Amber Alert: 2-year-old Trenton Duckett in Florida

[Jacqueline]

Mom buys gun; 2 days later, boy's gone

Police use dogs to keep searching for Trenton Duckett, 2, in the area of U.S. 27 and C.R. 48.
 
LEESBURG -- Two days before Trenton Duckett was reported missing, his mother bought a shotgun at a local pawn shop, authorities said Monday.

Although it was not the gun that Melinda Duckett used to kill herself last week, it may be another puzzle piece for investigators as they try to link the events that led up to 2-year-old Trenton's disappearance Aug. 27 -- and his mother's suicide almost two weeks later.

Police said that Melinda Duckett, 21, shot herself in the head with her grandfather's shotgun Friday afternoon at her grandparents' home in The Villages.

Since her death, investigators have recovered several of Melinda Duckett's handwritten notes and writings on her computer, Leesburg police Capt. Steve Rockefeller said Monday. He provided few other details.

Rockefeller called Duckett's death "suspicious" and said that investigators now believe it is unlikely that Trenton was abducted by a stranger.

"The more likely possibility is that she may have had something to do with the disappearance of Trenton," he said.

Police used cadaver dogs to search a construction site Monday evening off U.S. Highway 27, about three miles south of County Road 48, after receiving a tip that someone had seen the mother and child in the area.

On Monday, Rockefeller said investigators still don't know if Trenton is dead or alive. The toddler's pictures were shown in Tallahassee on Monday during the state's annual Missing Children's Day ceremony.

Investigators have received many tips about where Melinda Duckett and the boy were in the days leading up to his reported abduction. But Rockefeller said there is a 26-hour gap between the time when Trenton was reported missing and anyone else, aside from his mother, saw him.

Duckett's grandmother, Nancy Eubank, told the Orlando Sentinel last week that Melinda and Trenton had visited her the day before the reported abduction.

But police said Eubank's account ends in the early evening of Aug. 26.

Melinda's estranged husband, Joshua Duckett, said Monday that the thought of her harming their son "ran through my head." But he added, "There's millions and millions of possibilities" that might explain Trenton's disappearance.

Joshua Duckett said he knew Melinda practiced shooting at nearby rifle ranges but didn't know why she would purchase a gun shortly before their son's disappearance.

"She's the only one that knows the answers to these questions," he said.

Anyone with information about Trenton's disappearance should call Leesburg detectives Jim Dunagan or Richard Giles at 352-787-2121.

Christine Dellert can be reached at cdellert@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5917.

[Red]

Trenton Duckett Missing: Did the Media and Nancy Grace Push Melinda Duckett Over the Edge to Suicide?

http://missingexploited.com/2006/09/14/trenton-duckett-missing-did-the-media-and-nancy-grace-push-melinda-duckett-over-the-edge-to-suicide/

Lets start out by saying that 2 year old Trenton Duckett is still missing. The focus should be on the missing boy and his whereabouts. Instead the media has made the story about the media. It is disturbing that certain shows have only covered this story after Melinda Duckett committed suicide rather than when Trenton Duckett went missing.

The question has arose, did an over-zealous media and Nancy Grace push Melinda Duckett, the mother of missing Trenton Duckett, over the emotional edge to commit suicide? Melinda’s grandparents seem to think so.

[Jacqueline]

Trenton Duckett Missing: Did the Media and Nancy Grace Push Melinda Duckett Over the Edge to Suicide?

http://missingexploited.com/2006/09/14/trenton-duckett-missing-did-the-media-and-nancy-grace-push-melinda-duckett-over-the-edge-to-suicide/

Lets start out by saying that 2 year old Trenton Duckett is still missing. The focus should be on the missing boy and his whereabouts. Instead the media has made the story about the media. It is disturbing that certain shows have only covered this story after Melinda Duckett committed suicide rather than when Trenton Duckett went missing.

The question has arose, did an over-zealous media and Nancy Grace push Melinda Duckett, the mother of missing Trenton Duckett, over the emotional edge to commit suicide? Melinda’s grandparents seem to think so.

I don't think you can ever blame one's suicide on one incident.  Did it tip her over the edge?  Maybe.  This girl appears to have had some deep issues, and I would think her lawyer or anyone who advised her, would have advised her not to do the interview with Nancy Grace in the first place....

[Red]

I agree Jacqueline. Usually it takes many events that are set in motion to bring someone to the point of such despair.

