First, we need to make sure all accusations have been stated, and unfortunately you have missed a few:
1] that I was a communist agent, employed by Moscow, to use the educational system to destroy my students patriotism for the US;
2] that I was an atheist, in league with the Devil, to bring about the destruction of Christianity;
3] that my belief that Americas racial/ethnic minorities and gays should be accorded all the respect and rights as White Americans would mongrelize Americas culture and lead to the end of American civilization as we know it.
Interestingly, before I moved [for personal, familial, and professional reasons] I was invited to dinner by a very well respected Christian family. As we finished eating, the husband said he understood what I had had to endure. He did not apologize for those things [and I did not expect him to, nor ask him to], but said that he hoped that I would understand the community and not harbor any animosity. I have tried do this, and when thinking about Cedaredge, remember positive times. I would have to say that he and his family have been one of the few examples I have met of people who truly practice their faith. Please realize, this was the era of Reagan and I made the perfect villain. You have all jumped on the bandwagon. So for the moment, extinguish the torches, put down the pitchforks, and stifle the storm the castle chant.
1] Rogers height is listed as 6. There is a skeleton found in Chaffee County of someone who is 56. OK, lets go over this--> 6 vs 56. And yet, we have a chorus of sleuthies demanding DNA tests to determine if it is Roger. Is it a common phenomenon for a skeleton to shrink half a foot? One last time people, 6 vs 56.
2] the poachers story. This one is very odd. There are supposedly 2 men carrying high-powered rifles who come upon a man with a shotgun, and another person who is bound. And yet they dont do anything about it. Why? Because they are worried they will be charged with poaching? Give me a break. And one passes a lie detector test on his death bed [so melodramatic]? And of course we all know that lie detector tests are infallible. It should be very easy to get the names of the men involved if this is a true story. Still it doesnt make sense. The other interesting thing is that the man is reported as holding a shotgun. There are 3 shell casings found with the skeleton. Are the shell casings for a shotgun, or a rifle? Big difference. By the way, I am a strong advocate for gun control, and have never owned, nor possessed, any type of firearm. This was not a good opinion to have in a community where gun ownership and hunting is both a personal choice and an economic factor.
Fourth, the infamous house of secrets [so melodramatic]
1] the shuttered windows. They werent when we lived there. We did have a framed piece of stained glass hanging within the small window frame. Since the house has been altered, Im not sure what it looks like anymore. But on the north side, there were 3 large windows. The front of the house [facing east] had a large picture window. The south side had a large picture window in the dining area and in the living room, and a smaller window by the fireplace. So quite a few large windows [we enjoyed the sunlight].
2] digging up the yard. Talk about a waste of time and money. The only time I ever did any digging was to replace or add rose bushes, and to create foundation holes for my childrens swingset in the backyard [which remained when we left]. By the way, Cedaredge is roughly 6000 or so, and we had snow on the ground well into April. So the ground is not easily dug up. It can be done, but would take an extended amount of time unless one used machinery. As for anomalies under the concrete floor of the garage, I am not even sure where that is since we did not have a garage. We had to park our car on the street in front of the house. That also brings into question the idea that there was a driveway. Next to the rock wall was an overgrown access road to permit the owner of the lot behind our house access to it. The reason it was overgrown is because it was never used by anyone.
3] the teenager in a fetal position in the crawl space. I love this one because it really lacks logic. How in Gods name [yes, I do believe in God] do you look at an imprint in dirt and determine it is of a teenager and not an adult? Again, doesnt make sense.
Fifth, more odd accusations which just dont add up.
1] the only way I can describe this one is my having encounter groups in my home. This is a total fabrication. If I did permit such a thing, I would like to think I would have added some type of historical theme to it, such as requiring dress-up in Roman-styled togas and speaking Pig Latin.
2] that I was the go to guy for marijuana. Again, another story which is totally fabricated. And then to imply that the police covered it up because.... they benefited somehow? Do you really want to go there? I guess you do. Please realize that freedom of speech, or clever disclaimers at the bottom of ones post, do not protect one from all liability. But then you have those clever user ids and never have to worry about people knowing who you are. Anonymity is a shield for the irresponsible.
Sixth, refers to questions that should be asked, but havent been.
1] what was determined about reports that people saw Roger hitchhiking out of town that morning? Were these reports dismissed? In that regard, has anybody bothered to read the initial news articles concerning Rogers disappearance?
2] the alleged report that Roger was seen talking to 2 unidentified men the morning he disappeared. Was it inside the school building? Was it outside on school grounds? Was it some place else off school grounds? What time did this occur? Either way, the report that the men were unidentified would lead one to realize that these men were unknown to whoever made that report. Had I been one of those individuals, wouldnt it be obvious that I would have been identified? However, I was in my classroom preparing to teach that day.
3] it is stated that Roger only had $3 in his wallet, and no additional clothes. This does seem odd for someone who is running away. You would think they would want to have as much money as possible, and some extra clothes. So it would initially seem that no such runaway plan was in effect. However a further understanding as to the type of bank account Roger had, and the banks policies regarding it may be necessary. Was it a checking or savings account. Since Roger was still a minor at the time, what was necessary in order for him to get the money? Would he have to write a check to somebody, and then ask for the money from them? Would a savings withdrawal require a second signature? Would it require parental notification?
4] the fact that Roger came to school that morning with his backpack full of books. It might be thought that he would need those books in every single class that day. Possible explanation, but not necessarily probable. As for my classes, I lectured everyday, and had them do book work in class sporadically. So why return all the books? Another possibility, and more probable, is that he knew he wouldnt be needing them anymore, and wanted to return school property.
5] if we are going to focus on rumors, then we need to make sure we point out the initial rumors that went around. It was stated that Roger had either been kidnapped by a hippie religious cult for human sacrifice, or by a motorcycle gang that was reportedly in the area. Interestingly, it was also rumored a couple of years later that Roger had actually been found. This was supposedly achieved through a search of his social security number that found him living in Kansas and working in a gas station.
Seventh, comments by Chief79--> he acknowledges that Mitch was questioned, but he wasnt. Why he wasnt questioned is irrelevant at this point. But in knowing that he wasnt, doesnt mean he has no valuable information, especially in saying that there is a lot of misinformation. Does Chief79 have to explain anything to the sleuthies? No. It may be something that he doesnt want to make public out of his regard for Roger. But he should go to the responsible law enforcement agency [Delta County Sheriffs] and provide such information. At that point, its relevance can be determined, and if deemed necessary, made public.
[Continued on another post]
