Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Statement Analysis: Celina Cass' Biological Father

by Peter and Heather Hyatt  

This is a tragic case of neglect. 


Celina Cass was a victim of acute and incessant neglect and this interview shows insight into the life she was leading. 


Please note that Statement Analysis is in bold type following the copy from CNN.com/transcripts
Conclusion of Analysis:   

a. Father does not have guilty knowledge of his daughter's death; 
b.  disconnect and distance between father and daughter; 
c.  suspicion about step father.
d.  very bad relationship between father and mother


In Statement Analysis, we look especially at greetings, salutations, etc, in particular, where someone says "goodbye", in any form, to the deceased.  In a domestic homicide, this often points to the time of death.  We have been told that she was said "good night" to at 9PM, but do not have a direct quote.  Please note that periphial interviews have been deleted as not relevant, but that the comments of attorney Alex Sanchez should be noted as well as from a caller, Margaret, who appeared to be less fearful of using sense. 


Reader Caveat:  This article is upsetting.  It highlights the acute neglect that was Celina Cass' life, and readers offended by such should skip this entry.  


We do not know why this man appeared on television.  He presented himself as Celina's father, so would know that parental questions would be asked. 


 The analysis, especially in the latter portion of the interview, is difficult to read as it shows acute neglect and abdication.  Even the intelligent observation of a caller is minimized.  This analysis is difficult to read; it was difficult to write.  

NORVILLE: And it`s important that information about how this death took place -- it is being called suspicious. We can`t say it`s a murder -- but to get information about how the information we do know about Celina and her family and her whereabouts has been unveiled by police. What we know about her disappearance comes from the stepfather. What do we know about her stepfather, Wendell Noyes?

JORDAN: Well, this is very much a blended family. There are several brothers and sisters from different fathers in the household. And I think -- you know, we`ve heard some troubling things about the stepfather, and we`re just hoping that this was not part of it.

But one of the things that was kind of telling, as far as we`re concerned, is about 48 hours after she was reported missing, they put the home into a police circle, you know, or yellow tape. That lasted for about 48 hours. And then Friday, the tape came away and the family came back. Today, with this new development, the tapes went back up around the home just down the road from here. So that again makes you wonder. We did ask at the press conference what to make of that. And they said, Well, that was the last place she was seen, so of course, we`re going to continue our investigation there, but...

NORVILLE: We also know that certain items were taken from the home, specifically the computer on which Celina was last seen playing. There`s also been talk about a vehicle having been impounded. The state attorney, Ms. Young, said that that`s all part and parcel of anything that would have been in the vicinity of where she was last seen.

JORDAN: I think the thing that`s kind of telling here and one of the -- you know, the real concerns is that computer. Here was an 11-year-old girl, you know, ready to enter the 5th grade, and she was on FaceBook with an open FaceBook account. And that was one of the very first things that they apprehended.

Now, I don`t know -- my guess is they probably came up dry because of the level at which they were requesting the public to continue the search, any information. They had over 400 tips on this. There was a $25,000 reward offered over the weekend for anything. That tells me that they were at a complete loss. But again, she`s on a major road here in New Hampshire, and it wouldn`t have been too difficult for someone to know of her whereabouts and say, Step outside your house for a few minutes, and stepped into, you know, a disaster.

NORVILLE: Also with us this evening is Alexis Weed. She is a producer here for the NANCY GRACE program. Alexis, you`ve been looking into this blended family, as Charlie was describing it, and specifically the stepdad, who, as he mentioned, has had some mental health issues. What can you tell us, Alexis, about this family, with Celina, her mom, and she lives as well with her sister and her stepdad?

ALEXIS WEED, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, we know that in 2003, the stepfather was facing some charges on trespassing, on making threats to an ex-girlfriend. We also know that he was during that time examined by a doctor who deemed him to be a schizophrenic and also deemed him a threat to himself, as well as others.

Note threat to self and others.  As he was found to be threatening, he was not prosecuted.  Now a little girl is dead. 

