MN MN - Amy Pagnac, 13, Osseo, 5 Aug 1989

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Is it really a fresh look if they are just looking the same places they've looked before?
 
She was supposedly reported as a runaway in 1989 - however, that's not the word the parents used. So there seems to be a difference between definitions of "runaway". To the family, they simply couldn't find their child. Since a child is considered "missing" if their custodial parents don't know where they are, Amy went missing in 1989. Anyone can say she was a runaway, but until she is found and the circumstances are established, why insist that she's a runaway? And even if she were a runaway, even a repeat runaway, why would that mean she should not be found, or that her parents need to answer questions about it? There are lots of reasons kids run from good homes, and the parents don'[t know why until later. One common reason that kids will leave home is to accompany a troubled friend because they are worried about them. It is not unusual for the kids who accompany friends on the run to be good kids with good hearts who are from loving, nurturing homes, actually.
this constant obsession folks on this thread have with the character of Amy and her family is very strange. If you want to know what kind of people they are, maybe start with the fact that they have never given up looking for their daughter, and never given up advocating for other missing kids this whole time. They have endured harassment, vandalism, name-calling, and other indignities by staying in their home so that she will know exactly where to find them. They have willingly given up massive amounts of memorabilia of their daughter in the hopes that it will bring the investigation along, when it is painful to lose those things when they are all that you have left of your child.
 
Also, according to that article, Amy's mom's "story" is inconsistent with the 1989 report, but fails to mention that Amy's mom CONTESTED that report within a short time after it was taken. She met with a Lt. at the Police department and went over everything in that report that was not the way she and Amy's father had told it, and the Lt. wrote up a corrected report. However, the corrected report was not the one released to the media.
If you have a copy of the one released to the media, do this little experiment. Take it to a Law Enforcement Officer that you know, and ask them if they have ever taken a report that looks like that one. I've had more than one retired LEO look at that and tell me something along the lines of "What the hell is that?" One even asked me if the press had faked it, because he didn't think it looked like any report he had ever seen. I would be interested to see a release of the corrected report. Maybe that would be closer to what the family is saying now.
 
Whisper2112--Are you a family member? Do you know the family?
Or are you just a concerned poster, a stranger, who, like everyone else on this board hopes Amy will be found?
 
Isn't what I said all public knowledge? It's all available from sources in the media and on social media. It's not as though it requires any validation of my identity to test it. Anyone else can find the information I cited out there if they are interested. Reading this thread from the beginning is very educational, for instance.
 
Whisper2112 said:
She was supposedly reported as a runaway in 1989 - however, that's not the word the parents used. So there seems to be a difference between definitions of "runaway". To the family, they simply couldn't find their child. Since a child is considered "missing" if their custodial parents don't know where they are, Amy went missing in 1989. Anyone can say she was a runaway, but until she is found and the circumstances are established, why insist that she's a runaway? And even if she were a runaway, even a repeat runaway, why would that mean she should not be found, or that her parents need to answer questions about it? There are lots of reasons kids run from good homes, and the parents don'[t know why until later. One common reason that kids will leave home is to accompany a troubled friend because they are worried about them. It is not unusual for the kids who accompany friends on the run to be good kids with good hearts who are from loving, nurturing homes, actually.
this constant obsession folks on this thread have with the character of Amy and her family is very strange. If you want to know what kind of people they are, maybe start with the fact that they have never given up looking for their daughter, and never given up advocating for other missing kids this whole time. They have endured harassment, vandalism, name-calling, and other indignities by staying in their home so that she will know exactly where to find them. They have willingly given up massive amounts of memorabilia of their daughter in the hopes that it will bring the investigation along, when it is painful to lose those things when they are all that you have left of your child.
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I don't think many posters here are insisting Amy was a runaway. Others may use that classification.

Regardless of how she disappeared, everyone thinks she deserves to be brought home. Your argument seems to say some people don't think runaways should be brought home. Well, everyone here is here posting in an effort to find Amy. Maybe that part of your post is directed at someone not on this forum?

