Vermont Town Mourns Girl's Tragic Death

Missing 12-Year-Old's Body Found; Uncle, A Convicted Sex Offender, Faces Federal Charges

(AP)  Instead of gathering at a vigil to offer prayers for the safe return of a missing 12-year-old girl, residents found themselves mourning the news that her body had been found.

Police unearthed Brooke Bennett's body Wednesday from a makeshift grave about a mile from her uncle's house, ending a weeklong search for the subject of Vermont's first Amber Alert.

"Brooke Marie, I love you so much," her mother, Cassandra Gagnon, said at the gathering later in the picturesque town of a little more than 5,000. "I just ask that justice be done for the person who took my baby away," she said, sobbing.

The girl's father, James Bennett, added, "I know Brooke knows that we love her and will always love her."

As state police announced the grim news Wednesday evening, they said Michael Jacques, the girl's 42-year-old uncle and a convicted sex offender, will face federal kidnapping charges.

Bennett, who had just finished seventh grade at Randolph Union High School, disappeared on June 25 after being seen at a convenience store with Jacques.

Jacques (pronounced jakes) has been in custody since Sunday on charges of aggravated sexual assault against a different underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty. Jacques, who is married to the sister of Brooke's mother, has 1993 convictions for kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.

After searching in and around his home across town for days, police said they found Brooke's body in a spot where the earth had been disturbed.

"The painful discovery of Brooke's body today is tragic and heartbreaking," State Police Director Col. James Baker said. He called the death "clearly suspicious" but declined to give details before a planned briefing Thursday morning.

In an affidavit unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Burlington, the FBI said an unidentified 14-year-old girl told investigators she was present on June 25 when Jacques tricked Bennett into thinking she was going to a party and took her to his Randolph home to be initiated into a sex ring.

The teenager said she was led to believe Bennett "would have sex with adult males" during the initiation. The 14-year-old said she herself had been having sex with Jacques since she was 9, as part of the sex ring.

The teen, who is related to Jacques, said she and Bennett watched television for a while before Jacques told her to leave and took his niece upstairs. The witness said she left the house with her boyfriend and didn't see Bennett again.

In another blow to the family, Bennett's former stepfather, Raymond Gagnon, was formally charged Wednesday with obstructing justice in the case.

He entered no plea at the federal hearing and was denied bail pending another hearing on Monday. The 40-year-old Gagnon, who lives in Texas, was on a regular visit to Vermont when he was arrested.

According to the affidavit, Gagnon told police he accessed his former stepdaughter's MySpace page from a computer at his San Antonio home after getting login information from Jacques.

Police said they have evidence that postings to the account were altered to make it appear that the 12-year-old had discussed a secret rendezvous shortly before she disappeared.

On that day, Jacques dropped Bennett off at a convenience store, 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.

At the vigil for Bennett in Randolph - a site that still featured big banners reading "Come Home, Brooke, We Love You!!" - Gary Finch, Bennett's homeroom and math teacher last year, said she was an energetic and enthusiastic learner whom he loved having in class.

"She was always volunteering, always with a smile on her face. Smart, creative. It's a tragedy. It's unbelievable. It's hard to comprehend. I didn't think anything like this would happen to such a great kid," said Finch, one of about 300 people who attended.

Finch said that when school started last fall, Bennett was nervous about transferring from her small elementary school to the high school.

"She conquered that," he said. "She didn't conquer this."

[a62711]

let me give you an example of our justice system a judge in the state of florida gave custody to a register *** offender of his biological son age 6 and daughter age 15 said he has no juridiction over them because the father who just got out of prison after spending 8 yrs or sexual offense against a 15 year old is the legal custodial of these children. i wonder if this judge can guarantee that he will not abuse these children and they will too afraid to tell
confused so am i

[swgrantham]

Nothing is strong enough for these perverts. They must be kept like animals for a life time. Death is too easy for a *** offender. We need to torture them as they have done to young girls. I would love to be first in line to begin the torture program.

[ridgemont3]

no do people still feel we should do away with the death penalty? I know if it was my child he would never live another day. Jacques and the stepfather should be let out in the prison population and let them have them. Prisoners don''t like *** offenders. Remember years ago a guy had molested a girl and just so happened that the uncle was in the same jail as this guy. A couple of prisoners got a hold of him and carved the girls name on his forehead. The uncle said you will never forget my niece now will you. There should be more guys like him in the prisons to take care of the *** offenders when they get in.

My only question that keeps coming to mind is where in the heck is the wife and kids (if any) of this guy when this is happening? Didn''t she have any suspicions. I had read that he was married and had kids or kid

Lilly from maryland

[missybelle-2009]

HANG HIM by the neck until dead. OH how I wish we could torture these people before they die.


Posted by MyOpinion1 at 01:14 PM : Jul 03, 2008


I feel sad in my soul that I agree with you. But, I feel very strongly about it. The planning, stalking and preparation these predators go to is incredible, and the fear and horror this girl went through deserves more punishment than this freak will ever get. A broom handle studded with razor blades would be a good start. I swear if I were a parent and my only child ended up this way I would feel I had nothing more to lose.

[cburn665]

I pray that she did not suffer long. This saddens me so much. I can''t believe no responsible adult saw perhaps these children were in a questionable environment and it should have been reported.

God bless her soul

[pam1sadge]

The step-father and the uncle BOTH should be put in a cell together and let the rest of the jailhouse population take care of them! These people are sick and can never be cured from what ails them. Sexxx offenders are not rehabiliated! It hasn''t happened yet. They need to endure the same pain they inflicted on this poor innocent victim. What an absolute shame! And, to think this is happening all over the country. We need much stricter laws!

[feddupp]

It is a known FACT that a S*E*X offender CANNOT be "cured." They''ve even tried cutting OFF their "offending" part and it DOES NOT change their DESIRE to harm a child!

PLEASE, PLEASE, parents/guardians, anyone who CARES about their children. The only way to keep your child/loved one SAFE is to keep them AWAY from mol*es*ters!!

[nbenn514]

People - It doesn''t matter if they are your brother, inlaw, father, uncle, cousin, best friend, son, grandfather, husband - they are NOT going to change, they WILL reoffend and you MUST keep your child away from them. Period. This child paid for being related to a pervert with her life. And it was the adults she should have been able to trust to protect her who are responsible for her death.

[sassalin]

toldyouso12,

This is a terrible thing that happened. I pary for her family. I appauld you for being a parent that cares but don''t you think your actions are somewhat extreme. You have to teach your children to be safe but not teach them to fear the world and every man it it. You teach them the tools to keep them safe and as a parent you do your research on the families they visit but teching them that all men are something to fear (which is the message they may take from your actions) seems too much. Part of being a healthy adult requires a child to develop healthy relationships with adults other than their parents. You cannot monitor your children at all times. That is why you teach values and the tools to keep them safe when you are not around.

Like I said, I do give you creidt for being a parent when in today''s society it''s not "cool" to parent your children.

[mark46n]

Very sad, not much more can be said.