SEEKING INFORMATION
And
Honoring Two Young Heroes
12/20/06
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Adre'anna Jackson disappeared Dec. 2, 2005 in Lakewood, Washington. Her remains were found four months later and authorities are treating the case as a homicide |
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On a snowy day last December, 10-year-old
Adre’anna Jackson left for school in
Lakewood, Washington. She never came home.
If not for two brave, persistent classmates,
police might never have learned her tragic
fate. Now, we hope you will help, too, by
providing information that might solve the
case.
The disappearance. Adre’anna
went to school the morning of December 2,
2005, but classes were cancelled because
of the snow. We don’t know what happened
to her after that. Her parents reported her
missing later that day, and police immediately
launched a massive effort to find her. Officers
scoured the neighborhood, knocked on every
door, combed through parks. We helped canvas
the neighborhood, searched a nearby lake
using sonar equipment, and had our analysts
review potential leads. No luck.
The
discovery. On April
4, 2006—four months later—two
of her classmates were playing in an overgrown
vacant lot about two miles from where Adre’anna
lived. Domonique Eason and Manny Peters,
both 9, were looking for snakes but found
sorrow instead: human bones scattered in
the underbrush.
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Domonique Eason and Manny Peters received an FBI award for "Exceptional Service in the Public Interest" for finding their classmate's remains and alerting authorities. |
The
boys did the responsible thing: they
ran to find an adult. The first one they
met, though, didn’t believe them.
Undaunted—and with an inkling that
the bones might be their missing classmate’s—they
trouped to a nearby apartment complex
and pleaded with the manager to call
the police. The manager agreed.
Police soon arrived on the scene and confirmed
that the bones were human. At the request
of local authorities, we sent in our Evidence
Response Team to help gather and document
clues. We found a vast crime scene: about
10 acres of thick blackberry brambles, trees,
and shrubs. One patch had been cleared and
had been used as a transient camp and garbage
dump. For nine days, we pored over the field
with our partners, collecting hundreds of
pieces of evidence.
Meanwhile a local medical examiner
used dental records from the remains to
conclude that the boys had indeed found
Adre’anna. Mystery solved,
at least partially. We still don’t
know how she died, but we’re treating
it as a homicide.
You
may be able to help. We
urge you to read this Seeking
Information flier about
Adre’anna’s death and to contact
our Seattle
field office
with any tips or information. The FBI is
offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information
that leads to an arrest and conviction of
the person responsible for her death.
And the boys? We couldn’t
let their courage go unrewarded. In a June
ceremony, Seattle Special Agent in Charge
Laura Laughlin presented both with an award
from the FBI Director for “Exceptional
Service in the Public Interest.” The
boys were also honored by Lakewood Police
Chief Larry Saunders.
“That one act of civic duty by Domonique
and Manny provided immeasurable help to the
investigation,” Laughlin said. “It’s
all the more remarkable because we now know
that several others, all adults, knew the
bones were in the field but didn’t
report it. These boys are true heroes.”
Agreed. By stepping forward
to help find a missing classmate, when some
adults wouldn’t listen or act, they taught
us all a valuable lesson.
Resources:
Other missing children | Crimes Against Children stories
