Found Deceased Canada - Samantha Higgins, 22, LaSalle, QC, 6 July 2015 *Arrest*

[blefuscu]

My immediate thought on reading this thread was "What if she DID make it home?" From leaving the party until lunchtime the next day is a large window. Plenty of time to dispose of a body, even with infants. 4 year old probably sleeps through, 10 week old is portable.

Something doesn't feel right. I dunno what it is.

 

[otto]

rbbm.
The dress was still on the body?! To make S appear to be a mannequin?
Somehow, that seems even creepier than if she was not dressed, as one would expect to happen in the " cutting process , imo.
Was S completely intact except for her legs?
If so, was that done to make it easier to transport the body, or because of a fetish for legs/feet/shoes?
Could it even be to send some kind of message, ie. you cannot walk away, another baby, keep legs closed (sorry) etc? imo.
Maybe killer started with legs and could not continue..?

There's something really weird about this one. I wonder if the dress is still pink, or was it covered in blood from the amputation of legs.

I'm curious about whether Samantha's home was searched.

 

[otto]

My immediate thought on reading this thread was "What if she DID make it home?" From leaving the party until lunchtime the next day is a large window. Plenty of time to dispose of a body, even with infants. 4 year old probably sleeps through, 10 week old is portable.

Something doesn't feel right. I dunno what it is.

I'd like to see the husband ruled out, and one way for that to happen is for him to consent to a complete search of his home. If he consented to that, then I'm inclined to believe it was a stranger abduction - perhaps related to one or more of the other abduction/murders. If he has not consented, then police are going to be all over him, and looking for a warrant based on the last text message from Samantha ... JMO.

 

[Wondergirl]

That's an interesting angle. He said that he thought she was sleeping over at her friend's house, and that's why he wasn't concerned until noon the following day (July 7). Noon the following day would give him enough time to dispose of a body ... but why remove the legs? That just makes a big mess that has to be cleaned up ... unless rigor had set in and it was impossible to bend the body into a shape that fits in a suitcase or a car.

"At the time of death, a condition called "primary flaccidity" occurs. Following this, the muscles stiffen in rigor mortis. All muscles in the body are affected. Starting between two to six hours following death, rigor mortis begins with the eyelids, neck, and jaw. ... Rigor mortis then spreads to the other muscles within the next four to six hours, including the internal organs. The onset of rigor mortis is affected by the individual's age, sex, physical condition, and muscular build. ... Several factors also affect the progression of rigor mortis, and investigators take these into account when estimating the time of death. One such factor is the ambient temperature. When conditions are warm, the onset and pace of rigor mortis are sped up by providing a conducive environment for the metabolic processes that cause decay. Low temperatures, however, slow them down."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigor_mortis

If she was killed, say, between 1-2AM, she was stretched out as though sleeping and the temperature was warm (Montreal temp July 6: 28C, July 7: 30C), then six hours later, at 8AM, she could have been in full rigor mortis (cool temperatures and other conditions could mean 12 hours before full rigor mortis set in). There would have been no way to move her body in daylight except by removing her legs to make to smaller "packages" (sorry for being gruesome). The fiancée had all morning to move the body and then sound the alarm at noon.

According to the fiancée, the conversation at 1:10AM has Samantha confirming that she's having a good time, and even though she was on her way home, she apparently did not tell him that she was on her way home. He then apparently was unconcerned about her until 11 hours later.

Do we know whether her fiancée is among the family members at the site where her upper body was found? It looks like dad, and one family member who appears to be closer to Samantha's age, did not go beneath the bridge to leave flowers. Is the fiancée the man in the blue t-shirt who is sitting on the left?

link for photos: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/07/11/samantha-higgins-sa-mere-retourne-sur-les-lieux-du-drame
link for Montreal temperatures: http://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/montreal/h2k/july-weather/56186

If the fiance IS in these pictures, and if JamieB's interesting observations and hypotheticals turn out to have any substance - fiance now has a great reason why his DNA may have been discovered at the recovery scene

JMO

 

[Wondergirl]

