By ZEKE BARLOW SPECIAL TO
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   When Jennifer Short was missing, the money poured in. Her parents had been shot dead in their home, but hope was alive that she hadn't met the same fate.

    There were bake sales and T-shirt fund-raisers, motorcycle rallies and barbecues, all to raise money for the tip that would lead to finding the 9-year-old girl alive and well and to help support her afterward. More than $67,000 came into various funds, much more than has ever been seen for a criminal investigation in Henry County, said Capt. Kimmy Nester with the sheriff's office.

    But seven weeks later, when her body was found, things changed.

    One anonymous donor rescinded his $20,000 pledge. The employer of one of Jennifer's uncles, which had pledged $10,000, pulled its contribution as well. Other funds run by family members and friends spent about $2,100 on a grave marker and a marble bench beside the family's grave site. It reads, "In Memory of Mike, Mary and Jennifer Short."

    Five different funds are now down to about $40,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killer of the Oak Level family. Nester said it's still a hefty sum that could bring the killer to justice.

    "The funds are a major portion of our investigation ... the reward might bring out the very single clue that brings it all together," Nester said. "Anybody who wants to help out by giving any money is always appreciated."

    He encouraged those who have donated or pledged money to leave it in the funds because the investigation is still in its infancy. The Henry County Sheriff's Office has the discretion to disperse the reward in all of the funds.

    Thomas Davis is treasurer of CrimeStoppers, an organization that pays for tips that lead to criminal convictions. Davis said he's never seen such a high amount of donations before. In the wake of the media blitz surrounding Jennifer's abduction, the sheriff's office was inundated with calls by people who wanted to contribute. It resulted in $7,558 in donations for CrimeStoppers, which also received pledges for $1,000 from both the city of Martinsville and the Henry County Board of Supervisors.

    About $4,000 of that money was earmarked for the Short case, Davis said. If police find the killer on their own accord without the help of a tipster, Davis said his organization will have to ask donors if they want their money back.

    The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation, which has put up a $10,000 reward, reviews various rewards they offer for cases such as the Short slayings every six months. If the police are no longer actively investigating, the reward offer is pulled. But executive director Kim Petersen said that a reward often helps lead to an arrest.

    There were other accounts that weren't initially set up as reward funds. Jennifer's uncle, Jim Whitehead, whose Alaskan employer had offered $10,000 for her safe return, rescinded the pledge after she was found dead. Another uncle, Chris Young, established an account for Jennifer's needs that raised $3,195.78. The latter account will be divided among various organizations that have helped out in the past few months.

    Sheila Davis, a friend of the Shorts', and Linda Hogan, Michael Short's sister, set up the Jennifer Renee Short Fund in Boones Mill during the days following Jennifer's disappearance. It was established to help pay for funeral costs and other needs of the family and has since spent $1,189 on a bench beside the family's graves. The rest of the money will be used for a reward. If no reward is paid, it will be donated to the Missing Children's Fund, Davis said.

    Tim Moore never met the Shorts when he established the Jennifer Short Reward Fund in Martinsville, starting the account with $5,000 of his own money. The fund has raised an additional $2,631, with another donation of $4,900 expected today. Moore said if the money isn't needed, it will go to various charities.

    Frank Arrington, another of Jennifer's uncles, established his own $1,000 reward for Jennifer's safe return. After her body was found, he decided to spend the money on a grave marker for Jennifer. The account now has $67.68 in it.

    "I don't know what to do with it," he said. "I guess at some point I'll buy some more flowers to put on Jennifer's grave."

    Investigators ask that anyone with information call the sheriff's office at (276) 638-8751.

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