TN TN - Chloie Leverette, 9, & Gage Daniel, 7, Unionville, 23 Sept 2012

[carbuff]

I think you're right about reduced law enforcement budgets meaning crimes that can't be fully investigated. That was already happening before the budget cuts, and as sad as it is to say, I think all that's happening in this case. People tend to forget that investigators have families and lives of their own; sometimes we act like they should be working 48 hours a day chasing down the faintest possible clue. But Tennessee has had several high profile murders and kidnappings recently and I imagine the TBI is working overtime and more. I imagine they have a long list of things that should be done that isn't getting done, and I don't think they'd argue that yes, they should be doing more on this case, if they could.

 

[deca]

Re: budget cuts

I know that a county near mine has CLOSED their cold case and major crimes unit. They have asked for volunteers to help with some old cold case paperwork. The dept office (the place to get police reports, etc) is closed now except for 2 afternoons a week.

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/AmberServlet

the AA is still active... it is going on two months now of an active AA.. I wish we would hear some news.

 

[GateKeeper]

Oh this is good! Im really hoping someone will recognize these two sweeties and we can bring them home.

http://www.katiecouric.com/features/do-you-know-these-missing-children/

It’s a tragedy when a child goes missing, both for the families involved and the entire country. Please take a look at the following photos of missing children from the National Center For Missing And Exploited Children and do your part. You may know one of them.

 

[RoseWhite]

Oh this is good! Im really hoping someone will recognize these two sweeties and we can bring them home.

http://www.katiecouric.com/features/do-you-know-these-missing-children/

Ugh. So many missing children and no answers.

 

[GateKeeper]

Tennessee Amber Alert Intensifies Search for Missing Children, Chloie Leverette, Gage Daniel - YouTube

Just in case some of us missed this...

 

[GrainneDhu]

BBM

And not a one, with the possible exception of "Joy" who was mentioned upthread, has even a single belief, idea, or thought of what may have happened or where the children are--or is it that he/she just hasn't shared with MSM? Does anyone else find this strange?

Not necessarily.

Getting media attention isn't as easy as picking up the phone and calling the local news station. Particularly if the person trying to get attention doesn't have a certain level of verbal ability and polish, it can be really, really difficult.

In that first week, it would have been quite easy. But in that first week, the family didn't know what was going on (no one did) and they were no doubt in shock over what happened.

I notice that most of the people named in the obits lived within 30 miles of each other which says to me that they were a close family and maybe a bit of an old fashioned one (sticking close rather than scattering).

If Joy is the family member who is the most outgoing and the most verbal, the rest of the family may have defaulted to having Joy represent them as a family.

 

[GrainneDhu]

I don't have anything great to add here- but I figure this will keep it bumped.

This case seems like media gold. I mean, a crazy fire- dead grandparents- missing kids- it is like the beginning of a crime novel. I don't know how the national media has not been all over this.

My only guess is that everyone assumed at the beginning that the kids had perished in the flames and the media had to wait for results. By the time those came in, interest had died??

I hope the kids are alive and safe somewhere.

I think that one thing that worked against Chloie and Gage getting more publicity was the elections. The third week of September, the talking heads still thought there was a race (Nate Silver didn't and I rely on good ol' Nate!), so every time one of the candidates blinked twice, it was a news story.

And then, the media didn't want to invest a whole lot into the story when LE kept saying they thought the children died in the fire even though there wasn't any such evidence.

I don't have a lot of faith in local LE, either. They find a dog tooth in the house rubble and thought it might be human??? Come on! I'm not a vet or a forensic expert but I've looked at lots of dog teeth and I know they don't look anything like human teeth. They just don't.

My heart just hurts for those two little lives. A missing human being should be a much bigger news story.

 

[Crimson clover]

:bump::bump:
For Chloie and Gage.

 

[MsFacetious]

I am SO grateful that the Groene house was not torched.
I can't even imagine where we might be now if it had been.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.jacksonsun.com/viewart/2...-fatal-fire-two-missing-children-still-sought

10:49 AM, Dec 18, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) — The cause of death for a Bedford County couple found dead in a house fire nearly three months ago remains unknown as authorities continue to investigate the whereabouts of two children considered missing from the home.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

AP NewsBreak: Autopsies released in fatal fire; two missing children still sought

The cause of death for a Bedford County couple found dead in a house fire nearly three months ago remains unknown as authorities continue to investigate the whereabouts of two children considered missing from the home.

According to autopsy reports obtained by The Associated Press, the cause and manner of death for 69-year-old Mollie McClaran and 72-year-old Leon “Bubba” McClaran could not be determined, although the remains were severely charred and soot was found in their airways.

[snip]

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

[snip]

TBI agents continue to follow up on leads and tips about the two children, but no active searches are ongoing, Helm said.

More: http://www.jacksonsun.com/viewart/2...-fatal-fire-two-missing-children-still-sought



So basically, what they're saying is, almost 3 months later, they still know NOTHING.

 

[chinacat67]

AP NewsBreak: Autopsies released in fatal fire; two missing children still sought
http://www.jacksonsun.com/viewart/2...-fatal-fire-two-missing-children-still-sought

So basically, what they're saying is, almost 3 months later, they still know NOTHING.

The autopsy also found thermal fractures of the skulls, ribs and bones of the arms and legs. Soot was found in the tracheas of both bodies.

Wow. I don't like what I think that is saying.

 

[carbuff]

Wow. I don't like what I think that is saying.

Soot in the airways? Wow.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Wow. I don't like what I think that is saying.

A thermal fracture occurs when temperatures get too hot or too cold. In other words, the fire heated up the bones so much that they cracked.

Soot in the airway means they likely inhaled smoke. Meaning they were alive when the fire started.

The presence of soot in the airways, particularly below the level of the vocal cords, and mixed with mucous in the distal airways, is additional evidence supporting the view that the deceased was alive at the time the fire started. http://www.forensicmed.co.uk/pathology/fire-deaths/was-deceased-alive-or-dead-at-the-time-of-the-fire-/​

 

[GateKeeper]

http://www.jacksonsun.com/viewart/2...-fatal-fire-two-missing-children-still-sought

TBI agents continue to follow up on leads and tips about the two children, but no active searches are ongoing, Helm said.

“The calls and leads tend to decrease as time passes,” she said. “We are getting very few.”

This breaks my heart...

 

[GateKeeper]

http://m.t-g.com/story/1924047.html

The family is planning a public event Dec. 22 at the site of the destroyed home.

 

[GrainneDhu]

My husband pointed out something I hadn't considered.

Propane gas is heavier than air.

Not being an expert on arson, I'm not sure if this is significant or not. I tend to think it is but I'm not sure what the significance is.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Not sure if this has been discussed, but this reminds me of a very old case from the 1940's: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2106dfwv.html

 

[carbuff]

My husband pointed out something I hadn't considered.

Propane gas is heavier than air.

Not being an expert on arson, I'm not sure if this is significant or not. I tend to think it is but I'm not sure what the significance is.

Well, one thing it might mean is that if one or more of the tanks was leaking, even a very slow leak would have caused the propane to pool in the basement. If they didn't go into the basement often, it could have been undetected for some time until something caused it to ignite -- flipping on a light switch, perhaps.