GUILTY GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 26 June 2011 #12

[Backwoods]

As in- that specific email was up on the screen at the time they entered the apartment? Do we know what type of email acct she was using?

And not trying to be nitpicky, because it probably doesn't matter- but even if the email was found on her computer (btw- do we know what kind of computer it is?)

respectfully snipped and bbm for focus:

Just wanted to respond a little more to your posts.

From the incident report at this link ...

http://download.gannett.edgesuite.net/wmaz/docs/giddingsreport1.pdf

... from when Lauren was reported missing, we know that she at least had a laptop in the apartment (but guess we don't know whether she had another computer as well).

Also, Oriah, I don't know whether you know that early on WSer Destini did a transcript of the Stephen McDaniel interview. The transcript is posted in the LG threads in three parts and you can find them in these posts:

Part 1: Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 25 June 2011

Part 2: Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 25 June 2011

Part 3: Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 25 June 2011




From that transcript, Part 3, here is the part I referenced in my earlier post, where he is talking about the searchers reading the emails:

QUOTE:

... "MCDANIEL: We -- Joe, he got onto her computer last night to see if she'd sent anything. She'd sent an e-mail out to some people that afternoon talking about like going out to eat or something. And the last thing that anyone -- there was an e-mail that she sent out after 10 that night where she -- she sent it to -- I think it was someone in Atlanta, a friend of hers in Atlanta. And he -- she said that she -- she was afraid in her apartment, that she thought someone had tried to break in on Thursday night and that she -- she was afraid to stay in there. But --" ...

 

[Oriah]

See -- I knew the answer would be a good one!

And I'm sure it makes sense, although it (and your follow-up post on this a bit after the one I just quoted) is a little above my level of techno-savvy, I'm afraid. Still, think I understand in a general way what you are saying.

FWIW: What SM said, basically, was that one of Lauren's searching friends pulled up her email on her computer "and we read it off the screen". (Not meaning here that the scenario you describe could not be the truth -- just clarifying for your question on what SM reported.)

Also -- could be important -- he also makes mention of an email preceding the "final" one. Says something like "there was one to some friends about going out to eat". Think way early on here, there was some discussion about that -- with the thinking that she maybe had had plans to go out to eat with friends and then perhaps the plans were cancelled somehow (and maybe even: hence, the Zaxby's). Don't think we ever had any further confirmation on this, though. (Anybody remember for sure?) That's something I'd like to know more about if it were possible.

That's interesting, Backwoods- thanks for reminding me.
I actually find several things interesting.

One: Lauren didn't password protect her email and/or shared her password with friends? While I know people do it all the time, it's not wise...and I would think Lauren would be savvy enough to know that? But I guess that's neither here nor there- unless McD was cyber stalking. Wonder if they got any interesting fingerprints off her computer or phone.

Two: what else was 'up' on her computer? Was she studying, so documents or a word type program? Internet sites? iTunes or something like that? Was the laptop connected to the internet? Did the searcher/friends have to power it on, and if so had it been shut down previously in a normal fashion? Was it charging at the time, or running on battery?

Three: going out to dinner with friends. I would love to know the time stamp on that and its sent/received status. If plans fell through and she decided to just run through Zaxby's instead- I know there was discussion about the Zaxby's being in her car vs in her apartment?

Ok- so that's more than a couple questions and I've probably missed answers from way back, so will go back and look.

I just can't shake the feeling that McD had her on his cyber radar. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but Brad Paisley's "Online" comes to mind- only brought to real life in a horrible, horrible way.

Poor Lauren. Prayers for her family and friends during this holiday season.

 

[Knox]

QUOTE:

... "MCDANIEL: We -- Joe, he got onto her computer last night to see if she'd sent anything. She'd sent an e-mail out to some people that afternoon talking about like going out to eat or something. And the last thing that anyone -- there was an e-mail that she sent out after 10 that night where she -- she sent it to -- I think it was someone in Atlanta, a friend of hers in Atlanta. And he -- she said that she -- she was afraid in her apartment, that she thought someone had tried to break in on Thursday night and that she -- she was afraid to stay in there. But --" ...

