Friday, September 19, 2008

ARTICLE #48) Anti-slavery group takes Foster case


Friday, March 2, 2007
Anti-slavery group takes Foster case
The Kamloops Daily News by Jason Hewlett

Slavery investigators took up the search for Jessie Foster on Thursday, creating a new sense of hope for her family

With Jessie’s file in the hands of the Anti Trafficking League Against Slavery Task Force (ATLAS) of the Metro Las Vegas Police Department, mother Glendene Grant is convinced it will be taken more seriously.

“It is great news. We never thought (the North Las Vegas Police Department) investigated a thing,” said Grant.

Information Grant forwarded to North Las Vegas investigators was met with little enthusiasm. Terri Miller, her contact with ATLAS, assures Grant this won’t be the case.

“Whenever we gave them news we thought was exciting and interesting, they said it had nothing to do with Jessie being missing,” Grant said.

This includes phone numbers and names of people Jessie associated with after moving to Las Vegas in 2005. Grant said Miller is willing to look at any and all leads.

Jessie, 22, disappeared in Las Vegas in March 2006. An investigation revealed she started dating Peter Todd shortly after moving there.

Todd, a pimp separated from his wife, a prostitute, had a lot of money, fast cars and all-night parties – things that may have lured Jessie into the lifestyle.

Grant has garnered interest from the FBI, American TV shows Geraldo At Large and The Maury Show and newspapers on both sides of the border.

Jessie is featured on the National Centre for Missing Adults database. The family continues to employ Mike Kirkman, an investigator with Las Vegas Detectives and three of his agents.

The last 11 months have been difficult, said Grant, adding all she can think about is finding out what happened to her daughter. Even her job at Convergys has taken a back seat to the search.

“When something like ATLAS happens, I can’t be anywhere that takes me away from the phone in case something happens,” she said.

“It’s really hard to focus on anything else.”

All this effort is expensive, prompting Grant to do more fundraising. A dinner at the

Fox’N Hounds Pub and Cellar takes place March 18 at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and available by e-mailing Grant at glendene@telus.net or phoning 374-6137.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the Jessie Foster Fund can make a donation at any CIBC branch, transit #00050 and account #98-27412.

For more information, go online at http://www.jessiefoster.ca.

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