It was a very sad story that broke out and got National attention when little 7 year old Somer Renee Thompson ran off from her siblings as they were walking home from school apparently after an arguments with them. Her brother and sister just assumed Somer ran ahead of them to go home. That unfortunately was the last time anyone had seen Somer alive.
On October 19,2009, two days after a wide search for her, the body of little Somer was found in a landfill across the state line in Georgia. Once the body was positively identified as that of Somer Thonpson, Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler made the statement, “Now we are looking for a suspect. Somebody did it, now we’ve got to find out who.”
Jarred Harrell was arrested in Meridian, Mississippi last month. He was charged with child pornography and he was extradited to Clay County. Friday at 6 a.m. he was charged with premeditated murder and sexual battery. Harrell was already facing 55 charges involving molestation and child pornography that wasn’t even related to the Somer Thompson case.
Sheriff Rick Beseler said there was a lot of evidence processed but it was actually an admission to the facts on Thompson’s case that brought the charges against him of murder.
Beseler was being very careful about giving out many details of the investigation, but he did say that the little 7 year old child had been assaulted and she died of asphyxiation. He said that DNA from Harrell and some other evidence they have that obviously place Harrell where Somer was killed also allowed them to file the murder charge.
“Based on our evidence from this investigation, we feel confident that Harrell committed this crime,” said Beseler.
Harrell only lived a few doors down from where Somer was last seen alive. She walked by his house everyday after school on her way home. Beseler doesn’t think she was inside Harrell’s home for very long because their investigators searched all the homes in the area promptly after she was reported missing and there were no signs of her.
State Attorney Angela Corey received applause from a group of bikers that were close to the family, when she announced at the news conference that this is the type of crime that prosecutors will likely seek the death penalty for.
Rod Buchanan, the man that turned the computer into authorities that contained the pornography images said he doesn’t want to see Harrell get death. “Give him life without parole; put him in general population; let the guys in jail take care of him the way they do,” said Buchanan. “He will no longer be the monster, he will actually be the victim and I think that is a much better sentence for him.”
Harrell is presently being held in isolation and without bail in the Clay County Jail.
I like Buchanan’s thoughts on the sentencing but I just have one problem with it. A lot of time when someone is sentenced to life in prison without parole they sometimes find a way to get released. What is the purpose of adding in the sentence “without benefit of parole” if they do something like release some on good behavior just because the jails are too crowded. My children’s great grandfather’s murderer was released and originally sentenced to death but before they could actually put him in the chair the state of Louisiana threw out the death penalty which automatically converted his sentence to life in prison without parole.
There was a parole hearing and I attended it to try to get them not release this man. His attorney claimed the man just wanted out so he could spend some time with his grand-kids and his daughter. This came from a man that in the 50’s had ambushed the sheriff and his deputy in a small town in Louisiana and killed them and to top that off he got in the sheriff’s car and when he drove off he ran over the body of the sheriff. This man sat on the front porch of my children’s great-grandfather’s and drank coffee as his friend yet he gunned him down without them having a chance to defend theirselves.
I stood in front of the parole board and begged them not to release the man. He wanted to spend time with his grand kids but what about my kids? They were deprived of time with their great-grandfather too but it was this man’s fault. I lost my battle when they released him and within a week the man appeared on TV, I believe it was on The Today Show, Katie Couric interviewed him asking him how it felt being an American Hero! She said he was one because he beat the system. Needless to say it wasn’t long before I was on the phone calling wanting to talk to her but they refused to connect me to her. I wanted to give her a piece of my mind.
OK I know I went on a rant but this is what happens when I hear someone say give someone life in prison without parole and they will never be free on the streets again. Well that is not always the case. If they get the death penalty and it is actually done then we know for sure they can never be free to do this again. To me this is the only way we can make sure and this is why I feel like I do about the death penalty. It is harsh I know, but I have to ask… does a child molester deserve to be free? Does a child molester that kills the child after they molest him or her deserve freedom ever again? NO they don’t. (I will leave it just at that)
Maybe little Somer Renee Thompson with get some justice. Let’s hope so. She didn’t ask for this and she certainly didn’t deserve it. So maybe now she can rest in peace. God bless you Somer. I know you are happy now where you are but I also know you are sadly missed here on earth. Hopefully Haleigh Cummings and Caylee Anthony and all the others lost or murdered will get the justice that they deserve too, let’s hope so anyway. God bless them all.
Jan Barrett
(8 votes, average: 3.38 out of 5)
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10 users commented in " Somer Renee Thompson Update: Man Charged With Murder After his Own Admission "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbacklife doesn’t mean life anymore kill him
Oh, Jan, I am so sorry to hear that happened in your own family! One horrible injustice after another! A true travesty of justice!
