Yolanda Bindics: Funeral held

But as you can see below, it is still unknown who killed Yolanda.

From http://post-journal.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=21579:

Bindics Remembered; Family Still Searching For Answers
By Nicholas L. Dean ndean@post-journal.com
Comfort, Not Closure
The family of Yolanda Bindics exits the Hubert Funeral Home on Thursday. A
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Buffalo on Saturday, followed by
a graveside service and burial in Lackawanna. P-J photo by Nicholas L. Dean
11/9/2007 - Calling hours Thursday brought comfort, but not closure for
the family of Yolanda Bindics.
Held at Hubert Funeral Home in the city of Jamestown, people from
throughout Western New York paid their respects to the mother of four as
relatives remembered everything from her smile to her My Little Pony
dolls.
‘‘It brings me some peace,’’ said Patricia Bindics, Yolanda’s mother.
‘‘There’s anxiety about the circumstances, but now we can start to heal and hope
that something will come up. It’s more of a legal closure than anything
else.’’
Calling ‘‘closure’’ a word she and her family do not like to use, Anne
Bindics Chmielewski, Yolanda’s sister, said real closure will only begin when
the person responsible for Yolanda’s death is in jail.
‘‘This might begin the closure process, but she was taken in an inhumane
manner at a very untimely time,’’ Ms. Chmielewski said. ‘‘Laying her to rest
gives us comfort. It brings us comfort in knowing that we can at least pay our
respects to our sister and daughter and mother.’’
More than three years since Bindics was last seen alive and more than a
year since the Jamestown resident’s remains were discovered by hunters in
Charlotte last September, the funeral for and burial of Yolanda Bindics have
truly been a long time coming.
‘‘Within the past couple of weeks we had word, an idea that we could plan
it,’’ Ms. Chmielewski said. ‘‘And really, again, it’s mixed emotions — the same
as when she was found. We didn’t want to hear she was found in that way, but
we’re hoping to hear something significant very soon.’’
In addition to her parents and daughters, Katelyn, 11, Courtney, 8,
Allison, 5, and Emily, 4, Bindics is survived by four brothers, Sandor ‘‘Alex’’
Bindics, Imre ‘‘James’’ (Laura) Bindics, John (April) Bindics and Frank Bindics
as well as six sisters, Lisa (Michael) Shaut, Margaret Bindics Ostrom, Rose
Bindics, Tricia Bindics, Anne Bindics Chmielewski and Christine Bindics. She is
also survived by 21 nieces and nephews.
According to Ms. Chmielewski, even though some of Bindics’ four daughters
are still young, they are very much aware of what happened to their
mother.
‘‘They’re just so carefree and like children that being around the family
brings a lot of smiles, because that’s just the way we are,’’ Ms. Chmielewski
said. ‘‘But deep-down, it’s extremely painful. You can see it in their faces and
sometimes in their eyes. They have their moments when they cry.’’
As Bindics’ relatives are originally from Buffalo, Ms. Chmielewski said
it’s only fitting that Yolanda be with family — which is why a graveside service
and burial will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Lakawanna on Saturday. A Mass
of Christian Burial will be celebrated prior to the burial at 10 a.m. Saturday
in St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Buffalo. According to Ms. Chmielewski, the
family is aware and alright with the fact that police have taken precautions to
preserve Bindics’ remains, should they ever need to access them for further
forensic testing.
‘‘Whatever they need to do to put this person in jail for the rest of their
life is okay with us,’’ Ms. Chmielewski said. ‘‘Something has got to be eating
somebody up. There is still a reward and it is anonymous. We just want to put
that information back out there and to thank everybody for the support so far.
The support has been huge.’’

If you know anything about the murder of Yolanda Bindics, please call the Jamestown FBI at (716) 484-7085, the Jamestown police at (716) 483-TIPS, or Crimestoppers at (716) 856-5600.

Yolanda's website: http://www.findyolanda.com/
Guestbook for messages to Yolanda's family: http://pub6.bravenet.com/guestbook/439251513/
Yolanda's forum: http://findyolanda.conforums3.com/

Yolanda Bindics: Mother writes opinion piece

From http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/146931.html:

