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Lunsford Lawyers To Address Possible Lawsuit On 'O'Reilly Factor'

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Mark Lunsford, right, talks with Pasco County Sheriff Bob White prior to leaving with a group of motorcyclists Saturday.

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By THOMAS W.  KRAUSE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 25, 2008

Updated: 02/25/2008 04:50 pm

Lawyers for Mark Lunsford are scheduled guest on tonight's episode of "The O'Reilly Factor" and is expected to speak publicly for the first time about why Lunsford plans to file a lawsuit against the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

Last week, Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy announced that Lunsford sent him an intent-to-sue notice, which is required six months before a lawsuit is filed against a government agency.

Lunsford and his attorneys have been tight-lipped about the reasons for a lawsuit other than to say that mistakes were made when the sheriff's office was searching for Lunsford's daughter, 9-year-old Jessica Marie "Jessie" Lunsford.

Dawsy has said he was shocked at the announcement and that any claims of negligence are baseless. At a 2005 memorial service for Jessie, Citrus County deputies served as pallbearers. Lunsford had called Dawsy his "older brother."

A Web site for Fox News says Bill O'Reilly's show will focus on "The murder of little Jessica, why her father says she could have been saved and the police are to blame!" The show starts at 8 p.m.

In March 2005, after more than three weeks of searching, Jessie's body was found buried near the Homosassa mobile home where John Evander Couey lived. Couey was convicted of abducting, raping and killing her. He has been sentenced to die.

Couey told authorities that he kept Jessie alive for several days. With searchers scouring the area, he grew scared to let her go and decided to kill her. Dawsy and prosecutors have said they don't believe Couey's story and think Jessie died the night she was abducted.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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