quote:
Originally Posted by
Richard
I have never posted any side by side comparisons of the TRM sketches with photos of any potential suspects for a very good reason: to do so would invalidate anyone's subsequent identification of that suspect as TRM. All the defense lawyer would have to say is that the witness COULD have seen such a comparison on the internet, and the witness evidence would be disallowed in court, ......
The police, both the local county police and FBI, did just this at a news conference with the sketch of the Long Hair Man (LHM) and Welch. The police must have known that they were ruining any chance for a fair lineup, but had no other options.
Back in late 2013, the police just did release a sketch of Long Hair Man alone without the photo or any claim of knowing Welch. Either the police did not know Welch, which brings up the question of why after making the LHM sketch in 1975, they failed to find LHM in 1975 or the police knew Welch and did not release one of the few 1970s photographs of Welch for fear of biasing any witnesses. unquote.
------------------
The statement that you quote me making was posted several years ago. I cannot recall exactly when. But what I said then is just as true today regarding identification of someone based on a composite sketch.
A sketch is NOT legal evidence in any US court, regardless of what some people think. It is only a tool used by law enforcement to try to develop leads or possible suspects. Any identification of a suspect has to be made independantly of such a sketch.
For example, showing the sketch of the Tape Recorder Man did generate many tips and possible leads, even some potential suspects. But police were quick to say from the outset that TRM might or might not have had any thing to do with the disappearance of the Lyon sisters. So no one could be really identified or ruled out based upon the TRM sketch.
The same police department evidently chose to NOT show the sketch of the Long Haired Man to the public - for whatever reason - until 39 years later. And when they did, it was with much reservation about linking it directly to the Lyon sisters.
Then in February of this year, all of a sudden, Lloyd Lee Welch is identified as a person of interest and MCP broadcasts his photo alongside the 1975 LHM sketch. Keep in mind, that this is not the various news media doing this, but rather the police investigators themselves.
It is my opinion and theory that this means the police and FBI feel that they have strong evidence INDEPENDANT of the LHM sketch which links Welch to the Lyon case in some way and they are using the formerly secret LHM sketch to their advantage in making a media splash.
As I mentioned years ago, posting the sketch and photo side - by - side will negate any subsequent identification of Welch by potential eyewitnesses at this late date. Example: If someone comes forward now to say that they saw Welch at the mall that day, Welch's attorney would have the testimony thrown out as tainted because of the side-by-side presentation. If not thrown out, it is solid grounds for an appeal.
My feeling is that MCP probably has discovered in their files that on 1 April 1975 - the very day that the media first announced a $7,000 reward for information - Welch called in a tip and gave to police his parents' Bladensburg/Hyattsville address. It was probably one of many tips and it might not even have been looked into at the time.
Now, all these years later, the tip has been evaluated and might even state that he, Welch, was at the mall that day and had information to give. Evidently, Welch has subsequently stated to a relative that he was at Wheaton Plaza that day.