Cops: Missing Vt. Girl's Body Found

(CBS/ AP)  Vermont State Police say they have found a body believed to be that of a missing 12-year-old girl.

Col. James Baker says Brooke Bennett's body was found in Randolph shortly before 5 p.m. and her family has been notified.

According to an affidavit, a 14-year-old witness has told investigators that Brooke's uncle brought Brooke to his home to initiate her into a child sex ring the day she disappeared.

She was last seen alive with the uncle, Michael Jacques, at a convenience store a week ago.

The 14-year-old told authorities she helped Michael Jacques take Brooke to Jacques' Randolph home on June 25 to be initiated into the ring. The 12-year-old has not been seen since then.

The 14-year-old girl, a relative of Jacques, said she understood that as part of the initiation, the 12-year-old "would have sex with adult males," according to the affidavit in U.S. District Court.

The girl said she and the 12-year-old watched television for a while before Jacques told her to leave and took the girl upstairs. The witness said she left the house with her boyfriend and did not see the girl again.

The 14-year-old said she herself had been sexually assaulted by Jacques, 42, since she was 9.

On Monday, Jacques, 42, was arraigned on an aggravated sexual assault charge involving a different girl, who is quoted in court papers as saying Jacques told her he would be her trainer in a "program for sex."

The girl said she had met three men in the program, including Jacques, and that she was told two other girls also were in the program. "The first who does it lives and the second gets her throat cut," she told police, according to an affidavit filed in court Monday.

Jacques dropped Brooke off at a convenience store on June 25, and surveillance video shows they left in separate directions. She had told family members she was going to meet a friend and visit a hospitalized relative of the friend but police believe that was a lie.

Jacques has 1993 convictions for kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault. Prosecutors argued against bail, saying he posed a threat to the accuser and had violated probation.

Earlier this week, the former stepfather of Brooke Bennet was arrested and authorities said Tuesday he would be charged with obstructing justice for destroying evidence.

Neither the FBI nor the head of state police discussed what evidence Ray Gagnon is alleged to have destroyed or whether that evidence was part of the investigation into Brooke Bennett's disappearance or unrelated sexual assault accusations against him.

Gagnon had been scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on a sexual assault charge involving a minor but the arraignment was canceled as federal authorities took over. At an afternoon news conference, state police head Col. James Baker said that case was still being investigated and the charge could be refiled.

Brooke's father, James Bennett, who identified Gagnon as Brooke's stepfather, told CBS Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith on Tuesday, "I don't know what to think. There's been so much information out there, so many stories. All I can hope is that she's okay."

Bennett, who appeared via satellite link on The Early Show along side Brooke's emotional mother and sister, said the police were not giving them any more information than they were releasing to the media. "It's frustrating, but I understand why they can't give us the details."

[flyingfinn3]

Not sure on the number of rats ... however, Vermont needs to make an example of these unter mensch!

[flyingfinn3]

I%u2019ve read all your posts with great interest. Judging from your comments, it%u2019s obvious that many of my fellow countrymen care deeply for America%u2019s children. As a veteran and son of the great state of New Hampshire (Live Free or Die), I%u2019m appalled and saddened over this event, especially while we celebrate our nation%u2019s independence. So %u2026 why aren%u2019t Vermonters doing more to stop this nonsense? The news, although tragic, does not surprise me. Unfortunately, Vermont has established a pattern of being soft on these sick ***! Did the system kill this girl? Why won%u2019t Vermont adopt Megan%u2019s Law? Has Vermont become a place for anything goes? Does the citizenry of Vermont have a voice? Where are the good men of this state that would allow such things to continue? Who%u2019s in charge? I put this right up there with everything else that tares the *** out of our great country; drugs, drug dealers, criminals, pedophiles, illegal immigration, terrorism, anti-war left, America hating-left, Anti-gun left, same-*** marriage advocates, liberal judges, liberal politicians, anti-religious left, feminist, ACLU, and these f---ing ultra liberal, socialist, communist *** that have taken over your state, etc. Time to resurrect the %u201CTake Back Vermont Movement%u201D the good people of this country are watching and waiting!

