Found Deceased AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019 #2

[otto]

'Not to be morbid, but would a dismembered body would be "intact" if all the parts were grouped together?'

That is morbid! I wonder. I think intact means that all the parts are connected intactly.

 

[KCmetwo]

So not to be morbid, but a dismembered body would be "intact" if all the parts were grouped together still?

no, I don't believe so. if you look up "intact" in the dictionary it means: not damaged or impaired in any way; complete.
1: untouched especially by anything that harms or diminishes : entire, uninjured
2 of a living body or its parts : having no relevant component removed or destroyed:
a : physically virginal
b : not castrated

 

[carbuff]

If I remember correctly -- this was after an in-person formal identification by the family of the believed decedent after a horrific accident involving several girlfriends traveling together. The alive, hospitalized girl was visited and/or under constant vigil by the wrong family. Also featured on Dateline.

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of. Thanks!

 

[Maya Love]

From what we've seen in other cases- the tight lipped LE for 2 weeks, no sharing video, hardly an acknowledgement of there either being, or not being 2 black men, the investigators knew from the beginning the story was not necessary to share w/ the public. Mom's sharing on sm about story changing hinted more to us that the story was not right. There were no scary perps, that's IMO. Occam's razor.

 

[Stunned]

Are you implying there is something infuriating about the victim in this case having had to opportunity to go to rehab? I guess I don't follow. For all we know PH got the best care and still may have succumb to that evil demon of addiction, and then was discarded no differently than someone who didn't get to go to rehab.

I’m not implying anything. I am stating a fact as I know it.

 

[Stunned]

O.T. a little - And I agree with and appreciate your post. But just want to add, speaking as someone who was that poor addict who lost everything, home, child custody, liberty..... It is still possible to come back from it all without expensive rehabs etc.... Myself, and many others are living proof of that.

And I wish you all the best. You are one fortunate human. A lot of people don’t get any rehab but jail. I admire (you have no idea how much!) anyone who can walk ways from this monster. I fear most don’t without so much support.

 

[SaucyWalker]

From what we've seen in other cases- the tight lipped LE for 2 weeks, no sharing video, hardly an acknowledgement of there either being, or not being 2 black men, the investigators knew from the beginning the story was not necessary to share w/ the public. Mom's sharing on sm about story changing hinted more to us that the story was not right. There were no scary perps, that's IMO. Occam's razor.

I would like to have seen PH's mother's S.M. post in which she says the co-worker's/friend's story kept changing. I looked for it without success.

 

[Momma2cam]

I think this is foul play.

If the original narrative is true (I don’t think it is), she left with two men. Her text message indicated that she felt in danger, and it would be too much of a coincidence for her to die of an overdose after that.

In the more likely scenario (as I see it), she was never at the bar in the first place. Whatever happened, happened before her friend even arrived. That text message is a game changer, as it would have been an effort to misdirect.

Had this not been nefarious, and she died from a drug overdose, then I don’t see the need for all the subterfuge. That sort of thing happens quite often, and standard procedure is typically to dump the body on the side of the road or out in the open.

These people just want the body away from them, so they don’t wind up with criminal charges.

The fake text message, and the two big black men story, doesn’t follow the typical pattern. I think it’s a sign of this being a homicide.

It could always be panic, but I’m not a fan.

Do you mean before the friend arrived at the bar?

I wonder what possible motives may have been in that case, if it weren't an unintentional accident and/ or OD. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

To our verified LE on here (tagging @Falcon500 cause I can’t remember others off the top of my head) - does LE require a MOD from the coroner before they can classify a case as a homicide?

Or is it okay to classify a case as a homicide investigation without the MOD because it is by name, investigative in nature?

ETA: I can’t believe I don’t know this for certain, considering how many cases I’ve followed etc.

Not LE but I can tell you that it's the law of most states including Jefferson County, Alabama for ME to determine the cause and manner of death pursuant to Alabama State Code. The ME of Jefferson County is also an elected official:

Mission Statement

The mission of the Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office is to establish the identity of human remains and to determine the cause, manner, and circumstances surrounding death in all sudden and unexpected deaths occurring in Jefferson County, Alabama.

The Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office (JCCMEO) is notified by law enforcement agencies and medical facilities to investigate approximately 33% of the deaths occurring in Jefferson County. Pursuant to State of Alabama Code 45-37-60 (Act 79-454, p.739, §1-10), notification is made when there is suspicion of criminal violence or criminal neglect, .......

Coroner/Medical Examiner - Jefferson County, Alabama

Does the state system have a coroner, medical examiner, or coroners and medical examiners?
Coroner. Ala. Code § 11-5-1.

