Bridgett Herard 16, [REMAINS DISCOVERED] Young County TX

[sarahhod]

http://www.olneyenterprise.com/news/get-news.asp?id=6235&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

YCSO searching for missing girl
Thursday, January 08, 2009
David Rupkalvis, MediaNews Service


http://i44.tinypic.com/2vj4j2g.jpg
Bridgett Herard
The Young County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in locating a 16-year-old girl who has been missing since before Christmas.
Sheriff Bryan Walls said Bridgett Herard was last seen Dec. 23 at a house on Edwards Road. She was reported missing by her brother Dec. 26, and sheriff’s deputies have had no luck locating her since then.
“We put her in the computer right away, but nothing has come up,” Investigator Tim Bay said.

http://i40.tinypic.com/f4qzc1.jpg
Bridgett Herard
Bay explained the computer database goes to all law enforcement personell in Texas.
What exactly happened to Herard is a mystery, Bay said.
“The fact is we just don’t know,” Bay said. “We’ve been all over town and in the county looking for her.”
Bay said that by talking to Herard’s mother and brother, they came up with a list of friends the girl may have visited. But each possible breakthrough has met with more frustration. And as the days have passed, deputies have become more concerned.
“Everyone is saying it’s very unusual for her not to call,” Bay said. “Her cell phone is going directly to voice mail, and her Myspace page is not being updated.”

Deputy Chris Isbell said like most teenagers Herard lived on her cell phone, returning calls and answering text messages almost immediately.
“I think the cell phone is unusual,” Isbell said. “Everyone says she calls back. They’ve sent her text messages and after so long they expire. One guy said he sent her two text messages that came back expired. So they haven’t even been looked at.”
Isbell said deputies have no idea what may have happened to Herard or where she may have gone, but they hope someone can help them find her.
“We just want to make sure she’s alive and OK,” Herard said.
Walls said his deputies will continue to investigate the case until they have answers, but they need help right now.
“If anyone has any information or the whereabouts of this girl, please contact Tim, Cris or me,” Walls said.
Bay, Isbell and Walls can be reached by calling (940) 549-1555.

[TigressPen]

This doesn't sound good. I pray Bridgett is safe and returns soon. But the complete turn around of her normal character to stay in touch with friends and family makes me seriously worried for her safety.

[sarahhod]

http://www.grahamleader.com/news/get-news.asp?id=14633&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp



Search continues for missing teen

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
By David Rupkalvis

Search continues for missing teen


The search for a missing Graham teenager continued this week with no apparent break in sight.
Sheriff Bryan Walls said despite an intense media campaign over the weekend, the sheriff’s department received no tips that could lead them to 16-year-old Bridgett Herrard.
Despite not getting any useful information, Walls said the sheriff’s office was continuing to work hard to find Herrard.

“We’re working on it,” Walls said. “We interviewed four people this morning. Nobody called all weekend. We got the FBI, Texas Rangers and the DPS Missing Persons Unit involved this morning.”
Herrard went missing Dec. 23 and has not been seen or heard from since.
Herrard is listed as 5-3, weighing 100 pounds with blue eyes and dark brown hair.
Walls said the missing teen was last seen at a home on Edwards Road just outside the Graham city limits. Her family reported her missing three days later, and sheriff’s deputies began an extensive search.
Interviews with Herrard’s family and friends got investigators no closer to finding out where Herrard might be. What deputies did find out, however, made them concerned about Herrard. Investigator Tim Bay said the fact that Herrard has not answered her cell phone or even opened text messages was especially alarming.

“Everyone is saying it’s very unusual for her not to call,” Bay said. “Her cell phone is going directly to voice mail.”
Deputy Chris Isbell said like most teenagers Herrard lived on her cell phone, returning calls and answering text messages almost immediately.
“I think the cell phone is unusual,” Isbell said. “Everyone says she calls back. They’ve sent her text messages and after so long they expire.
“One guy said he sent her two text messages that came back expired. So they haven’t even been looked at.”
Isbell said deputies have no idea what may have happened to Herrard or where she may have gone, but they hope someone can help them find her.
“We just want to make sure she’s alive and OK,” Isbell said.
Deanna Warrick has been friends with Herrard for the last nine years, and she said she is not optimistic Herrard will be found alive.
“I think she went into a residence and never came back out — at least not alive,” Warrick said.
Warrick said problems with drugs have cast a shadow on Herrard for years. While the girl was not always a user, she always had to deal with the drug culture. Warrick met Herrard when the girl was 7 and almost became a mother to the child.
“Her mother would leave her with me for months at a time, and as soon as I was getting attached, she would take her away and put her with someone else,” Warrick said.
Despite the difficulties, a friendship followed with Warrick looking out for the girl whenever she could. That friendship led to a strange call a few months ago.
“When I first got involved with her again in the last few months, she had gotten arrested for drug paraphernalia and called me to see if I had some housework she could do to pay the tickets,” Warrick said.
In the week before Christmas, Warrick came to Herrard’s rescue again, letting the teenager stay at her home two nights.
During that time, Warrick said she saw glimpses of the little girl she met nine years earlier.
“She was optimistic,” she said. “She said she wanted a fresh start. She wanted to be happy and wanted to be a little girl again.”
But something happened before those dreams could come true.
“She stayed with me two evenings,” Warrick said. “Basically, she was in safe places for a week before she was allowed to babysit and disappeared.”
Initially, Warrick said she was not too worried.
“She had run away once, but she always kept in touch with people,” Warrick said.
When repeated calls and text messages went unanswered, Warrick began looking for answers.
“She didn’t always answer my calls, but she always texted me, and she always had her phone charged,” Warrick said.
What Warrick found as she began searching for Herrard has left her terrified.
“I’ve heard so many rumors,” she said. “I think that baby’s dead.”
While Warrick is expecting the worst, she remains hopeful that Herrard will be found safe.
“My prayer is that wherever Bridgett is that she’s in God’s hands, whether that’s here or there,” she said.

