Melinda Duckett Story: Investigators Thought Sex Videos Held Clue to Son's Disappearance

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

(CBS/WKMG)

(Personal Photo)

(Home Video)

(AP Photo)

ORLANDO, Fla. (CBS/WKMG) As the family of Melinda Duckett battles television host Nancy Grace in a lawsuit to determine who was to blame for Duckett's suicide, the mystery over her 2-year-old son's disappearance has only grown.

Photo: Melinda Duckett in a homemade erotic video.

On Aug. 27, 2006, Duckett reported Trenton missing, telling police she found a cut in his bedroom window screen when she checked on him.

Police focused their investigation on the 21-year-old mother after some of Trenton's toys, photographs and a sonogram photo were found in a trash bin in her apartment complex a day after she reported him missing, according to CBS affiliate WKMG. Duckett refused to take a polygraph test, apparently on the advice of her lawyer, but that only increased interest in the young mom.

Photo: Melinda Duckett with her son, Trenton.

Then, investigators looking into Duckett's background, hit upon an unusual clue. For two years, Duckett had been filming erotic and sometimes pornographic videos of herself and selling them to a Web site.

Police found naked photos of Duckett, pornographic tape, and a sexually explicit video in which a crying baby can be heard in the background.

Photo: Melinda Duckett in a homemade erotic video.

Investigators began to wonder if someone involved in the sex trade had played a role in her son's disappearance, according to WKMG. Had she made enemies in the industry, police wondered. Did she give her son to someone while making movies?

In the end, police could not find a link between the videos and the boy, reported WKMG, and since then the mystery has only grown.

Photo: Nancy Grace.

In September of 2006, Duckett taped an interview with CNN's Nancy Grace in the hopes of bringing attention to her missing son.

Grace quickly zeroed in on the inconsistencies in Duckett's story.

"Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day? You were the last person to be seen with him," Grace asked Duckett.

Duckett shot and killed herself the day the taped interview was scheduled to be broadcast on Sept. 8, 2006. The family blames Grace, but the anchorwoman said Duckett may have been racked with guilt over her son, not stress from the interview.

Melinda Duckett's family is now suing Grace for inflicting emotional distress on Duckett. Police still consider Duckett to be the prime suspect in Trenton's disappearance.

Reporting Contributed by CBS Affiliate WKMG

MORE ON CRIMESIDER
January 26, 2010 - In Melinda Duckett Suicide Case, Nancy Grace Wants to Silence Cameras

6 Comments +

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by Maytruthprevail April 30, 2012 1:27 PM EDT

In reply to the comment "suspect would have to be a giant"...Carla Massero the paternal grandmother has a boyfriend Jason Fort who is 6'9" or 79 inches tall. The top of the window is 81 inches. The window sill would have been up to Jason's waist. His arms could reach in 4 1/2 feet. He literally could touch the floor of the bedroom. If you want to see a picture go to http://duckettbucket.blogspot.com/2011/05/who-took-trenton-duckett-part-two.html

Reply to this comment


by minime1213 December 10, 2012 3:25 AM EST: Maytruthprevail, I have gone through your website, and have seen cases in which you respond to other comments on articles that pertain to this crime...but only to those who are merely giving opinions. You don't respond to nor even acknowledge comments that have links and sources. Your only source is your blog, and I will admit - the reflections of Melinda's innocence is based on hearsay and shoddy alibis that hinder greatly on electronic evidence that was not even allowed in court cases until the past 2 years when those sources could be more accurately tracked. I am not sure of your motive, but I do believe you should take a step back, stop getting involved in lives that don't involve you, and move on from this because you are biased and too emotional to even try to take a stab at this legally. What you are doing, although you may feel you have nothing but good intentions, is HARMFUL. Please stop stirring the pot because these are not your personal life you have to live.


by TruthWILLPrevail May 11, 2010 12:47 PM EDT: Report: Duckett Used Script For Nancy Grace Show - Video -
http://www.clickorlando.com/video/23492935/index.html

The script Melinda wrote before going on the NG Show was released on 5/7/10 along with a lot of other documents.

