Aliahna Lemmon Dead: Missing 9-Year-Old Indiana Girl's Body Discovered; Family Friend Charged With Murder (VIDEO)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A missing 9-year-old Indiana girl has been found dead, and the family friend who was watching her before she disappeared was charged Monday night with murder, authorities said.

Allen County sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Jeremy Tinkel said investigators found the body of Aliahna Lemmon in the county, but he wouldn't say where. He also said 39-year-old Mike Plumadore was "interviewed by police and taken into custody at 9 p.m. and charged with murder."

Plumadore, who had been watching Aliahna and her sisters before she was reported missing late Friday, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Earlier Monday, FBI agents descended on the rundown mobile home park in Fort Wayne where Aliahna lived. It's a known haven for registered sex offenders, though Plumadore isn't on Indiana's registered sex offenders list. He has a criminal record in Florida and North Carolina that includes convictions for trespassing and assault.

More than 100 emergency workers searched Saturday for Aliahna around the mobile home park, where she was last seen. No active search was done Sunday for the girl, but search dogs and FBI agents were at the park and the girl's home on Monday.

According to a state website, 15 registered sex offenders live at the mobile home park that numbers about two dozen homes.

Aliahna's mother, Tarah Souders, 28, told The Journal Gazette earlier Monday that her daughter had vision and hearing problems and suffered from attention deficit disorder and emotional problems. Aliahna and her sisters were staying at a family friend's nearby home because their mother had been sick with the flu and Aliahna's stepfather works at night and sleeps during the day.

Plumadore told the newspaper Sunday that he left the three girls in his mobile home about 6 a.m. Friday and went to a gas station about a mile away to buy a cigar. Authorities have said the store's surveillance video shows him there about that time.

"I had dead-bolted the door," he said. "When I got back, all the girls was here."

He said he smoked his cigar and went back to sleep, then woke up about 10 a.m. when Aliahna's mother called. After that call, he realized the door to the home was unlocked and that Aliahna was gone. He said Aliahna's 6-year-old sisters told him Aliahna had left with her mom.

Plumadore said it wasn't until he talked with Aliahna's mom about 8:30 p.m. that they realized she was missing and police were notified.

Tarah Souders said miscommunication between the two of them caused the delay in determining that Aliahna had vanished.

"She's never wandered off," Souders said. "She's never done anything like this before."

Sunday Update: No new information from police: wane.com

Comments

[megandvc]

03:36 PM on 12/31/2011

To all the people claiming he was a trusted neighbor, he had only lived next door to them a couple of weeks. He was a friend of the child molesting father/ grandfather He lived in Iowa the previous year where he stalked a 13 yr old girl, but of course the judge dismissed it. Once again, someone getting off and out of jai when its so obvious where they belong. And it certainly is not babysitting little girls for a week. Here is the article.
http://www.fwdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15495

[auntbkaraoke]

03:51 PM on 12/30/2011

This was a tragic thing to have happened.

[jrsurferboy]

11:38 PM on 12/29/2011

im so sorry alahna..you should be,here playing with your xmas toys.
the only good news,is indiana has the death penalty!!

[angmste]

10:47 PM on 12/29/2011

We can only pray the victim's sisters are safe. Who moves into an area saturated with sex offenders with 3 young girls????? Who allows their children to live with "grandpa the sex offender". A mother is supposed to protect her children not endanger them.

[tntxt3]

10:20 PM on 12/29/2011

“ok, it's bad enough this happened, but don't say ridiculous things like, "God, be with the other sisters". Where the hell was God while this was all happening?­? Oh that's right, "he" was helping Tim Tebow win the next football game!! Get a clue people.”
Millions of people spend countless hours praying daily to God, but when are those prayers going to be answered? Did he just happen to forget Aliana or the other violated children? Is he watching Sandusky, Middle School Vice Principal in New Jersey who taped boys in showers for years, doing these crimes? About time he changed these sickos after millions and millions of years of asking for his help. Uuuuuum maybe, just maybe "God" isn't listening....Say it...There is NO G..! Alianah knows this, so should everyone else.