[sarahhod]

I hope Bridgett is safe. That article is worrisome.

[sarahhod]

Missing Sixteen Year Old

http://www.kauz.com/news/local/37592234.html


Story Created: Jan 14, 2009 at 3:23 PM CST

Story Updated: Jan 14, 2009 at 7:06 PM CST

Young County Sheriff's still need your help to finding a missing girl from Graham sixteen year old Bridgett Herard has been missing since December and is believed to be in the Wichita Falls area.

Brigett is five-feet-three inches tall, weighs about a hundred pounds, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. If you have any information, call the Young County Sheriff's office at 940 549-1555.

[sarahhod]

http://www.jacksboronewspapers.com/news/get-news.asp?id=11186&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp


YCSO needs help in search for youth
Thursday, January 15, 2009


YCSO needs help in search for youth


The Young County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in locating a 16-year-old girl who has been missing since before Christmas.
Sheriff Bryan Walls said Bridgett Herard was last seen Dec. 23 at a house on Edwards Road. She was reported missing by her brother Dec. 26, and sheriff’s deputies have had no luck locating her since then.
“We put her in the computer right away, but nothing has come up,” Investigator Tim Bay said.

Bay explained the computer database goes to all law enforcement personnel in Texas.
What exactly happened to Herard is a mystery, Bay said.
“The fact is we just don’t know,” Bay said. “We’ve been all over town and in the county looking for her.”
Bay said that by talking to Herard’s mother and brother, they came up with a list of friends the girl may have visited. But each possible breakthrough has met with more frustration. And as the days have passed, deputies have become more concerned.
“Everyone is saying it’s very unusual for her not to call,” Bay said. “Her cell phone is going directly to voice mail, and her Myspace page is not being updated.”

Deputy Chris Isbell said, like most teenagers, Herard lived on her cell phone, returning calls and answering text messages almost immediately.
“I think the cell phone is unusual,” Isbell said. “Everyone says she calls back. They’ve sent her text messages and after so long they expire. One guy said he sent her two text messages that came back expired. So they haven’t even been looked at.”
Isbell said deputies have no idea what may have happened to Herard or where she may have gone, but they hope someone can help them find her.
“We just want to make sure she’s alive and OK,” Herard said.
Walls said his deputies will continue to investigate the case until they have answers, but they need help right now.
“If anyone has any information or the whereabouts of this girl, please contact Tim, Chris or me,” Walls said.
Bay, Isbell and Walls can be reached by calling (940) 549-1555.

[Roamer]

I'm worried about this child, and it does sound like she had tried to do better. She didn't ask for money to pay her tickets, just a job so that she could.

[sarahhod]

I am worried too. She has been missing once before but always keep in contact with people. This time no contact for nearly a month.

“She had run away once, but she always kept in touch with people,” Warrick said.

Even her friend thinks she is deceased.

“I think she went into a residence and never came back out — at least not alive,” Warrick said.

I truly hope she is safe, but somehow my instinct is telling me different. I would be delighted to be wrong!!

[Micky_Spill]

I have not been able to find any information on Bridgett, other than a female body has been found but not yet identified to be Bridgett.. The NCMEC has sent out notification that she is deceased.


http://nvfc.us/content/view/7607/1/

from linked article at link above

Walls said until the body is identified, Herrard is still considered missing. The Graham teenager disappeared Dec. 23 and has not been heard from since then.

[Maelstrom5]

From Twitter/Missing Children

It is with great sadness and deep regret that we notify you that Bridget Herard missing from Graham, TX, has been located deceased.


1/16/09
2:32PM EDT

[Roamer]

Thursday, 15 January 2009 Dear Poster Partner:
It is with great sadness and deep regret that we notify you that Bridget Herard missing from Graham, TX, has been located deceased.
The above notice comes from the NCMEC, when we get more information we will update.

