3/22/06 (PMP) Not a Psychic, Part II
Continued from yesterday......
A pleasant-sounding woman answered the phone. I identified myself, and she told me that she had seen our story on the Montel Show and that she wanted to help. My mind raced as I tried to determine, based upon those words and her tone, if she wanted to place posters or if she was another psychic.
To the best of my recollection, the conversation went as follows:
LF: "Tell me, did Jason have acne?"
KJ: "Yes, but it wasn't a bad case of it." (I'm wondering where this is going.)
LF: "They doctored up his photos to hide it, didn't they?"
KJ: "No, they never altered those photos at all."
LF: "Well, I know he has acne." (I groan inwardly at this "psychic's"
strange approach."
KJ: "I don't understand what this has to do with helping find him."
LF: "I know where Jason is, and I can find him."
KJ: "Where is he?"
LF: "I need you to give me his Social Security number and his driver's license number."
KJ: "I don't know his DL# and I am not going to give out his SS#."
At this point the conversation took a sharp turn, and I can honestly say that I have never heard a voice in my entire life that was so filled with hate and venom as this woman's.
LF: "You'd better find a way to get it to me, or you will never see your son again!"
I had to pause at this point. She sounded as if she knew where Jason was and she seemed to insinuate he was being held somewhere. If she was a psychic, she was certainly the most cold and callous one in existence.
KJ: "I don't even know you. I am not going to give you that information."
LF: "You want your son back, don't you?"
KJ: "Of course we do, but we're not going to give that type of information to someone we don't even know."
LF: "So, your begging for help on the (Montel) show was all playing, then."
KJ: "No, it was not. We want our son back, but I am not going to give you that information."
LF: "Quit playing around and get down to business then. If you ever want to see your son again, you will give me those numbers, and I don't care how you get them!" (She is now screaming at me.)
I don't remember how I ended this call, because I was in shock that a call like this could have even taken place, and in shock that cruelty knew no boundaries. I'm sure that I told her no again, and hung up.
I went back to my desk and sat down. I tried to play the call over in my mind, but I was numb. My head told me that this woman had no idea where Jason was, and that she just wanted some type of personal gain. My heart wondered if she really did know something. Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to get away from everything. I thought if I went outside and got some fresh air and drove around, I could put the call out of my mind.
That didn't happen. By the time I walked out to the car, I was an emotional wreck. All of the events of the past few months came crashing down upon me at that moment. I unlocked the car, and got in, closing the door behind me. I laid my head on the steering wheel and wept. Good things were supposed to come from our victory of getting Jason's story on the Montel Show, not things like this. Why, why, why, couldn't we find him? Why did we have to deal with horrid people like this, on top of everything else? When would it ever end? When would we get the answers as to Jason's fate? All of these questions were running through my head. I tried to collect myself and go back inside, but I couldn't. This was one of the few times I called in to work because of our situation, but I had to go home.
After I was home for awhile, I felt better. My husband came home, and I shared with him what had happened. We knew that we wouldn't be so easy to find had it not been for Project Jason, but we weren't going to let cruel people stop us from our work. Things quieted down until my cell phone rang. It was that horrid woman again.
I thought about not answering it, but I admit anger swelled up inside of me. It was clear she was not going to stop trying to bullying me into giving her Jason's information. For all we knew, she was an identity thief. How dare she intrude upon our lives with her cruel taunts and threats?
I answered the phone, and she immediately started spewing forth venomous attacks, stating that I didn't care about my son or want to find him. She again repeated her threat that we would never see Jason again. Then the truth came out. She said: "I am a bounty hunter. I don't care about you, and I don't care about Jason. I just want the reward fund."
The only comical thing about the whole situation was that Jason's reward fund is very small. Had she not wanted the SS and DL#'s, and worked to find him, she would have been quite disappointed in the reward amount. She, apparently, didn't research her intended victims well enough. It would have been much smarter to go after someone with an advertised substantial reward. I would guess that her extreme greed had clouded her judgment.
The conversation went no where. I tried to tell her that it wasn’t prudent to give those numbers to strangers, but there were no rational responses coming from the other end. The threats started up again, and I lost my temper. I yelled at her and told her that she’d better never contact us again unless she wanted to be slapped with a lawsuit. I was so angry that I believe I even used the “f-word”, which is not like me at all. Enough was enough, and there was no reason for me to put up with this maniac’s battering. I hung up on her, expecting that it was the end of that story.