A loving daughter never will be forgotten
Updated: 08/23/07 6:57 AM
The
night of Aug. 10, 2004, the evening sky seemed to shine like a gigantic sapphire
dome, covering our area as far as our eyes could see. That was the night our
precious daughter disappeared; she was later found murdered.
Many people in
this part of our state remember Yolanda as the uppeat multitasking young mom (as
many young moms are today) spending her time between her job at the Family
Dollar store, dropping her oldest daughter off at school, shopping and producing
meals for her lively bunch.
Sometimes she took time to enjoy a breakfast
with her Dad and me on a day off and with her friends and acquaintances, but she
was always careful that the children were in safe care with me, another reliable
family member or the friend who lived downstairs. She always came home on time
as planned or called if she would be a
little late. Sadly, that’s all over
now.
The other night we had another clear blue sky, but we will never see
Yolanda again! A perpetrator of evil is still running the streets of Western New
York. We’re still on his trail and we still care!
I can still visualize in
my mind the evening she disappeared. I remember the hopes, dreams and feelings
of my 25-year-old daughter that year. I remember the big bear hug we shared
about a month before she disappeared and her promise of “I’ll be OK! I’m going
to live a long, long time!”
I was apprehensive that day about her because a
co-worker mentioned to me something might happen to her but was unable to
mention a name.
Yolanda’s babies are getting bigger and growing up more and
more each year. The eldest, Katelyn, is 11. Yolanda would have liked to have
seen her now, all preteen and bubbly with life. She would have liked to have
been there for her children’s teenage years. She had pet names for each and
every one of them and a heart as big as a house, yet she was strict enough and
vivacious enough to have been able to see them through their teenage years
safely.
Emily, the little one, who was not yet walking when her mother
disappeared, is now in prekindergarten, but the paper flowers she makes for
Mother’s Day will never be seen by Yolanda. Yolanda loved her babies dearly and
brought Emily through the perils of her premature birth. Yolanda nursed her to
health and wholesome healthy childhood through constant attention, medicines
carefully administered at special times and mature, motherly child care.
Little Allie, who was 2z that sorrowful summer of 2004, also is in school
this September. She has bright, beautiful cornflower blue eyes and has a very
special closeness with Grandpa Bindics. She is happy with all we do for her and
expresses that to us.
Courtney, who started kindergarten in September 2004,
will be attending third grade this September.
Due to my grandparent’s
visitation rights, Yolanda’s children are able to get together regularly and
spend a week in North Carolina in the summer.
I wish Yolanda was here today
to see the strides her children have taken. I wish Yolanda was still enjoying
the warm summer breezes, the beautiful sights and memories, the hopes of
wonderful years she had ahead of her.
About what happened to her and the
person responsible? I believe someone needs to be held accountable for the death
of our daughter and my grandchildren’s mother.

If you know who killed Yolanda, please call the Jamestown FBI at (716) 484-7085, the Jamestown police at (716) 483-TIPS, or Crimestoppers at (716) 856-5600.

Yolanda's website: http://www.findyolanda.com
Yolanda's forum: http://findyolanda.conforums3.com

Who killed Yolanda Bindics?

Fortunately, I am not the only one asking that question. The media around Jamestown, New York, ran stories on Yolanda a few weeks ago, around the anniversary of her disappearance. Someone out there must know something about what happened to Yolanda, and maybe the media coverage can help produce answers.

Here is one of the stories, from http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/8902987.html:

Yolanda Bindics' family still hoping for answers
Story
Published: Aug 3, 2007 at 7:08 PM EDT
Story Updated: Aug 3, 2007 at 7:07 PM
EDT
By Melanie Pritchard
The family of a Jamestown woman is renewing its
plea for help in solving her murder. Yolanda Bindics' body was found last
September after she'd been missing for a couple of years. Her sister hopes it
won't be much longer until a suspect is behind bars.

Nearly three years have gone by since Yolanda Bindics disappeared in
Jamestown...and it's almost been a year since hunters discovered her body in the
Town of Charlotte. Her sister is frustrated the killer is still on the loose,
but she remains hopeful. "Everything's not processed yet, everything's not done
and it's taken a long time," said Ann Chmielewski. Bindics' body was taken to
Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania to be examined by forensic
pathologists. It's unclear what, if any, DNA evidence has been recovered.
Chmielewski wonders why DNA tests were so quick to come back in other
high-profile cases...like Altemio Sanchez. "In fact, it kind of surprised me
when I was watching the news and they said 'Well, we expect that evidence to
come back within the next week or two' and I was kind of floored by that."

"We've narrowed our scope in particular areas and a particular person,"
said Jamestown Police Det. Lt. Todd Isaacson last September, shortly after
Bindics' body was found. At least two persons of interest had been named --
former Jamestown Police officer Michael Watson, who allegedly had a relationship
with Bindics and Clarence Carte, the father of her youngest child. So far, no
charges have been filed..

After all of this time, Yolanda Bindics' family still has not been able to
hold a funeral for her. They want to bury her body and go to a cemetery to pay
their respects. "Mother's Day has passed again. Her children couldn't go see
her. We can't really start to heal until we have a funeral and the person's
arrested," said Chmielewski. She still hopes someone will come forward with the
information police need solve her sister's murder. "We're pretty confident
somebody knows something. Not just the killer."

Michael Watson sued the Jamestown Police Department for defamation. The
suit was dismissed earlier this week but his attorney said they plan to appeal.

A longer story on Michael Watson's suit can be read at http://post-journal.com/articles.asp?articleID=18733.

