Amber Harris Memorial Crowd mourns lost child Before the news broke that Amber Harris had been killed, a vigil had been planned for Friday night. That vigil turned into a memorial. If Amber Harris could have seen the people holding hands, encircling the jungle gym at Pulaski Park, and if she could have watched them launch the balloons in her memory, she would probably have only recognized one or two people. The people attending said that's a testament to how Amber's story touched everyone. Mary Doty says, "She didn't go to the same school as our daughter, but I know it would mean a lot to me if it was our daughter." Neither Mary nor her 12-year-old daughter Rebecca ever met Amber Harris or the Harris family but neither could bear the thought of staying inside with their grief Friday night. Rebecca says, "I feel sad, but also a little supportive." Emotions were strong for those loving strangers who did not know Amber and those who did. Tyronda Pierce says, "My daughter knew Amber. They went to Beveridge together. She was concerned and wanted to come down here together. She said `mom, they're having something down at the park. I gotta get there.' I told her if this is what you need, we'll get there." The mourners prayed for Amber's family but they also know that their lives have changed too. Tyronda Pierce says, "We keep in communication so she feels better. Sometimes she says mom you're just being over protective. But I'm just being a mom." Pulaski Park, the scene of the memorial, is nowhere near the North Omaha neighborhood where Amber Harris lived and where she was last seen alive. Organizers from the South Omaha Neighborhood Association and the Burlington Road Neighborhood Association say the part of town doesn't matter. They worked with the Harris family to organize Friday's event. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2838356.html

Amber Was Murdered Remains are those of missing child Twelve-year-old Amber Harris was murdered. Police confirmed Friday that human remains found in Hummel Park on May 11 are Amber's. Authorities say they're now looking for her killer. Amber's mother, Melissa Harris, tells Channel 6 News that police confirmed the identity to the family Friday afternoon. Police met with them around 4:30. Amber was last seen getting off a school bus near her home in November. A security camera recorded her leaving the bus and then she vanished. Police have kept the Harris family updated on the progress of their investigation since the discovery of the remains but there was no positive ID until Friday. Omaha Police Chief Thomas Warren said at a news conference shortly after 5 p.m. that the remains were found in a shallow grave in Hummel Park. The identity was confirmed through DNA analysis and the chief says the case is being investigated as a homicide. Chief Warren says it is still not clear how Amber died or how long her body had been in the park. He says the focus of this case will now turn toward identifying the person responsible for the murder. "The focus of our efforts now return to identifying individuals who are responsible for committing this crime, and we're hopeful that we'll be able to clear this case," the chief said. The chief says one of the key pieces of evidence that surfaced in the course of this investigation was the discovery of a book bag belonging to Amber Harris. It had been tossed into a garbage can at 21 and Lake and was discovered in February. The chief says the contents of that bag are still being processed. After six months of wondering and holding out hope about the fate of Amber Harris, the stark answer came Friday afternoon. It was not an answer that came as a surprise but that didn't make it any easier to understand. Family and friends did what had become routine. They offered hope at the home of Amber's family. But on this day, six months of emotions surfaced. A mother and father who carried a strong public face for so long, understandably, let Lavon Stennis speak for them Friday. Stennis said, "They held out faith that Amber would be found alive. They were disappointed and hurt and they are grieving right now." Chief Warren also clung to optimism until the end. "It was our hope that she would be found alive," he said. Police still have a lot of work to do on this case but the focus now turns to the search for a killer. Clothing and other evidence are being examined from Hummel Park but that book bag is seen as the key piece of evidence. Investigators are still trying to figure out who placed the bag on top of an oil drum used for garbage just a couple blocks from the Harris home. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2836201.html

Investigation Criticized Parents fault OPD Less then 24 hours after authorities confirmed the death of 12-year-old Amber Harris, the girl's parents spoke to reporters and were highly critical of how the Omaha Police Department handled the case from the beginning. Alternately tearful and angry, Michael and Melissa Harris spoke with the media Saturday morning. Human remains found May 11 in a city park were identified Friday as those of the Amber, who had been missing since November 29th. Michael Harris said, "We don't expect them to tell us everything, but we, as parents, deserve something." His wife Melissa said their daughter and the family deserved better treatment from the police and especially Chief Thomas Warren. A police spokesman said the chief would have a response later today. Amber's remains were found in a shallow grave I Hummel Park. They were identified through DNA analysis. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2839701.html

