Subj: Requested report of Sondra Barrington search 5/12-13/05
Date: 5/17/2005 7:10:23 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: TCRFla
To: jhshivers@hardeeso.com
Detective John Shivers Hardee County S.O.
As requested, here is a summary of the search effort conducted for Sondra Barrington and includes both May 12 (Thursday) and May 13 (Friday), 2005.
People in attendance on May 12th:
Shirley Barrington (mother of missing person)
David and Dennis Howell (Sondra's uncles)
Daniel Gibson (Hardee County S.O.)
Tanya Sanborn and Mac (handler and cadaver dog from Hillsborough Co,Fl)
People in attendance on May 13th:
Shirley, David, Dennis, Tanya and Mac
Eunice Howell (David's wife)
Earlene Howell (Sondra's grandmother)
Russell Conley (Hardee County S.O.)
Pat Totillo and Tobe (handler and cadaver dog from Orange City, FI)
Gloria Howard (Pat's teammate)
Search Area:
Several miles (estimating 3 to 4) north of County Line Road (Hardee County and Hwy 17) on Old Bowling Green Road there is an approximate 90 degree bend in the road. The search area was to the southeast of the middle of the bend as indicated on the page 2 map.
Search summary: .
Day one - May 12th. Thursday - Meeting the group listed above at 8:00am we drove to the described location. After a visual scan of the search area, I took my dog out of the vehicle and we began systematically covering the area--indicated in yellow on page 2 map. His search included the phosphate pit (pond 2) to the right of the pictured and indicated one (pond 1), the land between, including the small dump area between the two ponds (phosphate pits), accessible shoreline at both ponds and accessible area to the left of the first pond. Shortly into the search Mac focused on a somewhat circular area at the base of a large oak tree on the waters edge - below an approximately 20 - 25 foot vertical steep cliff.
His behavior in this location was telling me he was on odor. His alert signal is a two paw digging at the closest location to the source of the odor as he can get. He showed this behavior at this location on no less than four different crossings at four different time and from different directions. He checked the water and foliage within the area including as high up the tree as he could reach, however, the only place I saw his alert was in the circular area indicated below at the base of the large oak tree. If I saw this behavior on his certification test, I would call it as a hit. The effort was ended at approximately 12:00 noon with plans to meet again the next morning (Friday) at 8:00am with another dog and whatever else we could think of to assist in ruling out this location.
Day two - May 13th. Friday
Meeting the group listed above again at approximately 8:00am and traveling to the prior day location. Pat, Gloria and I walked to the edge of the cliff over pond 1 as I showed them the search site. I asked Pat to run her dog Tobe first and while she did, Mac and I stayed with the vehicles so as not to interfere with their search effort. When she had finished with the pond one search and cleared the area I got Mac out and ran him again with the same results as Thursday .
Tanya Sanborn
http://www.tcrtla.org
http://www.tcrtla.org/laredo.html
Subj: follow up search for Sondra Barrington, May 21st, 2005
Date: 6/1/200510:21:07 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: TCRFla
To: jhshivers@hardeeso.com
CC: rconley@hardeeso.com
BCC: TCRFla
Detective John Shivers Hardee County S.O.
As requested by Detective Conley on May 21 st, 2005, here is a summary of the follow up search effort conducted for Sondra Barrington on May 21 (Saturday), 2005. This is a follow up to search of May 12 and 13. For previously described areas please refer to report of May 17]
People in attendance:
Shirley Barrington (mother of missing person)
David and Dennis Howell (Sondra's uncles)
Russell Conley (Hardee County S.O.)
Tanya Sanborn and Mac (handler and cadaver dog from Hillsborough Co, FI)
Earlene (Grandmother)
Search Area:
Same as prior report from May 12-13. This was a recheck. Search summary:
This search was to recheck the previously described area. We dug around the base of the described Oak tree (photo one) to see if we could get a more focused hit from Mac. Upon running the dog it was observed that not only did his nose climb back up the tree but he also followed and checked a large exposed root (exposed from the digging). Having worked the area of the tree, he
next moved down to the waterline of the phosphate pit where the prior week's dredging was collected (photo e. photo two). He picked trough the debris and pulled out several long extensions or possible roots of what seemed to be a pod like water plant obviously long dead and dredged up the week before.
Upon examination of these extensions it was noted a section of each one had a clear and definite different color and appearance. To my nose, the darkened, shriveled part smelled very much like cadaver material. At that point, Detective Conley collected the strands as potential evidence. During the morning, Detective Conley had surveyed ore of the surrounding area and ask if I would bring Mac to check the North side of the water area as indicated in the map below. We accompanied Det. Conley to the area he indicated and checked it, This search effort concluded approximately 1 :30pm.
Tanya Sanborn
http://www.tcrfla.org
813 685-2632