GUILTY GA - Antonio Santiago, 13 mos, Brunswick, 21 March 2013 - #2

[Jellyworker]

i have been captivated by this story. from the moment i first heard about it i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. during my search for more info, i found this site. i've been following every link you guys post, every comment, every guess and assumption from the first thread that was closed. it consumes my thoughts and free time. there are so many questions that i have, and like many of you, i have my own opinion of the accused perpetrators and the mother.

the last comment by the chief, "a truth will come to light at the proper time, just not now" has my mind going crazy. i haven't felt this way since i use to watch 'as the world turns' w/ my grandmother as a child. (thats a soap opera from the 70's/80's).

the hardest thing about all of this, is the fact that a infant was killed. sometimes i have a hard time accepting that. i keep saying, theres no way these guys shot an infant in the face. its almost like its a family member. i'm in denial, even though i know it happened, i just can't wrap my mind around it.

 

[NinjaPoof]

Random crime doesn't rule out Robbery. They saw an easy target. A woman walking alone with her baby. Demanded money. Got mad when it didn't happen. Tried to kill them both, only succeeded at killing a sleeping baby.

<modsnip>!!

 

[NinjaPoof]

i have been captivated by this story. from the moment i first heard about it i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. during my search for more info, i found this site. i've been following every link you guys post, every comment, every guess and assumption from the first thread that was closed. it consumes my thoughts and free time. there are so many questions that i have, and like many of you, i have my own opinion of the accused perpetrators and the mother.

the last comment by the chief, "a truth will come to light at the proper time, just not now" has my mind going crazy. i haven't felt this way since i use to watch 'as the world turns' w/ my grandmother as a child. (thats a soap opera from the 70's/80's).

the hardest thing about all of this, is the fact that a infant was killed. sometimes i have a hard time accepting that. i keep saying, theres no way these guys shot an infant in the face. its almost like its a family member. i'm in denial, even though i know it happened, i just can't wrap my mind around it.

Apparently, you're not the only one in denial.

 

[*LD*]

Victor Blackwell
@VictorCNN GA Bureau of Investigation "testing gun retrieved from marsh. Could take days to determine if it was the gun used to kill 13mo."

They haven't tested the gun, therefore, I'm not sure how the Police Chief can say "there is no question".

It's also plausible that the entire family freaked out and tossed the gun in the pond not knowing if it was used in the murder. I think LI should refrain from making such strong statements until science proves the gun from the pond is the murder weapon.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

Random crime doesn't rule out Robbery. They saw an easy target. A woman walking alone with her baby. Demanded money. Got mad when it didn't happen. Tried to kill them both, only succeeded at killing a sleeping baby.

<snipped>

Nor has that be confirmed, though:

Doering acknowledged that Sherry West, the slain child's mother who was shot, has told media outlets the shootings were the result of a robbery attempt. Doering said investigators are exploring that.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/Police-Shootings-of-Brunswick-mother-son-were-random/-/475880/19490264/-/c73j3z/-/index.html

I'm just glad they're being thorough. Continuing to gather witnesses and evidence.

No one involved (even if a whole gang of people) should get away with this. I think about this baby everyday, too, Jellyworker.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

I couldn't disagree with you more.

I know. <3

 

[Jellyworker]

They haven't tested the gun, therefore, I'm not sure how the Police Chief can say "there is no question".

It's also plausible that the entire family freaked out and tossed the gun in the pond not knowing if it was used in the murder. I think LI should refrain from making such strong statements until science proves the gun from the pond is the murder weapon.

did you also see that the gun was recovered from "a pond in a gated subdivision"?

was the gate open? if not, who has access to this gated subdivision?

where i'm from, gated subdivisions, not cheap apartments w/ the gate busted, are always closed. and when they aren't working, theres a guard standing watch.

 

[JeannaT]

Nor has that be confirmed, though:



I'm just glad they're being thorough. No one involved should get away with this. I think about this baby everyday, too, Jellyworker.

That baby looks just like my firstborn. I think I've shielded myself from thinking about that poor little soul - what i think of when I think of this case is . . . what thought process went through DE's mind, exactly?

When he woke up that morning, I'm certain he didn't intend to shoot a baby in the face that morning. His family seemed certain he couldn't have done it. (I'm not talking about his mom and aunt, they seem like they possibly fully believed it but really didn't much fault him for it). What goes through a person's mind who intends to nab a purse, and then shoots a baby in the face with no provocation?

