WA - Mackenzie Cowell, 17, Wenatchee, 9 Feb 2010 - #8

[Sherlock_9]

Wouldn't a stab wound to the neck produce A LOT of blood? It would be spurting would it not?

That's what I'm thinking. If she had her throat cut, which I believe the neck wounds likely were an attempt at, an artery would have been cut and blood spatter would have been pretty extensive.

Just my opinion...

 

[*Intrigued*]

The following statement sounds a little more encouraging though, particularly the last sentence?

"Investigators on Thursday continued to request that the information be withheld, saying it could make investigating their case more difficult. They said, however, that releasing the information would not prevent them from solving the case."

ETA: And note THURSDAY in the first sentence.

Sorry, we both posted at the same time... same info.

 

[girlfawkes]

Wow, excellent information day. Awesome.

Reading between the lines of the article with all the statements from LE, I think it's obvious that they have a POI, they are just waiting on evidence.

Poor Mac. I guess I can't say I'm surprised at COD.

This brings us answers but also more questions.

 

[ajfa]

Strangled, stabbed and blunt force trauma to the head? Sounds like rage to me.

But that is JMHO.

 

[girlfawkes]

Wow! This makes me wonder as well.

I understand this:

"The Wenatchee World obtained the death certificate, a public record, from the Chelan-Douglas Health District on Feb. 23 but withheld the information until now at the request of investigators."

And it leaves me wondering what else the public is not being told at the request of LE?

I'm sure they have their reasons.

I'm not surprised, I have thought that reporters knew things that were not making it to print.

 

[James Vic]

“Manual Strangulation” involves only your hands?

 

[girlfawkes]

Strangled, stabbed and blunt force trauma to the head? Sounds like rage to me.

But that is JMHO.

Yes, it certainly does, and maybe would indicate poor or little planning, if no one method was employed. Kind of desperate grasping to make her life end, KWIM?

 

[girlfawkes]

“Manual Strangulation” involves only your hands?

Yes. I think we can now assume the bag was post mortem.

 

[nursebeeme]

sounds like rage and overkill to me.

 

[ajfa]

“Manual Strangulation” involves only your hands?

As opposed to a ligature?

 

[James Vic]

The nature of manual strangulation makes it likely that her attacker may have sustained some injury, scratches?

 

[Cosmictadpole]

It almost sounds, from the second article, as though the WW editor was frustrated at being asked to hold off on releasing the cause of death, and finally got fed up with waiting. The quote from the editor gave me the impression that the WW always publishes the cause of death, and so when the WW was asked not to release MC's cause of death, he felt there was a really good reason not to. But with LE's continued noncommittal answers and lack of information, that good reason has never been given.

 

[alt.theory]

“Unfortunately, in this case, we have no witnesses, at least none that have stepped forward, and we have no obvious evidence that points to anyone in particular. It’s a different situation from a case that is solved in the first week.” said Doug Jones, spokesman for the task force investigating her death.


it's absolutely hard to believe that they have no evidence that points to anyone in particular. i can't believe that whoever did this...could have cleaned up any evidence of himself...just can't see it. :waitasec: it just doesn't seem like he/she had the time to be that clean.

I think they might be meaning a witness to the murder or body dump. To that type of activity no one has come forward. I think they have witnesses to other things just not the crime itself.

Also this quote pulled for one of the WW stories:

“To the extent that none of the searches to this point have revealed where the actual homicide occurred or evidence pointing to a suspect, it would not be appropriate to release and would potentially hinder the investigation in the future.”

So it appears they didn't find the murder scene at the spec house? Although there were three different actions taking. Strangulation attack and neck wound and blunt force to the head. Not necessarily all at the same location or time. (ie: Strangulation knocking the victim out to be tied up and moved to another location where other wounds are delivered. Therefore, that first scene wouldn't be the murder scene and wouldn't have much if any evidence of a crime in it.)
Yes, it does mention time was "brief". Here is the quote from article:

It notes that the time interval between the homicidal violence and death was “brief.”

Which activity is considered "homicidal violence"?? I ask because I can see one of them only causing a lack of consciousness.

 

[MissAnonymous]

Does anyone know when the RUMORED visits by the police where made to the various local stores? Was it very soon after Mackenzie was found or after the autopsy was completed? this may give us a better idea as to whether the killer left items behind. I keep thinking of the figure 8 in spray paint...what was there?

