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The Search for Rachel, a father's journal

Wednesday, September 1, 2004

The practice session for the missing adult case training course began at 8:00 a.m. this morning. Our team was mostly made up of law enforcement personnel, attorneys, staff from the Center for Missing Adults, and training specialists from Fox Valley Technical College.

My victim impact statement was the second training module. Everyone liked the presentation and gave me some excellent suggestions on how to improve it. I will make these changes and submit a new version of my presentation for the final edition of the training course.

Thursday, September 2

Our practice session in Phoenix continued today. The last modules were presented, and then we made additional changes to the course. The order of the modules was changed to make the course flow better. The course ended early, so I was able to make the changes to my module and submit them to Fox Valley to include in the final course manual.

The first CEO training class in Phoenix will take place on Sunday, September 19 and Monday, September 20. My victim impact module will be on the first day of the class.

Friday, September 3 through Sunday, September 5

I am back in Texas, and I already have some things planned next week to continue the search for Rachel. I will meet with an out-of-town reporter on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Sunday, September 12, Texas EquuuSearch will have another benefit concert and auction near Galveston. Anyone who is interested in attending the event can get information on the www.texasequusearch.org web site.

We still have room in the October 5 M.U.S.T. seminar. The FREE seminar will be at B's Gathering House in Round Rock from 6:30-9:00 p.m. With the recent abduction attempts in Round Rock, we expect a good-sized class. Information about the seminar may be found at www.rachelalert.org/must.

Monday, September 6

I will be interviewing with an out-of-town reporter today. As soon as I find out the date the article will be published, I will post the newspaper name and date here.

We have sold almost half of the Rachel Alert Network cookbooks. Orders continue to come in from all over the United States. We are still seeking a consignment location in Georgetown to sell the books.

Tuesday, September 7

I was interviewed by an out-of-town newspaper reporter today. The reporter will interview additional people tomorrow. There will be more news on the article later.

A new bill is being introduced in the U.S. Congress this session. The NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY ACT OF 2004 (S. 2154/H.R 3929) will allow for nationwide monitoring of sexual predators. If the bill passes into law, it will be named Dru's Law after murdered Dru Sjodin. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was arrested for Dru's sexual assault and murder. Rodriquez had been released from prison only six months earlier, having served the full term of his 23-year sentence for rape in Minnesota.

I plan to support this bill because in the last 3 years I have found out that sexual predators do not reform. In fact, over 95% of them assault another person after being released from prison.

Wednesday, September 8

An Amber Alert was issued yesterday for a Mesquite, Texas, 12-year-old girl named Jami Hicks. She is believed to have been taken by her stepfather, James Roy Hudachek. I saw the roadside signs in Austin which were posting the alert.

Thursday, September 9

I spoke with law enforcement yesterday about Rachel's case. They want an updated list of Rachel's friends so they can re-interview them. I collected everyone's current phone numbers and will give them to law enforcement tomorrow.

On September 18, 2004, the Center for HOPE, founded by the parents of missing Suzanne Lyall, will hold a motorcycle ride to raise money for the missing person "Remorial" fund. The Remorial fund was put in place to pay for a statue in Albany, New York, to remember the missing. The name is a combination of memorial and remembrance. The motorcycle ride will also offer an opportunity for riders to display a magnetized photo of a missing person on their motorcycle. Each photo will be accompanied by a brief written profile of the individual, which will allow the rider to become familiar with the person he or she is representing. This is another good way for the public to help spread the word about missing persons. More information about the event may be found on www.hope4themissing.org.

Friday, September 10

Twenty years ago today 16-year-old Laura Miller was kidnapped and murdered. Her father, Tim Miller, went through several years of despair and healing. A few years ago Mr. Miller formed Texas EquuSearch to search for missing persons. Since that date, TES has brought home over 100 missing persons. Most of the people found were alive. Laura's death was a very tragic thing, but her memory has helped save many a life.

Saturday, January 11 and Sunday, January 12

The Rachel Alert Network officers will met Monday night. We need to talk about scheduling more M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness classes. We should be able to fit one seminar into November's schedule. It's important that we schedule the seminars far enough in advance to allow people to plan their schedules.

My friend Jinese sent me information about Project Lifesaver. Project Lifesaver provides locating devices for Alzheimer's patients. The program is endorsed by the National Sheriff's Association and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. More information may be found at www.projectlifesaver.org.

Monday, September 13

The Rachel Alert Network officers decided to try and schedule an additional M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness seminar in November. The location and date have yet to be determined. We also want to talk to some Williamson County school officials to see if we can teach a shorter version of the seminars in the middle and high schools.

RAN's concentration will remain on awareness and safety training as well as providing information to the families and friends of missing persons. Our organization is still small, so we can only do a limited amount of things.

Tuesday, September 14

The Mesquite, Texas, 12-year-old girl taken by her step-father last week sent a letter to relatives saying she and her step-father were on vacation. She went on to name amusement parks on the East Coast. It's unknown if the girl was forced to write the letter or if anything in it is true. The good thing is it shows she was still alive at that time.

I will be speaking with a Georgetown business who offered to sell Rachel Alert Network cookbooks on consignment. This is something we have wanted to set up for months.

Wednesday, September 15

I e-mailed some photo images to the LONDON OBSERVER.The newspaper is printing an article on Rachel this next Sunday. As soon as I find out the location on the web where people can read the article, I will post it.