Police are not releasing exactly how Yolanda died, but they have said her death was a homicide. Yolanda's remains are still at a lab in Pennsylvania, in hope that they can yield more clues. The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for "information leading to the arrest and conviction of" Yolanda's killer. Crimestoppers is also offering a $1,000 reward.

If you know who killed Yolanda, please call the FBI at (716) 484-7085, the Jamestown police at (716) 483-TIPS, or Crimestoppers at (716) 856-5600.

Yolanda's website: http://www.findyolanda.com/

Yolanda's forum: http://findyolanda.conforums3.com/

Who killed Heaven Ross?

Heaven LaShae Ross disappeared while walking to the bus stop in Northport, Alabama, on August 19, 2003. Known to her family as "Shae", she was 11 years old at the time and enjoyed going on rides with her dad, playing basketball at church, eating, and watching TV. She had just started sixth grade two weeks earlier.
It was a stormy morning. Heaven's mother's common-law husband, who was like a father to Heaven, left a few minutes after she did, so that she and her sister would not have to walk in the rain. Heaven's sister had left at 6:55; Heaven left at 7. The bus came at 7:25. Somehow, in those few minutes, Heaven vanished so close to home.
Because there was no immediate evidence of an abduction, an Amber Alert was not issued, but Heaven's disappearance was investigated by the FBI. Five weeks after she went missing, someone started a fire in her bedroom. Heaven's story was featured on national television, such as America's Most Wanted and The Early Show. Her picture was included in an issue of Family Circle magazine and on an episode of Oprah. A $65,000 reward was established. Possible sightings in other parts of the state turned out to be of someone else.
Heaven's remains and her backpack were finally found on December 18, 2006, in an abandoned house in Holt, Alabama. Her identity was confirmed by DNA tests done at Louisiana State University. The questions remain: How did she end up eight miles from home? Was the fire related to her apparent abduction? Most important of all, who did this to her?
Before Heaven's body was found, police had wondered if her disappearance was related to those of other 11-year-old girls. Teresa Dean, who also lived in a trailer park and was walking to a friend's house, disappeared from Macon, Georgia, in August 1999. Shannon Paulk, who also lived in a trailer park, disappeared from Prattville, Alabama, in August 2001. Tabitha Tuders, who had a similar physical appearance, disappeared from Nashville, Tennessee, in April 2003. She had also missed the bus and was probably kidnapped. Shannon's remains were found by hunters in October 2001, 17 miles from her home. Both Teresa and Tabitha are still missing.
Police now believe that Heaven's murder is not related to any other crimes. Heaven's mother believes that her daughter may have accepted a ride from someone she knew that fateful morning, as she was afraid of thunderstorms.
If you know anything about the murder of Heaven LaShae Ross, please call the Northport Police Department at (205) 339-6600.

Links:
- Heaven's website: http://www.findheaven.net/
- Heaven's thread on Project Jason forum: http://projectjason.org/dpforum/thread.php?id=845
- Tabitha Tuders: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/tuders_tabitha.html
- Teresa Dean: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dean_teresa.html
- Shannon Paulk Task Force: http://www.prattville.com/Default.asp?ID=451

Photo of Heaven from her website.

Heaven Ross: Body released to family

I guess I hadn't realized that Heaven's identity still needed to be confirmed. Hopefully now they can find out who did this.
From http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1183052977282360.xml&storylist=alabamanews:

Remains of missing Northport girl released to family
6/28/2007, 12:42
p.m. CDT
The Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Police
have returned the remains of a Northport girl to her family after DNA tests
confirmed they are those of the 11-year-old who disappeared on her way to school
in 2003.
The remains of Heaven LaShae Ross were found in an abandoned house
by a man walking his dog six months ago. After DNA testing at Louisiana State
University, they were returned to Alabama a month ago.
Capt. Loyd Baker,
commander of the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit, didn't confirm that she
had been identified until Wednesday.
"We've consulted several forensic
specialists over the last four weeks to make certain that we had done all the
tests we needed to do before we released her body," Baker said.
No one has
been charged in her disappearance.
Shae was last seen walking to her bus stop
in Willowbrook Trailer Park on Aug. 19, 2003. Her skeletal remains were found in
December at the home overlooking Hurricane Creek at the end of a long, isolated
dirt road. Authorities said the girl's backpack was found near her
body.
Shae's body will be cremated Thursday.
Her mother, Beth
Lowery-Thompson, said she'll pick up the ashes Friday night or Saturday
morning.
Thompson said that having Shae's remains brought her a little
closure.
"I don't worry as much now," she said. "I know where she is, that
she's not somewhere hungry, cold and being abused."
The investigation into
Shae's death is ongoing. The family held a memorial service in December after
her body was found. Lowery-Thompson plans to have Shae's godmother and godfather
present when she returns from the funeral home with her daughter's ashes.