Harris Family Wants Change In Missing Persons Cases Michael, Melissa Harris Upset By Police Handling Of Daughter's Case POSTED: 9:49 am CDT May 20, 2006 UPDATED: 11:06 am CDT May 20, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- Michael and Melissa Harris said they have been mistreated by Omaha police and that they'll work for change. The couple's 12-year-old daughter, Amber Harris, had been missing since Nov. 29. On Friday afternoon, Omaha police confirmed that human remains found in Hummel Park were those of the missing girl. "We held out hope until the very moment that we were notified that the remains found May 11 were those of our daughter," Melissa Harris said. The Harrises said they were mistreated, left out and treated as suspects since the beginning of the investigation. Melissa Harris said she and her husband asked for the use of police dogs and made other investigation requests that were generally denied by police. "This thing from the get-go was not done right," Michael Harris said. "We want to change how they treat missing persons." "We are very angry at the lack of compassion we've received from the Omaha Police Department, from the moment we reported her missing, to the moment they told us it was her. We knew it wasn't like Amber to not come home after school," Melissa Harris said. "We feel as if we've been singled out as compared to the reaction of police to the recent disappearance of two local women. "We will advocate for a change in the laws that, number one, require that an Amber Alert be issued for any missing youth that does not have a history of running away (and), number two, modification of procedures to keep the family informed." The Harrises also want police to train more community members to help in searches. Michael and Melissa said they believe racism and their address affect the way they were treated by police. The couple is biracial and lives in east Omaha. "This city has had so much trouble with this police department," Melissa Harris said. "We will be contacting the mayor. Things will change." She also said she was forced to take a polygraph three times. She said she couldn't pass the first two times because she was so tired. She said she and her husband were treated as suspects from the beginning. Court documents show Michael Harris, and two others raped a woman 22 years ago. According to his wife, he also has at least three arrests for driving under the influence. Also, Melissa Harris took out a protection order on her husband last year after, she said, one of her six children manipulated her. Melissa Harris told KETV NewsWatch 7 that the protection order was a mistake. Melissa Harris said on Saturday that "the past is past," and that Michael's past should not have been reason for him to be a suspect in the disappearance of his own daughter. She said that the couple has been married for 20 years. Omaha Police Department spokesman Andrew Passo said Saturday morning that Chief Thomas Warren is preparing a statement in response to Harrises concerns. Melissa Harris said she has a few people in mind that could've killed her daughter, but she wouldn't elaborate. "I know she did not die easily," she said. "For someone to throw our daughter in the weeds? It's unfathomable." It bothers me that she was so close, and getting rained on and getting snowed on, and we didn't know she was there." Melissa Harris said she'll work with Kelly Jolkowski for the rest of her life to change missing persons cases and their treatment. Jolkowski's son, Jason, disappeared in 2001. "All I can tell parents at this point is hug your children," Melissa Harris said. Funeral services are pending. Donations to the reward fund to find the killers can be made to First National Bank. Amber Memorialized Friday evening, a planned vigil for Amber Harris turned into a memorial service at Pulaski Park. Family and friends grieved their loss and remembered the girl. "We wanted to find her alive, Lord God, but now she's in your arms," one participant prayed. People who know the Harris family well, as well as complete strangers, gathered Friday. "I know I have a 12-year-old. I don't think I could live through something like this like they did," said Omaha resident Marge Von Tersch. Omaha Public Schools is offering a crisis team to Amber Harris' classmates at Beveridge Magnet Middle School. Staff members were available to children on Saturday for those who needed to speak with counselors. The crisis team will also be available Monday, school officials said. On Friday, Omaha Police Chief Thomas Warren said DNA results showed that the remains were Amber's. He said the case is now considered a homicide. Warren said there was no immediate indication of the cause of death, and it isn't clear how long the body had been in the park. Warren said there are no suspects identified, but the department is working on a number of tips. Warren said he doesn't know whether Amber Harris was killed in the