Lost and Found

Thank you for all of your comments on the previous post. I agree totally that the not knowing what happened to your child is probably worse than knowing she is dead. I cannot fathom either how anyone could do this to a child innocently on her way to school, or riding his bike, or watching t.v. on a cold winter night. I saw the Dateline episode with Sean Hornbeck again yesterday and marvel and rejoice with his parents, as well as Elizabeth Smart's, and now Jaycee's. Miracles still do happen. I agree also that Jonelle is probably with Jesus - but I do wish her parents could know what happened to her. Also JonBenet Ramsey's family.

All of this talking of lostness and foundness has led me to sharing about Kevin. Remember this post about when he got lost at the Pet and Doll Parade when he was 4? That was so frightening, and the thoughts that went through my mind about never finding him still can bring shivers.

Then we lost him in a completely different way. He and I wrote his story, which is on my sidebar. Most of you have been with me through that time of rejoicing over his return from Teen Challenge, transformed by God. (The pictures disappeared when I went private and panicked, and cancelled my Flickr account - unfortunately! But the text is still there, I believe).

You were with me when I took him to the airport to return to the program and wrote this post when I got home. I know many of you continue to pray for him daily, and it means so much to us.

Kevin has been spending his time in Maine learning where things went wrong in the three years since he got home from the last round. His wife has struggled greatly with all of this, but they are communicating again. He felt it was life or death for himself to get back into TC. He is growing and learning every day. I love his letters. And we enjoy a short phone call once a week.

I included a picture in the last post I linked - it was from when he got home from TC the first time, and his eyes were so bright and he looked so happy and full of optimism. I said in that post that I look forward to the day I see those bright eyes shining again. He sent us this picture the other day - he had it taken for Sema in honor of their 8th anniversary, though they are not together (don't you just love the white feet?) I'm seeing hope there again.




He also sent me the name of this song, which describes how he's feeling. I hope you can take the time to listen to it. And to continue praying for him as he seeks God's will for his future, once he finishes. He is 1/3 through this phase of the program, which means he can have company, or he can come home for a short visit. I want to go out there, but would love to see him home too. I don't know if he can do both. Please also add Sema (her cyber name), to your long list of needs.

Jonelle and Jaycee

Missing Since 1984

Jonelle Renee Matthews

Age progression to 31 years old

Date of Birth - 2/9/72
Date Missing - 12/20/84
Missing from - Greeley, Colorado
L.E.A. - Greeley Police Dept.
Contact - Sgt. Brad Goldschmidt
Telephone Number - (970) 350-9682

ID Info - NCIC #M-141276311. Jonelle is a white female, 5'3" tall, weighs 115 pounds, has curly brown hair and brown eyes. She has a full set of braces on her teeth and a scar under chin. She was last seen wearing a charcoal gray skirt, a red blouse, a gray sweater vest and a light blue ski jacket.

Circumstances - No one was home when Jonelle returned home at 8:30p.m. from her Chorale Program. Her father came home at 9:30 p.m. and the lights and TV were on but Jonelle was nowhere to be found. Her stockings and shoes were on the floor and the garage door was open. The Greeley police discovered footprints in the garage and in the back of the house.

If you see this missing child or know where he or she is located, please contact the Child Protection Education of America, Inc. at 866-USA-CHILD or the law enforcement agency above.

Details of Disappearance

Jonelle was dropped off by friends at her family's residence in Greeley, Colorado on December 20, 1984 at approximately 8:15 p.m. She was returning from a Christmas choral program at a nursing home and was to wait for the rest of her family to arrive at the home. Her older sister and her father, Jim Matthews, were at a basketball game and her mother, Gloria Matthews, was visiting relatives out of state. Jonelle was last heard from at 8:30 p.m., when she spoke to an acquaintance of her father on the phone.

Jonelle's father, Jim Matthews, arrived at the house at approximately 9:30 p.m. and discovered she had disappeared. Jonelle's stockings and shoes were on the floor and the television and lights were turned on. She had also taken a phone message for another family member. The garage door was discovered open and investigators located footprints inside the garage and around the back of the family's home. Authorities suspect that an unknown intruder or intruders broke into the residence and abducted Jonelle that evening. She has never been seen again.

Jonelle's biological mother, Terri Vierra-Martinez, located the child's adoptive parents in 1997. Vierra-Martinez learned about Jonelle's disappearance at that time. She also discovered that law enforcement had kept her under surveillance for six weeks after Jonelle's 1984 abduction. Authorities were not permitted to give Vierra-Martinez any information concerning her daughter's case at the time due to adoption laws. Vierra-Martinez is not a suspect in Jonelle's disappearance. She has become friends with Jonelle's adoptive parents. Jim and Gloria believe that their daughter is deceased and have held a memorial service for her. (I had never this about Jonelle being adopted until I found this article tonight).

Media reports stated that several investigators theorized that Jonelle was sexually assaulted inside her residence on the evening of her 1984 disappearance. They believed that she may have been murdered by the unknown attacker(s) and her remains were incinerated to hide the crimes. Other investigators believed that Jonelle was abducted and taken elsewhere. Her case remains unsolved.

Jonelle's family attended a church of our denomination in Greeley. Her dad was a principal in a junior high. When they couldn't find Jonelle, her parents followed a dream they had always had of owning a restaurant and they moved to the Seattle area to follow this dream. They felt a need to be away from the scene of so much sadness. The people of Greeley and surrounding areas spent many Saturdays searching fields and river beds.

Several years later they came back to Colorado, in case she came back looking for them and they were gone.

A few years ago, our camp built a wonderful conference center in her honor. This is the same place that the new chapel in Dan Walker's honor.

Jonelle had a mouthful of braces and I always had the thought in my mind that somebody was going to have to remove those braces someday. All dentists in the country were given information about her. Most likely she is not alive.

But this past week with the amazing news of Jaycee Dugard being found after 18 years of captivity by her abductor, I immediately began to wonder if it could be possible that Jonelle is being held somewhere.

I just hope and pray that Jaycee and her daughters, who thought she was their sister, will be able to have a "normal" life.