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A Beautiful Child

Page 26

by Matt Birkbeck


  Matt Birkbeck

  March 2005

  SOURCES

  So many people involved in this story never met Sharon Marshall yet were deeply touched by her story and were very agreeable to sharing their experiences. This book is based on interviews with those people, and on countless pages of personal documents. I also had access to thousands of pages of interviews and notes from police files in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and court documents from Franklin Floyd’s federal trial in Oklahoma City and his subsequent murder trial in Pinellas County, Florida.

  Dialogue found in A Beautiful Child was culled either directly from those interviews and notes or from personal recollections of the participants.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing this book was not easy, and given the subject matter and research required to tell the story in depth, it simply could not have been written without the help of the following people, to whom I am deeply indebted:

  Robert Schock, investigator with the Florida State Attorneys Office; Mark Deasaro, St. Petersburg, Florida Police Department; Mark Ginan, Corporal, Pinellas County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office; Bobbi Sue Bacha; Jennifer McElhannon; Terry Magaro; Karen Parsley; Lavernia Watkins; Ed Kumiega and Mark Yancey, Assistant United States Attorneys, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Joe Fitzpatrick, FBI retired; Merle and Ernest Bean; and Gerry Nance, Cold Case Manager of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria, Virginia.

  I would also like to thank Paul Moses, a journalist and associate professor of journalism at Brooklyn College, and Helen Yanulus, a journalist and adjunct professor of English at Northampton Community College, Tannersville, Pennsylvania, for their continued support and invaluable guidance; and my agent, Andrew Stuart, of the Stuart Agency, and Natalee Rosenstein at Berkley Books, who believed in this project and in me.

  And finally, thanks to my mom, Patricia Birkbeck; and to my understanding wife, Donna, who held down the home front caring for our two sons, Matthew and Christopher, while her husband was off traveling throughout the country following a story.

  RESOURCES

  NATIONAL CONTACTS FOR MISSING PERSONS

  National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

  Charles B. Wang International Children’s Building

  699 Prince Street

  Alexandria, VA 22314-3175

  (703) 274-3900

  (800) THE-LOST

  Website: www.missingkids.org

  The Nation’s Missing Children Organization/Center for Missing Adults

  2432 West Peoria Avenue, Suite 1286

  Phoenix, AZ 85029

  (602) 944-1768

  (800) 690-FIND

  Website: www.nmco.org

  The Doe Network

  Website: www.doenetwork.org

  CLEARINGHOUSES FOR MISSING CHILDREN IN THE U.S. AND CANADA

  ALABAMA

  Alabama Bureau of Investigation/Missing Children

  P.O. Box 1511

  Montgomery, AL 36102-1511

  (800) 228-7688

  Website: www.dps.state.al.us/abi

  ALASKA

  Alaska State Troopers

  Missing Persons Clearinghouse

  5700 East Tudor Road

  Anchorage, AK 99507

  (907) 269-5497

  (800) 478-9333 (in-state only)

  FAX: (907) 338-7243

  ARIZONA

  Arizona Department of Public Safety

  Criminal Investigations Research Unit

  P.O. Box 6638

  Phoenix, AZ 85005

  (602) 223-2158

  FAX: (602) 223-2911

  ARKANSAS

  Office of Attorney General

  Missing Children Services Program

  323 Center Street, Suite 1100

  Little Rock, AR 72201

  (501) 682-1020

  (800) 448-3014 (in-state only)

  FAX: (501) 682-6704

  Website: www.ag.state.ar.us

  CALIFORNIA

  California Department of Justice

  Missing/Unidentified Persons Unit

  P.O. Box 903387

  Sacramento, CA 94203-3870

  (916) 227-3290

  (800) 222-3463 (nationwide)

  FAX: (916) 227-3270

  Website: ag.ca.gov/missing

  COLORADO

  Colorado Bureau of Investigation

  Missing Person/Children Unit

  710 Kipling Street, Suite 200

  Denver, CO 80215

  (303) 239-4251

  FAX: (303) 239-5788

  CONNECTICUT

  Connecticut State Police

  Missing Persons

  P.O. Box 2794

  Middletown, CT 06457-9294

  (860) 685-8190

  (800) 367-5678 (in-state only)

  FAX: (860) 685-8346

  DELAWARE

  Delaware State Police

  State Bureau of Identification

  1407 N. DuPont Hwy.

  Dover, DE 19903

  (302) 739-5883

  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

  D.C. Metropolitan Police Dept.

