I missed this Cutting Edge film when it was on Channel 4 on Thursday, so I caught up with it on More 4 last night, and it made for harrowing and frustrating viewing.

Throughout the film, we heard the story from both the viewpoint of Carl Probyn, Jaycee Lee’s then step-father, and the police who dealt with the case. What transpired was a tale of missed opportunities, shoddy police work and, most movingly, the destructive impact Jaycee Lee’s disappearance had on Carl and his ex-wife Terry.

We all know the story so I don’t need to recap that, but that said, part of last night’s film re-enacted Carl’s role in witnessing and reporting 11 year old Jaycee Lee’s abduction. He immediately mobilised himself and his neighbours to try to get a “lock down” on the area, but the police didn’t do likewise, and Phillip and Nancy Garrido fled over 100 miles to Antioch in California, despite the fact that Carl had given an extremely accurate description of the car and Nancy Garrido. Read more & comment »