NORVILLE: And because of that, he never stood trial. Because of the finding that he was incompetent with respect to that particular domestic violence accusation, there never was an actual legal proceeding with that. And here we see Mr. Noyes walking today, one of the local reporters up in New Hampshire talking to him.

Later today, he had an episode and was taken to the hospital. What can you tell us about that, Alexis?

WEED: Right. So there was a photograph shown of him outside of the family home, on his stomach, his head down. It was some time after that that he was taken away by ambulance to a local hospital. We don`t know why, however, he was taken away and what his condition exactly was.

Speculation regarding the impact of stress upon him as the searching intensified.  Please note that during the time a reporter asked him how the family was, he said "fine" and that he, himself was sleeping.  The major statement we have had from him was that when she was missing, he reported the family to be "grieving" which suggests hopelessness.  This would indicate either knowledge or belief that Celina was deceased. 

NORVILLE: Yes, we see him being loaded into an ambulance and being escorted to the hospital for, we presume, further treatment and medical assistance.

There can be no worse news for any parent to get than the news that the family of Celina Cass received today. And with us today on the telephone is her grieving father, Adam Laro. Mr. Laro, our hearts go out to you. I can only imagine yours is broken. And we share your grief. Thank you for being with us, sir.

Mr. Laro, what message do you have for our viewers tonight?

ADAM LARO, CELINA`S FATHER (via telephone): I want to say thank you to all the authorities and all the people that have put the time and effort to look (INAUDIBLE) putting their time and effort in looking for my daughter and being able to find her under the circumstances which we were hoping we weren`t -- it wasn`t going to turn out this way. But I -- a lot of thanks to get to a lot of people, and even the townspeople that have put their time in there for putting signs up and stuff for me and for the family to help us all out.


Note that he begins with "thank you" to all the authorities.  This is unusual as it shows an acceptance of her death this early.  We often find anger/denial this early.  This suggests that there may have been considerable distance between father and daughter, and we would need to see if further statements reflect this distance. 
Note that he calls her "my daughter".  We don't know if his answers were difficult to transcribe due to the echo: 

NORVILLE: Yes. I know it`ll -- and probably easier, sir, if you have somebody turn down the volume on your telephone -- on your television, rather, while we`re talking. It might be a little easier for you to hear.

Have you had a chance, Mr. Laro, to speak to your ex-wife, Celina`s mom?

LARO: No, I haven`t.

Note strong response, though the question is about a "chance".  

NORVILLE: Have you spoken to her during this week-long period that Celina has been missing?

LARO: No, I haven`t.

Here we learn the strength of the answer:  it is not that he has not had a "chance" but he has not spoken to her.  This alerts the audience to a very bad relationship between the father and the mother; as families are known to cast aside differences in a crisis.  What he says from here on out about the mother should be considered highly sensitive.  Why would the worst week in his life pass without talking to the mother?

NORVILLE: I know you`ve had medical problems of your own. You were hospitalized at the time that she went missing and found out while you were in the hospital that she had disappeared. I`m curious why you haven`t spoken to her mother.

LARO: It`s a hard question to ask me because I was so worried about where my daughter was, you know, missing,


Note the avoidance of answering the question is addressed immediately:  it is a hard question to ask him, but he doesn't say it is a hard question for him to answer. Note that "because" makes it sensitive and readers will question the sense/veracity of the answer since information about his daughter's whereabouts would come from the mother. 


 and you know, trying to put two and two together where she could be, you know? 


"you know" shows an acute awareness of the interviewer's presence.  Note how its use increases and when it decreases.  When it increases, the question should be considered sensitive.  It is here that he is withholding information about why he did not talk to the mother for the week Celina was missing. 


And I couldn`t believe that -- you know, that she was the type of person that would walk (ph) and leave the household, especially a household that supposedly gave her great love, you know? And that`s what she always told me, you know? And that`s -- you know, how can you question somebody (INAUDIBLE) to me, she`s always been a good mother to her, to both the girls.


The use of "person" for his daughter shows distance. 
Note that "supposedly" is added about her "great love", with "you know" heightening the sensitivity.  He went from "supposedly" to a good mother "to her" but then adds 
"both the girls".  This is significant.  When he says "to both the girls" he does so without introducing who the other girl is. 