September 17, 1992 ~ January 17, 2009
http://nvfc.us/content/view/7607/5/images/stories/bridget-herard.jpg

Female Body Found (http://www.grahamleader.com/news/get-news.asp?id=14653&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp)
Friday, January 16, 2009
David Rubkalvis


Young County sheriff’s deputies recovered the body of a white female Friday morning, three weeks after a Graham teenager went missing.
Sheriff Bryan Walls said deputies located the body after a search and rescue dog that came to Young County to help search for Bridgett Herard hit on a pile of debris behind a house on Edwards Road, the same area where Herard was last seen Dec. 23.
"We do have the body of a young, white female," Walls said. "It was found by the cadaver dogs."



Walls said Search One Rescue from Dallas volunteered to come to Young County after seeing news reports about Herard. The all-volunteer group donates its time to find missing people and has a strong history of success. Included in the group were several dogs trained to find dead bodies.
"They started around 10:30 this morning, and they got a little hit in the general area," Walls said. "The deputies searched and found a body under a bunch of debris. There was a pool liner buried under a bunch of debris, and that’s where we found her."
After the dog hit in the area, Walls said one of his deputies pulled at the pool liner and noticed it seemed unusually heavy. A closer examination revealed a body wrapped inside.
Walls said a person of interest in the case has been located, but he declined to release the name. That person is currently in the Young County Jail on a different charge.
"A person of interest was staying at this house," Walls said.


Walls said there was no immediate sign of trauma to the body but declined to comment further.
"We’re going to finish this crime scene, call the funeral home and head to Tarrant County for autopsy," Walls said.
An autopsy was scheduled Saturday morning.
The Young County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death with assistance from the Texas Rangers.
Walls said until the body is identified, Herrard is still considered missing. The Graham teenager disappeared Dec. 23 and has not been heard from since then.

[Micky_Spill]

Trying to create somewhat of a timeline here for Bridgett. The NCMEC poster states the date went missing as Dec. 23,2008. She was reported missing on Dec. 26,2008 but was last seen on the 23rd so that makes sense with her poster.

I see this thread started was started on the 9th of January 2009 but it appears the NCMEC had not sent out a poster at that time. It looks like the first time a poster was sent out for Bridgett was on January 15, 2009.

To support this, Websleuths lists her poster as missing on that date.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3180519

Topix also lists the January 15 date.
http://www.topix.com/forum/us/T97DLN1D3SN7AOT1T

as does the NVFC.
http://nvfc.us/content/view/7607/1/

as well as Google's cache of the NCMEC poster.
link (http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ehAM7ZP9gFQJ:www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet%3Fact%3DviewPoster%26caseNum% 3D1113804%26orgPrefix%3DNCMC%26searchLang%3Den_US+ Bridget+Herard&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a)

So it appears the NCMEC first sent notice of this child on January 15,2009 which was Thursday and then on the very next day, Friday, January 16, 2009, they send out the deceased notice.


When the autopsy results come back, they will probably indicate before January 1. 2009.

I am also surprised at little news coverage other than by the news source sarahhod supplied. When a child goes missing it is important to get as much information out there as quickly as possible, looks like Bridgett was failed in this regard.

Link to video on body discovery (http://www.kauz.com/news/37748954.html).

[sarahhod]

http://texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=30461

Young County Officials Discover Body
Reported by: Ann Arnold
Saturday, Jan 17, 2009 @10:10pm CST

The search for a Young County teenager may have come to a tragic end. Authorities found the body of a female Friday afternoon. Investigators are still waiting for that body to be identified.

Meanwhile residents of Graham say the gruesome discovery has everyone in disbelief. Khrystal Padron's parents live next door to the house where the body was found.

Padron says, “It’s shocking. Just really shocking, you know?”

She says the last few days have been pretty unnerving.

“We've lived here forever. I came home from work yesterday, and they told me that girl that was missing they found here right here.”

Officials have not confirmed if the body is that of 16-year-old Bridget Herard. The girl has been missing since December 23. Investigators say they have informed the teen’s family of their findings.

Young County Sheriff Bryan Walls says, “Hopefully we can bring some closure to the family. I don't know if they'll ever really get closure. As far as the investigation goes, we'll continue what we've got going and see what happens."

Cadaver dogs made the grisly discovery around 10:30 Friday morning. The body was found wrapped in a pool lining, buried underneath debris. Officials say they have a person of interest in custody on an unrelated charge. They've also interviewed several people and conducted polygraph tests. They say the investigation is far from over.

Walls says, “We've been with this investigation since day one, and we'll continue with it until we find something out.”

Meanwhile, Khrystal Padron says living next door to a crime scene has her shaken up.

“Right now, I'm pretty scared. In the daytime I feel okay, but I came home last night and I was pretty scared.

