CT- Annie Le, missing from Yale, thread #2

[Emma Peel]

http://bbs.yale.edu/images/B8_3.pdf

awww...
see page 9 (wilma & fred flintstone)
and
see page 8 (earrings)

for more about Annie on a personal level

 

[Emma Peel]

Can someone provide the link that leads us to think Annie worked with animals in the lab?

 

[Labrat]

In that scenario, the killer would be someone familiar with the lab and its means of research animal disposal, or more unlikely, someone who actually is responsible for the removal.

It's not unlikely at all.

Research animal disposal would be handled by the animal care staff, not the lab she worked for. Animal use is very highly regulated. If it is a barrier facility, she would have had to work with her animals inside the animal care facility- that is why I think the signing up she did was to reserve a procedure room inside that facility.

An employee inside that facility would not be likely to know anything about her lab or her research- they wouldn't need to. They would have had access to her inside their comfort zone. It would actually be somewhat the same as being snatched on the street.

I spend most of my day working inside these facilities- in an animal room or a procedure room. The employees are there to change cages, water and feed the animals and maintain the facility- they're covered with PPE and are generally pretty anonymous.

They have no idea who I am or what I am there to do. I would not recognize most of them on the street, since with all the paper gowning all I see is their eyes. Someone could have been watching her for a while and she could have been totally unaware of it.

That is why my hypothesis is that something happened there.

 

[Labrat]

Can someone provide the link that leads us to think Annie worked with animals in the lab?

I believe I saw it in an article- I will try to find it.

 

[eyes4crime]

http://bbs.yale.edu/images/B8_3.pdf

awww...
see page 9 (wilma & fred flintstone)
and
see page 8 (earrings)

for more about Annie on a personal level

Funny - I like the caffeine and serotonin key chains the best! Researchers can have lots of fun.

 

[eyes4crime]

Can someone provide the link that leads us to think Annie worked with animals in the lab?

I don't know where the info came from that Annie was going to work with her animals! Sorry.

 

[MomofBoys]

They also mentioned it on Nancy Grace. Friday, I believe.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Awwww, today is their wedding day. My heart goes out to her groom and their families. It must be horrendous for them all. She should be standing at the alter right now with her shaking husband holding her hand in the veil she embroidered herself looking beautiful and looking towards a happy life together.

 

[Emily Booth]

Sounds like it was not Bennett to me..We talked about her "ugly" shoes earlier today & her dowdy-ish outfit..In all other pix she is very stylish so it really stood out.

It seems from this he knew earlier in the day there was a problem but it was not until later that nite he heard from LE..I dont see anything suspicious here at all.

Bennett, for his part, said he was first contacted by police late Tuesday after Le’s roommate reported her missing.

He emphasized that his eight-person laboratory team, of which Le is a member, works closely together and, as such, her colleagues noticed her absence quickly.

“There was certainly immediate concern about her whereabouts,” Bennett said. “And they grew over the course of the day,” especially after she missed a pathology class for which she is a teaching assistant.

We're still back at this time/report issue -- colleagues reporting seeing Annie @ 11 am. Bennett emailed the chair @ 12 noon that Annie is not at work. He emailed the chair after his 10:30am - 12 noon class. We're back at the question re: how did Bennett learn Annie did not show up for work? He obviously did not consult w/ her teammates. The fire alarm is a moot point because it happened after 1pm and Annie went missing between 11am and 12noon.

My apologies if this has already been addressed; I haven't finished reading this thread!

I don't think Annie's abduction is related to stem cell research? I'm not familiar w/ anti-stem cell research activists, but wouldn't we have seen something in the media from them by now, a phone call, letter or ransom demand?

I also don't think Annie's abduction is related to the article she wrote re: personal security and safety. The magazine was published in the winter (couldn't find a date but there were references to the weather and a photo of a snowman). Leaving her purse, cell, credit cards and cash at her office (locked up in a desk or locker?) could've been due to a personal safety issue so she wouldn't get mugged.

Asian women (and small women in general, IMO) tend to be targets of crime due to their small size and perception that they won't fight back or are passive. I think she was targeted either because of her size/ethnicity. I also think coworker jealousy/hostility could be a factor.

 

[Track292008]

snipped:

It's not unlikely at all.

Research animal disposal would be handled by the animal care staff, not the lab she worked for. Animal use is very highly regulated. If it is a barrier facility, she would have had to work with her animals inside the animal care facility- that is why I think the signing up she did was to reserve a procedure room inside that facility.

Great post and ideas re: the procedure room staff!

Have you read anywhere that Annie actually signed up to reserve a procedure room inside the Amistad street building...or is that simply standard procedure at a major university research lab....or?

Also, what exactly is a "barrier facility?"

TIA.

 

[Gene]

:blushing:

I'm a grad student in a similar field so I guess I'll chime in.

