Trenton Duckett

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:26 am

Is this case of the missing 2 year old, Trenton Duckett, on the national news yet?
The story has a lot of twists and turns (as Harry puts it).

It's a Florida case (Leesburg) and the mother of the missing child was interviewed by Nancy Grace this week. I did not see that interview. Then the mother committed suicide!
They are looking in the Ocala Natl. Forest today. The day before yesterday they were digging at a construction site.

This is a very strange case.

The parents are estranged. They are pretty young, 21.
The father's father is on death row in Florida, name James Duckett.
The father passed a polygraph. The mother declined to take one.
The mother was a Korean orphan, adopted at age 2 months. Only child.
There are supposed threatening e-mails from the father to the mother- the father says he knows who sent them and it wasn't him.
So far, he has been pretty *flat* in my opinion.

Daniel Webster once said "Suicide is confession."
She left no note saying where the child is...
On and on..nonstop except a break for coverage of that storm Ernesto.
This has been going on for over 2 weeks.

diana · Post by **diana** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:43 am

I hadn't heard of this case until you posted, Kat. I just now read the transcript of the Nancy Grace interview on-line at:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... ng.01.html

You're right ... strange stuff.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:14 pm

Thank you for that, Diana!
I had heard about a transcript- was looking for a link.
I'd have liked to have seen the interview. In fact, reading the interview- and then seeing the interview- would be most informative- like with Lizzie's inquest testimony- tone of voice, body movements, mannerisms, gaze- wouldn't that be fascinating?
Get the words and a personal opinion of the words and contrast that with the reality of the person actually speaking them.

I will hope they re-run the interview. If anyone hears of a re-run let me know? I don't even know if Ms. Grace has a regular time slot.

diana · Post by **diana** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:22 pm

Kat wrote:

I'd have liked to have seen the interview. In fact, reading the interview- and then seeing the interview- would be most informative- like with Lizzie's inquest testimony- tone of voice, body movements, mannerisms, gaze- wouldn't that be fascinating?
Get the words and a personal opinion of the words and contrast that with the reality of the person actually speaking them.

Yes, that's exactly what I thought! It makes all the difference in the world to see words being said as opposed to just reading the text. It's amazing how quickly I put my own spin on what Trenton Duckett's mother said in that Nancy Grace interview, for example.

I think we probably all have our own individual interpretation of Lizzie's inquest testimony. I wonder if we had been able to physically witness her speaking to Knowlton, we might have had a different take on it?

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:48 pm

I just got done reading several things in the Orlando Sentinel related to the Duckett case. I'm not sure what to think as yet - other than a vague, dread suspicion that this little one is not coming home. I hope like anything I'm wrong, but...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:00 pm

Tonight at 10 the Nancy Grace show has been on CNN.

I started watching it hoping to see or hear some interview repeats and sure enough there has been. So am forgoing the Florida Gator/Tennessse football game and am getting a good representation of the interview which was by phone.
Nancy Grace was mean, and harsh and harrangued the mother at one point about the "timeline" like a prosecuting attorney. It didn't seem to faze the mother who kept fast talking , yet calm. She gave nothing away. I was anxious from the animosity I heard in Ms. Grace's voice. But not Melinda Duckett. Or at least not during the excerpts I heard.
She did go on to to kill herself- so...

The father is just too weird! He passed the polygraph and he doesn't sound stupid, but he's coming across as an idiot, and naive.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:20 pm

Yes, I agree...Ms. Grace was tough. But, she is a prosecutor...that's what she does. She wanted answers...she wants little Trenton to be found...and the mother was not cooperating in the least from what I heard in their discussion. I think if the mom had been more forthcoming with her answers and responses...Ms. Grace would have not had to put on the pressure.

Tracy...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:52 am

I don't know Nancy Grace's background, but Doug-Oh wrote me and filled me in a bit.

