09-18-2007, 05:27 PM
Article published Sep 18, 2007
Officials clear Coralrose's mother
NORTH PORT -- Police investigating the death of Coralrose Fullwood said Monday that her mother and siblings have been cleared as suspects in the 6-year-old's rape and murder.
But they did nothing to dispel suspicion of Coralrose's father, Dale Fullwood, who is serving a one-year jail sentence for possessing child pornography.
And they announced that the North Fort Myers bar where Fullwood once worked, and the people who frequented it, are part of the investigation.
Marking the one-year anniversary of the death of Coralrose Fullwood, North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis held a press conference to announce the case has not gone cold, though no arrests have been made.
Lewis said that the department will rent two billboards, one in North Port and one in North Fort Myers near the Motorsports Cafe where Dale Fullwood once worked as a bartender.
The billboards have pictures of Coralrose and the question: "Who Murdered This Child?"
The Motorsports Cafe is now closed but Lewis said investigators would like to speak to regular patrons.
Lewis would not comment on whether he believes Fullwood was involved in the crime.
"We have never cleared Mr. Fullwood or named Mr. Fullwood as a suspect and I'd like to leave it at that," Lewis said. "It's a game I'm not going to get into playing."
Coralrose's mother, Ellen-Beth Fullwood, was present at the press briefing, but hung back behind Lewis.
Fullwood said she thinks the billboards are a good idea: "Anything that's going to generate leads that might lead to an arrest and conviction, I am absolutely behind."
She said she had known for months she had been cleared.
"I don't think that most people seriously ever thought I was involved in any way. If they did, then they were definitely wrong."
Coralrose Fullwood was last seen by her father when he arrived home from work about 2 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2006. Family members noticed she was missing about 7 a.m., when they awoke to celebrate the birthday of her sister.
She was found by a neighbor about noon, wrapped in a comforter at a vacant lot a few blocks from home.
Detectives asked Dale Fullwood later that day if he had any child pornography and he said yes.
A month after his daughter was killed, Fullwood was arrested for possessing two pornographic videos, which depicted a girl under the age of 12 being raped.
Chief Lewis said at the time that the two cases were unrelated and that no one should jump to conclusions.
In July, Fullwood pleaded no contest to a felony charge of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of sexual offender probation.
And the investigation has continued. So far, investigators have interviewed 1,000 people, including 15 last week, and have received more than 500 leads in the case, Lewis said.
Officials clear Coralrose's mother
NORTH PORT -- Police investigating the death of Coralrose Fullwood said Monday that her mother and siblings have been cleared as suspects in the 6-year-old's rape and murder.
But they did nothing to dispel suspicion of Coralrose's father, Dale Fullwood, who is serving a one-year jail sentence for possessing child pornography.
And they announced that the North Fort Myers bar where Fullwood once worked, and the people who frequented it, are part of the investigation.
Marking the one-year anniversary of the death of Coralrose Fullwood, North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis held a press conference to announce the case has not gone cold, though no arrests have been made.
Lewis said that the department will rent two billboards, one in North Port and one in North Fort Myers near the Motorsports Cafe where Dale Fullwood once worked as a bartender.
The billboards have pictures of Coralrose and the question: "Who Murdered This Child?"
The Motorsports Cafe is now closed but Lewis said investigators would like to speak to regular patrons.
Lewis would not comment on whether he believes Fullwood was involved in the crime.
"We have never cleared Mr. Fullwood or named Mr. Fullwood as a suspect and I'd like to leave it at that," Lewis said. "It's a game I'm not going to get into playing."
Coralrose's mother, Ellen-Beth Fullwood, was present at the press briefing, but hung back behind Lewis.
Fullwood said she thinks the billboards are a good idea: "Anything that's going to generate leads that might lead to an arrest and conviction, I am absolutely behind."
She said she had known for months she had been cleared.
"I don't think that most people seriously ever thought I was involved in any way. If they did, then they were definitely wrong."
Coralrose Fullwood was last seen by her father when he arrived home from work about 2 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2006. Family members noticed she was missing about 7 a.m., when they awoke to celebrate the birthday of her sister.
She was found by a neighbor about noon, wrapped in a comforter at a vacant lot a few blocks from home.
Detectives asked Dale Fullwood later that day if he had any child pornography and he said yes.
A month after his daughter was killed, Fullwood was arrested for possessing two pornographic videos, which depicted a girl under the age of 12 being raped.
Chief Lewis said at the time that the two cases were unrelated and that no one should jump to conclusions.
In July, Fullwood pleaded no contest to a felony charge of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of sexual offender probation.
And the investigation has continued. So far, investigators have interviewed 1,000 people, including 15 last week, and have received more than 500 leads in the case, Lewis said.