park or elsewhere. He said that whoever reported the remains had only seen a skull, and investigators dug up a shallow grave to remove all of the remains. Warren said the reward fund is at $19,000, but he did not say when or whether the money would be awarded. He said the people who reported the remains are not suspects in the death, and they have requested anonymity. Police said officers went to the park on May 11 at about 8:45 p.m. when someone reported finding the remains. Melissa Harris told KETV NewsWatch 7 that Omaha police contacted her to let her know about human remains shortly after they were discovered, and before police could even determine whether the remains belonged to a man or woman, adult or child. The park is located north of Interstate 680 along the Missouri River. http://www.ketv.com/news/9249032/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Grieving parents angry with police By NELSON LAMPE OMAHA, Neb. - The parents of 12-year-old Amber Harris criticized Omaha police Saturday over the handling of their slain daughter's case and said racism was behind the officers' response. Human remains found May 11 in a city park were identified Friday as those of the girl, who had been missing since Nov. 29. "We don't expect them to tell us everything," said her father, Michael Harris, "but we, as parents, deserve something." His wife, Melissa Harris, said their daughter and the family deserved better treatment from the police and especially Chief Thomas Warren. "He's not been supportive in this whole thing," she said during a north Omaha news conference. The chief responded in a statement faxed to news media later Saturday morning. "We expected that the parents of Amber Harris would express a cycle of emotions including anger and frustration. From the beginning "we took this case very seriously," he said, in part. The Harrises said police moved too slowly, telling them that they didn't know their daughter as well as they thought, that she likely was a runaway. "This is just not Amber's character," Melissa Harris said. "They (police) need to believe parents." She said the officers' first question about Amber was: "'Is she a ward of the state?' "Michael and I have been married for 20 years," she said. "We have six kids ... and then his past came up. That's the past." She was referring to her husband's 1983 conviction for rape and the times that four of their children have been in foster care because of what authorities said was excessive discipline. Amber was not in foster care. Michael Harris has four drunken-driving convictions in Douglas County, but Melissa Harris told the Omaha World-Herald in a December story that she "wouldn't stay married to some kook who was going to drink and beat everybody up." Michael Harris told the newspaper that his was not a perfect family but that she and his loved their children. Melissa Harris said Saturday she resented implications that family members may have been involved in their daughter's disappearance. The Harrises said they believe racism was chief among reasons for what they say was an inadequate response by police. Michael is black, she is white. They also said they will be campaigning for police to change their procedures for cases of missing children. Among the changes they will pursue: _ Require Amber Alerts to be issued for children who have no history of running away. Under such alerts, law enforcement agencies notify each other and broadcasters with information about the most serious child-abduction cases. The Harrises say they asked for one to be issued, but the police refused. _ Modify police procedures to better inform parents about case progress. Referring to police actions since the remains were discovered, Michael Harris expressed frustration: "I know they had to wait for DNA, but things were found out there (clothing)," Michael Harris said. "We should have been notified." _ Require the department to hold training sessions for searchers from the community. "This whole thing from the get-go was not done right at all," Michael Harris said. "Now it's our loss. We gotta put our daughter at rest." Chief Warren defended his investigators and rejected the Harrises' allegations of racism. "From the onset of this investigations until today's date, we do not have anyone who has come forward and stated that they observed Amber Harris being abducted or accompanying anyone voluntarily. It is normal during a missing persons investigation, when you do not have any witnesses, the first focus will be on the individuals who have the closest relationship to the victim," the chief said. "Any claim that the Omaha Police Department was racially motivated or we neglected to devote the necessary resources to this case is absolutely false and inaccurate." Warren said Friday that the people who found Amber's remains wish to remain anonymous. He emphasized that they were not suspects and that the homicide investigation will continue. The Harrises said the remains have not been turned over to them and that they do not know when services will be held. "She was a happy kid ... happy and singing all the time," said her mother, who added: "I know that she did not die easily." When asked at the news conference what she thought her daughter went through, Melissa Harris said she did not know. "Torture," said Michael Harris. "Today just hug your kids and think of my girl," Melissa Harris said. A service of the Associated Press(AP) http://www.columbustelegram.com/articles/2006/05/19/ap-state-ne/d8hnl6t80.txt