I have to ask a couple questions regarding the fiancée. If SH was seen to have left the friend's house between 12AM and 1AM there is easily time to walk the 10 minute walk to her house. The call to her fiancée's phone was time stamped @ 1:10. What was the duration of this call? Was there time for a discussion? I think this could be relevant because if it was just a quick answer and hang up it could indicate that there was indeed no "call" or discussion but instead just an effort to leave a time stamp. Secondly, was the fiancée's text records searched to see if HE was in the practice of using the word "yup"? I haven't seen it mentioned here and I hate to be suspicious of her fiancée, but the timeline can make sense if she went home first whereas it doesn't seem to make any sense at all to me any other way. If she did indeed go directly home, could there have been an altercation between her and the fiancée while the kids were asleep and something bad happen? Could he then have needed to timestamp her as being still at the party? Could he have received the text from the friend and inadvertently used a word he would use not one she would use? I feel terrible even suggesting this, however it is easily debunked if the duration of the phone call is long enough for a conversation and there is no record of yup in the fiancées writings.

Great post.

We know there was 1:10 phone call because of FB posts and media reporting - and we know what Samantha's relatives and friends have said with respect to times - but we really don't know the other variables that can be verified on phones, in records etc.

There is ample time for any number of scenarios to have happened to Samantha - unless we have confirmation from LE otherwise.

Does anyone know if the fiance, step-father, friend and partygoers have taken polygraphs?

We better be getting a presser tomorrow. The public deserves to know if Samantha was targeted or there is a psychopath on the loose.

Is LE searching for her legs?

Also - it was a GARBAGE bag that she was found in, according to french article upthread. But other news outlets were reporting "plastic" bag, as opposed to "garbage" bag, and since I'm a stickler for details, I will reserve judgement on this.

JMO

 

[otto]

If the fiance IS in these pictures, and if JamieB's interesting observations and hypotheticals turn out to have any substance - fiance now has a great reason why his DNA may have been discovered at the recovery scene

JMO

Someone posted a link to a page that was set up by the family, and the person in the photos with Samantha doesn't look like any of the people at the site where some remains were discovered. I wondered if the photos were recent. If they are, then the fiancee was not with the family at the site.

 

[Wondergirl]

There are at least 4 locations in this crime - in my mind:

-Abduction Location

-Murder Location

-Recovery Location of Torso

-(as yet undetermined) Recovery location of legs

JMO

 

[Wondergirl]

Samantha said that she would be home soon, but I guess she didn't say that she was on her way home.

"Higgins spoke with her boyfriend of seven years by phone around 1:10 a.m. on July 7, said McKernan, who said the time stamp was still in boyfriend Nick's call log. She said she would be home soon"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...anished-after-leaving-friend-s-home-1.3144560

If she said that she would be home soon, why was he unconcerned until noon the following day?

WHAT???!!!

Okay - IF that is correct - that the CBC journalist interviewed Samantha's fiance and he said Sam said she would be home soon - then that really changes quite a bit.

However - we do need to know more details.

 

[otto]

WHAT???!!!

Okay - IF that is correct - that the CBC journalist interviewed Samantha's fiance and he said Sam said she would be home soon - then that really changes quite a bit.

However - we do need to know more details.

That's what the article says ... so if she said she would be home soon, why wasn't her fiancee concerned sooner?

Also, Samantha's mom (or dad - see 8 minute video interview with parents) said that the 10 week old knows that something is different because he's being fed by different people. If Samantha was nursing a 10 week old infant, being away for more 12-16 hours is rather significant. Perhaps the baby was weaned, but it sounded like Samantha still looked after all feedings.

This was apparently her first time out with friends after giving birth. Staying out all night doesn't sound quite right given that her parents claim that her whole life was looking after the children. Even with a second child, wouldn't she still be staying close to home for the baby's sake? How did her husband cope with the night feedings, and why wasn't he phoning her at 6AM, or 8AM, or 10AM demanding that she come home to help with the baby? No one would blame him for making that request/demand. Yet apparently he was fine until noon, and assumed she was just having a sleepover with friends after telling him that she would be home soon at 1AM.

The puzzle pieces don't fit.

It is this inconsistency that leads me to really want to hear that their home was searched, by consent, and that there is no evidence that anything happened in the home.