[drewmm1]

onlythereal--Actually, yes, I did read the article. He has prior convictions. So, yes, he has been dealt with. He''s been punished for those past crimes.

And I''m not saying he didn''t do it. I''m saying that you all need to review those civics classes where they taught you about innocent until proven guilty.

[docpeter-2009]

Posted by kuei12 at 10:07 AM : Jul 03, 2008, "Where are the fathers? Running from the mothers. Who can tolerate an american woman for any length of time? You have to put up with their continual stupid BS until you can''''t take it anymore. Maybe if you wanted the fathers to stay around you should start acting like REAL women. Do you even know what a real woman is? Probably not. Maybe every time you don''''t get your way you should not go crying to the police. I have an ex wife. Can''''t stand her. I should have just put a bullet in her head and kicked her into a ditch a long time ago. I''''ll deal with my son when he turns 18. It''''s terrible because he is a great kid and doesn''''t desrve this bs from his mother. I told his mother to stop taking him to the bar when he was 7 years old. What happened? I got a restraining order against me because of my objection. No violence, just an objection. I told her he needed to see a speech therapist years ago. What happened? Restraining order. American women are trash. Nobody wants them for anything other than being a c *um sponge.
Stop blaming the fathers for what is going on in the households of america. Blame the mothers and the court systems. The courts let women get away with murder. I for one do not tolerate it."
__________________________________

Dang man, have a little pent-up frustration and anger. Hope you get a little counseling soon, or find some way to let all of this out of your system. This much venim and anger isn''t good for you.

[docpeter-2009]

For those of you who are seeking the death penalty for this fine young man (yes I am being facetious) here is a link to a pretty good site on the costs of death row vs. life without parole.

I really didn''t know that many of the death row inmates are put on suicide watch. (???) Guess the state has to make sure the inmate doesn''t kill himself, thus avoiding the families right to revenge.

No, I am not a death row advocate. This form of possible punishment doesn''t deter a single person he11 bent on doing EVIL toward another, just like it did not prevent this from happening to this poor little girl.

[sandsofchlai]

I think all American feminists should marry men who wear table cloths & rubber bands on thier heads. Make those guys crazy!

[docpeter-2009]

Posted by mediamomma at 07:00 AM : Jul 03, 2008, "...both the uncle and the stepfather should receive the death penalty. vt doesn''''t use it but i think in this case it should."
________________________________

But Texas does, maybe we can have both tried in Texas.

[ici2i]

perverts like Jacques can point to Bill Clinton for their model. If he can get away with it, why can''''t they?
Posted by runningralph

What a lame & ignorant comment! Clinton had an affair with a young lady, not a child you idiot!


....elected officals don''''t care.

Posted by sandsofchlai

Yet another lame and inaccurate post!! What are you people on this morning, dumb pills? It''s the lawyers and criminal rights that put some of these animals back on the streets. What these two men did was against the law and very sick. They will be punished (although I suggest stoning to death) and caring politicians and the American people enacted and uphold these laws. Grow up!

[runningralph]

The high crime rate in the US, *** crimes included, is due to liberal law enforcement procedures going back to the days of prohibituion when an ordinary business was turned into a crime and crime syndicates were run like an ordinary business. Now criminals are glorified in movies instead of being denigrated for the slimy filth they really are. The FBI has now the ability to profile, but *** perverts like Jacques can point to Bill Clinton for their model. If he can get away with it, why can''t they?

[sandsofchlai]

I hope the Vermont State Police can round up the rest
of these "adult men" that are part of this!

Sportfans!!, ITs time for the People to rise up and take back our Country! One dead Child is one too many. This chit is out of control and elected officals don''t care.

Keep your powder dry.