Wednesday, August 28, 2002
Henry County's authorities have worked long hours on Short case
Sheriff's office asks for help in overtime pay

Virginia agencies are hurting for money because of budget cuts. The state compensation board is weighing funding requests on a case-by-case basis.

By MIKE ALLEN
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   Henry County Sheriff Frank Cassell asked the state Tuesday for money to pay overtime to investigators logging 16-hour days in the search for a missing 9-year-old girl and her parents' killers.

    Though the Virginia Compensation Board isn't granting many requests for additional funds, "I'm asking the state for a one-shot deal on this case because it's so critical," Cassell said.

    Jennifer Renee Short has been missing since Aug. 15, when the bodies of her parents were discovered in their Oak Level home. Authorities say Michael Wayne Short, 50, and Mary Hall Short, 36, were each killed by a single gunshot to the head. Frustrated investigators still have no suspects in the killings and no leads as to Jennifer's whereabouts.

    Bruce Haynes, the board's executive secretary, said the board weighs funding requests on a case-by-case basis. Cassell first needs to submit a written request detailing what he needs, Haynes said.

    With many of his deputies out in the field Tuesday afternoon, Cassell did not yet have a total figure for how much overtime they've accumulated. The sheriff's office has kept up to 16 of its 17 investigators on the case at any given time, and deputies and staff have put in long hours, too.

    "We have very little money for overtime," Cassell said. "We can't continue this. Obviously, we can't afford it."

    State revenue shortfalls and declining local revenues have meant drastic cuts for the Henry County Sheriff's Office. Over the past two years, Cassell's $6.6 million budget has been cut nearly 10 percent, to $6 million this year. The office has given up two deputy positions and money for new police cars to help cope with those cuts.

    The state compensation board, which provides most of the funding for sheriff's offices, had its budget cut from $518 million to $492 million for the fiscal year 2003. A May 1 memorandum from Haynes to all local constitutional officers said that requests for additional funding have little chance of approval.

    In the meantime, efforts to solve the case and find Jennifer won't stop, but they will eventually have to be scaled down. "We're going to keep this thing up for another 10 days to two weeks, or until we start running out of leads," Cassell said.

    At that time, the sheriff's office may have to cut back, but a team will continue to pursue the case "from now on until we solve it or run completely out of leads," Cassell said.

    Henry County is still receiving assistance from surrounding jurisdictions, state police and the FBI. Investigators have been interviewing people on the state police sex offender registry, seeking information from jail and prison inmates and going back to family members, friends and business acquaintances of the Shorts who have been spoken to before.

    "Nothing about this case has been easy," Cassell said.

    Jennifer Short is described as 4 foot 3 inches tall, 58 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Reward funds are offering a total of at least $12,000 for tips that lead authorities to Jennifer and her parents' killers. Anyone with information is asked to call (276)638-8751 or (800)843-5678.

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