somer thompson body found

somer thompson body found



Authorities have tentatively identified
a body found in a landfill as that of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, a
north Florida girl who disappeared on her walk home from school,
the sheriff in charge of the case said Thursday.


Sheriff Rick Beseler said Thursday that the identification was
based on clothing on the body and a birthmark that matched the
girl’s.

The partially covered body of the child was found in a Georgia
landfill near the Florida state line, after investigators followed
garbage trucks leaving the neighborhood where the child disappeared Monday.


Beseler said at a news conference he still fears for the
community until a suspect is apprehended. He wouldn’t talk about
what evidence police have recovered, or whether investigators
believe the crime was committed by one or more people.

An FBI forensic unit is helping process evidence from the
landfill.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation planned an autopsy Thursday.

The landfill is in Folkston, Ga., about 48 miles from where the
girl disappeared.

Somer vanished on her mile-long walk home from school in Orange Park. She was squabbling with another child, and her sister told her to stop. The girl got upset, walked ahead of the group and
wasn’t seen again.


Orange Park is a suburb of Jacksonville just south of Jacksonville Naval Air Station. The area where the girl disappeared is a heavily populated residential area with homes, apartment complexes and condominiums.


The girl’s father, Sam Thompson, lives in Graham, N.C.

orange park fl

orange park fl

ORANGE PARK, FL -- Somer Thompson's mom, Diena Thompson, will appear on all three network morning shows this morning.

The parking lot at Orange Park's Town Hall is filled with trucks, as crews prepare for the interviews inside council chambers.

Thompson will appear on Good Morning America on ABC and The Today Show on NBC.

A reporter for NBC News and several network news producers are also in Orange Park this morning.

Sheriff Rick Beseler will appear with Diena Thompson at 8:15 a.m. today, which First Coast News will cover live.

The sheriff has indicated the search has expanded and there's a statewide Amber Alert. But it's unclear if the search has expanded to the southeast region or even the entire country.

Somer's mother gathered with friends for a candlelight vigil Tuesday night. Her father who lives in North Carolina also pleaded for her safe return.

The 7-year-old girl disappeared while walking home from Grove Park Elementary school Monday afternoon. She was last seen with her hair tied into a ponytail with a red bow. She wore a maroon sweatsuit with a pink stripe and a black t-shirt. She was carrying a purple Hannah Montana backpack and lunchbox.