is she dead? And that`s why they`re not doing a deal, getting down and dirty and doing a plea deal, because they know that she`s dead.

CLEMENTS: Exactly.

GRACE: You know -- you know, Pat Brown, back to you. Would he be honest with his defense attorney if the girl was dead or alive?

BROWN: Well, he may be since the defense attorney can`t say anything. But they`re absolutely what`s the point of a deal if you`re just going to tell them where her body is. You might as well hold out that they can`t find it claim -- his defense attorney can claim after he kidnapped her and did whatever he did he let her go and she ran away from home. Stupid but hey.

GRACE: I want to go to Morgan Daniels. This is Gabbiee`s cheerleading coach.

Morgan, what can you tell me about Gabbiee?

MORGAN DANIELS, MISSING GIRL GABBIEE`S CHEERLEADING COACH: Gabbiee was one of my JV cheerleaders. She is a beautiful young lady. She had a gorgeous smile. And she`s a hard worker and willing to do anything you ask of her.

GRACE: She was extremely close to her mother, by all accounts, is that correct?

DANIELS: Yes, ma`am. Miss Elvia was very involved as a parent with our program. She participated in all of Gabbiee`s fundraisers with her. She would -- we sold doughnuts and Miss Elvia I think sold the majority of the doughnuts. And just -- she was always a present parent.

GRACE: To Caryn Stark, psychologist, joining us tonight out of our New York studio.

Caryn, weigh in with what the mom is going through, because she has apparently, unwittingly introduced this guy into her daughter`s life. I mean how was she supposed to know that the guy who was cutting the grass and remodeling -- she did have a brief relationship with him. She did. We got that finally.

At first he was just titled an acquaintance. Finally we figured out that she had a relationship with him. It`s long been over. She asked for the key back. He lied about it. What is the mother going through?

CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: Nancy, nothing is worse than losing your child and not having your child around and not knowing where your child is. And this mother, in addition to the normal guilt that anyone would feel if their child is missing, is now telling herself that she caused this to happen. So she is in emotional turmoil and I could understand where she`s taking every minute, going through garbage bins, doing whatever she can to locate her daughter because she is in agony.

GRACE: The tip line for Gabbiee, 1-888-CRIME-SC. There`s a $6,000 reward for help.
 ::snipping2::

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Where is the cheerleader? We are re-evaluating, reinvestigating, sifting through the clues left behind.

Straight out to the lines. Janet in Florida, hi, Janet. What`s your question?

JANET, CALLER FROM FLORIDA: Hi, Nancy. Thanks for covering this case. It`s so important that we keep Gabbiee`s name alive in the media.

My question is, and I don`t mean to come down on the family, I`m sure it`s awful, but why if they believe she`s alive are they searching through trash cans, dumpsters, crawl spaces? I mean if she`s in there, she`s dead, right?

GRACE: Well, hold Janet in Florida. Janet, you`re right, but I`m sure -- you know, you sound like a legal eagle -- that you must understand that there are two parallel investigations going on. There`s got to be a homicide investigation as well as a kidnapping investigation. They have to do parallel investigations.

Ellie, speaking of the police investigation, what can you tell me about an attempt by the defense to put a gag order on the sheriff in this case who has spoken with us many times, Sheriff Lott?

JOSTAD: Right, Nancy. Freddie Grant`s defense attorney said that the comments that Sheriff Lott was making about this case were going to make it impossible for Freddie Grant to get a fair trial down the road.

You know, Sheriff Lott has been very outspoken, called Grant a monster, talked about his past criminal record. However, Nancy, the judge denied this gag request order. She said that what the sheriff was doing was of utmost importance since there was a missing 15-year-old girl out there. She also said that he had a First Amendment right to speak. So the judge said, you know, I`m going to let judge -- rather, Sheriff Lott talk, but she did warn him that, you know, he needs to abide by his professional rules of conduct.