The abducted 12-year-old from Mesquite, Texas, has been found safe in Oklahoma City. Her step-father, who abducted her, shot himself Tuesday night in a motel room. Although the girl has been through a lot in the last week, at least she is safe.

Thursday, September 16

I spoke with Tim Miller from Texas EquuSearch today.He told me about a missing person in the Temple, Texas, area. Tim is going to pass along my phone number to the family.

Some of the people who worked on the Elizabeth Smart search who have also helped on Rachel's case have formed a search and rescue team in Salt Lake City, Utah. U-SEARCH is a non-profit organization, and it will provide a much needed service in Utah. People can read more about U-SEARCH at www.usearchutah.org.

Friday, September 17

I had a lot of things to do at my job today and didn't have time to spend on Rachel's case.

Saturday, September 18

II flew to Phoenix for the law enforcement training course at the National Center for Missing Adults.Unfortunately the airline lost my luggage, so I had to make a quick trip to a Phoenix mall to buy clothes for tomorrow.

Phoenix has something that's very rare, rain. It almost never rains in Phoenix. Today it is getting a lot.

Sunday, September 19

The article on Rachel in the LONDON OBSERVER was published today. To date it's the largest article ever run on Rachel by any printed media. The author shares the name Rachel Cooke, and that put a twist on the story. The article may be viewed on the http://observer.guardian.co.uk.

We began the CEO missing person training course at 8:00 a.m. this morning. My victim impact statement was session two in the program. Every session today was very well done. It's nice to finally see the finished product. The training course will conclude tomorrow.

My luggage was found and delivered to the hotel after 8:00 p.m. tonight. Next time I will take a larger carry-on suitcase with two days worth of clothing.

Monday, September 20

We concluded the training for police chiefs and sheriffs today. Our Phoenix based class at the National Center for Missing Adults received very positive reviews from the participants in the class. The next class will be held in late October.

Tuesday, September 21

Today we held a workshop to finalize a law enforcement training course on missing person cases for first responders and investigators. This is the third meeting for most of us, but a new member, who is from Chicago, joined us. Our new member is one of the best cold case investigators in the United States. The cold case section should complete all of the information we need to form an excellent training class.

We also added a media section to the first responder course. I, along with a law enforcement person, will teach that section. My part will be to give suggestions on what to say and not to say to the media. Law enforcement can pass this information to the families of the missing.

Wednesday, September 22

We completed the missing person training course for first responders today. There are a few action items left to do, but the bulk of the material is finished. Fox Valley Technical College will take the course information and consolidate it into a single, flowing training course.

I flew back to Austin today. Even though I didn't arrive until after midnight, it was nice to be home.

Thursday, September 23

Several people from England who have read the LONDON OBSERVER article about Rachel have sent me e-mails or messages. There was even a message from a person in Hong Kong who read the story.

I've been contacted by a television producer from Houston. He wants to create a television show on missing persons in the United States. The program is still in the planning stage, but I'm hoping it makes it to a network someday.

I feel good about the work we are doing at the National Center for Missing Adults. The two training courses should make a difference in how law enforcement handles missing person cases. My main message is for law enforcement to approach and treat each case individually and to always have good communication with the missing person's family.

Friday, September 24

The Penny Brown e-mail hoax is going around again. The little girl pictured in the e-mail is so cute, it's hard not to forward it to people. There are over 97,000 missing children and adults in the United States. We don't need to waste time on a fake one. More information on Penny Brown and other hoaxes may be found at Rachel's Message Board.

Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26

The next M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness seminar is next Tuesday, October 5. The seminar is free and runs from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at B's Gathering House in Round Rock. More information may be found at www.rachelalert.org/must.

I completed the correction insert for the Rachel Alert Network cookbook. It will be placed in every cookbook from now on. When the cookbooks are reordered, the corrections will be made to the new book. I also posted the correction list on www.rachelalert.org/cookbookcorrections. In a week or so I will e-mail the corrections to previous cookbook purchasers.

Monday, September 27

I spoke with Tim Miller from Texas EquuSearch today.We will see each other at tomorrow night's victim services meeting sponsored by Gabriel's Gifts. It will be good to see Tim and Gabriel's Gifts CEO Beth Alberts again.

Tuesday, September 28

I spoke to a group of victim services people and therapists tonight at a meeting lead by Gabriel's Gifts. They are trying to put together a response team to counsel families of the missing and the victims, if they are found.

I also received a copy of the Houston area contact list. The list contains SAR teams, victim services, law enforcement, and many other organizations that can help with missing person cases. I'd like to have a list this detailed for the entire state of Texas on rachelalert.org After the Texas list is done, I'd like to work on a national list.

Wednesday, September 29

I forwarded an e-mail to missing Sabrina Allen's father Greg yesterday. The e-mail contained an offer of help from a kind person. Greg and I will have lunch tomorrow and catch up on things.

Thursday, September 30

Today I ate lunch with Greg Allen, the father of missing Sabrina Allen. Greg just got back from another trip to Mexico last week. He is making more contacts, which will hopefully bring Sabrina home soon.

Fewer than 25 women have registered for next week's free M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness seminar in Round Rock. If possible, we like to have over 40 participants. There is plenty of room for new people to sign up. More information and directions may be found on www.rachelalert.org/must.