Officials hope today's autopsy will answer some of their questions. We'll continue to follow this story and bring more information as it becomes available.

[Grande]

Deputies recover body
Monday, January 19, 2009
By David Rupkalvis

Young County sheriff’s deputies recovered the body of a white female Friday morning, three weeks after a Graham teenager went missing.

Sheriff Bryan Walls said deputies located the body after a search and rescue dog that came to Young County to help search for Bridgett Herard hit on a pile of debris behind a house on Edwards Road, the same area where Herard was last seen Dec. 23.

"We do have the body of a young, white female," Walls said. "It was found by the cadaver dogs."

Walls said Search One Rescue from Dallas volunteered to come to Young County after seeing news reports about Herard. The all-volunteer group donates its time to find missing people and has a strong history of success. Included in the group were several dogs trained to find dead bodies.
"They started around 10:30 this morning, and they got a little hit in the general area," Walls said. "The deputies searched and found a body under a bunch of debris. There was a pool liner buried under a bunch of debris, and that’s where we found her."

After the dog hit in the area, Walls said one of his deputies pulled at the pool liner and noticed it seemed unusually heavy. A closer examination revealed a body wrapped inside.

Walls said a person of interest in the case has been located, but he declined to release the name. That person is currently in the Young County Jail on a different charge.

"A person of interest was staying at this house," Walls said.

Walls said there was no immediate sign of trauma to the body but declined to comment further.

"We’re going to finish this crime scene, call the funeral home and head to Tarrant County for autopsy," Walls said.

An autopsy was scheduled Saturday morning.
The Young County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death with assistance from the Texas Rangers.

Walls said until the body is identified, Herrard is still considered missing. The Graham teenager disappeared Dec. 23 and has not been heard from since then.

http://www.grahamleader.com/news/get-news.asp?id=14682&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

[sarahhod]

Investigation of Possible Homicide

http://www.kauz.com/news/local/37849769.html


Investigation of Possible Homicide
News1 KAUZ

Story Created: Jan 19, 2009 at 7:44 PM CST

Story Updated: Jan 19, 2009 at 9:09 PM CST


The Young County Sheriff's Office is investigating a possible homicide. Friday morning deputies, with help from Search One Rescue in Lewisville found a female body in Graham.
It was behind a storage shed off edwards road under a pile of trash and debris. A person of interest is in custody but on unrelated charges.
Officials do not have enough evidence to confirm if the body is sixteen year old Bridgett Herrard. She has been missing since December twenty third.
An autopsy and DNA testing is being done to determine the cause of death and identity.

[sarahhod]

Young County Authorities Waiting for Autopsy Results

Sunday, Jan 18, 2009 @10:12pm CST

http://texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=30541


Young County officials are still waiting to positively identify the body of a woman found in Graham Friday.


Residents and sheriff's officials fear the body may belong to Bridget Herard. The 16-year-old has been missing since December 23rd. Officials have not been able to trace any activity from her cell phone, which they say she used frequently.


The body found on Friday was wrapped in a pool liner and buried beneath trash and debris. It was found behind a shed in the area where the girl was last seen.


Yesterday's autopsy of the body did not give any conclusive results. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s offices will be closed tomorrow. Young County officials say they hope to have more information later this week.

[sarahhod]

Body found outside Graham
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

http://www.breckenridgeamerican.com/news/get-news.asp?id=8634&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp


By DAVID RUPKALVIS
MediaNews Service







Young County sheriff’s deputies recovered the body of a white female Friday morning, three weeks after a Graham teenager went missing.
Sheriff Bryan Walls said deputies located the body after a search and rescue dog that came to Young County to help search for Bridgett Herard detected a scent in a pile of debris behind a house on Edwards Road, the same area where Herard was last reported seen Dec. 23.
“We do have the body of a young, white female,” Walls said. “It was found by the cadaver dogs.”
Walls said Search One Rescue from Lewisville volunteered to come to Young County after seeing news reports about Herard. The all-volunteer group donates its time to find missing people and has a strong history of success. Included in the group were several dogs trained to find dead bodies.
“They started around 10:30 this morning, and they got a little hit in the general area,” Walls said. “The deputies searched and found a body under a bunch of debris. There was a pool liner buried under a bunch of debris, and that’s where we found her.”
After the dog hit in the area, Walls said one of his deputies pulled at the pool liner and noticed it seemed unusually heavy. A closer examination revealed a body wrapped inside.
Walls said a person of interest in the case has been located, but he declined to release the name. That person is currently in the Young County Jail on a different charge.
“A person of interest was staying at this house,” Walls said.
Walls said there was no immediate sign of trauma to the body but declined to comment further.
“We’re going to finish this crime scene, call the funeral home and head to Tarrant County for autopsy,” Walls said.
The body was pronounced dead at the scene by Young County Justice of the Peace Jim Ross. An autopsy was scheduled Saturday morning, Jan. 17.
The Young County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death with assistance from the Texas Rangers.
Walls said until the body is identified, Herard is still considered missing. The Graham teenager went missing on Dec. 23.
The Young County Sheriff’s Office and 90th District Attorney Brenda Gray scheduled a news conference in Graham Tuesday to announce preliminary autopsy results.

