Police Fear Missing Central Fla. Boy Will Not Be Found Alive
Family: Media Coverage May Have Pushed Mom Over Edge
POSTED: 7:31 am EDT September 11, 2006
UPDATED: 2:18 pm EDT September 11, 2006
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ORLANDO, Fla -- Investigators in the search for a missing 2-year-old boy in Leesburg, Fla., are leaning toward the possibility that the boy will not be found alive and are asking people to search remote areas on their property this week.
"The search for Trenton Duckett is changing a bit this morning," Local 6's Jessica Sanchez said. "Leesburg police are acknowledging (that) it is possible the 2-year-old may not be found alive."
Sanchez said police are asking people in Leesburg, Fruitland Park and the Lady Lake area who have property in remote areas to search the region for clues or a body.
"They may have a good idea that, you know, that corner of property I got might be a good place," Leesburg police Captain Steve Rockefeller said. "Well, grab a friend, go out there and start looking. That's what I enourage people to do at this point."
According to authorities, Trenton Duckett was last seen in his room. His mother, Melinda Duckett, said she first noticed he was missing around 9 p.m. Leesburg police said a screen on a window in the boy's room was cut and that he was apparently taken through the opening.
However, the investigation into the boy's whereabouts was dealt a major setback when Melinda Duckett's body was found Friday in a home at 638 Rainbow Lane in the Villages of Lady Lake. Police said she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her grandparents' home.
Local 6 News reported that Melinda Duckett's grandparents said media coverage may have been too much and pushed her over the edge.
Two days before she died, Melinda Duckett told Local 6 News that she was frustrated that the media and police were scrutinizing her whereabouts before her son vanished.
And in a taped interview that aired hours after Melinda Duckett's suicide, CNN news anchor Nancy Grace grilled the woman about her alibi on national television.
"Where were you?" Grace asked. "Why aren't you telling us where you were that day? You were the last person to be seen with him."
"We were just shopping, going aroundâ¦" Duckett said.
"Shopping where?" Grace asked.
"Well, we didn't go any where specific," Duckett said.
"If you went shopping, you had to go into a store -- what store did you go into?" Grace said.
"I wasn't (going to get) into any specifics," Duckett said.
The boy's father, Joshua Duckett, said he did not think the media was unfair in their coverage.
"At first, the media was rough on me too and I had a lot of fingers pointed at me and stuff like that," Duckett said. "To me, I don't feel the media was unfair to either side."
"Despite Melinda Duckett's apparent suicide, police are not yet publicly calling her their primary suspect," Local 6's Mike DeForest said. "They say everyone is still a possibility at this point."
Saturday, investigators searched Duckett's apartment but so far there was no sign of a suicide note.
Anyone with information into Trenton's whereabouts is urged to call 800-CALL-FBI.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Family: Media Coverage May Have Pushed Mom Over Edge
POSTED: 7:31 am EDT September 11, 2006
UPDATED: 2:18 pm EDT September 11, 2006
E-mail this story | Print this story
Sign Up for Breaking News Alerts
ORLANDO, Fla -- Investigators in the search for a missing 2-year-old boy in Leesburg, Fla., are leaning toward the possibility that the boy will not be found alive and are asking people to search remote areas on their property this week.
"The search for Trenton Duckett is changing a bit this morning," Local 6's Jessica Sanchez said. "Leesburg police are acknowledging (that) it is possible the 2-year-old may not be found alive."
Sanchez said police are asking people in Leesburg, Fruitland Park and the Lady Lake area who have property in remote areas to search the region for clues or a body.
"They may have a good idea that, you know, that corner of property I got might be a good place," Leesburg police Captain Steve Rockefeller said. "Well, grab a friend, go out there and start looking. That's what I enourage people to do at this point."
According to authorities, Trenton Duckett was last seen in his room. His mother, Melinda Duckett, said she first noticed he was missing around 9 p.m. Leesburg police said a screen on a window in the boy's room was cut and that he was apparently taken through the opening.
However, the investigation into the boy's whereabouts was dealt a major setback when Melinda Duckett's body was found Friday in a home at 638 Rainbow Lane in the Villages of Lady Lake. Police said she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her grandparents' home.
Local 6 News reported that Melinda Duckett's grandparents said media coverage may have been too much and pushed her over the edge.
Two days before she died, Melinda Duckett told Local 6 News that she was frustrated that the media and police were scrutinizing her whereabouts before her son vanished.
And in a taped interview that aired hours after Melinda Duckett's suicide, CNN news anchor Nancy Grace grilled the woman about her alibi on national television.
"Where were you?" Grace asked. "Why aren't you telling us where you were that day? You were the last person to be seen with him."
"We were just shopping, going aroundâ¦" Duckett said.
"Shopping where?" Grace asked.
"Well, we didn't go any where specific," Duckett said.
"If you went shopping, you had to go into a store -- what store did you go into?" Grace said.
"I wasn't (going to get) into any specifics," Duckett said.
The boy's father, Joshua Duckett, said he did not think the media was unfair in their coverage.
"At first, the media was rough on me too and I had a lot of fingers pointed at me and stuff like that," Duckett said. "To me, I don't feel the media was unfair to either side."
"Despite Melinda Duckett's apparent suicide, police are not yet publicly calling her their primary suspect," Local 6's Mike DeForest said. "They say everyone is still a possibility at this point."
Saturday, investigators searched Duckett's apartment but so far there was no sign of a suicide note.
Anyone with information into Trenton's whereabouts is urged to call 800-CALL-FBI.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