Without knowing she had been a prosecutor, I thought she was shocking and she knew it. She was not going to get an answer out of Mrs. Duckett, and she knew that too. Actually I was appalled at her tatics. Her approach was obviously nonproductive. It began to seem like Jerry Spinger- or being yelled at by the coach. Melinda Duckett was not ever going to react to that.

I honestly felt like Nancy Grace was pouring out all her own frustrations over, say, the Scott Peterson case, onto this girl. It was as if, on air, finally in front of everyone, she could imbue her questions with all the contempt she holds for these kinds of criminals.

I just don't think that was the proper time or place for that and she may have done more harm than good- for what? Ratings? The only *witness* has now killed herself, so that avenue of inquiry is closed. We don't know if that was some turning point for the mother. Nancy Grace cannot know that either. She's playing with fire.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:32 pm

Late last night there was a round table discussion about just this thing!
And it was on FOX!
Anyway, they were all in agreement that Grace went way too far. For various reasons.
I was surprised that these news people were all mirroring my sentiments.

Some seem to think there should be an apology- and the cynical said - what I had been thinking- that one might help in a future lawsuit!

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:20 pm

I'm not sure if it's still accessible or not, but here's a link to a story, I think it was in yesterday's Orlando Sentinel, wherein Nancy Grace defended herself: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl ... -headlines

The comment that really stood out for me when I read it was this one: "I did not go after Melinda Duckett," Grace told Cuomo. "Correction, Melinda Duckett refused to answer questions to either myself or police about her child's whereabouts. It is highly likely he is dead now because of that."

All well, and good - except for one thing: Nancy Grace is a television personality, formerly but no longer having any standing as an officer of law enforcement or of the court. I'd have told her to stick her demands in her hat had it been me!

By the way, according to Melinda's family law attorney, the polygraph was declined on her advice because polygraph results are inadmissable as evidence in court. I checked last night to be sure and while there are efforts currently in place in some jurisdictions to allow them in, generally speaking Keeler (polygraph, that is, Keeler is the feller that invented the machine) results are still yet not admitted into evidence in US court proceedings.

They are signs of coperation and good faith, but not much else.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:56 am

Well, the father is so flat he may have passed due to being sociopathic. I can't figure him out.

Nancy Grace was, in a way, in a position as a hostage negotiator, as far as I can tell. If Trenton was still alive, Grace could have switched tatics and used some formal negotiating tecniques to speak to the mother. I think she was underexperienced and her bullying backfired.
It should have been a delicate maneuvering of words rather than blatant sniping, harsh questions, and interrupting the mother to boot!
The mother was too slick for Nancy Grace- who was in over her head.
There should have been some kind of back-up preparedness- she should have been given a crash course in how to get info in varying ways.
It was useless- the parts I heard.

It doesn't help tho that Ms. Grace has that built-in sneer.
I don't know if she was born with that or it's a bad nose job, poor girl.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:36 am

I agree - but the dog-after-the-bone type of pup and pony show is unfortunately how the gal makes her bucks these days. "In over her head" covers it well - though as far as it goes she was pretty restrained compared to some performances of hers I've seen. The others on the show - the PI and the defense attorney - actually hit harder at Melinda's tale with their comments I thought than Nancy Grace did. But their blows were struck without nearly "bark" that Nancy Grace put into it.

The father - well, it's kinda weird. I'd seen him interviewed only a few days before by Catherine Crier - and while elements of the story seemed a bit odd (the primary focus was the missing youngster with little or no discussion of the domestic situation) Josh Duckett came across quite well - no trace at all of flat-affect, although he did seem to be one "on the outside looking in," which I attributed to the divorce/custody, etc. He came across as someone doing (and willing to do) whatever he could to help find that little boy.

That was the only time I'd ever seen Josh Duckett interviewed though, on Crier Live. You probably get more - or have seen more - on your local news.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:18 am

Nancy Grace's hardball style of questioning is no secret. She is known for not using kid gloves with cases like the Duckett case. I have to wonder then, why the mother, or her attorney agreed to even let her interviewed by Ms. Grace ? SOMEONE must have thought it a good idea.

