In late February of 1995, the small town of Homosassa, Florida was sent into a panic after 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford disappeared from the comfort of her home in the middle of the night. For days, police, neighbors, and media set up camp in the community searching for the third grader all while she was being hidden less than 100 feet away from her house. By the time officials cracked the case it was too late... Jessica was already dead.

Our friend and former co-worker, Lindy Thackston, covered this case extensively during her time in Jacksonville, Florida. She joins us as our guest this week to discuss the ins and outs of a case that still haunts her to this day.

SOURCES:

https://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/couey-john-evander-photos.htm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Jessica_Lunsford

https://medium.com/@lisariggio1994/kidnapped-and-buried-alive-the-heartbreaking-case-of-jessica-lunsford-6725b8125c2f

https://www.chillingcrimes.com/blogs/news/jessica-lunsford

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/jessica-lunsford/

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2009/09/30/jessica-lunsfords-killer-dies-in-jacksonville-hospital/15971731007/

https://www.gastongazette.com/story/news/politics/government/2016/06/16/senator-introduces-new-jessica-lunsford-act/27602397007/

https://www.app.com/story/news/politics/capitolquickies/2014/06/02/new-jersey-after-9-years-adopts-jessica-lunsford-act/9870921/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6429373.stm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica%27s_Law

https://www.foxnews.com/story/father-of-murdered-florida-girl-jessica-lunsford-reveals-he-has-a-secret-child 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=2172692&page=1

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/aug/25/rapist-murderer-sentenced-to-die/

https://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/21/lunsford.act/

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7301160

https://www.newspapers.com/image/655587662/?terms=Jessica%20Lunsford&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/330508880/?terms=Jessica%20Lunsford&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/330562588/?terms=jessica%20lunsford