12-Year-Old Vermont Girl Missing: Did she Meet Someone from MySpace?
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12-year-old Brooke Bennett vanished after being dropped off to meet a friend. She apparently lied to her family about where she was going. The family and police have discovered that she was, in fact, going to meet up with someone she had met on MySpace.
Surveillance camera footage from the Cumberland Farms store showed Brooke being dropped off by her uncle and cousin at a local convenience store. They then drove off.
The footage showed Brooke walking away from the store by herself. That was the last time she was seen.
A family member searching for her Thursday found items belonging to her near Route 65 that were similar to what she had been wearing, prompting an intensive search by police and dogs in the area.
And this, folks, is why I am an “overprotective” Mom. Yes, my daughter knows right from wrong. I’m sure Brooke does, as well. Yes, I talk to my child about the dangers that can be lurking online. I’m sure Brooke’s parents did the same.
There are some sick individuals in this World, who will do anything they can to get to our children. They lie so well, many kids have no clue that their newest BFF is actually a pervert. There are stories all over the news, covering things like “The young girl went to meet up with what she thought was another young teenaged girl…”. It’s sickening.
My daughter butts heads with me. She occasionally throws her hands up and yells “Why dont you TRUST me?”. I calmly remind her that it is not her I don’t trust. It’s the potential for insanity I don’t trust. I don’t suffocate her. She is allowed to do many things, and tests her freedom regularly. One example of me saying no would be when she wanted to ride her bike to WalMart not long ago… alone. Our WalMart is four miles away, across a major highway. I’m sorry. She’s 13. She’s not going to ride alone four miles, no way… no how.
I know every password to all of her online activities, such as her email and MySpace. I rarely use them. If I suspect something isn’t quite right, I will check. I feel that is my job as a parent. Do you remember the old TV ad that asked “It’s 10:00. Do you know what your child is doing?”. I know where my daughter is. I know who she is with, and I know what they’re doing. In this day and age, it’s just good parenting to make those things your business.
5 Comments
Belinda
June 30th, 2008
at 1:20pm
I think its a shame that in todays world you can not trust anyone. I am a wife and a mother of two. It will be a cold day in hell when and if I would ever drop of my child or any child any where without waiting around to assure his/her safety. When I take my daughters friends home even if its a block away I wait in the driveway to make sure he/she is in their home. Parents have to be more protective of their children. This world has unfortunately and saddly disgusting, filthy perverted individuals living in it who prey on innocent and defenseless children. In my opinion these parasites do not deserve to live. Cruel opinion?? Not to me and my husband. Anyways!!! I am trying hard not wanting to give part of the blame to the family, as this is a horrible time for them. BUT I have so many whys?? Why didnt the parent or adult dig more into who this friend was? Why didnt the parent/adult get a phone number and than confirm the story with the parent? why did the parent/adult allow her to go with this “unknown friend” and be dropped off at a convenience store? why didnt the uncle wait around to assure her safety?? Ah! But yes we know children will lie…but its the parents responsibility to get the truth out from their sneaky children especially if the information given is vague and/or sounds strange. If a child hesitates or fumbles with answers to questions that are being asked by the parent than the child shouldnt be allowed to go or do what he/she asked to do. (Gawd!!! Hope that made any sense
) To meet a friend at a convenience store and than see this friends friend in a hospital????? this to me as a parent seems strange and would have my curiousity and questions rolling. Its the parents responsiblitly to know where your child is going and with who at all times. Im sorry, but I just dont drop off my child anywhere to meet a “friend”. I get phone numbers, I talk with the parents, I wanna know who, why, where and what… ..especially in this day an age.
megan
July 3rd, 2008
at 7:10am
I THINK THE MOTHER OF BROOKE SHOULD BE ARRESTED. HOW CAN SHE LEAVE HER DAUGHTER IN THE HANDS OF A REGIESTERED SEX OFFENDER. I HATE TO SAY THIS BUT I BLAME THE PARENTS. SO SORRY BROOKE!
Mark in Vt.
July 3rd, 2008
at 9:41am
New developments contradict your assumptions. You start by saying, “The family and police have discovered that she was, in fact, going to meet up with someone she had met on MySpace.”
That was not the fact. The girl’s body has been found, and her uncle has been arrested. Police say that the MySpace post was bogus and put there by the uncle to mislead the family and police.
For all of us in Vermont, the whole affair is horribly tragic. The accused predator was right in the family, not on MySpace.
Details here:
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080703/NEWS/23639390
Kat
July 4th, 2008
at 1:59am
Mark in Vt: At the time I posted this, that WAS the assumption by police, and her family.
Sadly, she was tricked and murdered by a monster. It’s just awful.
B
July 7th, 2008
at 3:24pm
How sad!!!! I figured the Uncle was involved. The video footage of those two leaving in seperate directions, was to me obvious that something was off. It appeared too planned, like he told her to walk that way. I hope the Uncle gets what he deserves which to me is the death penality. What a parasite. The mother should have her head examined for allowing a sex offender in her house. Shes to blame. I would never in a million years allow a pervert near my children. I am way to protective. In this day an age my guard is up 24/7 and never comes down. There are way to many scumbag parasites out there.