Well, God’s got a place for a man like that - for eternity. And he won’t be able to wriggle his way out of that sentence, for sure.
God bless you, Jan, and thank you for all you do for these children (and for us bloggers).
Jan, thank you for the update on Somer’s case. I’m glad the creep admitted to what he did. It should make prosecuting him much easier then the Orlando case.
Somer did not deserve this,an to wind up in a land fill.He was a sorry sick man to do this.She has left behind a family who will carry grief for life.Because one never really gets over a tragic death,or murder,of someone they love.There will always be that empty spot that you long for them in your heart.The investigators worked well in this case.If it had not been for the delay.Due to the porn investigation,or it that had been turned alose sooner.this may have been solved sooner.But still it was in good time,an he now is awaiting his fate,for what he did.
This child did not deserve this.When i was a young girl.We could walk to the store,to the walk in show.An walk home at night in a group.It was fun to play out side on cool spring evenings.Chilren wernt taken,an done like this as often as now.it gets worse,every day. An the cases keep getting more brutal.
This should be a DP case.This child deserves Justice on this earth.He has been known to have child porn,an now has murdered a young child.Who knows how many he has molested,along the way,untill he murdered this innocent child..
Im so sorry to hear about your Grandfather.An the injustice done in this mans early release. An to think a media show had him on,as a Guest,to share his story,about getting out early. Its a crying shame.I also know the hurt from injustice,in my family due to the system,an the way things get handled.It just seems like the ones who really,an truly deserve to be there,either a Judge is setting them lose on a small bond,or they system is belching them out. An those who sometimes dont deserve as much time get the max.Between some of the laws,an the way they are worded,an the Judges over a cases. But true Justice will come for your Grandfather one day.,an Judgement will come for the man who did wrong to hurt him,an the family.!!
Sometimes the perp ends up dead.
In 1974, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a recidivist, pedophile predator with a history of sex crimes and prison time. Although he was arrested and indicted for what he did to me, he never went to trial. He never went to trial because he was brutally beaten to death in the streets of Providence, Rhode Island in 1975. 35 years later, no one has ever been charged with his murder.
The novel, Men in My Town is my story. A story inspired by actual events.
Men in My Town by Keith Smith.
http://www.MenInMyTown.wordpress.com.
May Somer’s family and those they love, find peace.
My heart went out to Diena Thompsaon as I watched her thanking everyone that has been her support group. Diena will now be faced with with even more grief and will now have to hear every aspect of what happened to her beautiful little Somer, that this monster stole from her and her family. I pray that God gives her the strength she will need !! I know she will face this monster and unleash her rage and it will be well deserved.
Although none of this will bring her baby back Diena can find comfort in knowing this monster will never hurt another person and will hopefully get the death penalty. JUSTICE for Somer will be given. Thank God!! and all of my prayers to Somers family.
Team Somer, thank you for all the hard work you put forth to bring Somer Thompson JUSTICE. God Bless You All!!!
oops! Thompson
I am also against prison time for these low lifes. I want all of them to check out the way their victims did. If a pedophile rapes, sodomizes, and strangles to death a child then the same should be done in return. Never mind life in jail. They’ve got a warm place, no bills, flat screen tv’s, they can rent movies, work out, have play time, get schooled, have guitar lessons. I want them to suffer in the worst way.
My heart breaks each time I read/hear of a child being harmed, this one was so dear to my heart because little Somers photo looks just like I looked as a child and I prayed and prayed for this family and that baby girl and I hope God took away her pain as this monster took her life…I have to believe that just to find some peace, God Bless Somer Thompsons’ family and those who knew her and just people like me who care about children! When I was a kid monsters lived in under my bed, not in my neighborhood!
I dont think these people can b fixed.They shud b killed.The hardest choice lil sommer shud have been thinking about that day was what toy to play with next.This sick f**k treated her like a piece of garbage and threw her away like trash.I’m tired of crying when I read stories like this.Our lawmakers are putting cameras on redlights bcus the 5 in green cove created $281,000.00 in revenue last year.Orange park already has the cameras n place and Jax is introducing it to the city council tis week.Chris Hansen is still catching these freaks and 1 got 1 day n jail and 3 years probation.KIll these sonabitches.They cant b fixed.We elected u to take care of these types of criminals.Not keeptaking our money so Y’all the elected officials to wear thousand dollar suits live in gated communities and work in elaborate buildings.Granite and marble with all gold trim.Who represents me even in local government.Nobody!That is my problem and yours.Who represents lil sommer?
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