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BREAKING: MISSING ELLA,14, HELD BY CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER 3 WEEKS FOUND

BREAKING: MISSING ELLA,14, HELD BY CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER 3 WEEKS FOUND

FromCrime Stories with Nancy Grace


BREAKING: MISSING ELLA,14, HELD BY CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER 3 WEEKS FOUND

FromCrime Stories with Nancy Grace

ratings:
Length:
39 minutes
Released:
Feb 6, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

As the public becomes aware of Ella Jones's disappearance, the Mount Vernon Police Department receives information on a possible suspect's identity.
The person was already said to be a male named "Keith" possibly. Investigators also determined that Ella Jones may have used a "RideShare" service when she left her home. RideShare services are not prevalent in Ella Jones' area, so Mount Vernon Police were able to narrow the search and locate a rideshare Jones may have used. Investigators identified a man named "Keith" who ordered a ride share for Ella and his address in South Haven Michigan.
The FBI reaches out to Van Buren County Michigan Sherrif's department about a possible suspect named Keith Freerksen with an address in South Haven Michigan possibly being involved in the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl in Mt Vernon, Washington.  
Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott says his detectives investigated the possible suspect location and identified the car suspected of transporting the 14-year-old girl 2,000 miles from Washington to Michigan. After obtaining a search warrant, Sheriff  Abbott says they waited for the suspect vehicle to return to the property before executing the search warrants.
Sheriff  Abbott says as the detectives watched the property, they noticed there were three homes on the property and several people were seen in the residences. The suspect was identified as one of the people in one of the residences on the property.  Detectives coordinate with the local uniformed police officers in marked cars to roll in with them and execute the search warrant.
Having executed the search warrant, all individuals on the property were separated so detectives could begin the interview process. The suspect immediately told detectives the 14-year-old girl was there on the property. Once the suspect was read his Miranda rights, he lawyered up and stopped talking
The suspect is 30-year-old Keith Freerksen, a convicted sex offender. Sheriff Daniel Abbott says the Freerksen spoke with and groomed the victim online over an extended period before she took a ride share to the suspect's home in Michigan.
Keith Freerksen was arraigned on nine charges: two counts of trafficking a minor, three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Joining Nancy Grace Today:

Sarah Merrill -  Ella Jones’s mother  
Eric Faddis – Partner at Varner Faddis Elite Legal, Former Felony Prosecutor and Current Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Attorney; Instagram: @e_fad @varnerfaddis; TikTok: @varnerfaddis 
Dr. Shari Schwartz – Forensic Psychologist (Specializing in Capital Mitigation and Victim Advocacy); Author: “Criminal Behavior” and “Where Law and Psychology Intersect: Issues in Legal Psychology;” Twitter: @TrialDoc” 
Lieutenant Dave Shackleton - Mount Vernon Police Department; FB: mvpdwa 
Bill Garcia – Licensed Private Investigator, “Bill Garcia Investigative Services;” Facebook: Bill Garcia Investigative Services
Anna Sonoda – Child Grooming Expert, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Author: “Duck Duck Groom: Understanding How a Child Becomes a Target”
Allie Jennerjahn  - Anchor/Reporter for WWMT-TV News Channel 3; X:@AllieWWMT, Facebook - Allie Jennerjahn WWMT 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Released:
Feb 6, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Nancy Grace dives deep into the day’s most shocking crimes and asks the tough questions in her new daily podcast – Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor and used her TV show to find missing people, fugitives on the run and unseen clues. Now, she will use the power of her huge social media following and the immediacy of the internet to deliver daily bombshells!