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Suspect back in Florida

With John Couey in Citrus County's jail, authorities say a time line in Jessica Lunsford's death remains unknown.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published March 21, 2005

	[AP pool]
	John Couey, the registered sex offender authorities say confessed to the murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, makes his first appearance Sunday morning at the Citrus County Detention Facility. In jail, he is separated from other inmates, said jail spokeswoman Julia Swart.
	Related 10 News videos: Jessica Lunsford case Investigators recover Jessica Lunsford's body close to home

CRYSTAL RIVER - After 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford fell asleep in her bed Feb. 23, John Couey slipped in through an unlocked door and stole her from the mobile home. He then sexually assaulted and killed her, said the Citrus County sheriff.

More details than that may be hard to find.

The suspect has been unable to give a detailed description of his actions, said Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy. Couey's "drug haze" has made it difficult to piece together Jessica's final hours. It was not known how long Jessica lived after the abduction or where she was.

"We may never have a valid time line," Dawsy said.

Many questions remain about Jessica's death. Officials have not said whether Couey took her to the mobile home where he and four others were staying. No information has been released about how Jessica died or who else, if anyone, saw her after the abduction. The four people living with Couey were arrested Saturday, but none have been charged directly in her killing.

Couey, a registered sex offender who authorities say has admitted to the kidnapping and killing, arrived at Citrus County's jail from a jail in Augusta, Ga., about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. He was held without bail.

Couey, a slight man with muscular shoulders, appeared briefly before Circuit Judge Stephen Spivey at 9 a.m. Dressed in an red jumpsuit and shackled, Couey told the judge he was doing "all right." He kept his head down during the judge's questioning and answered "yes sir" and "no sir."

Couey met later Sunday with a court-appointed attorney, she said. He has yet to be charged in connection with Jessica's death, but those charges will be filed soon, Dawsy said.

Hours before Couey's arrival at the jail, Dorothy Dixon, Couey's half sister, was released on bail. Dixon, 47, was arrested along with two others Saturday on charges of obstruction of justice; authorities accused her of lying to them to protect Couey.

"I never want to see him again," Dixon said, crying and trembling as she spoke.

Dixon said she never knew her half brother's secret.

She was arrested Saturday along with Madie Catherine Secord, 27, and Matthew Oley Dittrich, 31, after investigators accused the three of allowing the convicted sex offender to live in their home - steps from the Jessica's door - and then lying to investigators who questioned them about Couey's presence. Another resident, Gene Secord, 35, was charged with not paying child support and remained in jail Sunday.

Dixon said Couey moved into the home on Snowbird Court because he didn't have any place else to go. She knew he was a registered sex offender, but she said he told her his only crime was that he once urinated "on a tree in front of a girl."

Dixon had heard of Jessica's disappearance - it was nearly impossible not to notice the yellow ribbons that blanketed the Lunsford's fence and the crews of searchers - but said she didn't connect it with Couey.

Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, handed out petitions Sunday afternoon for community members to sign to persuade legislators to change the law on sex offenders, including harsher sentences for sexual predators of children and ankle bracelet monitoring systems for predators.

"(Legislators) need to make some changes because their children aren't out of reach either," he said at a memorial bike ride Saturday for Jessica.

He said he still cannot believe that a registered sex offender lived within sight of the Lunsford home without the community or law enforcement's knowledge.

"These people do not deserve to live among us," Lunsford said.

Couey's presence also came as a shock Sunday to the former wife of one of those who shared the home with Couey.

Dana Mossop, former wife of Gene Secord, and her 13-year-old daughter were watching television recently when the girl said she recognized the man on the screen as "Uncle Johnny."

Mossop said she was horrified to learn Couey had stayed with her ex-husband several times when the couple's four children were present.

Mossop was relieved when her children told her he'd never harmed them. Still, she wishes she would have known about his sex offender status back then.

"I just think it was wrong that my kids were around that," she said.

Jessica was discovered missing Feb. 24 by her father, when he walked into her bedroom to wake her for school and found her bed empty.

In the days that followed, hundreds of searchers combed areas near the family's Sonata Avenue home as her body lay concealed in a shallow grave at Dixon's home, yards away from the Lunsford's front lawn.

Shortly after Jessica vanished, Couey left for Savannah, Ga., Dixon said.

While staying at a Salvation Army shelter in downtown Savannah, Couey was questioned by police. He then boarded another bus for Augusta, Ga., investigators said.

There, he checked into another shelter, using his real name, according to Georgia authorities. During his time in Augusta, he was filmed in a downtown bar by a local television crew, who were doing an unrelated story. In the footage, which has been aired widely, Couey is smiling as he holds a beer and a cigarette.

He was arrested Thursday morning in Augusta after a shelter employee recognized Couey's name from media reports, said Richmond County Sheriff Ronald Strength.

Late Sunday evening, two of those charged in the case were free on bail. Dixon and Madie Secord, who faces charges of obstructing a law enforcement officer without violence, were freed.

Dittrich was released, but scheduled to return to the jail because a bonding agent withdrew his bail, according to a jail spokeswoman. Gene Secord remained in jail, held in lieu of $5,160 bail.

Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 352 860-7312 or vansickle@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 21, 2005, 06:34:36]