I know of no kids from stable homes who run away to help a friend from a troubled home. I've never heard of this, but I'm sure it's happened somewhere.

I don't remember anyone ever questioning Amy's character. She was a kid.

Referring to Amy's possessions as "memorabilia" is offensive. I don't know who used that term but it has negative connotations in that context.
 
Sutton said:
Whisper2112--Are you a family member? Do you know the family?
Or are you just a concerned poster, a stranger, who, like everyone else on this board hopes Amy will be found?
Click to expand...

Whisper2112 said:
Isn't what I said all public knowledge? It's all available from sources in the media and on social media. It's not as though it requires any validation of my identity to test it. Anyone else can find the information I cited out there if they are interested. Reading this thread from the beginning is very educational, for instance.
Click to expand...

Actually, no, your posts aren't public knowledge. They may contain public knowledge, but they are mostly explanation and opinion--just like most posts on a discussion forum.

I understand you don't feel comfortable answering my question.
 
Wow. I was just avoiding studying for an exam and decided to take a look at websleuths as I saw the Jacob Wetterling case was on The Hunt again last night. I saw this case listed underneath his on the site and I cannot believe this is the first I'm ever hearing about Amy. I grew up in a neighboring suburb of Maple Grove/Osseo and am the same age as Amy, we were in the same grade, but different schools. My entire family has now moved up to the Maple Grove/Champlin area and I was just there the entire month of July visiting. I have lived in AZ for the past 10 years. My son and I even stopped at the Holiday gas station in Osseo for drinks while I was there.

Such a sad case. I'm just shocked that I don't recall ever hearing anything about it as a kid. I of course, remember the Jacob Wetterling case like it was yesterday. Did Amy's case not get much coverage at the time or was I just a typical 13 year old kid and not paying much attention?

The reference to The Bridge brought back a lot of memories too. I never went there myself, but had a few friends that ended up there after having problems at home. This is all so sad. I so hope that they find Amy.
 
Agree with zanzi14. Amy's case got next to no coverage. I've lived near Osseo 21 years and only became aware of Amy when the family's yard was dug up last summer.
 
Websleuther community, Amy, her family and friends really appreciate all of the individuals who want to help find Amy. Thank you.

I have to tell you what I have been telling the media – I have been told not to provide too many details, because it could hinder law enforcement’s efforts to find Amy. 1) The individual(s) who took Amy may read this information. 2) If someone calls in with a lead, we want to make sure that the information that they are providing is valid and that they actually know something and not just read it on social media, etc. 3) There is some information that they have specifically told me not to provide.
 
Amy also had friends that used the Bridge’s services. Amy has a big heart, she is kind, and thoughtful, so in the summer of 1989, when one of her friend was in great distress, she stayed with her friend all the way to the bridge. When they arrived, her friend registered, and Amy called us to pick her up. I am very proud of Amy, that she would not abandon an individual that was in distress. It is unfortunate that because she was aware of the Bridge, and went to the Bridge in support of a friend, that everyone assumes the worst.
 
zanzi14 said:
Wow. I was just avoiding studying for an exam and decided to take a look at websleuths as I saw the Jacob Wetterling case was on The Hunt again last night. I saw this case listed underneath his on the site and I cannot believe this is the first I'm ever hearing about Amy. I grew up in a neighboring suburb of Maple Grove/Osseo and am the same age as Amy, we were in the same grade, but different schools. My entire family has now moved up to the Maple Grove/Champlin area and I was just there the entire month of July visiting. I have lived in AZ for the past 10 years. My son and I even stopped at the Holiday gas station in Osseo for drinks while I was there.

Such a sad case. I'm just shocked that I don't recall ever hearing anything about it as a kid. I of course, remember the Jacob Wetterling case like it was yesterday. Did Amy's case not get much coverage at the time or was I just a typical 13 year old kid and not paying much attention?