But she declined to put anything in place that would prevent him from speaking out as he`s done in the past.

GRACE: OK. So the question from Janet, if they`re looking through trash cans, how can they say they think Gabbiee is alive?

Unleash the lawyers. Becca Crumrine, John Manuelian and Kirby Clements. But first Steve Kardian, former police detective, it`s absolutely consistent with the parallel investigation, kidnapping and homicide, is it not?

STEVE KARDIAN, FMR. POLICE DETECTIVE, SELF-DEFENSE EXPERT, LEAD INSTRUCTOR AT DEFEND UNIVERSITY: Yes, it is, Nancy. It is a parallel investigation. But law enforcement is looking at this man. He doesn`t have the organizational skills to pull off an Elizabeth Smart/Jaycee Dugard type of a case. He acts on impulse and law enforcement is going to be treating it strictly as a homicide investigation. We have to keep faith for the family. That`s why they`re responding as they are.

GRACE: Out to the lines. Caroline, Texas. Hi, Caroline. What`s your question?

CAROLYN, CALLER FROM TEXAS: Hey, Nancy Grace, thank you for taking my call. We love you in Texas.

GRACE: Thank you. Thank you.

CAROLYN: And I`m just wondering why on earth in god`s name haven`t they arrested this man? Our little community is a small area and our sheriff -- with all that evidence would have already had him behind the bars and then we`d have found out the rest of the information.

GRACE: Caroline, they`ve got him. They`ve got him on a couple of specific counts, but not murder. And Caroline, he`s still not talking. What do you make of that, Caroline in Texas?

CAROLYN: It`s Carolyn? But I think that they need to just get in here and do like they would here in Setting County, and put him to some real hard down-to-earth questioning and put somebody like you and our sheriff in there with him and he`d come up with some answers.

GRACE: You know what, I can`t help but agree with you.

You know, back to you, Pat Brown, what, if anything, can be done to make him talk? You know, unless you`re going to give him straight probation on a deal.

BROWN: Well, you know, here`s the thing about psychopaths. They will talk when there`s something in it for them. If there`s nothing in it for them, they`re not going to say anything.

GRACE: He`s not going to talk. OK.

BROWN: He`s not going to talk.

GRACE: To Dr. Bill Manion, medical examiner, joining me tonight out of Philly. Dr. Manion, I want you to evaluate the duct tape, I want you to evaluate what they found in the home and why, based on the physical evidence, they have not charged him with a murder.

DR. BILL MANION, M.D., MEDICAL EXAMINER, BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ: Well, as was mentioned before, there wasn`t that much of a volume of blood. I don`t think they found any semen, they didn`t find any evidence of rape. But obviously if they`ve got duct tape and blood and she`s going for 30 -- 30 days, I would favor that she`s dead. I would favor that.

Unless they can come up with some confederate he would be working with who would be trying to keep her alive and trying to keep her as his woman out in the wilderness somewhere, I think she`s gone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
 ::snipping2::
« Last Edit: September 21, 2012, 09:29:22 AM by MuffyBee » Logged

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« Reply #81 on: September 22, 2012, 07:05:20 PM »

http://www.wltx.com/news/article/202820/2/Ridge-View-Holds-Moment-of-Silence-for-Gabbiee
Ridge View Holds Moment of Silence for Gabbiee Swainson
September 22, 2012

Richland County, SC (WLTX) - Ridge View High School held a moment of silence Friday for missing teenager Gabbiee Swainson.

Swainson, 15, was last seen back on August 18. She attended Ridge View and was a part of the cheerleading team.

Friday night, members of the cheerleading team wore armband's with Swainson's name on them.
 ::snipping2::
Video at Link
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« Reply #82 on: September 23, 2012, 07:06:58 PM »

http://www.wltx.com/news/article/203027/2/Group-Searches-for-Gabbiee-Swainson-?odyssey=tab|topnews|bc|large
Group Searches for Gabbiee Swainson
September 23, 2012


Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Sunday, members of the community went searching for any clues that can help investigators find Gabbie Swainson.
 ::snipping2::
Williams and Lakeanlya McNeil are both mothers and wanted to do something to help law enforcement, so they went searching for any clues that could help find Gabbie.