 

[Tealgrove]

I am middle aged and text a lot. I don't know why or where it came from but I use yup all the time.

Just realized that I can use one hand to type yup while I need two to type yes.

So, when you are DRIVING or have something in your left hand you can type yup with one hand. The letters are all on one row and spaced very closely together. Yes you need either two hands or it's a stretch with the letters. "ouin, would pose the same problem.

Just a thought.........

 

[matou]

Good thinking @Tealgrove!

To everyone else:Is there a link for the pink dress? I didn't see this detail except on here? TIA

 

[GinaSeikwa]

I've been going through earlier news reports and they all seem to say that she indeed told her boyfriend at 1:10am that she would " be home soon".

Like somebody earlier mentioned about the possible nursing baby situation why wasn't her non-arrival then not an immediate red flag?

I wonder who called who? If she called him at that hour I would think it would be to a) tell him she is heading home now or b) tell him she is sleeping over at her friends and not too worry she'll be back in the morning. If he called her it was most likely because he wanted to know what was going on and if he was going to have to feed the baby pumped milk etc..or wait for her etc.. It might be that he was less than happy about her being out at that late hour. This "I'm having a good time and I'll be back soon" sounds very wishy washy. Who knows though maybe he was unlike my husband with a newborn and super cool with it. Though he certainly wasn't going to be able to sleep through the night from 1:10am to noon with a 10 week old and a 4 year old. So what did he think when she wasn't back by 2:00am if she said she would be home soon? Or a few hours later after presumably feeding the baby throughout the night? What did he do when he fed the 4 year old breakfast and Sam still wasn't home? Did he call her? Text her? Call her friend? Text her friend? Take a walk with the kids across the street to the friends house once morning came and they were awake? Her cell only started to go to voicemail at 5am. How does anyone know this if they hadn't been attempting to contact her throughout the night? And if someone had been trying to contact her why weren't they worried enough to sound the alarm before noon? There was such an emphasis on the 1:10am call being on the call log that surely all other call, text attempts are also time stamped and known. If there were attempts. Something's not right about that whole timeline unfortunately .

 

[eucalyptuz]

I've been floating around on websleuths for a couple of years now mostly as a reader (but also as an obsessed, crazy participant when a case grabs me) and I've made a few observations about the differences in media coverage and LE communication in cases like this:

-The Canadian LE hold their cards close to their chest. This is infuriating and sometimes it seems against public interests. The USA LE often has press releases and updates and it is seemed like these are often as a response to public pressure. I do wish we weren't drip-fed, especially with details like precise points on timelines and game-changing statements such as "having fun" verses "coming home soon"... Although it's kept us busy for hours

-The Canadian media don't often 'sleuth' or name names...For example, in this case I think the USA media would have been all over it. We would have seen a family photo in the news and the press would have dug around in the backgrounds of the fiancee and friends etc. Are media laws in Canada more protective? It's probably all for the good and I know it's similar in Australia, but sometimes I wish for a little more zeal and perhaps a bit of fact-checking re timeline and statements... Although, again, it's kept us busy for hours

Re the fiancee: I don't really make much of him not being at the bridge. SH's stepdad did speak warmly of him but it's possible he is not very close with his in-laws and will make a separate trip. Perhaps he's just in a puddle of grief with his children at his parent's place and couldn't bear the thought.
I think the police are looking closely at him (as the statistically most likely POI) and would just need a shred of evidence to start a chain reaction of warrants (and then unless he's Dexter, he's done for).

 

[eucalyptuz]

Good thinking @Tealgrove!

To everyone else:Is there a link for the pink dress? I didn't see this detail except on here? TIA

That detail was mentioned in the French press and the linked article was translated by Google. Here it is in its original French: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/07/10/corps-demembre-retrouve-a-hinchinbrooke

My French is not perfect but "La victime portait toujours" means "the victim was still wearing". I cannot find this detail in any other French or English MSM article...Sorry

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Yes LE are very secretive up here. I don't think there will be any press conferences. It's not something that's generally done. And sadly this story is no longer even headline news in Montreal. It's up to the family and the public to really keep the pressure up to ensure that a proper investigation is done and Samantha's legacy continues.
I don't even know if the BF has a car. The area where they were renting is very very dependent on public transportation and very few people have access to a vehicle.

