How does this happen: Erica Parsons

[Stephanie66]

Didn't they have like 8 other kids?

I agree the horrendous part of this was that there were so MANY young black girls who had just disappeared and no one noticed. A pretty white girl disappears and Nancy Grace is all over it.

I have always believed that home-schooling could be a front for all sorts of abuses. Sure, plenty of parents do a great job and the kids are fine, but things like this happen as well.

Her brother is saying she was murdered. Why don't they believe him?

[wild little fox]

I think they do believe him. They recently searched the home and backyard. They collected evidence from several closets in the house and removed pieces of drywall with red stains on it. I'm not a detective, I just play one at home but it would seem to me that they would know if the red stains were human blood before they removed them??

[theologygeek]

I was following this for a while. There really should be a law that the State pays regular visits to homeschooling families. If it saves one child from abuse or death, it is worth it.

[PennySycamore]

Didn't they have like 8 other kids?

I agree the horrendous part of this was that there were so MANY young black girls who had just disappeared and no one noticed. A pretty white girl disappears and Nancy Grace is all over it.

I have always believed that home-schooling could be a front for all sorts of abuses. Sure, plenty of parents do a great job and the kids are fine, but things like this happen as well.

Her brother is saying she was murdered. Why don't they believe him?

This was another case of Missing White Girl Syndrome.

[PennySycamore]

I think they do believe him. They recently searched the home and backyard. They collected evidence from several closets in the house and removed pieces of drywall with red stains on it. I'm not a detective, I just play one at home but it would seem to me that they would know if the red stains were human blood before they removed them??

Wouldn't the police have sprayed the red stains with Luminol to determine if they were blood stains? If it's blood, then it will fluoresce.

[Stephanie66]

I think they do believe him. They recently searched the home and backyard. They collected evidence from several closets in the house and removed pieces of drywall with red stains on it. I'm not a detective, I just play one at home but it would seem to me that they would know if the red stains were human blood before they removed them??

Yes, they can test the blood to see if it is human. However, the blood can't be identified immediately as belonging to Erica. And since Erica was adopted and gone for two years, that might take awhile. If there is no DNA from her, they have to find her birth parents or a sibling. I doubt she still has a toothbrush laying around.

So the adoptive mom acted as a surrogate, then tried to adopt out the baby? When did she do this and why wasn't she prosecuted? Last I heard, fraudulently taking money from potential adoptive parents was, indeed, a crime. (Hard to prove if the birth mom changes her mind, but not hard to prove if she never had the right to adopt the baby out to begin with.)

My daughter does forensics. An interesting factoid is that orangutans are so similar that the blood is, technically, human or orangutan on the first test. But, this has never been an issue, and once they get into typing and geno typing, it is irrelevant. I just found that interesting.

[Vex]

I am very skeptical about statement analysis, but from everything I have read about it (particularly pertaining to what the parents of missing children say when they are guilty), those parents know exactly what happened to her.

"Go do what you want to the house. Look. Go dig the yard up. Erica is not in this yard. Erica is fine."

Most people who lie 'wordsmith', that is, they say things that are technically true in their minds ('I didn't steal anything!' because they tell themselves they 'borrowed' it). People like Casey Anthony who completely fabricate truths (Zanny the nanny) are a rarity. An innocent person would have:

a) Called the police. Of course.

b) They would say something more like 'I don't care if the police bulldoze our house to look for her, I didn't kill or harm Erica in any way and I want the police to know that so they can move on and start tracking her down. I'll do whatever I can to help them in their investigation'.

A reliable denial has three parts (I copy pasted them so I'd get them exactly right):

1. The Pronoun "I"

2. The past tense verb "didn't" or "did not"

3. The specific allegation

If the parent had said 'I did not kill Erica', that would be a reliable denial. Instead, she tells us what she didn't do while never specifically saying she did not kill her daughter, or cause her disappearance.

Slightly different topic, but I am another lady who is 4"11. I stopped growing when I was 13 and my parents definitely didn't neglect me in any way.

ETA:

Wouldn't the police have sprayed the red stains with Luminol to determine if they were blood stains? If it's blood, then it will fluoresce.

No.

On suspected blood stains forensics do an on-the-spot swab test (called the Kastle-Meyer colour test). It works by combining blood, phenolphtalein reagent and hydrogen peroxide. If it is blood, the haemoglobin will react with the chemicals to turn the strip a dark pink. It doesn't tell you if it's human blood (or even if it's really blood because there are some plant substances that can turn the strip pink) but it is a strong indicator and thus must be explored.

