Above, Amber Dubois, missing since February 13, 2009.The body of missing 17-year-old Chelsea King of Escondido, California was found near a lake not far from the teen's home.
A known sex-offender, John Gardner, had already been arrested based on physical evidence found with him.
According to San Diego television station KGTV:
The man suspected of in the death of Chelsea King was being watched more than a year ago by the family of missing teenager Amber Dubois.
On Tuesday, 10News spoke with Amber's mother, Carrie McGonigle. She said her family asked investigators with the Escondido Police Department to check out 174 registered sex offenders living within the area of Escondido High School where Amber, who was 14 years old at the time, was last seen February 13, 2009.
Family friend Linda Walkup said Chelsea King could have been saved if investigators checked in on people like Gardner.
"Had he been looked at from the beginning maybe, possibly, we could have stopped what's going on with Chelsea right now," said Walkup.
Instead, Amber's family and friends began their own investigation. They located the homes of 147 known registered sex offenders in Escondido, San Marcos, Poway and Rancho Bernardo. They drove by their homes and even staked out some of those homes. One of the stakeouts was almost a year ago, outside an Escondido apartment belonging to Gardner at the time.
Amber Dubois disappeared February 13, 2009 while walking to her school. She hasn't been seen since.
A pick-up truck seen in a video taken near Dubois's school that morning aroused police attention. Could Gardner have owned a similar pick-up? The King and Dubois cases could be linked. The authorities should check the area around the lake and what vehicles Gardner owned or had access to.
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