The Playtime Killer

After a California girl is kidnapped and murdered, a shattered neighborhood helps nab a suspect

She had the face of an upturned blossom, but she was born under the sign of the lion and her heart belonged to Hercules. The first-grader adored Disney's version of the hero and hung a poster of him over her bed. So Samantha Runnion, 5, reacted as her idol would have when a stranger first asked her to help find his chihuahua and then--as she bent down to show how small the dog might be--carried her into his car. She fought with all the might of her tiny arms and legs, and screamed to her friend, "Help me! Tell my grandmother!"

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