Brooke Bennett 12yrs old missing 6/25/08 Randolph Vermont(BODY FOUND)

[Rob]

<--- don't even know what to say.

I knew this was the outcome a few days ago. Oh how I wish Brooke did runaway! You don't need any real skills to see the outcome here - this is always the outcome.

I hope Brooke finds her peace in God's Arms.

[Rob]

<--- don't even know what to say.

I knew this was the outcome a few days ago. Oh how I wish Brooke did runaway! You don't need any real skills to see the outcome here - this is always the outcome.

I hope Brooke finds her peace in God's Arms.

maybe I do have something to say after-all.

First, Kudos to VT LE. They DID the JOB. An excellent job even though it wasn't the outcome we all wish coull have occurred.

Second, Red's FP post on the Death Penalty for Child Rapists - count me in. I was hedging on this and believe the DP should be reserved for the worst of the worst. These are the WORST or the WORST.

I try to keep my emotions on life and death to a minimum, but the recidivism rate here is over 80%. That's too high to take any chances in my opinion. A first time molester may not kill the victim, but the second time molester, after serving jail time, will almost assuredly kill his victim should she / he threaten to go to the police. The solution is the death penalty.

-all my opinion.

[Tamikosmom]

My heart breaks for that little girl.  What was her mother thinking when she allowed Brook's uncle by marriage to be alone with her daughter for even two minutes.

There are many compromises that have to made in life but ... the physical safety and the emotional well-being of our precious children are not among them.

 

Janet

It is so hard to comprehend that such evil exists.

Janet
__________

Feds Say Uncle of Missing Vermont Girl Took Her Home for Initiation Into Sex Ring
Wednesday, July 02, 2008

RANDOLPH, Vt. —  A missing Vermont girl's uncle brought her home to initiate her into a sex ring, federal officials claim in court papers.

In an affidavit, officials contend a teenage girl admitted helping Michael Jacques, Brooke Bennett's uncle, drop off the 12-year-old at a store on June 25, then pick her up and take her to his Randolph home for initiation into a child sex ring. Brooke has not been seen since.

The 14-year-old, reportedly related to Jacques, told agents she, herself, had been having sex with Jacques, 42, since she was 9 as part of a sex ring called Breckinridge, according to the U.S. District Court affidavit. She said she was told Brooke was going to be brought into the ring that day.

The teenager said she understood that as part of the initiation, Brooke "would have sex with adult males," according to the affidavit in U.S. District Court.

She and Brooke watched television for a while before Jacques told her to leave and took Brooke upstairs, the teen said. The girl left the house with her boyfriend and did not see Brooke again, she said.

Brooke's former stepfather was expected in court Wednesday to face federal charges that he destroyed evidence in connection with the search for Brooke.

Ray Gagnon, 40, was to appear in U.S. District Court in Burlington, Vt., to answer an obstruction of justice charge. If convicted, the San Antonio, Texas, man could be sentenced to life in prison.

Click here to view photos.

Investigators searching for the girl arrested Gagnon and Jacques, a registered sex offender, this week on sexual assault charges. Brooke is not among the victims, according to police.

Jacques pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Earlier reports said Gagnon allegedly had traveled to the state from his Texas home to help search for Brooke, of Braintree, Vt. Authorities also analyzed surveillance video from the shop at which the girl last was seen.

In it, Jacques and the girl are seen leaving the store together and then Brooke going left out the door while Jacques goes right.

Click here to view video.

Gagnon was married to Brooke's mother for about five years; Brooke lived with them in Alabama. The mother, Cassandra Gagnon, told the San Antonio Express-News that Gagnon came to Vermont to try to lend a hand after her disappearance made national news last week.

"We're not doing very good ... not very good at all," the child's weeping stepmother, Janet Bennett, told FOX News on Wednesday.

Janet Bennett is married to Brooke's father, James Bennett, and said the family is frustrated over the lack of information they're getting on the case. She discounted the possibility that Brooke might have left on her own.

"She's not the type of girl who would run away," she said.

Gagnon was arrested Tuesday on federal child molestation charges in connection with a sexual assault investigation involving Brooke's uncle.

Gagnon was in federal custody Tuesday on a charge of aggravated sexual assault on a minor, according to Vermont State Police.

The arrest is related to the case against Jacques, who was charged on Monday with sexually assaulting a young girl over a five-year period. The girl told police she had been enrolled in what police called a program for sex.

According to court papers, she told police that Jacques was to be her trainer in a "program for sex" and that she had met three men affiliated with the program.

Girls in the program were warned that "the first [girl] who does it lives and the second gets her throat cut," according to an affidavit filed Monday at Vermont District Court for Orange County.

Col. James Baker, head of the state police, said authorities were considering all possibilities, including that the sex ring was a ruse Jacques created to intimidate the girl into having sex with him.

State police say Jacques is a "person of interest" in Brooke's disappearance.

Brooke had told family she was to meet a friend to visit the friend's hospitalized relative. Police now believe that was a lie and Brooke intended to meet someone she'd met on the Internet.

Police have described their investigation into Brooke's disappearance as involving social networking Web sites.

A vigil for Brooke was scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,375003,00.html

[kissyface]

    This is horrible.  I cannot believe this.  Prayers.  R.I.P. Brooke

[Nut44x4]

Brooke never had a chance.  The adults that were supposed to protect her put her in harms way.  So very sad.  How many girls have abused and or murdered by these monsters?

This is so sick and twisted. You are correct Klaas...she never stood a chance. Don't expect much in the way of punishment for Jacques and anyone else involved in this...it is Vermont, mark my words.

[Rob]

Brooke never had a chance.  The adults that were supposed to protect her put her in harms way.  So very sad.  How many girls have abused and or murdered by these monsters?

This is so sick and twisted. You are correct Klaas...she never stood a chance. Don't expect much in the way of punishment for Jacques and anyone else involved in this...it is Vermont, mark my words.

Hi Nut - well, tuff cookies for him, that's why the Feds got involved. Buh Bye VT! Chello Leavenworth!

This poor little girl didn't grow up in "hardscrabble" America. She lived in a nice small town. She deserved a better chance at life. So wrong on so many levels in my opinion.

This poor little Brooke needs a voice beyond her mother - I hope we will all help that happen.

[klaasend]

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/NEWS01/80701028

July 2, 2008


BROOKE'S BODY FOUND

By Sam Hemingway
Free Press Staff Writer

BETHEL -- Police have discovered the body of Brooke Bennett near a sugarhouse off a country road in Randolph.

The body of the 12-year-old Braintree girl, missing since June 25 and the subject of Vermont's first Amber Alert, was found at 4:45 p.m. today near Crocker Road -- just a few miles from the home of her uncle.

The uncle, Michael Jacques, 42, is the lead suspect in Brooke's disappearance. She was last seen at his home on East Bethel Road the day she vanished.

Col. James Baker, commander of the Vermont State Police, made the announcement at about 6:10 p.m. at a news conference at Whitcomb High School. Baker called the death "suspicious" and that "appears to be the result of foul play."

The body will be sent to the state's Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington to determine the time and cause of death. A news conference has been called for the U.S. Attorney's office in Burlington at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Baker did not address who might have killed the girl or why, and declined to answer questions.

[Sea Searcher]

So Sad..


Here is an updated article from local news

Times Argus
This is a printer friendly version of an article from www.timesargus.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article published Jul 2, 2008
Statement from Col. Baker of the VSP on discovery of body
6:53 p.m.

Statement by Col. James Baker, director of the Vermont State Police, on finding the body of Brooke Bennett:

It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I announce that we have located what we believe to be the remains of Brooke Bennett on Crocker Road in Randolph, Vermont.

The identification of Brooke today is a preliminary one. Brooke will be transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington where an autopsy will be scheduled to positively identify her and to determine the cause of death. The death is clearly suspicious. It appears to be foul play.

Brooke was located as a result of information developed during the search of Michael Jacques’ residence. The information developed led investigators to Crocker Road. A team of specially trained FBI agents and Vermont State Police Search and Rescue members, discovered ground that was recently disturbed. This discovery happened on July 1st, 2008. The scene was frozen and a thorough search was conducted today. Brooke was found at 4:45 this afternoon.

A week ago today, Brooke was reported missing. We remained optimistic that we would find her alive. Investigators worked swiftly and diligently to uncover information and evidence that was leading us in the direction of locating Brooke.

The painful discovery of Brooke’s body today is tragic and heartbreaking.
Brooke’s family has been notified. On behalf of all of the investigators, support staff and others who have worked tirelessly on this case, I offer the family our deepest condolences.

Myself, Special Agent in Charge John Pikus and Major Tom L’Esperance will be meeting with the family shortly to assure them that the investigative team that we have assembled is focused more then ever. As I’ve stated before, this investigation is making progress.

With the discovery of Brooke, our investigation is now narrowed and focused.
All of the investigators and the support staff in this investigation are committed to closing this investigation out successfully.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Brooke, her family and friends. I ask you respect the privacy of Brooke’s family at this time.

I recognize the information provided at this time is vague, however we felt it was important to inform you of this drastic change in the investigation.

With that said, I am not prepared, nor can I answer questions at this time as we are at yet another crucial stage in the investigation.

A press conference will be scheduled for tomorrow at 10:00 AM at the US Attorney’s Office in Burlington. The media should arrive at 9:30 AM.

Thank you for your attention.

[Rob]

[Rob]

One more possible route taken by Jacques

[KC]

What a tragedy.  Words just can't express.  I agree 100% on death penalty for child molesters.  I agree with Blonde too though, first let's cut off the offending part.  I can't imagine the minds of such sickos. 

[Rob]

has anyone notice anything extremely unusual yet.

I have.

I'll just say it now. Jacques used a video camera located at the convenience store in an attempt to establish an alibi. This might be the first documented case I have seen. This is truly off the charts. He drops Brooke off and then departs in another direction. He depends on the video (which worked for him for several days) to send everyone in other directions. He knew the convenience store and he knew it had video.

truly one of the most diabolical I have seen yet.

