No clues in hunt for New Orleans teacher missing for more than a week
Published March 11, 2013
FoxNews.com
Police in New Orleans are searching for a young teacher who disappeared more than a week ago after a night of drinking to celebrate being nominated for an award.
Terrilynn Monnette, 26, was last seen in the wee hours of March 2, after spending the previous evening with friends at a bar in the city’s Lakeview section. Witnesses said she left with a male acquaintance around 4 a.m. on Saturday. She has not been seen since.
"If anyone was in Parlay's [bar] at the time my daughter went missing, I beg of you, I plead of you please come forth and tell everything that you know," Monnette's mother, Toni Enclade, told FOX8 WVUE.
On Sunday, New Orleans police led a few hundred volunteers in a search of the 1,300-acre City Park in New Orleans. The search for any clues, like jewelry or a piece of clothing that might indicate her last known whereabouts, came up empty.
Monnette, who is originally from Long Beach, Calif., was out celebrating with friends because she had just been nominated for teacher of the year for her work as a second-grade teacher under the teachNOLA program. As she was leaving for the night, she told friends that she was going to take a quick nap in her car because she had a few drinks.
Reports say that surveillance videos show Monnette speaking with the man she left with for some time before they got into separate cars and left.
The teacher has not been heard from since. Police are still searching for Monnette’s car — a three-door black Honda Accord with Louisiana license plate number WUN494.
"Seven days now I can't even eat, cause I'm thinking, 'Is my child eating?'" Enclade told WVUE.
note that "eating" is sensitive and its sensitivity is explained: the mother's empathy with her "child" (age 26) is down to the minute detail of worrying if her daughter is eating food. Empathy noted as strong.
The desperate mom addressed whoever might be holding her daughter or know of her fate.
"If you're listening, put yourself in my place," Enclade said. "How would you feel if someone was to take your loved one? Think about that. You're a human being; I know you have some type of heart. Whoever has her, you have some type of heart. Don't punish my daughter."
Example of personalizing her daughter and attempting to provoke empathy.
Our prayers are with Terrilynn.
43 comments:
So sad. I have a bad feeling about this one.
Unrelated, but thought you all might enjoy the statement analysis in the following article:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/05/americas_historic_cokehead_president.html
Horrible news
"Casey Anthony is reportedly telling close friends that she is pregnant and is “thrilled” for the chance to prove she can be a good mother"
http://www.cayleedaily.com/2013/03/casey-anthony-is-pregnant-national-enquirer-reports/
Tim Miller and his org are searching for Ms. Monnette.
http://www.noladefender.com/content/nopd-texa23s-org-sea56rch-missing-teacher-terrilynn-monnette
Red flag?
As she was leaving for the night, she told friends that she was going to take a quick nap in her car because she had a few drinks.
Alcohol makes one feel, loose, and or unstable to the feet, tipsy, possibly even nauseous,..not sleepy.
Was she targeted? she slipped a Roofie by this man, that she did leave with? He watching her slowly dissipate, as he offered her help, a ride, a place to sober up? Let's go get some coffee? to lead her away? she then is returned to her car. He followed her and or waved her off the road? using whatever tactic's necessary. He again a predator. She is a beautiful young lady, her celebrating, would make her stand out.
Wasn't there a young woman that vanished same thing, was seen leaving a bar with an unknown male. I recall she had recently moved to a city, she too a transfer, her career or school. She was eventually found, deceased. That she was slipped into her drink, a drug, by the man who had " gained her trust". He a total stranger, he set her up.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/date-rape-drugs.cfm
I pray they find her, so tragic.
sorry but this poor woman is dead somewhere, she didn't just 'disappear"
Ney, evidently Cheney Mason, has the 411 on Casey's uterus.
