Masaraha Ross (3) & mom, Ronkeya Holmes, missing in Florida *deceased*

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Winter Haven Police Detectives continue to search for 3 1/2 year-old Masaraha Ross and her mother, Ronkeya Holmes, 29, and consider mother and daughter "endangered and missing."

Masaraha is believed to have last been seen in the company on her mother, according to Sgt. Brad Coleman, spokesman for the Winter Haven Police Department.

"Our investigators consider both Ross and Holmes to be missing and endangered at this time," Coleman said.
[...]

According to Coleman, Masaraha lives in Savannah, Ga., with her mother, but she was visiting her father in Winter Haven. Holmes had come to pick up her daughter after the visit.

"We had information that there was supposed to be a child exchange in Wal-Mart in Haines City," Coleman said Friday morning.

Coleman said authorities reviewed surveillance tapes from Wal-Mart but didn't glean any information from them.

"The quality of the video didn't allow us to see clearly if anyone involved was there," Coleman said.
[...]

"Although we are considering Masaraha Ross and Ronkeya Holmes as missing and endangered, we have not obtained any physical evidence that a crime has been committed at this time," Coleman said in the written report. "Information contained in the above time line has been provided to us by involved parties. Our investigators are in the process of confirming and fact checking all statements provided to date."

http://www.newschief.com/article/200...er-endangered-

She had come to Winter Haven on Oct. 14 to try to pick up her daughter from Lester Ross, 31, who lives in Winter Haven and is Holmes' ex-boyfriend and father of Masaraha.

On Oct. 19, Ross' cousin, Joseph Wilcox, 34, of Winter Haven was stopped and arrested east of Orlando in Lake Mary while driving Holmes' 1992 baby-blue Ford Escort, according to police. He was arrested on charges he violated his probation on DUI and other charges. None of his charges relate to the Holmes case.

Winter Haven police say they have not found any evidence that a crime has been committed involving Holmes and her daughter, and investigators are checking statements given by her family and Masaraha's father.

There are a lot of inconsistencies, said Sgt. Brad Coleman, police spokesman. "If everyone's stories matched up, we wouldn't have the concern."
[...]

Nafateria Fletcher said she talked to Holmes on Oct. 18. Holmes said she was meeting Ross at the Haines City Walmart to pick up her daughter.

Both Fletchers said they pleaded with Holmes to take law officers with her, but Holmes said she trusted Ross to deliver Masaraha.

Nafateria Fletcher didn't hear from her sister until two days later. Then Holmes said she had been stopped by police and needed paperwork about her Escort, which had temporary license plates, because the car had been impounded.

"She acted like somebody was with her, and she didn't want to say anything," Nafateria Fletcher said Friday. "I asked her if she wanted me to come down, and she said, 'No, no, I'll take care of this problem.' We never heard from her after she called. She would never turn down my help."

A few days later, Fletcher said she received a call from her sister's cell phone but no one said anything. Then she received another from the phone, and this time from an unidentified woman asked for the paperwork on the vehicle, but when Fletcher asked to speak to Holmes, the woman hung up.
[...]

http://www.theledger.com/article/200...n-Missing-Pair

Both articles have time lines on what was happening.

[Pene784]

It doesn't sound good does it?

[MadeaBecBec]

Now family members are doing some searching of their own, canvassing two cities in Florida looking for 29-year-old Ronkeya Holmes and her 3-year-old baby girl Masaraha Ross.


"We not able to sleep. All of us had our own personal relationship with my sister you know. It's just, it's hard, real hard having to be there for each other," said Angel Fletcher, the sister of the missing mom.

It was October 18, 2009 when Ronkeya drove to Florida to pick up her daughter from the child's father.

Masaraha was staying at her father's home in Winter Haven while Ronkeya took classes at Savannah Technical College.

The child's father says he handed the girl over at a Haines City Walmart, but police haven't found any evidence to back up that claim.

http://www.wtoctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11463397

Maybe the FBI can get Wilcox to talk, he's bound to know SOMETHING!!
I am very worried about these two! Keeping them in my prayers!!

Come on girls, come home, be victorious!!

Investigators found Ronkeya's car shortly after her disappearance with her luggage in the front seat, her college badge hanging from the rear view mirror and several children's items in the back seat.