This says that the relationship is very distant.  

NORVILLE: Every picture we see of your daughter, she`s got these beautiful eyes, long brown hair, and often a big, happy smile that we see right now. How do you remember your daughter this evening?

No mention of the dental neglect that likely led to painful experiences in school. 

LARO: Beautiful. Beautiful. (INAUDIBLE) wonderful-hearted person and just someone who`s loving and caring to a lot of people, not just one (INAUDIBLE) individual person, and (INAUDIBLE) love towards her family, friends, everything.


Describing his 11 year old daughter as a "person" rather than as a "little girl" or "girl" or other terms of endearment show distance.   Here he described Celina in the present tense, which is common for parents who have recently learned that their child is deceased, but who haven't accepted it yet.  

NORVILLE: What can you...

LARO: And...

NORVILLE: Go ahead, sir.

LARO: That`s how I would like to remember her.


Mr. Laro woud like to remember Celina this way, but there is something that may prevent him from doing so.

NORVILLE: Yes. What can you tell us about her stepdad, your ex- wife`s present husband, Mr. Noyes? How long have they been married?


Note that trained interviewers avoid compound questions, since they allow the subject to pick and choose which to answer.  Television interviewers use them frequently since it puts more emphasis upon the Interviewer, herself, rather than gathering information.  The question, "what can you tell us about the stepdad?" is a good question; "how long have they been married?" limits the information the Interviewer can receive.  This puts the focus upon the Interviewer and not upon the intake of information. 

LARO: That I`m not sure. I think a year. I think it`s been over a year...


This answer indicates distance.  If the mother and stepfather were married for a time as short as a year, one would think that the father of two girls in the household would have more of a firm knowledge of how long his daughters were being parented by another man.

NORVILLE: About a year.

LARO: ... that they`ve been married.

NORVILLE: And how well did you know him? Did you ever have occasion to see him when you would be visiting your daughters?


Another compound question.  

LARO: Yes, I went up a few times to visit the girls and he was there. And one time, he showed me the girls` -- had the girls get me their report cards and show me their report cards and stuff like that.

Note that "the girls" did not show him their report cards; the step father did. 
"Stuff like that" shows non-descript response of what may have been important or relevant to the girls, was only "stuff" like "that" (distance) to Laro. 


Was there a dynamic in the home of Wendell Noyes showing Mr. Laro that he was in charge of Celina and her sister?  Wendell "showed" him, or "had the girls" get their report cards for their father to see.  


They always did (ph) good with me, you know?

"with" shows distance, and "you know" shows uptick in sensitivity of this question. 


I have no bad reports of bad things to say about anybody, you know? 

This type response should have been followed up with by the Interviewer.  Here, he offers what he doesn't have; making it highly important.  "Bad reports" are different than bad thoughts or feelings.  Often biological parents have bad thoughts or feelings about a stepparent by nature of the relationship and what it means, without actual "reports" of any behavior or act.   Mr. Laro reveals that he was removed from his daughers' lives and relied on reports to formulate his opinions on the man who spent every day with them.

You know, it`s just -- it`s just -- I still to this day still can`t believe what`s gone on.

"what's gone on" rather than daughter's death.
Note that "to this day" has only been 1 week.  This is in likely reference to the "bad" that he doesn't have a report about. 


 And you know, it`s just -- I have no fingers to point at and anybody to point them at. I just -- you know -- you know, I hope -- I hope that there will be some answers, you know? That`s what I`m asking for.

He repeats what he doesn't have.  The police likely know "bad" things that took place between this man and Celina's mother as he is withholding information and cautious about what he says.  Broken sentences indicate that the subject has stopped himself and is withholding information.  Note that he is hoping for "some" answers; this is an indication that he may have some already, especially with regard to the step father.


Mr. Laro goes from speaking in the negative with "no fingers to point at" to the positive "anybody to point them at."  It is likely that Mr. Laro knows where fingers should/will be pointed, but perhaps his distance from his daughter has caused him to feel that he is not in a position to be the one pointing fingers, that he has abdicated his role of father and thus has "no fingers" to point.