That's what I keep thinking of. How many other young men are just one impulse away from shooting a baby, but the opportunity doesn't really arise, so the sun sets on that day without them doing this.

I just don't get it. The thought process.

 

[NinjaPoof]

did you also see that the gun was recovered from "a pond in a gated subdivision"?

was the gate open? if not, who has access to this gated subdivision?

where i'm from, gated subdivisions, not cheap apartments w/ the gate busted, are always closed. and when they aren't working, theres a guard standing watch.

Where I'm from any subdivision or apartment with a gate (broken, working, ghetto or upscale) is described as a gated community.

 

[Wishbone]

police chief. "mother never a suspect in my mind"

also says hes seen the facebook pages

very strange final comment.
"Doering still refused to answer the key question, whether West and the suspects know each other, saying it would harm the investigation. He would not say how long the suspects have known each other.

Doering closed the news conference saying, "A truth will come to light at the proper time, just not now."
http://www.news4jax.com/news/Police...andom/-/475880/19490264/-/c73j3z/-/index.html

Maybe the truth that will come light is that the suspects do know each other contrary to what has been stated.

 

[*LD*]

It's possible that that gun has been used in other crimes. When the Aunt knew they were looking for her nephew they probably got rid of SEVERAL items that were in their house. If you know what i'm saying......

Interested that it's a gated community but typically those are easy to access on foot and aren't fortresses.

 

[JeannaT]

did you also see that the gun was recovered from "a pond in a gated subdivision"?

was the gate open? if not, who has access to this gated subdivision?

where i'm from, gated subdivisions, not cheap apartments w/ the gate busted, are always closed. and when they aren't working, theres a guard standing watch.

I went to Google satellite and it's confusing. The article said the gun was found in a pond behind Brunswick Floors, in a gated community. Well I see the pond, I see Brunswick floors, and I see a very obvious route for someone to take to get to the pond by car.

I don't see any gates.

The address is 3550 Darien Hwy, Brunswick, GA for those who want to look at it on google.

 

[Jellyworker]

Where I'm from any subdivision or apartment with a gate (broken, working, ghetto or upscale) is described as a gated community.

i would have never guessed that apartments w/ a gate would ever be considered as a gated community. ha. you must be a real estate agent. hahaha

but maybe those reporters out there use the term "subdivision" differently than we do here in texas.

 

[PrairieWind]

That is an interesting statement by the Chief, and well worded I think. He obviously knows more or suspects but needs to keep it close to vest for a while.

 

[NinjaPoof]

i would have never guessed that apartments w/ a gate would ever be considered as a gate community. ha. you must be a real estate agent. hahaha

Um no. I'm not. But if you pick up any Apartment Guide in Houston, you'll notice that if they have a security gate (which is laughable) the description will list *Gated Community*.

I can read. That's all the qualifications needed to make that call.

 

[necco]

respectfully snipped

Interested that it's a gated community but typically those are easy to access on foot and aren't fortresses.

Exactly. Unless there are alarms or armed guards, gated communities with operating gates are really only inaccessible to cars... and even that depends on how the gate works.

A person on foot can circumvent most passive security at gated communities with very little effort.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

Gun recovered from a small saltwater pond on Highway 17, near spur 25, behind the Brunswick Floors apartments.

 

[Minette]

I almost wish LE would continue to say *nothing* about motive and potential relationships between the suspects or between the supects/victim(s) than throw out hints and say that all will be revealed later. And I say victimS because while everyone appears to assume that any retaliation motive would be against the mother, if retaliation for something was involved, what precludes it from being against Antonio's father, for whatever reason? Maybe Luis had a reason for warning Shelly not to walk in that particular area, who knows? And maybe the very thing we are all struggling against believing is true after all--this was indeed a completely random crime, and we live in a world in which it is possible for someone to shoot a baby in the face because of an unsuccessful robbery attempt. The whole thing makes me sick, and even though I understand why LE is keeping things close at the moment, I don't think trickling out tantalizing hints of unconfirmed information is doing the victims or the community any good.

All IMO, of course.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

JeannaT - thanks for the address! Here's the Google map (A = the apartment complex), and I'm guessing the saltwater pond is that long snake-shaped, muddy-looking body of water behind the apartments and to the right of the trees. (Ocean is east of map).

No wonder it took 5-1/2 hours with a metal-detector to find that gun.

(I've put the map in the timeline.)

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

Close-up satellite map of apartment complex, with long, snake-shaped, muddy-looking saltwater pond behind them (to the right of the trees) where the gun was recovered: