European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse David p he in 9, right la charged with kidnapping 9-year-old Jill Cutshall three years ago. He will be tried Thea fall. Missing Siwe nr1 Tux a a sea Mother s Battle Over daughter s disappearance by Sharon Cohen associated press Joyce Cutshall of Norfolk neb., is consumed by a Battle she can never win she thinks her daughter is dead but can to prove it. She suspects she is buried nearby but can t find her. She wants to bring her Home but can t do it. She has made that her Mission taking the Law into her own hands to find out what happened to her child. Fearful that Jill s Case would sink deeper in police files the determined Mother who a never touched a Legal Book started a petition drive forced a grand jury probe and prompted an arrest. Three years after Jill s disappearance Joyce Cutshall believes she s closer than Ever to the truth a a truth that could bring even greater agony. Chapter is going to be my absolutely most difficult its a very very strange feeling to work so hard toward something to know that at the end of it it s going to bring As much grief and pain As a Mother can feel. This fall when David Phelps 26, goes on trial on charges of kidnapping Jill Cutshall will be there hoping his words will Lead to her daughter s body knowing that even if she wins she loses. The Prospect is frightening yet comforting. A i it can put t0 in my own m and and have a place that i can go and visit her whenever in a having a difficult Day or feel the need to see her a a she says a that will help me Deal with the fact that i won t have a Chance to hold her again. For now she lives with memories a How Jill loved butter so much she ate it off the stick and mementos pictures of horses and hearts a note to a the greatest Joyce Cutshall holds a Crayon t daughter Jill. She has been on i what happened to her daughter a a Venn by her Crusada to find out Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes monday september 24,1990 mom in the world Quot Crayon drawings of the Sun Flowers and rainbows a her Symbol for the future a and poems. Quot the world is a great round Ball thing that is made by god Quot Jill wrote. Quot it has Good things on it and bad things on it. The world is great to me Quot on aug. 13,1987,9-year-old Jillian Dee Cutshall vanished from that world she so cherished. She disappeared in Norfolk where she was spending the summer with her father Roger. The cuts Halls divorced in 1985 Jill and her brother Jeff lived in Kansas with their Mother. Jill her Mother says feared staying in her fathers apartment House alone it was seedy noisy filled with transients. So when he and his new wife left for work at 6 ., she did her chores then walked to the baby Sitter s six blocks away. That Day she was last seen at 6 30 On her Sitter s stoop where she normally waited until someone inside awoke. Jill had been repeatedly warned about strangers. But the Blond Blue eyed youngster Quot just loved people Quot her Mother says a she trusted them. She always found something Good in everybody even if they weren t after Jill s disappearance the Fri state and local police blitzed the area. There were roadblocks door to door searches hundreds of interviews. Tens of thousands of posters flooded the country. At first Cutshall thought shed return in a week then months. A after the third month Quot she says Quot i emotionally and mentally was telling myself that if we work hard enough Well have her Back in a a year passed. No Jill. Hope turned to heartache. Then in the fall of 1988, when Cutshall 36, was attending a local College a journalism student Gail Pedersen interviewed her for a Story. Pedersen revealed police had questioned her brother David Phelps about Jill. Phelps sister she says told her Quot a i m not saying that he is guilty or innocent. But she Felt that it was a possibility that he in some Way was connected to her Pedersen also claimed her brother sexually abused a Little girl when he was a teen. Phelps and a Man once imprisoned for sexual assault Kermit Baumgartner lived together in the same building As Roger Cutshall the summer of 1987. Both reportedly met Jill then. Police had interviewed both men. Roy Stephens a private investigator on the Case since the beginning pursued the Lead too knowing his own secret a a 1976 prison stint for burglary a could be revealed and he could be blackmailed. A a in be put everything on the line for Jill Quot says Stephens who last year made Public a his past returning the detectives License he had obtained falsely. The Burly bearded investigator believed his own history gave him an Edge a "1 know both sides of the Law Quot he says. In january 1989, Stephens drove Phelps to the wildlife Refuge where a Hunter discovered Jill a clothes in late 1987. He handed him a shovel. He asked him to help find Jill. Quot All he keeps