One Cleveland / West Boulevard perspective

I had just moved to the neighborhood when Amanda Berry was abducted five blocks from where I lived. I used to drive by the Burger King (where she worked) almost every day on my way to work. Louwana Miller, her mother, quickly made connections with local law enforcement and government officials. The entire neighborhood was filled with posters and ribbons on nearly every pole, bulletin board in businesses, etc. The only reason she gave up was when that snake Sylvia Browne told her Amanda was dead in water. After Louwana died, Beth Serrano, Amanda's sister, kept up the publicity and search.

Gina DeJesus disappeared a year later. She went to school four blocks and went missing five blocks from where I lived. She lived in a different neighborhood and was walking quite a distance but mostly on major roads. People were shocked that she could go missing when her route was so open. Amanda's family was very supportive of the DeJesus family. Gina's posters went up all over, often next to Amanda's.

Michelle Knight had gone missing before the other two, but you have to remember that she was already an adult and had a history of running away from home. Her family life was never healthy. It's true that she was "invisible" to most of us until the day that Amanda broke out and reported Michelle and Gina remaining in the house. In fact, I remember the day that they were rescued: on the radio, the report went something like this: "Amazing news to report this evening: Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been found alive, along with a third woman." Nobody knew about Michelle Knight's plight until her name came across the police scanner, and I think the media wanted to get some background on her before reporting who she was.

It's my recollection and understanding that the FBI and Cleveland Police never gave up the search. I remember when the FBI connected Amanda and Gina's cases and released posters with both of their pictures on one sheet, I think about five years after Gina's disappearance. There were vigils and searches and neighborhood canvassing for them. But it's a big city, and if not for their families, they too would have faded into the background.

I don't know the families or the women but I do know the neighborhood and I can tell you that we were disturbed when the kidnappings happened and shocked to find out that they had been held so close to home. By then I had moved away, but I still followed the searches and stories.

Joshua 1:9 ... unashamed.