"Some of my co-workers and I got together and instead of just sitting around talking about it, we wanted to put some footwork in it and go out and start searching for her," said McNeil.
 ::snipping2::

Video at Link
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« Reply #83 on: September 23, 2012, 11:05:21 PM »

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx?id=804544

Elvia Swainson holds on to the hope Gabbiee will be found
Posted: 53 mins ago (September 23, 2012)

 ::snipping2::
"I cant wait for her to come home so she can get the full story of everything we have gone through to try to find her," said Elvia.

The single mother's life has dramatically changed since her daughter went missing back in August.

"No one feels the urgency like a parent feels the urgency "like do this now, do this now, we have to do this now," waiting is the hardest part, waiting because you dont know day to day what to do," said Elvia.

She now spends her time looking for her daughter.

During a community search Saturday, Elvia and others walked door to door passing out fliers asking about Gabbiee.

Many gave her the same response, that they knew nothing but had heard about her on the news, it's the way many know the teens story.
 ::snipping2::
Since Gabbiee dissappeared Elvia said she has had to deal with multiple issues on top of her child going missing, such as false social media sites.

The single mother said,"The official Gabbiee facebook website is "Help us find Gabbiee" with two e's. This is the only website that was created by the family of Gabrielle Swainson for spreading awareness and gathering assistance from the community.
 ::snipping2::
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« Reply #84 on: October 04, 2012, 05:01:19 PM »

http://www.thestate.com/2012/10/02/2465701/richland-county-girls-alleged.html#.UG33Bq7BnIU
Richland County girl’s alleged kidnapper pleads ‘not guilty’ to federal ammunition charge
October 2, 2012

The man accused of kidnapping a missing Richland County teenager pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal ammunition charges.

Freddie Grant, 52, was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Columbia on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. His case was assigned to a judge, and attorneys were given an Oct. 22 deadline for filing motions. He is being held without bond at the Lexington County Detention Center, which houses federal prisoners.

The maximum penalty if he is convicted is 10 years in prison. However, that penalty could increase to 15 years if a judge determines Grant is an armed career criminal with three prior convictions for violent crimes or serious drug offenses.

 Grant, handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail uniform, said little during the hearing, only answering “yes” when asked if he understood the charges and had met with his attorneys about them.

After the hearing, Grant’s attorney, Langdon Long, a federal public defender, declined comment. Richland County public defender Fielding Pringle, who is representing Grant on a pending circuit court kidnapping charge, also attended the hearing and declined comment.

Grant was arrested on the federal charges in August after FBI agents discovered .38-caliber bullets and shotgun shells in his home as they were searching for Gabrielle Swainson, a 15-year-old Ridge View High School student who has been missing since Aug. 18. Grant was not allowed to possess the ammunition because of a previous conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to court documents.
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« Reply #85 on: October 18, 2012, 10:53:33 PM »

http://www.wistv.com/story/19849313/the-search-continues-for-gabbiee-swainson

2 months later: The search continues for Gabbiee Swainson
Posted: Oct 17, 2012 10:39 PM CDT Updated: Oct 18, 2012 7:54 AM CDT

ELGIN, SC (WIS) -
Today marks two months to the day since 15-year-old Gabbiee Swainson was taken from her home.
 
Swainson, an outgoing and energetic student from Ridge View High School, has been missing since Aug. 18. Since then, the entire Columbia community has come together to find her.
 
Meanwhile, the man who may know more about where Gabbiee is, Freddie Grant, is still not talking. Investigators say he had a key to the Swainson home.

