CO - Jessica Ridgeway, 10, Westminster, 5 Oct. 2012 - #22

[borndem]

Has there been any reports of what other vehicles were in AS's house?

I hope his mother had her own car, or else the only car she has is now held in evidence for who knoze how long? Ummmpppfff.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Just as an aside, if anyone has a case they'd like for me to archive, let me know. The only criteria is that it is a US case and there is "some" news reporting.

 

[otto]

Yah, I wonder about this as well as AS appearing to have access to multiple cars. He could have been just checking things out in that park with his friends not knowing his real motivation, OR they could have been scouting an abduction site/plan together. the use of different cars could be due to a couple of buddies, or the family's cars.

... does his father have 15 car, or a 3 car, garage?
I've read both on this thread.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Thank you, Foxfire. Usually the criticisms of an abundance of publicity is because the victim was caucasian, wealthily, "attractive" or deprived in some way. I am hoping that the fury that Jessica's murder caused is simply because America is finally offended enough about the loss of our "normal" children. Please do not let us lose sight of the fact that each child is precious.

Jessica was the best of all of these; precious, normal, loving, caring and a miracle.

I am thankful, that in her normalcy, she has still managed to capture so many hearts and attention. Perhaps it will help us all be more aware to protect them.

Not trying to be a debbie downer...But why would this case cause Americans to finally get "fed up" and not the many other missing and murdered children cases that have been in the news? Even after this case, there will still be cases where the murderer gets an short sentence, and there will still be cases that the public won't go into a fury over.

ETA: Also you seem to be saying that Jessica captured attention even though she was a normal kid, but I feel like pretty much every missing/murdered child whose gotten attention is basically the "kid next door". THAT is part of the appeal in many cases.

 

[b2alicia]

Thank you, Foxfire. Usually the criticisms of an abundance of publicity is because the victim was caucasian, wealthily, "attractive" or deprived in some way. I am hoping that the fury that Jessica's murder caused is simply because America is finally offended enough about the loss of our "normal" children. Please do not let us lose sight of the fact that each child is precious.

Jessica was the best of all of these; precious, normal, loving, caring and a miracle.

I am thankful, that in her normalcy, she has still managed to capture so many hearts and attention. Perhaps it will help us all be more aware to protect them.

Beautifully phrased. Thank you, Expecting Unicorns.

 

[otto]

and it's totally possible his accomplices thought they were participating in an abduction/rape scenario, not knowing AS was gonna kill and dismember the body and keep parts of it.

What accomplices?

 

[otto]

IMO, it will be hard to get a "didn't know right from wrong" judgment because they were hidden.

This 17 year old male put the body parts of a child he abducted in the crawl space of his mother's house. That sounds rather nuts ... if you ask me. Dangerously nuts.

 

[otto]

This might be unpopular, but it does bother me that this case got 200+ LE working it, and other unsolved murders will never get that amount of effort. Even other high-profiles ones don't get anywhere near 200+ LE. Would there be as many LE if they believed a family member was responsible?

I think that investigators were very concerned about the level of depravity they saw in the abduction/murder very early on.

 

[otto]

Short answer - no.

Long answer - this case should really give us all pause, as they elminated the family immediately despite some very questionable circumstances being mum and dad arguing over child support.

In cases where suspicion hovers over the family and the child is never found, well...there are reasons for that. It is usually because the family is lying and covering up, and LE know it, they just can't prove it.

In this case, the family were just so shocked and horrified, it helped clear them very quickly.

Lryic Cook and Elizabeth Collins have not been found and the family is not involved.

 

[SmoothOperator]

Just reading Thread #21 catching up and came upon atthelake's post below.. I am so very sad and the page is so blurry from tears.. I did not know until seeing this post..

Originally Posted by atthelake
Our fellow Websleuth member Sooner Fan #1 is up there in heaven as of last week holding all of their hands. RIP Sooner. We miss ya.