If it tests positive they will try and remove a whole section of the surface by cutting it out and taking it back to the lab for further testing.

Luminol isn't used on blood stains that are visible to the naked eye. Its purpose is to reveal where blood has fallen and been cleaned away because it is the most sensitive blood detection method we have, and it can detect blood that has been extremely diluted (like, diluted over 300,000 times). If they did a swab test and determined that the mark was human blood they might spray the surrounding areas without blood with luminol to see if there had been a larger quantity present that had been cleaned up.

There isn't really any point using luminol on evident blood stains. Also, other substances can cause luminol to fluoresce, such as bleach. So yeah, Kastle-Meyer is best for evident bloodstains and has the advantage of being instant and easy to administer. No blacklight or darkness required.

[dianapavelovna]

Slightly different topic, but I am another lady who is 4"11. I stopped growing when I was 13 and my parents definitely didn't neglect me in any way.

Yeah, I apologize because I didn't mean to imply that being short automatically = neglect. Certainly Erica could just be of smaller stature. But in the midst of all these other details and allegations, that one seems salient to me.

I wish these pictures of her were dated. I'd be curious to know how old she is in each of them.

[dianapavelovna]

Expert: Erica Parsons’ adoptive dad ‘strongly deceptive’ on polygraph

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Bill Arthur

cwootson@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013

Rowan County investigators say they’re reviewing Erica Parsons’ parents’ appearance on the “Dr. Phil†show, including a polygraph expert’s characterization of the father as “strongly deceptive†about the teenager’s disappearance.

The show about Erica’s disappearance was taped last week but broadcast across the nation Tuesday and Wednesday. The polygraph results were presented as the finale to the second part Wednesday.

The show’s expert, Jack Trimarco, a former FBI polygraph examiner, said he asked Sandy Parsons, two questions: Did he deliberately cause Erica’s disappearance, and did he have a plan to cause her disappearance?

“He was what I consider strongly deceptive to both relevant questions,†Trimarco told the host, Dr. Phil McGraw.

“Do you think he knows something he’s not telling us?†Dr. Phil asked.

“He does,†Trimarco responded.

Erica, who has been missing since 2011, is the subject of a widening hunt by investigators from Rowan County, the state and the FBI. In search warrants, investigators say they suspect foul play, and Erica’s parents hired an attorney when they say the questions turned accusatory. No one has been charged in connection with Erica’s disappearance.

Sandy Parsons’ wife, Casey, did not take the polygraph exam because she described herself as being in severe pain. Her attorney says she was hospitalized last week following emergency surgery. Trimarco said he opted not to give her the test because the body’s response to pain can be confused with deception.

Trimarco also said he didn’t ask whether Sandy Parsons had killed Erica because “we don’t know if she is dead, so that would not be a good question.â€

The results of polygraph examinations are not admissible in court in North Carolina. And scientists question whether polygraphers can accurately identify liars by interpreting measurements of blood pressure, sweat activity and respiration.

Wednesday’s show aired in Charlotte just hours after search warrants were released showing investigators searched a red storage shed at the home of Sandy Parsons’ parents in China Grove, according to the Observer’s news partner, WCNC. Investigators retrieved vacuum pieces including a filter, a hammer, school records and teeth.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on Wednesday also released an age-progressed picture of Erica, who was 13 when she was last seen by anyone outside her family.

Rowan County authorities say they are reviewing the Parsonses’ appearance on the show and have received about 100 tips from people who’ve watched them, but a spokesman said “no beneficial information has been received†from the calls.

Casey and Sandy Parsons have said they dropped their daughter off with her biological grandmother, whom they identified as Irene Goodman or “Nan.â€

The Parsonses told Dr. Phil that they hadn’t seen Erica, then 13, since leaving the girl with “Nan†in December 2011 at a Mooresville McDonald’s. Police, however, say they haven’t been able to locate “Nan†or determine if she actually exists.

Dr. Phil said it defies common sense that they would leave a girl with someone, have no contact for almost two years, and never report her missing.

Perhaps due to a family dispute, Erica’s adoptive brother James filed a missing person’s report on July 30.

Truthfulness questioned

The Parsonses’ veracity is at issue in the case, and a Michigan woman who hired Casey Parsons to be a surrogate mother in 2002 told Dr. Phil that she distrusts Casey.

