AL AL - Heaven Ross, 11, Northport, 19 Aug 2003

[amber1]

An article from last month marking ten years since Shae's murder. Her mother has been diagnosed with cancer, and is afraid she will die without Shae's killer brought to justice.

Heaven LaShae Ross 10 years later: highly publicized disappearance, murder remains unsolved
Much more at the link

The article also mentions the similarities between Shae's murder, the murder of Shannon Paulk, and the disappearance of Teresa Dean.

Abducted from trailer parks on U.S. Highway 82
Were 11-years-old
Abducted exactly two years apart, on almost the same dates in August.

Teresa Dean -- August 15, 1999
Shannon Paulk -- August 16, 2001
Shae Ross -- August 19, 2003

AL AL - Shannon Paulk murder, age 11, Prattville, 2001 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


GA GA - Teresa Melissa Dean, 11, Macon, 15 Aug 1999 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Very interesting connections. Heaven's killer had to have killed before, and possibly after Heaven as well, especially if this was a stranger abduction. They don't stop unless they are sick, locked up or dead.

 

[bamabeauty]

Poor sweet angel! I can not believe it has been 10 1/2 years! But her mom saying
" I don't want to be another Patsy Ramsey,” she said. Ramsey died in 2006 with the 1996 murder of her daughter JonBenet still unsolved. “I don't want to die without knowing what happened to my kid."

Really! That is who she wants to compare herself too?
I have always felt the mom knew much more than what she said, The blowup at the volunteer who had donated so much of her time to find Shae over $500!?! Donated funds especially in such a small amount is the last thing that would be on my mind if my child was missing.
I grew up in AL so I followed this case from the start and remember reading the reports of volunteers saying how demanding the mom was , woried qbout the donation money coming in and moe worried about smoking than anything else. Also she always tried to say police treated them badly and did not care about finding the "real' kidnappers , later killer because they were an interracial couple.
Then the "suspicious " fire in Shae's room. I have always belived the killer was much closer to home than the anniversary killer and that Shae was killed to keep her quiet!

Rest in peace sweet angel!!! I pray your killer faces justice!!!

 

[Kimster]

:rose: Shae is our current featured cold case :rose:

 

[Claudette]

.......seriously? This one is so cut and dry it's sad. "Step-dad" did it there is zero doubt in my mind. I thought this the first mention of him suddenly showing up at the bus stop - probably after driving home from the abandoned house. The only thing I'm on the fence about is to what degree the mom was involved and what she knew. I think he brainwashed her - example, getting her to lie about the blood in the car. "It's from me cutting my hand but they will never believe that, can you tell them it's from a fight we had?"

 

[Kell1]

The dump site seems important, its most likely not something the killer would "stumble "on... more likely he's familiar with it .

Manner of death, and post mortem findings, would be important to determine any linkage analysis , if police are withholding it , its most likely for exclusionary reasons, or because there feel there's a link with it to other unsolved crimes.

Id be interested to know how far she had to walk from her home to the bus stop, which route she took, ... I find it odd, that the step father went and picked up his wife, after retrieving her older sister, then went to she school, to call police, instead of looking for her, I know id be riding around screaming , Its my findings that parents will usually do anything to deny the notion that their child has been abducted, I find it odd (albeit slightly) they didn't ride around looking for her 1st . But that's not indicative of anything in and of itself .

Id also be interested in knowing the length of time, between Shae leaving the house, and her step father, meeting her sister at the bus stop, was it enough time to pick up the child kill her drive a total of 12 miles, then meet her sister, it seems unlikely from what's reported

the Arson is another interesting finding, however, if it was to destroy evidence, why wait a month ? the police had most likely already gone through the room.

I don't have enough info to say whether or not I feel this is related to the abduction of Shannon Paulk despite the similarities

Its also odd that the one gentleman interviewed stated that ALOT of "bad stuff" goes on back there yet no one ever discovered her remains before that .