"I think they planted it in there to cover it up," said Fletcher.

Ronkeya's mother believes the child's father may have something to do with their disappearance.

Either way the family says they won't stop searching until they know what really happened to Ronkeya Holmes and her child.

The FBI is also looking into this case.

[TDH]

oh sheesh....

[Whisper]

Vigil for Missing Savannah Mother and Daughter

SAVANNAH, Ga. --
It's been a year since a Savannah woman and her young toddler seemingly vanished in Florida.

Family and friends, left wondering about the fate of Ronkeya Holmes and Masaraha Ross, gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday night. They are still holding out hope the pair is still alive.

Words of hope broke through the stillness of night at Forsyth Park, as family and friends lit candles for Holmes, 30, and four year-old Masaraha.
"To let them know that wherever you are, we still love you and we still care, so we're going to do whatever it takes... If we have to do it more than once a year, we will," said Edith Fletcher, Holmes' mother.
[..]
"Keya is the type of person that calls all day long, everyday and lets you know where she is. If she's not calling me, she's calling one of her sisters or one of her friends," said her mother.
The family said they are trying to stay strong through prayer and faith, though it has been a difficult year. Her sister said Holmes and her two daughters were always close.

"She was very active. She loved to dance. She loved to sing. She always had her girls," said Holmes' sister, Tameka Fletcher.
Now a 9 year-old girl is left without both her mother and sister, as the family struggles to cope with the uncertainty.

"I know that God has her in his hands and he's going to bring her home safe and sound," said Tameka Fletcher.
The family is hoping someone or something will appear that will lead them to the missing mother and daughter.

"Hopefully we'll find something. At least give me a little bit of closure, so we won't have to keep going on and on like this," said Edith Fletcher.
Holmes and Ross were last known to be in the area of Winter Haven and Haines City, Florida.

Holmes' ex-boyfriend, Lester Ross, has been questioned several times by police, and just last week authorities seized items from his home in a search for clues.

http://www2.wsav.com/news/2010/oct/1...ter-ar-979927/

[AngelFire]

I am not liking the sound of this mess.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Winter Haven Police marked the one-year disappearance of Ronkeya Holmes and her 3-year-old daughter, Masarah Ross, in October, by plastering signs around the city and at the Polk County Courthouse.

A month later, their efforts have not generated any leads, and investigators are running out of ideas, Lt. Brad Coleman said Tuesday.

"Somebody knows," Coleman said. "Something like this doesn't stay a secret forever. They (people with information) need to find it in their heart to call us and do the right thing."
[...]

Last month, investigators searched Ross' former home at 703 Hemenway Drive N.E.

The property owner allowed detectives to search the property after Ross moved out. Police said he was evicted.

Several items were taken including carpet samples, Coleman said.

On the day of the search, Lester Ross told The Ledger he was not evicted and he had not lived at the house for three months. He said he was living out of state, but would not disclose his location.

While Ross has not been named a suspect, detectives said he is a significant part of the investigation.
[...]

http://www.theledger.com/article/201...n-Mom-Daughter

[Hellsbells]

Police dig for bodies of missing Savannah mom, child

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - The search for a missing Savannah mother and her daughter may come to an end on Wednesday.

Evidence technicians are at a dig site in Florida, where they believe the bodies of the pair may be located.

Winter Haven police are digging in Orange Grove.

Ronkeya Holmes, 29, and her daughter 3-year-old Masaraha Ross went missing in October 2009 and haven't been seen since.

In April 2009, Holmes left her daughter with the child's father, Lester Ross, who lives in Winter Haven, so she could focus on her classes at Savannah Technical College.

Six months later, Holmes returned to Winter Haven to pick up her daughter and the two simply disappeared.

Ross told investigators he handed over his daughter to Holmes at a Wal-Mart store in Haines City.

No one one has seen or heard from either of them since, and there is no evidence that the exchange ever happened.

Holmes's mother shared her thoughts nearly a year ago.

"I'm ready for that call, but I don't want to get that call," said Edith Fletcher.

WTOC spoke to Fletcher over the phone and she said she feels exactly the same way she did a year ago, she is ready for the call from investigators, but it is a call she does not want to get.

