A visitor

A new face appeared in the courtroom Monday. Jessica's biological mother, Angela Bryant, sat behind Archie and Ruth Lunsford.

Bryant and Mark Lunsford split a year after Jessica's birth, and Mark got custody of the infant.

Jessica's mother was not a presence in her life, and when the nine-year-old went missing, it took authorities a couple days to locate Bryant. When they found her in Ohio, they determined she was not involved in her daughter's disappearance.

In death, Jessica's mom has turned up.

(Pool photo of Bryant; click to enlarge.)

-- Elena Lesley

Comments

[Ron]

I think Mark Lunsford should shoulder some the the responsibility for his daughter`s death. It is the parents responsibility to provide a SAFE living environment for their children. It is very obvious he did not. This is something he will have to live with.Now Mark Lunsford is all Gung Ho on sex offenders but where was he when his daughter needed him.

[deborah]

if mark had been home, he probably would'nt have heard this deviant break into the home as the grand parents did not. the preditor claims the door was unlocked. he is a lier,kidnapper,
preditor,and murdurer. jessie has a pretty mom,and she looks like her and her dad. my thoughts and prayer are with you both.jessie is in gods hands.
Deborah march 8, 2007

[chuck sanford]

get off the family and wonder how the sheriff dept surrounded that area and kept it roped off while this scumbag carried Jess outside and buried her
how could they not have noticed this

[Leigh M.]

We can't blame none of Jessie's parents about what had happened to her, Because it can happen to anybody's child. But what did happen to that innocent little girl was a great tragedy and i happen to be a mother myself & i don't know what i would do if that was my child...But today 3-7-07 is Jessie's day cause they finally found that sorry S.O.B.GUILTY!!!Justice has prevailed...

[mayan_moons]

People like Pegy make me sick, does she blame Jessica too? Its all to easy to spew meanness at Mark on the internet but i'm sure she'd never have the gall to say such things to him or anyone in his family's presence.

To the rest of you...thank you.

[MLS]

I THINK IT IS WRONG TO JUDGE JESSICA'S PARENT'S I'M SURE THEY BOTH HAVE MANY REGRETS.I'M SURE THEY WISH THEY COULD TURN BACK TIME.WHO WOULD OF EVER THOUGHT SOMETHING THIS HORRIBLE WOULD HAPPEN.WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. MLS

[Sandi]

Peggy - how do you get off judging Mark Lunsford's behavior on the night that Jessica was taken - for crying out loud - people are allowed to have a life and how much safer could she have been than with her grandparents - I get the impression that something very unpleasant in your life has made you a very unhappy person. I'm sorry for you.

[peggy]

And the only thing the father had going for him? His parents, whom he lived with, were taking care of the child for him.
Sometimes, money weighs into custody. But the Father slept over at someone else's house and didnt come home til the day after his daughter was drug out of the house and raped.
So as the mother sits here, she might be thinking the child would be alive if the child was with her. Sometime in the future, when he isnt making money off security parole bracelet companies and doing Crist fundraising, it will be a lonely time for the father. A locked door and Dad at home might have helped keep her alive...

[Heidi]

I'd say that stating Jessica's mom "has turned up [for the trial]" is very coldly stated. We have no way of knowing the circumstances of Angela Bryant and Mark Lunsford's lives, other than their shared tradegy. Even if Ms. Bryant "was not a presence" in Jessica's life doesn't mean that she is not suffering in her awful death.

[Kathleen]

Nicely stated. You write well.