The landfill, which sits 55 miles north of where Somer Thompson lives, is near Folkston, GA.
The garbage collected in the Orange Park area is delivered to that particular landfill. According to the Sheriff, the body they found was partially covered. CNN is reporting that the FBI’s forensic crime unit is supposed to be headed to the landfill to investigate the remains.
Update 10/22/09 – CBS’ The Early Show interviewed Sheriff Beseler this morning and he told them what we already know, that they have tentatively identified the child found in the south Georgia landfill as Somer Renee Thompson. The clothing the child was wearing as well as a birthmark match that of Somer. They still don’t know the exact cause of death.
Update – Police in Orange Park have cordoned off a house under construction about 250 yards from the Elementary School that Somer Thompson was walking home from when she disappeared. They aren’t saying what, if any, evidence has been recovered but obviously they are trying to find something to link them to whoever brutally killed Somer Thompson.
Officers have questioned over 70 registered sex offenders in the area but there are 161 registered sex offenders that live in a five mile radius of Somer’s home.
Updated 10/24/09 – Police have finished questioning all of the registered sex offenders that live in the area where Somer went missing and as of now they have no suspects. While we talk a lot about sexual offenders re-offending this is most likely someone from outside of the area. How many sexual predators live in the area that are not or have not ever registered?
The autopsy has also been completed but police are not releasing the cause of death as they think that would hurt the investigation right now.
Update 10/26/09 – It looks like there is some serious breaking news going going on in this case. On October 21sth four men were arrested for armed robbery at the address of Somer Thompson and her family. You can find more information over at Blink on Crime.
Update 10/27/09 – The funeral for Somer Renee Thompson was held earlier today. After the services mourners were to release thousands of purple balloons in the air in her memory.
Still no release of the cause of death and no suspects have officially been named.
Sheriff Beseler made that comment earlier this afternoon, probably around 4ish. Since then, it has been confirmed that the body is that of a little girl. One of the news stations had a phone interview with Somer’s father. He said, “I am not doing well. They just called me and told me my little girl is not coming home” or something to that effect (I heard it, but can’t remember his exact words).
That poor baby was thrown out with yesterday’s trash, as if she mattered not one iota.
Just got home from getting the keys out of my wife’s locked car and I’ve seen a couple of the reports. Most of these kids aren’t found alive but I sure was hoping it would turn out differently.
I was too. This one hurts, a lot.
As true crime followers/addicts, I think we tend to get a little bit desensitized to crime. By that I mean we may feel sad when the abducted person is found dead, but it’s not lingering. This one hit hard. I’ve spent most of the night crying and just woke up from a horrid nightmare. I’ve sworn off the rest of the true crime sites and am only visiting here.
Who would throw a child’s body away like it was garbage and meant nothing?
How do we know if the killer is male, assuming that it was foul play? We all believed Susan Smith’s story almost 15 years ago about a black man kidnapping her children when it turned out that she and she alone drowned her two boys and nearly started a race riot with her lies.
What are you reading? Nobody has mentioned that the killer is a male. I mentioned Somer’s father making a comment. Other than that, nobody has mentioned a man.
Somer Thompson Cause of Death!
ORANGE PARK – Authorities are closer to learning where
the body of Somer Thompson was first dumped because
they continued Friday sifting through tons of garbage
was beside her in a garbage Folkston Ga., bears Speaker
of the sheriff’s office said Mary Justino…
Thanks for the update but there’s nothing there about the cause of death that we haven’t seen. They aren’t releasing it yet. Are you even in the U.S. because your grammar sucks. Looks like just another splog.
I’m with Bogustoo. I certainly haven’t posted anything to the effect of the killer being a male, so I’m not sure who you are responding to.
Now that you mention it though, the killer is most likely a male pedophile, not married, no kids, mid to late 30s or older. Of course I could be way off base and it might be a young female. The profile I gave seems to be the most common but it could have been anyone including a female.