CORTNEY FRY
These are my posts on Lancaster Online Talkback under the name "astonished" in response to an article in the New Era on August 16, 2004, titled, "Still no trace of missing mother from Columbia," by Janet Kelley.
August 17, 2004
"Police are stumped." Astonishing. Nothing going on in that household. The police were called the week before. The boyfriend was jealous and on the day she disappeared, she had taken her newborn child for a paternity test. The boyfriend doesn't tell anyone she's missing until two days later when her father stops by. The boyfriend misspeaks and says, "things she was planning to discard anyway." Shouldn't he have said "things she DID discard." No wonder the police are stumped! This is a hard one. No motives, no clues, no opportunity and no suspects.
August 18, 2004
Seriously people - this is a tragedy. A 19 year old mother of a newborn baby has been "missing for a month" and no one can figure this out. If this town had more than one paper, then maybe the reporters would be digging (that's what reporters are supposed to do) and making law enforcement answer some questions.
There is, according to her boyfriend, a 45 minute time period in which she disappeared, with no car and no license, leaving her newborn alone. And yet, she wanted to stay enough that on that very day she took her newborn for a paternity test to prove the man she lived with was her father.
Who is this man? Does he work? How did they pay for the apartment? Why hasn't Janet Kelley interviewed employers, neighbors and his family members? Who is his family? What do they think? He's "cooperating." What's he supposed to do - have his lawyer say he's not speaking to anyone. Can he afford a lawyer?
What did they find in his car and apartment? Apparently no one knew she was missing for TWO days. If "nothing" was found in his apartment or car, maybe he drove her somewhere and killed her outside of the apartment and car. What man throws out his girlfriend's clothes, even an abusive man?
Where are the answers to these questions? This is journalism 101. WHERE ARE THE
ANSWERS? THIS IS A TRAGEDY.
August 20, 2004
Where are the updates on this story? "Stewart gave police permission to search the apartment and his car after clothes and other belongings of Fry's were found in a trash truck at the county incinerator."
What a nice guy. Have the police ever heard of a search warrant? Why did they wait so long? They weren't going to search the apartment and car until her clothes were found in a trash truck? This woman was bruised, had taken her two week old baby for a paternity test the day she disappeared and they weren't going to search his apartment and car? On the internet, Chief County Detective Michael Landis is quoted as saying, "People disappear every day." Yes, sadly they do. BUT NOT 19 YEAR OLD MOTHERS OF NEWBORNS WHO TAKE THEIR CHILD FOR A PATERNITY TEST ON THE DAY THEY "DISAPPEAR." If Lancaster Detectives can't solve this one, we need some new detectives. DEMAND ANSWERS
*******The Intell has posted a ridiculous article, "I believe my son is innocent"*******
by Brett Lovelace, 1-26-05
The David Stewart being quoted in the above article has a conviction for passing a bad check in 1997, an IRS tax lien, numerous bankruptcies and a David Stewart of Columbia was charged with possession of cocaine on September 8, 2004. Doesn't LNP check their own archives?
Micah loved being a father," Stewart said. "He was helping
Giavanni learn to walk, and it gave him great pride because
he loves that girl so much."
Giavanni is six months old. Mr. Stewart should learn when
children begin to walk.
"Cortney was my daughter-in-law and gave us a beautiful grandchild."
No, Mr. Stewart, she was not your daughter-in-law. You seem to have some trouble with the truth.
"I believe this special edition of LIP is an indictment of the Lancaster Newspapers. This could only have happened in a town with one news outlet. A news outlet that has never questioned a thing the police have ever said or done."
(Reprinted from LIP, "Lancaster Lynching - Twenty Years Later," 9-01)
My posts on Lancaster Online Talkback regarding this case are posted above. In one of my final posts I said of the Lancaster Newspapers, "This is journalism/reporting/investigation at its worst. Demand better." I was "banned" from Talkback four days later.
"Missing person case ends; homicide probe begins" by Brett Lovelace, Intell, 1-25-05
"Lancaster County District Attorney Donald Totaro said Monday the investigation is still in the preliminary stages, and detectives are not ready to charge anyone with the slaying."
"Detectives initially focused on Stewart, who shared an apartment in Columbia with Fry and sired her daughter. Police broadened their scope after Steward denied having anything to do with the disappearance."
