JESSICA (Jessie) EDITH LOUISE FOSTER, international endangered missing woman and victim of human trafficking BY Jessie's mom, Glendene Grant . . . part 4

[Jessie's Mom Glendene]

. . . CONTINUED FROM PART 3

5th - CITY MOM TO GIVE INPUT ON HUMAN-TRAFFICKING BILL

April 22, 2010 by Jeremy Deutsch, Kamloops This Week 

The mother of a missing Kamloops woman is getting a chance to take her fight against human trafficking to the hallowed halls of Parliament. 

Glendene Grant is thrilled to have been asked by a Conservative Manitoba MP to possibly attend committee meetings in Ottawa for Bill C-268 — a private member's bill that would set mandatory minimum sentences for anyone convicted of human trafficking. 

Grant's daughter, Jessie Foster, went missing after moving to Las Vegas with a boyfriend in the spring of 2006. 

Grant believes her daughter has been taken into the world of human trafficking. 

"All I'm thinking is more people are going to hear about Jessie," Grant said. "I didn't think about anything else. 

"It wasn't until later the mother of four realized she might help change laws. 

"I have a hard time wrapping my brain around all that," she said. 

Grant admits she doesn't know much about politics, but she hopes her presence at the committee meetings and her heartbreaking story will help educate politicians on the issue of human trafficking. 

"Laws need to be changed," she said. 

Grant suggested all the education and effort will go to waste if there isn't anything done to protect victims who have the misfortune of getting caught up in human trafficking. 

She believes the bill, which is currently in front of the Senate, will be a good start. 

The bill seeks to set mandatory minimum sentences of five years for anyone caught trafficking persons under the age of 18. 

Grant was invited to Ottawa by Kildonan-St. Paul MP Joyce Smith. 

The two met at the Walk With Me ceremony in Toronto earlier this month. 

Organizers of the event named an award after Grant and Foster in recognition of the work Grant has done to bring attention to the issue of human trafficking. 

The Jessie and Glendene Award honours police officers, social workers and media for their work with human trafficking and victims of the crime. 

Grant has also been inspired to start her own non-profit organization, tentatively called MATH (Mothers Against Trafficking Humans), that will further her efforts to thwart modern-day slavery.

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6th - VALLEYVIEW STUDENTS GET 'REALITY CHECK' ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

June 15, 2010 by Jeremy Deutsch, Kamloops This Week 

Their eyes are fixated on the video screen a few feet away. 

The teens are told about human slavery and how it's being carried out in foreign lands. 

The students are reminded they can call organizations like Crime Stoppers if they see it — or if they get caught up in it themselves. 

A group of Grade 11 social studies students at Valleyview secondary are getting an education on the growing problem of human trafficking. But the 45-minute presentation doesn't really hit home until Glendene Grant steps to the front of the class. 

She introduces herself as the mother of Jessie Foster, the Kamloops resident who has been missing for more than four years in one of the most well-known cases of suspected human trafficking. 

Grant sets up a video montage that tells Jessie's story, set to photos of the beautiful girl. 

Many of the pictures were taken when Jessie was the same age as the teens sitting at their desks.

It's all a little too much for Avelyn Hall. 

"It makes it so much more real," the 17-year-old student said, with tears in her eyes. 

Avelyn has seen the posters of Foster while riding on Greyhound buses over the years and never thought she'd meet the missing woman's mom. 

"I could see the pain," she said. 

Though Avelyn doesn't believe she could become a victim herself of human trafficking, she said some of her peers may find their way into more trouble. 

She said many of her fellow students just don't have respect for themselves — and Grant's story could help open their eyes. 

Grant, Mark Price from the Kamloops and District Crime Stoppers Society and Deb Noel from the Catholic Women's League, are making presentations at local high schools. 

The trio touches on two aspects of modern-day slavery — trafficking into the sex trade and slave labour in the global trade market. 

Valleyview was the second presentation for the group. 

Braden McCarthy, another Grade 11 student, called the presentation "really disturbing. 

"He didn't realize to what extent the problem of human trafficking had grown. 

Braden noted students in his class were moved to tears from the presentation. 

It's exactly the reaction Grant was hoping to get. 

