Delaware County Daily Times - Oct 22, 1999 Article

Mystery couple, if there is one, knows too - Editorial

Delaware County Daily Times (Primos - Upper Darby, PA) - Friday, October 22, 1999

After 73 days, Robert Rivera has spoken.

And we still don't know the whereabouts of tiny Katelyn Rivera-Helton.

In a jailhouse interview with Daily Times reporter Rose Quinn, the man charged with snatching his daughter from her day care provider and then fleeing, touching off a massive search, insisted his missing daughter is alive.

But Rivera wants us to take his word for it because Katelyn has not been seen since. And while the accused kidnapper is adamant that he did not injure the beaming toddler, he's apparently not ready to solve the mystery of "Where's Katelyn ?" that has gripped the county for nearly three months."

Only me and God know where Katelyn is," Rivera said. God isn't talking. Neither, apparently, is Rivera . He said the situation will remain that way "until I'm ready."

Strangely enough, if Rivera is to be believed, he may not have to. There may be someone else who can solve this agonizing case.

Rivera , who's been in jail on kidnapping charges since the day after fleeing with his daughter, is sticking with his story that he gave his little girl to a couple in the parking lot of Longwood Gardens. Again, Rivera wants us to take his word for it.

This much we know. Rivera , after allegedly assaulting Jennifer Helton in a convenience store parking lot Aug. 10, then forces his way into an Upper Chichester home where their daughter receives day care. He carries little Katelyn out the door and flees. Shortly after 5 p.m., Rivera picks up his new girlfriend. Katelyn is with him. He drops off his girlfriend a short time later. At 7:15 p.m. he buys gas at Routes 1 and 100. Katelyn is with him. Between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. he returns and buys more gas. Katelyn is gone.

In the jail interview, Rivera , who detailed his stormy relationship with Jennifer Helton, Katelyn 's mother, also changed his tune on the mystery couple he insists he left his daughter with on that steamy summer night.

He originally said they were from Maryland. Now he claims that's not the case, all the while alluding to some previous contact with the couple."

I didn't just give her away to just anybody I didn't give her to white trash or anything." That's little comfort to those who have been waiting for 74 days for some word on Katelyn 's whereabouts.

We don't know if Rivera is telling the truth. We can only pray that he is. And if he is, then he needs to revise his story. Because if he is telling the truth, then only him, God and a mystery couple out there somewhere know what has become of Katelyn .

We want to believe such a couple exists, that Katelyn is safe in their care and has not been harmed.

And if that's the case, we urge them to do now what Rivera has steadfastly refused to do. Tell us where Katelyn is.

We find it hard to believe anyone could knowingly hold Katelyn this long without some knowledge of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Were they aware the little girl had been kidnapped? While first saying the couple were strangers, Rivera now says that's not the case. In fact he says he had their phone number in his pocket when he decided to call them. He says it was their idea to meet at Longwood Gardens.

We have a few other phone numbers for them to punch up: (610) 485-8400. That's the Upper Chichester police. Or (610) 891-4700. That's county detectives. Or (215) 418-4000, the FBI.

Of course all of this presupposes such a couple exists. And that they are willing to explain their role in this bizarre case. Every time we look at a picture of tiny Katelyn , we hope that they do. And that they'll do the right thing.

Where's Katelyn ?