Hi-
I will continue to keep the blog going until around a week after the memorial service so that you can all feel free to process the new information about Dick and share your emotions with others who understand how you are feeling during this difficult time.
- Lori
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Dick's body has been found
Dear Friends,
Dick Nethercut's body was found by the police today just a short time ago. They found him in the conservation area where they had searched before for three days. He was actually found near the Carlisle border just over the line in Carlisle. The police think he just walked too far, got disoriented, and fell in a stream near a boggy area. He still had his wallet, credit cards, and car keys and there was no sign of foul play. The police do not have any additional information at this time and requested that we discourage people from calling the police station.
We know that all of you have been deeply concerned by Dick's disappearance and have been praying for him along with us in AVP. Dick has been an AVP leader for 17 years. He has trained dozens of facilitators and hundreds of inmates. His loyalty to the program and to those working to build a better life inspire us. Dick's personal journey of forgiveness and reconciliation stand as a testament to his faith and open heart.
As terrible as Dick's disappearance and ultimate death have been, this ordeal of the past two weeks reminds and inspires us of the need for the work that Dick believed in so deeply, for our continued efforts to bring rehabilitation and compassion to all aspects of our society, and to build caring communities. We hope many will feel led to join us in this essential work rather than give in to voices and promptings of fear or despair.
We have no news yet of any funeral arrangements for Dick, but will send that information when it is available.
Warm regards,
Nancy Shippen, Tim Wilson, and Betty Keddy
AVP MA Board
Dick Nethercut's body was found by the police today just a short time ago. They found him in the conservation area where they had searched before for three days. He was actually found near the Carlisle border just over the line in Carlisle. The police think he just walked too far, got disoriented, and fell in a stream near a boggy area. He still had his wallet, credit cards, and car keys and there was no sign of foul play. The police do not have any additional information at this time and requested that we discourage people from calling the police station.
We know that all of you have been deeply concerned by Dick's disappearance and have been praying for him along with us in AVP. Dick has been an AVP leader for 17 years. He has trained dozens of facilitators and hundreds of inmates. His loyalty to the program and to those working to build a better life inspire us. Dick's personal journey of forgiveness and reconciliation stand as a testament to his faith and open heart.
As terrible as Dick's disappearance and ultimate death have been, this ordeal of the past two weeks reminds and inspires us of the need for the work that Dick believed in so deeply, for our continued efforts to bring rehabilitation and compassion to all aspects of our society, and to build caring communities. We hope many will feel led to join us in this essential work rather than give in to voices and promptings of fear or despair.
We have no news yet of any funeral arrangements for Dick, but will send that information when it is available.
Warm regards,
Nancy Shippen, Tim Wilson, and Betty Keddy
AVP MA Board
Day 9
Dick Nethercut has been missing for 17 days.
Blog: Day 9
I was going to send this blurb into some of the TV stations. What do you all think? Too angry?
****************
The one question that has occupied my mind since Dick Nethercut disappeared more than two weeks ago is why it seems that one missing person is more important than another. Annie Le, the Yale graduate student who disappeared just days before her wedding, received lead news coverage on a national level for more than a week, whereas Dick received sporadic local coverage for a few days and was one of the lead news stories for only a day or two after his car was found.
I know that some will argue that Annie Le was a young, bright woman at the beginning of her life, and Dick is an old man who has already lived a full life. But they are equally important to the people who loved them. It's a shame that the media did not see it that way.
The reason I am bringing this up is that I can't help but feel that the media may have hindered community efforts to find Dick sooner. If major local TV stations had picked up Dick's story from the first day he was missing, some of the residents, who saw his car early on but didn't know that he was missing, might have made the connection earlier, and every day counts for a missing man who does not start out with time on his side.
Blog: Day 9
I was going to send this blurb into some of the TV stations. What do you all think? Too angry?
****************
The one question that has occupied my mind since Dick Nethercut disappeared more than two weeks ago is why it seems that one missing person is more important than another. Annie Le, the Yale graduate student who disappeared just days before her wedding, received lead news coverage on a national level for more than a week, whereas Dick received sporadic local coverage for a few days and was one of the lead news stories for only a day or two after his car was found.
I know that some will argue that Annie Le was a young, bright woman at the beginning of her life, and Dick is an old man who has already lived a full life. But they are equally important to the people who loved them. It's a shame that the media did not see it that way.
The reason I am bringing this up is that I can't help but feel that the media may have hindered community efforts to find Dick sooner. If major local TV stations had picked up Dick's story from the first day he was missing, some of the residents, who saw his car early on but didn't know that he was missing, might have made the connection earlier, and every day counts for a missing man who does not start out with time on his side.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Day 7
Dick Nethercut has been missing for 15 days.
Blog: Day 7
Let's keep on praying. We may not hear the answers, but we need to have faith that Dick is hearing our prayers.
Blog: Day 7
Let's keep on praying. We may not hear the answers, but we need to have faith that Dick is hearing our prayers.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Day 6
Dick Nethercut has been missing for 14 days.
Blog: Day 6
It feels very strange to have no media coverage, no updates, and no answers after two weeks, especially when last week felt so hopeful after the police found his car.
- Lori
Blog: Day 6
It feels very strange to have no media coverage, no updates, and no answers after two weeks, especially when last week felt so hopeful after the police found his car.
- Lori
Day 5
Dick Nethercut has been missing for 13 days.
Blog: Day 5
I'm sorry I wasn't able to post anything yesterday.
Blog: Day 5
I'm sorry I wasn't able to post anything yesterday.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Day 4
Dick Nethercut has been missing for 12 days.
Blog: Day 4
Most of you know this, I'm sure, but when I title the page with the day, I am referring to the number of days that the blog has been around, not the number of days that Dick has been missing. But today, I decided to post the number of days that Dick has been missing and continue forward with this count until he is found.
If this practice seems cold or insensitive to you, let me know and I will stop and if some people are OK with it and some are not, then I will move the information to the bottom of each post.
Tim posted the link to this blog in his latest update. Thank you, Tim. If you plan to check this blog every day, consider bookmarking it.
Blog: Day 4
Most of you know this, I'm sure, but when I title the page with the day, I am referring to the number of days that the blog has been around, not the number of days that Dick has been missing. But today, I decided to post the number of days that Dick has been missing and continue forward with this count until he is found.
If this practice seems cold or insensitive to you, let me know and I will stop and if some people are OK with it and some are not, then I will move the information to the bottom of each post.
Tim posted the link to this blog in his latest update. Thank you, Tim. If you plan to check this blog every day, consider bookmarking it.
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