"I can see them and feel their eyes on the videos," she said. 

"In a way, it's a good reality check. 

"While it may be hard to keep a teen's attention for a long period of time, Grant is sure thekids are taking something from her story. 

The mother of four said she's been inundated with calls from throughout the school district,the province and country from educators inquiring about the presentation. 

Grant said the group will continue to do as many presentations as they can, adding she's working on a way to offer the lecture online.

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7th - OTTAWA HELPS FIGHT TRAFFICKING

September 9, 2010 by Jeremy Deutsch, Kamloops This Week 

For several months now, the local Crime Stoppers chapter has been quietly spreading the word about human trafficking to Kamloops high school students. 

That effort is about to blow up in a big way, as the national organization is set to partner with the federal government to introduce the Blue Blindfold campaign in Canada. 

Originally launched in the U.K., the campaign goal is to raise awareness of human trafficking by establishing a symbol that is internationally recognized. 

For the Kamloops woman who has spent hours in classrooms around the city telling her story about her daughter Jessie Foster, who vanished in Las Vegas, word the human-trafficking campaign was going nationwide was met with praise. 

"We all have to be aware of it before we can stop it," said Glendene Grant. 

Foster went missing in 2006 in one of the most well-known cases of suspected human trafficking. 

Beside bringing attention to the issue, the federal government, along with the RCMP's Human Trafficking National Co-ordination Centre, will provide material and support to Crime Stoppers and its tip line. 

The idea is to educate Canadians on human trafficking so that, if they spot it, they can call the organization. 

Grant said it only makes sense the government would take part in a wider campaign. 

She suggested people are still surprised to hear modern slavery exists in Canada, noting it's time to take the "shock factor" out of the issue. 

"It's a little harder for it to happen in Kamloops, but it doesn't mean it doesn't," Grant said. "It also doesn't mean some other form isn't happening. 

"The mother of four believes attention brought to the issue will ultimately result in fewercases of human trafficking in the country. 

Earlier this spring, Grant teamed up with Kamloops and District Crime Stoppers Society and the Catholic Women's League to offer a 45-minute presentation at local high schools that touches on two aspects of modern-day slavery — trafficking into the sex trade and slave labour in the global trade market. 

It was the only one of its kind in the country. 

Though much of the attention around the new campaign has focused on international human smuggling, in light of the recent arrival of a boat filled with migrants from Sri Lanka off the coast of B.C., Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Conservative MP Cathy McLeod said it's equally important to put the focus inside Canada's borders. 

 
She said there are plenty of stories of young girls being lured from small towns across the country to bigger centres. 

"It's an issue gaining more attention right now," she said. 

McLeod said she believes people generally would like to help prevent such "horrific crimes" and that the Crime Stoppers campaign is going to be a benefit to the cycle of prevention and support for those caught up in human trafficking.

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6 - M.A.T.H. MOTHERS AGAINST TRAFFICKING HUMANS

I have been thinking an organization that I want to start 

Human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world and it has touched me personally . . . my daughter Jessie Foster is a trafficking victim. 

Now, keep in mind I have no idea how to start an organization, so I am hoping that with all the connections I have made in the past 5 years, someone will be able to advise me somewhat. If you have a suggestion - please do not hesitate to contact me with it. Thank you all, Glendene. 

I have come up with a name: 

M.A.T.H. (Mothers Against Trafficking Humans) Do the M.A.T.H.! 2.5 million people are trafficked yearly around the world* PLUS a global annual market of about $42.5 billion** EQUALS who is getting rich?

*The United Nations estimates 2.5 million people from 127 different countries are being trafficked around the world annually. **The Council of Europe states there is a global annual market of about $42.5 billion.

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7 - BOOKS COMING OUT or ALREADY OUT WITH JESSIE's CASE MENTIONED

TO ALL MY FRIENDS & JESSIE FOSTER SUPPORTERS, please consider buying these three new books. My daughter Jessie Foster's human trafficking case is mentioned in them.