  Missing Persons/Youth Division

  1700 Rhode Island Avenue, N.E.

  Washington, DC 20018

  (202) 576-6768

  FAX: (202) 576-6561

  FLORIDA

  Florida Department of Law Enforcement

  Missing Children Information Clearinghouse

  P.O. Box 1489

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  (850) 410-8585

  (888) 356-4774 (nationwide)

  FAX: (850) 410-8599

  Website: www.fdle.state.fl.us

  GEORGIA

  Georgia Bureau of Investigation

  Intelligence Unit

  P.O. Box 370808

  Decatur, GA 30037

  (404) 244-2554

  (800) 282-6564 (nationwide)

  FAX: (404) 244-2798

  HAWAII

  Missing Child Center—Hawaii

  Department of the Attorney General

  235 S. Beretania Street, Suite 206

  Honolulu, HI 96813

  (808) 586-1449

  State Office Tower

  FAX: (808) 586-1424

  Hotline: (808) 753-9797

  Website: launch.hgea.org/hsc

  IDAHO

  Idaho Bureau of Criminal Identification

  Missing Persons Clearinghouse

  P.O. Box 700

  Meridian, ID 83680-0700

  (208) 884-7154

  (888) 777-3922 (nationwide)

  FAX: (208) 884-7193

  Website: www.state.isp.id.us

  ILLINOIS

  Illinois State Police

  500 Iles Park Place, Suite 104

  Springfield, IL 62703-2982

  (217) 785-4341

  (800) 843-5763 (nationwide)

  FAX: (217) 785-6793

  Website: www.isp.state.il.us

  INDIANA

  Indiana State Police

  Indiana Missing Children Clearinghouse

  100 North Senate Avenue

  Third Floor

  Indianapolis, IN 46204-2259

  (317) 232-8310

  (800) 831-8953 (nationwide)

  FAX: (317) 233-3057

  Website: www.state.in.us/isp

  IOWA

  Missing Person Information Clearinghouse

  Division of Criminal Investigation

  Wallace State Office Building

  E. 9th and Grand

  Des Moines, IA 50319

  (515) 281-7958

  (800) 346-5507 (nationwide)

  FAX: (515) 281-4898

  Website: www.state.ia.us/missing

  KANSAS

  Kansas Bureau of Investigation

  Missing Persons Clearinghouse

  1620 S.W. Tyler Street

  Topeka, KS 66612-1837

  (785) 296-8200

  (800) 572-7463 (nationwide)

  FAX: (785) 296-6781

  Website: ww
w.ink.org/public/kbi

  Website: www.ksamber.org

  KENTUCKY

  Kentucky State Police

  1240 Airport Road

  Frankfort, KY 40601

  (502) 227-8799

  (800) 543-7723 (nationwide)

  (800) KIDS SAF

  FAX: (502) 564-4931

  E-mail: kentuckych@ncmec.org

  Website: www.state.ky.US/agencies/KSP/mchild.htm

  LOUISIANA

  Louisiana Department of Social Services

  Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children

  Office of Community Services

  P.O. Box 3318

  Baton Rouge, LA 70812

  (225) 342-8631

  FAX: (225) 342-9087

  MAINE

  Maine State Police

  Missing Children Clearinghouse

  1 Darcie Street, Suite 208

  Houlton, ME 04730

  (207) 532-5404

  FAX: (207) 532-5455

  MARYLAND

  Maryland Center for Missing Children

  Maryland State Police- Computer Crimes Unit

  7155 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite C

  Columbia, MD 21046

  (410) 290-1620

  (800) 637-5437 (nationwide)

  FAX: (410) 290-1831

  MASSACHUSETTS

  Massachusetts State Police

  Missing Persons Unit

  470 Worchester Rd.

  Framingham, MA 01702

  (508) 820-2129

  (800) 622-5999 (in-state only)

  FAX: (508) 820-2128

  MICHIGAN

  Michigan State Police

  Prevention Services Unit

  714 South Harrison Road

  East Lansing, MI 48823

  (517) 333-4006

  (517) 336-6100 (24 hour, emergency)

  FAX: (517) 333-4115

  MINNESOTA

  Minnesota State Clearinghouse

  MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

  1430 Maryland Ave.

  St. Paul, MN 55106

  (651) 793-1107

  FAX (651) 793-1101

  MISSISSIPPI

  Mississippi Highway Patrol

  Criminal Information Center

  3891 Highway 486 West

  Pearl, MS 39208

  (601) 933-2657

  FAX: (601) 933-2677

  MISSOURI

  Missouri State Highway Patrol

  Missing Persons Unit

  P.O. Box 568

  Jefferson City, MO 65102

  (573) 526-6178

  (800) 877-3452 (nationwide)

  FAX: (573) 526-5577

  MONTANA

  Montana Department of Justice

  Missing/Unidentified Persons

  P.O. Box 201402

  303 N. Roberts Street, Room 471

  Helena, MT 59620-1402

  (406) 444-2800

  FAX: (406) 444-4453

  NEBRASKA

  Nebraska State Patrol

  Criminal Records & Identification Division

  P.O. Box 94907

  Lincoln, NE 68509

  (402) 471-4545

  (402) 479-4918

  FAX: (402) 479-4054

  NEVADA

  Nevada Office of the Attorney General

  Missing Children Clearinghouse

  555 E. Washington Ave., Suite 3900

  Las Vegas, NV 89101-6208

  (702) 486-3539

  (800) 992-0900 (in-state only)