Gabbiee's mother, Elvia Swainson, still lives in the home where the teen was last spotted. Elvia has to avoid her teen daughter's room because of the pain it brings.
 
"If I continue to come up here, then I know that she's not in here," said Elvia. "If I don't come up here, then I can continue to be strong for Gabbiee."
 ::snipping2::
Since then, Elvia has searched everyday for Gabbiee. She has even reached out to Grant in order to speak with him.
 
"I reached out,  but I never got a phone call nor a letter saying I can come talk to him," Elvia said.
 
There has been a lot of criticism of what type of connection Elvia and Grant had. Elvia says everything isn't what it seems.
 
"People are people," said Elvia. "They are going to do just that. I don't expect them not to. I would hope that everybody would pray for the truth to come out before they start making judgements."
 
So her search continues until Gabbiee comes home.
 
"I still have a lot of faith that she will walk through those doors," said Elvia.
 
If you know anything about Gabbiee's disappearance, you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC. There is a $6,000 cash reward.
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« Reply #86 on: October 30, 2012, 01:41:25 PM »

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/sports/story.aspx?id=819041

Man accused of kidnapping Gabbiee Swainson heads to court
Posted: 10.30.2012 at 7:26 AM Updated: 2 hrs, 15 mins ago

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A man accused of abducting a Columbia teen last seen more than two months ago is expected in court on a federal ammunition charge.

Records show Freddie Grant is scheduled to appear in federal court in Columbia on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Grant pleaded not guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition.
 ::snipping2::
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« Reply #87 on: October 30, 2012, 08:03:01 PM »

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Federal-trial-delayed-for-accused-SC-kidnapper-3992075.php

Federal trial delayed for accused SC kidnapper
Updated 1:27 p.m., Tuesday, October 30, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The federal ammunition trial for a man accused of abducting a Columbia teen is delayed and the man's attorney said Tuesday that his client might plead guilty if he loses an argument to suppress certain evidence.
 
U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie said during a brief hearing that Freddie Grant can have more time to prepare his case because he recently retained a new attorney.
 
Currie set a January court date for Grant, 52, who has pleaded not guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. During a search of Grant's house for Gabbiee Swainson, a 15-year-old Richland County girl last seen in August, authorities found.38-caliber bullets and shotgun shells — ammunition Grant isn't allowed to have as a convicted felon.
 
Local authorities also lodged a kidnapping charge against Grant after the girl's blood was found on duct tape near his home. Authorities have said he had dated Gabbiee's mother and used a key he'd claimed to have lost to enter the family's home and take the girl.
 
On Tuesday, John Delgado, Grant's new attorney on the federal charge, said he would plan to file court papers early next month arguing that some evidence authorities have uncovered against his client should be suppressed. Currie tentatively set a January trial date for Grant, but Delgado also said in court that his client would likely plead guilty if he loses the evidence motion.
 
Grant didn't speak much in court Tuesday, only answering routine questions from the judge on whether he understood the delay in his trial
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« Reply #88 on: November 02, 2012, 06:17:45 PM »

Mother of missing teen, Gabbiee Swainson, wants meeting with accused kidnapper as she searches for daughter
Friday, Nov. 02, 2012

RICHLAND COUNTY, SC — The mother of a missing northeast Richland County teenager said she has written letters to her daughter’s accused kidnapper asking for a meeting with him.

But Elvia Swainson said she has not received a response from Freddie Grant.

“That is my only purpose and goal at this time to find my child and bring her home,” Swainson said.

Swainson joined Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott in a Friday afternoon press conference aimed to keep her daughter, Gabrielle, in the public’s mind. Gabrielle, who goes by Gabbiee, would have been a sophomore cheerleader at Ridge View High School.

Lott said his department continues to search for Gabbiee and follow up on the hundreds of tips that have been given by the public. He also said his investigators continue building their case against Grant.

