oftentimes with older boys. She even informed her mother that “she had good judgment of men.” Emily’s grades began to fall. It was apparent her interests had been severely sidetracked. Her mother eventually took her out of public school and placed her in an alternative school for problem students.
Elizabeth LaQua did not believe her daughter was taking drugs. Of course, parents are usually the last to know. Emily’s best friend, Elaina Davison, was another problem child. After Emily was transferred to the alternative school, Elaina moved to Florida with her parents. Soon after, Elaina ran away from home and hitchhiked all the way back to Washington, to be with her best friend. Elizabeth LaQua allowed Elaina to move in with the LaQua family, as well as two or three other troubled teenage girls. Elizabeth, who had aspirations of becom-ing involved in the ministry, believed it was her duty to
care for these troubled souls.
It was tougher than she ever imagined.
“I had a terrible time,” Elizabeth recalled. “I have certain rules that must be obeyed. It seemed like they would gang up on me. They all seemed to work under the same thesis—that the world owed them a living,” she declared of her own daughter and her teenage friends.
106 Corey Mitchell
Emily became even more bored with school. She informed her mother that because she appeared to look eighteen, she wanted to become an adult. She also informed her mother that she had no interest in completing her scholastic education and that she wanted to drop out of school and take her General Educa-tional Development test (GED), which would give her the equivalent of a high-school diploma. Her mother was adamantly opposed.
Emily threatened her mother that she would leave if her mother did not let her do what she wanted. She warned her mother that she would go live with her father in Brookshire, Texas. She even sarcastically told her mother, “Don’t worry about me, Mom, I’ll be okay. I can take care of myself.”
In mid-March 1982, Emily LaQua disappeared. At first, Elizabeth LaQua did not think much of it, since Emily had run away several times before. This time, however, it was the real deal. She hoped her daughter would find a nice group of churchgoing youth that would guide her back onto the right path.
“She had potential,” Emily’s mother acknowledged, “but she needed the right peer group. To her, it was more important to be accepted and loved by her peers than anything else.”
Emily LaQua and Elaina Davison stuck out their thumbs and headed for Texas. The girls were stopped in Fort Worth, Texas, near Dallas, by juvenile authorities, but they were released and continued their trek to Brookshire.
Twenty-five hundred miles later, they made it. Emily knocked on her father’s door and told him that she and Elaina needed a place to stay. Her father worked as a cook at the local Union 76 truck stop and gas station. He
EVIL EY ES 107
wanted to make sure she got a job as well. Within two days, Emily landed a job as a waitress.
It also did not take long for father and daughter to go after one another. During her first week in Brookshire, Emily came home late at night with two young men in tow. Her father was furious. He, in essence, grounded her and told her she could only go to work and then had to come home and stay home every night.
The following day, March 20, 1982, one day after Coral Watts moved into his new apartment in Houston, Emily was stewing in her juices. She was furious with her father for grounding her. She stormed out of the house and headed off for work at 5:00 A . M . She had been in Brookshire for one week.
Frank LaQua never saw his daughter again.
Emily was last seen hitchhiking alongside Interstate 10. Coral Watts just so happened to be driving on Interstate 10 the same day.
According to Frank LaQua’s supervisor, Hattie Bonner, Frank was despondent when his daughter did not show up the next morning. He immediately
Elizabeth LaQua did not believe her daughter was taking drugs. Of course, parents are usually the last to know. Emily’s best friend, Elaina Davison, was another problem child. After Emily was transferred to the alternative school, Elaina moved to Florida with her parents. Soon after, Elaina ran away from home and hitchhiked all the way back to Washington, to be with her best friend. Elizabeth LaQua allowed Elaina to move in with the LaQua family, as well as two or three other troubled teenage girls. Elizabeth, who had aspirations of becom-ing involved in the ministry, believed it was her duty to
care for these troubled souls.
It was tougher than she ever imagined.
“I had a terrible time,” Elizabeth recalled. “I have certain rules that must be obeyed. It seemed like they would gang up on me. They all seemed to work under the same thesis—that the world owed them a living,” she declared of her own daughter and her teenage friends.
106 Corey Mitchell
Emily became even more bored with school. She informed her mother that because she appeared to look eighteen, she wanted to become an adult. She also informed her mother that she had no interest in completing her scholastic education and that she wanted to drop out of school and take her General Educa-tional Development test (GED), which would give her the equivalent of a high-school diploma. Her mother was adamantly opposed.
Emily threatened her mother that she would leave if her mother did not let her do what she wanted. She warned her mother that she would go live with her father in Brookshire, Texas. She even sarcastically told her mother, “Don’t worry about me, Mom, I’ll be okay. I can take care of myself.”
In mid-March 1982, Emily LaQua disappeared. At first, Elizabeth LaQua did not think much of it, since Emily had run away several times before. This time, however, it was the real deal. She hoped her daughter would find a nice group of churchgoing youth that would guide her back onto the right path.
“She had potential,” Emily’s mother acknowledged, “but she needed the right peer group. To her, it was more important to be accepted and loved by her peers than anything else.”
Emily LaQua and Elaina Davison stuck out their thumbs and headed for Texas. The girls were stopped in Fort Worth, Texas, near Dallas, by juvenile authorities, but they were released and continued their trek to Brookshire.
Twenty-five hundred miles later, they made it. Emily knocked on her father’s door and told him that she and Elaina needed a place to stay. Her father worked as a cook at the local Union 76 truck stop and gas station. He
EVIL EY ES 107
wanted to make sure she got a job as well. Within two days, Emily landed a job as a waitress.
It also did not take long for father and daughter to go after one another. During her first week in Brookshire, Emily came home late at night with two young men in tow. Her father was furious. He, in essence, grounded her and told her she could only go to work and then had to come home and stay home every night.
The following day, March 20, 1982, one day after Coral Watts moved into his new apartment in Houston, Emily was stewing in her juices. She was furious with her father for grounding her. She stormed out of the house and headed off for work at 5:00 A . M . She had been in Brookshire for one week.
Frank LaQua never saw his daughter again.
Emily was last seen hitchhiking alongside Interstate 10. Coral Watts just so happened to be driving on Interstate 10 the same day.
According to Frank LaQua’s supervisor, Hattie Bonner, Frank was despondent when his daughter did not show up the next morning. He immediately
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