[Micky_Spill]

Something is not adding up, the NCMEC sent out notice that she has been found deceased and this they did back on January 16, 2009. Someone must know that this body is indeed that of Bridgett, or there is a second body, which is slim to none.

I don't believe the NCMEC sent out a deceased notice for a child on a whim pending the body being id'ed.

[annalyzer]

Something is not adding up, the NCMEC sent out notice that she has been found deceased and this they did back on January 16, 2009. Someone must know that this body is indeed that of Bridgett, or there is a second body, which is slim to none.

I don't believe the NCMEC sent out a deceased notice for a child on a whim pending the body being id'ed.


What notice are you speaking of Micky? The last several posts say that the body has not been identified.

[Micky_Spill]

What notice are you speaking of Micky? The last several posts say that the body has not been identified.
Anyone who happens to be a poster partner will receive notices from the NCMEC, yes they often have mistakes and that is when the NCMEC sends out an update for wrong information.

However, when a child dies/found dead/murdered/suicide etc. They always send out a default notice saying the following and the only thing that changes is the name and town.

Thursday, 15 January 2009
Dear Poster Partner:
It is with great sadness and deep regret that we notify you that Bridget Herard missing from Graham, TX, has been located deceased.



I have never seen the NCMEC make a mistake when it comes to a deceased child's notice.

Either they are making a logical guess or it has been determined, they work closely with LE so maybe they have it official. They sent the notice out one day before autopsy was to be done. Possibly a family member identified the remains.

[sarahhod]

Definitely a homicide’
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
David Rupkalvis

http://www.grahamleader.com/news/get-news.asp?id=14707&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

‘Definitely a homicide’


The young female whose body was recovered Friday was a victim of a homicide, Sheriff Bryan Walls said Tuesday.
“We’re definitely working a homicide,” Walls said. “After hearing back from the ME’s office, we’re definitely working a homicide.”
Walls said the body was transported to Tarrant County for an autopsy Saturday, but the final findings would not be available for several days or weeks.
Walls said it is still too early to say whether the body was that of Bridgett Herard, a 16-year-old Graham girl who disappeared Dec. 23. While the body was located behind the home Herard was last seen at, Walls said positive identification would not be available until DNA results were compared.
“We’re waiting for DNA, and that could take two or three weeks,” Walls said.

Herard was last seen at a home on Edwards Road. She was reported missing Dec. 26, and sheriff’s deputies spent three weeks looking for the girl. Last week, they walked more than 500 acres while searching.
A possible break in the search came Friday morning when Search One Rescue, a group of volunteers trained in searching for missing people, came to Graham to assist in the effort. Minutes into the search, a cadaver dog made a light hit on a pile of debris behind a shed at a home on Edwards Road.
When sheriff’s deputies looked closer at the pile, they found a body wrapped inside a blue pool liner underneath the debris.
Investigator Tim Bay said deputies remained on the scene through the night Friday and part of Saturday collecting evidence. In addition to searching where the body was found, deputies received permission to search in the home. The body was transported by Morrison Funeral Home to Tarrant County.
Paul Lake, the founder of Search One Rescue, said his organization came to Young County after receiving a call asking for assistance.
“We were requested by the Texas Rangers,” Lake said. “We were called Thursday night.”
Lake said the volunteers with Search One Rescue gathered in Young County at 9 a.m.
“We had several targets we intended to clear,” Lake said. “We were systematically intending to do that, but we got a hit on the first one.”
Once the search began, the results were almost immediate.
“The dogs are trained to give the handler a sign when it is in scent,” Lake said. “In reality, the dog had a strong indication that there was a strong scent. So I worked him back around, and had another strong indication.”
Lake said when his dog alerted two times behind a storage shed at the home on Edwards Road, he suggested a closer search be done. During that search, the body was found.
After driving more than two hours and discussing the case with sheriff’s deputies for an hour, it took just minutes for Lake and his dog, Shadow, to locate the body.
“It was six minutes from the time my dog left the truck until we called in the find to base command,” he said.
Lake said he started Search One Rescue after he moved to Dallas and was unable to find a search and rescue team to volunteer with. After researching the possibility of forming a team for three years, Lake and a handful of volunteers formed Search One Rescue. Since that time, they have donated their time to locate missing people. When a find is made, all the work is rewarded, Lake said.
“It’s an awesome experience because we spend so much time training for the event,” Lake said. “It’s greatly satisfying. I’ve often said if we found only one victim in 25 years, it would have been worth it.”
When Lake started Search One Rescue, the volunteers assisted in a lot of ground searches, walking mile after mile looking for missing people. The kind of search changed greatly when trained dogs joined in the effort. Having a cadaver dog made all the difference Friday.
“That’s a classic example of where a dog really makes a difference,” Lake said. “We could have missed it, too, if the dog didn’t have a strong indication. There was no evidence that the area had been disturbed in a long time.”

