This is all pretty interesting although cadaver dogs are hardly infallible. I have always assumed she never made it home that day. As I recall, co-workers said that she has discussed going to Sutro Baths that day but she still could have made it back to Oakland. It is interesting that her wallet was in her room but, since she didn't have a car and wouldn't need her license, perhaps she didn't need to carry it. She would have needed her house key, a debit card and some cash. Women usually carry a purse but "hip young" women sometimes don't. We're these in her room? If they were missing, her wallet won't mean much. If her house key was there, it would change everything.
I don't understand the issue with the rent check. There are reasons Griffin may not have wanted cash. Who want's that much cash to carry around?
I'm from Oakland and know the Adams Point neighborhood well. Since the 60's, it has has been a good place for young single people who want an "urban" experience but don't want to pay San Francisco rents. The people who lived there were hardly "riff raff" they tended to be recent college grads with white color jobs. It is generally safe with lots of people out on the streets until late. Much of the housing stock is single family homes that have either been converted to apartments or rented to one person who then sublets bedrooms with shared kitchen and bath. Kristen's arrangement was pretty normal.
Does anyone have a link to information about the "Oakland" phase of the investigation?
The Sutro Baths thing, can be explained that she went there another day, before disappearing. Her parents didn't know she was missing for about 4 days, and I'm not sure when the dogs went sniffing, but even 4 days difference just means she was there some day, not necessarily the last day. Or maybe whoever had to do with her disappearance, dumped something of hers there?
As for the rent check: Kristen was carrying that much around, as she had already taken it out of the bank. (I think I wrote 500, and I think it was maybe 400, sorry about that). Even if it wasn't Griffin and he was telling the truth about wanting a check. I think it's interesting she had a lot of cash that went missing.
Thanks for explaining more about the feel of Oakland.
On the FindKristen site, Mrs. Modafferi alludes to the fact that there is some more info they are holding back to protect the investigation.
In one of the videos an investigator says they have some evidence against Onuma (inconsistencies in his statements also mentioned in above post) but it's not enough to name him as a suspect, they can't connect the things they have.
The AMW video focuses on the personal ad Kristen may or may not have placed or may or may not have answered.
Then we have the blonde woman who has never come forward (jill lampo with blonde hair?)
And Jill Lampo's breakdown and confession to her uncle that Onuma coerced her into participating in kidnapping and murder. I would assume the newspaper ad is the connection that they are keeping vague, i.e. LE has proof Kristen placed it and Onuma/Lampo answered it or vice versa.
Now we have evidence of human decomposition at Kristen's house. So Kristen placed the add, Onuma/Lampo answer it. Lampo meets Kristen at the mall after her shift. They travel to Sutro Baths for sightseeing (dog picks up Kristen's scent there). Onuma/Lampo carry out kidnapping and murder, some of which occurs at the house on Jayne St. in Oakland (dog picks up human decomposition after 20 years) But how part or all of the crime could be carried out in a boarding house where 5 other people lived is hard to imagine. I know there could have been a time where no one else was there, but it's still hard to fathom. Another posted mentioned that LE should have attempted to pick up Lampo and Onuma's scent at Sutro Baths too-wow, now that would have been a good idea! At least it would have showed, even tenuously that all 3 could have been together at the same spot.
I hope LE finally has enough to arrest Onuma (well now they have to find him) he was probably long gone from his current location once he heard about the search a few days ago.
Jon Onuma is working as Jade Zekkou of
http://www.zekkouultimedia.com/ , he's a web designer and works as making videos, lives in Hawaii.
Even though Jill was going out with Onuma at the time, she had been going out with Matt Luque, and I'm still suspicious of his being friendly on the phone until he heard Kristen's name and blew up. I still am thinking Luque and Onuma may have been friends. In which case, it may have been nice to sniff out Luque's scent too. But that's all moot now.
There is either a body there or there isn't. I don't think there is any way a dog could detect the presence of a human body is someone had died there 18 years ago if the body had been promptly removed. If the OPD or FBI get a search warrant they can settle the issue. If the family wants to pay, my guess the owners of the house would permit a private search. I doubt there is a body there but it would be nice to close out that area of speculation.
What is frustrating about this case is there is so much "information" but few verifiable facts. The whole Onuma lead may have been a red herring, or maybe not.
The PD still is considering Kristen a missing person, so nothing will happen until they categorize her as being in a crime, murdered or kidnapped, etc. The family is paying for the testing of the soil samples (though there is some fundraising going on), once those tests come back in about a month, they'll know if the decomp is from Kristen's timeframe or not.
I'm hoping if it is the right timeframe, the police and fbi might start getting back involved. Then maybe something can be done. I don't think Onuma is shaking in his boots, in fact, based on all my impressions from researching him, I bet he's laughing his *advertiser censored* off, as I get the feeling that he loves putting in false tips and saying things, like now you'll know what happened to Kristen, while threatening people. Because at this point what do they have to be frightened of? The police still aren't doing anything.