One is called "Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking", written by Benjamin Perrin, one of Canada's leading experts on human trafficking. 

http://www.law.ubc.ca/faculty/Perrin/web/index.html

And one is written by the victim of human trafficking, who is now very much a survivor,Timea Eva Nagy, called "Walk With Me, Memoirs of a Sex Slave Survivor". 

http://www.wix.com/timea77/Walk-with-me

Timea Nagy is the founder of a human trafficking organization called "Walk-With-Me", and on April 15, 2010 she held the First Annual 'Glendene & Jessie Foster Award' Ceremony in Toronto. I was very honoured to have been invited and thanks to many people in Kamloops I was able to attend. 

http://project417.com/walk_with_me

And the other one is written by a former reporter for the Las Vegas CityLife newspaper (now a freelance reporter and author of another book called Beneath the Neon), Matthew O'Brien, who has written several articles about Jessie's case and has now written his second book called My Week at the Blue Angel: and Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas. 

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Another book that is slated to come out with Jessie's case in them: 

 Written by forensic artist Diana Trepkov, it is called FACELESS, VOICELESS, From Search to Closure. She is writing a book of her work and Jessie is a big part of it. Diana has taken Jessie's case to heart.

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Book already out:

There is already a book out, written by Canadian author Lisa Wojna called MISSING! The Disappeared, Lost or Abducted in Canada. It came out in August 2007. Jessie's case is told in Chapter 6: Las Vegas bound – Follow Your Daughter Home.

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8 - ADDITIONAL INFO ON MEDIA, ETC 

Something that Detective Molnar told me when Jessie first went missing was that there would not be any media outlets interested in Jessie's case enough to do a story on it. I was appalled he said this to me, her mother, during the worst time of my life and the time I would have thought the detective on the case would be trying, if nothing else, to at least tell me of the 'possibilities', no matter how slight, rather than the negative - because in my humble opinion, WHO IS HE TO ATTEMPT TO FORESEE THE FUTURE!

I will try to mention the media who WAS interested in Jessie's case since she went missing on or about March 29, 2006 and was reported missing by me on April 9, 2009 (there is a whole other story about what Peter Todd told me when I told him to report Jessie missing in Las Vegas . . . see below. Trust me, there is so much information I can give you on Jessie's case you will be dumbfounded, I am sure). 

1. April 21, 2006: The Las Vegas Sun did its first of 3 newspaper articles on Jessie's case. (LV CityLife, the LV Review/Journal, LV Tribune newspapers and more have ALL done stories on Jessie's case, as have some of the local Las Vegas TV stations).

2. April 24, 2006: The Geraldo at Large Show producers and camera crew came to my home in Kamloops, BC to film an episode on Jessie.

3. October 11, 2006: The Maury Povich Show did a missing person's episode and put up Jessie's poster with her picture, missing information and contact info - shown again in reruns.

4. May 24, 2007: The Montel Williams Show flew me to their studio in New York City for an episode on human trafficking, which, of course, included Jessie's case - shown again in reruns.

5. August 2007: The National Enquirer full page story about Jessie's disappearance.

6. August 2007: MISSING! The Disappeared, Lost or Abducted in Canada BY Lisa Wojna was the first book out with Jessie's case (but certainly was not the last).

7. July 8, 2008: The Montel Williams Show did an update on Jessie's case for his last year of shows (this was not one of the reruns that where shown).

8. November 15, 2008: America's Most Wanted did a show about Jessie and 3 other missing women from Las Vegas.

9. August 2009: E! Entertainment's documentary called Young, Beautiful & Vanished -and shown over and over in reruns.

10. December 19, 2009: America's Most Wanted did an update show on the 4 women missing from Las Vegas (this is not one of the reruns of the first show).

11. There have been DOZENS if not HUNDREDS of TV news broadcasts; documentaries; newspaper articles; magazine articles; website/blog/forum articles; radio interviews; internet radio interviews; online articles on Jessie's case since she went missing. YOU NAME IT, AND JESSIE'S CASE HAS BEEN TOLD ON/IN IT!

Detective Molnar, YOU WERE AS WRONG AS YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN YOUR CAREER. THE WORLD IS INTERESTED IN MY DAUGHTER'S CASE - THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENED TO JESSIE FOSTER? 