[sarahhod]

Young County Homicide Investigation
Reported by: Ann Arnold

Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 @10:52pm CST

http://texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=30851

It's still not clear if a body found last week in Graham is that of a missing 16-year-old girl. Investigators say they are treating the case as a homicide. Authorities are waiting for the autopsy results to come back with conclusive results, rather than speculating on the identity.


The home on Edwards just outside of Graham is the last place anyone saw 16-year-old Bridget Herard -- before she disappeared just before Christmas.

Three weeks after her disappearance, authorities found the body of white female in the backyard of the house. Despite rumors and gossip around town, Sheriff Bryan Walls isn't prepared to link the two cases.


Walls says, "Pending the autopsy, we're still considering this a missing persons case. The investigation will continue. We're getting new information every day."


Young County Officials attempted to use Herard's dental records to find out if the female body they found was that of the missing teen. However, the records were taken when Herard was young and identification was inconclusive. A family member has provided a mouth swab so tarrant county medical examiners can perform DNA tests. No matter what the result, Sheriff Walls says this is a heartbreaking case.


“When we found her, the female body, many of the deputies got upset. They have children. This hits close to home. It made them want to find out who did it, so we can get the person who did this to her,” He says.



The F.B.I. and the Texas Rangers are both involved in the investigation. Authorities say they will continue trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Investigators are still collecting evidence and conducting interviews, Sheriff Walls says drugs have not been ruled out in either investigation.

[sarahhod]

Mom planning for a funeral

http://www.grahamleader.com/news/get-news.asp?id=14763&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

Tuesday, January 27, 2009
By Cherry Young

For the last month, Mary Herard has lived a mother’s nightmare.

While most people were celebrating Christmas and a new year, she was desperately looking for her daughter.

As the first month of 2009 draws to an end, Herard is planning a funeral for her 16-year-old daughter, Bridgett.

While Herard has not officially learned whether the body found outside Graham on Jan. 16 is her missing daughter, she said she is virtually certain it is.

Herard said she knew something was wrong the minute the door closed at a residence on Edwards Road where Bridgett went to babysit Dec. 23.

“I was on the phone with her when she was dropped off,” she said.

Bridgett was taken to the house by a girlfriend from Jacksboro she had stayed with the night before and went shopping with earlier that day.

Herard said her daughter was called while shopping by the boyfriend of a long-time family friend who asked Bridgett to babysit his girlfriend’s daughters. Although Herard did not know the man, she thought Bridgett would be safe because of the 12-year relationship she had with his girlfriend.

It was not uncommon for Bridgett to babysit, because she loved children, her mom said.

“She loved being where there were kids,” said Herard. “She would be like little mother hen. She loved that.”

Herard said she became worried when immediately after being dropped off, Bridgett’s phone went to voice mail, which until then, never happened.

After her daughter did not come home Dec. 23 or Dec. 24, Herard said she went to the house on Christmas Day but was unable to make contact with anyone there until the following Monday.

When she finally reached the family friend, Herard asked about Bridgett. She was shocked when the woman told Herard that neither she nor her children had been there Dec. 23.

She was in jail that day, and her children were out of town staying with relatives.

According to Herard, the man at the house said he visited with Bridgett for about 10 minutes and the two got into an argument after the man said mean things about an ex-boyfriend of hers. At that point, the man said Bridgett walked out the door. The name of the man is not being released because the sheriff’s office has not officially named a suspect or made an arrest in the case.

Herard said she thought he was lying.

“There was something pre-planned already. I never really believed him,” she said. “I don’t know what happened in the house.”

Herard said she looked everywhere for her daughter since she learned she was missing.

“For three weeks, 24/7, I was in my car on the phone,” she said.

While Herrard is uncertain about what happened Dec. 23, she said she is virtually certain the body found behind the home is that of her daughter.

She is already planning memorial services because she has little hope that it is not her daughter. She said she fears the kind of pain Bridgett could be in if that is not her.

“I’ve had nightmares that it wasn’t her,” said Herard. “If it’s not her, where do I start looking for her this time?”
Herard admitted to having problems in her life but claimed she had been drug-free for three and half years.

“People who are saying that need to look at themselves,” she said. “This isn’t about me. It’s about a little girl.
“Her life was taken. She was wrapped up and thrown away like trash.”

Despite having a close relationship with her daughter, Herard said Bridgett had recently been having troubles of her own with drugs.