What she is carrying in that picture is probably a stack (or two stacks) of papers for the class she was TAing. They could be graded exams, newly printed out tests, etc. The important thing is that this would imply that at the moment she was captured on camera her intention was to TA, not to run away.

I don't think it is suspicious at all that her advisor/professor cancelled class when she didnt show up. Often what the TA is bringing to class is important for that class. For instance, if she were bringing graded exams perhaps the plan for class that day was to go over the questions on the exams.
Also, labs tend to be close knit. When she didn't show up people probably tried contacting her on her cell phone and when she didn't answer this caused suspicion.

It's extremely unlikely that the perpetrator had a political agenda. An animal rights activist might break a bunch of equipment and release some mice but hurting a nice 4 foot 11 girl is rather unlikely.

A robbery probably isn't that likely, although possible. These labs often do have millions of dollars of equipment and reagents. In fact, the key pads are usually more a precaution to protect equipment than people. However, why would someone rob a lab in broad daylight? That doesn't really make sense.

People generally show up for lab work between 9:30 and 10:30. Labs are usually very open spaces and social (people from other labs walk in and out) This makes it unlikely that she would be attacked in a lab without a major diversion, perhaps the fire alarm was that diversion. I think that it's more likely she was attacked in a stairwell, office, basement etc.

I was also once a grad student in a similar area. One remark that I think needs to be made is that labs have a tendancy to be rather "incestual" for lack of a better word. That is, people working in a lab have a strong tendancy to develop sexual relationships with other people in the lab or the department. In a lab of this size, it would not be at all uncommon for a grad student be sleeping with a post-doc, a lab tech or the principal investigator (professor) in the lab or the department. In my case, I think that I was one of the very few who was not sleeping with someone else within the department. :blushing:

In otherwords, I would not at all be surprised if this was an "inside job".

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Welcome to WS, Koozya and Adude~ Excellent posts!

I have a couple of questions:

Didn't I read the building where she went missing also houses a surgical area?

Why would his father postpone the wedding on Wednesday instead of waiting a day or so? The person who was to perform the ceremony said he called on Wednesday because people were flying in from out of town. I understand the need to put plans on hold, but that early? She would not have been missing 24 hours at that point. To me, it seems like he rushed it a bit. How did he know that Annie may not have taken off for a bachelorette party or something without telling anyone and would pop up to find her wedding had been canceled. This bothers me.


“They had everything going for them,” she said. “They were not only a couple, they were best friends. They reached a level of maturity that said they were ready for matrimony.”

The groom’s father, Michael Widawsky, called Sherry on Wednesday to say the wedding would be postponed.

“He was very, very distraught,” she said. “He said the family made a decision. They didn’t know where she was and people were coming to town so they had to postpone the wedding.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_...9-13_details_of_the_canceled_wedding_of_.html BBM

 

[Jackie Oh!]

From http://www.courant.com/community/ne...annie-le-0910-pictures,0,3881581.photogallery which somebody posted earlier..

Doesn't seem like there is any sort of locked-access entry to the building. I would imagine there would be some sort of lobby and then elevators to separate floors, where you would have to swipe in. I haven't had too much experience with labs, but the medical campus of the university I attend does have locked-access entry to some (most?) of their buildings.. but of course it's very easy to "tailgate." You are, however, required to wear your ID card at all times.

I wish I knew more about procedures like that, but I switched out of pre-med after my freshman year.

And.. I can't even imagine what the fiance is going through today. My heart goes out for him. I'm still clinging onto the hopes that this will be a happy ending but my head tells me otherwise..

 

[Emma Peel]

It's not unlikely at all.

An employee inside that facility would not be likely to know anything about her lab or her research- they wouldn't need to. They would have had access to her inside their comfort zone. It would actually be somewhat the same as being snatched on the street.

I spend most of my day working inside these facilities- in an animal room or a procedure room. The employees are there to change cages, water and feed the animals and maintain the facility- they're covered with PPE and are generally pretty anonymous.

They have no idea who I am or what I am there to do. I would not recognize most of them on the street, since with all the paper gowning all I see is their eyes. Someone could have been watching her for a while and she could have been totally unaware of it.

That is why my hypothesis is that something happened there.

Yale daily news is a the undergraduate student newspaper. Articles written by frosh/sophs. Editors are juniors/seniors.

http://old.yaledailynews.com/aboutus

B magazine is the biomed graduate dept. magazine. Annie is credited the Pharma. Dept. contributor. Interesting to get a feel from B Magazine for the whole BioMed dept and the "family" atmosphere they engender. Thanks to whoever found it.

Annie's article on safety was written in B Magaizne. My guess is, circulatoin of this publication is fairly limited - although it's available on line, as we have discovered. But I don't think your average joe is reading it. Interest would seem limited to the grad Biomed dept.

