Police said a new lead is giving them hope that 2-year-old Trenton Duckett
will be found alive.
The Lake County toddler was reported missing on Aug. 27. His mother, Melinda
Duckett, has been named the prime suspect in his disappearance, but she killed
herself two weeks after she reported her son missing.
Earlier this week, police said a fast-food employee has come forward to
report seeing and speaking with Melinda Duckett on Aug. 27 at a Marion County
Wendys, WESH 2 News reported.
Duckett called police on the night of Aug. 27 and said someone had snatched
Trenton while he slept in his bed in their Leesburg apartment.
The employee said Duckett came to the restaurants drive-through window twice
that day -- once with Trenton and once without.
The employee remembered seeing Melinda Ducketts distinctive tattoo on her
left arm and recalled having a conversation about the boys name. She asked
Duckett what her sons name was, and since the employee was wearing a headpiece,
she first thought Duckett said, "Denton."
Duckett corrected her and said that his name was Trenton.
The employee said Duckett came back through the drive-through just 20 or 30
minutes later, but this time, Trenton was not with her.
The Marion County Sheriffs Office said that new information has them
launching a parallel investigation with the focus that Trenton may still be
alive.
Capt. James M. Pogue of the Marion County Sheriffs Office said investigators
believe hes alive because no one has proven to them otherwise.
He said they believe Melinda Duckett handed her son over to someone in order
to keep the boy away from his father.