Her attorney Cheney Mason said,
"There is absolutely no reason to believe this. It is one more malicious lie involving people who can't accept the truth."
http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/03/14/casey-anthony-pregnant
" It is one more malicious lie"
Involving people who can't accept the Truth -
Can't accept the truth?! meaning she should never " become" pregnant again, let alone be around children,.. this is the truth!
Slore to birth another baby, is to her collecting key chain's.. a trinket for her to toss around, bury in her purse, I mean trunk. As she walks free, wearing Caylee around her neck.
What's next, Slore will be approached, sign on, have her own reality show, follow the bump in progress. Then the public can follow her every move. A Win Win? Someone will spin it, if she is PG. Baby for Slore: Ching
"If you're listening, put yourself in my place," Enclade said. "How would you feel if someone was to take your loved one? Think about that. You're a human being; I know you have some type of heart. Whoever has her, you have some type of heart. Don't punish my daughter."
Does she seem more focused on herself instead of her daughter? Why does she think "punish"? Punish is defined as 1.make somebody undergo penalty: to subject somebody to a penalty for wrongdoing.
Why does she feel that this is a form of punishment? I am not saying the mother is involved but seems to know who may be involved.
Vita--That is the 1st thing that jumped out at me. Alcohol can make a person sleepy but I feel like me and you picked up on the fishiest part of the story--which is that she reportedly said to friends she was going to go sleep in her car for a while before she drove home, because she had been drinking.
I've simply never heard of anyone doing this!
People get rides home with someone else if they are drinking--they don't sleep in their car. I have never heard of anyone doing this.
Was she slipped a roofie? Maybe.
Something is off early on with the friends, the group at the bar in my opinion, and it is only an opinion.
What kind of friends let their friend sleep in a car?
I had my share of wild days when I was younger. Someone would have given her a ride home, or, if she were really feeling loopey, she might have tried to walk home.
I feel someone amongst the friend group probably knows a lot more than they are saying.
"I've simply never heard of anyone doing this"
Simply never huh?
I'm new to all this but seems to me that that one statement is deceptive.
And just for the record-
I have, in the past, opted to nap in my car rather than drive under the influence or accept rides from others that were also drinking.
i have as well.
oops i meant to add more ...i know folks who have "slept it off" and i've done this myself. it is scary but better than DUI.
Regarding the "malicious lie", I think perhaps her attorney is referring to the public's continued belief that Casey is guilty, in spite of the court's verdict.
He's either a really dedicated attorney or completely off his rocker. Maybe both.
Wrong. The statement is not deceptive. Peter, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this, but in the free editing process (in other words, I was not answering a question) the use of the word "never" is not an indication of deception. For example, if I said "I have never been to Asia.". is that deceptive bc it contains the word "never"?
I have never heard of anyone doing that! This would be the behavior of a chronic alcoholic if it did happen. You "napped" in your car? Really? Was this during the night? Most people don't "nap" during the night.
I stand by what I said. Something is fishy with the "sleeping in the car". The car is actually missing too.
My guess is either someone who was at the bar is responsible OR she did attempt to drive home drunk, maybe went over an embankment or something and is yet to be found.
Oh I have heard of someone going to drive and throwing up and passing out behind the wheel before they could start the car.
Someone leaving a bar LATE AT NIGHT and saying they are going to sleep in their car for a while? Nope. Never.
My opinion is maybe she said it as a ruse--bc she was really planning on driving and knew the friends would protest or planning on leaving with someone/going somewhere/doing something towards which the friends would protest, so she said she was going to go sleep in her car for a while.
wow, how judgemental of you.
I am not judging anyone.
All I am saying is there is something fishy about her reportedly saying she will sleep in her car for a while.
I don't buy it.
Layla,
Your world is not everyone's world. I too, have slept it off in my car before driving home. More than once. Why? My only option. I just made sure my keys were NOT in the ignition, and I slept away.
Also, alcohol does make some sleepy. Depends on how your body handles it, and what medications one is on.
I don't find that statment odd at all, but it is worth researching further....beause you never know.
