>>> JUST SHORT OF ONE YEAR AFTER JOANNE RINGER OF CLARKSBURG WENT
MISSING, FORENSIC ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT REMAINS RECENTLY
FOUND IN HATFIELD ARE THAT OF MS.
RINGER.
IN THE MONTHS FOLLOWING HER DISAPPEARANCE, HER DAUGHTER
SAVANAH AND FRIEND GINGER PLANTIER WERE AMONG THOSE WHO
TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE THEY CONSISTENTLY CAMPAIGNED TO
MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF THAT FACT THAT SHE WAS MISSING, AS WELL AS
TO RAISE AWARENESS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I SAT DOWN WITH BOTH GINGER AND SAVANAH TO DISCUSS JOANNE'S
CASE.
>> I WANTED IT TO BE OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THINGS
LIKE THIS CAN BE EASILY FORGOTTEN OR PUSHED TO THE SIDE,
AND NOT REALLY REALIZED BY THE PUBLIC AND BY NEWS AND SOCIAL
MEDIA.
EVERYONE IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS
IN OUR SOCIETY, I KNEW THEY'LL WAS GOING TO TRAVEL FAST, THE
WORD WAS GOING TO GET OUT THERE AND PEOPLE WOULD BE AWARE AND IT
WASN'T GOING TO BE EASILY FORGOTTEN.
>> AND THIS WAS AN OPEN HOMICIDE INDICATION FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
WERE THERE CHALLENGES FOR YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT WERE YOU THINKING
AND FEELING AS THE MONTHS MOVED ON?
>> WELL, IT WAS REALLY HARD.
YOU STILL HAVE THE HOPE THAT THEY'RE WRONG AND SHE'S GOING TO
COME HOME AND EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT.
BUT YOU HAVE THE REALIZATION THAT IT'S REALLY LIKE, IT IS
WHAT IT IS AND IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
YOU HAVE TO TRY AND WORK THROUGH THAT AND I DON'T THINK I'VE
COMPLETELY WORKED THROUGH IT YET.
>> I REALIZE IT'S BEEN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
GINGER, YOU AND MISS RINGER WERE FRIENDS.
WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
RECOGNIZE ABOUT WHO SHE WAS AS A PERSON?
>> SHE WAS A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT HER STRENGTH, LIKE SHE JUST, SHE WAS A TAKE NO PRISONERS KIND
OF GIRL.
SHE WORE HER HEART ON HER SLEEVE.
SHE ALWAYS TOLD IT LIKE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS KNEW WHAT
YOU WERE GOING TO GET, LIKE YOU KNEW YOU WERE GETTING THE
REAL -- >> SHE WASN'T GOING TO HOLD
BACK, SHE WAS GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT SHE WAS THINKING?
>> YES, THAT'S WHO SHE WAS, SHE WAS FUN AND ADVENTUROUS.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO BECAUSE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S
HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR, IT'S VERY EASY TO GET STUCK IN YOUR
OWN HEAD AND IN A PLACE THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST, AND
THAT'S NOT WHERE SHE WOULD WANT US.
WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REMIND OURSELVES OF THAT.
BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO TRY AND REMEMBER HER FOR WHAT
SHE WOULD WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR.
NOT FOR ALL OF THIS.
>> WHEN YOU SAY FUN, MOTORCYCLES WERE A BIG PART OF HER LIFE,
RIGHT?
>> YES, DEFINITELY.
>> WHAT WAS IT THAT SHE CONNECTED WITH ABOUT
MOTORCYCLES?
>> THAT THEY GO FAST.
>> AND SHE ALSO LIKED TO DRIVE, RIGHT?
SHE WASN'T GOING TO BE A PASSENGER NECESSARILY.
>> NEVER.
ALWAYS THE DRIVER, ALWAYS THE RIDER.
>> SHE SAID IF YOU COULD KEEP UP, SHE'S NEVER GOING TO --
>> ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'VE BOTH BEEN VOCAL ABOUT WAS THE
STRUGGLES WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT MISS RINGER HAD.
WHY WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE WANTED TO RAISE ATTENTION
AND CALL ATTENTION TO?
>> WELL, FOR ME, I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT ATTENTION IS BROUGHT TO IT IS BECAUSE ANYBODY WHO KNEW JO
WELL IS SHOCKED BY THE FACT THAT SHE COULD HAVE BECOME A VICTIM
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
>> SHE WAS SUCH A STRONG WILLED PERSON.
>> SHE DIDN'T TAKENYTHING FROM ANYONE.
>> AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THIS CAN
HAPPEN TO ANYBODY.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO KNOW THE SIGNS OF IT
AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT, AND HOW TO APPROACH THE MATTER
WITH A LOVED ONE WHO MAY BE THE VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
NONE OF US EVER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO HAVE TO HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION WITH JO, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S SO
IMPORTANT THAT IT'S OUT THERE THAT THERE IS AWARENESS, BECAUSE
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EXPECTED.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS EVER GOING TO
AFFECT THE PEOPLE THAT IT ENDS UP AFFECTING.
>> I KNOW THAT HINDSIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU LOOK AT WHEN
YOU GO THROUGH SOMETHING THAT'S TRAGIC, AND I'M VERY SORRY FOR
YOUR LOSS THAT BOTH OF YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH.
BUT I NOTICE ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IS WANTING
THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF SOME OF THOSE WARNING SIGNS.