Memorial Service Set For Amber Harris Harris Family Continues To Wait For Remains POSTED: 9:30 pm CDT May 21, 2006 UPDATED: 9:43 pm CDT May 21, 2006 Plans are set for a memorial service for Amber Harris on Thursday. But the memorial will have to take place without the 12-year-old's remains. The girl's body was found in Hummel Park, May 12. She disappeared November 29, 2005. Melissa Harris told Newswatch 7 police said they're still examining the girl's remains as part of their murder investigation. She she may not get them back until sometime in June. The memorial service will be open to the public. It's going to be at 10 a.m. Thursday morning at Morningstar Baptist Church on 20th and Burdette. In the meantime, the North Omaha community from banding together to help the Harris family through their mourning. A group of Cadillac lovers raised $2,600 by washing more than 70 cars Sunday. The proceeds will help the family of Amber Harris pay their expenses. http://www.ketv.com/news/9251584/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Impromptu Memorials To Amber Harris Spring Up Remains Found In Park Belong To Missing 12-Year-Old POSTED: 2:52 pm CDT May 22, 2006 UPDATED: 4:29 pm CDT May 22, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- Spontaneous memorials to a slain Omaha 12-year-old cropped up across the city on Monday. Amber Harris had been missing since Nov. 29. On Friday afternoon, Omaha police confirmed that human remains found in Hummel Park were those of the missing girl. Harris was last seen getting off a school bus near the corner of Florence Boulevard and Pinkney Street. On Monday, Amber's parents, Michael and Melissa, watched as friends and strangers left flowers and other memorials to their daughter. At Amber's school, Beveridge Magnet Middle School, a garden planted for Amber is blooming. The garden was planted as the Amber Harris Hope Garden, but since Friday has become a memorial. Counselors were available at Beveridge for grieving students. There is also a growing memorial at the spot where the body was found in Hummel Park. A memorial service for Amber Harris is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at Morningstar Baptist Church on 20th and Burdette streets. It will be open to the public. Donations can be made at any First National Bank location. http://www.ketv.com/news/9255833/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Amber Harris Discussion Started: 05-19-2006, 5:45 PM Remains found in Hummel Park have been identified as those of Amber Harris. You can use this space to send condolences to Michael and Melissa Harris and their family. Use below link to post your message. http://forums.ibsys.com/viewmessages.cfm?sitekey=oma&Forum=247&Topic=13889

National Experts Say OPD Followed Procedure In Search Harris Family Alleges Racism In Search For Daughter POSTED: 4:56 pm CDT May 22, 2006 UPDATED: 5:04 pm CDT May 22, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- National experts on missing children said the Omaha Police Department did a good job in its search for Amber Harris, despite the frustrations of the 12-year-old's parents. On Friday, investigators said remains found in Omaha's Hummel Park were that of Amber Harris. On Saturday, Harris' parents, Michael and Melissa, lashed out at police. They criticized the six-month search for their daughter and said they were left out of the process, and that racism or classism may have played a role in the way their case was treated. Among the Harrises' chief complaints were refusals by Omaha police to issue an Amber Alert or use search dogs immediately after the girl was reported missing. The Harrises said they're frustrated by what they saw as a lack of proper police response, and they've vowed to campaign for change. Bill Hammond, with the Vanished Children's Alliance of California, said he trained Douglas County and Omaha investigators in search techniques during a visit he made in January. "These people have lived a parent's worst nightmare," Hammond said of the Harrises. However, in a phone interview on Monday with KETV NewsWatch 7, Hammond said that between the neighborhood canvassing, foot searches and contact with national agencies, it appears that OPD followed proper procedure. "It appeared to me that they were following the leads and doing everything that they could do," Hammond said. Hammond said there are lessons to be learned from the case, though. Brad Dennis, of the KlassKids Foundation, agreed with Hammond. Dennis helped organize a search for Amber Harris in March. He said police may have been too quick in suggesting that Amber was a runaway when it was more probable she'd been abducted. "The national statistics tell us that females aged 11 to 14 are more likely to be abducted than any other demographic (or) age group that's out there," Dennis said. Dennis said a greater emphasis on the possibility of abduction could mean faster results. "Put forth the resources immediately and then allow the evidence -- or lack of evidence -- to tell us what really took place," Dennis said. Dennis