Francine Lori Toni Meegan
December 8, 1989 - October 1990
On October 9, 1990 in Prescott, Arizona, a rancher,
Alan Kessler ,and his son J.B. came upon a grotesque site. With arms
outstretched as if reaching up to heaven, Alan thought he was looking at
a doll, J.B. called out to his father that it was not a doll, it was a
baby.
The baby had been burned and still visible on the
baby were pieces of a red, white and blue outfit. Alan Kessler touched
the baby which caused her skin to give and some fluid leaked out.
Alan Kessler rode to his ranch house and called
the police. Six years would come and go before anyone knew who this
precious baby girl had been and the circumstances which had lead to her
being found in this unimaginable condition.
When the truth came out, the story was shocking.
Born December 8, 1989 to James and Lillian Meegan, her name was Francine
Lori Toni Meegan. From the very beginning, her parents knew they
did not want her.
A couple that were friends with the Meegan's agreed
to take the baby and to help them out financially in return. Valerie and
Dennis Jenson had three boys already and wanted a girl. Valerie's doctors
had told her it would be a health risk for her to have any more children.
The Jenson's gave the couple $1,000. and bought them a car also agreeing
to help them with a down payment on a new house. Money was demanded
so much that it was soon over $30,000. that the Jenson's had shelled out.
On September 10, 1990, the Meegan's were upset that
their steady "income" of money from the Jenson's had stopped. The
Meegan's went to the home of the Jenson's and made threats concerning their
children while demanding to have Francine back. The Jenson's had
no choice but to give her back to them.
James Meegan was once again out of work and had
a broken leg. Francine was in her play pen crying. James Meegan
headed towards the play pen and when he reached it, he grabbed Francine
by the neck and shook her. Francine stopped crying and was now gasping
for air. James took her to the bedroom and Lillian tried to perform
CPR on her, however Francine was not responding.
Francine did not die right away, she suffered for
hours and died as day was breaking. Her older sister Maria saw her on the
bed and though her mother tried to make excuses, Maria knew that Francine
was dead.
Lillian dressed Francine and her husband put her
body into a suitcase and then placed it in the trunk of the car. They drove
to Arizona to a relatives home and left their other children there. James
and Francine then drove off alone. They drove to a deserted area and took
Francine's body out of the trunk. James set her down on the ground and
poured gasoline over her body. At this point, Lillian turned away not wanting
to watch. James then lit a match and threw it on Francine's body.
Lillian's sister Lucy was the one who finally broke
the story of James having killed Francine. She did so under the threat
that if she ever talked, he would kill her and her family, however, she
ended up telling a social worker that she had been dating.
When the Police confronted James and Lillian, they
denied ever having a child called Francine, however, it was clear that
they had since there was a birth certificate for her with them listed as
the parents. Lillian made up some story about their daughter having
been kidnapped and how they didn't trust the Police so they had never reported
it. The story was obviously a lie.
In Prescot, Arizona Jacque Price was reading the
newspaper and saw a picture of Francine and immediately knew this was the
baby that had been found burned in the desert.
When confronted by Police again, Lillian told the
story of what had happened to Francine. On that same day, Maria, who was
at this time 17 years old, gave her testimony about the day her sister
died. Oddly, Maria had this to say to the Police about her father:
"I know this might seem like my father was
brutal and
killed her, but if you knew my dad
you would know
he's a very loving father."
Lillian Meegan plead guilty to felony child abuse
and James Meegan was going to plead guilty to first-degree murder. James
changed his mind and started claiming that Lillian had killed Francine.
James received a life in prison sentence. Lillian was sentenced to 18 years
Francine Meegan was laid to rest in Prescot Arizona.
Her final resting
place was next to a little girl who had also been
left out in the desert
and was never identified. "God's
Little Girl - Little Miss Nobody".
Dennis and Valerie Jensen, surrounded by family members,
mourn in 1996 at the grave Francine Meegan. Francine's headstone is inscribed
with these words, "Forever in our hearts".
For information about preventing child abuse in the
state of Arizona, click the links below. If they can't help you, ask for
someone who can. NEVER give up looking for help for an abused child!
Call this number to report
child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453
  
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