Question everything. Just b/c something said or done would "never" be performed by yourself....means nothing. Especially when involving extra curricular activities and hobbies. Everyone has a closet that they keep their secret things in. Today was the first time I admitted to "sleeping it off". I was embarrassed that I didn't control myself enough to not drink too much, and it's also not very safe. To not receive a lecture for anyone, I just kept it to myself.
So you straight and narrows out there....don't let anything surprise you :)
Hi Layla-
I think you may be onto something- she was out with friends to celebrate her nomination for 'teacher of the year'. Most likely these 'friends' were also colleagues. Maybe she had a few drinks and then started to realize that she was with people who could affect her career (or being awarded teacher of the year). So, when she excused herself to leave she told the group she was going to sleep for a while in her car (even if she really wasn't) to keep any 'scandal' from starting, regarding her driving under the influence. Also, if she was slipped something and started feeling strange she may have wanted to get away from the group before she lost control and endangered her job. Sad to think about :-(
Teacher's (esp. elementary level) have to be very careful regarding their actions in public. My sister is a 2nd grade teacher in So. Virginia, and she even stopped using Facebook a year or two ago after a few teachers in the county were fired for posting political views, casual pictures, (such as themselves at the beach in a bikini) or pictures with beer or a cigarette in their hand. She even refuses to eat at certain 'bar type' restaurants to make sure no rumors get started.
As I see it there was nothing wrong with this mother begging for empathy or any other shred of compassion she might be able to wrangle from the offender who took her daughter (if one did), regardless as to her words.
Layla, not to offend you, but to put it mildly, I had no idea anyone could be as narrow and dogmatic in their thinking as you obviously are. People don't sleep in their car to clear their head and nap from having been drinking too much before they risk driving on? Surely you jest!
This is so common in some states that police on night patrol drive through parking lots frequently checking cars to see if a drunk driver has pulled off the road and is sleeping in his car, which is illegal in some states. In those states where it's illegal, the sleeping, having been drinking driver, although off the road and parked is just as guilty as if he had been pulled off the road while driving drunk and is arrested on the spot if he/she fails the sobriety test.
Recently my nephew was arrested in Pratville, Alabama for sleeping in his car in a Wendy's parking lot when cops pulled up alongside, shined a light in his face and awakened him. He could not quickly find the keys that he had taken out of the ignitiion, then failed the sobriety test.
He is 39 years old, no drunk or party animal, and had merely had a few drinks at an employee cocktail party; but was also tired and sleepy, it was late and he had a long drive home. He was booked, jailed and had to be bailed out. NOW he has to pay a heavy fine and will have DUI points against his license for a very long time, all because he needed to sleep off his drinks before driving home.
Dang. You need to wake and smell the coffee hon. It is VERY common for people who have been drinking to try to sober up and sleep it off in their car to avoid killing somebody on the road, and perhaps themselves too. It's those who don't who are sometimes very foolish.
You need to google drunk driving laws, there is more than one state who has laws against being drunk while sleeping in your car, which is very common and which I happen to think is VERY unfair.
BTW, I totally disagree with your suspicions against this missing woman's friends she had been drinking with, when nothing whatsoever has shown up so far that points the finger at any of them, when obviously there is suspicion against the male party she was talking with outside the bar who was seen on video; but why the friends inside the bar? Makes no sense, just like you "never heard of anyone who had been drinking and sleeping in the car" argument you hotly pursue.
Having said all that; Jen you may have a point, now that you've explained the suspicions of the womans' friends more carefully, which DOES make sense. Teachers do have to be more careful of their personal habits and activities now than they used to be; not that they all do.
However, until something solid shows up that points a finger at them, or one of them, then the suspicion lies on the stranger she was talking too outside the bar, unless she recklessly crashed her car into a ravine or body of water somewhere yet to be discovered.
Besides, how can her friends who are also teachers themselves, (right?) scheme and use her drinking in a bar against her when they were there and drinking too?
