GUILTY GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 26 June 2011 # 2

Knox said:

Welcome to WS mercerlaw!

In the vein of "student's being like family" and "a bonding experience".
I find it odd that not one person besides his Mom and Aunt, in that one brief news story and the elderly neighbor have come forward to talk about McD.

Even if he were a complete social introvert, he still attended classes and interacted with people on a daily basis. Do you know who he hung around with or maybe what he did for fun in his off time? Anything?

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I'm not a member of the Class of 2011, so I have no clue as to SM's experience at Mercer Law, nor any clue about his friends, etc...I only meant to say, as was posted earlier, that this is a very close legal community, and a school whose students generally are close to one another. FWIW.

Betty Crocker said:

Hello All:

This is a very interesting thread and my first post. It has been awhile, but I formerly practiced law in Macon and can't imagine how this tragedy is impacting such a small and close-knit legal community, not to mention this young woman's family.

angelanalyzes said:

We don't even know if he left the apartments in the days between Lauren's death and discovery.

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FWIW, In regard to the above quote, I have spoken with some folks at the law school who confirmed that SM was attending the BarBri prep class leading up to the discovery of the victim's body. These classes generally run on weekday mornings for about 3-4 hours and are delivered either as a live or video-taped lecture on a specific bar exam topic. The classes are not typically held on the weekends, but this schedule varies from state to state.

I can't imagine committing this horrific crime and then sitting through bar prep classes.

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As to the Bar Prep classes, if he was there, that is indeed strange. Couldn't agree with you more...on all of this.

Lomaker said:

This has been on my mind too. Even if he is a total loner, surely someone must have had some interaction with him outside of family and law school, right? It's very possible I know little about the work ethic required to make it through law school, but being from Macon I have known plenty of people who made it through while still engaging in extracurricular activities. The only people other than the ones Knox mentioned that I know of are people in the comments section on macon.com and a handful of people here in town - but they all have only known him because they had one or two classes with him.

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Thanks for pointing out the comments on macon.com, usually I don't read them.

http://www.macon.com/2011/07/14/1630766/refrigerator-removed-from-apartment.html

Betty Crocker said:

Hello All:

This is a very interesting thread and my first post. It has been awhile, but I formerly practiced law in Macon and can't imagine how this tragedy is impacting such a small and close-knit legal community, not to mention this young woman's family.

angelanalyzes said:

We don't even know if he left the apartments in the days between Lauren's death and discovery.

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FWIW, In regard to the above quote, I have spoken with some folks at the law school who confirmed that SM was attending the BarBri prep class leading up to the discovery of the victim's body. These classes generally run on weekday mornings for about 3-4 hours and are delivered either as a live or video-taped lecture on a specific bar exam topic. The classes are not typically held on the weekends, but this schedule varies from state to state.

I can't imagine committing this horrific crime and then sitting through bar prep classes.

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I have no idea about these online courses, does anyone know how interactive they are? Are you required to actively participate, or does it incorporate webcams in any way? Or something as simple as clicking prompts?

Lomaker said:

Betty Crocker said:

Hello All:

This is a very interesting thread and my first post. It has been awhile, but I formerly practiced law in Macon and can't imagine how this tragedy is impacting such a small and close-knit legal community, not to mention this young woman's family.

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I have no idea about these online courses, does anyone know how interactive they are? Are you required to actively participate, or does it incorporate webcams in any way? Or something as simple as clicking prompts?

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BarBri is not an online course. Its taught in a classroom. Lauren was taking an online course, Kaplan I think. He would have had to go to the law school to attend the classes.

Re:comments on Macon.com..

After the guy who is a classmate of both Lauren and Stephen posted a very well thought out expression of how this close knit class of 2011 and how they are torn between sadness and anger for Lauren and Stephen(if it indeed plays out that he is responsible).. Very well put and perfectly fitting as itbseems these young adults are all currently facing this nightmare..

But it was the comment posted after that stated that as a fam member of Lauren's she appreciated this guy's post as well As his details of McD being accepted by that class of 2011.. She appreciated having him humanized because being a fam member of Lauren and learning what it is that was inflicted and done to Lauren, her loved one.. She quite understandably could see nothing but a monster..(am in no way quoting But rather only paraphrasing this family members obvious pain and anguish).. The link to comments is posted ^above^..

Sadly I fear this is indeed much like some of us feared would end up to be.. And I can only imagine(honestly that isn't true.. I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE OR FATHOM).. To have to face the reality that my loved one has possibly endured the type of evil and depravity that many of us consciously choose to not let our minds go there, and even think of this kind of evil that exists..

