Thoughts on Brooke Bennett murder case

The story of a missing 12-year-old Vermont girl ended with the discovery of a shallow grave yesterday. The main suspect is her uncle. This story doesn't shock me, but more so enrages me as a parent of two young girls.

It's a very sad story and I feel for the parents of this young girl whose life was snatched away from them without regard. If I were in their position, I'd want to find the bastard and do a number of unspeakable things to him for days on end. Then I would let him heal, then start the process all over again.

Seriously though, I'm very tired of hearing stories like this. I don't blame the parents for what happened, but you have to know your kids so well that when things are not going well for them, you can sense it. What I mean by this is that you should be able to tell that your daughter is acting stranger, not communicating, etc. Unless everything was on the up and up during the courting process (disgusts me to say that), the parents should have had some indication that something was "off."

If the uncle is the killer...what a scumbag. How can you do that to a young innocent girl, never mind your niece!? It's unthinkable. It's horrendous. It's gut wrenching.

This is a loud reminder that parents need to be ingrained in their kids lives as much as possible. Trust no one when it comes to the safety of your kids. And yes, that means family too. I hate to say that, but if your gut is telling you something is "off" about Uncle Jimmy, then you MUST limit the interactions with that person with your kids OR you make sure you are in the same room, around them at all times, etc. I know we can't be at our kid's sides at all time, but kids are the most precious thing in life IMHO. Maybe my kids will think I'm overbearing, but their safety is my #1 priority, even above my own safety.

Don't get me wrong, I am in no way blaming the parents for what happened. They trusted this man (if he's guilty). After all, he's family. I just can't fathom that the signs that something was wrong weren't evident enough for the parents to intervene or just ask questions. Communication is key. Yea, my parents were a pain in the butt sometimes, but it was in my best interests for them to do so. I thank them for that everyday. I hope to have the same impact on my kids.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this young girl and hope justice prevails.