I just remembered that Tuesday was a nightmare traffic-wise on the bridges to and from the South Shore. The Mercier was down to one lane and the Champlain had roadwork and the Victoria had lanes closed on the approach. It was a mess. All bridges were jammed all day long. It was taking at least two hours to cross and cars were literally parked on the highways. So a round trip to Hichinbrooke and back could have taken much much longer. I'm going to go back and see if I can find a traffic link but it was noticeably bad and I witnessed it firsthand.

 

[otto]

That detail was mentioned in the French press and the linked article was translated by Google. Here it is in its original French: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/07/10/corps-demembre-retrouve-a-hinchinbrooke

My French is not perfect but "La victime portait toujours" means "the victim was still wearing". I cannot find this detail in any other French or English MSM article...Sorry

"The victim was still wearing the pink dress she wore the night she disappeared, but her identity documents were not found."

https://translate.google.ca/transla...-demembre-retrouve-a-hinchinbrooke&edit-text=

 

[otto]

I've been floating around on websleuths for a couple of years now mostly as a reader (but also as an obsessed, crazy participant when a case grabs me) and I've made a few observations about the differences in media coverage and LE communication in cases like this:

-The Canadian LE hold their cards close to their chest. This is infuriating and sometimes it seems against public interests. The USA LE often has press releases and updates and it is seemed like these are often as a response to public pressure. I do wish we weren't drip-fed, especially with details like precise points on timelines and game-changing statements such as "having fun" verses "coming home soon"... Although it's kept us busy for hours

-The Canadian media don't often 'sleuth' or name names...For example, in this case I think the USA media would have been all over it. We would have seen a family photo in the news and the press would have dug around in the backgrounds of the fiancee and friends etc. Are media laws in Canada more protective? It's probably all for the good and I know it's similar in Australia, but sometimes I wish for a little more zeal and perhaps a bit of fact-checking re timeline and statements... Although, again, it's kept us busy for hours

Re the fiancee: I don't really make much of him not being at the bridge. SH's stepdad did speak warmly of him but it's possible he is not very close with his in-laws and will make a separate trip. Perhaps he's just in a puddle of grief with his children at his parent's place and couldn't bear the thought.
I think the police are looking closely at him (as the statistically most likely POI) and would just need a shred of evidence to start a change reaction of warrants (and then unless he's Dexter, he's done for).

Yes, Canadian law related to media is very strict when it comes to publishing information about innocent people. It is based on British law, which is similar to law in many European countries. Even with high profile cases, there is no such thing as a talking head mouthing off about guilt or innocence. Investigative information is released during trial in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation and to ensure that a guilty party receives a fair trial.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Here's the link to the Mercier bridge roadwork for those days. I should also add that there is currently a restriction on trucks being allowed on the bridge. It varies with the roadwork done but generally trucks are prohibited during rush hour and are diverted to the Champlain bridge or new highway 30 bypass. There is a notice to truckers section on this website and a daily commute section outlining the restrictions of the day.
http://pontmercierbridge.ca/en/category/closures-and-detours/

 

[deugirtni]

Gosh, you'd think that a trucker would just leave her in the ditch and drive away, and not take the time to perform such atrocities. But, who knows? I just hope that the psycho is found quickly.

Do we have enough information to make a map of her route from her friend's house to her home? With a tiny baby at home, she likely hoofed it back for feeding time.

What a heartbreaking, senseless crime.

Considering she was intoxicated, I doubt if she was breastfeeding, and therefore was not in a panic to get to her parenting responsibilities, considering her bf was taking care of things.

 

[Sjm_qc]

WHAT???!!!

Okay - IF that is correct - that the CBC journalist interviewed Samantha's fiance and he said Sam said she would be home soon - then that really changes quite a bit.

However - we do need to know more details.

I've. Not seen anywhere that fiancé has been interviewed; in the post you quoted, the journalist is quoting "McKernan", a family friend/member (it seems to be a very large extended family), & M is the one relating the information about the time stamp of the call & what was said.

I.e. It was *at least* 3rd hand by the time *we* heard it (I don't know if M got the info directly from fiancé).