As she was leaving for the night, she told friends that she was going to take a quick nap in her car because she had a few drinks.
As she was "leaving" - what does this mean? leaving from where? for the night she was leaving from home to the bar? from the bar?
She told, so there is a witness of what she did say. She had a few drinks, she was going to her car to nap.
--
Sleeping in ones car as an alternative to drunk driving is one thing.
A person to say, I have had a few drinks, need to nap in my car is another. Therefore the night had either just begun, or She the napper was not ready yet to end the night, needed a time out to recoup...going for round two.
She then? had drinks prior to going to the celebration held in her honor? She is said to have left, is on camera, leaving with a unknown male at 4 AM.
:( She was not on a leash, she is her own person. She knew her limits. Something or someone intervened to steer her away, from whatever would be her own known normal.
Resulting in her being missing.
Anon who wrote -
Layla, not to offend you, but to put it mildly, I had no idea anyone could be as narrow and dogmatic in their thinking as you obviously are. People don't sleep in their car to clear their head and nap from having been drinking too much before they risk driving on? Surely you jest!
--
What planet do you Anon live on?
Drinking indulging and sleeping in ones car has been ongoing for .. can't even say.
When there is no excuse for it, one to be arrested has to be a person of no common sense, at a loss of all inhibitions. That they attempt to drive, pull the keys and sleep contently, in their vehicle. Parking their car in the middle of Main Street, blocking traffic.
One show of Dharma and Greg, Dharma completely wasted driven by a cab to her home, apartment. She outside her door, she can't make her key work, to let herself in.
Greg/ husband inside he hears her.
She says: The Key won't work
Greg: that's the Car key
Dharma: Well then, the Apt won't start ..
==
You to call out Layla .. her said, sorry it's not what she said, it's what you took from her said, you found obtuse. She her own words are of countless not proud moments of many - ask people and they will tell you. We live and learn, especially if we were wild ones, our late teen, early 20's, and yes that includes me. Many errors I did make, not many regrets of judgement though do I have.
I'd say one to sleep in their car over driving drunk is a better choice yes?
"Seven days now I can't even eat, cause I'm thinking, 'Is my child eating?'" Enclade told WVUE.
These are the kinds of words I expect from the parent of someone who's gone missing, I can empathize with how this mom speaks for her missing daughter.
These are the kind of words we expected from many parents of missing or kidnapped children and we didn't find in their statements. It shows the instinctive feelings and words we expect an innocent parent to express. I would worry about things like this and it would be reflected in my language too.
:(
WoW. Do you have statistics or data to show me that someone sleeping off the effects of alcohol makes them a chronic alcoholic? I simply said I thought that 'simply never' statement was in fact weakens by the use of the word 'simply'. Why the extra word? You didn't say ' I've simply never been to Asia' and you certainly didn't say 'I've simply never heard of someone taking a nap in their car'.
I'm just calling bullshit on that one statement in your comment.I think you have heard of it or maybe have even done it yourself a time or two. I can only offer my opinion.
*elf
I read another version of this story- it is really sad. She moved from CA to teach in NOLA, and was apparently a phenomenal teacher.
The other story said the person she was talking to was cleared. Also she had too much to drink- the bartender cut her off. My first thought was of all the water around the area... I'm thinking she crashed her car.
Nap-(verb) to lightly sleep, briefly rest. I've actually slept in or snapped in my car on a few occasions inebriated and sober btw. I'd rather take a 30 minute rest before resuming a long journey rather than risk others lives.
*elf
Napped. Not snapped lol
To anon-
The other teachers would have something to use against her if she was so intoxicated that she was cut off by the bartender as Deejay mentions above. With that information I would assume her friends were telling her NOT to drive and let one of them take her home, prompting her to say she would 'sleep it off' in her car.