I did research on her on the Internet that night. It appeared that someone high up in the police department in that town had the same last name and the street where the police station was located was named after that family. It was most likely an “old boy’s network” and Letitia probably did as she pleased.
I notified our police detective, and he said there really wasn’t anything that could be done. I just wanted these incidents to be recorded. I was also told by a PI that any decent investigator would know how to get the requested information themselves.
The next day, she tried to contact my husband by phone and email. He did not respond to her.
A few days later, I happened to be talking with a woman from our local media, and she told me that the station had received a letter from a strange woman in AL. Apparently, Letitia had made the rounds with our local media, telling them that I had refused her help, and that it meant I did not want to find my son; therefore, I should be investigated, as I must be hiding something. I asked the media woman what the station’s reaction was, and she said they all had a good laugh over the "crazy woman". I wished that I could have laughed along with them.
For someone claiming to have investigative skills, LF did not do her homework at all. It would have only taken her minutes to find 15,000 Google hits on Jason, detailing the ongoing efforts in our search, and what we have done in his name.
While it is clear she isn’t a psychic, she used that as a way to get her foot in the door with me. Perhaps she thought I would play into that, since there are so many people who don’t know and understand what is really happening to them, and she could then get me to give her the information. I wonder how the conversation would have gone if I had played into her psychic act.
There are psychics who are deluded, such as the “Shovel Lady”, and there are the ones who should admit they are frauds.
After this, I decided I’d had enough of these people, and that I would never again give them as much as an inch.
There was, unfortunately, going to be one more to bear.
We understand that many people believe that psychics are effective in solving crimes and finding missing people. Please keep in mind that the goal of this series is to help families understand techniques used by persons making these claims and make better decisions about the use of psychics.
Project Jason and its volunteers cannot act as a clearinghouse for persons claiming success in using paranormal means to locate missing persons. We will be unable to respond to emails or other correspondence sent to us from persons making these claims or persons offering information about or referrals to psychics.
We instead invite those persons to present their evidence to the members of the James Randi Educational Foundation. They have a forum available for you to discuss your claims. http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=7
Jump to the next story:
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/32306-pmp-but-news-said-psychics-are.html
A pleasant-sounding woman answered the phone. I identified myself, and she told me that she had seen our story on the Montel Show and that she wanted to help. My mind raced as I tried to determine, based upon those words and her tone, if she wanted to place posters or if she was another psychic.
To the best of my recollection, the conversation went as follows:
LF: "Tell me, did Jason have acne?"
KJ: "Yes, but it wasn't a bad case of it." (I'm wondering where this is going.)
LF: "They doctored up his photos to hide it, didn't they?"
KJ: "No, they never altered those photos at all."
LF: "Well, I know he has acne." (I groan inwardly at this "psychic's"
strange approach."
KJ: "I don't understand what this has to do with helping find him."
LF: "I know where Jason is, and I can find him."
KJ: "Where is he?"
LF: "I need you to give me his Social Security number and his driver's license number."
KJ: "I don't know his DL# and I am not going to give out his SS#."
At this point the conversation took a sharp turn, and I can honestly say that I have never heard a voice in my entire life that was so filled with hate and venom as this woman's.
LF: "You'd better find a way to get it to me, or you will never see your son again!"
I had to pause at this point. She sounded as if she knew where Jason was and she seemed to insinuate he was being held somewhere. If she was a psychic, she was certainly the most cold and callous one in existence.
KJ: "I don't even know you. I am not going to give you that information."
LF: "You want your son back, don't you?"
KJ: "Of course we do, but we're not going to give that type of information to someone we don't even know."
LF: "So, your begging for help on the (Montel) show was all playing, then."
KJ: "No, it was not. We want our son back, but I am not going to give you that information."
LF: "Quit playing around and get down to business then. If you ever want to see your son again, you will give me those numbers, and I don't care how you get them!" (She is now screaming at me.)
I don't remember how I ended this call, because I was in shock that a call like this could have even taken place, and in shock that cruelty knew no boundaries. I'm sure that I told her no again, and hung up.
I went back to my desk and sat down. I tried to play the call over in my mind, but I was numb. My head told me that this woman had no idea where Jason was, and that she just wanted some type of personal gain. My heart wondered if she really did know something. Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to get away from everything. I thought if I went outside and got some fresh air and drove around, I could put the call out of my mind.