“She was trying hard to fit in somewhere, trying that stuff,” she said. “But she was turning it around.”
Herard said she plans to have a graveside service for her daughter and hopes to make the service a celebration of Bridgett’s life.

“I think she’s had enough sorrow,” she said. “I think a funeral would create more sadness.”

[Amusedtdth]

I can't imagine the pain and its hard to even think about it. What could a young woman her age do to warrant a death sentance at the hands of so called friends?

[packy]

Although it's not confirmed yet it does appear to be her. And if it is true as one article above states that the kids were not even at that house the day she was asked to babysit then it does seem to point to something was planned.

Is this the first they used the dogs in this case I wonder.

My condolences to Bridgett's family and friends.

[nanabillie]

:1222423:My heart literally aches for this Mother and child. Teens think they are invincible. Just so very sad.

[Grande]

Authorities fear the worst
Sunday, February 01, 2009
By David Rupkalvis MediaNews Service

The search for a missing Graham teen may have come to an unfortunate end.

Earlier this month, Young County Sheriff’s office sent out a plea for help in finding 16-year-old Bridgett Herard. On Friday, authorities recovered the body of a young female whom they believe to be the victim of a homicide.

“We’re definitely working a homicide,” Young County Sheriff Bryan Walls said. “After hearing back from the ME’s office, we’re definitely working a homicide.”

Walls said the body was transported to Tarrant County for an autopsy Saturday, but the final findings would not be available for several days or weeks.

Walls said it is still too early to say whether the body was that of Herard, who disappeared Dec. 23. While the body was located behind the home Herard was last seen at, Walls said positive identification will not be available until DNA results are compared.

“We’re waiting for DNA, and that could take two or three weeks,” Walls said.
Herard was last seen at a home on Edwards Road. She was reported missing Dec. 26, and sheriff’s deputies spent three weeks looking for the girl. Last week, they walked more than 500 acres while searching.

A possible break in the search came Friday morning when Search One Rescue, a group of volunteers trained in searching for missing people, came to Graham to assist in the effort. Minutes into the search, a cadaver dog made a light hit on a pile of debris behind a shed at a home on Edwards Road.

When sheriff’s deputies looked closer at the pile, they found a body wrapped inside a blue pool liner underneath the debris.

Investigator Tim Bay said deputies remained on the scene through the night Friday and part of Saturday collecting evidence. In addition to searching where the body was found, deputies received permission to search in the home. The body was transported by Morrison Funeral Home to Tarrant County.

Paul Lake, the founder of Search One Rescue, said his organization came to Young County after receiving a call asking for assistance.

“We were requested by the Texas Rangers,” Lake said. “We were called Thursday night (Jan. 15).”

Lake said volunteers with Search One Rescue gathered in Young County at 9 a.m. the next day.

“We had several targets we intended to clear,” Lake said. “We were systematically intending to do that, but we got a hit on the first one.”
Once the search began, the results were almost immediate.

“The dogs are trained to give the handler a sign when it is in scent,” Lake said. “In reality, the dog had a strong indication that there was a strong scent. So I worked him back around, and had another strong indication.”
Lake said when his dog alerted two times behind a storage shed at the home on Edwards Road, he suggested a closer search be done. During that search, the body was found.

After driving more than two hours and discussing the case with sheriff’s deputies for an hour, it took just minutes for Lake and his dog, Shadow, to locate the body.

“It was six minutes from the time my dog left the truck until we called in the find to base command,” he said.

Lake said he started Search One Rescue after he moved to Dallas and was unable to find a search and rescue team to volunteer with. After researching the possibility of forming a team for three years, Lake and a handful of volunteers formed Search One Rescue. Since that time, they have donated their time to locate missing people. When a find is made, all the work is rewarded, Lake said.

“It’s an awesome experience because we spend so much time training for the event,” Lake said. “It’s greatly satisfying. I’ve often said if we found only one victim in 25 years, it would have been worth it.”

When Lake started Search One Rescue, the volunteers assisted in a lot of ground searches, walking mile after mile looking for missing people. The kind of search changed greatly when trained dogs joined in the effort. Having a cadaver dog made all the difference Friday.

“That’s a classic example of where a dog really makes a difference,” Lake said. “We could have missed it, too, if the dog didn’t have a strong indication. There was no evidence that the area had been disturbed in a long time.”

http://www.jacksboronewspapers.com/news/get-news.asp?id=11253&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

[Grande]

DNA confirms teen's identity
Friday, February 06, 2009
By David Rupkalvis

http://i42.tinypic.com/2jayltz.jpg
JEREMIAH JUSTIN CRAFT

Bridgett Herard is no longer missing.

Sheriff Bryan Walls confirmed Thursday that a body found Jan. 16 was the missing Graham teen who disappeared Dec. 23.

"DNA has positively identified the body of Bridgett Herard," Walls said.

