This is probably a textbook case of how to squander a reservoir of public good will.

It may not be fair, but it is undeniably true that some murder victims, even children, sometimes hold a special place in the public’s heart.

Maybe it was Jessica Lunsford’s little pink hat, or perhaps it was that oh so charmingly innocent smile that reached out and grabbed the public in such a achingly painful way.

There was that innocence, which leaped off the page everytime we looked at her photograph.

And then there was the unimaginable way this sweet child died - debased and buried alive at the hands of John Evander Couey, who now sits on death row, a piece of vermin awaiting the eventual arrival of the state’s exterminator.

In a sort of existential way, Jessica was our little girl too. Our tears were shed for her and for her family, especially Jessica’s father Mark, who despite all the outward trappings of being the good ol’ boy from central casting, emerged as a thoughtful, articulate spokesman for his daughter’s memory.

And now - this.

Mark Lunsford intends to sue the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office over its handling of the investigation into Jessica’s disappearance and murder. And that is sad, terribly sad.

Were there mistakes made by the Citrus Sheriff’s Office? Maybe. Possibly. Absolutely.

Every criminal investigation has its shortcomings, but no reasonable person could ever conclude Citrus Sheriff Jeff Dawsy and his deputies didn’t do everything possible to find young Jessica.

For Mark Lunsford to now attempt to haul Dawsy and his department into court only undermines this little girl’s memory and diminishes the considerable measure of goodwill a still grieving father enjoys with the public.

Lunsford should tread very carefully on this legal ground. For while his lawsuit might well reveal errors and omissions Dawsy’s team may have committed in tracking down Couey, Mark Lunsford himself runs the risk of having his own conduct as a parent brought into question as the lawsuit moves forward.

Does he really, really want to expose his own mistakes to be laundered in public?

Is it really worth it? To Mark Lunsford? To Jeff Dawsy? To - Jessica?