[Godzgirl333]

10:53 PM on 12/29/2011

Wow, it is very sad to hear you talk like this. There is a GOD, but there is also THE GIFT OF FREE WILL and that is a "gift" that was given to us at birth. Many innocent people suffer at the hands of the "abuser" of that gift. God is there to take it upon himself. He endured Alianah's pain for her and then took her home where she belonged, with HIM, where NO ONE can ever hurt this girl again. Don't blame God for man's disobedience, pride, and arrogance. He is there, but we need to TRUST. Try it sometime and maybe you will feel his presence. You can't see the wind, but you feel it, so it is with God, you can't see him, but you can feel him. You can't see your brain, but I hope you have one. Use it -- it is a gift. Blessings to you.

[mekmarie]

09:24 PM on 12/30/2011

Thank you, I couldn't have said it better myself. May GOD bless us all.

[blgrs44]

10:32 PM on 01/02/2012

yes, you can see the wind. have you never seen trees blowing or fences collapsing or the devastation from tornadoes? WAY too lame of an explanation for innocent people being slaughtered. the brain has nothing to do with faith. hence the defamation of the "secular humanists" or people who choose to trust scientific findings over creationism.

[rjmc1227]

12:09 PM on 12/31/2011

What's wrong with you. Why so bitter toward God, did something happen in your life that made you that way? God doesn't make people do anything. People have free will to act how they feel. We are not puppets on strings. That is not what God is. Your conscience that tells you that you shouldn't be doing this. Don't think that mother heard that voice saying hmm maybe I should not be putting my kids in danger by living here? I shouldn't be letting this guy watch my kids? How many times have people ignored feelings and thoughts of potential danger because they don't want to rock the boat. I know people who where abused by their parents and let their kids have contact with the very people who had abused them. That's not God's fault, It's just a cycle that some people put themselves in and the people that can't defend themselves rely on weak or damaged people. I truly believe in God, but I don't believe that it's God's job to protect kids from pigs, God gives you self awareness and a goal to be a better person to those around you. So I agree God did not exist in the situation because He wasn't listened to. This poor girl had been sexually abused in 2010 while under her mom's care don't you think that would have been enough to make her more careful with her daughter? How many chances do people need to open their eyes?

[blgrs44]

11:04 PM on 01/02/2012

just believe in god and pray to him or her and you will feel such peace! explain to me why people are losing children every day to devastating diseases. i do not think that these parents have "ignored feelings" or put themselves into a cycle where they depend on weak or damaged people. i also do not believe that if the parents of cancer victims were better people to those around them that their fate would have been any different.
yes, things happen to me every day that make me doubt the presence of a "loving god". visit a cancer ward for children or adults on a regular basis or visit the poor souls in "memory care" in nursing homes throughout the country. tell me how many times you have actually held someone's hand while they were dying in excruciating pain, or tell me the number of times you have visited nursing homes on a regular basis and read to the people there, or combed their hair, or let them know that that SOMEONE cares about them. i have done all of this.
so just go ahead and hide behind your bible. i doubt that you would EVER consider exposing yourself to AIDS or tuberculosis patients. my advice to you, is that you get into the trenches and give of your time to those less fortunate than you. that IS the definition of "christian love", is it not?

[rjmc1227]

01:14 PM on 01/03/2012

Just praying to get receive peace is not enough; and please don't assume things because it makes you seem less intelligent than you probably are.

I have held a hand of a person that was dying from cancer and held their crying wife. I have spoke and just been a listening ear to people that were molested by their own father's and grandfathers.

You see when you believe in something above yourself you put people first, and when you have this you do have inner peace., and you don't feel the need to list all your good deeds that you have done or crap on other people's religions.

Also you seem to jump from different subject to subject to try to prove a point.

I'm not really sure what point you are trying to prove at this point. Is it that God doesn't exist? Do you think God can't exist because there is too many bad things going on in the world so if there was a God how could he let that happen?

Also I don't hide behind anything, I don't have a denomination, I don't need a bible to tell you how things are. You don't know me or where I have been. All I know is God is a driving force for me to go out in the world and have hope for people who are hopeless and strength for those who are weak. That's what Christian Love is. You may want to try it sometime.

[buddapeacecz]

09:30 PM on 12/29/2011

So many things wrong here...so many...

[terriminx2]

08:32 PM on 12/29/2011

This story just doesnt make sense ...... something is not right ...... I know not what at this time but I just feel the babysitter was not involved with this other than his bad judgement in leaving the children alone to go buy a cigar! He was lucky (supposedly) that nothing happened during that time when he should have been there keeping those poor children safe. Something will change here, I just feel it

[megandvc]

09:09 PM on 12/29/2011

ummm he admitted to killing her.

