Jerice Hunter, mother of missing Ariz. girl Jhessye Shockley, 5, arrested again on suspicion of murder
(CBS/AP) PHOENIX - Jerice Hunter was re-arrested Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse in the case of her 5-year-old daughter, Jhessye Shockley, who has been missing for nearly a year.
Hunter, 38, was taken into custody without incident at her home in Mesa, police announced at a news conference. She was indicted earlier Thursday by a Maricopa County grand jury, even though Jhessye's body hasn't been found.
"The indictment is not evidence," said Hunter's lawyer, Scott Maasen. "There is no body in this case. Cases without finding bodies are very difficult cases."
Meanwhile, County Attorney Bill Montgomery said his office "has successfully prosecuted cases in which the victim's body was never found."
"We now have the opportunity to seek justice for Jhessye and uncover the truth behind her disappearance," Montgomery added.
Hunter reported her daughter missing on Oct. 11 and told police she left Jhessye with the girl's older siblings while she ran an errand and returned to find her gone. Investigators said they believe Jhessye's body was disposed of days before Hunter filed the missing persons report.
A 96-day search at a Phoenix-area landfill ended in late June without finding the girl's remains. Glendale Police Chief Debora Black said 280 officers sifted through more than 9,500 tons of trash from early February to late June without success.
"They worked tirelessly to accomplish two goals: to find Jhessye and to hold the person responsible for her disappearance accountable," Black added. "We are confident with the indictment and arrest, we will achieve our second goal of securing justice for Jhessye."
Hunter was arrested in November on suspicion of child abuse but later released from jail with the charge dropped. Prosecutors said then that they wanted to continue investigating and were worried that Hunter would not be eligible for a potential murder charge if she was convicted of abusing Shockley, a situation known as double jeopardy.
Authorities said Hunter was arrested based on the collection of evidence in the case since October.
Police records show Jhessye's siblings told investigators in the days after her disappearance that Hunter allegedly abused her and kept the girl in a closet.
In October 2005, Hunter was arrested with her then-husband on child abuse charges in California. Hunter pleaded no contest to corporal punishment and served about four years in prison before she was released on parole in May 2010.