ARE THERE SOME THAT YOU NOW THINK OF AS WARNING SIGNS THAT
YOU DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW AT THE TIME?
>> IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHEN, LIKE VICTIMS, THEY TEND TO COVER UP
AND BE REALLY HAPPY, AT LEAST PRETEND THAT THEY'RE REALLY
HAPPY, THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG, AND IT'S
PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY FEEL UNSAFE, AND THERE WERE SOME
THINGS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON IT, YOU KNOW, STAND OUT MORE
NOW.
LIKE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, THE WAY SOMEONE ACTS.
SHE WAS DEFINITELY MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN SHE EVER WAS.
>> YOU SAID ALSO THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT SHE WAS REACHING OUT
TO YOU ABOUT IN MAYBE THE WEEKS BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THOSE?
>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STANDS OUT IN MY MIND IS THAT,
AND I DON'T KNOW THIS TO BE AN OFFICIAL WAY TO RECOGNIZE, BUT I
CAN JUST TELL YOU FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS IS JO WAS
ALWAYS VERY, A HARD WORKER, LIKE MULTIPLE JOBS AT A TIME
SOMETIMES.
SHE DIDN'T HAVE A JOB.
AND THAT WAS A BIG THING THAT SHE WAS REACHING OUT TO ME
ABOUT.
SHE HATED, YOU KNOW, SHE FIND OF FELT LIKE SHE WAS AT THE MERCY
OF HER HUSBAND AT THAT TIME FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY
BECAUSE SHE WAS ALSO SECLUDED.
HE HAD MOVED HER 70 MILES AWAY FROM HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO A
PLACE THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE.
AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE A JOB UP THERE, SO SHE WAS FEELING VERY
ISOLATED, AND IT SHOWED IN HER INTERACTIONS AND IN HER
CONVERSATIONS THAT SHE WASN'T HAPPY.
EVEN JUST LIKE, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE LAST YEAR GOING
OVER HER SOCIAL MEDIA, WHAT REMAINS OF IT, BECAUSE A LOT OF
IT HE ASKED HER TO TAKE IT DOWN AND SHE DID, PRIOR TO HER
DISAPPEARANCE.
BUT WHAT REMAINS OF IT LOOKING AT IT, IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME
PERSON.
YOU CAN TELL, IT'S VERY CLEAR.
AND IT HAPPENS GRADUALLY OVER THE TIME THAT SHE MET CHAD UNTIL
THE DISAPPEARANCE.
BUT IF YOU GO FROM LIKE THE MONTH BEFORE SHE MET CHAD REEDY
UNTIL THE MONTH BEFORE SHE WENT MISSING, IT'S SUCH A STARK
DIFFERENCE, IT'S VERY DRASTIC AND THERE'S NO DENYING IT.
>> YOU'RE BOTH WEARING PURPLE T-SHIRTS.
PURPLE WAS YOUR MOM'S FAVORITE COLOR, AS YOU'VE EXPLAINED TO
ME.
AND THERE'S ALSO A HASH TAG THAT YOU'RE USING, HASH TAG JUSTICE
FOR JO.
WHAT IS JUSTICE DO YOU THINK FOR YOUR MOM?
>> SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PAY, UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S NOT GOING TO
GO TO PRISON OR PAY FOR THIS.
>> HE WAS THE PRIMARY SUSPECT IN THE MURDER CASE AND HE TOOK HIS
OWN LIFE.
>> YES.
>> SO WHEN YOU SAY JUSTICE FOR JO, IS IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T FEEL
LIKE THE INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN THOROUGH ENOUGH OR YOU THINK
THERE'S ANOTHER SUSPECT OR WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE SEEKING?
>> I'M SEEKING JUSTICE IN I THINK TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE WAY BEING THAT PEOPLE WHEN THEY THINK OF JUSTICE FOR JO
THEY THINK THAT THIS IS A SITUATION THAT COULD HAPPEN TO
THEM AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS AS A LEARNING
EXPERIENCE MAYBE TO HELP GET OUT OF A SITUATION LIKE THAT.
AND TO LAURA RILEY IS STILL FACING CHARGES FOR MISLEADING
THE POLICE IN MY MOM'S INVESTIGATION.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING, GINGER, THAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK
OF JUSTICE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE BE DONE?
>> I AGREE WITH BOTH OF THE THINGS THAT SAVANNAH JUST SAID,
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT JUSTICE NOT JUST BE
ASSOCIATED WITH LEGAL TERMS, BUT ALSO THAT HER, WHAT SHE WENT
THROUGH AND THE STORY BEHIND AND IT HOW IT'S ALL PLAYED OUT, IT
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN VAIN.
LIKETHER PEOPLE CAN AND SHOULD LEARN FROM IT.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR MOTHER WOULD
WANT SOMEONE IN HER SITUATION TO DO?
>> RUNAWAY.
GO SEE A FRIEND, YOUR FAMILY, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO HELP
YOU.
WHETHER YOU THINK THAT THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO HELP YOU,
SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HELP YOU.
IS THERE ALWAYS HELP OUT THERE, THERE'S SAFE PASSAGES, THERE'S
YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS.
AND I'M SURE YOU COULD WALK INTO A RANDOM BUILDING AND TALK A
STRANGER AND THEY WOULD HELP YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOTH OF YOU FOR COMING IN TODAY.
I KNOW THIS WAS A DIFFICULT THING FOR YOU TO DISCUSS.