PATRIOT BREMERTON
AHOY! The tall ships are coming to Bremerton later this month Page 11
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 | Vol. 17, No. 25 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
Still no sign of missing 6-year-old girl BY SERAINE PAGE AND KEVAN MOORE THE BREMERTON PATRIOT
Hundreds of searchers continued Aug. 6 to search the area for Jenise Paulette Wright, the 6-yearold East Bremerton girl reported missing three days earlier. The case is classified as an endangered missing person case with suspicious circumstances surrounding the disappearance. But on Aug. 6 there still were no suspects or a person of interest in the disappearance, according to local authorities. “The issue of urgency continues,” Kitsap County Sheriff ’s spokesman Courtesy photos Deputy Scott Wilson said Aug. 5. Jenise Paulette Wright, 6, was reported missing by her “The FBI is dedicating all the family the evening of Aug. 3. At the time of her disappearappropriate resources needance, Jenise lived with her family at the Steele Creek Mobile ed in this joint effort, including Home Park in East Bremerton. She is 3 feet tall and weighs an evidence response team; a Seraine Page/staff photo regional Child Abduction Rapid Search and rescue teams receive a briefing on Monday before heading out in search of Jenise 45 pounds. She has black hair, brown eyes and is multiracial (Caucasian/Native American/Filipino). Deployment team, which helps Paulette Wright, age 6. Ten different agencies joined in on the search throughout the week. in all missing children cases, not just in abductions; the Behavioral ties at 9:55 p.m. They hadn’t seen little girl is so gregarious. family,” she said. “We don’t leave directions, and rescue crews used Analysis Unit from Quantico, the girl all day Aug. 3, but told “She’s a really sweet kid,” she anybody behind and [we] travel specialized FBI dogs to help canVirginia; additional personnel for authorities it was not uncommon said. “She can get on your nerves, everywhere in packs. We normal- vass the surrounding areas, Wilson canvassing the community for for her to wander the neighbor- but we love her that way. She’s ly wouldn’t let anyone go home said. Sex offenders and transients information, polygraph examin- hood and check in every few hours. really friendly. That’s what really alone, so this is odd. We normally in the vicinity were interviewed ers, intelligence analysts, and other Mary Pelnar, 14, who lives with concerns me. I don’t know if she wouldn’t do anything like that.” throughout the week by authorispecialized personnel.” her mom just around the corner would know how to tell someone, She added, “I’d like to see my ties. A Homeland Security helicopAs of Aug. 6, searchers had taken from Jenise’s house, said she thinks ‘No, I don’t want to get in a car best friend again and I really hope ter circled the area for a time. to the wooded area surrounding of herself as a big sister to the little with you,’ if they offered to take Jenise is OK. I’m really passionate “We consider her a daughter the Steele Creek Mobile Home girl. her to get ice cream or something about people I love and things I of the park, a daughter of East Park where the girl lived. Jenise “No day is complete without like that.” believe in. I have a lot of love for Bremerton,” Wilson said. “She was was last seen by her parents in her seeing her or hearing her voice,” Pelnar also talked about how people. I’m just hoping and pray- such a very outgoing and vivacious bed around 10 p.m. Aug. 2. Her she said, noting that she has spent the kids in the community stick ing that this little girl, or little sister, little girl who would make friends parents, after scouring the mobile nights in the Wright home. with anybody in the park.” together and look out for one comes home soon and is safe.” home park for more than an hour Pelnar said she was especially another. For a time, the search expandthe following night, called authori- worried about Jenise because the “We all love each other like a ed outward from the park in all SEE JENISE, A9
Family of girl shot at school agrees to settle lawsuit BY SERAINE PAGE SPAGE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
The family of Amina Kocer-Bowman, who was shot Feb. 22, 2012, at Armin Jahr Elementary School, received a $1.2 million settlement last week from the Bremerton School District and the owner of the gun that discharged and critically wounded the girl. The school district will pay the family $900,000. Doug Bauer, who owned the H&K .45-caliber handgun that discharged inside
a boy’s backpack and wounded Amina, will pay $300,000. Amina’s classmate, whose mother was dating Bauer at the time, took the gun from Bauer’s Allyn home and brought it to the school. The district released a statement shortly after the settlement was approved. “The district is very pleased that a settlement has been reached in this case,” the district’s statement said. “We look forward to moving ahead for the families and staff involved. We con-
tinue to send our thoughts and prayers to the family and Amina for her continued recovery.” Amina was eight years old at the time of the shooting. Her elbow was shattered, she suffered damage to her internal organs and the bullet lodged near her spine. Amina underwent several surgeries and spent eight weeks at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The family has re-settled into a new life in Montana where Amina is slowly growing in her confidence
and regularly seeks counseling. She regularly fights anxiety, said the family’s attorney, Jeffrey Campiche. But Amina is recovering emotionally with the help of her family’s support, Campiche addded. “Physically she’s left with some significant problems, but she seems to be a very strong and brave child and she’s working very hard at overcoming this,” he said. For the first time since the shooting, Amina went outside to play with friends last week. Those little steps
are what the family is most looking forward to in the upcoming years now that the settlement is behind them, said Campiche. He says the family also feels that they were successful in demonstrating to the district that the level of safety they provide for students is as important as the quality of education being offered. “They feel some closure in the event,” Campiche said. “They have very strongly supported that child. They’re making a successful recovery.”
The settlement will go toward any future needs of Amina’s, including education and medical expenses, said her father, John Bowman. “Everything’s still sinking in two and a half years later,” he said. “We’re moving on and getting ready to move on with the next chapter for Amina and her story.”