The woman, whose identity was masked on the show, said that Casey Parsons claimed she had had a miscarriage after a few weeks of pregnancy. Then about six months after she had supposedly lost the baby, the Michigan woman found out Casey Parsons was still carrying the child.

The woman said she believes Casey Parsons was taking money from two other couples for the child.

A healthy baby boy was born and turned over to the couple, the woman said. But the woman told Dr. Phil she believes Casey Parsons only went through with the agreement because the couple threatened legal action.

Casey Parsons said her sister caused the controversy by calling the intended parents and saying Casey Parsons was trying to sell their baby.

She also told Dr. Phil that the Michigan woman had wanted Casey to abort the pregnancy because she thought she was carrying a girl; the couple wanted a boy. The Michigan woman said that was “a complete lie.â€

The sister involved was the same relative who Erica lived with for eight months at one point.

Search warrants say Erica left the Parsonses home after Casey Parsons “lost control and beat her.â€

Erica was returned to the Parsonses’ home because they were afraid of losing the payments they received from the state for Erica’s care, search warrants say. The payments could total at least $623 a month.

A risky choice?

It’s unclear why the Parsonses agreed to appear on the “Dr. Phil†show.

Doing so presents risks if Casey or Sandy Parsons is ever charged in the case, according to defense attorneys reached by the Observer. And statements the couple made on television shows have already been used as probable cause in search warrants.

Many defendants choose not to take the witness stand, said George Laughrun, a Charlotte defense attorney. But the Parsonses have already spoken about the case – and faced probing questions – on a nationally televised show.

“The (District Attorney) in Salisbury is probably going to be there with every VCR he can find, recording every little sound bite they make,†Laughrun said.

A spokesman for the “Dr. Phil†show said the show doesn’t pay for guests to appear and that the Parsonses didn’t ask to be compensated.

But Batt Humphreys, former executive producer for “The Early Show†on CBS, said talk shows can dangle incentives such as first-class flights, upscale hotels and a large meal budget to attract guests.

“There can be a ‘wow’ factor for a couple like this,†Humphreys said. “… The producers know what they’re doing, and they know how to build confidence.

“If they think that they’re going on ‘Dr. Phil’ and Dr. Phil is going to help them and they get all these goodies thrown in, that’s pretty good.â€

On air, Dr. Phil said the couple told him they were motivated by their desires to tell their side of the story and to help find Erica.

After Sandy Parson’s polygraph test was done, the “Dr. Phil†show invited the couple back on the show to see the results.

Their attorney, Carlyle Sherrill, said they “were in a hurry to get back to North Carolina.â€

Sherrill appeared on the show via satellite feed when the polygraph results were revealed. The Parsonses did not.

Dr. Phil said his show offered to have the Parsonses return or appear by a satellite feed, but they refused. STAFF WRITER RONNIE GLASSBERG CONTRIBUTED.

Wootson: 704-358-5046; Twitter: @CleveWootson

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... ongly.html

[Cone]

Didn't they have like 8 other kids?

I agree the horrendous part of this was that there were so MANY young black girls who had just disappeared and no one noticed. A pretty white girl disappears and Nancy Grace is all over it.

I have always believed that home-schooling could be a front for all sorts of abuses. Sure, plenty of parents do a great job and the kids are fine, but things like this happen as well.

Her brother is saying she was murdered. Why don't they believe him?

The brother has a history of violence with the parents and a juvenile criminal record. Police obviously believe him because there have been searches, but I don't think he's the most credible person.

[Vex]

I'm certain they're guilty and were being deceptive but there's a good reason polygraphs aren't admissible in court in many countries. They are not reliable for many reasons. I would be wary of taking a polygraph even if I were innocent of a crime because if a person has any anxiety or guilt about questions they're being asked their response can be interpreted as deceptive.

[Stephanie66]

Salex...whatever happened to Lisa Irwin from Kansas City? The one whose mom got drunk and the baby "disappeared"?

[Letgo]

I don't think anything has happened in the Lisa Irwin case. I think she is just still missing. The mother has not been arrested. Very odd case.

HOW can a child disappear and no one notices? I have asked at my kids' school three times when a child suddenly disappeared. Two children were okay; one went to foster care (and her biological family situation was why I checked on her) and the other was being home schooled. The third child moved to another school and then the family left the area. I will always wonder what happened to her-not a good family situation.

So why did no one check on this child for two years?

[polecat]

I'm also under 5 foot and an adult. There are lots of small women around. You'd probably want to look at her close genetic relatives to get an idea of how tall you'd expect her to be. I am shorter than my parents for example but not by more than you'd expect since they are both pretty short.

