VA VA - Michael, 50, Mary, 36, & Jennifer Short, 9, Bassett, 15 Aug 2002

American authorities investigating the slaying of a Henry County, Va., couple and their young daughter visited an airstrip Monday to search for clues about a mystery woman who might be able to shed light on the case.
newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/3116917p-2823425c
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I forgot about this family. How terrible. I didn't know that they finally found the daughter's remains.
 
Thanks for the update on this terrible murder. I always wondered if they were still working on this case.
 
I was thinking about this case today. She is the little girl from VA who went missing about a month after Elizabeth Smart did, in 2002. Her parents were found murdered in their home and Jennifer was missing...her remains were found in NC a few months later. <modsnip - no link> does anyone remember anything or know any updates to this case?
 
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Here is the latest that I have found regarding this case:

"He was sent back to North Carolina, arrested as a material witness and questioned intensively, but never charged. Ultimately, he was released."

Sole Suspect In Short Family Killing Says He's Innocent
POSTED: 1:03 am EDT August 16, 2004


STONEVILLE, N.C. -- It's been a frustrating two years for police who have been unable to charge anyone with killing 9-year-old Jennifer Short and her parents.

It's been equally intense for Gary Bowman, the one person named as a suspect, who swears he never met the Virginia family and would never have harmed them.

"This will hang over me for the rest of my life, unless they find the person who did it," Bowman told the News & Record of Greensboro in a recent interview published Sunday.

Michael and Mary Short, were found shot to death in their home in Bassett, Va., on Aug. 15, 2002. The phone lines at their home had been cut, and their daughter was missing.

Six weeks later, Jennifer's bones were found in Rockingham County, about 30 miles south of Bassett.

Garrison "Storm" Bowman came under suspicion after his former landlord in Rockingham County told investigators he heard Bowman talking about killing an unidentified mobile-home mover with whom he had been quarreling.

Michael Short owned a mobile-home moving company.
nbc17.com/news/3655716/detail.html
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I live here near Stoneville, NC. The gentleman that was questioned has never been arrested. The local Sheriff in our county and the one in VA continue to proclaim they will keep working this case to resolution, but as it gets further and further away from the actual events, I think the case grows colder and colder. They keep calling that man a person of interest, but also say they have some other persons who may have information they will be following up. <modsnip - no link> But there just isn't any new news about this case. <modsnip - no link> Very sad case and I still think there's definitely something hinky about the whole thing.
 
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Thanks for the updates, guys!! It sounds to me like Gary Bowman is their man but they don't have enough on him for a murder charge. Very sad.
 
Just my personal local observation here....

I think IF he had anything to do with it, he didn't do it alone. I think he and someone else had a hand in this horrible crime. But you're right, there isn't enough evidence to arrest this man and make him rat out the other person or persons. There is another person in this area who is pointing a finger at this Gary Bowman a little too heavily and a little too aggressively that gets my hinky meter going. But...probably will go down as another unsolved murder. We have a couple more around here that have never been solved that are somewhat close to the same set of people.
 
Announcement today that there will be a news conference tomorrow regarding indictments in this case. I'm sure hoping there is finally some closure to this horrific murder.
 
less0305 said:
Announcement today that there will be a news conference tomorrow regarding indictments in this case. I'm sure hoping there is finally some closure to this horrific murder.


That is good news!!! Finally!!
 
I live in Guilford Co. NC, which is the county below where poor Jennifer's remains were found-this case was never allowed to be far from the media. Prayer vigils, news media updates, family rememberances, all contributed to letting LE be reminded that people did care and no matter how long it took, that the community wanted answers. I will be watching the media coverage on all local channels tomorrow as well as checking the print media for info-I'll post as soon as the info comes out. I truly hope this may be the beginning of the answers that we all have been seeking in this horrific crime-and that finally, this family may rest in peace!
 
Federal spokesperson says indictments into the investigation are being handed down, BUT the case is still unsolved . Now what the heck does that mean??!!! I guess we'll find out at 11:30 a.m. at the news conference. All our local TV news stations are going to cover it.
 
I barely slept last night hoping and praying a murder indictment was coming. The local media here was ambiguous about the nature of the charges. Needless to say, some opportunistic lowlifes have stepped in and bungled, to some degree, the investigation.

I would bet the soul of my mother that the person of interest in this case is the culprit. God is on the throne, may he mercifully allow all this to be solved.

Why can't some of the reward money be offered to Dayle Hinman to come here and go over the evidence?
 
I agree Stevie.....but I'm sure the funds are earmarked for specific things and won't be used for a psychic. Although I think this person could help in this case.
 
Less, Dayle is not a psychic, she is a highly trained detective and specializes in criminal profiling. Unless her TV show embellishes her abilities for the sake of ratings, she seems like a dedicated, highly insightful professional in the field of criminology. I believe the people who've put up money are realizing it's highly improbable, at this point, to see it do much good. There is a high degree of affectation in this case, a new approach seems plausible.
 
Please state who you think killed the Short family and why you came to that conclusion . . .
 
Stevie....

You're correct about Dayle....I remember now.
 

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