From 4 to 277

That's the difference in Google News hits between Thursday and today when one searches for the name Latoyia Figueroa.

Folks have Richard Blair, aka Richard Cranium, who first held CNN's feet to the fire about this missing, pregnant Black/Latina mother to thank for it first and foremost. (As a byproduct, we now have solid evidence that the MSM can indeed still be shamed into doing its job.)

The efforts still have not brought Latoyia Figueroa home safe and sound to her waiting 7 year old daughter (and the ugly karma of this disappearance happening when Ms. Figueroa's own mother was murdered when she was just 6 is unreal). But IMO, that outcome is not one anyone should be realistically expecting, even though of course I pray that I am wrong. Pessimism simply can't be avoided when one knows that for 11 days Latoyia has neither used her cell phone nor tried to access her money in the bank. But the closure of knowing what happened to her is still critical - for her baby girl at home, and the rest of her family. And I hope that the media and the blogosphere and local police continue with the increased commitment to learn what happened that they have shown since this story finally went national 3 days ago (9 days after she disappeared, in notable contrast to the 12 hours it normally takes when the victim is "just right.")

Finally, today's "You're a Dick" award goes to Stephen Pouche, Ms. Figuroa's so-called boyfriend and the father of her unborn baby. Apparently, Mr. Pouche takes offense that some folks in Latoyia's family are troubled by the fact that the last person who saw her alive was Mr. Pouche (not surprising, given that most perpetrators of violence against pregnant women are the fathers of their unborn children), and further offense that folks are upset that he is not out there searching for the mother of his unborn child himself. So, he called into a local Philly radio station to defend his honor. I can never be as eloquent as he was so I will let his words speak for themselves:

"Why should I aid people who think I've done something?" Pouche said. "I wish she would pop up so these people would leave me alone."

Looks like another deserving candidate for the Clue by Four^TM. So here it is:

HEY ASSHOLE, did it ever occur to you that by looking for your missing girlfriend, you'd also be looking for YOUR UNBORN CHILD?