Democrat-Gazette columnist Mike Masterson has been writing passionately on the murder and appalling cover-up in the 1989 death of 15 year-old Janie Ward in rural Searcy County.
The newest news is that her remains will be exhumed again. This time, she will be unearthed at the order of a special prosecutor who never lifted a finger till ABC television put an investigative crew to work.
Janie’s dad, Ron, visited wiht me this morning, as did Masterson. I posted the interview on my home page, lyncho.com.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Join me and Bill Vickery for the WEDNESDAY WAKE-UP around 6:45 every Wednesday morning on KARK TV Channel 4. We pick winners and losers from the past week and comment on the day's top news. Sometimes we play rough, but it is always a million laughs.
My heart goes out to the wards.I had a great uncle
he was a ward also,years ago he was beaten and raped
on hwy 65 somewhere between harrison and western grove.These men where his freinds.He was like a baby after the beating.The police new who it was,they said if he died they would charge them for murder.He died a year later,and nothing was ever done.But thats not what im writing about, three people said they saw janie fall and heard gasp for air and did not help her in anyway.Like mouth to mouth or cpr.Why arent they charged for manslaughter they watch her die and did nothing.Five or six years ago i was working for a lady helping them move.We were taking a break and was talking about pyhics and servarl areas of the super nat,I had never heard of janie ward ,i had told this lady that once crossing a brige in marshall i felt that someone had died there.i feel that i have a gift in certion areas.She then told me the storie about janie.I was shocked,she is married but was having afair with a man,which i know his name.She proceeded to tell me he said ,i cant remember the whole thing,but either he was there and new about janie, or one of his famliy members was there.I was so shocked at the whole thing
i went home and done resherch on this matter.And was shocked that this was true.I dont feel she chocked on anything.I feel she was murdered and my heart hurts for her parents.I think there is a cover up in that small town.And i pray the parents never give up.
Janie deserves this and so does her parents.
To Pattie above…people can’t be charged with manslaughter because they didn’t help someone and that they didn’t know CPR or the Heimlich manuever—helllooooo! They were 15/16 years old! They were probably so drunk and stupid, they didn’t even know she was in trouble anyway.
I watched the show on TV last night (6/25/08) which details the story of Janie, and the 3rd autopsy done to prove/disprove the murder theory. Now when the team who did it reports that she apparently died from choking, and not a beating or bludgeoning, the parents can’t handle it, get mad and leave. Sadly, now, more upset than ever. I can’t stop thinking about it. It would seem that they were just absolutely bent on being able to blame someone for it, and I do understand that, because losing a child, and not knowing any details, must be the worst thing.
However…I can imagine this scenario playing out…
Kids drinking and carrying on. Janie on the porch, hanging out. She has just popped some chips into her mouth, or a cookie. She starts to choke…everyone, drunk and etc… she loses consciousness…falls back and is ‘out’. Those around her who might not have realized her situation, would probably just think she did in fact, fall back and hit her head. Then when someone checks to see if she’s breathing, she’s not. They panic…no one wants to get busted, and they devise a stupid drunken plan of getting rid of her body. Hence the scratch marks on her jeans and sand and etc under her clothing. And yes..probably at the creek. Kids are kids. They make some of the stupidest decisions–especially in bad situations.
I heard another horrible story about a guy from a total upper crust neighborhood who was at a drunken high school/college age party, he fell and hit his head and while the dumb dumb friends were trying to help in their drunken state, they kept dropping him on his head and such…and he too finally died. No one could really explain their lame decisions…and they all had cel phones and yet no one called for help. They were drunk and did not want to get in trouble. And this guy was one of the main friends. When people are drunk or on drugs bad things happen. Then no one can really explain the ‘whys’ – because they were ‘out of it’.
Personally, I would feel more relieved that my daughter had not gotten an ass kicking which led to her death, and that she did just choke, and the dopey party pals freaked out and didn’t know what to do. However, if she died as a result of their stupidity, when they took her to the creek if she was still barely alive, and that she could have been saved had someone known what to do, that is horrible. But probably not any one person’s fault. Partying + Stupidity = Bad Situations. Ya want to avoid trouble—know what your kids are doing, don’t let them go to parties where there is no supervision…especially one way out in the woods somewhere…and at least have a friend with you. Common sense it seems. At least to try and avoid trouble like this which the parents now have to live with every single solitary day.
Hey k.
I have two children and as a parent,im so shocked that you think drinking is a excuse
for not helping her.Or that they were only 15/16 years old.Or they were just afraid and did not want to get in touble.come on they are old enough to know
right from wrong.out of all them kids not one came forward!YOU CANT TELL ME THEY WERE NOT THEATED BY SOMEONE WITH POWER!Dont blame the parents that night
because as you said kids will be kids.And there will be drinking at partys.But 15/16 olds have common since to help someone.Dont tell me that everyone there was drinking.I dont beleive that for a minute.
I have a son 29 years old,and he went to lots of partys,were there was drinking.BUT HE DID NOT DRINK!
IF YOU STOP AND THINK PEOPLE EVERYDAY GET RAPED AND KILLED BY SOMEONE THAT IS HIGH ON DRUGS OR DRUNK,BUT THEY STILL GET SENT TO JAIL!THATS NOT A GET OUT OF TOUBLE CARD JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE DRINKING!!!!!
OR BECAUSE THEY WERE ONLY 15/16 YEARS OLD!SOMEONE KNOWS WHAT REALLY HAPPEN THAT NIGHT.AND IF IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST KIDS,THEY ARE GROWN NOW!THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED NO ONE HELPED HER!