saying is i done to know anything a Quot Stephens recalls. Quot i keep saying a you do Quot Stephens accompanied by a partner says he then fired a gun in the air. Frustration he says not a threat. He claims Phelps led them to a nearby cemetery dug in one spot then told him he and Baumgartner had taken Jill to the Refuge and even described her clothes and underwear. Stephens had Phelps repeat his statement to an Omaha to Crew tie had wailing nearby. The investigator says he did t go to the police fearing they d reject the information. In that interview later broadcast on the lbs to program 60 minutes Phelps described How Baumgartner got a nervous Jill out of the car. Kermit kept his hand on her Mouth and started fondling her and stuff Quot he said Quot got real nervous and said hey lets get the hell out of and Kermit says Weil then you take the car Back into town and ill get Back and i Baumgartner who lives in California has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He claims Phelps was trying to cover his tracks. When police questioned Phelps he recanted claiming his statements were made under duress. No body no confession no charges. David Phelps was a free Man. He soon left town. So did Baumgartner who a also been questioned by authorities. Quot i was empty Quot Cutshall recalls in hushed tones. Quot whatever there is inside of me that says. A i need to fight. I need to go on a that was shed lost her Faith too in the police. Quot there were major screw ups a she says. Norfolk police chief Bill Mizner disagrees noting thousands of hours were spent interviewing hundreds of people and pursuing leads in several states. Quot there was some outstanding police work done in this investigation Quot he says. Quot it is by far the longest most i depth Case that the police division Here has Ever faced and by far the most frustrating last summer when Mizner placed Jill Scase on sem Active status Cutshall was outraged. Quot if you cannot rely on people that you re supposed to be Able to rely on to do the Job i guess the old adage is. A do it Quot she began. Cutshall discovered that under Nebraska Law authorities had to Convene a grand jury if presented with petitions from at least 10 percent of county voters participating in the last gubernatorial election. In december while others shopped for Christmas gifts she collected signatures. While the local mall was being decorated she was setting up a table and Banner Reading Jill Cutshall needs a grand jury. A dozen volunteers gathered signatures at the mall and braved blizzards to collect More in door to door visits. Petitions were presented to authorities on feb. 20 a the Day after Jill a birthday a Quot my gift to her Quot her Mother says. Authorities she says certified 1,471 signatures hundreds More than needed. Cutshall downplays her doggedness saying a i Don t have anything extra. The Only thing i have is the love for my in june a grand jury indicted Phelps on charges of abduction with intent to commit sexual assault. Last month he returned to Nebraska from Iowa and pleaded innocent. He a being held on $100,000 Bond. Baumgartner was t charged. Special prosecutor James Smith said one problem was getting him Back to Nebraska to testify before a grand jury. Head already made consistent statements to authorities. A it s not As if they did no to know what the Guy s Story was anyhow Quot Smith says. Once i con put Jill to rest in my own mind and have a place that i can go and visit her. That will help me Deal with the fact that i won t have a Chance to hold her again.1. Joyce Cutshall missing girl smother Stephens who keeps a picture of Jill on his desk says he wont rest until he finds her. He Heads investigations for the missing youth foundation a non profit group founded after Jill a disappearance that boasts of having brought Home 17 children since january 1989. Cutshall meanwhile Hopes the nov. 5 trial will help her and Jeff 14, Start Over. Jeff who saw himself As Jill a protector has endured his own hell with schoolmates taunts of Quot we know where your sister he even talked of suicide. For a year after Jill a disappearance Joyce Cutshall wrote her letters. Part of the first one seems prophetic. Quot there is a part of me that is gone. I Hope you Are doing of Sweet pea a she wrote. Quot i know you feel inside How special you Are to me. I could never ask for a better daughter than the one i m blessed with if i can to find you soon i m afraid i la never see you three year later Joyce Cutshall a heart still needs to convince her head. Quot i absolutely have to be Able to have her in a place where i can make that Contact a Fth her Quot she says Quot until can do this there a a Chance she s still alive. That a my Mother s Side. She s out there lost waiting to be found. I can t quit doing this until i can find her and bring her the stars and stripes a a a Page 15