I am so so very sad..

Sooner, we will miss you..make sure to give all those little angels a kiss for us and let them know we are here fighting to see justice for each one of them..

RIP SOONER!

 

[Sick-of-sickos]

Has anyone suspected bath salts? People who use them do some freaky sh#t. I just found out an acquaintance of mine is using them and turning into a freak. It's really common now as they don't show up in a drug test and no way of knowing. If you're semi freaky anyway, it would be easy to get into this stuff.

I'm at least 2-3 threads behind again but, BBM, I just had to say I freaking HATE HATE HATE that stuff. I've never tried it, never will, but seriously? From the little bit I've read it's basically poison reformulated to be create an effect that's sort of combo between cocaine and meth. Even though they're supposedly illegal in my state I see them in convenience stores. Right next to the "5 Hour Energy" there'll be bath salts named things like "Widowmaker" and "Black M amba." All just IMO and what I've heard/read, I can find links if anyone wants them. I kind of doubt it's related to this case though. Seems like this was a much deeper problem and has been going on a lot longer than "let's snort some poison and see what happens." IMO.

I'm pretty sure bath salts have been banned recently. And I know that the drugmakers send variations of them, but I know in my area they put a widespread ban on any synthetic drugs to be sold at gas stations, convenience stores and headshops. LE wants them off the streets because people are so freaked out by them. I'm sure people can probably get them off the internet or underground, but at least the ban makes them illegal to have.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/bath-salts-ban_n_1843420.html

 

[Nana46]

Just as an aside, if anyone has a case they'd like for me to archive, let me know. The only criteria is that it is a US case and there is "some" news reporting.

Thank you for all your hard work!!!!!

 

[otto]

Currently I am of the opinion that he murdered her in his car. Possibly used his chemical soaked rag to subdue her and choked or strangled her. Then... He might have put her in the crawl space at his Mom's house and cut her up there.
Actually depends on the size and height of the crawl space, which we don't know.
Frankly we just don't know enough, everything is a guess.

I suppose I meant ... dismembered ... when I said "murdered". I think that Jessica walked to the place where she was dismembered, and I don't think it happened in the car.

After that, she was transported. Perhaps some of her remains were taken to the open space, but what if this happened at his father's property (especially if he was away on Oct. 5), and other remains were taken to his mother's crawl space?

It is not surprising that Austin claims that Jessica was hog tied and that she was strangled in the car. It is the best explanation that he can give in order to minimalize his participation in her abduction and murder. As it stands, he appears to claim that he abducted her, hog tied her in the car and then strangled her in the car ... and then what ... he panicked and had to get rid of the body ... so he dismembered her and left her in the open space and his mother's crawl space? That's absurd.

It is the most farfetched story we could ever be fed by a *advertiser censored* addict that abducted, murdered and dismembered a 10 year old child. He is attempting to minimize his responsibility for what he did.

I think the crawl space is a possibility, but that could also be where he keeps his "treasures".

 

[roselle]

I've thought about the accomplice theory also. If that were the case why would he confess ( I don't believe he gave a truthful confession anyway) and not implicate the accomplice? Because he was bullied and another monster would accept him as a friend if he went along with this? Is he covering for someone because he is a minor and thinks he will get a lighter punishment? I don't believe it is so. Any ideas?

Hi..My first post, but I have been lurking for a long time. If there is an accomplice, he is just as sick and crazy as AS...Could they have a plan, that if one of them got caught, they would confess, and the other would go on brutally murdering innocent victims, throwing the investigation wide open? "Copycatting" themselves, I guess....

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

I agree otto, and I think he liked doing the depraved things and wants to keep that to himself to relish and enjoy repeatedly.

 

[scorekeeper]

Cashew's friend lives in Austin's neighborhood, not Jessica's.

duh....that's what I get for watching baseball, the weather channel and having 3 threads open here....:blushing::blushing::blushing:

Thanks for the clarification!!

