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Lunsford Grills Dad In Video

Image from surveillance video

Mark Lunsford's attorneys, who are planning to file a negligence lawsuit against the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, released video from the investigation of Jessica Lunsford's death on Tuesday.

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By RAY REYES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 28, 2008

TAMPA - The video shows a tearful Mark Lunsford in a cramped room telling his father that all he wants is his daughter back.

"I just want Jessie," Lunsford says to his father, Archie, who was being held by Citrus County sheriff's detectives for questioning in 2005 in the abduction of 9-year-old Jessica Marie "Jessie" Lunsford.

Off-camera, Mark Lunsford says, "They want me to ask you where Jessie's at. I'm sorry, Dad."

The video was released Tuesday by Mark Lunsford's attorneys, who are planning to file a negligence lawsuit against the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. Lunsford and his attorneys said lapses in judgment and mistakes by the sheriff's office were swept under the rug after the trial of Jessie's killer.

John Evander Couey was convicted nearly a year ago of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual battery on a child younger than 12 and burglary with battery. In August, he was sentenced to death.

When investigating the girl's disappearance, detectives told Mark Lunsford that Jessie's blood was found in his father's underpants and asked him to confront his father. Lunsford and his attorneys said in a Tuesday news conference that detectives focusing on Archie Lunsford as a suspect rather than conducting an extensive search for the missing Jessie was one of several missteps by the sheriff's office.

Attorneys with the sheriff's office did not return calls Wednesday, but Sheriff Jeff Dawsy said in a news conference Tuesday that Mark Lunsford's allegations were baseless, absurd and nothing but sound bites easy to disprove.

Mark Lunsford could not be reached for comment Wednesday night, but said Tuesday that investigators deceived him.

"They lied to me," Lunsford said during the news conference in Jacksonville. "I went in there, broken-hearted, and spent the next three days angry at my father."

At the end of the video, Archie Lunsford tells his son that he is not mad at him for confronting him and is shown on the phone with his wife, Ruth, asking for help.

"Ruthie, if you don't get me out of here, I'm going to have a heart attack," Archie Lunsford said. "I can't take any more of this. I've been lied to and I'm not going to take it. Get me some help."

Reporter Thomas W. Krause contributed to this report. Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920.

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