Thank you all for your help...so tragic an ending

[Cactuskate]

In October I asked for help on this BB to find a missing beautiful young girl, Mandie Wullenjohn. She had been missing for almost a year. She had ridden and shown locally and I was hoping she had just run away from home and maybe was back around the horses. The response from you people was so great and heartfelt. For that I thank all of you.

It was announced yesterday that two arrests had been made locally for two male suspects, one 20yrs old, one 17yrs old, in the murder of Mandie. Details are still coming out, but it seems she knew the older person. It sounds rather grisly.

My prayers go out to hopefully help heal the grief her parents must be feeling. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through.

This may or may not be the place, but I wish to say to each and every one of you beautiful young teenagers.
Make something-good come of this horrible event.
Keep in touch with your parents, no matter how trite it seems.
Know whom you are running around with.
And don’t put yourself in a compromising situation by going alone.

Give your guardian angel a rest; take responsibility for your own SAFETY.

Thank you for caring.
Kathy

[Louise]

Oh Kathy, thank you for caring so much! What a pity that this had to have this ending. Let me add my plea to Kathy’s. Please all of you wonderful young people who frequent this forum, take the time to watch over yourselves and try very hard not to place yourselves in situations that could end tragically. Trite as it may seem to say - you ARE the future, and the reason that most of us strive to do the best we can to make this world a better place.

[Lori]

I am so very sorry about this tragic outcome… Our prayers are with you…

[B.G.M_heidi]

Oh god, I’m enraged, I’m deeply saddened. I cannot imagine what the poor girl’s parents must be going through.

I second your plea to Cactuskate for teenagers to assume responsibility for their safety. Please keep safe and take care of yourselves.

[Regalmeans]

Kathy I remeber when you first posted about Mandie - I kept her in my prayers. I am so very sorry and I will keep you, her, and her family in my thoughts.

[Justbay]

Very sad and tragic…

[Thoroughlybred]

My condolences, what a tragedy, my prayers are with her family and loved ones.

[jumper]

Kathy, I’m so sorry. I am glad, though, there there is some finality to the situation. Of course, we all hoped it wouldn’t have turned out this way. My prayers are with her family.

[Cactuskate]

Kelsy, I think the prayer list is a wonderful idea. Be sure to include thoughts for any young people that might have put themselves in harm’s way.

It seems Mandie went to school with the two people that are suspected to have taken her life. She had left her bedroom window open the night she disappeared. She had snuck out of the house to go to a “party”. She had intended to return. She did not take any personal belongings with her. Not even her purse. It is now believed she died that night or the next day.

The authorities have sent remains to a forensics laboratory for identification. They uncovered a shallow grave in the desert.

I have to believe there will be a positive ID made. There has been a memorial service scheduled for Friday. I will be attending.

So see all you young, indestructable beautiful children? This is how quickly your life can change, or God forbid, end.

Kelsy, let’s say a prayer for all the young people, that they protect themselves from harm.

[This message has been edited by Cactuskate (edited 11-20-2000).]

[Everythingbutwings]

How terrible. As much as I get ticked at my son I can’t imagine life without him. At least her parents can grieve and achieve closure to this tragedy.

Please let us know when those murderers are up for sentancing.

[JumperEq]

I think this is one of those things where you always say, “that could never happen to me, it’s so unreal…” but this is just more evidence that it can happen to anybody. Please, everyone regardless of your age, be careful. Unfortunately our society forces us to be suspicious of practically everyone. My prayers go out to her friends and family.

~Erin

[Cactuskate]

Thank you all for your responses. It is truly a scary thought how quickly something like this can happen.

As the facts become known, at an appropriate time, I will post again with details.

It is not my intention to sensationalize or patronize a situation. I just hope that through increased awareness of how easy it is to fall prey to foul play, we can make “our world” safer.

[Portia]

Oh Kathy, I’m so, so sorry. My deepest sympathies to her parents and other loved ones.

Kelsy, adding her name and thoughts for other young people to the prayer list is very thoughtful of you.

[Black_Market_Radio]

This is why I never go out alone, esp. at night. What a sad and tragic ending, and I wish it would have had a happy ending. Send those creeps that defiled an innocent child to prison and swallow the key. I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they can do such a horrid, horrid thing. What is the saddest part was that she knew and I imgagine trusted the one guy she knew. I extend this plea to ALL women. NEVER go out alone. There is a girl in my neighborhood that goes jogging at 10:30 at night every night and I want to slap some sense into her! No matter HOW old you are, make sure you are never alone in strange areas, esp. at night, and make sure someone knows where you are at all times. Also, invest in some self-defense lessons, I learned a great deal in the military that is priceless to me. Carry mace or pepper spray, I have mace in my truck. Please, for your own safety!

[Cactuskate]

In October I asked for help on this BB to find a missing beautiful young girl, Mandie Wullenjohn. She had been missing for almost a year. She had ridden and shown locally and I was hoping she had just run away from home and maybe was back around the horses. The response from you people was so great and heartfelt. For that I thank all of you.

It was announced yesterday that two arrests had been made locally for two male suspects, one 20yrs old, one 17yrs old, in the murder of Mandie. Details are still coming out, but it seems she knew the older person. It sounds rather grisly.

My prayers go out to hopefully help heal the grief her parents must be feeling. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through.

This may or may not be the place, but I wish to say to each and every one of you beautiful young teenagers.
Make something-good come of this horrible event.
Keep in touch with your parents, no matter how trite it seems.
Know whom you are running around with.
And don’t put yourself in a compromising situation by going alone.

Give your guardian angel a rest; take responsibility for your own SAFETY.

Thank you for caring.
Kathy

[HuntJumpSC]

How sad & tragic~ my heart goes out to that girls parents. Interesting that this topic should come up: Today marks the 9th year since the brutal rape & murder of a classmate of mine…Crystal Todd was raped & stabbed to death, and thrown in a ditch on a lover’s lane. Her friend, Ken Register, was a pallbearer at her funeral…He was convicted of the crime through DNA evidence & sentenced to life in prison~ what a shame. He deserved to have the same thing done to him that he did to Crystal~ I can’t go into details about it, but let’s just say it was the worst case this county had ever seen. My heart goes out to her mother, Crystal was all she had. What a senseless waste…she should have graduated with us.

[Coreene]

Oh Kath, I’m so very sorry.

[Kelsy]

I’m so sorry… I can add her name to the prayer list at church if you think that would help. Would you like me to do that?

It’s so sad that things like this happen, and my heart goes out to her family…