That being said, I'm also liking the "stranger who works in the same building" theory from LabRat quoted. She was at the door, however, reportedly did not get to her scheduled mornging lab hours that day.

Good thought earlier about some of the pile in Annie's arms being TA class papers. But, do we know what class her TA building was in? I don't think it was in this lab.

 

[Emma Peel]

:laugh:

Funny - I like the caffeine and serotonin key chains the best! Researchers can have lots of fun.

lol. I thought they were earrings. Now I want a pair. To help me with the caffeine problem, and keep me serotoninized. Gotta love the sense of humor.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

More than 100 officers with the FBI, Connecticut State Police and New Haven police had pored over the building's labs and surveillance footage hunting for evidence, and hit paydirt yesterday in the basement where Le had done work.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bloody_clothes_in_missing_bride_wDZk02N1NnobuY0Drw0PCM BBM

This is important because it means she would have either taken the stairs or the elevator. I know a lot of times when people work in a large building, they opt to take the stairs because it saves time instead of waiting for an elevator. Since it was only one floor down...she could have easily taken the stairs. This would isolate her in the stairwell. If you don't need your ID to enter the stairs from the lobby, but only the door to the lab then anyone could have been hiding there.

 

[eyes4crime]

Welcome to WS, Koozya and Adude~ Excellent posts!

I have a couple of questions:

Didn't I read the building where she went missing also houses a surgical area?

Why would his father postpone the wedding on Wednesday instead of waiting a day or so? The person who was to perform the ceremony said he called on Wednesday because people were flying in from out of town. I understand the need to put plans on hold, but that early? She would not have been missing 24 hours at that point. To me, it seems like he rushed it a bit. How did he know that Annie may not have taken off for a bachelorette party or something without telling anyone and would pop up to find her wedding had been canceled. This bothers me.


“They had everything going for them,” she said. “They were not only a couple, they were best friends. They reached a level of maturity that said they were ready for matrimony.”

The groom’s father, Michael Widawsky, called Sherry on Wednesday to say the wedding would be postponed.

“He was very, very distraught,” she said. “He said the family made a decision. They didn’t know where she was and people were coming to town so they had to postpone the wedding.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_...9-13_details_of_the_canceled_wedding_of_.html BBM

Everything written or said about Annie has highlighted how dependable, exact, punctual, deliberate, brilliant, kind, and loving she is. Her wedding plans alone are filled with details of perfection. With that in mind - a FIL to be who knows his DIL to be, and has a son who is a physics doctoral candidate, knew something was terribly wrong when she was first reported missing. History and patterns tell me a great deal about a person and not showing up just isn't who Annie is. I can see exactly why he cancelled the wedding. mho

ETA: I now understand the wedding was postponed and not cancelled. That's optimism for you.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

More information about Annie Le's crime and safety article: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_...e_bridetobe_annie_le_once_penned_article.html

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Yale daily news is a the undergraduate student newspaper. Articles written by frosh/sophs. Editors are juniors/seniors.

http://old.yaledailynews.com/aboutus

B magazine is the biomed graduate dept. magazine. Annie is credited the Pharma. Dept. contributor. Interesting to get a feel from B Magazine for the whole BioMed dept and the "family" atmosphere they engender. Thanks to whoever found it.

Annie's article on safety was written in B Magazine. My guess is, circulation of this publication is fairly limited - although it's available on line, as we have discovered. But I don't think your average joe is reading it. Interest would seem limited to the grad Biomed dept.

That being said, I'm also liking the "stranger who works in the same building" theory from LabRat quoted. She was at the door, however, reportedly did not get to her scheduled morning lab hours that day.

Good thought earlier about some of the pile in Annie's arms being TA class papers. But, do we know what class her TA building was in? I don't think it was in this lab.

Below her article, there is a column for upcoming weddings and announcements within that group. She was listed there and people reading the article from the small circulation would know about her wedding plans, her status at the University, and her fiance's name.

 

[Misfitdolly]

From http://www.courant.com/community/ne...annie-le-0910-pictures,0,3881581.photogallery which somebody posted earlier..

Doesn't seem like there is any sort of locked-access entry to the building. I would imagine there would be some sort of lobby and then elevators to separate floors, where you would have to swipe in. I haven't had too much experience with labs, but the medical campus of the university I attend does have locked-access entry to some (most?) of their buildings.. but of course it's very easy to "tailgate." You are, however, required to wear your ID card at all times.

I wish I knew more about procedures like that, but I switched out of pre-med after my freshman year.

And.. I can't even imagine what the fiance is going through today. My heart goes out for him. I'm still clinging onto the hopes that this will be a happy ending but my head tells me otherwise..

There are double doors, you can see the second set of doors in the first picture. I work in a building that requires a card to open the doors and you go into the first set of double doors that is unlocked then inside there is a black pad on the wall you wave your card in front of the black pad and the light turns green and the second set of double doors open automatically.