Sent an email out to some people that afternoon talking about going out to eat

Trying to recall where we learned this. Lauren went out with friends the night of June 24th, they went to several bars IIRC and she ended up staying the night at someone's house. Saturday June 25th, they spent the day at a pool at a country club. The trip to the drive through at Zaxby's was on her way home.

So what is McD talking about when he refers to the email prior to the final one? Plans for Friday night?

 

[bessie]

I can't check right now, but remember one friend told a reporter LG texted or emailed about planning a camping trip. Was that the email McD referred to?

 

[bessie]

That's interesting, Backwoods- thanks for reminding me.
I actually find several things interesting.

One: Lauren didn't password protect her email and/or shared her password with friends? While I know people do it all the time, it's not wise...and I would think Lauren would be savvy enough to know that? But I guess that's neither here nor there- unless McD was cyber stalking. Wonder if they got any interesting fingerprints off her computer or phone.

Two: what else was 'up' on her computer? Was she studying, so documents or a word type program? Internet sites? iTunes or something like that? Was the laptop connected to the internet? Did the searcher/friends have to power it on, and if so had it been shut down previously in a normal fashion? Was it charging at the time, or running on battery?

Three: going out to dinner with friends. I would love to know the time stamp on that and its sent/received status. If plans fell through and she decided to just run through Zaxby's instead- I know there was discussion about the Zaxby's being in her car vs in her apartment?

Ok- so that's more than a couple questions and I've probably missed answers from way back, so will go back and look.

I just can't shake the feeling that McD had her on his cyber radar. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but Brad Paisley's "Online" comes to mind- only brought to real life in a horrible, horrible way.

Poor Lauren. Prayers for her family and friends during this holiday season.

Oriah, Some of us speculated that her email program was open, and she might have been interrupted while composing the email to DV. But you've got me thinking that cyber stalking or hacking is a real possibility.

 

[Backwoods]

Regarding some questions raised in several of the recent posts:

Oriah, if it helps any, I'm pretty sure we heard that one of the people -- I think Lauren's mother -- who had some text/phone communication with her during that last evening said that at one point she said she was studying. Remember, she was doing the on-line bar prep course, so maybe she was using her laptop (or another computer, if she had one) for that during the evening.

I don't remember hearing anything about the "going out to eat" email except from SM in the interview, but maybe there was a reference somewhere else and I just missed it. Anyhow, mostly I remember us theorizing from the viewpoint that the going-out-to-eat email was about some kind of plans for that evening (Saturday) that maybe didn't pan out ... and maybe that was the reason she grabbed Zaxby's instead. But of course, what you, Knox, suggest may be right, instead -- that it was an email that had referred to Friday night's outing. (ETA: Just checked the transcript and, if we want to go by what SM said on this, he said she'd sent out this going-out-to-eat email "that afternoon", apparently meaning Saturday, because he goes on to say about the "hoodlums" email that it was sent "after 10 that night".)


Knox, you also say "they" went to the pool -- are you meaning you know that some of the friends went with her? I just assumed she had gone alone (only place I heard of the country club/pool trip was in The Washington Post story -- same one that -- yes, Oriah -- said the Zaxby's stuff was found in her car, rather than in the apartment, as we had always heard until then).

bessie, I think the camping trip was to be with some friends from the running club and I think it was to be the upcoming weekend, not the weekend she disappeared -- so not really thinking a "going out to eat" email would have been regarding that ... but don't know for sure, of course. I think maybe the friend you mention even tried to call her, maybe texted as well.

I know at one point we had major discussion about whether Lauren would have had the email on her computer password-protected. Who knows...? I didn't have mine that way until a year or so ago.

Isn't it weird to think that if SM had not mentioned the final email, we probably would not have even known of its existence? But, as it is, it has been a big pondering point from the beginning.

