Million Dollar Lawsuit Filed For 2004 Search for Carrie's Remains

As you all will recall, a few days before Carrie Culberson's statue was to be unveiled in Blanchester, Ohio at the Police Department, some over zealous individual called in a tip to the police that her body was buried underneath a pole barn. The call that placed caused the ceremony to be put on hold. It was Victim's Right's week, a very important week to Carrie's family and many others who have lost something they'll never be able to get back.

Carrie's family were out at the excavation site for a total of 14 days where they watched with binoculars as barn was torn to shreds and the ground was dug up searching for Carrie who at the time was missing for nearly eight years. One of those days that passed during the 14 was Mother's Day, a day I'm sure Debra Culberson will never forget. She was greeted with strangers passing on the road giving her well wishes and flowers, telling her that they hoped this would finally be it and that Carrie was finally about to be found. Sadly, that is not what happened.
The search would end and several items were found buried at 15 feet beneath the dirt and rubble that were identified as belonging to Carrie Culberson. If my memory serves me correctly, the items recovered were a t-shirt, sock, panties?, and some garbage bags. The clothing was identified by Carrie's family, as being Carrie's. When the items were found that belonged to Carrie, we were all baffled to say the least. The garbage bags were not suprising because of what we'd already heard from the testimony of Lori Baker back in 1997 of seeing Tracey and Vincent leave the house on Supringer Street in the early morning hours with seven garbage bags to take care of the mess in relation to Carrie's disappearance/murder. While I wasn't so concerned with the garbage bags, I wanted to know - "where's Carrie?"
I never believed that Michael Fogot or Jarrod Messer had murdered Carrie Culberson. However, I believe there's some knowledge of how and why that material was placed under that barn. Vincent Doan or another member of his family is aquainted with Messer in some form. I Maybe not best friends, but in some form. How else did that stuff turn up underneath that barn, because we know factually Carrie Culberson did not know these people - at all - AND it was ON Messer's property!

We left this search with nothing and had to go on about everday life still wondering when and if Carrie would ever be found. Two more years would pass and then the 10 year anniversary would pass without Carrie's body being recovered.

Less than a week after the anniversary of Carrie's 10th disappearance anniversary, a lawsuit was filed against Brown County by Jeanette Spangler and her son, Jerrod Messer, owners of the property on Fayetteville-Blanchester Road where the excavation took place back in May 2004. The lawsuit states that the dig destroyed their property.

I took a look from the road while we were up back in late August and the barn appeared to be caving in from the top. It looked like it had been gone over with a fine tooth comb and destroyed while doing so. Perhaps Brown County should have put the barn back together or something after completing the search for Carrie? I really have no opinion either way on this. I am just ready for Carrie to be found. I know that somebody knows where her remains are and I find it utterly ridiculous and evil that somebody could withhold that.

This story never ends and it never dies down. If you really cut to the core of it. All we really need is for Carrie's body to be returned to her family. The searchers who have taken on this daunting task of trying to find her have been called everything in the book for taking a stand. I'm now being told I'm the female version of John Mark Karr. LOL
I'll be Little Richard if I can bring Carrie home. Just give her back to us, ok? Please see the related article below.

Million dollar mess alleged in Brown County lawsuit
By CARRIE CARLSON Staff Writer
BLANCHESTER, Ohio -- A 2004 property search for the body of Clarissa Ann "Carrie" Culberson in Brown County has prompted the property owners to file a lawsuit naming several parties, including the Brown County sheriff, in the United States Southern District Court of Ohio.Jeanette Spangler and her son, Jerrod Messer, owners of the property on Fayetteville-Blanchester Road, where officials searched for Culberson's body, are suing the Brown County and Clermont County sheriffs, in their official and individual capacities, for executing a search which "led to excessive personal and real property destruction in damages."Spangler and Messer are seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $1 million.Carrie Culberson was 22 years old when she disappeared in 1996, and her body has yet to be located. However, a jury convicted her boyfriend, Vincent Doan, in 1997 of kidnapping and murdering Culberson.The lawsuit names not only the sheriffs, but names Brown County and Clermont County commissioners, as the political and corporate bodies that govern the departments. The suit also names the Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association, an insurance agency.Spangler and Messer claim the search "exceeded the scope of the warrant by digging in an area much larger in geometry than the scope of the warrant allowed."
The complaint also alleges the search was executed with "recklessness and malice," that led to damages in excess of $75,000.Spangler and Messer said many damages occurred during the search including "destruction of a barn, fence and other structures, as well as significant loss of personal property including loss of tools, destruction or damage to a number of automobiles and numerous household items."In addition to the destruction, the suit claims officials destroyed the septic system, making the property uninhabitable, which caused occupants to vacate the land. The vacancy also prompted property vandalism, according to the action. Due to all the damage, the Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association canceled the insurance policy, and never paid the plaintiffs for damages, covered under the terms of the policy, the suit contends.In a statement issued Thursday, Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger said he stands by his decision that had his deputies excavate the property, with a search warrant that was received by Clermont County Sheriff's Office.Wenninger went on to explain that information obtained by his investigators, the Clermont County Sheriff's investigators, FBI officials and other agencies led the parties to continue the search.Wenninger said he and others who participate in public professions, will always be subject to scrutiny, but "we must still do the job that we are entrusted to do by the public."
Wenninger said he is convinced that he, and other officials, "did that job" and believes the search warrant on the Spangler-Messer property led to more leads and information concerning the Culberson case.