Found Deceased PA - Gabrielle Bechen, 12, Greensboro, June 2006

Usher737 · #1 06-14-2006, 07:44 PM

Search Continues For Missing Girl

Bechen Disappeared After ATV Ride

GREENSBORO, Pa. -- State police in Greene County are searching for a 12-year-old girl who has been missing for more than 24 hours.

Gabrielle Bechen was last seen at around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday near her home in Greensboro.

Bechen's mother said the girl was riding an all-terrain vehicle.

Police said she was wearing tan shorts, a dark shirt and a black helmet

more at link:http://www.wpxi.com/news/9367385/detail.html

Jovin · #2 06-14-2006, 07:55 PM

Has school already let out for summer in this area?

mom3dd · #3 06-14-2006, 08:09 PM

School has been out here in Tn for 2 weeks. I hope they find her safe.

Jovin · #4 06-14-2006, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom3dd

School has been out here in Tn for 2 weeks. I hope they find her safe.

I'm an Elvis fan and every year when I went down in August, the kids were back in school already, so I assumed they got out before the end of June like here.

Thanks, Mom

Usher737 · #5 06-14-2006, 09:48 PM

Yes, School is out in the area that she went missing.

Here is another article that gives more detailes. LE seems to think anything is possible: abduction, ran away, or gotten hurt.

Link:
http://kdka.com/local/local_story_165153301.html

Jovin · #6 06-14-2006, 09:57 PM

I sort of think she may have had an accident, and is down in some ravine or something...it might have turned over on her, and she's been hurt. I sure hope she's okay and they get her soon.

englishleigh · #7 06-15-2006, 08:59 AM

Gabrielle is in the national news now...saw her story and picture shown on Fox News this morning. I agree that I think she's had an accident...I hope they find her fast enough. I have a 12-year-old daughter so this hits home.

opme · #8 06-15-2006, 09:38 AM

Why was this little girl riding alone? ATV are dangerous and for the sake of saftey no one should ride alone. I know of too many people who have been injured riding (fun but need to follow some safety measures in doing so).

One of my co-workers husbands was injured riding on his own.. he went up and embankment and it flipped and rolled over on him. He was trapped until thankfully someone came along to assist. He was a big guy, a welder by trade .. about 6'2" and 200 lbs.. he couldn';t move the ATV of of himself... how could a little girl of this size...? Also as a result he lost his spleen and had other internal organ damage.. was hosptialized for over a week. I am afraid even if she has not been abducted and its an accident it could be a deadly situation.. I am praying that its not the case.

Usher737 · #9 06-15-2006, 09:45 AM

LE asked for volunteers to help search today. It's pretty bad territory here," said Dave Prichard, of the Bobtown Fire Department. "Been timbered out throughout the years, heavy ground cover, mountains, hollows. If she did slip and fall into one of them, it could take numerous hours to find her."

Here is a recent article: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06166/698463-85.stm

Gmommy · #10 06-15-2006, 12:02 PM

http://www.lyricsandsongs.com/song/652114.html

It looks like this little missing one left a nice comment about a Rascal Flatts song-sounds like a typical kid.

I am holding out hope that they find her today, injured maybe and scared for sure but okay. I remember falling into a hole in the woods in PA when I was a kid-it really scared me because I had a hard time climbing back up but I had my big brother with me who put a fallen tree down the hole to help me climb back out.

I am going to focus my hopeful thoughts on this little girl today.

Jovin · #11 06-15-2006, 12:16 PM

to think that she could possibly be out there somewhere all this time, injured and/or pinned under this vehicle. I sure hope this comes to a happy conclusion and very soon! I'm sure the nights have been quite cool also, and this girl has had a lot to deal with if she's still with us. God forbid the thought that she isn't.

Gmommy · #12 06-15-2006, 04:48 PM

http://www.wpxi.com/news/9377589/detail.html

Looks like the FBI is involved now.

I hope if they're still searching with helicopters that they have those infrared heat signature cameras. Still hoping for the best possible outcome here.

mom3dd · #13 06-15-2006, 04:54 PM

Why would the FBI be involved unless they have serious reason to belive this is more than an accident. I pray they find her soon.

Gmommy · #14 06-15-2006, 05:05 PM

I think they bring in the FBI partly because they have quick access to better searching technology, not necessarily because there is any reason to suspect anything. FBI has more experience coordinating large scale search efforts and they probably also have more tracking dogs, more folks familiar with search techniques in wooded, hilly terrrain.

Usher737 · #15 06-15-2006, 05:47 PM

Info on FBI involvement: Precautionary

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06166/698537-100.stm

Usher737 · #16 06-16-2006, 12:47 PM

No major updates to report. They are searching again today and the reward is now up to $2000.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/9382086/detail.html

Rle7 · #17 06-16-2006, 04:17 PM

As the search continued yesterday and into the night for Gabrielle Miranda Bechen, residents were understandably distressed that she hadn't been found, but nary an eyebrow was raised at the fact the 12-year-old was last seen leaving her home on an all-terrain vehicle.

That's because in rural areas like this Greene County township, boys and girls even much younger than Gabrielle drive ATVs, which don't require a driver's license.

