Monument built for "missing" 5-year-old; custodial dad pleaded guilty to manslaughter in her death (Franklin County, Alabama)

A granite monument was recently built for 5-year-old Andrea Gonzalez, who disappeared in 1993--16 years ago. Her body was never found, but her custodial father PAUL GONZALEZ pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the stepmom has also done time for child abuse. They claim they "acccidently" killed her and dumped her off a bridge.

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-memorial-set-up-for-andrea-gonzalez,0,4941010.story

Monument Built in Franklin County to Remember Andrea Gonzalez
Clarissa Stephens Shoals Bureau Reporter
October 29, 2009

On Thursday, a special ceremony was held in Franklin County to remember five-year-old Andrea Gonzalez and all missing and exploited children. Gonzalez disappeared nearly 16 years ago. Her body has never been found. Now, a memorial is set up to ensure that she's never forgotten.

The sweet, smiling face of a little girl is the center of the memorial in front of the Franklin County Jail. Flowers surround the granite monument and the phrase, "She touched the hearts of many", is etched in stone. The image is of Andrea Gonzalez.

On November 20, 1993, the five-year-old went missing. For days, there was an extensive search to find her.

"At one time, I know it went over 8,000 hours of volunteers and everybody that was concerned," says Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott. "It was all the fire departments, rescue squads, local law enforcement agencies, and we even used the flare system with the helicopters and had divers from other states come in to search. We used every resource we had."

Plott, who's been involved in this case from the beginning, says despite their efforts, Gonzalez's body was never found. The child's father and step-mother have both spent time in jail. Paul Gonzalez pleaded guilty to manslaughter and Kym Gonzalez did time for child abuse. In court, the couple testified they'd accidentally killed Andrea and dumped her body off a bridge at Mondye Landing.

Andrea Gonzalez is just one of many victims. Plott held a dedication ceremony on Thursday at the memorial site in front of the Franklin County Jail. The group of people sang "Amazing Grace" and released purple and white balloons. The purpose is to emphasize the importance of protecting all children in abusive situations.

"We don't need to forget what Andrea went through," says Plott. "We need to try and prevent other little boys and girls from going though it."

Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing deals with child abuse cases all the time and says many people need a change of attitude.

"Sometimes, we worry about strangers and things of that nature, when a lot of times it's relatives and people in your family that you have to be cautious about," explains Rushing.

By putting Gonzalez's case in the spotlight again, Rushing says their goal is to get parents to pause and pay more attention to their behavior to make sure they're not doing something that could lead to a serious injury or death.

"We're hoping by bringing attention to this and reminding people of this tragedy that people will think about Andrea when they're dealing with their own children," says Rushing.

Plott says even though the memorial will honor Andrea Gonzalez, unfortunately, it still doesn't bring closure to this case. Thursday's dedication ceremony was held as part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.