  FAX: (702) 486-3768

  NEW HAMPSHIRE

  New Hampshire State Police

  Investigative Services Bureau Major Crime Unit

  91 Airport Rd.

  Concord, NH 03301

  (603) 271-2663

  (800) 852-3411 (in-state only)

  FAX: (603) 271-2520

  Website: missingpersons@safety.state.nj.us

  NEW JERSEY

  New Jersey State Police

  Unidentified Persons Unit

  P.O. Box 7068

  W. Trenton, NJ 08628

  (609) 882-2000

  (800) 709-7090 (nationwide)

  FAX: (609) 882-2719

  NEW MEXICO

  New Mexico Department of Public Safety

  ATTN: Law Enforcement Records

  P.O. Box 1628

  Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628

  (505) 827-9191

  FAX: (505) 827-3388

  NEW YORK

  New York Division of Criminal Justice Services

  Missing and Exploited Children

  4 Tower Place

  Albany, NY 12203

  (518) 457-6326

  (800) 346-3543 (nationwide)

  FAX: (518) 457-6965

  General e-mail: missingchildren@dcjs.state.ny.us

  Website: criminaljustice.state.ny.us

  NORTH CAROLINA

  North Carolina Center for Missing Persons

  4706 Mail Service Center

  Raleigh, NC 27699-4706

  (919) 733-3914

  (800) 522-5437 (nationwide)

  FAX (919) 715-1682

  NORTH DAKOTA

  North Dakota Clearinghouse for Missing Children

  North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation

  P.O. Box 1054

  Bismarck, ND 58502-1054

  (701) 328-5500

  FAX: (701) 328-5510

  OHIO

  Missing Children Clearinghouse

  Attorney General’s Office

  Crime Victims Services Section

  65 East State Street, 5th Floor

  Columbus, OH 43215-4231

  (614) 466-5610

  (800) 325-5604 (nationwide)

  FAX: (614) 728-9536

  Website: www.ag.state.oh.us/juvenile/mcc/missing.htm

  OKLAHOMA

  Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

  Criminal Intelligence Office

  6600 N. Harvey

  Oklahoma City, OK 73116

  (405) 879-2645

  FAX: (405) 879-2967

  OREGON

  Oregon State Police

  Missing Children Clearinghouse

  400 Public Service Building

  Salem, OR 97310

  (503) 378-3720

  (800) 282-7155 (in-state only)

  FAX: (503) 363-5475

  PAGER: (503) 361-1935

  Website: www.osp.state.or.us

  PENNSYLVANIA

  Pennsylvania State Police

  Bureau of Criminal Investigation

  1800 Elmerton Avenue

  Harrisburg, PA 17110

  (717) 783-0960

  FAX: (717) 705-2306

  RHODE ISLAND

  Rhode Island State Police

  Missing & Exploited Children Unit

  311 Danielson Pike

  North Scituate, RI 02857

  (401) 444-1125

  FAX: (401) 444-1133

  SOUTH CAROLINA

  South Carolina Law Enforcement Division

  Missing Person Information Center

  P.O. Box 21398

  Columbia, SC 29221-1398

  (803) 737-9000

  (800) 322-4453 (nationwide)

  FAX: (803) 896-7595

  SOUTH DAKOTA

  South Dakota Attorney General’s Office

  Division of Criminal Investigation

  East Highway 34

  c/o 500 East Capitol Ave.

  Pierre, SD 57501

  (605) 773-3331

  FAX: (605) 773-4629

  TENNESSEE

  Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

  Criminal Intelligence Unit

  901 R.S. Gass Blvd.

  Nashville, TN 37206

  (615) 744-4000

  FAX: (615) 744-4655

  TEXAS

  Texas Department of Public Safety

  Special Crimes Services

  Missing Persons Clearinghouse

  P.O. Box 4087

  Austin, TX 78773-0422

  (512) 424-5074

  (80
0) 346-3243 (in-state only)

  FAX: (512) 424-2885

  Website: www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch

  UTAH

  Utah Department of Public Safety

  Bureau of Criminal Identification

  3888 West 5400 South

  P.O. Box 148280

  Salt Lake City, UT 84114-8280

  (888) 770-6477 (nationwide)

  FAX: (801) 965-4749

  VERMONT

  Vermont State Police

  103 South Main Street

  Waterbury, VT 05671

  (802) 241-5352

  FAX: (802) 241-5349

  VIRGINIA

  Virginia State Police Department

  Missing Children’s Clearinghouse

  P.O. Box 27472

  Richmond, VA 23261

  (804) 674-2026

  (800) 822-4453

  FAX: (804) 674-2105

  WASHINGTON

  Washington State Patrol

  Missing Children Clearinghouse

  P.O. Box 2347

  Olympia, WA 98507-2347

  (800) 543-5678 (nationwide)

  FAX: (360) 664-2156

  WEST VIRGINIA

  West Virginia State Police

  Missing Children Clearinghouse

  725 Jefferson Road

  South Charleston, WV 25309- 1698

 

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