The Abduction & Murder of Heaven LaShae Ross
She vanished while walking to her bus stop just yards away from her home.
Heaven LaShae Ross was up early for school on the morning of Tuesday, August 19, 2003. The 11-year-old — who preferred to be called Shae — had recently started sixth grade at Collins-Riverside Middle School in her hometown of Northport, Alabama. Shae left the trailer she shared with her mother, stepfather, and older sister around 6:55 am to make the 50-yard walk to her bus stop. Shae said goodbye to her mother and stepfather, then rushed to catch up with her 13-year-old sister, who had left the house a couple of minutes earlier.
Shortly after Shae left for the bus stop, a storm started to roll in and it began to thunder. Shae’s stepfather, Kevin, knew that Shae had always hated thunder; he decided to intercept the girls at the bus stop and drive them to school so they wouldn’t have to wait outside in the rain. He went outside and took a few steps in the direction of the bus stop, which was located just outside the Willowbrook Trailer Park. He called out for Alex and Shae, but only Alex responded. There was no sign of Shae at all. Somehow, on the short walk from the trailer park to the bus stop, Shae had vanished.
Unsure what was going on, Kevin backtracked to the trailer and checked to make sure…