A request from Sherri (Chip's Mom):

Please view Sherri's message to re-elect delegate Katherine Waddell. Katherine played a key role to help pass the Chip Alert bill..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LWzBqfAZOng

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Governor Kaine of Virginia signed the Chip Alert bill # 2255. Thank you everyone for your support.. We recieved many emails of support; I have posted the email below written by a fellow class mate of Chips that was truly touching and says it all..

 " My name is (name deleted) and I live in Midlothian Virginia. I went to high school with Chip and I am best friends with his girlfriend. The day Chip went missing, exactly a year ago day, I spent the entire day following the end of school searching the town with his girlfriend looking for him. With no luck, we decided to make a flyer and post it on every corner, on every street, in every store, on every wall. Unfortunately, when we asked some store managers to post the missing persons flyer, they refused to on the fact that there was no Amber Alert issued. Witnessing this first hand and having someone refuse to post a flyer with information about a friend of mine who had gone missing, upset and angered me. I honestly think if an alert had been put out, the word may have spread faster about Chip's dissapearance. That day I saw an unbelievable pain in the eyes of his friends, girlfriend, classmates, and family members. I never want to have to see that again, nor have any other person have to deal with that as im still dealing with it today, a year later. "

Nothing can be done about what happend to our dear amazing friend Chip, but if you pass this bill, so many other people's lives may be spared and saved. The pain we all under went that week is nothing a high school senior wants to do 2 days after prom and only a few short weeks away from graduation, nor any other time of the year. Help prevent this pain for others and honor Chip Ellis, pass the bill. "

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 I did not know Chip nor his family but as I watched the events unfold, I witnessed his mother endure a pain that no human should ever experience. The outpouring of support from the community, co-workers, students, friends and family is truly amazing. Since Chip was 18, he did not qualify as a candidate for an Amber Alert. I focused my help efforts to create a website to find Chip who was missing then for nearly 36 hours. The website was then redesigned to be a memorial tribute of Chip's life.

Chip's body was found 3 days later and classified by Chesterfield County Police as a homicide.  Chesterfield County and Henrico Police departments made an arrest within 24 hours of finding Chip's Body.

 Although I have not had the opportunity to meet Chip's Father, as the father of a 13 year old boy (Jordan Sebia) who died in a canoeing accident on February 26, 2006 in the Swift Creek Reservoir, after being missing for 8 days; I feel his and the entire Ellis family’s pain. My son's memorial website can be viewed at www.jordansebia.org 

A special thank you once again to the Chesterfield County Police Dept. I watched once again these officers work countless hours until they found Chip and the suspect. The behind the scenes selfless efforts and, compassion the Police have for the victim and their families while serving the community with such professionalism is not only a commendable act but, truly heroic.

Gene Sebia
Midlothian Va.

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