Tina Porter remembers what her life was like before her two children were kidnapped by her husband.
"I am a very strong person, or I was until Sam and Lindsey were taken away from me," she said.
Porter is taking her experience of uncertainty, the unknown and loneliness of having her children taken away from her to other people. She signed the papers to establish the Sam and Lindsey Support Center, a non-profit organization, Thursday. It is at 1425 S. Noland Road in Independence.
Porter's children were never returned after a weekend visitation with their father Daniel Porter in June 2004. Sam was 7 and Lindsey was 8.
Daniel Porter is serving jail time for parental kidnapping. He refuses to say where the children might be.
Michael Hart, a family friend, reaches to consol Tina Porter at a press conference called
Thursday to announce the formation of Sam
and Lindsey Support Center, a non-profit
organization created primarily to locate and
return Sam and Lindsey Porter to their family.
Seated from left are Independence Detective
Greg Wilkinson, Tina Porter, Kent Desselle,
attorney; and Bil Wilcox, private investigator. | | Tina Porter said the idea of the center is first finding her children, but also providing support and assistance for people and families with missing children. Other goals are educating others about preventing children from becoming missing, giving financial assistance to those whose plight is within the center's efforts, improving communication between legal jurisdictions and making improvements to the Amber Alert system. An Amber Alert notifies the community through the media and other means about a missing child who may be in danger. "We expect this to be a national effort, not just local," Porter said about the center. "Everything's got to start out small." Tina Porter said this organization is different than the Missing Children's Network because of the support element. |
"You know it's been two years and eight months, and I thought I could do it by myself, and I can't do it by myself anymore. I have to have help," she said. "We need a support group for people like me so we can all talk and get through it."
Attorney Kent Desselle said the intent is not duplication.
"It is so important to provide not only the networking but the emotional support to the families," he said. "This organization is not intending to replace anybody."
It does intend to enhance law enforcement agencies, lobby state legislatures and get the message out about a missing child faster, Desselle said.
Independence Police Detective Gregg Wilkinson said police departments do not work within a vacuum. Successful investigations require community support.
"It's the community that solves those," he said. "So the focus point on this is, let's bring the kids home."
Tina Porter agreed.
"I'm going to use every resource that I have at my disposal," she said. "I want Sam and Lindsey home. I'm not going to stop."
Desselle said the center's intent is to continue working after Sam and Lindsey are found.
Donations can be made online www.samandlindsey.org or send a check to The Sam and Lindsey Support Center, c/o Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co., 4100 Little Blue Parkway, Independence, Mo. 64055.
