Girl’S Dad Willing To Take Lie-Detector Test Jackson Says Test Would Shift Focus Of Officers Back To Missing Daughter

The father of a missing Spokane Valley girl said Monday he is ready to take a lie-detector test to eliminate himself as a potential suspect in his daughter’s disappearance.

William “Brad” Jackson, 33, said he told sheriff’s detectives who served a search warrant at his parents’ house Saturday night that he is willing to submit to a polygraph examination.

“They’re supposed to call me,” Jackson said during a brief interview Monday evening. “They haven’t called me yet. I’d like to get it done to shift the focus back to my daughter.”

Jackson’s 9-year-old daughter, Valiree, disappeared Oct. 18 from her grandparents’ home at 13319 E. Blossey. Both she and her father live at the house.

Detectives offered to give Jackson a liedetector test Wednesday, but he told them he’d have to think about it, sheriff’s Lt. Doug Silver said Monday.

“We’ve given that opportunity so we could focus our investigation,” Silver said. “It would assist us if he would take one.”

Detectives are forced to spend time investigating Jackson as a potential suspect until they have reason to believe otherwise, Silver said.

The day Valiree disappeared, Jackson told detectives the girl was playing in the front yard about 8:30 a.m., waiting for him to walk her to school. He said when he went to get her, she was gone.

Jackson said he searched the immediate area before calling 911 about 15 minutes later. Valiree, who attends McDonald Elementary School, hasn’t been seen since.

Her grandparents had left the house earlier that morning and weren’t home when Jackson reported the girl missing, Silver said.

Her grandmother, whose name hasn’t been released, told authorities she kissed the girl goodbye about 4:30 that morning before leaving for the day.

Detectives served a search warrant at the Blossey home Saturday night.

They said they were looking for trace evidence such as hair, clothing fibers, footprints or bloodstains that may provide some clues as to what happened to the girl.

Investigators also seized two vehicles - a four-wheel-drive Ford pickup and a two-door Honda - which were parked outside the house.

They spent part of Monday searching the cars for evidence, Silver said.

Detectives have declined to say what, if anything, they found during their search. On Monday, District Court Judge John Madden granted their request to keep the search warrant and related documents sealed for 30 days.

Deputy prosecutor Jack Driscoll argued that releasing the affidavit of probable cause and the list of items seized by detectives during the search would jeopardize the investigation and violate the privacy of the Jackson family.

“This investigation is in its infancy at this point,” Driscoll said.

Duane Swinton, attorney for The Spokesman-Review, objected to sealing the warrant entirely. Swinton requested that Madden seal only those portions that detectives clearly demonstrated would harm their case.

Madden closed the entire file to public scrutiny until next month.

Detectives also spent time Monday tracking down sex offenders who live in Valiree’s neighborhood or are known to have committed crimes there, said Deputy Dave Reagan, sheriff’s spokesman.

“They’re also talking to any neighbors in the area who they haven’t been able to talk to yet,” he said. “We’re looking for any break, any evidence in the case.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: SECRET WITNESS Reward offered Secret Witness is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the discovery of Valiree Jackson. Jackson, 9, disappeared from her grandparents’ home at 13319 E. Blossey in the Spokane Valley on Oct. 18. Valiree is 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 70 pounds. She has curly red hair. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call Secret Witness at 327-5111. Callers don’t have to give their names to be eligible for the reward.