link here :
http://www.kmsp.com/news/investigato...ry.asp?1641517
----actually full story copied below-----
Miranda Paffel's abduction and savage beating in Shell Lake, Wisconsin thirteen years ago was one of most vicious and highly publicized attacks on children in the past two decades. People sent tens of thousands of dollars to the nine-year-old girl when they learned she would survive. Tonight, for the first time, the FOX 9 Investigators reveal what happened to all that money.
Most people assumed the money would go to Miranda or her family. They were wrong.
It was Shell Lake, Wisconsin… May of 1992. Nine-year-old Miranda…called Mandy at the time… abducted from the beach. Beaten with a tire iron until every bone in her face was broken. Left for dead in a roadside ditch.
“I can't imagine living through something like that.”
Live she did. Thirteen years later, Miranda is twenty-two.
“But it never happens. Why would you want to dream about it? ‘Cuz I want to know what happened. I want to know how it happened. I want to see everything. I want to see who the person is so he can go to prison for the rest of his life.”
To this day, no one knows who he is. But this is not just another unsolved crime story. This is a story of incredible generosity, and a story of what some would call appalling stinginess.
Within two days of Mandy's attack in poured the letters and the money. Miranda's aunt opened an account for Miranda at the Shell Lake State Bank.
“I went in and opened the trust with twenty-five dollars of my own money.”
Patty Bos is Miranda's aunt.
“And I believe I put an ad in the paper, anyone wanting to send money, send it to the trust.
Pulled together a bunch of other civic and religious types to plan a two-day fundraising event.
It pulled in more than twelve thousand dollars.
“As you progress through Lionism you will discover the great satisfaction that comes from sharing.”
Its the sharing piece Miranda's family has problems with
“What gives them the right? What entitles them to step in and take over?”
You see, the civic groups not only raised money. They wanted to control how it was spent.
“To be honest there was a lot of sentiment among the people who raised the money that they really didn't want to see it all go to the family.”
They drew up a trust agreement. A lawyer...who is also a member of the Lion's Club...wrote it on behalf of the club and other charitable organizations. Trustees, two of them Lions, would dole out the dough but only for very limited and specific things: "extraordinary medical, educational, occupational or therapeutic needs."
For everything that she's been through Miranda deserves every penny.
Miranda's trust fund, and this includes donations and interest earned, took in sixty-six thousand, seven hundred fifty-nine dollars according to probate court documents obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators.
Just seven percent, 5,123 dollars, has gone to Miranda and her family for things such as winter clothes, a trip to the Wisconsin dells, a bike and two computers. Right now there is fifty-seven thousand, five hundred five dollars in the fund. Just sitting there.
That's a lot of money. Would that make a difference in Miranda's life? Guaranteed.
Miranda's family says they've asked for money, but been turned down. Like the time they drove to Florida to visit relatives and wanted Miranda to have some spending money.
Trustee and Lion's Club member Bill Taubman wrote in a letter to Miranda's mom back in 1995:
“Although such a trip would be fun for Miranda and provide her with some very happy time, it does not meet the test of being educational, occupational or therapeutic.”
“I confronted him and I said how can you guys be so ruthless? I said ‘this money's hers.’”
And just why is the trust so restrictive? Trustees say that's the way the donors wanted it. But posters plastered all over town advertising the fundraiser said nothing about how the money would be spent. And, while this was the biggest single fundraising event...most of the money came from individuals or companies through the mail. No way the trustees could have talked with those donors. Which is why the FOX 9 Investigators read every card and letter that Miranda's family has saved from the summer of 1992.
It looks like there's something the trust fund missed. Want to read that and open it. Oh my god (it's a five dollar bill) here's for a treat when you get well. It's from the Plymouth Middle School in Plymouth.
Five dollars for a treat. Most of the cards simply don't specify what the money should be used for. A couple say the money should go to medical expenses. But read these:
“We are sending you a gift of money and hope you will find something for yourself to spend it on.”
“Money order to be used as family wishes.”
“Use this money for anything.”
“It is not for doctor bills. It is for you. Spend it on whatever you want.”
The FOX 9 Investigators tracked down some of those who sent Miranda money.
Wendy Peterson, of White Bear Lake Township, doesn't remember how much she sent, but she remembers what she was thinking at the time.
“I just figured the money would go to that family and they could do as they knew best.”
Wilbur and Marie Rolph, then of Circle Pines, attached no strings to their donation either.
Miranda is visiting relatives in Florida right now. Another road trip the trust fund would not cover. This time, Miranda's family didn't even ask. And what, you may wonder, does Miranda think of all this?
“It's crap. The money's mine.”
Forgive her hard edge. It's a scar cut into her psyche by the man who beat her, left her for dead, and then vanished.
Do you worry about him coming back? Nope. If he comes back, he comes back. I know what to do. If he comes back he's the one gonna be in trouble ‘cuz I'm not gonna put up with no one's junk.
Perhaps you can tell here that Miranda comes from a different world than the folks around Shell Lake who organized the trust fund: the banker, the lawyer, the teachers, the ministers.
Isn't this arrogance on the part of the trustees? Isn't this at the heart of this, truthfully? I'd certainly have to ponder over that. No. I really don't think so. If Miranda had been the daughter of the bank president… of the school principal would there have been as much oversight? Really? Well, I can't say with certainty because that wasn't the situation.”
According to the trust agreement, if Miranda can't use the money...eventually the trust would turn it over to charitable organizations in the community.
The Lions' Club would be one of those organizations. Although trustee and Lions' Club member Bill Taubman says the trust would likely give it away to other needy causes.
“It's the person with the kidney transplant. That kind of thing.”
Nice thought. But not exactly what the donors we talked with had in mind. Not even close.
“I'd like to take the money back and give it to her personally. Mail it to Miranda.”
It would have been nice if there had been some kind of fairy tale ending to it. Sure it would have. But Miranda knows better than to believe in fairy tale endings.
“Wonder why it had to happen to me because I was nine-years-old and didn't do nothing wrong. And all of a sudden someone comes and does his junk to me.”
“Everybody thinks that it's over. But it's not. It's been a long, long time ago and, of course, it lessons. But it will never go away.”
One of the trustees tells us he'd be willing to rewrite the trust to give Miranda some...but not all of the money. What of the investigation? Police have just two and a half to find and charge someone. After that, the statute of limitations runs out.
Due to the overwhelming viewer response to this story, Fox 9 is working with the family to establish a place where you can send your donations. Please check our Web site and the Fox 9 Investigators in the coming days for more information.
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