June 30th, 2008
They are the words no parent wants to hear “your child is missing.”
Tweleve-year-old Brooke Bennett’s parents have had to deal with that phrase this past week. The Braintree, Vermont girl has been missing since last Wednesday. Hopefully she is found soon.
Her disappearance and its aftermath illustrates how technology plays a major role in our lives. Brooke’s uncle dropped her off at a store where she was to meet a friend and go to visit that friend’s relative in the hospital. However, police are speculating she actually was meeting someone she met online via MySpace, the popular social networking site.
Her disappearance prompted Vermont’s first Amber Alert. It is basically an all-points bulletin put out through the media. An interesting twist is that the regular public can sign up for it and have the alerts delivered to their cell phones. This is valuable and could certainly help find a missing child.
Her case became a little muddy when the man who last her, her uncle, was arrested for aggravated sexual assault against a minor. Police say the details that led to his arrest were discovered by officers investigating Brooke’s disappearance. Officers say Brooke was NOT the victim.
In another incidence of technology having an effect, the family has had to deal with Internet rumours. On a Facebook page dedicated to finding her it was reported that Brooke had died. This certainly does not help the cause to find her.
Hopefully, someone will see Brooke or the police will come across something to bring this girl home.
Robin