The body of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was found in a Constantine cemetery Thursday night, Nov. 8, 2007. Police believe someone abducted the girl as she rode her bike home from a friend's house, then killed her. (Photo provided)
Story Created:
Nov 14, 2007 at 9:40 PM EST
Story Updated:
Mar 28, 2008 at 5:22 PM EST
(WSBT) Police are re-tracing a young girl's last steps before her death, but they say the path ends blocks from where it began.
Now, investigators are going door to door talking to neighbors and business owners. They're searching for any clues about Jodi Parrack's death.
Her mother discovered the girl's body in a Constantine cemetery Thursday.
Police have received hundreds of tips, but no solid leads, and Constantine police say this investigation is taking an emotional toll.
They've been canvassing neighborhoods with help from the St. Joseph County Task Force and the FBI. At this point, they say no one in Constantine has been eliminated as a suspect.
Last Thursday afternoon, Parrack left a friend's house on 3rd Street around 4:45 p.m.. Police say she was seen a few blocks away heading away from her own home on 3rd Street, then she disappeared.
Police have received 327 tips but are still looking for that one, "who may have seen Jodi after 4:45. We haven't found anyone who saw her after 4:45," said Chief Mark Honeysett, Constantine Police.
Police were told she may have stopped downtown to get a snack before her 5:30 p.m. curfew. But no one saw her, including Jerry Roevke who works at a downtown gas station.
"It just bothers me," said Roevke.
Roevke says Jodi and her father came in every morning at 7:05 before school.
"I'd say good morning and she'd say good morning with a smile and put her little head down," said Roevke.
But she didn't see that smile Friday.
Jodi's body was found the night before in a cemetery six hours after her disappearance.
"It's easy access. You can go in or out any direction. It's dark. It's relatively secluded," said Honeysett.
Police say it's not a place kids hang out, so they don't know why she was there or how she got there.
"Someone knows what happened obviously," said Honeysett. "I'm hoping people more than the person who did this knew what happened."
Police will keep searching for answers as a grieving town focuses on Jodi's family and raising money for funeral expenses.
"I keep hoping and praying that they catch who did this. They need to be caught. They need to be punished. What they did was wrong. They took a precious angel from us," said Roevke.
Businesses in Constantine and White Pigeon have jars set up to collect money. They've raised several hundred dollars.
Police are confident that they will find the killer, but say they aren't sure whether the killer even lives in the area.
The coroner is waiting on final autopsy results. Police say Parrack's cause of death has not been determined, but it has been ruled a homicide.
Monday, Nov 26 at 10:41 AM Former Falcon Class of 84 wrote ...
Talia is right. You suspicious ppl obviously have NO idea what Constantine looks like! I lived a block from the cemetery from a baby to graduation. Believe me, there are not many places to go. The cemetery would be one of the most obvious to look.