Kelsey Smith, 18 years old, probably abducted in KS

  Please go to this link for America's Most Wanted and look at the pictures of Kelsey Smith.  She was last seen on Sat. night June 2nd near Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, KS.  I live near the mall.  Her friends and family have put up flyers and gone door to door to alert people in the area.  Tonight the police came to my house doing a door to door canvass trying to find anyone who might have seen anything.  The police believe she was abducted.  The mall is near I-35, I-69 and of course I-70 is not far away.  She could be anywhere by now.  Her car was found in the mall parking lot.

http://www.amw.com/...

Kelsey just graduated from high school.  She stopped to buy something at a Target store for a graduation party Saturday night.  I don't know her or her family, but the more people who see her picture and know to be looking for her the better.  You'd want the same if it was your sister, daughter, friend or neighbor.  This isn't a perfect neighborhood, but it's usually pretty quiet with the major type of crime around the mall having to do with shoplifting or other theft.  An abduction is a big deal.  We recently had a bust for a ring from China trafficking woman from China and forced into prostitution here.  This is so bizarre for this part of the country.  The women who were involved were taken to safe houses to be take care of and haven't been charged with anything.  They are considered victims.  As we have cared for these women from China in our area who went missing from their homes across the sea, I hope somebody out there might be on the lookout and find some clues that lead to Kelsey.

•  Wow, hope you find her.

  have they put out an amber alert?

  by jkennerl on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 11:46:49 PM PDT

  •  She's 18 so no amber alert

    however the story was on the front page of the paper this morning and on local TV and radio news.  It's started to get national coverage tonight.  Her family knew she was missing right away, but it takes time to put together a search effort.  Target has a tape showing her being "forced into her car."  They seem pretty clueless about what happened between when she was abducted and when her car was found in the mall parking lot.  

    by ljm on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:16:15 AM PDT

    •  Code Adam

      which alerts people to a possible abduction, and results in the shutdown of any store when it is issued, should not be limited by age.

      I certainly hope they find Kelsey.

      by noweasels on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:19:28 AM PDT

      •  She was out of the store when they forced her in

        her car.  Target should be applauded for having such a good surveillence system.  If only they had security people to go with the cameras or at least an automatic notification of police.  I suppose computers aren't set up to recognize abductions from the video of these cameras and probably human beings aren't watching them in real time:(

        by ljm on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:24:42 AM PDT

        •  when I was at AMW

          we had a security specialist who gave us security tips.  Mind you, I am NOT blaming poor Kelsey here, but our security specialist taught us that we should NEVER get forced into a car, even if the person had a gun.  He said that the chances of fatal wounding with a gun were far less ominous than the evil consequences that might lie ahead in another location.  I write this only as a tip for our fellow kossacks.  I am so upset about Kelsey.  I am praying for her.  I hope she is ok.  Bless you for this diary.

          by noweasels on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:37:58 AM PDT

•  asdf

  I hope you find her!!!!!

  by dangangry on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 11:49:11 PM PDT

•  I hope they find her.

  AMW -- where I worked for three years (disclaimer) -- has an amazing track record for finding people.  We had a ship's bell in the newsroom, and rang it hard whenever anyone was found.

  Loud ship's bell for Kelsey.

  Bless you.

  by noweasels on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 11:54:18 PM PDT

  •  There's a $10,000 reward for info leading to her

    I wouldn't be surprised if that figure goes up more as people in the area pitch in to help the fund.  

    by ljm on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:17:53 AM PDT

•  We should be teaching self-defense to kids

  in every grade.

  Truly ridiculous that we don't. Makes us a nation of potential victims.

  I sure got the books, read up, and started teaching self-defense to my kids when they were 4 years old. There's a lot they can do at that age.

  by AllisonInSeattle on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:33:15 AM PDT

  •  The best self-defense, regardless of age,

    and physical capability, pretty much, in my experience is a loud voice. Teach your kids to scream LOUDLY, even if they feel silly or uncomfortable or scared to do it. I used mine when I was six, and it saved me.

       Just my two cents,
          Heather

    by Chacounne on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:51:16 AM PDT

    •  not to make light of this in any way

      but we have a family story about one of my nieces, who threw a temper tantrum one fine afternoon when her mother decided it was time to leave the toy store at the mall and go home to make dinner.  My niece kicked and screamed and fought her mother all the way out to the parking lot and into the car, yelling at the top of her lungs "PLEASE!!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!  I DON'T WANT TO GO!!!!" and causing a huge ruckus.  Her mother was mortified at the behavior, but even more she was appalled that nobody even questioned her right to take this toddler to the parking lot and drive off with her.  