NORVILLE: What do you think happened, sir, to your daughter? What do you speculate happened?

LARO: I can`t give an answer on that. Could have been anything.


Note that "can't" indicates limitation; which could be knowledge, or it could be repercussion.  Note that "could" have drops an article.  This is a strong indicator that the subject does have some ideas, or "answers" that he could give, but chooses not to.  

NORVILLE: All right. We`re going to take a short break. We`ll be back talking with Adam Laro, the father of Celina Cass, and the rest of our guests this evening. A tragic night in New Hampshire as a little girl has been found and lost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

At this point in the show there are other guests speaking, and their comments have been edited out of the post as we concentrate on Ms. Laro's statements.

NORVILLE: And Adam Laro, you`re still with us, Celina`s dad. And we so grieve for you. Were there any problems that you are aware of with your daughter and any of her family members?

LARO: No, none whatsoever. She always got along with all of us. And she always was a very good girl. She loved -- like you said, she playing with her kitties, and she -- you know, she was very active. You know, she`d come over -- when she came over to me, we`d throw a Frisbee or go on a four-wheeler ride or do something, or go fishing in the back pond. And I`d spend personal time with her, both the girls.

"She always got along with all of us" indicates that to Mr. Laro, Celina was the one in control of the relationship dynamics.  


"when she came over to me" is a passive description of Celina's visits with her father.  Mr. Laro describes his time with Celina as "personal time" (extra word) which shows that this time required effort and was not the norm.  This description reflects distance between Mr. Laro and Celina.


NORVILLE: One of the things that struck a lot of people is that an 11-year-old little girl was on line and was on FaceBook. Were you aware that she was using the computer in this way?

LARO: No, I didn`t.
Straightforward answer, with no qualifiers or extra words.   


NORVILLE: Would you have accepted that or approved of that, if you had been aware?

LARO: I would have spoke it over with them a little bit better, about what`s going on, you know, what I -- you know, what she should have been doing and what she shouldn`t have been doing. You know, because there`s so much going on with computers today, it`s hard to tell who`s on line anymore.

Mr. Laro doesn't specify who he would have "spoke it over" with, this could refer to either Celina, her sister, her mother and stepfather or some combination of them.  Mr. Laro reports that he would have spoke it over "better", which suggests that he is not satisfied with how it was discussed initially.  


NORVILLE: Yes.

LARO: And it is scary, you know?
You know equates to increased sensitivity. 


NORVILLE: One of the messages -- we just saw it on the screen, and perhaps we can put it back up -- it`s a message that Celina has on her FaceBook page. It says, "You can`t stand to live with your family, but you can`t stand to live without them," certainly poignant words on a night when a family and a community is grieving.

How could something like this have happened in a community of less than 900 people? They thought it was safe. Was it or wasn`t it? Our discussion will continue as we look at the sad passing and death of 11- year-old Celina Cass.



NORVILLE: Welcome back. I`m Deborah Norville from "Inside Edition" sitting in tonight for Nancy Grace. as we look at the sad end to the search for Celina Cass.

We`ve been joined this morning by Celina`s father Adam Laro who has been dealing not only with the tragic loss of his daughter but also some personal medical issues.

We`re so grateful, sir, and our condolences to you and your family on this difficult time.

ADAM LARO, FATHER OF CELINA CASS, BODY JUST FOUND IN RIVER: Yes. Thank you.

NORVILLE: What did you know about the medical or mental health history of Celina`s stepdad, Mr. Noyes? Obviously that`s something that`s made a great deal of headlines as people have been looking into the family situation. Were you aware that he`d had a number of troubles of this nature?

LARO: Off and on but I didn`t really pay attention that much because I didn`t think there was any problems because like I said before I would always check with my daughters and ask if there was any problems at home and if there was to have their mother and father give me a call. And if we had to talk or call a family meeting we would.