Also Deejay makes another great point, New Orleans is surrounded by swamp area and Lake Pontchartrain and the roads once outside of the city are rural and bordered by these swamplands. My maternal grandmother and 6 uncles live dispersed through costal LA, when we would travel there to visit, my dad would not drive at night because if you are not familiar with the roads you could drive right off into the swamp (many roads end in 90 degree turns, as they have been constructed around the wetlands). One of my uncles who has lived there his whole life actually did this as a teenager and it was because he was drinking. These areas are water, filled with tall grasses, brush, muck and wildlife (basically like the bottom of a shallow pond) and would be very hard to get out of especially if impaired by alcohol.
Jen you make an excellent point, now that it's been stated that she had drank too much and had been cut off by the bartender. Yes, this could give fodder to someone who might be jealous of her recent acclaim.
Also, Deejay decribes the area well. My hubby and I went to New Orleans on our honeymoon some years ago and stayed some distance out of town. I remember those swamplands and narrow curves on dark winding roads. Spooky.
One could easily spiral off the road into a murky watery swamp with no way out and with the auto being obstructed from view, might not be so easy to find without a pontoon or airboat. Maybe that's why Tim Miller is down there searching? Just a thought.
Nap:
To sleep for a short time; doze
To be off one's guard
I think if you are over the legal limit to drive/ or feel unable to drive and decide to have a nap, chances are you still aren't able to drive. Alcohol clouds your judgement and alters your reaction time, so after a 'nap' how would you know if you were fit to drive?
Some are still over the limit the next day, after a lengthy sleep.
In Britain you can be charged with being 'in charge of a vehicle' whilst under the influence, you don't even have to have the keys in the ignition.
Of course people drive under the influence and drive after a nap. It is irresponsible and dangerous. If someone is mature enough to decide to consume alcohol, surely they are mature enough to organise a way home and if they can't, don't drink.
"Reports say that surveillance videos show Monnette speaking with the man she left with for some time before they got into separate cars and left."
The surveillance video showed the cars leaving. Wouldn't the statement have been different if only one car left at first and then the other? It seems like she did not nap in the car.
Straight and narrow lol! I was pretty wild when I was younger. I stand by what I said--never heard of it, neither has my boyfriend, although he said he knew one guy whose car was a home away from home and this guy used to drink in his parked car and sleep in it.
Are you all from Europe? It may be different there.
Jen--Exactly! That's where I wss coming from--she was with people who wouldnt just say "oh yeah go drive drunk" or perhaps if she had met someone there, they would have protested her leaving with someone she had just met (as good responsible friends will) if she had met anyone new there. So absolutely, I believe her saying she was going to sleep in car was probably a ruse.
Like I said I've never heard of it (with the exception of someone passing out in the car before getting the chance to start up the car).
You said your nephew got arrested for sleeping instead of driving after he had a few drinks. OK--tell me why he was in the Wendy's parking lot. Sounds like he did drive then passed out after he got Wendy's to eat.
I just googled this story and read an article that has some additional info.
A friend of Terrilynn's says that Terrilynn was not out with her usual group of friends that includes a fellow teacher and an old principal. Rather she had gone to see a male friend who plays in a band who was "like a brother to her" so she trusted him.
Her cell phone stopped emitting a signal a few hours before she disappeared (not sure what that means).
This friend who they interviewed says Terrilynn was a light drinker (1-2 drinks) and she would have never said she was going to sleep in her car.
She was seen talking to a male in the parking lot at 4 am (this guy has been cleared by cops).
She was supposedly last seen sleeping in her car and had "disappeared" by sunrise.
She lives only 5 minutes away from the bar.
This friend believes something may have been put in her drink.
I suspect someone within the bar is responsible for the disappearance.
My only other thought is that when bands play in bars, they are the last to leave if they play till close (besides maybe the employees).
They have to pack up their equipment, get paid and load up their equipment. They are oftentimes going in and out of the bar back and forth to parking lot to load up equipment.