Lester Ross was taken into custody on Friday. He's accused of not paying child support and grand theft. He has since bonded out of jail.

http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=13727515

Bones found in Winter Haven orange grove

Investigators have found bones in an orange grove in Winter Haven after receiving a tip on a year-old case of a missing mother and daughter.

Authorities say the case involving the disappearance of 29-year-old Ronkeya Holmes and 3-year-old Masaraha Ross heated up about two weeks ago and a recent tip lead investigators to the grove at the intersection of Dundee and Sage roads.

Detectives and crime scene technicians have been searching the area all morning, said Winter Haven police chief Gary Hester. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Polk County Sheriff's Office are also involved in the search.

Winter Haven police chief Gary Hester said the remains have not been identified and they don't yet know whether they belong to one more individuals.

He did say investigators "highly suspect" they belong to the missing mother and daughter.

The skeletal remains were found in a shallow grave, Hester said.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/dec...news-breaking/

[Whisper]

In April 2009, Holmes left her daughter with the child's father, Lester Ross, who lives in Winter Haven, so she could focus on her classes at Savannah Technical College.

Six months later, Holmes returned to Winter Haven to pick up her daughter and the two simply disappeared.

I wonder if the baby was already dead and he killed mom to cover it up thinking he was smarter then the rest of the world(like so many do )

[Hellsbells]

Police make an arrest after remains are uncovered

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Winter Haven, Florida police took Lester Ross into custody on Wednesday night.

They say he played a key role in the disappearance of Ronkeya Holmes and her 3 year old daughter Masaraha of Savannah.

He was arrested for tampering with a witness, but police say more charges are coming.

Winter Haven police say they were tipped off to an orange grove in Florida. Within hours of digging on Wednesday, they say they found remains that are likely Ronkeya and her daughter.

http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=13731584

[Dakota Valkyrie]

He killed the little girl and then the mom to cover it up.

[...]
According to an affidavit, it was Ross's wife who gave authorities directions to the orange grove where the two bodies were found.

Sharon Ross told an FDLE agent that she returned home in May 2009 to find Masaraha dead. She said her husband told her it was an accident.

Sharon Ross said she believed her husband kept the little girl's body in a deep freezer in their home for several months.

In October 2009, around the time Ronkeya Holmes was last heard from, Sharon Ross said she watched her husband struggle to load two items wrapped in sheets into a vehicle, and that he then directed her to drive to an orange grove off Dundee Road, according to the affidavit.

Sharon Ross said her husband removed the items from the trunk and carried them into the orange grove, then after several minutes returned empty-handed.

She said later when they returned home, Ross wrapped a cellphone power cord around her neck and told her he would kill her if she ever told anyone what happened.

According to the affidavit, investigators believe Ross killed Holmes to cover up the fact that the child was dead.
[...]

"We'll stay with this round the clock long as it takes to make sure that Lester Ross is brought to justice," Hester said.

It could be weeks or even months before a positive identification is made on the bodies found this week, he said.

http://www2.wsav.com/news/2010/dec/2...va-ar-1270269/

[Aena]

Good call Whisp, horrible news for Marsaraha and Ronkeya's family, but I am sure they suspected it the whole time. RIP Marsaraha and Ronkeya...

[MinorAbrasions]

I hate to be the bitch that says this, but....the little girl was killed in May and the mother went to pick her up in October? She went 5 months without talking to or seeing her daughter and didn't think anything of it? My daughter is not quite 3 and when she goes to visit her father I still talk to her on the phone.
Also, did anyone else notice the shirt Masaraha is wearing in the first pic? That just kills me.

[Whisper]

We have a show here thats on between football and basketball games called Missing and Christmas day they had mom and babys pics on and e1 looked at me like I was nuts screaming at the tv "they found their bodies already"!
I hate when they dont update pics and stories,up until recently the pics and people missing were all from the 70s,80s and 90s
You would figure since its Ernie Allen From Missing and Exploited Children that sponsors the show it would have more recent or even at the end have a recent update segment

[Rockin Ma]

Lester Ross Interview

I'm a bit confused, is he pinning it on his cousin?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPptz43n1nA

[carolinablue]

it was Ross's wife who gave authorities directions to the orange grove where the two bodies were found.