Investigators have confirmed that DNA belonging to Grant and Gabbiee was found on a roll of duct tape in Grant’s Elgin home, Lott said. Already, Lott had announced that investigators had found pieces of duct tape with Gabbiee’s blood and hair on it in Grant’s home and in a nearby junk yard.

 ::snipping2::

http://www.thestate.com/2012/11/02/2505683/mother-of-missing-teen-gabbiee.html

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« Reply #89 on: November 03, 2012, 12:00:50 AM »

http://www2.counton2.com/news/2012/nov/02/sc-kidnapping-suspect-wants-bond-federal-charge-ar-4882537/

SC kidnapping suspect wants bond on federal charge
Published: November 02, 2012 Updated: November 02, 2012 - 4:12 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Federal prosecutors say the man suspected of abducting a Columbia teen should not be released on bond because of his extensive criminal past.
 ::snipping2::

Grant's federal attorney has said he might plead guilty if he loses an argument to suppress certain evidence.
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« Reply #90 on: November 03, 2012, 12:21:10 AM »

http://www.thestate.com/2012/11/02/2505318/sc-kidnapping-suspect-wants-bond.html

Friday, Nov. 02, 2012
Sheriff: DNA links kidnapping suspect to SC teen

 ::snipping2::
"The case against him ... is as strong as you can get," Sheriff Leon Lott said during a news conference. "The justice system will speak, and it is going to speak loud and clear."

Authorities have said Grant had dated Gabbiee's mother and used a key he'd claimed to have lost to enter the family's home and take the girl. On Friday, Lott said testing had also confirmed that the roll that tape came from had DNA from both Grant and the missing girl - and that the mixed DNA was transferred to the tape roll at the same time.
Read more...
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« Reply #91 on: November 04, 2012, 12:25:40 AM »

http://standrews.patch.com/articles/hope-for-gabbiee-renews-search-support#c

'Hope for Gabbiee' Renews Search Support
4:47 am

After a press conference revealed that Gabbiee Swainson had not been found, the community is gathering for a night of "upbeat" entertainment at the Hope for Gabbiee event to renew support for the missing girl's search.

The event is set for 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday at The Village at Sandhills stage. Park behind the Red Bowl or Five Guys.
 ::snipping2::
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« Reply #92 on: November 05, 2012, 11:58:09 AM »

Gabbiee Swainson's Mother Pens Letter to Supporters
After rain cut the Hope for Gabbiee event short, Elvia Swainson thanked supporters through social media.

Nov 5 2012

About 20 minutes into the Hope for Gabbiee event, rain caused electrical hazards with the musical equipment and guests were sent home. Now, Elvia Swainson, mother of the missing girl, writes that the event will be rescheduled and thanks supporters for coming out.

The event had several hundred people at 6 p.m. Sunday night, most of who brought umbrellas and ponchos ready to brave the rain.

 ::snipping2::

http://northeastcolumbia.patch.com/articles/gabbiee-swainson-s-mother-pens-letter-to-supporters
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« Reply #93 on: November 05, 2012, 11:59:17 AM »

Group Finds Missing Boys, Turns to Help Gabbiee Swainson
CUE, a group out of North Carolina, was hailed as heroes in the search and recovery of the bodies of Jake Ziegler and Ray Pierce. Now they're helping in the search for Gabbiee Swainson.

Nov 5 2012

Elvia Swainson, mother of the missing 15-year-old girl from Northeast Richland County, announced Sunday night that CUE would be helping the Richland County Sheriff's office in the search to find Gabbiee Swainson.

 ::snipping2::

http://standrews.patch.com/articles/group-finds-missing-boys-turns-to-help-gabbiee-swainson
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« Reply #94 on: November 07, 2012, 11:10:16 PM »

http://www.wltx.com/news/article/208118/2/Bond-Denied-for-Man-Accused-of-Kidnapping-Teen

Judge Denies Bond for Man Accused of Kidnapping Gabbiee Swainson
5:10 PM, Nov 7, 2012

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - A federal judge has denied bond for the man Richland County deputies say kidnapped a Columbia teen.
 