Obviously there is so very much that LE and the poor, broken family of Lauren's know that we are not(and should not) be privy to, especially in this very active, ongoing investigation.. Just by simple statements like the one of a member of Lauren's family made it is apparent that LE has shared alot of what has been discerned thus far thru investigating of just what type of depravity and the level of depravity that Lauren or Lauren's body was subjected to(I say Lauren's body because I pray that she have already passed and her soul long since left her body by the time these acts were done)..

IMO LE as well as this family are well aware of who is responsible for what has been done to Lauren and at this point just patiently having to wait for all of the proof, evidence, and forensics to become available so that they may proceed in ensuring now that justice be served on Lauren's behalf..

As is always.. Tonight the Giddings family and friends are in mine and my family's prayers..

PDubby posted this on the first thread.

PDUBBY said:

Also, thinking about the timeline and McD. He said he was taking Barbri, a bar prep course. Here is a link for Barbri's schedule for Mercer:

http://content.barbri.com/wps/wcm/connect/93ae368046a07fb89070d47cb23ccc2c/GA+MAC+schedule+S11%282%29.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=93ae368046a07fb89070d47cb23ccc2c

He should have been in class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Was he there?

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Lomaker said:

~snipped for length~



I have thought that as well. But knowing how dark that front porch is and how hard it would be to see someone dragging something from one side to the other in the pitch black, it doesn't seem that much of a stretch. Especially if done between say 2-5 AM, when hardly anyone would be passing by.

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Also, with students all over the complex moving out during this time, it wouldn't be unusual to see people carrying large garbage bags out to the trash cans or even to their cars. I doubt it would attract much attention.

As indicated above by Bessie on the BarBri calendar, there was a simulated exam at the law school on the Wednesday prior to the discovery of LG's body. SM took this simulated test at the law school with his classmates. Would be curious to see how he scored.

mercerlaw said:

As a graduate of Mercer Law, and a resident of Macon, I have been following this story closely. I simply wanted to add that Mercer Law is a different law school experience. It's not "The Paper Chase." The students there truly are like family...its not cutthroat, its a bonding experience. Just a small thing to keep in mind when weighing how these individuals might have related to each other. Especially as to how SM would have been comfortable joining in the search with her friends.

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Welcome to Websleuths, mercerlaw. Your comment about the camaraderie among Mercer law students reminded me of Mrs. Giddings' statement that Lauren would host monthly (I believe) family dinners for her classmates. Judging from all I've read about Lauren, she was a delightful human being who would've fit in very well in that environment.

angelanalyzes said:

Hmm, it's possible he did formulate some concept of her that was initially quite idealized and then as time went on, as they were neighbors for a while, he learned more that conflicted with that fantasy of her and prompted a rage or jealousy in him. All in his head. He also wanted to get her before she was gone forever. He was running out of time, he wanted to keep her. I really believe that. I still believe there were cannibalistic elements to this crime, paraphiliac anthropophagy is the result of a person getting the wires between sex, consumption, and attachment crossed. Dahmer killed and ate his victims in order to feel like they stayed with him, stayed a part of him. It was a way of maintaining intimacy and closeness for him, as sick as that sounds. :twocents:

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Yes, I remember Dahmer's need to consume so his victim's would never leave him, as everyone else seemed to in his eyes.

I agree that possibly SM's existential crisis was created by this compulsion of loss ( her leaving) and his need to possess or consume her life. It is precisely this type of tension that may have pushed him over the edge!

I would not be suprised if he hid in her apartment before watching her while she slept and went through her things while she was not there prior to this crime.

Could the condoms have played a role in his sick fantasy, hence why they were ever questioned by LE in the first place?

Mom asked McDaniel if relationship with Giddings was possible

Son's goal is to become U.S. Supreme Court justice, mom says
By AMY LEIGH WOMACK -

Stephen Mark McDaniel considered Lauren Giddings, his neighbor and Mercer law school classmate, a friend, his mother says.

Glenda McDaniel said she even asked her son once whether romance was possible between him and Giddings or any other woman.

He told her that his focus was on completing law school, she said, and he didn’t have time for a relationship.

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/15/1632018/mom-asked-mcdaniel-if-relationship.html#ixzz1S90zzBIe

After reading the above story I feel for McD's parents and extended family.

I have no idea what kind of family he came from, but if he is charged, I hope people find a way to have some compassion for them. In many cases I feel like these families become victims too.

Early in the first thread, there were some comments about the expense and hard work that go into law school, and how no student would want to throw away what he/she had earned. If SM is truly responsible for LG's murder, it's hard to fathom why he would choose to commit such a horrendous crime after all of his efforts, and before realizing the ultimate achievement of every law student - passing the bar exam.

