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‘We just want justice'
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Friday, February 2, 2007 10:01 AM EST
Argus-Press Photo/Anthony Cepak Ken and Sandy Scott sit holding a picture of their daughter Rachel in the living room of their Venice Township home. The Scotts’ reported their daughter missing in July 2000 and she was found dead two weeks later near Vernon.
VENICE TWP. - Ken Scott's pain has eased over the years, but he knows it will never completely subside.
“It's like a hole in your heart, the hole begins to heal over but it's still there,” he said. “You get this feeling that a big part of your life is missing.”
On the evening of July 20, 2000, the body of Scott's 20-year-old daughter Rachel was found in a wooded field near the intersection of Vernon and Goodall roads in Vernon Township after an extensive two-week search. She was last seen alive earlier in the month in downtown Vernon, where she was supposed to meet with friends.
Although police did not release details, the death was eventually ruled a homicide. Detective Lt. David Kirk, lead investigator of the case at the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Department, said a medical examination of the body and circumstances surrounding its placement led officials to that conclusion.
The last hours of Rachel Scott's life remain a mystery. The Corunna High School graduate never met with her friends, according to her father and reports at the time. She was spotted by several people in Vernon and then vanished, prompting the large search effort that eventually uncovered her body.
A suspect was never officially named in the case.
Almost seven years later, Scott and his family are still looking for answers. He expressed frustration this week at the Sheriff's Department's efforts to solve the case, which he feels are lacking.
“We've been pretty patient and we've tried to allow the authorities to do their job,” he said. “(But) whoever's responsible for this is given a free ticket out of jail every day they don't work on this.”
Scott said Kirk told him last year that he hasn't been given the time or the resources to adequately pursue the case, which Scott feels should be of the highest priority.
“What is more serious than a homicide?” he said. “I've been patient with this long enough.”
Kirk declined to comment on any conversations with Scott or the status of the investigation, deferring comment to Sheriff Jon Wilson. Wilson said his department is doing what it can and denied allegations that his detectives are being denied time or resources.
“He's got to trust us that this is a high priority,” Wilson said Thursday. “We never forget a homicide.”
Wilson said his department must be sure to conduct a thorough, solid investigation, which can take time.
“(The investigation) has to be done right,” he said. “If you don't have all your ducks in a row, you can end up losing it.
“I'm confident we'll be able to solve this one day,” he continued. “Right now we've got to take baby steps and as information comes along, we'll move on it.”
Scott plans to keep up his quest.
“I'll do whatever I can,” he said. “I'll pursue it until the day they say ‘Mr. Scott, we have no more answers.'”
Scott's wife Sandy and his two children - Abigail, 22 and Adam, 20 - are frequently asked about the case, Scott said. He's angered by rumors that his daughter died of a drug overdose or committed suicide, pointing to the official report saying she was murdered.
Rachel Scott was home for the summer from studies at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Scott said. He remembered her as a kind, artistic woman with a passion for animals and others.
“She was pretty outgoing and had a lot of friends,” he said. “She was a very good-hearted girl, very trusting - maybe even more trusting than she should have been.”
The family has relied on prayers for support since her death, and Scott said the community has propped up the family during difficult times.
“The Lord has lifted us up by our prayers and the prayers of...friends and the community,” he said. “We've had a lot of support from the community, and that's how we've survived this.”
Scott said the family won't be able to rest until someone is behind bars for the murder.
“We'd like to see some closure,” he said. “We just want justice.”