Tracy...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:47 am

I heard on the local news tonight that the father is going to be on Nancy Grace Thursday night and Friday night.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:08 am

Well, he should get thru the taping relatively unscathed - he passed his polygraph!

I'd read - it was in either yesterday's or today's Orlando Sentinel that the police found pictures and the little feller's toys in the trash.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:06 am

Somebody has got to watch the father and give me their opinion of his demeanor!

Yes you are right they found the mother's ultrasounds in the trash the first day they searched her apartment.
The father's reply to that was flat and stupid.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:33 pm

Watching the show now and noticed the vocal flat affect you mentioned re: Josh Duckett. From what I'm seeing, that seems to be much more a general physical trait than anything. He sounds no different tonight, or whenever the show was taped, than he did when I first saw him a few weeks ago. It struck me then as a physical trait, but I didn't pay much more attention to that until tonight.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:19 am

Thanks for checking.
I think I wrote you that I'd think he'd be crying by now.
He seems to think that he believes the boy is still alive.
That still doesn't explain his lack of affect.
He could be a teacher describing a student he knows.
Melinda was the same way.
They speak of the baby as if he were someone they know, not their flesh and blood child.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:08 pm

Yes, you did say that.

It appears though that you’re correct: Josh seems to be operating (getting by) on the belief or hope that the child is yet alive. Right or wrong, that’s the mode in which he has chosen to deal for the moment.

The lack of vocal affect is a tough one. Beyond stating that it seems to impress me as a general trait he’s always had, there’s not much I might say that really would get to the bone as it were. It could very well be just something he’s stuck with. Has no control over.

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:02 pm

theebmonique @ Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:20 pm wrote:Yes, I agree...Ms. Grace was tough. But, she is a prosecutor...that's what she does. She wanted answers...she wants little Trenton to be found...and the mother was not cooperating in the least from what I heard in their discussion. I think if the mom had been more forthcoming with her answers and responses...Ms. Grace would have not had to put on the pressure.

Tracy...

I haven't read Nancy's book, but some of the reviews on Amazon tell a lot about her. She is not quite as innocent as she may act. She is NOT a prosecutor, and may have had a reason for resigning.

Does she really want draconian reforms of the law? Is there something wrong with "Habeas Corpus" (which requires the law or any authority to show cause to justify the holding of a person). Without it we would be in the Dark Ages where any noble could hold anybody for ransom.

Forgive me if I misquoted anything.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:24 am

Silly me Ray, for thinking you would understand I was speaking to Ms Grace's POV. She served as a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia.

Tracy...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:42 am

What's sad is I thought with this topic revived, there might be new news.
I haven't heard much on the case over the weekend.
Late last week it was all about Josh blaming Social Services. When he did that earlier in the case, I thought about him as *father* not doing enough to protect his son himself.
People always blame others.
I understand there's a possibility that he was trying to work within the system- but he did lie to the system. I think he's stupid.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 5:21 am

Well they have revitalized the case because of a witness who came forward after a month, who works at Wendys in Belleview (or however the town's name is spelled).
It's a place Melinda was supposedly the day before Trenton disappeared. I thought they first said on TV that she was seen at the Wendy's drive thru with the boy the day before. Now they say the day of.

Anyway, the *proof*that he may have been handed off to someone rather than killed is based on the eyewitness who served them at the drive thru. It is said Melinda returned in 20 minutes without the boy.
Officials seem to think that she could not have killed the boy, disposed of him, cleaned up and hit the drive-thru again, all in 20 minutes.

Sound familiar?

RayS · Post by **RayS** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:44 am

That sounds reasonable, but I wonder why this eyewitness is now speaking? WHY return in 20 minutes?

Today's newspaper said the family of Melinda was suing Nancy Grace for her harrassment and falsely claiming the interview was to recover the child.
Is such misrepresentation common for reporters?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:11 am

http://www.wesh.com/news/10369564/detail.html

and

http://www.wesh.com/news/10334209/detail.html

There are video clips too on the right, but they don't work for me.