Delaware County Daily Times - Aug 11, 2000 Article

A year later, mom yearns for Katelyn

Delaware County Daily Times (Primos - Upper Darby, PA) - Friday, August 11, 2000

Author: CINDY SCHARR and MARLENE DiGIACOMO ; Of the Times Staff

UPPER CHICHESTER – One year to the day that her tiny 20-month-old daughter Katelyn vanished from her life, Jennifer Helton made an impassioned plea for information about her whereabouts.

"A year ago today, Aug. 10, I had a family," said Helton, reading a prepared statement on the front steps of her Sharpless Road home. "Today, one year later, I feel that I have nothing. Everything that was important in my life, especially precious little Katelyn , is gone."

Helton, accompanied by her father, Frank Helton, said she feels that someone knows where her daughter is.

"Please, to anyone who knows where Katelyn is, let me know," she said in a shaky voice. "I am a very forgiving person and I just want to give her what every loving parent wants to give their child."

Katelyn 's father Robert Rivera is charged with the child's murder. He faces the death penalty.

Despite the lack of a body, authorities say that Rivera killed Katelyn and hid her body.

"There's not any scintilla of evidence that the child is still alive," Delaware County District Attorney Patrick Meehan said at a press conference on the steps of Media Courthouse.

Rivera , 33, of the 2800 block of Chichester Avenue, Boothwyn, allegedly kidnapped the tiny child from a babysitter last summer and carried her away, violating a protection-from-abuse order obtained by Helton.

Investigators have conducted extensive searches in three states for Katelyn , but her body has never been found.

Rivera has given investigators conflicting stories about the child's whereabouts. He has also maintained that Katelyn is alive and he will reveal where she is when he is ready.

Meehan said yesterday that his office is continuing to press on with efforts to find Katelyn 's body. However, he stressed even if the toddler's remains are not located by the time of trial, he views the murder case against Robert Rivera , who could face a death sentence, as strong.

The county's top prosecutor told reporters that he doesn't believe Rivera should escape justice because of a "masterful job of disposing of the body."

Pennsylvania law does not require a body for a homicide conviction.

Meehan stressed that authorities are continuing with a very detailed search of the Brandywine Valley area stretching into Maryland, using cadaver-sniffing dogs.

"We've had ongoing searches on a regular basis. We're certainly interested in the whole Brandywine Valley area," he said.

He said authorities have followed every lead including one given by Rivera that he has since backed off from that he turned the baby over to a couple in Longwood Gardens.

Meehan said authorities have exhausted every possible lead from New York to Puerto Rico in an effort to ascertain whether the baby is alive.

He described events surrounding the child's disappearance as arising out of a "typical domestic violent situation where a controlling personally," such as Rivera , used everything possible to control his former wife.

And he said "the most horrible reality" has resulted in the death of the baby.

Defense attorney G. Guy Smith wants a jury from outside Delaware County because of the extensive pretrial publicity. Smith did not return a call yesterday.

Judge Charles C. Keeler is expected to have hearings on those issues next month.