It certainly did not help the cause as to what transpired on NG.

The fact that Melinda Duckett is no longer alive to tell what she knows is absolutely tragic.

If she was involved in the disappearance of her son or innocent ... what good can come of her being dead?

The question was been raised as to whether a line was crossed by the media and NG?

Isn't that obvious, Melinda Duckett is dead. She obviously had issues prior to any of this occurring. No one needed to bring gasoline to the fire.

[Red]

Here is a story that I found that is getting NO airplay. I have yet to see any follow up to this story.

Pursuit Inquiry After Chase Of Possible Suspect Called Off

http://www.wftv.com/news/9779121/detail.html

DELAND, Fla. -- Eyewitness News has learned a pursuit inquiry was launched after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper called off a chase that may have been related to the Amber Alert for missing toddler Trenton Duckett.

One trooper thought a child in the car matched Duckett's description.

In the FHP incident report, the trooper involved in the pursuit said he had every reason to want to pull the car over and no reason to let him go.

The report says the driver fled after being pulled over. The trooper writes that he saw the driver force a small child to the floorboards as he pulled away. The trooper notes that he tan car, with no plates, matched the description of a car wanted in connection with a murder in Saint Johns County.

What's more, the trooper believes the child fit the description of 2-year-old Trenton Duckett, a child recently abducted in Lake County. There is an Amber Alert out for Duckett and a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) alert for the car.

"If the BOLOo was put out for a crime that was a forcible felony, we would be able to continue our pursuit by our policy," said Trooper Kim Miller, Florida Highway Patrol.

Murder and kidnapping are considered forcible felonies and justify pursuit according to FHP policy, but the trooper said his supervisor told him to let the car go.

"We are looking to see if the trooper should have been able to continue the pursuit by our policy," Miller said.

In the report, the trooper makes his case to stay on the car, but his supervisor, Lt. Kevin Vaughn, is quoted as saying, "It is not against the law to have kids in the car."

The trooper broke off pursuit and the car, suspect and child were gone.

As a result, a pursuit inquiry was launched and FHP hopes the 2-year-old's possible kidnapper was not let go for no reason.

"We don't know if we can go into the what-ifs. For a trooper, that's definitely weighing on their mind," Miller said.

The inquiry into the decision not to pursue the suspect car was still ongoing Friday

[Jacqueline]

I agree Jacqueline. Usually it takes many events that are set in motion to bring someone to the point of such despair.

It certainly did not help the cause as to what transpired on NG.

The fact that Melinda Duckett is no longer alive to tell what she knows is absolutely tragic.

If she was involved in the disappearance of her son or innocent ... what good can come of her being dead?

The question was been raised as to whether a line was crossed by the media and NG?

Isn't that obvious, Melinda Duckett is dead. She obviously had issues prior to any of this occurring. No one needed to bring gasoline to the fire.

True.  

It is sad to me that no one close enough to her who may have known what state of mind she was in could convince her not to do her show.

I am no Nancy Grace fan, never have been...

I guess to stay in the game on tv you go for ratings no matter at what cost...

Also,....

they are now searching another location for the little boy....

http://www.wesh.com/news/9849178/detail.html

[Easywriter]

I agree Jacqueline. Usually it takes many events that are set in motion to bring someone to the point of such despair.

It certainly did not help the cause as to what transpired on NG.

The fact that Melinda Duckett is no longer alive to tell what she knows is absolutely tragic.

If she was involved in the disappearance of her son or innocent ... what good can come of her being dead?

The question was been raised as to whether a line was crossed by the media and NG?

Isn't that obvious, Melinda Duckett is dead. She obviously had issues prior to any of this occurring. No one needed to bring gasoline to the fire.

She did cross a line and all this week she has attempted to make her actions more amenable by showing what an emotionally disturbed young woman Melinda Duckett was.  In contrast, it only shows what a careless, inept individual Nancy Grace truly is.  If she knew the fragile situation she was dealing with before hand, she was criminally negligent in her verbal assault.  If she knew nothing about the girl’s background before the interview, then she did not do her homework which is also negligent and carelessly caused a tragic outcome.

If law enforcement officials had brought her in for interrogation, they would have in all likelihood had a psychologist on hand, they would have had the benefit of watching her physical reaction to questions and they could have held her in protective custody if they feared she might commit suicide.  To have none of those one-on-one controls in place and no real facts to base such a public attack is reckless and outrageous!

