I joined this site after Jessica Lunsford went missing. Day after day I read the blogs and followed news on that investigation. After all was said and done, Jessica's body was found within 300 feet of her home. It was concluded Jessica was probably still alive and hidden, unconscious in the perp's residence when LE was conducting house-to-house searches the first few days.
That surprised me, and emphasized a fact that many abductors are either known to the victim, or the abductor knows the victim without reciprocation.
The circumstances surrounding Lindsey's disappearance that evening:
- She walks from her home with her brother and friends to a friend's house
- Their goal is to determine if Lindsey will be allowed to sleep over
- Along the way, a neighbor sends her brother away from the group during a squabble with Lindsey, and possibly with others in the group
- The group, minus one, continues to the friend's house
- 15 minutes transpires during when the group learns Lindsey is not allowed to sleep over
- The father of the friend sends Lindsey on her way, as it is getting late
- The group leaves, minus the friend who lives at the house, it is 9:15 pm
- One friend accompanies Lindsey at least part of the way back to her house
- It is not reported to which direction the friend leaves from Lindsey
- A neighbor on her way to work reports seeing Lindsey walking home
- It is not reported if the neighbor is driving or walking or passes directly by Lindsey or talks to her
- It is not reported if the neighbor indicates the friend was still with Lindsey
- It is not reported if the neighbor sees Lindsey walking in the direction to her home
- It is not reported if surveillance camera recordings yield relevant images
- Lindsey disappears, assumedly between 6th St and her house, three line-of-sight blocks away
- Lindsey's mother becomes concerned when Lindsey does not return home by 9:30 pm - 10:00 pm
- Lindsey's mother begins searching for Lindsey, taking their German Shepherd with her
- The German Shepherd is allowed to roam free from its leash with the intent of tracking Lindsey
- It is not reported how the German Shepherd reacts during the search nor to where it roams
- It is not reported if any persons initially accompany her on the search
- It is not reported if Lindsey's mother encounters anyone or anything while she is searching
- It is not reported if Lindsey's mother knocks on neighbors doors to inquire
- It is not reported in which directions and how far Lindsey's mother searches
- It is not reported if neighbor(s) assist Lindsey's mother in the search
- Lindsey's mother contacts police at 10:45 pm
- It is not reported if Lindsey's mother first returns home to make the call or uses a cell phone while outside the house or uses some other phone to contact police
- LE does not trigger Amber Alert because Lindsey's mother can not prove or otherwise emphatically state Lindsey is an abductee
- LE triggers CANS (Missing Endangered)
- It is not reported if searches reveal absolute clues
- It is not reported if storm drains or manholes are searched
- LE performs forensic search of Lindsey's computer hard drive
- Lindsey's Facebook entry is reported, includes comments regarding "nightmares" and "something bad is going to happen"
- Lindsey's mother reports Lindsey is upset about her parents divorcing but otherwise is a happy, outgoing, talkative child
- Thee months transpire with no reported clues progress
- Search Warrant is issued for a local person and associated properties
- It is reported that interviews lead LE to the local
- Search Warrant is served
- Local denies wrong-doing, threatens to sue LE
- Local reports what LE removed from properties
- It is reported the interviews reveal local's driving habits changed after Lindsey disappeared
- It is reported the local was accused of attempted rape of a minor when the local also was a minor in 2000
- It is not reported if local was involved with other criminally-related behavior
- It is reported local was suspended from work on various occasions for misbehavior
- One of the suspensions occurs during before and when Lindsey disappears
- Communication records regarding local are different from normal behavior during when Lindsey disappears
- It is reported the local and local's girl-friend have Facebook accounts
- .......... to be continued
I hope my list is accurate, please feel free to correct as necessary!
Is this a crime of opportunity or of planning? The following questions are based on my random thoughts:
- How could a perp know Lindsey would be walking home (at some point, alone) that evening?
- How long was this planned?
- How often did the perp sit in a vehicle or otherwise hide, remaining undetected?
- Does the street now appear to be different?
- Which vehicle(s) no longer park there?
- Which vehicle(s) was parked there? For days on end?
- How often did the perp watch from their home window, waiting for an opportunity?
- From where does the perp travel to the scene of the crime?
- How does the perp travel? Van? Car? Truck? Bicycle?
- Which neighbor seems overly helpful now?
- Which neighbor seems not to help enough now?
- Has anyone recently returned from a trip?
- Has anyone recently left on a trip?
- Has anyone (adult) befriended Lindsey/Brother/Other children beyond what was typical before the disappearance?
- Has anyone become closer with the family before or after the disappearance?
- Has a neighbor recently become ill or otherwise changed behavior after the disappearance?
- Is anything missing from Lindsey's bedroom, before or after the disappearance?
- Did Lindsey leave on her own? I include this only to be complete.
I suspect the perp might be patient. Not dramatic, is low-key. Softspoken. Unobtrusive. Either blends in or blends out, depending on if they are a member of the community or are from elsewhere.
I want to mention the March 2009 disapearance of Nancy Moyer from Tenino, WA, only 35 miles from McCleary, WA. I know there are other WA disappearances but I am not familiar with those cases / locations and how they might or might not be relevant.
It's just that ... the Tenino case being so close to the McCleary case makes me think outside the box: is there a serial killer in the area?