Again I feel the dump site is a BIG key

 

[Kell1]

That is if she even left the house

 

[Bootsctr]

Poor child! So close to home... 6 miles in an abandoned house. Hope the killer is revealed soon. It has been too long. Brrrrrrr!

 

[shefner]

Praying for justice for Shae.....Lord, lead us to her killer. Let the truth be revealed so Shae can rest in true peace.

 

[4lilowls]

Has the cause of death still not been released?

 

[kimi_SFC]

So sad for the losses her mother suffered, in addition to Heaven:

(snip)
This year has turned out to be more difficult than Thompson expected. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer about six weeks ago and is recovering after a full hysterectomy. The 21-year relationship with her husband Kevin Thompson ended around the same time. And she's still mourning the recent deaths of her stepfather and an 18-day old grandson.


http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/08/case_of_missing_ala_girl_heave.html

I searched, but could find no further updates since August of 2013. Sending heartfelt prayers that there will be a break in this cold case. :tears:

raying:

 

[T4Tide]

I live here. I drive past the poor, run down trailer park several times a week. There is a connection to that park and where her body was found. The trailer park is located in a very central, yet not high crime area. It's merely miles from very nice homes, restaurants, and the country club, for heaven's sake. I shop and eat at several locations nearby, but I wouldn't dare turn down the street that this trailer park is in. It's almost like it's out of place.

You know where it WOULD belong? In the community that her body was found in. They are not close together, and you have to finagle your way through the city to even get from one to the other. The thing that ties these two areas together is crime, poverty, and violence. Somebody has friends in one of the places that lives near the other. It could also be a "set up/cover up." I'm trying to be as real as possible without sounding elitist. The trailer park is located in an area where I'd say there's more white people who frequent it. The dump location is in a predominately black area riddle with drugs, violence, and problems. I know, we used to live very near there when we first moved to Alabama 15 years ago. Within 6 months everything we had had been broken into, and we quickly moved out to a safer area......Northport. There's so much more I'd like to say, but I've got to get my kiddos to their music lessons. I'll be back.

There's just no way this was the work of a random serial killer taking into consideration both locations. It was someone local to both places, and very likely someone she knew, even if it was just as an acquaintance.

I am not a verified insider to this case, however, I am a verified poster, and my info can be found on the member verification page.

 

[SoALJohn]

Very new to WS and have been getting myself acquainted with some of the cases and saw this one featured. I'm from further south in Alabama and had never heard of this case until today.

I did some looking and found this blog post outlining the Paulk case:
http://childrenabducted.blogspot.com/2013/01/shannon-paulk.html?m=1

The suspect here is very distinctive with the large mole and crooked yellowed teeth. It's thought that the "anniversary killer", if there actually is one, might be in construction.

Then, reading the article where the gentleman mentions the bad stuff that happens down the road where Shea's remains were discovered, and the quote about prostitutes using the road.

Here's the perfect opportunity for an out of towner (contract construction worker) to get introduced to the road in question. At this point, ten years later, it's probably a moot point, but it's possible that at the time of the discovery of the remains, one or more of the local prostitutes might have remembered a person fitting the description of the "anniversary killer".

Not sure if LE went this direction or not, but it seems like a plausible scenario.

 

[rcarosin]

:blushing1: Some one picky out there... Hi, sorry, I'm new here, and as soon as I joined, there was a notice to take a look at the case. I'm am no professional at all, but I am interested in helping as much as I can... What I mean by picky, is that perhaps there is some kind of fetish for girls like Heaven... Anyways, I just thought I'd introduce myself... I'm always in a bit of a hurry... I'm having trouble here in my country getting through to the Child Protection Unit about suspicious behaviour with regards to toys, crayons and school books and stuff being thrown in the rubbish bags every few months or so, and I have finally resorted to asking a friend to show the file I found this year with a girls name on it... I searched the internet, but couldn't come up with any one missing by that name... Anyways, this is me... I don't have kids of my own, but gave up my son for adoption 28 years ago and I've been haunted every since... Anywho, let me get on with things... I'll get to know how this site works soon enough... Hope my input helps a bit, with the picky thing... Best wishes, raine

 

[amber1]

<3 Prayers to her mother during this difficult illness and hard time with her daughter missing. Heaven's disappearance reminds me a lot of Rachel Mellon Skemp in regards to the stepfather. I hope they will find the evidence to get justice for her some day.