1.) There's the simple element of surprise seasoned with a bit of bad luck, on the part of both LG and SM. Suppose SM habitually entered apartments and stole small items that likely wouldn't be reported. He knew his classmates' habits well enough to know which apartment to enter and when. He thought he had come to know LG's habits well enough that he assumed she went running and would be gone awhile. Instead, she returned a few minutes later, while he was still in her apartment. First time he'd been caught? Coincidence this happened as they were preparing to leave Mercer permanently? Did he react with fury at being caught, knowing his law career would be jeopardized?

2.) Angelanalyzes and Troykan believe a consuming passion raged within SM. He fantasized about LG and could not bear to let her go. Perhaps he'd try to quell that passion, but could no longer contain it when faced with being separated from her forever. Keeping the torso <MODSNIP>seems to support this theory. We might conclude that the consuming passion that haunted SM for years eventually overwhelmed his appreciation for the law?

3.) Another thought I've had is that maybe SM had a different purpose in attending law school than the average law student. He committed at least two burglaries - possibly more - while studying law, and almost got away with them. He somehow obtained a master key to all of the units in his apartment complex, apparently without anyone's knowledge. He stole small, "personal" items from other tenants. Did he think no one would report missing condoms due to embarrassment and their low value? (I've also wondered if SM felt too self-conscious to buy condoms himself, but wanted to keep some on hand). Maybe SM went to law school to learn how to manipulate and skirt the law? He was already successful at avoiding prosecution for committing the burglaries. Perhaps he is also responsible for other crimes that went undetected. Was he convinced he was ready to commit the "perfect" murder because he'd "graduated"? Had the trash gone out a little earlier or LE started their search a little later, it could well have been an unsolvable murder.

Or, might the motive have been a combination of the above? Any thoughts?

Knox said:

After reading the above story I feel for McD's parents and extended family.

I have no idea what kind of family he came from, but if he is charged, I hope people find a way to have some compassion for them. In many cases I feel like these families become victims too.

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I must agree Knox. Being a "local" I am disturbed that this horrific crime has occurred. It is almost too much to take in, what with little information being released by LE (understandably), and the rumor mill that is working overtime, it is hard to know what to think.
I won't go on a ramble at this late hour, but I do want to ad that I find the posts here very intelligent and insightful and I want to thank you all for your research and efforts in sharing information.

Wow Indy Anna, very thought provoking indeed. I have had all the same thoughts and still undeceided as to what to think. Many possibilites and little solid evidence at this point to go on; other than our speculations.

I must say when I first learned of the dismemberment aspect of the crime, prior to confirmation that it was in fact Lauren, my initial thought went more to the perp coming from the medical side of Mercer rather than the Law School.

Many questions indeed!

Based on the level of decomposition of the remains, Jones said it didn&#8217;t appear as though Giddings had been dead for a long time.

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I am very much questioning what the possibilities are for what exactly this statement indicative of.. I mean, I think we all fully realize and are aware that the body at the absolute maximum length of time on one end of the spectrum would be that the body could have been deceased at most 4days(with last known for certain alive and on video at zaxby's at 6:30 on Sat. June 25 and discovery of torso morning hours of Thursday June 30)..

So, there would be no mistaking or error in thinking the body could have been deceased a week or more.. NOT A POSSIBILITY IN THIS CASE.. At most we know for absolute certain the body could not have been deceased, therefor in the process of decomposing, at most 4days AND NOT ANY AMOUNT OF TIME OR DAYS ANY LONGER THAN 4days..

Sorry for being so detailed and repetitive, but trying to show there is no long period of time that we are dealing with and that even if killed immediately, or soon thereafter her last being seen on video, Sat. June 25@6:30pm.. Still the body would only be 4 days at the most in the process of decomposing..

Thus why I am a bit confused by the statement made and quoted ^above^ by investigators.. And am weighing the actual options of each end of the spectrum as far as time of death.. Stage of decomp.. And given the tight spectrum with max being 4 days I am inclined to look at this statement as possibly being indicative that Lauren was NOT KILLED RIGHT AWAY... possibly indicative that the stage of decomp that her torso was in when found on Thursday morning was indicative of a time of death not as long as 4 days prior but a time at some point thereafter..

It is a very uncomfortable thought when thinking of this as a possibility(and I believe it is a given as to why that is) and my prayer is that the statement actually be indicative of nothing more than 4days into decomposition.. And it remarked on strictly because 4 days is not that long of a period of time and relatively still early when speaking in stages of decomp..