also addressed the Harris family's claim that racism played a role. "I never saw -- from the investigators I talked to who were involved -- any amount of racism coming into play. I saw very devoted and caring investigators who really wanted to bring Amber home," Dennis said. Melissa Harris said on Monday that she respects what the experts said, but she still has suspicions. "I've had so many people call me and say, 'If it had been a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who lived on 176th Street, what would they have done?'" Melissa Harris said. Both Dennis and Hammond characterized the Harris family's criticisms as "righteous anger." A request for an interview with Omaha Police Chief Thomas Warren was turned down. A spokeswoman told KETV NewsWatch 7 that the police department stands behind the statement it made on Saturday regarding the Harris case. http://www.ketv.com/news/9256732/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Amber Remembered Parents vow push for awareness A makeshift memorial now stands at 20th and Pinkney in Omaha. Twelve-year-old Amber Harris got off a school bus at that location six months ago and vanished. The child's remains were found in Hummel Park less than two weeks ago. Amber's parents, Michael and Melissa Harris, visited the 20th and Pinkney location on Monday. Flowers and poster-boards offer condolences. Melissa says she plans to dedicate the rest of her life to helping other parents avoid the kind of emotions she's now feeling. "It's the only reason I can think of why Amber died," she said. "This is what we need to do." The push for this awareness is nationwide but first the focus is in Omaha. Melissa Harris says, "We just want things changed. Take a parent seriously. Don't dig so far. They were so worried about polygraphs." Michael Harris says, "It took three weeks to get a roadblock, five days to set up a command center here and five months to get bloodhounds." On Friday, Police Chief Thomas Warren, responding to reporters' questions, said the department followed protocol and any claims that the department neglected to provide the necessary resources to the Amber Harris case are false. Omaha City Councilman Frank Brown wants answers about how the Harris case was handled. He has written a letter to the mayor's office requesting a review of police procedure in missing persons cases. Brown says, "I think the news media should have been called first and foremost -- possibly an Amber Alert. Calling the news media to alert that someone is missing, maybe those eyes and ears that may have seen that broadcast would have said, well, I saw something suspicious, instead of waiting 24 hours later." Meanwhile, the day began with a moment of silence Monday at Beveridge Magnet School. That's the school Amber Harris had attended and Monday was the first day of class since the confirmation of Amber's death. The American flag flew at half-staff above a garden planted in Amber's honor. Students spent the day meeting with counselors and teachers -- all dealing with a great sense of loss. Principal Cara Riggs says kids came in, "a couple at a time, mostly wanting to talk about how unfair this was -- how it's not what they expected at all. There was still a lot of hope." Amber was a member of the school's choir that will be singing at Thursday's memorial service. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2849606.html

Children's Questions and Fears Children Concerned Amber Harris is on kids' minds The events that have occurred in the past few days concerning Amber Harris are getting attention from children as well as parents. Mother Cathy Lind has been answering her children's questions for years and now her kids are asking questions on a more serious topic; Amber Harris. "You know, the most questions I've gotten have come from my five year old, and it's been, oh what would I do, oh I'd beat him up, you know that five year old mentality, said Lind." Although Lind and her family live in West Omaha, across town from where Amber disappeared, Lind is concerned seeing that she also has a 12-year-old daughter. "She gets off the bus just down the block and walks home." So Lind is making sure that safety tips are being refreshed in her children's minds. "We actually sat down with the kids last night, and we have a code word, where they are not allowed to get in any vehicle, with anyone, unless they know the code word," said Lind." Licensed Mental Health Practitioner Jill Eckerman said that parents should talk about general safety and who are strangers and who are not. Also it is a good idea to come up with a list of safe adults for children to know. Eckerman says that you don’t have to stop there and that there are many ways to make children aware. It is also good to let children know how "safe adults" can help them through confusion and to answer any questions they may have about the murder of another child. "I think you should just be open and honest with your children about situations like this," said Eckerman. "Kids are very perceptive, and they pick up on things we don't even know they know about." "It's very important for them to be able to trust mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and trusted adults to talk about fears and things like that." Eckerman says that if a parent does not feel comfortable or is worried about saying the right thing, then they should be honest with there children about that too. Jill Eckerman works through the Nebraska Methodist Hospital's Community Counseling Program. The counseling program offers free advice and counseling to parents and children. The number for the program is 354-6891. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2851436.html

