GINA DAWN BROOKS MAY FINALLY FIND JUSTICE

There's something reassuring in the fact two men have been charged in the murder of Gina Dawn Brooks, the Fredericktown 13-year-old who disappeared nine years ago.

The Brooks' disappearance could have easily been forgotten in a dusty stack of unsolved cases. But several law enforcement officers have kept up the investigation after all these years.

Hers was a case that touched the hearts and souls of mothers, fathers and other plain folks in Southeast Missouri -- mostly because it could have happened to any family.

About 10:30 on the night of Aug. 5, 1989, Gina told her brother she was going to take a spin on a friend's borrowed bike left in the front yard and would be right back.

She never returned. The bike was found in the middle of the street. Everyone always assumed the teen-ager fell victim to foul play, but her body was never found.

The arrests last week are a credit to a St. Louis homicide detective, Chris Pappas, who spent two years chasing cold leads involving a number of murder cases and disappearances. The long trail eventually lead to the issuance of a warrant to Nathan D. "Danny" Williams, a child rapist serving a 30-year sentence in the state penitentiary in Jefferson City. Timothy R. Bellew, a 28-year-old Fredericktown man was charged as an accomplice in the crime. He has been jailed before for sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.

Gina's story is a stark reminder that evil is not limited to big cities. She was snatched from a quiet, well-lit residential street in the town of 4,000. Fredericktown is a small town where people don't always lock their doors, and most folks know each other. It's a slice of Americana not so different from any town in Southeast Missouri or Southern Illinois.

Sadly, the arrests may offer little comfort for Gina's mother, Cindy Box, whose heart-felt appeals drew the empathy and sympathy of thousands of parents and concerned citizens. These last nine years have probably seemed a lifetime for Gina's family who have suffered from cruelties and extortion from cranks and crazies. They have also watched numerous leads dashed by disappointment.

The family learned long ago that there are no guarantees. The case must proceed through the criminal justice system, and a jury of 12 men and women will decide the outcome.

But at least after nine long years, arrests have been made. Perhaps justice can finally be realized for a blond-haired, green-eyed girl who vanished in the night.