Abington Township is a safe, close-knit community located in the first-ring suburb of Pennsylvania. There’s around 55,000 residents, mostly drawn to the area due to its accessibility, affordability and diversity. In 2016, a teenage girl was reported missing in Abington Township. The investigation would be hampered by her adoptive mother’s reluctance to assist investigators. This only begged the question: did she know more than she was letting on?
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Audio Sources:
“Interview with Grace Packer’s Parents”
“Death penalty for man who raped, murdered girlfriend’s daughter”
Sources:
https://www.abingtonpa.gov/about-us/about-abington
The Bucks County Courier Times, 8 July, 2016 – “Sara Packer’s Last Reported Sighting of Grace”
The Bucks County Courier Times, 11 July, 2016 – “Sara Packer Files Missing Person Report for Grace”
The Intelligencer, 8 September, 2016 – “Abington Police Locate Endangered Missing Man, Still Searching for 15-Year-Old Girl”
The Intelligencer, 21 December, 2016 – “Joint News Conference About Missing Abington Teen Set for Thursday”
ABC – 16 WNEP, 22 December, 2016 – “Remains Found in Luzerne County are Teenage Homicide Victim”
Associated Press, 22 December, 2016 – “Body of Pennsylvania Teen Found”
Bucks County Courier Times, 22 December, 2016 – “Mom of Dead Abington Girl Charged with Endangerment”
The Citizen’s Voice, 22 December, 2016 – “Body of Pennsylvania Teen Found in Luzerne County”
The Express-Times, 22 December, 2016 – “Murdered Teen’s Mom Kept Disappearance from Family”
Bucks County Courier Times, 23 December, 2016 – “Mom Charged with Endangerment in Daughter’s Death Released on Bail”
The Morning Call, 23 December, 2016 – “Mother of Girl Found Dismembered in Woods is Free on Bail”
Philadelphia Daily News, 23 December, 2016 – “Why is Mom ‘Of Interest’ in Teen’s Slaying”
ABC – 16 WNEP, 7 January, 2017 – “Charges Filed in Grace Packer Homicide Case”
Bucks County Courier Times, 7 January, 2017 – “Sullivan Admits to Police that he Killed Grace Packer”
Bucks County Courier Times, 7 January, 2017 – “Abington Teen’s Killing Result of Mom and Boyfriend Rape Murder Fantasy”
The News Herald, 7 January, 2017 – “Pa. Girl Found Dismembered Spent Nearly a Year in Buke”
The Reporter, 7 January, 2017 – “Mother, Boyfriend Arrested in Abington Teen’s Killing and Dismemberment”
The Express-Times, 8 January, 2017 – “Mom Who Killed Teen Daughter Worked for Northampton County, Report Says”
Associated Press, 9 January, 2017 – “Mom Accused in Teen’s Dismemberment Was Child Welfare Worker”
The Daily Record, 9 January, 2017 – “Mum Watched Boyfriend Rape and Kill Adopted Daughter”
The Patriot-News, 9 January, 2017 – “We Believe Sara Packer was Complicit in her Daughter’s Murder”
Associated Press, 10 January, 2017 – “Biological Mom of Dismembered Teen: I Trusted the System”
Bucks County Courier Times, 10 January, 2017 – “Murder Suspect Sara Packer’s Employment Terminated”
The Express-Times, 10 January, 2017 – “Memorial Service and Fundraiser Planned for Slain 14 Year Old”
Associated Press, 11 January, 2017 – “Girl Killed in ‘Rape Murder Fantasy’ Ensured Life of Abuse”
Reading Eagle, 11 January, 2017 – “A Fighter Until the End”
The Morning Call, 12 January, 2017 – “State Opens Probe into Grace Packer’s Rape and Murder”
The Morning Call, 12 January, 2017 – “For Birth Mother, Grace Packer Homicide is Second Heartbreak”
Associated Press, 13 January, 2017 – “Pennsylvania Woman Charged in Girl’s Death Fostered 30 Kids”
The Morning Call, 13 January, 2017 – “Sara Packer Not Implicated in 2010 Case, DA Says”