Note that which is presented in the negative.  This man knew more about the step father than he wishes to say on HLN.  Note repetition of "because" is sensitive as it tells us "why" rather than what he knew.  Note that "with" shows distance.  Again he references a second daughter without using her name, which indicates a distant relationship.  Note that he does not give answer to the question he posed to his daughters, only to have their "mother or father" give him a call.


By calling step father their "father", it shows why he referred to Celina as a "person"; gender neutral.  He did not consider himself a father.  


Note:  to call a family meeting may be the language of child protective services or another form of formal intervention, as "calling" a meeting is different than having one. 


But you know, when things started unraveling there was more and more news out. (INAUDIBLE) so it got to who do you believe anymore? You know? Who`s speaking the truth? So, you know, as far as being aware of his problem or his past history, I don`t know nothing about it.


Things "started" unravelling, and likely for Mr. Laro, they haven't stopped unravelling yet.  "It got to" is passive as Mr. Laro doesn't describe his own thought process, but rather refers to a passive event involving who "you" believe, rather than stating what he believes.  The question, "Who's speaking the truth?" is present tense, and suggests that Mr. Laro doesn't know what to believe, and also that he has more information than he has revealed to the interviewer, as he is conflicted and trying to understand what has been reported to him.


"I don't know nothing about it" suggests that Mr. Laro is still unaware of Wendell Noyes' mental health issues and criminal behavior, yet he assigns "problem" and "past history" to Wendell Noyes.   "Past" is an extra word, as the term "history" means something that has happened in the past; Wendell Noyes' history is sensitive to Mr. Laro. 

NORVILLE: It`s curious. You just referred to him as her mother and father. You don`t refer to yourself as her father?

LARO: Yes, I`m her father. Her stepdad.


Mr. Laro states that he is Celina's father.  "Her stepdad" is an incomplete sentence and does not identify who the stepdad is.  Mr. Laro is withholding information about this sensitive topic.    Also, note that he says he is her "father" then uses the term stepdad rather than stepfather. 


NORVILLE: OK.

LARO: Stepdad because she -- their mother did marry the man, you know. And you know, I say I can`t count him out as not being a parent involved.

Mr. Laro referrs to Wendell Noyes as "the man" where earlier he referred to his daugher as "a person."  By referring to Wendell Noyes as "the man", is he being derogatory?  There are two you know's back to back as the sensitvity increases.  


"I say"- is Mr. Laro differentiating between what he is saying and what he is thinking?
"I can't count him out as not being a parent involved."  This is a strange comment.   Is Mr. Laro talking about Celina's every day life and Wendell Noyes' involvement in it, or is he referring to him being involved in something nefarious? 


  
NORVILLE: Right.

LARO: You know?

NORVILLE: When did the girls last live with you, Celina and her big sister?

LARO: I left the home, and Kayla was age 3.


Note that "left" shows missing information here; withheld. 
Note that he only uses one child's name.  This is also indicative of distance.  How distant is he from his children?

NORVILLE: And so Celina would have been just baby, I guess?

LARO: Yes, she was just a baby. Yes.


Note that he only uses reflective language.  The interviewer picks up on this and appears to have difficulty controlling her own questions:  

NORVILLE: OK. So they`ve really lived outside your home with their mother?

LARO: Yes. Yes.


Repetition is sensitive.  Why did he appear on television? What questions was he expecting?  Would he not consider that average questions for a father would be posed?

NORVILLE: How would you -- I know you have other children through other marriages. How will you explain to your own children, your surviving children, this sad loss of their sister?

Note that the interviewer reveals her own thoughts:  he is not really a father to Celina.   She then corrects herself, yet has already revealed her thinking. 

LARO: Well, my son right now is the oldest and he`s taking it the hardest. He`s -- you know, he`s really, you know, he`s really upset. At times he`s angry and there`s times he`s confused and at times he`s sad. You know? He`s going through the tough experience himself.


Note that when a sentence begins with "well", the subject is pausing to think.  
Note that "my son" is without a first name, an improper social introduction which means a bad relationship.  "You know" repeated shows another sensitive question posed to him.  
Note that the son being "the oldest" may indicate that there are more children than the two sisters mentioned (and the son).
Note also that the son is going through this "himself"; this extra word indicates that the father is not assisting his son in what he is going through, which confirms the distance we find when he introduces his son without a name. 