He (Stephen in the interview) does say (FWIW) that "Joe got on her computer" -- which doesn't really tell us (even if we take it at face value from SM) whether it was powered down, or up and running with stuff open, I guess.

 

[Backwoods]

The first part of the recent articles in The Telegraph about DV and Lauren have got me pondering something else.

Could the person who inquired about DV's and Lauren's relationship have been the apartment manager, Boni Bush?

And does anybody remember whether BB was ever asked by media (back when she was talking) whether Lauren mentioned a Thursday-night attempted break-in to HER? I know some of her friends said she did not mention anything about a break-in attempt to them and they thought she probably would have, if one occurred and it was worrying her. But maybe she would mention it to the manager, even if she wasn't concerned enough to tell friends.

Remember, BB at one point said, basically, that she considered Lauren not only a tenant but also a friend. They probably at least chatted at times. Maybe Lauren dropped in Friday evening to tell her about what might have been an attempted break-in and BB chatted with her about her moving plans, leading into a question about Lauren and DV ...? (This could have happened, too, even if Lauren didn't mention to BB any suspicions about a break-in attempt, of course -- but I sure would like to know if BB had heard anything about that, as well.)

 

[tiredblondy]

If he was cyber stalking/spying on her I hope the LE knows. I'd assume they could find out, right?????

 

[Backwoods]

For our ease of reference in this discussion, I'm posting the link to the The Washington Post article and a quote from that article that pertains to Lauren's apparently-known activities Friday/Saturday and the content of the final email:

link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...to-heartache/2011/08/05/gIQAj47IzI_story.html

QUOTE:


On Friday night, June 24, Lauren went out with friends. Two of her classmates, both acoustic guitarists, were performing in bars downtown. She and her pals hit the Rookery first, listened for a while, then crossed the street to Bottoms Up.

The evening was a welcome breather after weeks of intensive study. Georgia’s bar exam was scheduled for late July, and Lauren was determined to pass. It surprised no one who knew her well that she wanted to become a public defender, to devote her career to the poorest of the accused.

As she occasionally would do after a night on the town, she slept at a friend’s place Friday. Her boyfriend, Vandiver, who was in California that weekend, has privileges at a Macon country club, and on Saturday, Lauren used his name to get in. She wanted to swim and relax by the pool.

About 6:30 p.m., as she was headed back to Barristers Hall, alone in her 2004 Mitsubishi Galant, she stopped for fast food at a drive-up window monitored by an overhead camera. The wrappers and receipt would later be found in her car, so maybe she ate before she got home.

Then, in her apartment, about 10:30 that Saturday night, she sat at her computer for the last time, typing an e-mail to Vandiver.

With her lease due to expire in a week, she was about to start packing. She planned to bunk at friends’ places until she found a job and a permanent place to live. Butterbean, an incessant yapper, was in Maryland with her parents. She had left him there after the Christmas break, wanting one less distraction in her final semester.


She told Vandiver how much she had enjoyed Mercer and how wonderful Macon had been. Just in passing, without specifics, she told him that she thought someone had tried to break into her apartment recently. “Hoodlums,” she surmised.

She told him she was happy. She told him how excited she was about the future, wherever it might take her.


(This was quite a long story, so I'm thinking I didn't go over the quote allowance. If I did -- I can split it up into two parts...)

Of course, we don't know that this account is any more or less accurate than local accounts (where there is a difference, or where information is given that goes beyond what we knew before this article) -- I've just always found this account intriguing -- figuring that maybe Lauren's family or a close friend was the reporter's main source, and probably in a fairly extensive interview. JMO

 

[bessie]

bessie, I think the camping trip was to be with some friends from the running club and I think it was to be the upcoming weekend, not the weekend she disappeared -- so not really thinking a "going out to eat" email would have been regarding that ... but don't know for sure, of course. I think maybe the friend you mention even tried to call her, maybe texted as well.

