MI MI - Brittney Beers, 6, Sturgis, 16 Sept 1997

Linda, coincidentally we had a family here in Arkansas that the wife was a nurse of some sort and the father in the restaurant business that did the same thing. Only they were running a generator to get electricity to their house. Do you think it may be a generator you are hearing? It is also very loud. I do not know why the people in Arkansas did it because the gas to run the thing would be expensive unless they had outstanding bills with the electric company and that was the only way to get electricity to the house. As for the missing girl, I don't blame you for your concern. It is plausible that they could be hiding her and using the generator to keep her alive. Do you have meter readers that come out to the houses to read the gas meter, electric meter, etc.? If so, try to catch him or her when they read your meter and ask questions about the neighbors house because chances are the meter reader will think them odd as well. You might ask him if they have electric on, what he thinks is running over there all of the time, etc. This will help you in making a decision as to whether your idea is plausible. Just some suggestions. Let us know how things progress. Rhett.

Actually....I have seen the meter person over there from time to time, so I do think their electricity is on....And I know there is electricity to the house because we built it, and they are the folks who bought it from us 11+ years ago when we sold it ,and built this one across the lane from them.
Where we live, it is not uncommon for our electric to go out during a big storm (and sometimes even for no apparent reason) so we also have a small generator.....it does NOT sound like an air compresser.
A generator is much louder and is a constant sound (except for when it runs out of gas, or when you stop it to add more) An air compresser comes on, runs till it builds up to the set pressure, then kicks off and will be silent until some of the pressure is used, then kicks back in to build up pressure again. That`s what this sound is like. (Only I might add that it sure goes off and on a LOT....like one that has a leak.....or is being constantly used)
When ours is on and we are using it, say to use the nailer or power sander, it goes on and off quite often....but if we quit using the power tools and forget that the compresser is still turned on, it can be a lot longer berfore it comes back on again to build up pressure. We have even forgotten it was on before and when it kicks in (sometimes in the middle of the night) it will wake us up and my hubby will go out and turn it off. It`s not the kind of thing you want to have to hear if you are`nt using it....so I can`t even imagine leaving it on for most of a year, especially as often as theirs goes on and off. I just don`t know how you`d get used to the sound enough to ignor it.
When my hubby has ours on and is using it for several hours for a project I`m always relieved, as are our cats, when he finnally turns it off!
I am going to look at our electric bill and see if I can figure out just when the meter person comes around and keep an eye out for them so I can talk to them. (Our meter is on the back of our home, so I can go out the back door and visit with them without being seen by these neighbors.
Thank you all for responding back to me and when I can find something out I will post back, although it may be a few days, as I have to go out of town tomorrow afternoon for a few days to help my Mom, who`s getting out of the hospital from having surgery.
Linda

In our city you can call the electric company to find out what someone else is paying per month at their address. It's more or less used when you are looking to buy homes, but maybe that might help you determine if they are using a normal amount of electricity.

Are you saying the girl would be about 16 yrs old now? The girl was from their (extended) family? I'm sorry if I'm confused!

I know exactly what you mean about wondering if someone has a dungeon underground or whatever. I don't think you watch too much tv, you are just watchful of your surroundings. That has helped save many people in the past. :blowkiss:

I hope your mom recovers well. Take care! (and Welcome to WS!)

I think it sounds extremely odd and I wouldn't be too hesitant in your shoes to talk to someone in the police department, considering there is a missing child in their extended family, and the way they don't want to have anything to do with their neighbors and discourage their child, who is obviously lonely, from talking to or getting close to neighbors. If this missing child is listed with the NCMEC or something similar, you could report this to them and let them investigate it. I do find it all sounding very strange and I don't blame you for being suspicious. Keep your wits about you and keep watching. Is there anyone you know who is connected to the police department? What about contacting your state's department for missing people?

Keep us posted.

Does their child attend public school? Is she home schooled, Something defanatly sounds amiss... I know a lady that lived in our neirborhood that had a sort of nervous breakdown and she stopped checking her mail and stopped mowing her grass etc, well I guess the mailman reported it to the police than maybe she was in the house dead. They went out and knocked on the door to check her well being. I think if you contact they police they are required to go out and at least do a routine check....

