Very shortly after Glen's death; a man came to our home. This man wanted my parents to know that on the night before Glen was found dead; a young female had been walking home from a friend's house; when she was attacked and either sexually assaulted or raped. And that this attack happened in the same general vicinity where Glen's body had been found. This man felt that the attack on this young female and Glen's death were very possibly connected; and he felt that it was very important that my parents try to talk to the young female and her parents.
My parents did go to the home of the young female. Her parents were visibly distraught; the mother's eyes red and swollen from crying. But the parents would not allow my parents to talk to their daughter; and told my parents that they did not want the attack on their daughter reported to the police. They were adament about not wanting it reported.
My parents had to leave that house that day with no information on the attack on the young female. They had to walk away; already so hurt about losing their youngest son; but now also knowing that there was someone who could have possibly given a description of the person or persons who have attacked the young female; but would not give that information. If this information and a description of the girl's attacker or attackers had been given to either my parents or to the police; I believe there might have been a chance to at least question a suspect in the death of my little brother.
I have never been able to understand how the parents of the young female could let my parents walk away from their home that day in 1968; walk away with no information, no description, no hope.
Those 2 parents still had their daughter. And although what happened to their daughter was horrible; at least they still had their daughter. My parents little boy was dead.
Their daughter had the chance to live the rest of her life; Glen didn't.
How could they live with themselves? And did they ever tell their daughter that there was the possibility that she held the answers in the murder of a 10 year old boy? If this young female was ever told; how could she never come forward to tell what had happened to her; to give a description of her attacker or attackers? How could she live with herself?
40 years of silence. 40 years of too many unanswered questions. 40 years of no justice for Glen.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Glen Davenport (age 10) murdered in Jax. Fl. in 1968
10 year old Glen Davenport was reported missing to the police on February 3rd, 1968. The police never searched for Glen; it was Glen's family, friends, and neighbors who searched for him throughout the night.
One of the many places that were searched was a lot of land down the street from our home. This lot was on Mayflower St. On this lot was a plumbing business and an old abandoned house. Kids from the neighborhood, including Glen would often play on this lot; and about a week or so before Glen's death the kids had put up a rope swing from the tree in the yard of the old abandoned house.
That lot was searched multiple times throughout the night of Feb. 3rd; up until 4:00 a.m. of the 4th. Glen was nowhere to be seen.
But then, just a few short hours later around 7:30-7:45 a.m.; Glen's body was found. He was in a kneeling position under the tree; with the rope swing wrapped twice around his neck. That means that someone put Glen or his body under the tree and wrapped the rope swing around his neck sometime after the last search at 4:00 a.m.
The first police officer or officers to arrive made statements that the rope was not tight enough to have killed Glen; and to my father "That rope is not what killed your boy".
But when the detectives and investigators took over; they ignored everything suspicious.
They ignored the witness statements from the people who had searched that lot for Glen that Glen was not there during any of the searches; not even the last search at 4:00 a.m.
They ignored the fact that Glen was terrified of the dark and would not have stayed out all night. He would not have stayed gone all night; hiding somewhere in the dark and cold (not even zipping up his jacket despite it being a cold night). He would not have hidden; waiting for the searchers to leave and then gone to play on the rope swing after 4: 00 in the morning.
At the funeral home, my Glen's father and brother-in-law noticed dirt under Glen's fingernails. Anyone who knew Glen knew that was not normal. Glen was a very clean little boy and didn't like to be dirty or even sticky from candy, etc.
Also noticed were bruises around Glen's mouth (toward and under the cheekbones). On one side of Glen's face there were 3 or 4 small, roundish bruises spread apart. On the other side of his face was one larger, roundish bruise. My father said it looked like someone had had a hand over Glen's mouth.
Was someone holding Glen against his will in that old abandoned house on that lot on Mayflower St.? Did they do it to try to keep Glen quiet while the searchers were so close by?
Since the first police officer or officers that arrived on the scene made statements that the rope was not tight enough around Glen's neck to have caused his death; was a hand over Glen's mouth what rendered him unconscious or ended his life?
We believe that Glen was either unconscious or already dead when the rope swing was wrapped around his neck. And we believe that whoever did it; did it only to try to make Glen's death look like a suicide or accident. Or to prop Glen's body up; to be found easily.
The detectives and investigators decided that Glen's death was "accidental"; that Glen was possibly playing with other children and somehow accidently died on the rope swing.
But Glen was not out playing at that time of morning; and neither were any other kids.
The assistant M.E. who performed the preliminary autopsy ruled Glen's death as "Accidental; asphyxiation due to hanging". But the first police officer or officers had seen Glen "hanging" there; and made the statements that the rope was not what killed Glen.
And as it turns out; Glen's body was sent to be embalmed within 4 hours of being found. And that embalment was done without the required, signed release from someone in Glen's family for an embalment to be done before an autopsy could be done.
