On the Matter of Jessie Davis

I've remarked here on occasion that the national media rarely finds its way to Stark County where I live except for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival. It's still about a month or so away but signs of the annual party abound as we get Canton gussied up for company. The disappearance and death of Jessie Davis of North Canton has brought the media -- state and national -- to our quiet county in droves and casts a pall on our normally dull existence. Not a lot that merits national media attention happens here. We take care of our business without their help.

One could not go anywhere in the area without seeing a flyer with Jessie's pretty smile. There was one posted in the blood lab at the hospital this week when I went to feed the A- vampire. We take things like this seriously -- very seriously.

I'm not going to talk about Jessie or her family -- y'all can't help but know all the gory details courtesy of TV and newspapers. I'm going to tell y'all about us -- the people of Stark County, Ohio. The media seemed stunned that 1000s of us came to help Texas Equusearch in the inch by inch search of the area. I am not -- it's how we are here.

Earlier this week a young man from southern Stark County who died in Iraq was buried and there were 100 cars in the funeral procession -- they had to hold the funeral in the high school gym. Another young man from there was killed in Iraq a few days ago and the same support and respect will be accorded his family. The massive outpouring of support for the Davis family is the norm not an anomaly.

We're not a metropolis -- but for a medium-sized city/county, we're a very small town. Everyone you meet knows someone you know so I wasn't surprised when names that have appeared in connection with Jessie's disappearance were familiar to me. Long ago when I was a young married I developed a theory that if you put 10 couples who had never met before at a cocktail party and started the "where do you work/where did you go to school/what church do you belong to" thing -- someone would know someone you know well. My young neighbor had met, because of a young man she dated, Bobby Cutts, that father of Jessie's children who is now in Stark County jail. A deputy sheriff lives down the block from me -- and I noticed that his car hasn't been around since all this started.

Theories abound on why Bobby Cutts didn't assist the Sheriff's Department sooner. As the story he's telling comes out, I'm sure all will become clear. Our law enforcement people are pretty good and very thorough. I am proud of the their handling of the media and the tight lid they kept on information as the search ensued.

I join my fellow citizens here in Stark County in support and grief for Jessie, her children. and her family. I pray that God gives her family strength through the ordeal that lies ahead of them. This is not going away for a very long time. I pray also that the guilty are punished -- there is a place waiting for them in Hell.