 

[ExpectingUnicorns]

Not trying to be a debbie downer...But why would this case cause Americans to finally get "fed up" and not the many other missing and murdered children cases that have been in the news? Even after this case, there will still be cases where the murderer gets an short sentence, and there will still be cases that the public won't go into a fury over.

ETA: Also you seem to be saying that Jessica captured attention even though she was a normal kid, but I feel like pretty much every missing/murdered child whose gotten attention is basically the "kid next door". THAT is part of the appeal in many cases.

Eileen, it is sad, huh? Every child is someone's kid next door.

Even in this case the public will move on. Eventually.

My statement was only made to express the sadness that this seems to always happen ~ but thankfulness that a sweet, normal child finally seemed to have captured national attention ~ if even for a moment.

And I refuse to be critical of that.

 

[Sick-of-sickos]

Thank you, Foxfire. Usually the criticisms of an abundance of publicity is because the victim was caucasian, wealthily, "attractive" or deprived in some way. I am hoping that the fury that Jessica's murder caused is simply because America is finally offended enough about the loss of our "normal" children. Please do not let us lose sight of the fact that each child is precious.

Jessica was the best of all of these; precious, normal, loving, caring and a miracle.

I am thankful, that in her normalcy, she has still managed to capture so many hearts and attention. Perhaps it will help us all be more aware to protect them.

I'll admit, there was something about the JR case that just struck a chord with me when many other abduction cases did not in the past. I have no idea what it was about her, maybe it was just because she seemed like such a sweet kid I was rooting for her to be found.

She seemed like such a reliable kid that she wouldn't miss school on her own accord. I guess it seemed that she would never do something to bring this upon herself, like hang with the wrong crowd, or skip school, or anything like that. There was no questions if she was a runaway, or that she took of on her own. I wished so much that she would be found alive, she was such a good, innocent kid, someone you wished more kids were like. I think that's what made people rally behind her from the beginning.

And when they found her desecrated like that, I just think it broke people's hearts and that's when people really started to fear for their own safety and want to put the killer behind bars.

 

[Etilema]

I suppose I meant ... dismembered ... when I said "murdered". I think that Jessica walked to the place where she was dismembered, and I don't think it happened in the car.

After that, she was transported. Perhaps some of her remains were taken to the open space, but what if this happened at his father's property (especially if he was away on Oct. 5), and other remains were taken to his mother's crawl space?

It is not surprising that Austin claims that Jessica was hog tied and that she was strangled in the car. It is the best explanation that he can give in order to minimalize his participation in her abduction and murder. As it stands, he appears to claim that he abducted her, hog tied her in the car and then strangled her in the car ... and then what ... he panicked and had to get rid of the body ... so he dismembered her and left her in the open space and his mother's crawl space? That's absurd.

It is the most farfetched story we could ever be fed by a *advertiser censored* addict that abducted, murdered and dismembered a 10 year old child. He is attempting to minimize his responsibility for what he did.

I think the crawl space is a possibility, but that could also be where he keeps his "treasures".

There was an article quoted earlier that said he didn't get the thrill he was hoping for just by murdering her, so tried some other things (like the dismemberment).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[otto]

That type of response by the public isn't that unusual in a high-profile missing child case. I don't agree that it's a "Westminster thing" that they put that amount of resources into it. How much community outpouring or attention was there for Sarah Skiba? Jessica wasn't the first person murdered in Westminster, and she won't be the last, but those other cases won't have 200+ LE. I think the reason is because it was a stranger-abduction murder, and there was a good chance the killer was going to strike again.

I think the outpouring from the community support for the disappearance of Natalie Holloway trumps all others ... there were official days off for the entire community to participate in searches. When F-18s are involved, then the response will almost meet those searches for Natalie. Laci Peterson is another case where there were tremendous expences to seek a conviction. Each time, there was a certainty the something was not as it should be ... whether it was familial, or stranger, related.