The reference to The Bridge brought back a lot of memories too. I never went there myself, but had a few friends that ended up there after having problems at home. This is all so sad. I so hope that they find Amy.
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Aaron Mitchell Anderson was a toddler when he disappeared a few months before Amy and Jacob Wetterling that same year. His parents are also still searching, and there has been almost no coverage, despite the best efforts of the family and both Missing Children Minnesota and (later, obviously)the Jacob Wetterling Foundation.

Not all cases are created equal. It is good that the Wetterlings were able to leverage their influence on behalf of the issue. Not all families would have done it. But it's amazing how little interest there is in most missing child stories.

A family does have to push hard to get any coverage at all, and even then, it isn't always effective. Unless it is a story that qualifies as an Amber Alert, or if there is something dramatic like witnesses or a search for a body, it seems like there just isn't that much interest.
 
According to this article; http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3794346.shtml
there are currently over 500 missing people in Minnesota right now. So, it stands to reason that most of them are not covered by the papers. It takes a lot of pushing and work to make sure that your missing person case gets covered. Families that access help and keep on top of the press tend to fare somewhat better. There are two organizations in Minnesota who will help families (Jacob Wetterling Resource Center and Missing Children Minnesota) but there are other organizations out there like the Squeaky Wheel Tour which is coming in October, to bring attention and help families highlight these cases.
The press comes to it, and of course they want the "big names" for interviews, but sometimes some of the lesser known cases can catch some crumbs and at least get on camera, even if they don't make the cut and get on the air.
http://squeakywheeltour.com/

Media coverage is really important to keep the pressure on whoever out there knows what happened to these folks. You can see there is a huge spike in interest from the public, and people talking about cases after even the slightest bit of coverage. If a parent is at all capable of talking to the press (and not everyone can do that) they stand a better chance if they make themselves available and push for coverage. Even though it is difficult and painful.

Amy's mom has done a great job of trying to get this story into the press every year, chasing down reporters who have done stories in the past and reminding them of Amy's birthday, the anniversary of her abduction, etc. It is hard to see the rumors and horrible things people say about Amy and the family when the case is mentioned in a place where comments are allowed, I'm sure, but it is obviously still more important to them to get the story out and get people aware of Amy so that she can maybe be rescued if she is being held, or so that maybe the person responsible will crack and confess, or so that maybe someone who was involved might finally say something.
 
I am still wondering that when Amy was said to be an underage stripper, what was done to find her? Interviews with coworkers? Interviews with the people wherever she was living?
 
I am still confused about the earlier reports of the missing Amy. Where was she the other times?

I also am confused about leaving Amy alone , missing, while the parents are off on a medical trip?
 
I am also wondering about the publicity. I went to a forum held by Patty. There was the father of Kevin Collins, a woman whose child had been taken by the ex to Mexico and the parents of Aaron Anderson.

Amy's parents were not aware of the Wetterling resources that were being offered to people all over the US?
 
human said:
I am still wondering that when Amy was said to be an underage stripper, what was done to find her? Interviews with coworkers? Interviews with the people wherever she was living?
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You seem to be somewhat informed, but there are some pretty big holes in your information, to be sure. You must be aware that specific investigative techniques used, and specific information from them are supposed to be withheld in an active investigation. This is just the sort of information that is usually not available even to the family until the conclusion of an investigation, and sometimes not even then.
 
human said:
I am still confused about the earlier reports of the missing Amy. Where was she the other times?

I also am confused about leaving Amy alone , missing, while the parents are off on a medical trip?
Click to expand...

This is public information. Amy's mom has publicly stated in interviews that the medical trip out of town that was scheduled was for Amy, and the family DID NOT, in fact, go on the planned medical trip since Amy was missing. They told police that if she was able, she would likely return in time for the planned trip out of town. This has been garbled in some media reports, but it has been clarified by Amy's mom. I will try to find one of the instances where she corrects this publically and add the link, but I remember encountering it on more than one occasion.
 
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