I know at one point we had major discussion about whether Lauren would have had the email on her computer password-protected. Who knows...? I didn't have mine that way until a year or so ago.

Isn't it weird to think that if SM had not mentioned the final email, we probably would not have even known of its existence? But, as it is, it has been a big pondering point from the beginning.

He (Stephen in the interview) does say (FWIW) that "Joe got on her computer" -- which doesn't really tell us (even if we take it at face value from SM) whether it was powered down, or up and running with stuff open, I guess.

respectfully snipped

This article is from July 1, so looks like you're right, Backwoods, the camping trip was for the following weekend.

Friend JK says he met Giddings two years ago in a club for runners.

He says they were supposed to go camping this weekend with friends, but he says she suddenly stopped returning phone calls or text messages.

He figured she was studying for the bar exam and didn't want to be disturbed.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/article/134319/175/Giddings-Friends-Mercer-Community-Speak-Out

 

[southern_comfort]

For our ease of reference in this discussion, I'm posting the link to the The Washington Post article and a quote from that article that pertains to Lauren's apparently-known activities Friday/Saturday and the content of the final email:

link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...to-heartache/2011/08/05/gIQAj47IzI_story.html

QUOTE:


.....[SNIPPED]With her lease due to expire in a week, she was about to start packing. She planned to bunk at friends’ places until she found a job and a permanent place to live. Butterbean, an incessant yapper, was in Maryland with her parents. She had left him there after the Christmas break, wanting one less distraction in her final semester.[SNIPPED]
JMO

The latest Telegraph article has her moving in with DVD, rather than squatting with friends... or, is DVD what the Post is calling "friends", and was her moving in with DVD intended to be temporary?

"She had remained in town through late June to prepare for the Georgia bar exam. She was about to move out of her apartment, head for Atlanta, move in with David and begin her career."

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/12/12/1820652/it-was-just-like-her-unmissable.html#ixzz1gr6Kfh1C
​

This is mostly OT, but I've been curious about the players in this case graduating from law school without having jobs. Maybe that's just the current economic climate. It's been a long time since I graduated, and my law school is a few notches up from Mercer, but it was almost unthinkable to graduate without having a job lined up. It's hard for me to fathom sacrificing the time, money and effort law school requires if I were likely to be unemployed at the end of it. That must be awfully depressing.

 

[Backwoods]

The latest Telegraph article has her moving in with DVD, rather than squatting with friends... or, is DVD what the Post is calling "friends", and was her moving in with DVD intended to be temporary?

"She had remained in town through late June to prepare for the Georgia bar exam. She was about to move out of her apartment, head for Atlanta, move in with David and begin her career."

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/12/12/1820652/it-was-just-like-her-unmissable.html#ixzz1gr6Kfh1C
​

This is mostly OT, but I've been curious about the players in this case graduating from law school without having jobs. Maybe that's just the current economic climate. It's been a long time since I graduated, and my law school is a few notches up from Mercer, but it was almost unthinkable to graduate without having a job lined up. It's hard for me to fathom sacrificing the time, money and effort law school requires if I were likely to be unemployed at the end of it. That must be awfully depressing.

bbm: I don't know, southern comfort, I've wondered the same. I've heard/read both things -- moving in with boyfriend, moving in with friend/s. I was thinking maybe the Post used the "friends" rather than come right out with "boyfriend" in case some might think that, um, indelicate (even in this day and age), particularly in the type of story that the Post story was...? But it does say "friends", plural, almost as though she was going to be staying here and there for a bit...? Just don't know.

I guess this economy is tough for most starting out in any profession... it IS depressing.

I was kind of thinking we'd heard that Lauren did have a job lined up...? But can't give a source right off hand.

 

[bessie]

bbm: I don't know, southern comfort, I've wondered the same. I've heard/read both things -- moving in with boyfriend, moving in with friend/s. I was thinking maybe the Post used the "friends" rather than come right out with "boyfriend" in case some might think that, um, indelicate (even in this day and age), particularly in the type of story that the Post story was...? But it does say "friends", plural, almost as though she was going to be staying here and there for a bit...? Just don't know.