“In practice” notes
Alabama has passed statutes allowing at least three counties, Bibb (Ala. Code § 45-4-60), Escambia (Ala. Code § 45-27-60), and Jefferson (1979 Ala. Laws Act 1979-454 (H.B. 847)) to abolish the office of coroner and create the office of medical examiner.

Alabama - Coroner/ME Laws | CDC

 

[Maya Love]

I would like to have seen PH's mother's S.M. post in which she says the co-worker's/friend's story kept changing. I looked for it without success.

It's out there on FB, pretty easy to find in the groups, mom's initials are CH

 

[jashrema]

“According to WBRC, citing Sergeant Johnny Williams with the Birmingham Police Department, authorities did not see Houston on security footage leaving with two men from the Tin Roof Bar in Birmingham. They have not found anyone matching their descriptions, Williams said. It’s unclear whether police spotted Houston on security footage at all.” (BBM)
Paighton Houston: Police say no men seen on security footage with missing woman who texted ‘I feel in trouble’ after vanishing [Report]

So, once again the possibility exists that the "Black Men" are the boogeymen in this scenario. They are NOT seen at bar leaving, nor is SHE. The text message appears to me to be more and more a "plant" by a guilty party. It never made any sense to me at all that a woman would text somebody and say, "I don't know who I'm with" ..um, what?? You're leaving with strangers, you don't know who you're with? That was just a big red flag to me.
I'm seriously starting to think she may have never even been to this bar and the whole thing is a cover story started by the guilty party or parties. jmo

 

[MassGuy]

Do you mean before the friend arrived at the bar?

I wonder what possible motives may have been in that case, if it weren't an unintentional accident and/ or OD. MOO

Yes, before she arrived at the bar.

What bothers me is that if this was either some sort of accidental killing or overdose, the pivot to a coverup like this is very unusual. The text, bar narrative, and body burial, seems well thought out.

You’ve got to be thinking pretty clearly, and most people panic instead.

So that’s an issue, but so is the idea that she left with two men who weren’t captured on camera. That’s tough for me to buy.

Some sort of premeditated murder makes the most sense to me, yet at the same time, it makes no sense to me. I mean, what’s the motive?

I’m lost right now.

 

[Heleuth]

I am genuinely gutted.

I am so, so sorry to her friends and family. We were all hoping this would end differently.

Sending you much love and support from the UK x

 

[Luckyzmom]

Godspeed Paighton so very sorry for Family.. she had overcome so much and was working towards a new chapter in her life. Prayers for strength and comfort for her family and friends JMO terribly sorry

 

[Warwick7]

Wow! Just wow! I followed this hoping she was trafficed and could get away...
:0(

 

[Seattle1]

I would like to have seen PH's mother's S.M. post in which she says the co-worker's/friend's story kept changing. I looked for it without success.

Mom made a few posts on her open FB wall that were seen published in MSM -- crediting her FB as the source. I believe the post you're referring to was made in a closed FB Group and therefore not posted in MSM (probably because MSM journalists adopted the same rule as WS that private is and means private).

I expect any credible details of this nature about the co-worker will be making the headlines sooner than later -- especially with the recovery of PH today.

MOO

 

[otto]

From what we've seen in other cases- the tight lipped LE for 2 weeks, no sharing video, hardly an acknowledgement of there either being, or not being 2 black men, the investigators knew from the beginning the story was not necessary to share w/ the public. Mom's sharing on sm about story changing hinted more to us that the story was not right. There were no scary perps, that's IMO. Occam's razor.

What do we know about the friend who contacted her family and received the unusual text message?

 

[Beth11311]

I firmly believe that there was foul play involved.

Now whether that means she came to harm by someone known to her and the two HSBM never existed and the text was simply staging, or whether she was indeed harmed by some unknown predator(s), I can make arguments for both - and have been arguing with myself all day about it.

It’s been a while since I was able to see more than one way a case could have happened, that I could ostensibly argue for and stand behind.

 

[otto]

Yes, before she arrived at the bar.

What bothers me is that if this was either some sort of accidental killing or overdose, the pivot to a coverup like this is very unusual. The text, bar narrative, and body burial, seems well thought out.

You’ve got to be thinking pretty clearly, and most people panic instead.

So that’s an issue, but so is the idea that she left with two men who weren’t captured on camera. That’s tough for me to buy.

Some sort of premeditated murder makes the most sense to me, yet at the same time, it makes no sense to me. I mean, what’s the motive?

I’m lost right now.

The pretence that 2 big black men took her away and she sent an unusual text expressing fear suggests premeditation. Motive could be anything, such as love triangle. Do we know anything about who Paighton was dating?

 

[carbuff]

I'm not sure what I think happened, but I'm sure it didn't happen the way the initial story said.