CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Two decades ago, a small fishing town along Florida's Gulf Coast was shaken to its core by a case so devastating it sparked changes in state law enforcement protocols.
Thursday marks 20 years since the death of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who was abducted from her home in Homosassa.
While getting ready for work in the early morning of February 24, 2005, Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, noticed his daughter was missing. Hundreds of volunteers sprung into action, joining Citrus County deputies to search the area, but were ultimately unable to find her. Due to his criminal background of sexual offenses, CCSO named John Couey, who failed to properly register as a sex offender, as a person of interest in the case.
On March 12, Couey was arrested in Augusta, Georgia, for questioning. But, according to the sheriff's office, he was released from police custody after he was interviewed, claiming that he did not have anything to do with Jessica's disappearance and had only moved to Georgia to find a job.
CCSO said they then received a "crack in the case" at the home of Dorothy Dixon, Couey's half-sister, days later. Dixon lived within sight of the Lunsford home on West Snowbird Court.
Dixon allowed officials into her home, where they said they found bloodstained evidence in Couey's bedroom. He was arrested and charged with Jessica's murder on March 17, 2005.
During a confession, deputies said Couey admitted to breaking into the Lunsfords', where he abducted Jessica before he buried her alive three days later. Jessica's body was found at Dixon's home on March 19, over three weeks after her disappearance.
According to officials, the trial, which had made waves in Citrus County, was moved to Miami since they were unable to seat an impartial jury.
Years after her initial disappearance, Jessica's family would finally find justice. CCSO said on March 7, 2007, Couey was found guilty of all charges relating to her death, including first-degree murder, kidnapping and capital sexual battery. A week later, the jury recommended the death penalty after over an hour of deliberation. But Couey died of natural causes in 2009 before his sentence could be carried out.
The case led to the state's passing of the Jessica Lunsford Act, which altered Florida’s Sexual Offender and Predator Registration Laws, including "tougher registration requirements and increased penalties." Forty-two other states have introduced similar legislation since, but a bill proposed at the federal level never passed.
Her story didn't just impact laws, either: Jessie's Place, a children's advocacy center, was opened in Citrus County to give victims of abuse and neglect a safe space to not only tell their stories but also to recover. Homosassa Elementary School also installed a playground in Jessica's memory.
"Even after 20 years, the pain of losing Jessica remains fresh in our hearts," said Citrus County Sheriff David Vincent. "The Lunsford family suffered a cruel loss, and our community mourned alongside them. Jessica's case changed the way we approach child abductions, both here in Citrus County and across the nation. Her memory fuels our commitment to ensuring that no family experiences this kind of tragedy again."
Over the last two months, the ABC Action News I-Team has sent the names and information of nearly 300 people who were stuck in an "adjudication hold" to the Florida Department of Commerce. But now, some people have followed up to let the I-Team know after sharing their stories, they are finally getting the relief they desperately need.
