Shanago Township PA Elisa

Our second stop today, and our third and last stop in Pennsylvania is for missing Jessi Short. Jessi was last seen at her mom's house in January of 2013. She was 25 years old at the time with a 1 year old son. Her case is the perfect example of why we do this tour every year. She has received no press, her family left to wonder if anyone at all cares she is missing.

Her mother, son, fiancé, friends and family are waiting for us when we arrive with pictures and poems set out facing the street. As nice as the inside venues, the park and other locations for rallies are nice, facing the street is a good way to increase awareness for the missing.

This is one of Janeane's cases so she's doing double duty at this stop. Mostly she is wearing her State Outreach Coordinator for Pennsylvania hat, taking care of Jessi's mom and talking with Law Enforcement. I get the sense that she is working to mend the relationship between the two. This family needs help both in getting their message out and in advocating for their missing relative. I've watched and listen to Janeane as she coaxes and encourages them.

Some cases are particularly frustrating and Jessi's is one of them. I cannot speak to what the police have or have not done. All I know is what I witnessed firsthand. The Police Superintendent saying they have nothing and are at a standstill. The fiancé who has custody of his and Jessi's 3 year old son and has had custody since before Jessi went missing, telling us he has never been interviewed and that when he introduced himself to Law Enforcement present they said they didn't know about him.  Excuse me? The fiancé went so far as to say, rightly so, shouldn't I be a suspect? How can the case of a young mother who will be missing 2 years in a few months go so wrong? Does anyone besides this small group of people and us care about what has happened to her? Where's the community? Where's the outrage? How can anyone find out what has happened to Jessi if this is the type of investigating that is being done? It makes me so angry that people make judgements and do not take all missing cases seriously.  Something happened to Jessi Short. There is a little boy growing up without his mother. She deserves better than this.

Elisa