That whore knew where they were all this time. She let their families suffer from May till now; she saw the little girl dead and didn't say a word. I hate that fat bastard and wish I could get my hands on him, but I also want his wife. I wouldn't kill her, but I would beat her sorry ass raw and then stand her on a street corner with a sign saying, "I knew my husband killed his 3 year old daughter and her mother but I didn't tell anyone. I am a heartless cunt scab".

[Kindly One]

That whore knew where they were all this time. She let their families suffer from May till now; she saw the little girl dead and didn't say a word.

No. She let Ronkeya's family suffer from October 2009 until now. No one cared enough about the little girl, no one gave enough of a shit about Masaraha, to know that she'd been dead for five months by the time he killed her mother. No one had gone to see her or called to speak to her or asked for a photograph of her.

Three years old and her mother ditches her with a father she hardly knows, keeping her older, probably better behaved sister at home. Not only does she lose her home and her family, but her mother doesn't even keep enough contact with her to know that she didn't even live for a month after being abandoned.

If anything could ever part me from my baby, and I had to let someone else look after her, I might accept an excuse for not being able to speak to her ONCE. One time. Two refusals in a row and I'd be in the car, 6 hour drive be damned, calling the cops as I went.

I honestly don't know who I hate most in this whole sorry scenario. Masaraha, everyone should have loved you more.

[Gidget]

she believed her husband kept the little girl's body in a deep freezer in their home for several months.

How the fuck did that woman sleep at night knowing that there was a dead little girl in her house? What the fuck is WRONG with people?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

"I'm ready to get on with my life." I'm sure Masarah and Ronkeya would like to be able to say the same thing.

Susan Ross told investigators she was tired of trying to protect her husband and didn't want to end up missing, according to an audio recording released Tuesday by prosecutors.

"I danced around a lot of the truth," she said. "I'm tired of dancing. I'm ready to get on with my life."

Susan Ross told investigators that she drove Lester Ross Jr. near a citrus grove east of Winter Haven so he could dispose of what she thought were the bodies of his 3-year-old daughter, Masarah, and the girl's mother, Ronkeya Holmes.

Police say Lester Ross Jr. is a suspect in the killing of his daughter and Holmes. Masarah went missing in May 2009, and Holmes, an ex-girlfriend of Lester Ross Jr., disappeared months later after coming to Florida to get the child.
[...]

Lester Ross has not been charged in the deaths. However, he remains in the Polk County Jail without bail on a charge of tampering with a witness.

Susan Ross told investigators that her husband threatened to kill her and choked her with the charging cord for her cellular phone.

She spoke to investigators on Dec. 20 and revealed the location of the bodies. She said she returned from shopping one day and her husband told her that Masarah fell while jumping on a bed and didn't wake up.

She said she suspected the child's body was stored in a freezer for months. "I never had the heart to go in there and check," she said.
[...]

http://www.theledger.com/article/201...ecting-Husband

[Gidget]

She said she suspected the child's body was stored in a freezer for months. "I never had the heart to go in there and check," she said.

If she had reported the baby's death to the cops when it happened, that fucker could have gone to jail then, and Ronkeya would still be alive today. Stupid, chickenshit cunt.

[VXIII]

He is a fucking liar, he cant even maintain eye contact with the interviewer and what the fuck did he say at the end? they could eat my butt? or did I just misunderstand that? He dont want no more dealings with the whole ? He just wants them pushed out? Did I misunerstand that? He shows not one iota of concern over his child missing and

On Oct. 19, Ross' cousin, Joseph Wilcox, 34, of Winter Haven was stopped and arrested east of Orlando in Lake Mary while driving Holmes' 1992 baby-blue Ford Escort, according to police. He was arrested on charges he violated his probation on DUI and other charges.

WTF is his cousin doing driving the babys moms car? This man is a fucking cold liar and knows very well what happened to his baby girl and her mom, probobly was tired of paying child support... fuck him up his ass... glad his wife grew some balls, but the entire family sounds murderous so she needs to move somewhere too...

[VXIII]

He has been charged with the murders of his child and her mom, lets hope they get justice, as the deserve...

http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...Ronkeya-Holmes