With no mainstream media headlines, yet gaining strength on the internet is the horrifying story of an 18-year old New Jersey girl named Phylicia Moore. You won't see her story on Greta van Susteren, Nancy Grace, or the myriad of other mass media pundits on the cable news.
Why?
Some say it's because Phylicia was a black girl and deemed not "newsworthy". The infamous term "Missing White Woman Syndrome" keeping popping up as debate. Some say it's because she isn't missing person and therefore the case is not active. Some with no heart at all say it is just irrelevant to the news and to them.
FACE IT. IT IS NEWS.
A beautiful young woman with a with promising future was stymied in the prime of her life while doing good deeds. Her mother, Lola Moore said, "She was stolen from us. That's the way we feel, like she was stolen from us."
I don't see this story in color. I see the story as a probable murder and an immediate and incompetent police investigation. I see the story as a family torn apart as their daughter graduates and heads to Ghana on a goodwill tour with her school to help children with AIDS yet never to return. I see the story as a mystery as Phylicia leaves the pool area of her hotel at 10:30 p.m., apparently heading for her room only to be found 11 hours later face down in the pool with her clothes on, her swimsuit underneath and no shoes. Did she ever make it to her room?
The Moore family has so many questions that have not been answered. The Ghanaian officials never formally interviewed her fellow students or chaperones before the group continued on with their tour. Moore's father stated, "I feel it's important that in order to solve this, everybody should be interviewed, not just a few people...that goes for the people connected to the hotel, any visitors, all the students and chaperones. Then they will most likely get a handle on what happened to my daughter. But to just let it go for a month like this, that's no good."
Let's remember its been almost TWO MONTHS now.
The Police found no evidence of foul play; however, the medical examiners never completed a toxicology test. The Moore family had an independent autopsy done in the United States which found that Phylicia was not in the water for very long before she was found. Evidently there are two different scenarios and stories going on...and they don't jive.
Bring in the FBI!
But wait! Under international law, the FBI can't formally get involved until it receives an "ok" from the Ghanaian government.The family and the FBI never got that "ok" until NOW. With the help of New Jersey Representative Steve Rothman, the U.S. ambassador to Ghana told the Moore family that an FBI legal attache assigned to Lagos, Nigeria will travel to Ghana this week to work with the task force formed by the Ghanaian government to solve this mystery.
Is ANYONE safe traveling outside the United States anymore? Will the Moore family receive the answers they deserve or will they be tossed aside like other Americans murdered abroad?
Only time will tell...Is Phylicia Moore's death important? Maybe not to some, but A LOT to many, many others. She deserves justice so her family can be at peace and so she may REST IN PEACE.
7 comments:
Michelle, I live in New Jersey, so I did hear about this young girl, but, as you stated, it was very briefly covered,even locally. Why? This I cannot tell you, nor can I, for the life of me understand why the class trip continued on it's tour. If my child had been on this trip, I would have demanded that she/he return home IMMEDIATELY!!! Who is to say the perp was not a classmate or chaperone? Besides, what kind of emotional state were these young people in? Were they able to enjoy the rest of their tour? In my mind they were in dire need of parental and professional emotional support, certainly not a continuance of their trip!
Where was Nancy Grace et al.? That I can tell you! Chasing after far more sensational "news", such as the trial of Phil Spector, and of course the "Big Story" of Paris Hilton. The so-called, self-ordained, racist "Reverand" Al Sharpton, is so busy making sure he stirs the "racial trouble pot" he doesn't have the time nor interest in this young African-American woman to care about her!!! He is too busy voicing his outrage about Paris, and making sure she serves her jail sentence for driving w/o a license, (so soon after being left with egg on his face after persecuting Duke Lacrosse Team members, not to mention the fool he made of himself in the Tiwana Brawley case).
Instead of this "so-called" man of God and champion of his people doing something productive for a change, he proves his one and only agenda is to continue to provoke racial animosity.
It is a shame that this case has not gotten the media coverage it so justly deserves and THIS is when the outrage from the Black community leaders should step up to the plate. And before they scream the "race card" just bring it to the media's attention and like Beth, demand coverage!! Many Americans have disappeared or been murdered while on vacation and did not get the media coverage that Natalee did. We all know the reason for that....Beth. The family of George Smith followed Beth's example, so he got a good amount of coverage. I think his wife or "bride" or whatever, messed that up, who knows?
I've rambled on far longer than intended, so I'll just end with MO that when a crime like this goes uncovered by the media, it is up to individuals, like you do, to step up to the plate. Don't be offended, but I do believe, that in this case, Mr. Sharpton, who seems to have more media clout than you, could be more effective! Look at his track record!!
I agree with your point about the school trip CONTINUING after Phylicia died! There is NO WAY if I were on that trip I would want to keep going after my friend dies! Especially since it was mysterious and obviously NOT an accident. I would demand to go home.
I think that shows the kind of people that brought these children on that trip. A trip for a GOOD WILL mission? One of your own is killed, yet continue on your "noble" journey?
I don't know where people's heads are. Maybe someone from the class or one of the chaperones knows something...maybe that is why they continued on without her and didn't stay and demand answers?
It's all fishy to me. I hope that more answers come of this. If not, it is people like US that will keep it alive!
The case of Miss Moore gets fishier and fishier!
Florida Authorities and FBI are "beefing" up the investigation of Miss Henry, the John Jay Graduate, who disappeared during her Florida vacation.
Than God for "some" favors......but the mystery of the "death" of Miss Moore, still remains quiet. Why?
hello,
i have been trying to follow this case but as you know info is scarce. its outrageous. are there any news updates? or are they not doing anything to find out what happened to this poor young woman?
also, where in accra did this happen? what hotel? i am somewhat familiar with the area.
thank you.
Yes, all follow up information is scarce. I cannot find anything. I am thinking of contacting the family because I'm sure they aren't getting any media coverage.
The name of the hotel is "First Choice Hotel" in Ghana.
the trip continued because they were not there on a vacation, THREAD was in ghana on a mission, they were there helping people, helping children, making a difference. they went for the same reason Phylicia did, and they finished what they started. god bless them for their stregnth and complete self-lessness. how dare you question that, you obviously know nothing about why they were there in the first place. and to suggest that it was a classmate or a chaperone is absolutely absurd. how dare you make such accusations, i find this extremely disrepectful.
I know it's been a long time since this happened.. I'm not from the US aand I just got here. I was walking with my cousing near Teaneck High School today (because I find that HS so beautiful) and my cousin decided to show me a little plate they did in memory of phylicia and another girl (My cousin was a great friend of Phylicia and was also her classmate) She told me the phylicia stoty and I found it incredibly interesting so I began to research, that's how I found this blog. I was just reading and I saw how you guys said that They continued their trip even after Phylicia was found dead; I wanted to clarify that they DID NOT continue the trip, it was supposed to be a one-week trip which ended in three days.
Just saying :) by the way, my name in Emily Santana (17) and I will be attending to Teaneck High School this year as a Senior.
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