It pains me deeply to know that there are people out there who can bring harm to an innocent child. Neica Marie Gibbs, the beautiful little girl you see in the photo, was found murdered (though police are still unsure) and wrapped in a tarp. Her decomposing body was dumped in front of a garbage dumpster. Her body was found by a woman picking up litter around the trash receptacle.

”We need to determine if this is an actual homicide. It’s still early in our investigation” said Sgt. Frank Sousa, a spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. An autopsy is scheduled. Police say her disappearance was an active investigation. She was found in the 2700 block of Southwest Sixth Drive in Fort Lauderdale, only steps away from a trailer where she was to have attended a sleepover with a friend three weeks ago. Neica was listed as a “runaway” on the Florida missing persons site. Since she was found almost right where she was supposed to be, I think it’s safe to say that assumption was highly inaccurate.

Police did not issue an AMBER Alert when little Neica was reported missing three weeks ago, because she didn’t meet all the criteria for the alert, according to Sousa. Those criteria, according the Amber Alert government website, are as follows.

• There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
• The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
• There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
• The abduction is of a child aged 17 years or younger.
• The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.

Unless you can prove your child was abducted, AMBER Alert is off limits. Don’t get me wrong –I’m glad we have AMBER Alert. I know that every child that goes missing is not necessarily at risk and that listing all of them could lead to a “cry wolf” type situation. I’m not knocking the police, either. I have no idea how hard they worked in searching for this girl. I do know she was wrapped in a blue tarp in the same area she went missing from. Sort of like looking for your keys when they’re right in your pocket. I can’t help but feel for those who fall through the cracks. Then again, with the evil and apathy that lurks within our communities, it may be that Neica would have been doomed regardless.

I don’t think Neica wrapped herself up in that tarp and died on her own. Her death may have been accidental -we don’t really know, but I highly doubt it. The likelihood of what happened is an all too familiar story. Women and little girls and boys are disposable to the perverted predators that weave themselves within our cities. I wouldn’t be surprised if the person responsible for her death is already a known sex offender. I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

Sources:

Girl’s death leaves a family in anguish

Body Of 13-Year-Old Found Behind Dumpster Identified