Wednesday afternoon, Freddie Grant, the man Richland County deputies say kidnapped 15 year old Gabbie Swainson, appeared in court for a detention hearing on a federal ammunition charge. At the end of the proceeding, Judge Shiva Hodges refused to grant him bond.
 
Swainson has not been seen since August 18th. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott has said repeatedly he believes Grant took Swainson from her home and took her to his home in Elgin. Officers have not speculated on what they believe may have happened next.
 
Gabbie's mother, Elvia Swainson, was in the court for the hearing.

During the hearing law enforcement also released new information about Gabbiee Swainson's DNA being found in wine bottles in Grant's home. The agent also said duct tape that was found in Grant's home was in the shape of a mask, meaning it had an impression of a mouth and a nose.
 ::snipping2::
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« Reply #95 on: November 15, 2012, 12:23:09 AM »

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/20090298/affidavit-gabbiees-cell-phone-pinged-near-grants-home-on-morning-of-disappearance

Affidavit: Gabbiee`s cell phone pinged near Grant`s home on morning of disappearance
Posted: Nov 13, 2012 10:10 PM CST Updated: Nov 14, 2012 7:57 AM CST

ELGIN, SC (WIS) -
We're learning more details about the search for 15-year-old Gabbiee Swainson. WIS just obtained a copy of the search warrant for Freddie Grant's home and the surrounding area.

The information was submitted back in August when Grant first became a suspect, but it is just now being made public.

Gabbiee has certainly been on the hearts and minds of many people since she disappeared.
 
An affidavit was submitted just three days after Gabbiee was reported missing. Investigators noted in the search warrant they were looking for Gabbiee's pajamas, cell phone, blood, hair, fibers, DNA, fingerprints, and any other evidence that may lead them to the missing teen.   

In one of the sworn statements, investigators say the teen's cell phone was last activated at 7:35 a.m. the Saturday Gabbiee went missing. The signal was last detected in Elgin just 400 yards from Grant's home. The investigator even calls it "more than a simple coincidence" that Gabbiee's phone was turned on for the last time near "the mother's boyfriend's residence."
 
Investigators requested Gabbiee's cell phone records, including all incoming and outgoing calls, text messages and Internet activity.

Investigators also say Grant was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments toward Gabbiee. That information combined with blood found in Gabbiee's bed, phone GPS coordinates near Grant's home and the relationship between Gabbiee's mother and Grant convinced a Kershaw County magistrate to let investigators to search Grant's home
 ::snipping2::
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« Reply #96 on: November 16, 2012, 02:46:40 PM »

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx?id=825947

In Elvia Swainson's own words: Do you think Freddie Grant is involved?
Posted: 11.15.2012 at 10:00 PM
Updated: 11.16.2012 at 6:00 AM

COLUMBIA (WACH) — “No matter what it is, I want the truth to come out.”  The words of Elvia Swainson surrounding her daughter Gabbiee’s disappearance.

Elvia discovered that Gabbiee was missing when she arrived home from work on Saturday, August 18, beginning a search that has continued for three months.

In the days that followed her disappearance, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department named Freddie Grant as a suspect.  He was subsequently charged with kidnapping and additional federal ammunition charged was filed against Grant, who is being held in Lexington County.

“No parent wants to go through this,” Elvia Swainson says about her search for Gabbiee. “You wouldn’t wish this on your worst enemy.”  Swainson has given several interviews and appeared alongside Sheriff Leon Lott at press conferences and updates for the public, however, she has said little about Grant, saying “that’s not helping me find my child.”                     
 ::snipping2::
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« Reply #97 on: December 11, 2012, 06:18:42 PM »


http://www.abccolumbia.com/news/local/Online-Petition-Demands-Answers-182268151.html
Online Petition Seeks Answers in Swainson Case
Signatures target sheriff and suspect

December 5, 2012


COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) -- An online petition is circulating asking that suspected kidnapper in the Gabbiee Swainson case, Freddie Grant, start talking. Gabbiee's mother, the police and a legal analyst speak out on whether signatures on a a piece of paper can get the answers an entire community wants to hear.