So, my suspicions gravitate towards someone in the band or "with the band" (someone who is also staying late to help the band load up equipment in their cars (not necessarily the friend but just someone in or with the band).
Layla...the point was that just because you haven't heard of it, doesn't mean it CAN'T be true. Yet, you stand by your statement after many here are telling you it happens a lot? Stubborn but not straight and narrow. Got it :)
I'm not from Europe, btw, I'm from Nebraska. It's very common, and probably where she got the idea to use it as a fib to tell her friends. You are Jen are spot on with that one...
Layla I take offense to you suggesting that anyone who sleeps in their car is "a chronic alcoholic" or "from Europe". The fact is, folks do sleep in their cars for numerous reasons, here in America. There are plenty of websites discussing it. And laws regarding such. I think we should stick to the subject matter. I understand your point about being red flagged by the statement but i find it unfair that you wrote the above. just my thoughts.
Well, you learn something new every day. I had never imagined drinking too much and then sleeping it off in the car in a parking lot in the middle of the night was such a common occurrence!
It still jumps out at me, though. She supposedly told friends she was going to take "a quick nap in her car" after "a few drinks" yet in actuality, surveillance cameras show that she stood speaking with the man she left with "for some time" before getting into separate cards and leaving. I take that to mean, they both drove away? If she was so drunk she needed to sleep in her car, it's hard to picture her standing on her feet talking with someone for "some time."
If one of my kids disappeared, I don't think I'd ever eat or sleep again. When she says, I can't "even" eat, it makes me wonder if usually eating is important to her and now she can't even do that.
The word "punish" is a strange choice.
Anon, that was an interesting article about Obama's book and his admission of drug use when he was in college. The author used some good statement analysis there!
I never read the book but I have read the controversy about its authorship and questions about its truthfulness. It sure seems cheesy in that excerpt. Sad to say this is how to appeal to the average voter these days...
This reminds me of a certain sect of Christianity, about 10 years ago. Confessing about wild doings as young people, and then proclaiming how Christ had completely changed them, became such a badge of honor that at least one author was discovered fabricating a disreputable past just to gain credibility.
I think it is very natural, when a child of any age is missing, to wonder if they are hungry or not, warm or not, dry or not. I have never had a child murdered or go missing, but I had a year old puppy (my husband and I loved her like a child) who was accidentally strangled to death. I remember the night that it happened, after coming home from the vet, I was so upset and was crying. I remember waking up that night, at one point, and realizing she was gone and wondering to myself if she was warm and safe, then catching myself and telling myself, "No, she's gone, she's dead." If just a dog's death could do this to you, can you imagine what it would be like to have a child missing? It would be natural to wonder if your child was hungry, warm or safe. Her mother is reacting the way a mother would react -- no matter the age of her missing child.
I know of some night shift workers who pull over to take a short nap so that they don't fall asleep while driving home.
Anon "I"
Can you all agree that now Layla needs to flog herself, wear a hairshirt and confess her sins for being naive about drinking behaviors while fully intoxicated? I do not understand why so many of you took her comments personally. And why you felt the need to continuously, in great detail, tell her how she is, in essence missing half her brain for not being alcohol savvy. You are missing the point entirely---she may have had something slipped in her drink, conflicting reports about whether or not she was filmed driving off, etc. Those kinds of posts are a waste of time and just a pat on your own backs. Go look in the mirror, call yourselves worldly geniuses and move on to actual SA. Layla, I for one 'forgive' you for assailing my delicate sensibilities with your opinions which, in my reality, were benign and not worth the reaction that followed.
Anon at 6:29, you, to put it mildly, had no idea anyone could be so narrow minded and dogmatic as Layla? Truly? Well, first of all that is a very liberal interpretation of the word dogmatic, and secondly you will have a heart attack when you step out into the real world if Layla is the most shocking thinker you ever could never have fathomed. Grow up.
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