GUILTY CA - Leila Fowler, 8, murdered, 12yo charged, Valley Springs, 27 Apr 2013 - #1

eileenhawkeye said:

There's a man who saw the intruder. He's separate from the woman witness, who was discredited.

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coastal said:

There was a guy who told reporters at a press conference that he picked up a hitchhiking man who's arm was covered with blood, but LE hasn't identified him as a witness AFAIK.

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eileenhawkeye said:

I don't think they ruled out the hitch hiker or the Placerville freak with DNA. Would they even get results back that quickly?

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tlcya said:

As it sounds now, both witnesses that were independent (not the sibling) have been discredited or are not relevant to this case.

I know this will open up all sorts of tempting speculation but please remember no one has been named as a suspect or a POI.

Back to lurk.

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mysteriew said:

Actually LE is probably looking at more from the household than just the son.

Not looking at any one case in particular. But sometimes when parents lose control, they can work out very elaborate alibi's. Sometimes they even involve other family members. Being seen in a very public place is a good alibi.

Not saying that happened here, but it has happened in other cases. IMO the whole family will be looked at. To see how the alibi stands up, to see how much they know. To rule them in or out.

FWIW I have seen the boy described as very sweet and it has been said he has been in a sort of shock since his sister died.

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tlcya said:

As it sounds now, both witnesses that were independent (not the sibling) have been discredited or are not relevant to this case.

I know this will open up all sorts of tempting speculation but please remember no one has been named as a suspect or a POI.

Back to lurk.

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The Cheese said:

Update: Leila Fowler Homicide Investigation
MEDIA RELEASE


Contact: Sgt Chris Hewitt
Release Date: 05/02/13
Release Number: 7

Update: Leila Fowler Homicide Investigation

(Valley Springs, CA) Calaveras County Sheriff’s Investigators have been in contact with the Fowler family and continue to make progress in the investigation into the murder of 8-year-old Leila Fowler. Evidence continues to be collected at the Fowler’s Valley Springs home.

On May 1, 2013 detectives and a composite sketch artist met with a witness in this case for the purposes of developing a composite sketch of the person seen running near the Fowler home. This witness had earlier provided a description of this person to investigators on two separate occasions. The witness had also stated that she saw the intruder running in the opposite direction from the direction that Leila’s 12 year brother had provided. During the composite sketch meeting the witness recanted her previous statements and her identification of the man she saw running. She also refused to provide a description to the sketch artist so that a composite could be completed. The witness’s description of the intruder was an important lead for investigators, but as of now it has become clear that this witness is no longer credible. Though this may seem like a setback in the investigation, it is actually a positive result in that it allows the investigators to narrow the scope of their investigation.

Investigators have received approximately 300 tips since the start of the investigation and continue to follow up on leads. Some of the leads that we have received have been investigated and excluded, which is allowing detectives to focus on other avenues.

Detectives continued to follow up on the City of Placerville Police Department’s arrest of a kidnapping suspect that occurred on April 30, 2013. On May 1, 2013 Calaveras Sheriff’s detectives went to Placerville to conduct interviews and find out whether or not the Placerville suspect had any connection to the Leila Fowler homicide. Though DNA samples taken from the suspect will still be sent to and analyzed by the DOJ crime lab as a matter of standard practice, detectives have determined it unlikely that there is a connection between the two crimes.

Calaveras Sheriff’s investigators have consulted with officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The FBI is providing support to the investigation.

https://local.nixle.com/alert/4996255/

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eileenhawkeye said:

There's a man who saw the intruder. He's separate from the woman witness, who was discredited.

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The Cheese said:

I don't know if it's formal, but just in case, I've put on my gown and tiara.

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Hejlena said:

Can someone please tell me approximately how far away from the Fowler home the ball field is? Where the rest of the family attended the Little Lague event? Tia

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eileenhawkeye said:

Wait...I thought there were three separate witnesses:

A woman neighbor: Discredited

Driver: Hitchhiker is not a suspect...so discredited

Man neighbor: Still credible?

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katydid23 said:

My DS called right at the same moment that the presser started. So I watched without being able to hear much of anything. But just from looking at the spokesman, he looked lost and frustrated and not happy at all. I think they are hitting roadblocks?

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eileenhawkeye said:

I am pretty sure that this is the Little League that serves Valley Springs: http://foothillslittleleague.com/

There are three fields for the games; They are 19 miles, 23 miles, and 17 miles from the Fowler home.

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snapdragon said:

This is looking bad.. I'm still not thinking a family member tho.

I am NOT sleuthing the victims, but is it ok to ask/inquire what business Leila's father is in? I am sorry if this is inappropriate. I am not thinking he was involved at all. I still stand by my opinion that the attacker had some link to the family- most likely unbeknownst to the family. Customer? Coworker? Just trying to make sense of all of this?

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eileenhawkeye said:

Wait...I thought there were three separate witnesses:

A woman neighbor: Discredited

Driver: Hitchhiker is not a suspect...so discredited

Man neighbor: Still credible?

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According to Hewitt, all registered sex offenders and parolees in the Valley Springs area have been contacted and many, if not all, have been ruled out.

Hewitt said it is hard to say at what point a murder becomes a cold case, when leads run out and the investigation stalls until new evidence surfaces.

“Right now, it’s a very active case,” he said. “Our detectives are working 16- to 18-hour days.”

He said the Sheriff’s Office has placed other cases aside and will continue actively investigating the murder until detectives stop receiving tips, and there is no evidence left to collect or people to interview.

The crime was reported about 12:15 p.m. Saturday, when Leila’s parents phoned 911 dispatchers, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Raggio said a rape kit was used on Leila at the hospital but declined to reveal results.

When asked if it is standard procedure to conduct such a rape test on an attack victim, he responded, “not necessarily.”

The Sheriff’s Office has not stated whether Leila was sexually assaulted.

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Christy Lawson lives three doors down from where Fowler was killed and said she witnessed a harrowing scene at about noon Saturday.

Lawson said a man who she believed to be Barney Fowler, Leila’s father, came to the edge of her driveway.

“He was white as a ghost,” she said. “He had blood on his shirt, her body imprint was on his shirt, like you could tell he was cradling that little girl.”

“He said, ‘Have you seen anything?’ I said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Is she OK? Is she OK?’” Lawson recalled. “He said, ‘No. She’s not OK.’”

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“I wish I could have seen that guy running through my backyard. I would have tackled him right below the knees … and held him until someone else could have come,” Lawson said.

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Mellen, Lawson and other neighbors living south of Fowler’s home felt confident the suspect — who police have described only as male, 6 feet tall and wearing a dark shirt and blue pants — must have fled north toward Hartvickson Lane.

Lawson said her pit bull “would have pulverized him if she saw anything” and she thought Mellen’s dogs were even more likely to pick up on something out of the ordinary.

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Barron said he told police about two rock formations at the edge of the property, each with an 8-foot-deep cave, and said the features are not unusual there.

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