OK, I'm an idiot who wouldn't recognize the passing days if someone threatened me with a violent tickling

I guess I'm saying time flies and I don't notice worth a darn.

Anyway, the first PM I sent out on the matter was the 19th, so three weeks, not two

Just a few days after the autopsy. They must have determined something relevant. Shivers...

A reminder for those who are new: they were looking (in my friend's business) for kitchen-type butcher shears, and a weapon-type knife set that may have been recently sold. They had pictures, but my friend said they looked like stock photos off a website or something, not actual evidence photos. The business my friend works at is NOT a home improvement store.

AFAIK no one has detailed exactly what they were looking for in the hardware/home improvement store, except to say tools.

FACT: FBI visited Lowes.
I believe this was March 2. I know it was a Tuesday.

When I was told the type of tools it wasn't like chainsaws and hammers, I believe they were referred to as sheetrocking tools. Do they use some kind of special knives? Similar to box cutters?? I wasn't familiar with what was mentioned. Maybe if I saw one but not off the top of my head.

 

[Cosmictadpole]

Also if she was stabbed in the neck after she was dead? There would be very little blood?

But then the stabbing wouldn't be listed as a cause of death...

 

[James Vic]

As opposed to a ligature?

I found a definition that includes hands and blunt objects in manual strangulation, as opposed to ligature strangulation. A blunt object could have been involved in the strangulation and the damage to her face.

Even though they did not state it, I would think she died on the 9th?

 

[James Vic]

But then the stabbing wouldn't be listed as a cause of death...

If she was stabbed after she stopped struggling, I don’t know if they would be able to tell if she was still alive, passed out, or dead.

 

[pufnstuf]

Thank you (and ChuckMaureen too) for your replies. The reason I asked about the door locks is because if only the driver's door is unlocked with the fob, then that would seem to go against the thought that someone just jumped in her car when she was stopped somewhere on her "break."

If all the doors were unlocked, well, the possibility still exists that someone could open a door and hop in.

Hey... I meant driver door, not ignition... I think you understood. Long day and night.. heh. :banghead:

I don't think anyone just jumped in her car. Thing is, regardless of whether or not you lock your car when you get in it, when you start the engine and put it in gear, the locks all lock automatically. Then, when you put the car in park and remove the key, the locks all unlock.

 

[Sherlock_9]

I am not a doctor; however, I believe that if someone was strangling her, and the stabbed her in the neck above the strangulation point, blood would be minimized. This is just speculation, we don’t know what she was strangled with and we don’t know where her neck was cut, thinking outside the box a bit.

I follow you- but- here are my thoughts:

The now disclosed facts that she died of "manual strangulation and stab wounds to the neck" seems to reinforce what we have discussed previously as sourced by rumor:

- a bag was likely placed over her head, and it was tightened with tape or tied. This would be for strangualtion- MY OPINION

-she did not die and was killed by stabbing, possible throat slash, etc- MY OPINION

MY OPINION is that if attempted strangualtion occured in this manner, the blood would be pretty profuse.

“Blunt impact to the head” also significantly contributed to her death, the certificate said. It notes that the time interval between the homicidal violence and death was “brief.”

This also seems to confirm so previously developed theories here that had been rumor based- mainly- she had been beaten brutally before being killed.

Although it is good to get some confirmation on what killed her, it truly saddens me to know how she died. No matter how brief the time between violence and death were- it had to be horrible.

The poor girl.

Let's keep putting things together as best we can from the clues we have. And let's hope LE nails this monster soon...

 

[Sherlock_9]

“Manual Strangulation” involves only your hands?

My post following is incorrect. I am leaving it so WSers can understand what response was to later in thread. Manual Strangulation DOES differ from ligature. Manual strangulation involves using ones hands, fingers, etc.

What is printed below is what I first posted.

Sorry for the confusion!

I'm pretty sure that term is used in reference to any type of strangulation that is performed by another being. This would be in opposition to accidental strangulation- as caused by choking to death accidentally. Or "self inflicted" which would be suicude (hanging, etc.)

99% certain manual strangulation can be any type of strangulation that is not accidental or caused biologically.