This is premeditated in my opinion.

[klaasend]

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=8610899

Court Papers: Uncle Brought Brooke Home for Sex
 
 
Burlington, Vermont - July 2, 2008

Disturbing new details about the day 12-year-old Brooke Bennett disappeared...

Brooke's former stepfather, Ray Gagnon, appeared in federal court Wednesday on obstruction of justice charges. And court papers made public there paint a troubling picture.

For a week police indicated the last time anyone had seen 12-year-old Brooke Bennett was when her uncle, Michael Jacques, dropped her off at the Cumberland Farms in Randolph.

New information revealed in court papers indicates her uncle did not leave her there. According to the juvenile who was with them, they took Brooke to Jacques' Randolph home. They told her she was going to a party, but the juvenile told police she was actually being taken into a secret program called "Breckenridge," where she'd be having sex with adult males-- just as the other juvenile had been doing for the past five years, with Jacques as her "trainer." That juvenile left the house after Jacques took Brooke upstairs -- and never saw her again.

The story that Brooke may have been meeting someone she met on the online networking site MySpace-- police say Jacques made that up. He showed police a posting made sometime after midnight June 25-- the day she disappeared.

In part, it reads, "I do want to see you in the morning, so please meet me.... u know where. I think i have a good plan to sneak around this. My Mom will kill me but then I'm going 2 Texas and she will get over it. Sorry I was such a baby last time. Promise u not this time!! U can bring ur friend but u have 2 admit that's pretty weird."

"They say ur first is the one u always want and that's u baby!"

And ends with the cyber-slang for Oh My Gosh: "OMG if only people knew me 4 real!"

Vermont State Police, forensic examiners, and investigators from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force believe the post was made from Jacques' laptop computer. It was edited at 10:36 p.m. the night Brooke disappeared -- and someone manually changed the time post, trying to make it look like it had been written at 7:46 a.m.-- before she disappeared.

The only login was from a computer in Texas, registered to the roommate of Brooke's former stepfather, Raymond Gagnon, who is also a friend of Jacques.

Gagnon appeared in federal court in Burlington Wednesday.

According to court papers, he told police Jacques called him the day Brooke was last seen and asked him to change the username and password on her MySpace account. Gagnon then came to Vermont to be with his family during Brooke's disappearance -- and called his roommate, asking him to throw his computer in a nearby dumpster.

That laptop has not been found.

Raymond Gagnon remains in federal custody. He is due back in federal court on Monday.

We still do not know whether he is in any way involved with Brooke's disappearance and death. We spoke to Brooke's stepmother and asked about her relationship with Gagnon. She said Brooke, "loved him like a father."

It's not clear whether Gagnon was part of the so-called Breckenridge sex ring.

But according to court papers, the juvenile girl claims she was also forced to have sex with Gagnon in June of 2007.

[Tamikosmom]

The case is being discussed on NANCY GRACE right now.

It is 5:20 PM in my neck of the woods right now and ... NANCY GRACE will be repeated again at 7:00 PM my time.

Janet

[2NJSons_Mom]

Everything about this case is      

[Blonde]

I think her uncle killed her because she said NO, don't touch me you sick creep.

[bleachedblack]

has anyone notice anything extremely unusual yet.

I have.

I'll just say it now. Jacques used a video camera located at the convenience store in an attempt to establish an alibi. This might be the first documented case I have seen. This is truly off the charts. He drops Brooke off and then departs in another direction. He depends on the video (which worked for him for several days) to send everyone in other directions. He knew the convenience store and he knew it had video.

truly one of the most diabolical I have seen yet.

This is premeditated in my opinion.

Then on top of that to go into her myspace and manipulate it to read as though Brooke was meeting someone on the internet reinforces what a truly evil creep Jacques is.

[Bobo2]

has anyone notice anything extremely unusual yet.

I have.

I'll just say it now. Jacques used a video camera located at the convenience store in an attempt to establish an alibi. This might be the first documented case I have seen. This is truly off the charts. He drops Brooke off and then departs in another direction. He depends on the video (which worked for him for several days) to send everyone in other directions. He knew the convenience store and he knew it had video.

truly one of the most diabolical I have seen yet.

This is premeditated in my opinion.

You are exactly right, Rob.  Premediated indeed!

Something about that video was odd all along, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  Notice how Jacques takes a hard right as he exits the convenience store, Brooke takes a hard, immediate left.  No conversation between them, no pleasantries or goodbyes.  Normal behaviour, IMO, would be to walk straight out of the store and angle toward the right or left with some interaction between the 2 people parting company, not take sharp immediate turns in opposite directions.  I now believe she was following his instructions of exactly where she was to go upon leaving.

The death penalty is way too good for this scumbag. 

I worry about the sister, she looks so haunted.

[Blonde]

I worry about the sister, she looks so haunted.

  Yes I  Know

[klaasend]

I worry about the sister, she looks so haunted.

  Yes I  Know

The sister looks pretty normal on her myspace.  Of course, that's before the sister realized that Brooke was probably murdered by their uncle.