ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 25, 1996 TAG: 9605280025
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STAUNTON, VA.
SOURCE: Associated Press
A 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL and her mother disappeared after the mother lost a custody battle in court.
Rod Fritts said Friday he's optimistic a mass mailing of 61 million postcards picturing his missing 9-year-old daughter will help the FBI find her.
After losing a custody fight, Mary Fritts left a juvenile court in Staunton with Emily, their only child, and disappeared.
State and federal arrest warrants were issued, but there have been no verifiable sightings of Emily or Mary Fritts since the abduction, according to FBI special agent Joe Harmon.
That was Aug. 15, 1994. Fritts said he has kept Emily's room and the refrigerator bearing her pictures and art work - including a drawing of her and her father holding hands - just as they were that day.
``The last thing she said to me before the court hearing was that she wanted a fishing rod and reel,'' said Fritts, 48. ``It's on her bed now.''
Pictures and descriptions of his daughter and ex-wife were featured on ADVO Inc. cards that were included with a direct-mail advertisement distributed this week.
ADVO has been sending pictures of missing children, along with the toll-free number for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, on its detached address labels since May 1985.
Each week, a picture of a different missing child is distributed to more than 61 million households, including about 1.5 million in Virginia, according to the company. One of every seven children featured by ADVO has been recovered.
``I'm very hopeful this latest campaign will bring this thing to a speedy end,'' Fritts said.
Investigators told him that they have received several calls this week from people who saw the pictures, but they wouldn't elaborate on the tips, he said.
The identification of his ex-wife might be tricky, Fritts said, because an anonymous caller told police that she has lost weight, changed her hair color and started wearing glasses.
``They know she changed her identity and changed her name,'' he said. ``She is frustrated, angry and bitter about having lost the court case and she's literally taking it out on my daughter. She robbed my little girl of her childhood and probably affected her psychologically for the rest of her life. ''
What worries Fritts the most is that his daughter's feelings about him may have changed.
``There are some pretty bad days when I get my daughter on my mind and I can't sleep,'' he said. ``Your mind starts playing tricks. Is she going to be afraid of me or be confused about what her mother has told her? Or will she be as excited to see me as I will be to see her?''
LENGTH: Medium: 59 linesby CNB