 

12. There have been THOUSANDS of Jessie supporters around the world who are helping (online research; sharing Jessie's info and praying for answers) - here are some stats:

• Website = 131,238 page views

• NowPublic = 122,484 page views

• Facebook (MissingJessie Foster) = 4,874 (contacts)

• Facebook (Glendene Grant) = 4,113 (contacts)

• Facebook BIRTHDAY FOR JESSIE = 2,368 Attending

• JESSIE AWARENESS EVENT = 1,281 Attending

• Facebook www.jessiefoster.ca Cause = 3,942 Members

• Facebook HELP FIND JESSIE FOSTER Cause = 3,290 Members

• Facebook M.A.T.H. Cause = 4,930 Members

• Facebook M.A.T.H. Group = 3,499 Members

• HELP FIND JESSIE FOSTER AND ALL MISSING PERSON Group = 3,067 Members

• HELP BRING JESSIE FOSTER HOME! Group = 1,065 Members

• FIND JESSIE Group = 771 Members

• BRING JESSIE HOME = 2,119 Members

• QUIT DISABLING THE MISSING JESSIE FOSTER ACCOUNTS!!! Group = 1,046 Members

• SEARCH FOR MISSING JESSIE FOSTER Group = 879 Members

• PLEASE HELP US TO FIND MISSING JESSIE FOSTER Group = 588 Members

• PLEASE DONATE $1 AND HELP BRING JESSIE HOME Group = 411 Members

• 46 YouTube VIDEOS = 16,164 Views (81 Subscribers to my channel)

• 35 OneTrue Media VIDEOS = 1,363 Views

• MySpace = 19,765 page views (with 3,207 contacts)

• Missing Jessie Blog = 47,172 page views (1,235 Jessie Blog + 679 Jessie News Articles Blog + 514 Newsletter Blog = 1,522 total Network blog followers - my 3 blogs are the top 3 human trafficking blogs with Network blog followers)

• Email contacts = 1,379

• SO, to add up each one of these clicks of a mouse to sign up or follow, we get a total of: 365,201

NOTE: this total was on February 23, 2011.  

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The following are some of the Las Vegas news articles & reports about Jessie's case and human trafficking 

Here are 3 articles from the Las Vegas Sun & a comment on a human trafficking article:

• 1st article in Las Vegas Sun by Tom Gorman: Tom Gorman on when parents learn their missing daughter was a Vegas call girl (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2006/apr/21/tom-gorman-onwhen-paren...) April 21, 2006

• 2nd article in Las Vegas Sun by Abigail Goldman: Mutual misery when daughters go missing (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2006/sep/24/mutual-misery-when-daug...) September 26, 2006

• 3rd article in Las Vegas Sun by Tiffany Brown: A moment captured - A mother's anguish(http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2006/oct/22/a-moment-captured/) October 22, 2006

• 4th article in Las Vegas Sun by Timothy Pratt: Problem once thought dire hasn't been confirmed (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/dec/08/problem-once-thought-di...) September 8, 2008 (comment section)

Here is a very extensive Las Vegas CityLife article by Matthew O'Brien: 

• 1st article by Matt O'Brien: Searching for the Missing Jessie Foster (Matt also wrote 2 other articles on Jessie's disappearance and he has included her in his upcoming book he is writing) (http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2007/02/01/news/cover/iq_1...) February 1, 2007

Here are several articles from the Las Vegas Tribune by Perly Viasmensky: 

• 1st article by Perly Viasmensky: PLEASE HELP US TO FIND JESSIE FOSTER(http://www.lasvegastribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&vie...) March 12, 2010

• 2nd article by Perly Viasmensky: WHERE IS JESSIE?(http://www.lasvegastribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&vie...) March 15, 2010

• 3rd article printed with permission from the Vancouver Sun: Mother of possible sexring victim to speak to Parliament (http://www.lasvegastribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&vie...) May 4, 2010 by Tiffany Crawford

• 4th post in Perly Viasmensky's personal column: Great Minds Think Alike (scroll to end) May 19, 2010

• 5th article by Perly Viasmensky: Heriberto Nony Herrera Another Missing Person(http://www.lasvegastribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&vie...) September 11, 2010

• 6th post in Perly Viasmensky's personal column: Personal Note to Misha Boyd-Harris(http://www.lasvegastribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&vie...) September 15, 2010 

