Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Body in Texas not that of Foster
Kamloops This Week by Cassidy Olivier
In her heart, Glendene Grant has always believed her missing daughter, Jessie Foster, is still alive and being held against her will.
Which is why the Kamloops mother of three wasn’t too surprised Monday when she got a call informing her a DNA test proved the body of an unidentified woman found in Texas wasn’t her daughter.
Grant and her ex-husband, Dwight Foster of Calgary, provided authorities with DNA swabs four months ago to run against samples taken from the body uncovered in Kilgore, Tex. in 2006 — the same year the 21-year-old Foster (now 23) went missing from Las Vegas.
The results came up negative.
“It was good news for me,” an excited Grant told KTW. “But I never thought it was her.”
Since disappearing from Las Vegas in March 2006, Foster’s story has remained in the public’s conscious due to Grant’s tireless efforts in attracting media attention to the case.
The story has been told nationally and internationally and has been the subject on episodes of the Montel Williams and Maury Povich shows.
In each instance, Grant has reiterated her belief Foster is being held against her will by a human-trafficking ring.
Following Foster’s disappearance, Grant learned her daughter, who had maintained regular contact with her family, had previously been arrested by Las Vegas police for prostitution.
She was last seen by her boyfriend, Peter Todd, a Jamaican national authorities have labelled a pimp.
Her credit card, bank account and cellphone have not been used since.
The latest development was the result of an e-mail Grant received from a supporter last year, advising her of a story that had been featured on FOX-TV’s America’s Most Wanted.
The story was of a Jane Doe, who had been discovered in Texas.
While the corpse was severely burned, authorities had been able to construct a rough composite that bore some resemblance to Foster. Most striking, however, were the age of the deceased woman and the estimated date of her death.
Grant and Foster sent off their DNA swabs soon after.
Meanwhile, Grant said she will continue to publicize her daughter’s case and has several upcoming fundraisers planned.
She believes the last two years have not gone by in vain.
“People say things happen for a reason,” Grant said. “She [Jessie] is going to come back and her experience is going to help others.”
For updates, go online to jessiefoster.ca.
Information regarding the Texas case can be found at http://doenetwork.org/hot/hotcase539.html.
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