And like I said before I haven`t heard much from Kayla. I hope I can shortly see her or talk with her soon. I`d like to know what`s going on and see how she`s doing and make sure she`s OK.


"Like I said" indicates that the subject is not working from experiential memory; but through memory of what he said previously.  
Note: "much" from Kayla, who now has a name.  Note the passivity:  he hasn't heard from the child; not that the child has not heard from him.  He only "hopes" he can see her "or" talk "with her", and not "to her" as  a father would would need to help his daughter through such a tragedy, or as a father WHO SHOULD BE GETTING HER OUT OF THAT HOME.  


Even if Wendell Noyes wasn't involved in Celina's death, in the past he has been deemed unfit to stand trial, a threat to himself and others, and should not be living with children.   Even if Wendell Noyes has taken medication to manage his mental health issues, there is no guarantee that he will continue to do so, and he should not be allowed to live with children.   


Some may say that this belief discriminates against people with mental illness.  So be it.  Every choice we make discriminates against one option for another.   If Wendell Noyes needs to be discriminated against for the sake of safety for children, SO BE IT.  


Wendell Noyes is NOT the father of the children in that home, and they do not deserve to be exposed to the THREAT that he poses.  

NORVILLE: Have you reached out to your daughter and your ex-wife?

LARO: No, I haven`t.


This is a straightforward answer.


NORVILLE: But you`ll be doing that or you`ll just wait for them to reach out to you?

LARO: Time will tell. I can`t -- my doctor says not to put too much pressure on me because I`ve been in the hospital for the last 18 days.


Mr. Laro doesn't have plans to contact Kayla, which reflects how distant he is from his daughter. It is sad that Mr. Laro considers it "pressure" to reach out to his daughter, to help her cope with the death of her little sister.   Yet, he is speaking with an interviewer on National Television about the very same topic.   What is the difference?  Is there something about having contact with Kayla and her mother that would create more pressure for Mr. Laro than speaking on the Nancy Grace show?  


In hindsight, it would have been interesting to hear Mr. Laro's response had he been asked about reaching out to his daughter, and not his daughter and ex wife.  Would his answer have been different? 


NORVILLE: Yes. Well, we certainly understand. And again, sir, our deepest thanks to you for being with us to help us understand the situation from your vantage point and our deepest condolences to you and to your family. We do appreciate you being with us.

LARO: Yes.

At this point, the show focuses on other guests and the interview with Mr. Laro ends.   Below are some relevant comments from guests on the show:

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST, AUTHOR OF "DEALBREAKERS": Well, I think, first of all, with children you have to make sense for them of the broader context in which this happened. You have to let them know this is a very unusual event. Just because one little girl went missing, you have to tell the other children in her class it doesn`t mean that something bad is going to happen to them. 

But certainly, Deborah, something very bad happened in this household. And I am so concerned about this stepfather`s mental health. And it`s not just that he had paranoid schizophrenia. He had a stalking history. 

I listened to what Alexis Weed said just now. There was attempted assault, breaking into his ex-girlfriend`s home, then being incompetent to stand trial. That tells me he has the mentality of a stalker. They`re rejection sensitive. They`re rageful. They do not regulate their emotions. 

How was someone like this raising a little girl? And the fact that he was deemed incompetent to stand trial tells me he was not compliant with his medications and this week he`s lying face down in front of the house. Is he on medications now? Who is treating him psychiatrically? 

Is he compliant with those medications? If not, what does it say about the oversight that this little girl had in that household and the fact that she was 11 years old and had her own Facebook account? Where was the computer? Was it in her own room? Was anyone taking a look at who she was talking with online?



ALEX SANCHEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I`m very alarmed at what I`m hearing here because for a judge to rule that a defendant is mentally incompetent to stand trial, that`s a very high threshold. That means the person does not understand the nature of the charges that have been brought against him or understand how to assist in his own defense. You have to be really out of it to be ruled incompetent.