With the identity known, Walls said a Graham man was arrested for the 16-year-old’s murder. Jeremiah Justin Craft was arrested late Thursday and charged with the sexual assault of a child and murder of Herard. Craft is being held on a $1 million bond on each count. Walls said Craft was already in the Young County Jail on an unrelated charge when the new charges were announced.

While Walls confirmed Herard was the victim of a homicide, the final autopsy results have not been released, he said.

The positive identification ends a search that went on for seven weeks after Herard disappeared. She was last seen at a home on Edwards Road after being asked to babysit at the home.

Sheriff’s deputies spent weeks looking for the girl, interviewing dozens of people and walking more than 500 acres in hopes of finding her.

On Jan. 16, the search ended when Search One Rescue came to Graham to assist in the quest. Within minutes of beginning to look for Herard, a cadaver dog stopped behind a shed at the home on Edwards Road where Herard was last seen.

When sheriff’s deputies began to look through a trash pile behind the shed, they found a body wrapped in a blue plastic pool liner. At the time, Walls said he was unable to confirm the body was that of Herard.

After working through the night to collect evidence at the scene, sheriff’s deputies took the body to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. A preliminary autopsy confirmed the girl was a victim of a homicide.

To confirm identity, officials were forced to use DNA, comparing a sample from Herard’s mom with the body. Walls said it typically takes three or four weeks to get DNA results back, and deputies waited almost three weeks for the official results.

http://www.grahamleader.com/news/get-news.asp?id=14866&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

[Grande]

http://i40.tinypic.com/28slgfk.jpg http://i44.tinypic.com/2ytpstk.jpg

www.myspace.com/hh269

[packy]

So sad. My condolences to her family and friends.

[Grande]

Bridgett Lin Herard
Thursday, February 12, 2009

http://i41.tinypic.com/vngl7r.jpg
BRIDGETT LIN HERARD

Graveside services for Bridgett Lin Herard, 16, of Graham, were held Saturday, Feb. 7, at Newcastle Cemetery with the Rev. Wayne Harden of Graham officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Morrison Funeral Home.

Ms. Herard was born on Sept. 17, 1992, in Lafayette, La. She died Friday, Jan. 16, 2009, in Graham.

Survivors include her mother, Mary Herard of Graham; brothers Kris Brice of Newcastle and David Wayne Herard of Sulphur, La.; her maternal grandmother, Lillian Weatherford of Olney; a niece and nephews.

http://www.olneyenterprise.com/news/obits.asp?id=6279&catid=4&cpg=obits.asp

[Grande]

DNA IDs teen’s body
Thursday, February 12, 2009
David Rupkalvis

Bridgett Herard is no longer missing.

Sheriff Bryan Walls confirmed Thursday that a body found Jan. 16 was the missing Graham teen who disappeared Dec. 23.

“DNA has positively identified the body of Bridgett Herard,” Walls said.

With the identity known, Walls said a Graham man was arrested for the 16-year-olds murder. Jeremiah Justin Craft was arrested late Thursday and charged with the sexual assault of a child and murder of Herard. Craft is being held on a $1 million bond on each count. Walls said Craft was already in the Young County Jail on an unrelated charge when the new charges were announced.

http://www.lakecountrysun.com/news/get-news.asp?id=7351&catid=1&cpg=get-news.asp

[Nut44x4]

Grand jury indicts Craft for tampering with a corpse
3/12/10
A Young County grand jury indicted Jeremiah Justin Craft for tampering with a corpse last week, ensuring the Graham man will remain in jail until he can post bond or until trial.

Craft was charged with tampering with physical evidence — a corpse — just days after he was released from jail on murder and sexual assault charges. All the charges stem from the alleged murder of 16-year-old Bridgett Herard.

Herard disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2008 after she went to babysit at a home Craft lived in.

Two days later, she was reported missing, and the Young County Sheriff’s Office began an extensive search for the teen. Several weeks later, Herard’s body was found behind the home Craft lived in.

In May 2009, Craft was indicted for the murder and sexual assault of Herard. His defense team appealed Craft’s $1 million bond, filing a writ of habeus corpus asking that the bond be reduced or eliminated. The appeal was based on a provision in the Texas Constitution that requires the prosecution to be ready for trial within 90 days of an arrest.

District Judge Stephen Crawford and the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth initially denied the appeal, but last November the appeals court reversed itself. In its decision, the court said that while District Attorney Brenda Gray may have been ready to go to trial within 90 days, since Craft had not been indicted, his bond had to be reduced. That decision was upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and Craft was released on a personal recognizance bond last month.
Just days later, a joint effort between the Department of Public Safety and the district attorney’s investigator led to the charge of tampering with a corpse, and Craft was returned to jail with a $75,000 bond.

Last week, the grand jury affirmed the new charge.

http://www.grahamleader.com/index.asp?Story=18448