 

[Ociboys]

Couple thoughts that jumped out at me. First, she never made it to the bus stop so I would not believe the kidnapping or stranger abduction theory as my first choice. Google maps show this is a dead end straight road for each entrance to trailer park. No optional exits. Her sister was at the bus stop and confirmed to be first to leave the home. She said stepdad came up the road for her. Did she see other cars? Sister also states another child was in the car with stepdad on date of disappearance. Sister was not allowed to be polygraphed per one of the news reports. Mom never gets up that morning. S-dad alleges to have talked with Shea offering a ride. No confirmation that sister had any conversations with Shea that I can gather. It is very possible that Shea never left the house that morning to go to school. I think LE (if they are working on this case) needs to question the sister and other unknown child who was in the car with S-dad. heres my links and reports. I'll try to google map but not sure I know how.

By Stephanie Taylor
Staff Writer
August 21, 2003
NO LINK. POST#4

Last seen by family members at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Heaven LaShae Ross, 11, disappeared somewhere between her home and a bus stop about 50 yards away on Hunter Creek Road.

Shae&#8217;s sister, Alex Ross, 13, had been waiting at the bus stop Tuesday morning and said her sister never made it there. She knew something was wrong when her mother&#8217;s boyfriend, who she said the girls think of as their father, showed up to give them a ride to school because it was about to rain.

&#8220;She usually walks with someone else. I left a few minutes ahead of her. I didn&#8217;t think anything was wrong until they came and got me and didn&#8217;t know where she was," Alex said.


8/19/2005
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/p...plate=dateline

He said he offered to drive Shae to school the day she went missing because her book bag looked heavy. She declined the offer. She had only been out the door a few minutes when a loud thunderclap made Thompson go out the door after her.

"She doesn't like thunderstorms," he said. "They scare her....

"But when I came out the door, I didn't see her at all. It's like she just vanished."

posted:12/23/05
More: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...n1161706.shtml

...Heaven's older sister, Alex, was waiting at the bus stop near some mailboxes. But because it was pouring rain that morning, their stepfather decided to drive them to school.

"I probably left at 6:56, 6:55 and she left around like 7:00 and my step dad got there around 7:02, maybe, and he just came around there and was like, 'Where is Shae?' And I was like 'I don't know,' " Alex Lowery remembers.

 

[Ociboys]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.235946,-87.5636796,303m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[T4Tide]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.235946,-87.5636796,303m/data=!3m1!1e3

You see that little building right south of the Hwy82 marker and just west of the 70? It's near the entrance to the trailer park. That used to be a pretty hoppin' little bar and billiards joint back at the time of her disappearance. It would be packed. It is now a "check cashing" place. Not that the bar would be open when Heaven was waiting for the bus, but someone there could have come in contact with her at a previous time. Directly across 82 is a nursing home. As a side note, I can tell by looking at the hospital parking lot that this photo was taken on a Saturday or Sunday.

Now.... if you can, follow me on the map. Take Hwy 82 east until you cross the Black Warrior River. After the river, turn east on Jack Warner Parkway, known to locals as "River Road." Take this road all the way until it ends. Take a right on Crescent Ridge Road. Take a left onto Elm Drive NE and you'll be able to see Creek Road where her body was dumped. In this particular map, there's not any houses left anymore due to the horrific tornado in April 2011. See that little subdivision off of Elm Drive? I lived in one of those houses on Alexander Lane. Creek Road? Ain't no stranger just "passing through" finding that. That whole circle, 5th St, used to be mostly elderly people, and when they started passing away, the homes were sold or rented. I used to walk with my now 14 year old son around that block. Safe during the day, but at night, the crazies came out. We moved out in 2001.

