Penny Boudreau pleads for her 12-year-old daughter’s safe return in this video clip. Just sadly, her plea didn’t help. Karissa Boudreau was found dead within days of this plea along a nearby riverbank, and her death was determined to be a homicide. Police aren’t releasing any details at this time pending the investigation.

When I first watched the video, Penny’s behavior didn’t sit well with me. Penny also said something that was a big red flag for me. She said, “Nothing can be done to make things better, but it’s comforting to have support.”

Read more Clearly, this is a very odd statement. Why can’t things be done to make things better? Why wouldn’t finding her daughter make things better?

Parents of missing children hang on to every shred of hope, because facing the loss of a child is too painful to face until they absolutely are forced to do so. Penny’s statement is in complete contradiction to this. She basically says without saying it, she has no hope, which doesn’t make sense…unless, of course, she knows more than she is telling us.

Most parents, while heartbroken and devastated at this point, would force themselves to forge forward with courage, because there is no other alternative. They wouldn’t dream of giving up. But it appears Penny has here. It’s very unusual behavior.

Penny also shows she is distancing herself away from Karissa, which is a concern. I suspect these clues come from deep within her subconscious. I’ll bet she wasn’t even aware she said these things. She says in her plea to Karissa, “Your Aunt April is here. Your mom is here“. She doesn’t say “It’s me, mom.” She doesn’t refer to herself as I. She doesn’t say “I” miss you, “I” love you. Instead, she she says “we”. These word choices are unusual.

Penny also acts like Karissa won’t be able to see the TV, but will only be able to hear it, which is another oddity. If you don’t know where your daughter is, how can you make this assumption?

Why would you make such assumption?

And later, she says another statement that shows distance when she says, “It is hard not to know where your kids is.” To refer to her daughter as “your kid” is strange and removed. Most people would say “It is so hard not knowing where my daughter is.”

Furthermore, I find it odd how Penny talks to Karissa as if she merely ran away. She says “Please just reach out to someone, at least call us and just let us know you’re okay.” Penny seems to be acting like Karissa is an adult here who left on her own free will. What if Karissa can’t reach out because she has be abducted? Most parents would fear that their child could have been abducted in a circumstance like this, but Penny doesn’t seem to even think about that, which I find unusual. It’s another red flag.

I am not one to use lack of eye contact as a clue to deception, but here it is so outstanding, and usual, it is a red flag. Penny pleads to her daughter to make contact, yet she doesn’t look at the camera. She looks down or away. Then later, after she finishes talking to Karissa, she looks back up normally as she talks. It is this distinction in her behavior that is a big red flag. It’s the change of behavior that is notable. When you compare the behaviors side-by-side, it’s astounding. She makes no eye contact, then suddenly she starts to again. She also stops crying after talking to Karissa. The timing is a bit odd.

Yes, Penny is reading something previously written when she talks to Karissa, but she should still want to “connect” with her daughter in some visual form, but she doesn’t even attempt it. I would think she would want to speak from her heart to tell her daughter she is sorry and no matter what the differences of opinion are, it can all be worked out. But Penny doesn’t get personal in any way, which alarms me.

When people talk to others on camera, who are not present in the studio, especially when they are missing and they are pleading for their safe return, they usually make direct eye contact with the camera. But Penny isn’t here. Why?

Penny also doesn’t seem to shed a tear, which I find odd. She does seem distraught to me, and in distress, but how come there are no tears? I have seen people cry themselves dry. Was Penny crying all day before this? Her eyes don’t hit me as extra puffy, but only people who know her could judge that. I’d be curious to know.

I do see fear in Penny’s eyes. Is that fear that her daughter may never return, or is there another reason for the fear? Penny’s hand on her face is an indication she is trying to calm herself down, to self-soothe herself.

I find Penny’s behavior odd here, to say the least. I suspect she knows more than she is telling us…as painful as that is to write. I hope I am wrong.

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Update June 16, 2008:
Penny Boudreau Has Been Arrested

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Update January 30, 2009:
Penny Boudreau Pleads Guilty

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