Amber Garrett

In the 1990's (I do not remember the exact year), I spent a certain amount of hours per week in the church office on Hill Street in Harrison, Ohio. 

On many of those days I would notice the children walking to and from school.  When my office door was open with only the storm door shut, some of the children would pass by and wave at me.  Sometimes I would go out and talk with them for a few minutes.

I got to know a few of their names.  One in particular I remember was Amber Garrett, who was either 10 or 11 years old.  Many days she would go by and make a special effort to say hello or to wave at me when I was in the office.

One day I heard some tragic news.  Amber had been kidnapped, and no one knew where she was.  This was very sad news for the entire town of Harrison. 

Not long afterward, the police found her body over a bank along Jamison Road going toward Bright, Indiana.  Oh, what a tragedy!  Different people were accused of kidnapping and murdering this little girl before the killer was finally put in prison.

The Amber Alert was named after a girl in Texas named Amber Hagerman. Later Ohio adopted the Amber Alert system, and many relate the Ohio system to Amber Garrett right here in Harrison, Ohio. This alert has saved many lives and has helped to find many offenders.  Though overused many times, it is still a great help, and I will never forget the little girl after which this alert was named.

-Thanks to Bro. Jerry Locke,
for giving the other Amber's name.