I guess this economy is tough for most starting out in any profession... it IS depressing.

I was kind of thinking we'd heard that Lauren did have a job lined up...? But can't give a source right off hand.

That was my thinking, too. Either that, or at the time the reporters were unable to verify that she was going to move in with DV. I didn't give it much thought because it seemed irrelevant.

The latest Telegraph article has her moving in with DVD, rather than squatting with friends... or, is DVD what the Post is calling "friends", and was her moving in with DVD intended to be temporary?

"She had remained in town through late June to prepare for the Georgia bar exam. She was about to move out of her apartment, head for Atlanta, move in with David and begin her career."

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/12/12/1820652/it-was-just-like-her-unmissable.html#ixzz1gr6Kfh1C
​

This is mostly OT, but I've been curious about the players in this case graduating from law school without having jobs. Maybe that's just the current economic climate. It's been a long time since I graduated, and my law school is a few notches up from Mercer, but it was almost unthinkable to graduate without having a job lined up. It's hard for me to fathom sacrificing the time, money and effort law school requires if I were likely to be unemployed at the end of it. That must be awfully depressing.

ITA, Southern Comfort, and for me it begs the question of whether the stress of facing an uncertain future might have been a catalyst for murder.

 

[bessie]

That's interesting, Backwoods- thanks for reminding me.
I actually find several things interesting.

One: Lauren didn't password protect her email and/or shared her password with friends? While I know people do it all the time, it's not wise...and I would think Lauren would be savvy enough to know that? But I guess that's neither here nor there- unless McD was cyber stalking. Wonder if they got any interesting fingerprints off her computer or phone.

Two: what else was 'up' on her computer? Was she studying, so documents or a word type program? Internet sites? iTunes or something like that? Was the laptop connected to the internet? Did the searcher/friends have to power it on, and if so had it been shut down previously in a normal fashion? Was it charging at the time, or running on battery?

Three: going out to dinner with friends. I would love to know the time stamp on that and its sent/received status. If plans fell through and she decided to just run through Zaxby's instead- I know there was discussion about the Zaxby's being in her car vs in her apartment?

Ok- so that's more than a couple questions and I've probably missed answers from way back, so will go back and look.

I just can't shake the feeling that McD had her on his cyber radar. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but Brad Paisley's "Online" comes to mind- only brought to real life in a horrible, horrible way.

Poor Lauren. Prayers for her family and friends during this holiday season.

Macon police believe that Lauren Giddings is seen on the night of her disappearance on surveillance video at 6:30 p.m. at a restaurant drive-through window and they believe she sent an email from her home computer at 10:30 p.m.

Police spokeswoman Jami Gaudet confirmed to 13WMAZ that Giddings is believed seen on video outside a Zaxby's restaurant, and a receipt was found in her apartment matching the time of the purchase.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/article/135117/153/[B

Two weeks ago, sometime around 6:30 on Saturday evening, someone who authorities believe was Lauren Giddings, alone in her car, pulled up to the drive-through window at a Zaxby’s restaurant in downtown Macon. The eatery’s surveillance camera captured a clip of her arm reaching out to grab her order.
Investigators say it is the last known sighting of the 27-year-old Mercer University law school graduate alive. Her meal receipt and a food bag from the restaurant were found in her Georgia Avenue apartment.

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/09/1625474/police-hope-lab-results-from-74.html#ixzz1gsHLNON5

 

[Oriah]

The latest Telegraph article has her moving in with DVD, rather than squatting with friends... or, is DVD what the Post is calling "friends", and was her moving in with DVD intended to be temporary?

"She had remained in town through late June to prepare for the Georgia bar exam. She was about to move out of her apartment, head for Atlanta, move in with David and begin her career."

