The father of a handicapped girl who was killed in a fire six months ago didn't learn about his daughter's death until this week.
William Womack, father of Bobbi Jo Womack, says his heart "burst" when he was told by a news reporter that Bobbi Jo died March 3.After receiving the news Tuesday at his Pennsylvania home, Womack caught the first flight to Salt Lake City.
"There are just too many unanswered questions . . . and I wanted to be satisfied that she was buried nice and all," he said in an interview with the Deseret News.
Bobbi Jo died during an early morning fire in the detached garage of a home rented by John and Tonja Vosburgh. Police have since charged the couple with first-degree murder, aggravated arson and insurance fraud, alleging they killed the girl for a $100,000 insurance policy.
Womack's death and the subsequent criminal charges received widespread media coverage. The girl's mother and sister were particularly outspoken during the Vosburghs' initial court appearances, yelling at the couple as they left 2nd District Court in Farmington.
But William Womack knew nothing of the events in Utah, once his home.
"I don't know why nobody told me, I'm heartbroken, stunned," he said Wednesday after visiting Bobbi Jo's grave.
Though he says he now "feels at peace, comfortable that she was buried right," Womack wants answers about the six-month delay.
Investigating police departments are usually responsible for notifying next-of-kin. But Layton police say they didn't know the girl's natural father was alive.
"I didn't know he existed. (Bobbi Jo's) mother came to the scene the morning of the death, so she knew immediately. We figured that she would tell the extended family," said Detective Kevin Allred. Normally, officers tell whichever parent they can reach and leave it to that parent to inform others, he said.
But that task was too hard for the Womack family living in Salt Lake City, said Dawn Womack, Bobbi Jo's sister. The divorce of her parents in 1983 cut contact with their father.
"We haven't heard anything from him for 11 years. We would have called him if we could have found him."
William Womack says he's tried to reach his four children over the years since the divorce but could never find phone numbers. Now, he says, he wished he would have tried harder.
"My ex-wife told me that she never wanted me to see the kids again. I thought maybe they felt the same way."
Dawn Womack said her family might have tried to find their father through state Child Recovery Services, the agency that requires him to pay child support. "I left that up to my mom . . . I guess there are a lot of hard feelings after 11 years," she said.
William left Utah after the divorce, has since remarried and now lives in York Haven, Penn. He learned of Bobbi Jo's possible death last weekend after his mother, who lives in Virginia, received a phone call. The caller identified herself as a friend of the family and said Bobbi Jo's father "should know," Womack said.
He then spent Monday and most of Tuesday trying to confirm her death with authorities in Utah but couldn't until he contacted the Deseret News.
Before he returns, Womack wants to meet with his children at Bobbi Jo's grave. "I'd like some pictures . . . and a chance to make things better." He said his future will not be the same without Bobbi Jo, who he called "Peep," but hopes he can re-establish ties with his remaining children. "I love them all."