[morenet]

06:55 PM on 12/29/2011

Our justice department/system needs a swift kick in the butt along with ALL of our legislators.

We need a swift, effective justice system that really deters crimes of this sort and many others, ie, shooting police officers, etc...).

No jail time, no years in prison...why let these "animals" live?

Public and lethal executions...

[candyekane]

06:48 PM on 12/29/2011

This is such a sad story. This little girl had so many disabilities and clearly no one to mother her and care for her. This is not only a crime against children but a crime against the disabled who often have no one to advocate for them. What a tragic situation. And I agree that Mother should have been more careful, about whom she left her children with, even if she were sick with the flu. Im sure she had no money for a hotel room for a few days or other family to rely on. Just a tragedy. Hope the other two daughters survive this and dont blame themselves.

[sourkreme]

03:13 PM on 12/29/2011

Crimes against children need to be changed in all 50 states and US territories to Federal Crimes where these offender's will do most if not all the time a judge sentences them to. It seems Texas has no problem with their laws on their books for execution and these laws should be adopted in all 50 states and US territories or we keep all the federal money that is given to the states to house criminals. Use the same tactics that were used to lower the DUI law from .10 to .08 : change it to our way or lose all highway funding. We can even subcontract all death sentences to the Lone Star State since their track record speaks for itself. Texas makes more model prisoner's then any other state year after year. Texas law has stood up in court time after time on murder itself that I can't believe that every state has not adopted their laws for which the punishment for murder against any person that is death IS carried out. There should be no embarrassment on changing state laws that go to trial time after time to the one that works, set your PRIDE to the side. Texas should change the state logo or the license plates to " Texas, we get the job done and that they do. America wants results, especially protecting our children and our elderly and we want it NOW !

[Pema]

06:48 PM on 12/29/2011

many cases of death row inmates in texas have been released under the innocence project. i dont feel we have the right to take a persons life. texas justice is not a model for other states. no one has it figured out but killing is not the way. even if a person is guilty do we really have the right to do to them what they did to others? death penalty is vengeance. its just as awful as what they did maybe worse because some people celebrate it.

[sourkreme]

09:11 AM on 12/31/2011

The death penalty is merely man's way of an eye for an eye. No system is perfect but the US justice system has been shown time after time to be the best in existence. When we put to death a person who has been convicted of taking a life or many lives we assure ourselves of one thing: That person shall never take the life of another man, woman or child that walks the face of this earth again. If we are not going to house these animals separate from each other and have them locked up away from society where they can no longer do any harm to other's or to each other then we have no choice. Vengeance is just punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense: retribution. Call it what you want but we have no other choice. I will not sit here and tell you that our system is perfect and I am also not going to tell you that we have not put to death an innocent man but we can not sit by idle and do nothing. Many years ago I had a relative put to death in the electric chair for a crime that he committed. The punishment did not nearly fit the crime. He got off way to easy compared to the little girl that he killed. So from a personal standpoint I think we have the best system going. .

[megandvc]

03:13 PM on 12/29/2011

Shumaker said he introduced Plumadore to Lemmon shortly after Plumadore moved into the trailer park, and Plumadore moved in with Lemmon a few days later. Shumaker said he knew Lemmon because they were both sex offenders and were in jail together.

Sheriff's department spokesman Cpl. Jeremy Tinkel confirmed that Lemmon was a sex offender. Indiana Department of Correction records show he was convicted of child molesting in March 2006. THIS IS TAKEN FROM AN ARTICLE. LEMMON IS THE LITTLE GIRLS GRANDFATHER. THAT CHILD MOLESTER IS THE REASON THE "WONDERFUL" MOTHER MOVED HER 3 LITTLE GIRLS TO A SEX OFFENDERS PARADISE. Keep sticking up for the mother people. she is just as guilty as he is.