While my family thought Glen's body was at the M.E.'s Office awaiting autopsy; it was really at a funeral home being embalmed.
Why was there a rush to have the body of a little boy (who had been missing all night and then found dead in an area that had been searched just a few hours earlier) embalmed; rather than a rush to have an autopsy done on that child's body? And why an embalment done without the required, signed release from any of Glen's next of kin?
I believe there are still people in Jacksonville, Florida who remember the story of the little boy who was found hanging on Mayflower St. in 1968.
And I believe that there could be people still around who might have information that they have never told.
40 years ago; a little boy was murdered. Left alone, on his knees in the dark; with a rope swing that was supposed to be a childhood fun thing wrapped around his neck.
I am hoping that someone who remembers the news stories of Glen Davenport's death will read this; and will contact me if they have any information.
Glen Davenport deserves justice. His family deserves to see justice for him.
One of the many places that were searched was a lot of land down the street from our home. This lot was on Mayflower St. On this lot was a plumbing business and an old abandoned house. Kids from the neighborhood, including Glen would often play on this lot; and about a week or so before Glen's death the kids had put up a rope swing from the tree in the yard of the old abandoned house.
That lot was searched multiple times throughout the night of Feb. 3rd; up until 4:00 a.m. of the 4th. Glen was nowhere to be seen.
But then, just a few short hours later around 7:30-7:45 a.m.; Glen's body was found. He was in a kneeling position under the tree; with the rope swing wrapped twice around his neck. That means that someone put Glen or his body under the tree and wrapped the rope swing around his neck sometime after the last search at 4:00 a.m.
The first police officer or officers to arrive made statements that the rope was not tight enough to have killed Glen; and to my father "That rope is not what killed your boy".
But when the detectives and investigators took over; they ignored everything suspicious.
They ignored the witness statements from the people who had searched that lot for Glen that Glen was not there during any of the searches; not even the last search at 4:00 a.m.
They ignored the fact that Glen was terrified of the dark and would not have stayed out all night. He would not have stayed gone all night; hiding somewhere in the dark and cold (not even zipping up his jacket despite it being a cold night). He would not have hidden; waiting for the searchers to leave and then gone to play on the rope swing after 4: 00 in the morning.
At the funeral home, my Glen's father and brother-in-law noticed dirt under Glen's fingernails. Anyone who knew Glen knew that was not normal. Glen was a very clean little boy and didn't like to be dirty or even sticky from candy, etc.
Also noticed were bruises around Glen's mouth (toward and under the cheekbones). On one side of Glen's face there were 3 or 4 small, roundish bruises spread apart. On the other side of his face was one larger, roundish bruise. My father said it looked like someone had had a hand over Glen's mouth.
Was someone holding Glen against his will in that old abandoned house on that lot on Mayflower St.? Did they do it to try to keep Glen quiet while the searchers were so close by?
Since the first police officer or officers that arrived on the scene made statements that the rope was not tight enough around Glen's neck to have caused his death; was a hand over Glen's mouth what rendered him unconscious or ended his life?
We believe that Glen was either unconscious or already dead when the rope swing was wrapped around his neck. And we believe that whoever did it; did it only to try to make Glen's death look like a suicide or accident. Or to prop Glen's body up; to be found easily.
The detectives and investigators decided that Glen's death was "accidental"; that Glen was possibly playing with other children and somehow accidently died on the rope swing.
But Glen was not out playing at that time of morning; and neither were any other kids.
The assistant M.E. who performed the preliminary autopsy ruled Glen's death as "Accidental; asphyxiation due to hanging". But the first police officer or officers had seen Glen "hanging" there; and made the statements that the rope was not what killed Glen.
And as it turns out; Glen's body was sent to be embalmed within 4 hours of being found. And that embalment was done without the required, signed release from someone in Glen's family for an embalment to be done before an autopsy could be done.
While my family thought Glen's body was at the M.E.'s Office awaiting autopsy; it was really at a funeral home being embalmed.
Why was there a rush to have the body of a little boy (who had been missing all night and then found dead in an area that had been searched just a few hours earlier) embalmed; rather than a rush to have an autopsy done on that child's body? And why an embalment done without the required, signed release from any of Glen's next of kin?
I believe there are still people in Jacksonville, Florida who remember the story of the little boy who was found hanging on Mayflower St. in 1968.
And I believe that there could be people still around who might have information that they have never told.
40 years ago; a little boy was murdered. Left alone, on his knees in the dark; with a rope swing that was supposed to be a childhood fun thing wrapped around his neck.
I am hoping that someone who remembers the news stories of Glen Davenport's death will read this; and will contact me if they have any information.
Glen Davenport deserves justice. His family deserves to see justice for him.
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