The docs show that Melinda?s dad did not want Melinda to continue with mental health treatment even though Melinda stated ?We need to come, I?m still cutting.? And ?You don?t want to help.? She was begging for help and he didn?t want her to have it. Also, according to these records, Melinda began aggressive behavior in pre-school by hitting other children. The reason she was sent to live with her grandparents in New York is confirmed that it was because she pulled a knife and threatened her parents, although Bethanne Eubank tries to deny it.

https://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov

search: Kathleen Calvert

Case # 06-cv-00444-WTH-GRJ

Exhibits:

#2 ? Deposition of Plaintiff William Gerald Eubank
#3 - Deposition of Plaintiff Bethann Eubank
#4 ? Deposition of Plaintiff Kathleen Calvert
#5 ? Depostion of Kimberly Schulte (Melinda?s Attorney)
#6 ? Declaration of Leesburg Police Detective Richard Giles (the Lead Detective)
This includes Melinda?s voice stress test results, FBI?s Behavorial Analysis Unit?s Assessment of Melinda and much more.
#9 ? Deposition of Nancy Grace
#15-17 Depositions of various Doctors who Evaluated Melinda when Baker Acted
#18 - Melinda?s New York Mental Health Records

You do have to pay for the records, but the highest amount is $2.40 for over 50 pages with some Exhibits as #?s 6 and 18.

Melinda Duckett prepared 'talking points' for Nancy Grace interview
Lawyers for Nancy Grace and CNN want a judge to throw out a wrongful-death motion filed by Duckett's estate in federal court.

OCALA ? Melinda Duckett, the mother of missing Leesburg toddler Trenton Duckett, prepared "talking points" for her interview with cable TV host Nancy Grace, according to a motion filed by lawyers for Grace and CNN, who want a judge to throw out a wrongful-death motion filed by Duckett's estate in federal court.....

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-duckett-nancy-grace-filings-20100510,0,3867734.story

From the below PDF link:

"In July of 2006, Melinda met an individual at a local
pawn shop from which she purchased a shotgun. This individual
told police that Melinda, after engaging in a brief sexual
encounter, asked him to give her money so that she could have her
husband killed. (This information was corroborated by police
when they discovered the person whom she requested to kill her
husband.) Melinda told him that Josh had beaten her and was
threatening to harm her and Trenton."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/acrobat/2010-05/53689314.pdf Declaration of Leesburg Police Lead Detective Richard Giles; Reply to this comment


by Maytruthprevail February 11, 2010 10:30 PM EST: Let me correct the website: http://www.duckettbucket.blogspot.com/; Reply to this comment


by Maytruthprevail February 11, 2010 10:29 PM EST: Talk about a half sided story!

Melinda Duckett was in the video BUT Joshua Duckett was her only co-star. the pictures are up on my blog: http://www.duckettbuckett.com

Scroll through the 80 plus articles and see all the documents, the letter from Josh's father on death row to Melinda, the background of what happened the day Melinda was baker acted. The documents stating that Josh Duckett lied and he signed the court affidavit. Letters from Bill Eubank to DCF. The letter from Josh's attorney to Bill Eubank requesting items.

Melinda Duckett was set up by a handful of people. If Josh lied about the fact that Melinda hurt Trenton (his affidavit) and if Josh lied about being in the porn WITH Melinda, what else has he lied about? And Nancy Grace was spoonfed all this misinformation - the car seat, the cut in the screen, the porn, WHY? Read it all on the blog Was It Really Worth It? Even Melinda's Sunday Drive hand drawn map for her attorney matched her cell phone pings EXACTLY. It's all there...the other half of the story.; Reply to this comment


by SusanStoHelit January 27, 2010 4:54 PM EST: Talk about a half sided story!

Melinda Duckett was proud of the interview - she went on a radio show right after and was urging people to watch her on Nancy Grace.

The issues with the kidnapping story - the slit in the screen would be near impossible to pull even a cooperating toddler out of, the bed wasn't close enough to the window, the toddler would have had to stand up and help, the window was far enough from the ground outside the 'suspect' would have had to be a giant, etc. - that's why the police looked at her.

Nancy Grace asked a softball question - what were you doing the day BEFORE he disappeared. It's a normal question to evoke what her normal life was before the evil kidnappers stole her baby. It's a pure softball. Melinda ducked it, lied, refused to answer - it's not a hardball interview to find that suspicious and follow up on this question.; Reply to this comment

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