WITNESS DROPS BOMBSHELL AT PILAR TRIAL

A WITNESS CLAIMED HE SAW THE BODY OF PILAR RODRIGUEZ IN THE TRUNK OF A CAR WHEN SHE DISAPPEARED MORE THAN TEN YEARS AGO.  THAT BOMBSHELL WAS DROPPED DURING THE TRIAL OF MELISSA HARDING-JONES, THE BABYSITTER THAT IS CHARGED IN RODRIGUEZ’S DEATH BACK IN 1999.  HARDING-JONES TOOK RODRIGUEZ ON A VACATION TO PUNTA GORDA.  SHE HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN SINCE AND A BODY HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND.  MONDAY’S COURT HEARING WAS FILLED WITH TWISTS AND TURNS.  AFTER RODRIGUEZ’S FATHER WAS CALLED TO TESTIFY, HARDING-JONES ACTUALLY AGREED TO A PLEA DEAL WITH THE STATE.  BUT SHE BACKED OUT AFTER THE JUDGE ASKED HER IF SHE AGREED TO THE DEAL.  THEN LATER IN THE AFTERNOON JESSE CLAPHAM TOOK THE STAND AND SAID HE SAW THE BODY OF A YOUNG CHILD.  HE TESTIFIED “I SEEN, I THINK, THE LEFT FOOT AND LEG STICKING OUT.”  CLAPHAM TOLD THE COURT HE WENT TO POLICE IN 2009 WITH THAT INFORMATION AND HE HAD HEARD THAT OTHER KIDS WERE MOLESTED BY KEITH WILSON, WHO WAS HARDING-JONES BOYFRIEND IN 1999.