Somebody knew exactly where they were going to dump her.

 

[colette]

Welcome to Websleuths, Rcarosin

 

[Fairy1]

You see that little building right south of the Hwy82 marker and just west of the 70? It's near the entrance to the trailer park. That used to be a pretty hoppin' little bar and billiards joint back at the time of her disappearance. It would be packed. It is now a "check cashing" place. Not that the bar would be open when Heaven was waiting for the bus, but someone there could have come in contact with her at a previous time. Directly across 82 is a nursing home. As a side note, I can tell by looking at the hospital parking lot that this photo was taken on a Saturday or Sunday.

Now.... if you can, follow me on the map. Take Hwy 82 east until you cross the Black Warrior River. After the river, turn east on Jack Warner Parkway, known to locals as "River Road." Take this road all the way until it ends. Take a right on Crescent Ridge Road. Take a left onto Elm Drive NE and you'll be able to see Creek Road where her body was dumped. In this particular map, there's not any houses left anymore due to the horrific tornado in April 2011. See that little subdivision off of Elm Drive? I lived in one of those houses on Alexander Lane. Creek Road? Ain't no stranger just "passing through" finding that. That whole circle, 5th St, used to be mostly elderly people, and when they started passing away, the homes were sold or rented. I used to walk with my now 14 year old son around that block. Safe during the day, but at night, the crazies came out. We moved out in 2001.

Somebody knew exactly where they were going to dump her.

BBM - Do you lean toward the killer having ties to that specific house or just the general area? I assume LE researched the history of the house and ruled out past owners or renters. At least I sure hope they did!

 

[killarney rose]

Couple thoughts that jumped out at me. First, she never made it to the bus stop so I would not believe the kidnapping or stranger abduction theory as my first choice. Google maps show this is a dead end straight road for each entrance to trailer park. No optional exits. Her sister was at the bus stop and confirmed to be first to leave the home. She said stepdad came up the road for her. Did she see other cars? Sister also states another child was in the car with stepdad on date of disappearance. Sister was not allowed to be polygraphed per one of the news reports. Mom never gets up that morning. S-dad alleges to have talked with Shea offering a ride. No confirmation that sister had any conversations with Shea that I can gather. It is very possible that Shea never left the house that morning to go to school. I think LE (if they are working on this case) needs to question the sister and other unknown child who was in the car with S-dad. heres my links and reports. I'll try to google map but not sure I know how.

By Stephanie Taylor
Staff Writer
August 21, 2003
NO LINK. POST#4

Last seen by family members at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Heaven LaShae Ross, 11, disappeared somewhere between her home and a bus stop about 50 yards away on Hunter Creek Road.

Shae’s sister, Alex Ross, 13, had been waiting at the bus stop Tuesday morning and said her sister never made it there. She knew something was wrong when her mother’s boyfriend, who she said the girls think of as their father, showed up to give them a ride to school because it was about to rain.

“She usually walks with someone else. I left a few minutes ahead of her. I didn’t think anything was wrong until they came and got me and didn’t know where she was," Alex said.


8/19/2005
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/p...plate=dateline

He said he offered to drive Shae to school the day she went missing because her book bag looked heavy. She declined the offer. She had only been out the door a few minutes when a loud thunderclap made Thompson go out the door after her.

"She doesn't like thunderstorms," he said. "They scare her....

"But when I came out the door, I didn't see her at all. It's like she just vanished."

posted:12/23/05
More: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...n1161706.shtml

...Heaven's older sister, Alex, was waiting at the bus stop near some mailboxes. But because it was pouring rain that morning, their stepfather decided to drive them to school.

"I probably left at 6:56, 6:55 and she left around like 7:00 and my step dad got there around 7:02, maybe, and he just came around there and was like, 'Where is Shae?' And I was like 'I don't know,' " Alex Lowery remembers.

Reading this makes me doubt that she ever left the house that morning....especially when you consider the fire later in her bedroom.