Associated Press, 16 January, 2017 – “Teen Slain in Rape Murder Fantasy Was Friend to the Lonely”
Associated Press, 16 January, 2017 – “Slain Teen Had Typical Parent Issues”
Bucks County Courier Times, 16 January, 2017 – “Abington Community Memorializes Grace Packer”
The Morning Call, 17 January, 2017 – “Adoptive Mom Sara Packer on Suicide Watch in Jail”
Philadelphia Daily News, 17 January, 2017 – “This Was a Wicked Thing”
Philadelphia Daily News, 18 January, 2017 – “Momster Found Foster Parenting Very Rewarding”
The Columbus Telegram, 25 January, 2017 – “Abuse Was Routine”
The Morning Call, 26 February, 2017 – “Grace’s Brief Respite”
Delaware County Daily Times, 7 February, 2017 – “Adoptive Mother of Slain 14-Year-Old Grace Packer Charged with Stealing Government Checks”
The Morning Call, 28 January, 2017 – “The Turning Point That Could Have Saved Grace Packer’s Life”
The Express-Times, 6 March, 2017 – “Sara Packer Child Abuse Claims Ignored 10 Years Before Daughter’s Killing”
The Express-Times, 11 March, 2017 – “Packer Pleads Not Guilty in Teens Killing”
Associated Press, 31 March, 2017 – “Death Penalty Sought for Man Charged in Teen’s Dismemberment”
The Morning Call, 18 March, 2017 – “Were Foster Child’s Claims About Packers Taken Seriously?”
Associated Press, 2 August, 2017 – “Biological Parents of Dismembered Teen Seek Estate Access”
Philadelphia Daily News, 31 October, 2017 – “Hunting Horror”
The Morning Call, 14 December, 2017 – “Adoptive, Biological Families Battle for Control of Grace Packer’s Estate”
Associated Press, 22 January, 2018 – “Prosecutors Drop Bid for 1 Trial for 2 Charged in Teen Death”
Bucks County Courier Times, 22 January, 2018 – “Grace Packer Murder Suspect Called Slain Teen a Nightmare”
Bucks County Courier Times, 23 January, 2018 – “Jacob Sullivan Did Not Want Grace Killing to Be Terror Show”
The Morning Call, 23 January, 2018 – “Recording of Jacob Sullivan’s Disputed Confession in Grace Packer Homicide is Played in Court”
Bucks County Courier Times, 24 January, 2018 – “Killing Grace Packer was ‘No Fun’”
Reading Eagle, 24 January, 2018 – “Confession by Suspect Heard in Courtroom”
The Morning Call, 12 March, 2018 – “Court Says ‘No’ to Family as Executors”
Associated Press, 6 February, 2019 – “Rape, Murder Defendant to Implicate Child’s Mother”
Associated Press, 19 February, 2019 – “Man Pleads Guilty in Rape, Murder of Pennsylvania Teen”
Bucks County Courier Times, 19 February, 2019 – “Jacob Sullivan Enters Guilty Plea to Grace Packer Murder”
The Morning Call, 23 February, 2019 – “Sullivan Completes Guilty Plea”
Associated Press, 15 March, 2019 – “Man Should Die for Teen’s Rape, Murder, Dismemberment”
The Morning Call, 15 March, 2019 – “Bucks County Jurors Asked to Imagine the Horrors that 14-Year-Old Grace Packer Endured”
The Morning Call, 18 March, 2019 – “Jacob Sullivan Liked Killing Grace Packer, Nurse’s Aide Testifies”
The Morning Call, 19 March, 2019 – “Grace Packer Looked to Mom for Help”
Associated Press, 20 March, 2019 – “Mom Admits Plotting Girl’s Death”
The Morning Call, 20 March, 2019 – “I Got Wrapped Up”
The Morning Call, 25 March, 2019 – “Killer of Grace Packer Described as Gentle Giant”
Associated Press, 28 March, 2019 – “Man Gets Death for Teen’s Rape, Murder, Dismemberment”
The Morning Call, 1 April, 2019 – “Child Welfare Agencies Missed Red Flags”
Associated Press, 1 May, 2020 – “Man Who Dismembered Teen Dies from Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm”
The Morning Call, 2 May, 2020 – “Murderer Dies of Aneurysm”