That didn't happen. By the time I walked out to the car, I was an emotional wreck. All of the events of the past few months came crashing down upon me at that moment. I unlocked the car, and got in, closing the door behind me. I laid my head on the steering wheel and wept. Good things were supposed to come from our victory of getting Jason's story on the Montel Show, not things like this. Why, why, why, couldn't we find him? Why did we have to deal with horrid people like this, on top of everything else? When would it ever end? When would we get the answers as to Jason's fate? All of these questions were running through my head. I tried to collect myself and go back inside, but I couldn't. This was one of the few times I called in to work because of our situation, but I had to go home.
After I was home for awhile, I felt better. My husband came home, and I shared with him what had happened. We knew that we wouldn't be so easy to find had it not been for Project Jason, but we weren't going to let cruel people stop us from our work. Things quieted down until my cell phone rang. It was that horrid woman again.
I thought about not answering it, but I admit anger swelled up inside of me. It was clear she was not going to stop trying to bullying me into giving her Jason's information. For all we knew, she was an identity thief. How dare she intrude upon our lives with her cruel taunts and threats?
I answered the phone, and she immediately started spewing forth venomous attacks, stating that I didn't care about my son or want to find him. She again repeated her threat that we would never see Jason again. Then the truth came out. She said: "I am a bounty hunter. I don't care about you, and I don't care about Jason. I just want the reward fund."
The only comical thing about the whole situation was that Jason's reward fund is very small. Had she not wanted the SS and DL#'s, and worked to find him, she would have been quite disappointed in the reward amount. She, apparently, didn't research her intended victims well enough. It would have been much smarter to go after someone with an advertised substantial reward. I would guess that her extreme greed had clouded her judgment.
The conversation went no where. I tried to tell her that it wasn’t prudent to give those numbers to strangers, but there were no rational responses coming from the other end. The threats started up again, and I lost my temper. I yelled at her and told her that she’d better never contact us again unless she wanted to be slapped with a lawsuit. I was so angry that I believe I even used the “f-word”, which is not like me at all. Enough was enough, and there was no reason for me to put up with this maniac’s battering. I hung up on her, expecting that it was the end of that story.
I did research on her on the Internet that night. It appeared that someone high up in the police department in that town had the same last name and the street where the police station was located was named after that family. It was most likely an “old boy’s network” and Letitia probably did as she pleased.
I notified our police detective, and he said there really wasn’t anything that could be done. I just wanted these incidents to be recorded. I was also told by a PI that any decent investigator would know how to get the requested information themselves.
The next day, she tried to contact my husband by phone and email. He did not respond to her.
A few days later, I happened to be talking with a woman from our local media, and she told me that the station had received a letter from a strange woman in AL. Apparently, Letitia had made the rounds with our local media, telling them that I had refused her help, and that it meant I did not want to find my son; therefore, I should be investigated, as I must be hiding something. I asked the media woman what the station’s reaction was, and she said they all had a good laugh over the "crazy woman". I wished that I could have laughed along with them.
For someone claiming to have investigative skills, LF did not do her homework at all. It would have only taken her minutes to find 15,000 Google hits on Jason, detailing the ongoing efforts in our search, and what we have done in his name.
While it is clear she isn’t a psychic, she used that as a way to get her foot in the door with me. Perhaps she thought I would play into that, since there are so many people who don’t know and understand what is really happening to them, and she could then get me to give her the information. I wonder how the conversation would have gone if I had played into her psychic act.
There are psychics who are deluded, such as the “Shovel Lady”, and there are the ones who should admit they are frauds.
After this, I decided I’d had enough of these people, and that I would never again give them as much as an inch.
There was, unfortunately, going to be one more to bear.
We understand that many people believe that psychics are effective in solving crimes and finding missing people. Please keep in mind that the goal of this series is to help families understand techniques used by persons making these claims and make better decisions about the use of psychics.
Project Jason and its volunteers cannot act as a clearinghouse for persons claiming success in using paranormal means to locate missing persons. We will be unable to respond to emails or other correspondence sent to us from persons making these claims or persons offering information about or referrals to psychics.
We instead invite those persons to present their evidence to the members of the James Randi Educational Foundation. They have a forum available for you to discuss your claims. http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=7
Jump to the next story:
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/32306-pmp-but-news-said-psychics-are.html
posted by Kelly Jolkowski at 12:12 AM
2 Comments:
I just can not image the soul so shallow that someone would prey on the family of a missing child! I am so sorry that you (and any family of a missing loved one) have had to endure this injustice. Thank you for sharing your painful experiences in the hope that another family will be spared these predatory freaks!
Now that is completely psychotic!
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