Murder Charges Filed In Kansas Teen Death
26-Year-Old Man Faces First-Degree Murder And Kidnapping Charges One Day After Girl Was Found Dead
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Play CBS Video Video Man Charged In Teen's Murder Kansas authorities are expected to file charges against a man who is suspected of kidnapping and killing Kelsey Smith, the teen who disappeared from a Target parking lot. Cynthia Bowers reports.
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Video Keeping Teens Safe Julie Chen speaks with child safety expert Bob Stuber about keeping teens safe from abduction and what they can do if they are faced with a kidnapping.
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Video Body Found In Search For Teen Cell phone signals have led police to a body south of Kansas City, Mo.; it may be that of missing teenager Kelsey Smith. Gwen Belton reports.
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Edwin R. Hall, 26, was charged Thursday with premeditated first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, according to the Johnson County Court Web site. Bond was set at $5 million. (AP Photo/Johnson County Sheriff)
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An undated family photo of Kelsey Smith. (AP)
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A man police sought for questioning about the disappearance of Kelsey Smith is seen leaving the Target store in Overland Park, Kan., on a surveillance video, June 2, 2007. Police said he appears to be Edwin Hall, who now faces charges in the case. (CBS)
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An aerial view of the area where police found the body of Kelsey Smith, June 6, 2007. (CBS)
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Kelsey Smith leaving the Target store in Overland Park, Kan., on a surveillance video, June 2, 2007. (CBS)
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Interactive Children In Danger Warning signs, state-by-state child services information and a history of child welfare reforms.
In a photo on the page, the man is posing with a young boy.
The existence of the MySpace page was first reported by someone who posted a link to it on The Kansas City Star's crime blog.
The man said his favorite movies are “anything that pushes the envalope, A clockwork Orange, Srangeland and lets not forget horror movies!!!! yea scary (or cheesy)like.”
“Jack” lists his occupation as millwork specialist and his heroes as Batman and “my dad” — whom he then describes with a mild expletive.
MySpace and Brian Burgess, spokesman for the Johnson County district attorney's office, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment on the page.
By Thursday, “Jack's” page had more than 200 postings from people hurling invective at Hall. “Aletha's” page also had many postings — most in sympathy but many accusatory — before the page was made private that evening.
Before a memorial service Wednesday evening, Smith's father, Greg Smith, thanked the hundreds of volunteers and everyone else involved in the search for his daughter.
Smith remembered his daughter as a young woman "scrubbed in sunshine," reports CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers.
“She could walk into a room full of strangers and walk out with a room full of friends,” Smith told the gathering, fighting tears.
“Her excitement and passion for life was unmatched,” he said. “She lived more in 18 years than many people do with a great deal more time.”
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 97 CommentsThe reason this is happening is because there is next to no consequences to the criminal behind such crimes. The average child murderer does not spend more years behind bars then the age of the kid he killed. It takes an average of 7 adult rapes to have an someone come under the radar of the police, but it takes an average of "70" to get someone to notice a child rapist. We can't even get someone to put seatbelts on a schoolbus, except the adult driver of course. No consequences and a culture that uses *** to sell EVERYTHING from Oreos to toothpaste(and by the way, all those things sold just as well when *** wasn't being used). *** doesn't sell, they sell ***. Almost always female. The one constant is girl, selling, girl, selling, etc. any commercial or program you watch. Rape has NEVER gone down in this country, and may soon become so prevalent, they'll make a nice reality show for everyone to watch. People can phone in who they'd like to see raped that night. In summary Staycalm, these things happen because they want to do they and more importantly, they are allowed to.
The other story is the killer was married with a 4 year old son. Olathe is another suburb that connects to Overland Park. Both very upscale places. Crime can happen anywhere--and now, due to the internet and the innocense of our kids--anyone can come to them--people who would never even know they existed, can now deliberately track them down--it is no different than if our kids were advertising in a porno or pedaphile mag--"here I am, this is what a like, here is what I look like and here is where I live....look me up if you ever want a victim"
Of course they do not mean it that way--but the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
He should get the death penalty--or better yet, just let him go free and tell us when and where this will happen.
We forget that the internet's true purpose is not a fun toy for kids or even a chatting tool--it is a marketing tool. Those who post their names. hobbies, location and pictures on the internet are advertising themselves to all kinds of people who otherwise would never know they existed. The rumour here is that this man tracked Kelsey after becoming obsessed with her pictures on MySpace.
If that is true, then Kelsey and millions of other posters on these sites are basically advertising themselves on a meat market where the potential criminal is not known, but due to their pictures, location info and talk about themselves--potential victims are known very well. This bears thinking about as we let our kids play on the internet. They never even have to talk to a predator--he can just wait incognito outside their home, then silently track them until opportunity strikes. And the perp can come from anywhere in the world--cause that is where the pictures go--anywhere in the world--to anyone in the world.
Posted by whatithink at 09:15 PM : Jun 07, 2007
In the American justice system, IT'S CALLED PUNISHMENT. Many years ago people felt as if murder was a extreme/severe crime and that punishment for such a crime should be death. Up until the anti's got involved and started complaining it had been successful. No convicted murderer who has been put to death has ever committed another murder. However, there are those who have committed murder and recieved life sentences only to be paroled and allowed to murder again.
I don't have a problem with the death penalty per se, but I do in the way it's administered. For example, blacks being more likely than whites to get it or if the victim was white, again, more likely. Personally, I don't think it should be a choice. First degree murder is a tough thing to get from a jury, so if it is agreed upon, then the murder must have been pretty nasty. If there were extenuating circumstances, then it shouldn't be first degree. So, if it is first degree murder, then either you have a death penalty and everyone gets it or you don't and nobody gets it. The conviction should set the punishment, not the lawyers. This "choice" thing only leads to inequities.
--and justice needs to be served. Period.
No..not lacking in common sense, either. I just have opinions different from your own--and you don't like it.
Jesus still loves you, though :)
You may be college educated but I believe that you are lacking common sense.
Quit thinking. It simply isn't working well for you, honey.
I'm college educated, well read, well traveled--and know myself quite well.
I don't really think that you know yourself. You should really spend more time analyzing yourself because your words and your analysis of your words are not really congruent.
What is an execution other than an extreme form of premeditated murder?
It's very frustrating that these decisions are left soley to the DA's office. The family should have the final say - but they are an afterthought. Victims have almost no rights and that includes making the decision about pursuing the death penalty. As long as the crime technically qualifies it should be left to the family to make the decision.
And - although I have no problem with the death penalty I do believe that this predator would suffer far more by spending his life in prison.
In six weeks I'll be going to the trial of the punk that murdered my 18 year old daughter.
Jen's Dad
JenniferAnn.org
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See all 97 Comments