Hope I explained that clearly enough to understand.. Some days the path between my brain to my little fingers that attempt to relay the info coherently onto a computer screen.. Somedays it's a little garbled..lol..

Anyone else notice this statement or have any thoughts either way on it possibly indicating Lauren was not killed right away??

SmoothOperator said:

I am very much questioning what the possibilities are for what exactly this statement indicative of.. I mean, I think we all fully realize and are aware that the body at the absolute maximum length of time on one end of the spectrum would be that the body could have been deceased at most 4days(with last known for certain alive and on video at zaxby's at 6:30 on Sat. June 25 and discovery of torso morning hours of Thursday June 30)..

So, there would be no mistaking or error in thinking the body could have been deceased a week or more.. NOT A POSSIBILITY IN THIS CASE.. At most we know for absolute certain the body could not have been deceased, therefor in the process of decomposing, at most 4days AND NOT ANY AMOUNT OF TIME OR DAYS ANY LONGER THAN 4days..

Sorry for being so detailed and repetitive, but trying to show there is no long period of time that we are dealing with and that even if killed immediately, or soon thereafter her last being seen on video, Sat. June 25@6:30pm.. Still the body would only be 4 days at the most in the process of decomposing..

Thus why I am a bit confused by the statement made and quoted ^above^ by investigators.. And am weighing the actual options of each end of the spectrum as far as time of death.. Stage of decomp.. And given the tight spectrum with max being 4 days I am inclined to look at this statement as possibly being indicative that Lauren was NOT KILLED RIGHT AWAY... possibly indicative that the stage of decomp that her torso was in when found on Thursday morning was indicative of a time of death not as long as 4 days prior but a time at some point thereafter..

It is a very uncomfortable thought when thinking of this as a possibility(and I believe it is a given as to why that is) and my prayer is that the statement actually be indicative of nothing more than 4days into decomposition.. And it remarked on strictly because 4 days is not that long of a period of time and relatively still early when speaking in stages of decomp..

Hope I explained that clearly enough to understand.. Some days the path between my brain to my little fingers that attempt to relay the info coherently onto a computer screen.. Somedays it's a little garbled..lol..

Anyone else notice this statement or have any thoughts either way on it possibly indicating Lauren was not killed right away??

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I am more inclined to think that this statement means that the visible signs of decomp wern't matching up with the 4 day window---and that led to the fridges being searched and 1 of them seized. I heard it rumored that the torso when found was pretty fresh.

~ Snipped ~

angelanalyzes said:

I imagine if he did keep her in the downstairs apartment, it's because he had some way of knowing the comings and goings of the tenant. He may have devised a fail-safe of some sort. We don't even know if he left the apartments in the days between Lauren's death and discovery.
But consider this:
If he felt he left no evidence of himself on whatever he was keeping in the downstairs fridge, if anything, SO WHAT if the tenant came back and found her? If McD did this, he was willing to dump her torso on the side of her apartment just to get it out of his house. Why would he be so concerned about the tenant discovering her torso in the off chance they checked the fridge? If no one knew McDaniel had a master key, it's not like finding her torso in that fridge downstairs would point to him anymore than finding her torso in their proverbial backyard.

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Good point...but, if his object was to completely dispose of the body so that LG's disappearance would only be reported as a MP case, then he wouldn't want the tenant to return and find the body in the fridge. I'm considering it very likely that SM/the perp never wanted any part of the body discovered, but intended the torso to be taken with the trash the day it was discovered. I'm inclined to agree that he probably had another purpose for the torso and therefore kept it as long as he could. He probably knew the plans of the tenant in apt 1 who was in the process of moving out and felt confident no one would return until he had disposed of the torso. He may have disposed of the remaining body parts all at once, soon after the murder. If he had a special purpose for the torso, though, and it was sort of a compulsion for him, I could see him sneaking it downstairs to apt 1 and storing it in the fridge, thinking it unlikely anyone would search for LG in a vacant apartment (certainly not in the fridge for a MP) and that should someone discover the body before he was ready to dispose of it, he'd rather they find it in someone else's apartment - not his. Meanwhile, he would still have access to the body.

SmoothOperator said:

I am very much questioning what the possibilities are for what exactly this statement indicative of...


Anyone else notice this statement or have any thoughts either way on it possibly indicating Lauren was not killed right away??

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When I read this mentioned I also found it curious. I also had not seen before that the body was wrapped in some kind of material. I have been thinking she may have been held for some amount of time and the act performed away from the apartments. Several earlier reports have me wondering, IDK but then why bring the body back to the apartment. It's late I can't quite get all my thoughts together.