GA - Daniel Aaron 31, & Kristen McDevitt 30, fatally stabbed, CCTV, Atlanta, 22 Nov 2021 *Arrest*

[Vern]

I think there is in fact a shirt or something draped over it when he enters. That could be a deliberate attempt to change his visual profile.

That red really looks like blood to me, particularly as it's just one one strap.

Also, I don't know if anybody's mentioned it, but the surgical gloves scream "premeditated."

Nope; 18 seconds in to the narrated video, you can clearly see the black backpack with it's zipppers when he is hanging by the garage entrance door texting.

It's a totally different backpack than the one he leaves with.

And gloves are a clear indicator of planning - I agree.

 

[dotr]

Similar M.O., suspect video to Scott Ratigan case? VA - Scott Ratigan, 24, found murdered in apartment, Arlington, 17 January 2020

Backpack, hoodie, odd gait; androgynous, possibly Asian suspects.

Well that is interesting, hmmm!
LINK FROM SCOTT R THREAD..

 

[Swamp Fox Trot]

Well I've found a very similar shirt. I do think the perp is someone in the entertainment industry / EDM community. Could be a somewhat exclusive, hip brand, and may be traceable. Sting posted this just now so it might be produced really recently. On the other hand, the style is not particularly original.

Facebook

 

[Bonthetrack]

I think the backpack straps are white and the red is a bloodstain.

I believe that may be blood as well, just watched the video after the different take on the backpack in general and it looks to be blood on that strap.

 

[AtlantaBourne]

I can't make out the gold logo or pin on the shirt. Could this be it?
Can anyone see it clearly?

TIA

 

[branmuffin]

He has the same underdeveloped calf muscles and slight pigeon toed walk of the killer of Scott Ratigan murdered in Virginia. The same slim build.

 

[branmuffin]

Lenny Kravitz wears a nose ring and feminine clothes!


Apparently Atlanta is diverse and hip even in criminality.


The texting hands looks like a man to me.


While texting the person stands with knees hyperextended [locked?] in a recognizable stance along with the gait, imo.


Genu Recurvatum (Hyperextension of the knee): Causes, Symptoms,Treatment


Oh, hmm, more common in women...



All imo

Definitely more common in women but not unheard of in men. I would be very interested in the level of violence of the attack in terms of number of stab wounds.

 

[branmuffin]

Only a little over an hour between the suspect leaving and police arriving? Quite odd. Sounds to me like the friend who called the police was nervous that something like this might happen... But why?

The Missy Bevers case comes to mind, though I'm sure they're unrelated. Suspect of indeterminate gender, waiting around beforehand, not bothering avoiding cameras, odd gait.

I wonder if stealing the safe was the goal or if it was just incidental. It seems like the suspect would have had a better plan for removing it if that's the reason they were there. Then again, they went to a good bit of effort to remove it, so it would seem that it was pretty important to them to risk the impediment it posed to their getaway.

It's possible one of the two deceased remained alive long enough to call LE.

When I first read that the perp had been in the apartment awhile I misunderstood and thought that the article meant the person had resided in the apartment with the couple for a while which if true would mean they know the identity of the killer. But it sounds more like someone was aware of the safe and spent time in the apartment trying to get the victims to provide the code without success and decided to kill them and take the whole thing away.

So where would someone learn of the contents of the safe? From the victims? Maybe someone who worked with the victims and knew of the safe? We don't know much about the male deceased and what he did for a living. Perhaps someone he knew decided to rob them. I can't see a woman interested in textiles having some really valuable items in the safe unless it was just cash.

 

[AtlantaBourne]

The backpack 'switch' leads me to believe the killer(s) was already in the apt & got this person to bring clean clothes & possibly other items to try & get the safe open. As someone else said, IMO too, no way did anyone plan to carry that safe out of the bldg like that. Thank goodness no one stepped out in the hall! That also brings up the ? of how did the killer get out without being detected. Is LE keeping that surveillance video out of circulation? Hoping more info is released soon or killer is apprehended.

 

[MntnHiker]

Wow this is a bizarre, creepy case! It feels to me like the person on the CCTV was texting with someone who they were working with - maybe someone more familiar with the couple/apartment building. Probably texting them that their first choice of entry was locked and where to go now? I really believe if they were texting the couple, LE would have some leads or an arrest right now based on the couples' texting/phones.

Likely they started pushing buzzers and someone random let them into the building. I've lived in several apartment buildings where that has happened.

I'm surprised by a couple things: first, the carrying out of the safe like everyone mentioned. Very risky! Perhaps they thought they'd be able to either get the couple to open the safe (but they refused even after being threatened) or that they (the killer) could outsmart and open the safe. Neither worked, so their last ditch effort was, OK, the safe is coming too!

Second, this is an apartment building. Did no one hear anything? The killer was in the apartment around 7-8 PM which is not late at all. Now, it's possible people did hear something and LE is keeping that close to the vest. I'm just used to news articles quoting at least one neighbor saying something like, "Yeah, I heard a loud shout at X time" or whatever. All MOO

 

[scriabina]

The backpack 'switch' leads me to believe the killer(s) was already in the apt & got this person to bring clean clothes & possibly other items to try & get the safe open. As someone else said, IMO too, no way did anyone plan to carry that safe out of the bldg like that. Thank goodness no one stepped out in the hall! That also brings up the ? of how did the killer get out without being detected. Is LE keeping that surveillance video out of circulation? Hoping more info is released soon or killer is apprehended.