Yesterday, more than 185 police, firefighters, corrections officers and volunteers, many of them riding their own ATVs, combed the hilly wooded terrain for signs of the girl who disappeared Tuesday morning.

The FBI also joined the search.

State police Trooper Joseph Christy said the FBI involvement is precautionary because if the disappearance does turn out to be an abduction, federal authorities will have a head start. The FBI also has authority in cases that cross state lines, and the Greensboro area of the county is near the West Virginia border.

It was only natural that ATVs were such an integral part of the search in Greene County.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06167/698797-85.stm

I hope they find her soon. It's hard to think about her injured somewhere seeking help.

Bobbisangel · #18 06-16-2006, 08:23 PM

If she had been kidnapped wouldn't her ATV be sitting right where someone grabbed her? You wouldn't think the person would take the time to run it off a cliff or something while trying to hang onto her too. I hope they find her soon and that there was an accident and it is on her leg or something where it won't crush her internal organs.

Gmommy · #19 06-17-2006, 01:59 PM

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_168074959.html

Still no signs and they are still continuing the search. There is an address where you can send donations listed in this article.

The longer this goes the worse this is looking. Hoping today is the day they find her.

Rle7 · #20 06-17-2006, 05:26 PM

Police have not speculated on the cause of Bechen's disappearance, although the possibilities most often discussed are that she was abducted, she was injured while riding an unable to seek help or she ran away, either alone or with someone else.

Christy said police continue to look into "every single one" of the tips that comes in.

Family and friends have set up a reward fund under an account at Community Bank of Greensboro to try to encourage someone with any information about the girl's disappearance to come forward. Anyone wishing to donate funds to a reward can do so at any Community Bank branch under the name "Gabrielle M. Bechen Donation Fund."

According to Dennis Chaney, logistics chief of the search and rescue team, there were between 110 and 120 searchers on the scene Friday. Chaney said a mile radius from the Bechen home was thoroughly searched, with no trace of the girl. The search continues, however, and the area being searched continues to expand.

Although the ATV Bechen was riding was relatively small and has a gasoline tank of a little more than a gallon, Christy said the number of ATVs in the area meant it would not be hard for her to find more gas if she needed to refuel.

"We're not going to say this can only go so far," Christy said. "We're not going to limit our search."

A call has been put out for additional search and rescue teams from the all along the Eastern Seaboard, Chaney said. Officials said more than 200 emergency personnel from more than five states and dozens of additional volunteers on ATVs and two helicopters equipped with thermal-imaging cameras also were searching for Bechen.

Lorrie Pitek of North Strabane Township, Washington County, was among those searching the heavy underbrush on foot Friday. She is a volunteer for the Red Cross but came to search for Bechen on her own accord.

"How could you not?" she said. "I have children of my own, if one of them were missing, I'd want someone to help find them alive."

On Wednesday, Bechen's father, Christopher Bechen, made a plea for his daughter's return, stating that she would not be in trouble if she had wandered off and to "please call home."

Her mother, Blanche Bechen, said Gabrielle often rides the ATV around the family home but never on wooded trails by herself.

On Thursday, the hard drive of the family's computer was seized from the home by investigators, but no new leads resulted.

As of press time, the girl has been missing for almost five days and searches continue on both foot and on ATVs under increasingly hot weather.

"We feel we need to bring this to some sort of conclusion," Christy said. "She is somewhere and until we can locate her we're going to continue looking."

Anyone with information regarding Bechen's whereabouts is asked to call state police at 724-627-6151.

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/n...d=480247&rfi=6

Shadow205 · #21 06-17-2006, 07:59 PM

Although the ATV Bechen was riding was relatively small and has a gasoline tank of a little more than a gallon, Christy said the number of ATVs in the area meant it would not be hard for her to find more gas if she needed to.

The above statement makes it sound like there were numerous ATV's in the area at the time of her disappearence. Did anyone see her riding her ATV that morning?

concernedperson · #22 06-17-2006, 08:09 PM

Unfortuately it sounds like she met a pedophile unless the area had serious defaults. Cliffs, deep creeks, other natural phenomena. Does anyone know this area?

longwayaround · #23 06-17-2006, 08:36 PM

this really is a sad case. is there any clue as to where she was headed on this ATV? and they haven't found any sign of the ATV? no tracks left behind or anything? too strange.

wvwoman67 · #24 06-17-2006, 09:00 PM

The area is rural. The terrain is very rough, there are ravines, cliffs, creeks, ect. There are many coal mines in this area-old shafts, drain pipes ect. It was not unusual for Gabby to ride her quad in the immediate area, however she did not usually go into the woods alone. The three possiblilities that the police are reporting are all still possible. Please, please pray for her safe return.

englishleigh · #25 06-17-2006, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wvwoman67

The area is rural. The terrain is very rough, there are ravines, cliffs, creeks, ect. There are many coal mines in this area-old shafts, drain pipes ect. It was not unusual for Gabby to ride her quad in the immediate area, however she did not usually go into the woods alone. The three possiblilities that the police are reporting are all still possible. Please, please pray for her safe return.

Do you know the family?