People Near 20th, Pinkney Feel Threatened Harris' Disappearance Has Residents On Edge POSTED: 9:18 am CDT May 23, 2006 UPDATED: 10:17 am CDT May 23, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- People who live in the area where Amber Harris was last seen said they are living in fear. Harris, 12, was last seen Nov. 29 getting off her school bus near 20th and Pinkney streets. Her body was identified last week after remains were found in Hummel Park the week before. Tiffany Peak lives in the area, and she said she can't help but feel nervous. Peak laid a cross of blue flowers at intersection, where an impromptu memorial to Harris sprung up on Monday. "That's too close to home," Peak said. "Too close." Peak lives with her four children just a block down from where Harris got off the bus. She has a 10- and a 14-year-old daughter, which makes the case very personal for her. "She was taken from right here, and my baby walks to school right here and the other daughter catches the school bus around the corner," Peak said. Harris' mother, Melissa, said the boy who got off the bus with her daughter last saw Amber at Emmett Street. She said her daughter's killer snatched her somewhere between 20th and Emmett streets and her home near 16th and Spencer streets. "It was somebody she knew," Melissa Harris said on Monday. Melissa Harris and Peak both believe that whoever killed Amber may still be living in their neighborhood. "My girls are in lockdown," Peak said. "They can't leave the house alone. They do nothing alone. I'm even considering moving." Some of the children who walked by Amber's memorial on Monday said they are scared, too. "It feels like danger is in every corner," said student Cecilia Marshall. "We walk in like we really have to be really, really careful." Melissa Harris said Amber had never been dropped off at 20th and Pinkney streets before the night she disappeared. She said her daughter asked the driver to drop her off there because it was cold that evening and it was closer to home. A public memorial service for Amber is 10 a.m. Thursday at Morningstar Baptist Church, near 20th and Burdette streets. http://www.ketv.com/news/9259637/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

A community grieves Omaha World Herald Editoral Amber Harris, Tracy Tribble and Jessica O'Grady are reminders of the many who go missing locally. The Omaha metropolitan area collectively mourns the loss of Amber Harris. And Tracy Tribble. And holds on to hope that Jessica O'Grady will be found alive and well. Recent weeks and months have been filled with unease, hope and despair. The remains of 12-year-old Amber were found in Hummel Park May 11 after a six-month search. Tracy's body was discovered in the Missouri River Friday after an extensive search since her May 3 disappearance. And efforts continue to locate Jessica, a UNO student who was last seen May 10. Additionally, the remains of an unidentified woman were found in a barrel May 6 in Council Bluffs. It is hard to understand the type of person, the type of evil, that treats life with such disdain and callousness. Especially a life only 12 years along. The Rev. Thomas L. Smith, pastor of Paradise Baptist Church, expressed what many in the community are feeling about the death of Amber. "Our hearts bleed for this family," he said. After all, Amber could represent anyone's child; Tracy, anyone's daughter, sister or wife; Jessica, likewise. Unsettling is the fact that, despite the unusual timing with the Harris, Tribble and O'Grady cases, missing people are not uncommon. Nebraska currently has 329 people listed as missing, 129 of them reported to the Omaha Police Department. Over the years, cases have popped up that provide faces to the many people who seem to vanish without a trace. In 1992, Omaha North High School student Kenyatta Bush was abducted and killed. Heather Guerrero, a 15-year-old newspaper carrier from Gering, was abducted, raped and killed in 2003. Five years ago next month, 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski went missing in his Benson neighborhood. His case remains unresolved. While both circumstances are rare - a missing person's case resulting in death and a case going unanswered for so long - both inflict a terrible cruelty on families. In the case of death especially, questions arise about whether enough was done in order to find the missing person. Would an Amber Alert, if activated, have led to the safe return of Amber Harris? Currently, there must be signs of an abduction and an idea of who might be involved in the abduction. Are such limitations appropriate? What is the best way to balance the practical demands of issuing an Amber Alert (named for another abducted child) with the safety of a child? The Harrises have recommended Amber Alerts for all youths without histories of running away. The family of Heather Guerrero made a similar request after the death of their daughter in Gering. This is a topic that Nebraska policy-makers would be wise to discuss yet again. Meanwhile, Midlanders have been doing their part over recent months and weeks. When tragedy strikes, so does a sense of helplessness. But coming together to support the families involved, praying, remembering the victims and helping search for those still out there are all actions that can make a difference. It is comforting to know that the senseless acts of a troubled few and the ensuing powerlessness inflicted on a community are answered by the enduring qualities of the human spirit. http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=608&u_...0&u_rnd=9688002