Yes...this little girl was 6 when she came up missing....and it has been almost 10 years...so if she is still alive, she would be about 16 now.
She is registered somehow...as I have seen her info on this site.
I will call the electric co. today. Thanks for the idea....I did`nt know they would give out that info!
Linda

stampit3d said:

(1) Just report that the sound is disturbing your peace, ( But, what if there is anything to this and the police came out... and they would turn it off?)
(2) Just ask the neighbors about it . (But if I did, and they thought that people were suspecting somthing strange was going on.....would they "get rid of the evidence" if indeed there is any???)
(3) One person even suggested they may be using it for a job, or to keep something running for someone that is ill and needs some sort of machine having something to do with that....but I doubt it...they don`t seem ill ....not physically anyhow...as we see them coming and going all the time. The father works as a manager for a restruant and the mother is a nurse. I have never seen that they appear to have any hobbies that would require an air comprsser i.e. carpentry work...nor have we ever heard hammmers or saws. To be truthful, they hardly ever even mow their yard, so I think he is even too lazy for a hobby.....maybe even just too lazy to bother to turn the compresser off? I`d think it would drive them crazy listening to it so close all the time!)

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Could it be a generator? I think they sound similar.

in any case, I think all that you have evidence of is that they are weird and that they have been ostracized for so long that they choose to try and treat others the same way they've been treated. the "I can't play with you because your grandmother is weird" sounds like sour grapes to me. And its sad and lonely but thats the way it is

However you do have a right to make a noise complaint, depending on your local noise ordinance. I'd certainly call the police and found out about what your options are there.

I`m convinced it is not a generator (see my second post above to the differences in the sounds that a genertor and a compresser make) Someone else already suggested that as a possibility....but I do know the difference as we have both ourselves.
Still trying to get ahold of the electric co.....I hope they can give me the info on what these folks electric bill was for this last year...because I KNOW what ours is across the lane, and since we built there house too I know that they should use aprox a similar amount....although they do have at least one window air conditioner (maybe more on a side of the house that I can`t see) whereas we have central air here, and I`m not sure how that would = out in difference.
Linda

I`ve contacted the FBI in our area and left a brief message with my name and phone #. They are supposed to call me back within 24 hours.
I`ll let you know if they think this is worth checking out....or if Im just nuts!
Linda

Good luck, Linda.

I definitely think something sounds strange - even if it's not related to the missing girl, it sound like something illegitimate is going on. I agree that our guts tell us more than our conscious likes to believe sometimes, and if your gut is telling you something isn't right, I would listen to it.

A co-worker of mine once told me a story of a rental property that he owned. LE called him late one night to come over to the rental home because the tenants weren't home. The neighbors had called in a noise complaint on the residence because there was some type of water compressor running constantly. It turns out the tenants had a hydroponic marijuana farm in the basement. The water pump circulated the water through the plants somehow to stimulate growth - but it was outside the home. Needless to say it was a bad situation for the tenants and worse for my co-worker.

Either way it sounds like something strange is going on. Keep us posted!

Ok then...I got a call back from someone at the FBI office and told her what I told you guys here. She said that they can not just take this info and check into it, but that they can be called in on it if there is an investigation.
She suggested that I notify either our state or local police dept or co sherriffs dept or call the 800 line for the Center For Missing and Exploited Children. I made a phone call to the latter, told him this same story, and he took the info and said that it would be checked into. That he has to report it and there will be a follow up.
I gave him my name and address and phone number in case they need to call me back for any reason. He promised that he would not let the neighbors know that I`d called them (unless of course they actually find something and I would possibly need to go to court to testify, which would be fine then.....I was just worried that they might tell the neighbors that I`d callled them...then if they find NOTHING.... I`d have to live across from these folks!) I know that sounds selfish....but I really don`t want to live near people who are angry because they may think I was trying to get them into trouble, if you know what I mean.
WHEW! You just have no idea what a relief it is to have put this in someone elses hands....it has been haunting me for months! Now I can let it go unless something comes of it....and would be glad to deal with that if there`s anything I could do to help.
Oh God! What if they do find this girl???
How would she deal with all she may have encounted these past 10 years???
How will I ever deal with the fact that I did`nt call it in sooner???
OK...I know I`m obsessing here now, and I need to just breathe and stop crying and go do something else.
If I hear anything...I will come back and let you know....and again...thank you all for helping me not feel crazy and to gain the courage to make the report!
Linda