And as far as him being allowed to be around children, hey, if there was no prohibition against him marrying somebody and there was no order blocking him from being around children or anybody else, he went and did it and that`s what happened.


Alex Sanchez brings forth common sense in his sensitivity.   Note "very" high threshold and "really out of it" are sensitive to Sanchez.  He is likely speaking as a father.  This raises another issue about the biological father:


We read nothing of the father seeking to get his remaining daughter OUT of the household. 


NORVILLE: And Charlie Jordan is still with us. He`s the editor of the "Coolbrook Chronicle."

Charlie, give us a little sense of what you know about the Internet usage both in terms of 11-year-old Celina having a Facebook account and what might have been entered into her account, and also any Internet usage that you`re aware of as a reporter covering Mr. Noyes, the stepdad.

CHARLIE JORDAN, "COLEBROOK CHRONICLE": Well, it`s impossible to ignore these sources, potential sources, and we looked a the both Facebook accounts very closely. Celina had 35 listed friends and we were able to establish about three or four were real friends and the others were very suspicious. I mean I don`t know how to describe them. But --


Note that which is in the negative is sensitive.  We know how to describe the pictures; we have seen them.  They are inappropriate and sexual, and are the contacts from the step father. 

NORVILLE: Suspicious like how?

JORDAN: You know, pictures of women in suggested --

The fear of sounding 'judgmental' has reached such ridiculous proportions that the subject struggles to find the words. 

NORVILLE: The little girls have sexually explicit friends` photos?

JORDAN: It was -- it was under friend. Now I don`t know that a 11- year -old would know what she`s clicking on but they had some very questionable identities and profile pictures. And the stepfather -- again I`ve heard a lot on both sides of this issue, but just looking at his Facebook page is a very disconcerting experience. A lot of very suggestive pictures of women friends. So those are concerns.


Note "both sides of this issue" is fear of speaking of that which is plain. 


But I also want to say it`s interesting to hear Mr. Laro say that Celina herself said she had a very good household there. I`ve heard that from other people. I`ve heard that, you know, he looked after her. He`s on disability and was taking care of her while the mother, you know, was the breadwinner, working. So at this point, you know, you hear both. But again that police tape around the house tonight is kind of telling us something, I think.


Celina did not have a good household.  Eleven year olds who live with preverted schizophrenic men who are interested sexually in "girls" do not have good home lives. 



JANE YOUNG, SENIOR ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: It`s with sadness that I report earlier today we discovered the body of Celina Cass in the Connecticut River in Stewartstown.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences on behalf of the state police, the FBI, and the attorney general`s office, to the friends and the family of Celina Cass, as well as this community who loved her and who cherished her.

We are treating her death as a suspicious death at this time. Based on what we have seen visually we are treating it as suspicious.

"visually" is an extra word, as it is assumed that everything investigators see they see visually.  The topic of what Jane Young has seen is sensitive. 


And the 800 pound gorilla in the room:


MARGARET, CALLER FROM VIRGINIA: Hi, thank you, too. I just find it unusual that the biological parents had no contact while she was missing in addition to the fact that she had a -- you know a Web -- Facebook account. And the fact that this pretty child had severe cosmetic dentistry problems which were obviously not treated, I find all of this points to a very neglected child. 

Note the intelligent observations from a caller and how the Interviewer seeks to deflect any possible responsibility.
 





NORVILLE: Well, I certainly appreciate your sentiments on that. I know it`s not a particularly wealthy community. And dental work can sometimes be expensive if you`ve ever put a kid in braces. 



But the family had a computer, internet access, and Wendell Noyes was buying cigarettes at the local store this week.  These are all extras, and things that parents who put their children first go without when there is a glaring need for that child.  Cigarettes, if a habit is 1 pack per day, can be more than $100 per month.  In some states, it is much more. 





In a society where people are unwilling to condemn someone as dangerous based on their history of dangerous behavior, sexual interest in girls and past criminal behavior, where the pattern is becoming that we hold no one responsible for their behavior, we will continue to condemn children to harm, pain, and in some cases, death.  



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