If her genetic parents are both nearing the 6 foot range, alarm bells would be going off.

I'm aware that many people are fairly short. My sister is among them. My comment was in reference to the skeletal appearance of her face. My son, who is quite tall is also quite thin, and his face looks like a normal child's face. Her face is downright bony. Most children I've seen have a little bit of baby fat on their faces well into their teens.

[Slt]

TBH, She looks like she has FAS in the photos they've been showing. This is ALL over our local news, as I am just about 30 minutes from where her family lives. Really ridiculous case. They had a custody hearing last night to try to get their other children back, and were not successful. A couple of nights ago they also searched the mother's dad's shed (which only the mom and her husband had access to) expecting to find something. They haven't mentioned what, if anything, they found. Though, they did mention finding human teeth in the house on Wednesday and those have been taken to test.

Erica was homeschooled- in NC, the only requirements for homeschooling are to take a yearly test and to keep attendance. You actually don't even have to turn them in unless they are asked. So, I guess THAT is how she went under the radar. That mom is all kinds of shady with her trying to sell her surrogate baby, etc. and she is definitely holding something back .

[salex]

Salex...whatever happened to Lisa Irwin from Kansas City? The one whose mom got drunk and the baby "disappeared"?

To my knowledge nothing has happened. I suspect that the police suspect the baby is dead and was disposed of so well that they never did and never will find the body, but I don't know. As I recall, the parents and the police came to a parting of the ways pretty early on.

[Pixie]

found this, it is several sections, but watchable. http://www.youtube.com/user/poizyn1?feature=watch

[lizziesmom]

Yet one more concrete example of how pro life is a fallacy. This child was probably abused and is probably dead. If we spent one tenth the energy on making sure all living beings were taken care of rather than trying to force every pregnancy to term, this would be a better country,

[bookiewookie]

That poor girl. I hope that she is alive and well somewhere, but based on the information presented it doesn't look good.

Also, I agree with Slt that it looks like Erica could have FAS based on the photos (specifically her smooth philtrum in the first photo in the Daily Mail article). That could also explain her short height, since FAS can cause that. If she did have FAS, that could certainly explain the subsidy post-adoption. I'm neither an adoption expert, nor a doctor, so I could be totally off-base with those assumptions, thought.

[Lainey]

Someone in the comments of one of the Dr. Phil videos pointed out that the mother keeps saying, "She's with Nan." Well, Nan, apparently, is dead. So maybe she is with Nan. :(

This makes me sick. I hope they find some evidence of her. Ideally it would be that she's alive and well somewhere else, but it's not looking good.

[Mama Mia]

I agree that she definitely looks like she has FAS ( I have worked in residential family treatment...so worked with many children with FAS ). So these parents story isn't just that they dropped off their 13 year old for a visit, without getting even an address, but that they apparently would have dropped off a special needs 13 year old without knowing where she's going?? Obviously they are lying about everything, but that that is the cover story they came up with, and found acceptable speaks volumes to what horrible parents they are

[Mudball]

I was following this for a while. There really should be a law that the State pays regular visits to homeschooling families. If it saves one child from abuse or death, it is worth it.

The state paying regular visits to all families (homeschooling or not) would probably save lots of kids. Pop in on the kids, maybe interview them, take a look around where they are living, interview the adults in their lives...

It could cause a whole shit ton more problems, too. As much as I want to save kids, I think that sounds like a nightmare.

There are many school kids who are abused and murdered that slip through the cracks. It's tragic. I think realistically a periodic check in probably isn't going to help a whole lot considering abusers are good keeping the abuse secret and making sure the kids do as well.

I thought the same thing about Nan - she's dead and the little girl is with her. :(

[Maggie Mae]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/parsons_erica.html

I did a search and the three threads that popped up were from 2013. Does anyone know anything else about this? Erica Parsons was reported as missing twenty months after she was last seen - by her adoptive brother. Foul play (what a stupid phrase) is suspected. She was homeschooled. What. The. Hell. I don't even have words for the complete lack of compassion displayed by the adoptive "parents." 

[Khan]

They supposedly collected over 12k while she was missing, too. This sounds so shady to me. Will they ever find her body or was she 'rehomed'? Poor kid. 

I don't know anything about the case other than that these people are despicable. 

[season of life]

Creepy stuff! It sounds so shady... I believe the siblings when they say she was abused. I'm pretty sure the parents killed her. The case is reminiscent of Casey Anthony.