      I guess as much as we need to teach kids to fight back, we need to make sure that we all are keeping our eyes open to situations around us - subtle and not so subtle - where others might be in danger.

      by lcork on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 04:19:07 AM PDT

      •  She didn't scream "This is not my mom", which is

        what you're supposed to teach the toddlers, kids to scream.

        THAT woulda brought people running, I think. In her case, people probably figured: "Been there, had the screaming kid on my hands." Especially if they seemed bonded or similar enough in appearance to be biologically related.

        by AllisonInSeattle on Wed Jun 06, 2007 at 01:32:56 PM PDT

        •  well it was years ago

          before that rule was written, I'm sure.  I would think screaming "somebody please help me, I don't want to go" should be enough to provoke at least question or two.  Especially when the child is fighting to get away from the person they're with.  

          They look nothing alike and never did, so I doubt anyone simply assumed they were related because of looks - also her mother is older than most mothers of kids her daugher's age - almost as old as some of the grandmothers, in fact.  That age anomaly would have made them look even less like mother and daughter to a casual bystander.

          Wouldn't a parent prefer questions and a little embarassment to indifference about a child being dragged off against their will?  Maybe not just at the time, of course - but in retrospect.  Sort of "wow, THAT was embarassing, but I'm glad people I don't even know are watching out for my kid".  

          by lcork on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 05:17:59 AM PDT

          •  Agreed n/t

            by AllisonInSeattle on Sat Jun 09, 2007 at 12:17:46 PM PDT

    •  That's very true,

      and women/girls need to be reminded because we've been conditioned to be polite and quiet.

      I hope this young woman is OK and is found soon.

      by MsWings on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 04:45:50 AM PDT

    •  And scream, "This is not my mom/dad"

      I used to put on those airplane-runway-type ear protectors, and tell the kids to scream as loud as they could.

      For complicated public situations, they wore a whistle around their neck. Some people are too afraid to scream.

      Glad it worked for you, very glad.

      by AllisonInSeattle on Wed Jun 06, 2007 at 01:34:23 PM PDT

•  Rule is "fight when they come for you"

  If you're injured but get away, that's usually a win over what would have happened later.

  by AllisonInSeattle on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:33:52 AM PDT

  •  This is what we taught our kids

    This is what we taught our kids (not that we like dwelling on the possiblility.)

    That fighting outside the car (and getting attention) is safer/easier/more-possible than fighting inside the car.

    by katiebird on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 05:46:03 AM PDT

•  ((((((((((((((((((Kelsey and her family))))))))))

  My thoughts and prayers are with Kelsey and her family. May they find her safe and healthy. May she and her family be surrounded by love and light.

        Sad hugs,
        Heather

  by Chacounne on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:53:25 AM PDT

•  I know exactly the place you

  are talking about. I would never expect an abduction there.

  In 1992 in Springfield MO two high school graduates and the mother of one of them were abducted from the home and have never been found so far. Three at once is incredible.

  by abbeysbooks on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 01:12:22 AM PDT

  •  It can happen anywhere

    People need to be aware of their surroundings.  Haven't heard anybody say they heard screams from the parking lot.  

    by ljm on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 10:53:46 AM PDT

•  I live at I-35 and 87th street

  I don't have a good feeling about Kelsey. It seems like every summer a girl disappears and is never seen again.  

  I live at I-35 and 87th street.  Just a couple of blocks from the place busted for Trafficking Women.  Weirdly, the Chinese restaurant across the street from that 'massage parlor' was busted for slavery 10 years ago or so.  They'd been keeping their 'employees' locked up in an apartment without pay or free time for years and years.

  Maybe I'm over reacting, but I think it's bizarre to have 2 arrests for slavery & trafficing coming from the exact same intersection.

  by katiebird on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 05:44:16 AM PDT

  •  That is very odd

    What restaurant was that?

    by ljm on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 10:54:56 AM PDT

    •  The Chinese Restaurant near the corner of

      The Chinese Restaurant near the SW corner of 87th and Farley -- almost directly across the street from the 'massage parlor.'  The apartment was in the complex at the NW corner of 87th and Grant.

      I think it might have been more like 20 years ago -- not 10.  If the events weren't separated by so much time, I'd think they were related.  And maybe they are anyway.

      by katiebird on Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 12:09:07 PM PDT