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/12/12/1820652/it-was-just-like-her-unmissable.html#ixzz1gr6Kfh1C
​

This is mostly OT, but I've been curious about the players in this case graduating from law school without having jobs. Maybe that's just the current economic climate. It's been a long time since I graduated, and my law school is a few notches up from Mercer, but it was almost unthinkable to graduate without having a job lined up. It's hard for me to fathom sacrificing the time, money and effort law school requires if I were likely to be unemployed at the end of it. That must be awfully depressing.

It's interesting that you mention that, southern_comfort. I was wondering the same thing (even if O/T).

I didn't go to law school, but I have a lot of friends who did. No one graduated without a job lined up- and although not all were dream jobs, they were all in the field. Everyone either went to work (or decided to switch paths and get an MBA, lol.) They were getting yanked up by firms all over the place- in fact, it seemed like the job market was competitive for the employers- not employees.

It is very sad to me if the economic climate is responsible for this change...especially since, as you said, the effort needed is so great in many different ways.

And kind of on topic- I wondered about that when reading up on McD's online activities. The timing of each post, each surf for info, each purchase, etc... who has the time for such obsessions while in law school or studying for the bar? It screams of a manic phase to me. (But I'm no shrink, either.)

 

[Oriah]

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/article/135117/153/[B



Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/09/1625474/police-hope-lab-results-from-74.html#ixzz1gsHLNON5

Thanks bessie.

I wonder if there was a beverage that came with the Zaxby's meal, and if so- if Lauren drank it and if she ate the food? I guess the autopsy would have shown that.

It has creepily crossed my mind that her murderer may have eaten some of her meal, drank from a straw, that sort of thing.

I know the FBI would have the forensics back on that at this point- so moot point- but it made me think about another case where a murderer transported a victim in the victims own vehicle, to another location where the victim's remains were left. And ate a subway sandwich the victim had purchased on the drive.

Bizarre and I'm sure unrelated, but eek.

 

[Backwoods]

I wonder if, by chance, Lauren was wearing the bracelet DV gave her on her arm that reached out for the Zaxby's order? Kind of hope so.

She had been swimming and sunning, I know, and maybe wasn't likely to wear jewelry while doing so -- but if she went out the night before with friends, slept over at friends' house, and didn't return to her apartment until after picking up Zaxby's, maybe she wore the bracelet and/or necklace for the night out and, if she took it/them off to swim, had placed it/them back on.

Or maybe some of the friends she was out with Friday night remember her wearing one or both pieces -- maybe some pics were even taken on cell phones and such, since this was maybe kind of an end-of-the-law-school-journey outing?

I just would like to know Lauren wore the pieces close to the time of her disappearance -- because otherwise we can't be too sure that the jewelry might not have been stolen at an earlier time or that she might not have lost one or the other, left it somewhere, etc.

 

[pearl]

Does anyone know where the picture of Lauren at the Zaxby's drive through is located on these threads? I've looked but can't find it. The Macon paper does not have any old photos available. Thanks in advance.

 

[Backwoods]

Does anyone know where the picture of Lauren at the Zaxby's drive through is located on these threads? I've looked but can't find it. The Macon paper does not have any old photos available. Thanks in advance.

pearl, I don't believe any of the video from the drive-through was released to the media/public.

 

[Backwoods]

Thanks bessie.

I wonder if there was a beverage that came with the Zaxby's meal, and if so- if Lauren drank it and if she ate the food? I guess the autopsy would have shown that.

It has creepily crossed my mind that her murderer may have eaten some of her meal, drank from a straw, that sort of thing.

I know the FBI would have the forensics back on that at this point- so moot point- but it made me think about another case where a murderer transported a victim in the victims own vehicle, to another location where the victim's remains were left. And ate a subway sandwich the victim had purchased on the drive.

Bizarre and I'm sure unrelated, but eek.

Right, eek!! You don't suppose that both accounts are somewhat accurate -- in something like that the bag and receipt were found in her apartment but the wrappers in her car...?

As you said, probably not anything like that, but ...?