All of us could go through a series of “what if’s” concerning what might have happened to little Trenton Duckett.  However, the only thing we know for sure right now is that Melinda Duckett is dead and what she might have told the right person has forever been silenced.

Yeah, NG crossed a line!

[Jacqueline]

Maybe she crossed a line.......

But, I think if Nancy Grace used the same hard tactics with Joran no one would be complaining...

Everyone was very quick to bash Greta for being too easy with joran....

well if Grace had interviewed him and did not candy coat her questions, I think then alot of people would be applauding her now...

Anytime someone commits suicide it is a tragedy...

Especially because this young woman was cleary disturbed and more importantly could have been more helpful alive than dead in trying to find her son....

This incident reminds me of the person who got embarrassed on the Jerry Springer show when he was on the show and his secret crush turned out to be another guy...So mortified he was that he later hunted him down and killed him....

Yes....TV can be very deadly now a days........

[Easywriter]

Joran has never shown an ounce of remorse about what happened to Natalee Holloway.  In fact, he has never really shown any conscience whatsoever.  If NG had interviewed him within days of the disappearance and wrecked the investigation, I am sure many people would have been upset.  If she got a shot at him over a year later with all that we know, yes we would expect some tough questions.  Kind of an apples and oranges thing in my mind.

The girl should not have gone on the NG show, but I doubt she even really knew who NG was.  Much less that NG would go for the throat of the mother of a missing child without strong evidence pointing toward that mother.

BTW, it was the Jenny Jones show and she wound up in court.  We also do not see much of her on TV anymore.

[Jacqueline]

Joran has never shown an ounce of remorse about what happened to Natalee Holloway.  In fact, he has never really shown any conscience whatsoever.  If NG had interviewed him within days of the disappearance and wrecked the investigation, I am sure many people would have been upset.  If she got a shot at him over a year later with all that we know, yes we would expect some tough questions.  Kind of an apples and oranges thing in my mind.

The girl should not have gone on the NG show, but I doubt she even really knew who NG was.  Much less that NG would go for the throat of the mother of a missing child without strong evidence pointing toward that mother.

BTW, it was the Jenny Jones show and she wound up in court.  We also do not see much of her on TV anymore.

Oh thats right it was Ms Jones......Yep you are correct , don't see much of her anymore....

As for this young mother.....I did find it odd that she put an ad in the paper selling her baby car seat two weeks before the baby went missing....it took many hours since she noticed the baby was gone, to report it to police....she would only cooperate with the FBI not other law enforcement agencies and the FBI denied saying they told her to only cooperate with them....she refused to take a lie detector test.....does not sound all that innocent to me.........

[Easywriter]

Joran has never shown an ounce of remorse about what happened to Natalee Holloway.  In fact, he has never really shown any conscience whatsoever.  If NG had interviewed him within days of the disappearance and wrecked the investigation, I am sure many people would have been upset.  If she got a shot at him over a year later with all that we know, yes we would expect some tough questions.  Kind of an apples and oranges thing in my mind.

The girl should not have gone on the NG show, but I doubt she even really knew who NG was.  Much less that NG would go for the throat of the mother of a missing child without strong evidence pointing toward that mother.

BTW, it was the Jenny Jones show and she wound up in court.  We also do not see much of her on TV anymore.

Oh thats right it was Ms Jones......Yep you are correct , don't see much of her anymore....

As for this young mother.....I did find it odd that she put an ad in the paper selling her baby car seat two weeks before the baby went missing....it took many hours since she noticed the baby was gone, to report it to police....she would only cooperate with the FBI not other law enforcement agencies and the FBI denied saying they told her to only cooperate with them....she refused to take a lie detector test.....does not sound all that innocent to me.........

Yes, several suspicious things about the whole case and she probably had the answers.  A good shrink or even an experienced cop might have been able to get those answers.

[Red]

Maybe she crossed a line.......

But, I think if Nancy Grace used the same hard tactics with Joran no one would be complaining...

Everyone was very quick to bash Greta for being too easy with joran....

well if Grace had interviewed him and did not candy coat her questions, I think then alot of people would be applauding her now...

Anytime someone commits suicide it is a tragedy...

Especially because this young woman was cleary disturbed and more importantly could have been more helpful alive than dead in trying to find her son....

This incident reminds me of the person who got embarrassed on the Jerry Springer show when he was on the show and his secret crush turned out to be another guy...So mortified he was that he later hunted him down and killed him....

Yes....TV can be very deadly now a days........

