I just saw Tabitha's case on "Disappeared". Gosh do I really, really feel for her parents and sisters. Tabitha seemed like a really wonderful, happy kid who was really loved by her family. And she was so proud of her good grades...words can not express what a terrble, terrible crime it is that has obviously occurred here, poor Tabitha. And nobody should ever have to go through what her family has obviously been through and goes through very day. I really hope Tabitha can be found. Herpa rents seem like really genuine, wholesome, good people. And her sister has been so brave and involved, making all those tshirts, etc...
My opinion and initial strong impressions are that this is clearly an abduction by a pedophile, possibly random OR by one who had seen her before and was living or working in the area at the time. My suspicions are that poor little Tabitha was probably deceased by the time they even knew she was missing. This is strictly based on statistics, but of course we have seen cases like Ariel Castro's victims, Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Duggard...Tabitha's family still clearly holds up hope.
Her sister said there have been many, many detectives who have worked her case over the years, and that they think the current detective "is going to be the one to solve this case." The detective also has a 13 year old daughter and is obviously very committed to finding Tabitha.
Tabitha's mother said she would never get in a car with a stranger and discussed an example on the show. So how did he lure her into the vehicle? Perhaps yielded a weapon. (ARS got Jessica Ridgeway in the car while she was on her way to school, he threw her in the back seat and restrained her with zip ties. I've stood in that exact spot and can not understand how nobody saw anything as all the houses are so close together, it was a busy morning with people walking their dogs, leaving for work and school...)...anyway point is, all it takes is a blink of an eye...it can happen and obviously does happen in broad daylight with people around.
My first thoughts are to research attempted child abductions in the Nashville area 5 years preceding and following Tabitha's disappearance, which iirc was April 29, 2003. So basically that's 10 years to look at; the detectives would have likely already done this). The obvious challenges with this are the perp could have relocated or even been new to the area or only temporarily there for work, but there is great chance he lives/lived in the neighborhood and had seen her walking before, moo. Of course, we also know these types of perps often seize upon a crime of opportunity, so there is a chance this could be a stranger abduction as well.
Back to researching similar crimes in the area during the time, one challenge that always arises I've noticed is that when I have googled attempted abductions in other cases, sooo many results are returned, and usually unrelated (it's like an RSO map that never fails to light up like a Christmss tree, there are so many...). But there can be a hit as far as prior attempted abductions, as in the case of Jessica Ridgeway when ARS attempted an assault on an adult jogger a few months prior.
I am looking forward to going back to read here and catch up on what's already written.
I want to see what other children have gone missing in the Nashville area during this time, obvious first step.