Great observation. I think you are probably right. The bloody clothes are probably in the backpack the guy is wearing as he carries away the safe. The killer(s) inside changed into the clean clothes that guy brought them so they can leave without drawing attention to themselves.

I also wonder how the killer(s) exited the victims' apartment... and how they got in, for that matter. Perhaps they exited the same way they got inside.

The articles I've read in MSM all seem to indicate that the POI on the surveillance footage is the killer, and that the couple buzzed him inside, but I really don't think that is accurate. It's pretty obvious that the couple was already killed by the time that POI arrived, and the POI was texting the killer trying to get instructions for where to go. As another poster stated earlier, there's no way the poster could stab two people to death and leave wearing the same pristine clothes.

Heartbreaking case, as all murders are. What in the world was in that safe that was worth taking two peoples' lives?! It seemed like a coordinated premeditated operation between at least two people.

 

[scriabina]

Musician CharlestheFirst dead aged 25 - Charles Ingalls found in Nashville hotel

Might be relevant? Seems to have been pretty close to the victims' EDM circles.

Is it just me, or does he look a lot like the male victim? Could they be related?

 

[Marg from Oz]

What was in the safe that was so important? MOO

 

[scriabina]

What was in the safe that was so important? MOO

Most likely drugs or money.

 

[scriabina]

I just discovered that one of the victims was closely connected to someone arrested for allegedly trafficking heroin in 2014. I don't think I can say more due to TOS but it's not too hard to find if one starts at a GF* and then does one quick google search.

 

[scriabina]

Here you can see floor plans and virtual tours for the apartments where the murder took place. It appears all of the apartments have patios. Depending on what floor their apartment was, perhaps someone escaped out the patio?

The monthly rent isn't cheap: $1,459 - $2,769/month.

 

[ArmchairDefective]

[snipped]
Second, this is an apartment building. Did no one hear anything? The killer was in the apartment around 7-8 PM which is not late at all. Now, it's possible people did hear something and LE is keeping that close to the vest. I'm just used to news articles quoting at least one neighbor saying something like, "Yeah, I heard a loud shout at X time" or whatever. All MOO

I had the same thought. Though maybe the victims were restrained or incapacitated before being killed.

The articles I've read in MSM all seem to indicate that the POI on the surveillance footage is the killer, and that the couple buzzed him inside, but I really don't think that is accurate. It's pretty obvious that the couple was already killed by the time that POI arrived, and the POI was texting the killer trying to get instructions for where to go. As another poster stated earlier, there's no way the poster could stab two people to death and leave wearing the same pristine clothes.

Interesting thoughts about a possible second suspect, and as I said above, it seems like it would have been difficult for one person to take out two without at least a noisy struggle that would've alerted neighbors. I remember what apartment living is like and I could basically hear my neighbors sneeze. I can't imagine that even a "luxury" apartment would offer amazing soundproofing.

 

[AtlantaBourne]

Here you can see floor plans and virtual tours for the apartments where the murder took place. It appears all of the apartments have patios. Depending on what floor their apartment was, perhaps someone escaped out the patio?

The monthly rent isn't cheap: $1,459 - $2,769/month.

The video of the POI seems to show the victims' apt on the ground flr IMO. Shows POI going down hall to the 'wrong' apt door, turning around back down hallway to correct apt, then appears to go down the same hall, passing the 'wrong' door then out the back exit outside in the doggy area. Incredible to me that no one else was in hallways or walking their dog at that time.
Posting another pic of POI outside w/safe. Finding it so hard to tell what this person's gender is. Hoodie? Is it gone?

Also, IMO this is a very large safe for a young couple to have. Any thoughts on why such a large safe? or is it irrelevant?

 

[dotr]

The video of the POI seems to show the victims' apt on the ground flr IMO. Shows POI going down hall to the 'wrong' apt door, turning around back down hallway to correct apt, then appears to go down the same hall, passing the 'wrong' door then out the back exit outside in the doggy area. Incredible to me that no one else was in hallways or walking their dog at that time.
Posting another pic of POI outside w/safe. Finding it so hard to tell what this person's gender is. Hoodie? Is it gone?
View attachment 326512
Also, IMO this is a very large safe for a young couple to have. Any thoughts on why such a large safe? or is it irrelevant?

Getting a whole different gender vibe now, could this be a male and a female working in tandem? complete speculation, imo.

 

[scriabina]

JMO, but my gut is telling me this is drugs related.

Maybe the safe needed to be that big because it had to hold lots of drugs and weapons.

There were some big drug busts in Atlanta around the time of this couple's murder. One in particular occurred in Dec 5:

"According to officials, this investigation has been ongoing for several weeks. It started in Nov. 2021 after someone noticed unusual activity at the apartment on 16th Street. Police gathered enough information, and on Wednesday, they were able to secure a search warrant and make the arrests."

That drug bust apartment is about 3 miles from the victims' apartment building. Suspicious activity was reported weeks earlier around the time of the murder. What if the suspicious activity was someone carrying a large safe into the building and loud noises trying to get into the safe? I know it's a shot in the dark, but my gut is telling me these drug dealers may be connected to the murder.