Wow, forgot about that story ... remember that. I think the difference of in how one interiews say JVDS or a Melinda Duckett is that teir psychies are like oil and water. Also the situation as well.

Although both were the last to see the missing party, JVDS is of no relation to the missing. We do have to remember that deference needs to be given to a mother of a missing child.

Also, it was proven that JVDS lied. It was only being accused of Melinda. What a really sad situation and frustrating as well.

[Easywriter]

Does everyone remember that Nancy Grace was rebuked by a Georgia Court for engaging in “inappropriate and, in some cases, illegal conduct in the course of the trial” of Weldon Wayne Carr in 1997?  That alone demonstrates that she will skirt by ethical (and legal) conduct in order to get her desired result.

[Jacqueline]

Does everyone remember that Nancy Grace was rebuked by a Georgia Court for engaging in “inappropriate and, in some cases, illegal conduct in the course of the trial” of Weldon Wayne Carr in 1997?  That alone demonstrates that she will skirt by ethical (and legal) conduct in order to get her desired result.

To tell you the truth Easy, I don't know much about NG other than what I have seen when she has been on tv, and I know she lost her fiancee to a violent crime.

Like I said, I'm really not a Nancy Grace fan.

And i feel bad that this woman committed suicide, that goes without saying.

I did see the father on BOR tonight and he said that searches did find a teddy bear in the new area that they are searching for this precious child but have not confirmed that it belonged to Trenton.

I just pray that this kid is alive but my gut tells me he is gone...I sure hope I am wrong.

[Carnut]

Does everyone remember that Nancy Grace was rebuked by a Georgia Court for engaging in “inappropriate and, in some cases, illegal conduct in the course of the trial” of Weldon Wayne Carr in 1997?  That alone demonstrates that she will skirt by ethical (and legal) conduct in order to get her desired result.

To tell you the truth Easy, I don't know much about NG other than what I have seen when she has been on tv, and I know she lost her fiancee to a violent crime.

Like I said, I'm really not a Nancy Grace fan.

And i feel bad that this woman committed suicide, that goes without saying.

I did see the father on BOR tonight and he said that searches did find a teddy bear in the new area that they are searching for this precious child but have not confirmed that it belonged to Trenton.

I just pray that this kid is alive but my gut tells me he is gone...I sure hope I am wrong.

I'll bet the kid is gone, bet it was a murder/suicide and think the mother just delayed her suicide to try and make it look like it might have been the father that did it to the kid.

[mrs. red]

Jaq, I read somewhere today, in an article somewhere... that she had a new car seat ready to be put in the car... as they did say on the news this morning, about 2 years old is when it could be time to get a different car seat...

I don't know what I think about this case, I guess I just want him to be alive and well so bad that I don't want to believe that the mom did anything to harm her son -

and Easy, I agree with you that this girl probably had no idea who NG is, and how she conducts interviews.

[Jacqueline]

Jaq, I read somewhere today, in an article somewhere... that she had a new car seat ready to be put in the car... as they did say on the news this morning, about 2 years old is when it could be time to get a different car seat...

I don't know what I think about this case, I guess I just want him to be alive and well so bad that I don't want to believe that the mom did anything to harm her son -

and Easy, I agree with you that this girl probably had no idea who NG is, and how she conducts interviews.

That's very possible about the car seat...

But the other things....just don't add up...

She was the last one seen with the baby...she waited hours before she reported it to the police...

The two visitors that night said they never saw the baby....

Just made me think that the baby was gone before they even got there.

Believe me, I am not ready to say GUILTY and I feel bad she is gone...
but mostly because I am afraid she held answers that no one else can tell that could lead to this child.

[mrs. red]

I agree that she knew things that we will now not be able to find out....

[Jacqueline]

I agree that she knew things that we will now not be able to find out....

So sad...

Well I'm gonna hit the hay my sistah!!!!!!!

Have a good night, and I'll see ya tomorrow.......
 

[mrs. red]

I agree that she knew things that we will now not be able to find out....

So sad...

Well I'm gonna hit the hay my sistah!!!!!!!

Have a good night, and I'll see ya tomorrow.......
 

Nite Sistah... I am watching NG right now, and NG is still going after the mom... but the story about the state trooper that was told not to stop the car... what if that person is the guilty one?  

OMG!  I am just seeing way too much from NG about this... going on GMA in the morning?  NG seems to be trying way to hard, to back pedal...