Elvia Swainson, mother of missing Midlands teenager Gabrielle Swainson, was the 85th person to sign an online petition to find her daughter. The teenager was taken from her Northeast Columbia home August 18th.

But even Elvia has doubts about this latest effort to locate her child.

"Many people want to do something, trying to help and I appreciate that. I just don't know how effective it is," said Elvia Swainson.

The petition, called 'Questioning Freddie Grant for the kidnapping of Gabbiee Swainson,' was started by a 12-year old girl who said if she went missing she would want people to help and she would want the person suspected of the crime to talk.

The1000-signature goal is more than half way met. Meanwhile, suspected kidnapper, Freddie Grant, remains silent about the case, even though authorities say they located Gabbie Swainson's DNA and other evidence possibly linking him to the crime at his Elgin home.
Richland County law enforcement says every little bit of information helps. However, legal analyst and attorney, Robert Rikard, says such a petition is a great public effort, but legally has no standing.

"It can't force the prosecution to do anything, police or a criminal defendant to do or not do anything."

 ::snipping2::
:Meanwhile, the community wide search efforts in the case will spill over into the new year. Elvia Swainson says fundraiser to assist in locating the missing teenager has been scheduled for January 8th a Cici's Pizza at the Village at Sandhill in Northeast Columbia from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. A percentage of the proceeds will go towards the missing child fund in Gabbiee's name.

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« Reply #98 on: December 16, 2012, 11:16:21 PM »

Video at link

http://www.wistv.com/story/20356433/teen-remains-missing-after-4-months

Teen remains missing after 4 months
Posted: Dec 16, 2012 9:39 AM CST Updated: Dec 16, 2012 9:45 AM CST

RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WIS) -
While the holiday shoppers passed through the Village at Sandhill, Elvia Swainson wants to remind people that her 15-year-old daughter, Gabbiee, is still missing.

"We just have to get the word out to the community that we're still looking for my daughter and we're hopeful that she's coming home any second now," said Swanson.  "(That's) what I keep confessing every day - every second now."
 
"I don't think any parent stops looking for their child," she said.
 
Music, reflection and hope filled the room as people gathered for the "Hope for Gabbiee" concert Saturday night at the Village at Sandhill.
 
"We're just hoping to touch the right person that may have seen or heard but hadn't come forward to pretty much do that is what we're hoping happens," said Swainson.
 ::snipping2::
Sheriff Lott said forensic evidence, including Gabbiee's blood on a piece of duct tape, linked Grant to forcefully taking her from her home.

Grant still isn't cooperating with authorities.

If you know anything that can help investigators, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-Crime-SC. 
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« Reply #99 on: December 21, 2012, 01:24:49 PM »

http://www.wltx.com/news/article/213299/2/Judge-Freddie-Grant-Case-to-Move-Forward

Judge: Freddie Grant Case Involving Gabbiee Swainson to Move Forward
 5:57 PM, Dec 19, 2012

Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- A federal judge denied requests by Freddie Grant's attorneys to challenge warrants issued to search his home.

Grant is facing federal charges of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. Investigators say they found the ammunition in his home, while searching his home for evidence in the case of missing teenager Gabbiee Swainson.
 ::snipping2::
Jury selection for Grant's trial on the federal ammunition charge is scheduled for January 10th. The told the judge he may need to postpone the date of the trial due to his schedule.  Grant said he was against any delay and asked for the trial to begin on January 14.

Grant told the judge that he understood his attorney may not be as prepared and that he would not be able to challenge any result of the trial based on that.  He still opted to go with the date next month.
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