You did good, Linda! Step back and breathe. :blowkiss:

Good job, Linda. I think calling it in was the right thing to do. If nothing else comes of it, you might try calling the non emergency line and complaining about the noise. That would at least get the cops out to find the source of the noise. We have an air compressor too. It is loud when it kicks on. I can't imagine listening to that all the time.

Good job, Linda. How horrible for this girl if she's been kept some kind of prisoner in her basement, but what a great job if your smart thinking is what cracks the case.

aj1020 said:

A co-worker of mine once told me a story of a rental property that he owned. LE called him late one night to come over to the rental home because the tenants weren't home. The neighbors had called in a noise complaint on the residence because there was some type of water compressor running constantly. It turns out the tenants had a hydroponic marijuana farm in the basement. The water pump circulated the water through the plants somehow to stimulate growth - but it was outside the home. Needless to say it was a bad situation for the tenants and worse for my co-worker. !

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now THIS sounds like a possible scenario.

Im so glad you called, please keep us updated. I wonder what your counties noise ordinance is? I know my husband called the police at 2 am one time the people next door were having a party and they had their music blaring and we had to get up and work the next day. When he spoke to the police they basically said sorry about your luck but our county does not have a noise ordinance.....He said well so I guess its ok then if I go outside and start up my chainsaw and stand around with that running all night, they then said OK well send somebody out to ask them to turn it down and they did....

I guess my point is I hope your county or town has a nosie ordinance,,,,

phenolred said:

Im so glad you called, please keep us updated. I wonder what your counties noise ordinance is? I know my husband called the police at 2 am one time the people next door were having a party and they had their music blaring and we had to get up and work the next day. When he spoke to the police they basically said sorry about your luck but our county does not have a noise ordinance.....He said well so I guess its ok then if I go outside and start up my chainsaw and stand around with that running all night, they then said OK well send somebody out to ask them to turn it down and they did....

I guess my point is I hope your county or town has a nosie ordinance,,,,

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I don`t think there`s an ordinance (we live out in the country)....but one neighbor did call the sherriffs dept to complain about a big dog barking all night once. They were told that they would send an officer to stop out and wake the people and let them know there was a complaint. They said that usually just the police presence is enough to make people THINK they have to comply. (And they did!)
Another time a differnt neighbor reported somebody playing their music too loud, too late at night , and the same thing happened.
So if the compresser noise does`nt stop after a reasonable time (I want to allow the police enough time to do whatever they have to do) then I`ll report the noise.
I`m going to leave today to go up to help my Mom for a few to several days....but if I get back and the police have been out here to their house...I`m sure one of the other neighbors will have seen it and I`ll hear about it if it turns out to be anything.
Linda

stampit3d said:

I`m going to leave today to go up to help my Mom for a few to several days....but if I get back and the police have been out here to their house...I`m sure one of the other neighbors will have seen it and I`ll hear about it if it turns out to be anything.
Linda

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Good Luck and updte when you are able too...

I'm so happy you took action Stampit3d. The travel trailer could be explained by other family coming to town to help look for the girl, but the air compressor is a bit odd. My kids aren't allowed to play with kids (or grown-ups) in the neighborhood that I don't know, but I simply go and introduce myself and try to talk to the parents/grownups as much as possible to get a good feel for them.
You should not feel like a "nosey neighbor" and don't let LE treat you like one. If everyone just kept to themselves and never reported anything nothing would ever get solved! I wish you the best of luck with this!!
ETA: you said the girl has a thread here, can you tell me who she is so I can check it out?