[megandvc]

03:02 PM on 12/29/2011

All you people saying the mother isnt at blame here are amazing. She left her 3 small children for a week with a convicted criminal who associated wth child molesters. HER OWN FATHER WAS A CONVICTED CHILD MOLESTER WHO LIVED WITH HIM. Do any of you admit youd let your girls be bathed and dressed and taken care of by a 39 yr felon? Let him do their homework, feed them, take them to and from school, her little ones were 6 yrs old, they cant shower alone. They were WITH HIM FOR A WEEK. HOW MUCH LONGER WERE THEY GONNA BE THERE? The mother did not murder them, but she put them in this situation. It was a day before Christmas, who was sharing the Holiday Cheer with these girls? No one. Just like no one protected them, so many family members came out to defend this guy, why didnt any of them come forward to help the mother if she was so sick with the flu?

[xcris]

06:31 PM on 12/29/2011

Girl you are RIGHT on!!!

[xcris]

06:32 PM on 12/29/2011

Right on!!!!

[rjmc1227]

01:44 PM on 12/29/2011

Don't let people with drinking, drug problems, criminal records, anger issues watch your kids. Even if they'll watch them for free, even if they live right next door, or if they seem to be ok, you don't do that. Parents need to use common sense and if it offends some people..too bad.

[megandvc]

02:38 PM on 12/29/2011

bravo

[Fenrir Lokison]

12:15 PM on 12/30/2011

Really? Why is it though that most of the issues come not from people with existing criminal records, but with people who are creating them?

While yes there are issues that come with people with drinking problems and drug problems and anger issues...Why is it that most crimes come from people that have no such issues?

Why are people so quick to judge when we in our own lives have things that are worthy of telling others not to trust or treat us fairly?

Again. In this story...Why is it so hard to see that the issue was not the sex offenders? Especially when there are other family members living within that trailer park and NO ONE ELSE had this issue?

Why is it that the father of the girl even said, HE TRUSTED THE GUY? Their is nothing the say they knew he had any priors.

I have a question for you...

What do you then say to those parents of people like the guy who's wife sent him out and she shot and murdered her own father, their 10 year old daughter, and herself? How about the people who got slaughtered by their father, estranged husband, brother-in-law, and uncle? What is your judgment on those people?

[rjmc1227]

01:38 PM on 12/30/2011

Common sense when you are raising a kid is if you are leaving them with someone, especially a male is to do a background check, it's not hard to do. And I have no doubt that the mom and dad knew that the guy had some sort of past with the law.

I know people who had grandparents and fathers that where sex offenders, family members let them stay in the house...and guess what..the kids were also abused. It is a mind set of some adults to be blind to danger. This is not a rich vs poor or social status. Sorry I put the rights of kids over a man or a woman rights. If I was in the same position as that family I would not have let that man watch my kid and how every spin you would like to make on that be my guest, but I bet you anything that poor girl would still be alive.

And if someone slaughtered their whole family obviously there was something going on in their family unit to cause this. Not to sound cold but if someone's going to end up shooting themselves in the end but they want to take a few people with them I'd rather them just shoot themselves and leave the kids out of it.

[slytiger2]

01:36 PM on 12/29/2011

It just goes to show you that you can't trust anyone not even your own neighbor and even if you've known them for years. It's sad but so true the only thing anyone can do is mom's and dad's just make sure you are always paying attention to your child and listen to them no matter if something you think sounds stupid or that couldn't happen cause that first gut feeling is usually the one you should pay most attention to but also don't assume and acuse someone with out doing your homework, cause all people are not bad, just saying!

[Pema]

06:50 PM on 12/29/2011

i wouldnt raise 3 girls in a place where15 registered sex offenders were. its a case of emotional neglect on the part of the mother...

[Fenrir Lokison]

12:18 PM on 12/30/2011

Here is the problem when, if we really want to live in the real world...You never know. Yes there are certain obvious signs one should not ignore, but sometimes the signs are just not visible.

I mean what tests do you use to determine if you can trust someone one?

Do they have to look a certain way? Act a certain way? Maybe not have certain things happen in their lives?

[Kizdiz]

09:44 AM on 12/29/2011

The fact that this is shocking to so many is amazing. This is a trailer park filled with sex offenders 15 in 12 homes. Just because Plumadore isnt listed as a sex offender doesn't mean he isn't one. If you are living with that many sex offenders in such close quarters you are pretty accepting of sex offenders because you must not think what they do is wrong or you are just too stupid to be alive or have children. This is a horrific case and what happened to this little girl is just tragic but really, what did you expect to happen?