• The following was not posted in the paper but was sent to me by Perly Viasmensky: 

From: "Perly Viasmensky" [e-mail] 

Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 4:37 PM

To: "Glendene Grant" [e-mail] 

Subject: Jessie

My dear Glendene: This coming week 9-15-10, read my personal column under editorial. Jessie is also mentioned there. Now the following unedited letter is just for her. Dear Jessie: A day doesn't pass by that I don't think of you and pray that you are doing well. Today, you probably won't be able to read my note, but heck what do we know, maybe you have access to this note but won't be able to answer at this time. I just want to remind you that your mother is the most wonderful human being on earth and she loves you more than her own life. You are a very dear little girl, and we all love you very much. There are always many unknown reasons in life, for one of those reasons I firmly believe that we will hear from you when the time is right. You are very much loved, Jessie. I wonder if you ever knew that.

Perly 

Here are 2 articles from the Las Vegas Review- Journal by Lawrence Mower: 

• 1st story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal by Lawrence Mower: SIMILAR SLAYINGS:Prostitutes share tragic fate – Police theory: Truck driver possible killer 

 (http://www.lvrj.com/news/34451949.html)  November 14, 2008

• 2nd story in the Las Vegas Review- Journal by Lawrence Mower: Police ask: Are there others? 

 (http://www.lvrj.com/news/34511299.html) November 15, 2008 

Here are links to Americas Most Wanted & ABC Nightline that the LVRJ was referring to: 

• America's Most Wanted (http://www.amw.com/) episode: Is A Serial Killer Murdering LasVegas Prostitutes? (http://www.amw.com/features/feature_story_detail.cfm?id=3049) November 13, 2008 – Jessie's AMW link: JESSICA EDITH LOUISE FOSTER – Young Woman Disappears Under Strange Circumstances (http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/brief.cfm?id=60803) November 15, 2008 (there was a 2nd AMW show filmed and aired December 19, 2009, but there is just one link on their website) 

• ABC Nightline (http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/) documentary: HUNTING HUMANS ON THE HIGHWAY (http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7582591) May 14, 2009 – is also, along this idea of the Truck Driver / Highway / Serial Killer theory and it is where the 4 women, Jessie, Lindsay, Jodi & Misty's pictures are shown on the screen, (although ABC never contacted any of the women's families before airing this). However, when the other 3 women went missing, all of their belongings were still in their homes exactly as they left them – which makes sense if they were abducted by someone from outside their home. But when Jessie went missing, so did all her of her belongings, except her hairdryer &makeup and like I said, she would NEVER leave those items behind . . . not if she had a choice. 

Here is one from the Las Vegas NOW with Alyson McCarthy (though there were several):

• 1st story on Las Vegas NOW with Alyson McCarthy: On the news tonight in Las Vegas:Missing Las Vegas Prostitutes to be Profiled on National Television with Alyson McCarthy(http://jessiesnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/11/article-141-missing...) November 11, 2008 (this is no longer available on the LV NOW website, but I have a blog with my Jessie Articles). As you can see, there have been several people in the media who are very interested in Jessie's case and I thank them all for their articles. This list does not include the radio interviews or even all the newspaper and TV news clips, as some of them were never provided to me when they were posted and others are no longer available online. 

SOME OF MY SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES for MY MISSING DAUGHTER JESSIE FOSTER:

Facebook for MissingJessie Foster - http://www.facebook.com/MissingJessieFoster  

Facebook for Glendene Grant - http://www.facebook.com/glendenegrant  

NowPublic - http://my.nowpublic.com/jessiesmomglendene 

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/jessiesmomglendene 

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/JessiesMomGlendene 

Twitter - http://twitter.com/MissingJessie 

Jessie Blog - http://jessiefoster.blogspot.com/ 

Jessie News Articles Blog - http://jessiesnewsarticles.blogspot.com/ 

Jessie Newsletter Blog - http://whitepicketfencenewsletter.blogspot.com/ 

Check them out and if you are on the ones with friends/contacts list - send me a request.

Official Website for Missing Jessie Foster: http://www.jessiefoster.ca/ 

CONTINUED IN PART 5 . . .