Amber Harris Memorial Marc Klaas joins mourners The family of Amber Harris is receiving national support. Missing children's advocate Marc Klaas visited the Harris family Wednesday as plans firm up for Amber's memorial service. Klaas plans to attend the memorial on Thursday. Melissa Harris shares a common bond with Marc Klaas. He says, "We both lost a child, 12-years-old, to predators. There's a pretty tight bond there. In both incidents law enforcement said our children ran away." The 1993 murder of Polly Klaas made national headlines. Marc Klaas then went on to form the Klass Kids Foundation advocating for young victims like Amber Harris. A few months ago the group organized a search for the then missing Amber. Klaas says, "When you have a critical situation like Amber, most law enforcement don't know how to respond. They should know how to respond, have protocol, but they don't." The police department says it did respond appropriately, followed procedure and took amber's case seriously but Klaas says it could have done more. He says, "When you have a 12-year-old who disappeared without her belongings on a cold afternoon in the end of November, it's probably irresponsible to classify her as a runaway." Klaas says Amber's death can be a catalyst to prevent future tragedy. "It's also an opportunity for parents to respond talk to their kids about amber to give them tools to avoid victimization and empower them," he says. Amber's family has moved the original location of the memorial service. It will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 25, at Grace Apostolic Church at 2216 Military Avenue. The public is invited to attend the service. It will be broadcast live on Channel 6 and we'll stream the service live here on WOWT.COM. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2865896.html

Marc Klaas Comforts Harris Family Nationally Known Missing Kids Spokesman In Omaha May 24, 2006 OMAHA, Neb. -- A nationally recognized spokesman for missing children is in Omaha for the memorial service planned Thursday for Amber Harris. Marc Klaas got national attention 10 years ago when his daughter, Polly, was kidnapped and murdered. Klaas is in Omaha to comfort Michael and Melissa Harris, whose daughter's remains were found two weeks ago in Hummel Park. Klaas said the Harrises' story should help to remind people that there is still a killer out there, even as the family tries to heal from their loss. He said their situation puts him right back in his own sorrow over his daughter. "It just breaks your heart. It takes me back to our situation many, many years ago," Klaas said. Volunteers looked for Polly Klaas for 65 days before she was found murdered. Klaas subsequently founded the KlassKids Foundation to shine a light on missing children's cases. He said his message at Amber Harris' memorial is that, while now is the time to say goodbye to the 12-year-old, the case is not over. "Priority number one: there is a killer out there, and he has to be found. That's a huge, huge, huge priority," Klaas said. Hundreds of volunteers turned out in Omaha in March to help the KlaasKids Foundation hunt for Harris, who had been missing since Nov. 29. Foundation director Brad Dennis said his group came to Omaha with a very broad search plan. The searchers hit 25 identified sites all over the city. They collected items such as clothing, lip balm, outerwear, notebooks and cell phones. Klaas said that while he understands the Harrises' recent remarks expressing anger and frustration towards the Omaha Police Department, there may be a more measured response. "People might want to step back and diffuse the situation a little bit, so that's it not about pointing fingers, it's not be recrimination, it's about working together to try and find the killer," Klaas said. Klaas said he hopes Amber's story leads to new safety measures and prevention, from Capitol Hill to closer to home. "Turn it into something positive for children. Create a legacy in Amber's name that will hopefully be protective of other children," Klaas said. Klaas said that just like the Harrises, he was also very upset with police when his daughter disappeared. He said he now realizes those officers did everything he could. But he said that hopefully, the next time a child disappears in this community, law enforcement is better prepared. He said there are ways that can be done. Klaas said the Omaha Police Department has not returned calls from his organization http://www.ketv.com/family/9268753/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news