GUILTY GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 26 June 2011 #10

[3doglady]

So evidence that we know of so far: (someone correct me if I'm wrong)

Hack saw found in locked closet of laundry room with LG's DNA on it.
Hack saw packaging with same lot number found in SM's apt.
Cadaver dogs hit in SM's, LG's and downstairs apt.
Master key and LG's key found in SM's apt.
"Murder story" SM told his roommate 7 yrs ago.
CP on flash drive. ?
SOL posts ???

Reasonable doubt:
No DNA evidence (other than hack saw) from FBI so far even though body was dismembered
Cadaver dogs not used to search friend's apts. Cadaver dogs hit everywhere they searched.
SM gave permission for his apt to be searched.
Other people had master keys. (Likely DD had master also)
Did SM tell other wild tales besides "murder story"?
LE missed: Scratches on tub and blue gloves

Things we don't know:
Toxicology report ( I tend to think LE has been given a preliminary verbal report on this due to LG's mom statement that LG didn't know what hit her)
Is there a Walmart video of SM?
Were trash bags found in SM's apt and matched against trash bags found with LG?
Rape kit report
Scratches on tub tested for embedded DNA
Blue gloves evidence or smoke?
Autopsy report
Plumbing forensics
Refrigerator forensics

 

[3doglady]

I did. I was discussing the context on that part. But postings and comments about murders can look bad on anyone taken out of context. Looking at someone's interests can twist perception when only seen in a certain light. How many forensic shows have you watched in the last year? Are you watching those shows because you are plotting to kill someone and want to make sure you know what they will check for? Probably not, but it could be twisted that way. Do you watch any crime dramas that are violent? Or read any unusually intense books? Are you a Twilight fan? Which would mean you are into possibly cannibalism and drinking blood because of the vampire and werewolf scenarios.

That is what I was talking about. Because it can be so easily twisted, it can also explain why it might be excluded from the trial.

Actually there was a trial in NC recently where a WS poster had to read his posts on the stand. He was a neighbor of the victim (Nancy Cooper) and had a one time "fling" with her. He shared his theory of how she may have been killed on WS. The DT tried to throw suspension on him by exposing his relationship and posts. The computer expert in the same trial posted here and also was "outed" on the stand.

 

[bessie]

We have a separate thread to discuss the specifics of McD's internet posts. So without listing details, I will say the first person, "I am", declarations are very disturbing.

 

[Givsmetheshivers]

Great post 3dogLady.
Can we add results from plumbing/fridge to things we don't know yet.

 

[PsychoMom]

Actually there was a trial in NC recently where a WS poster had to read his posts on the stand. He was a neighbor of the victim (Nancy Cooper) and had a one time "fling" with her. He shared his theory of how she may have been killed on WS. The DT tried to throw suspension on him by exposing his relationship and posts. The computer expert in the same trial posted here and also was "outed" on the stand.

Yeah, if they match a scenario, I can see it being admissible. But random postings with no connection might not be. He did not post about her, and with no cause of death, they cannot match it up, so it will be really iffy. I said something about it originally, but I must have skipped it when I reposted after the boo-boo.

I am not seeing this as a whether he did it or not right now. I am looking at whether or not they can convict. A lot of info will be worthless in trial because it will never get seen. The CP may not be even mentioned. A story told to a dorm mate 7 years ago as an 18yo freshman is a stretch. I can see that dorm mate being ripped apart on the stand. Every single word dissected and his memory of every event tested. He better remember every word he said and what prompted the discussion, and heaven forbid, the dorm mate told HIS story first. The stuff they do have is looking shaky if it can be shown too many others had the same access. They are going to have to have a smoking gun to get him on this one.

 

[3doglady]

Great post 3dogLady.
Can we add results from plumbing/fridge to things we don't know yet.

Thanks, I edited my post. If there's anything else please add to it.

 

[3doglady]

Yeah, if they match a scenario, I can see it being admissible. But random postings with no connection might not be. He did not post about her, and with no cause of death, they cannot match it up, so it will be really iffy. I said something about it originally, but I must have skipped it when I reposted after the boo-boo.

I am not seeing this as a whether he did it or not right now. I am looking at whether or not they can convict. A lot of info will be worthless in trial because it will never get seen. The CP may not be even mentioned. A story told to a dorm mate 7 years ago as an 18yo freshman is a stretch. I can see that dorm mate being ripped apart on the stand. Every single word dissected and his memory of every event tested. He better remember every word he said and what prompted the discussion, and heaven forbid, the dorm mate told HIS story first. The stuff they do have is looking shaky if it can be shown too many others had the same access. They are going to have to have a smoking gun to get him on this one.

I agree. I was trying to give an example of how someone can make a speculative post and have it used against him even though it was just a theory. In this case it was the DT trying to make the poster look guilty but the jury didn't buy it. That defendant was found guilty of first degree.

 

[~SuperSleuth~]

Has there been any information about how SM got a master key? I thought at one time that he could have copied one from DD's apartment if he creepy-crawled it. However, he would have had to have a master key to get into DD's apartment. So that doesn't work.

I had posted this theory a while back when this was being discussed.

As for master key duplication, this will depend on the lock.
More than likely, he could have purchased/obtained a master blank for those locks.
I can think of several ways he could have gone about this,
but the best scenario I can come up with would be to simply
ask the MM to borrow the key real quick to go unlock your door.
Press it into some silly-putty to get the pattern. Return the key.
Then, just file the master blank yourself.

Still a possibility.
However, now that we're seeing that keys may not have been tracked very well,
it's possible he simply swiped one at some point. Especially since it looks like
DD may have had one.

I still question the use of a resident student in this "MM/resident contact" capacity.
Especially if he's got keys and access to all the apartments - being that many
of them would be his fellow classmates. I certainly wouldn't want to be in that position.

 

[3doglady]

I had posted this theory a while back when this was being discussed.

Still a possibility.
However, now that we're seeing that keys may not have been tracked very well,
it's possible he simply swiped one at some point. Especially since it looks like
DD may have had one.

I still question the use of a resident student in this "MM/resident contact" capacity.
Especially if he's got keys and access to all the apartments - being that many
of them would be his fellow classmates. I certainly wouldn't want to be in that position.

Key Possibilities: ( I swiped these from other posts)

1. SM borrowed a master and copied it.
2. SM swiped a master.
3. SM was given a master by management and didn't realize it was a
master which would explain why he also had LG's key. But then how did
he get in the other apts to steal condoms?

 

[Destini]

I don't even understand what a "resident contact" means. What was his job exactly? (DD)

 

[3doglady]

I don't even understand what a "resident contact" means. What was his job exactly? (DD)

This is speculation on my part. I think he was a contact for "emergencies" when management was not on the property. Such as someone losing a key, a toilet baking up, ect. He may also have been responsible for small handyman jobs such as a window that will not open or leaking faucet.

 

[Destini]

This is speculation on my part. I think he was a contact for "emergencies" when management was not on the property. Such as someone losing a key, a toilet baking up, ect. He may also have been responsible for small handyman jobs such as a window that will not open or leaking faucet.

I would think of that as being a maintenance man. I know when I lived in an apartment that's what we called him. We would call after hours if there were any issues that couldn't wait until the office opened.

But if that was not his job title, did they actually have a maintenance guy/gal there? Is the title "maintenance man" & the title "resident contact" just a matter of semantics, they're the same thing?

I guess what I'm getting at, is there another person we haven't heard of yet that actually did the maintenance there (and had a master key)?

 

[bessie]

Key Possibilities: ( I swiped these from other posts)

1. SM borrowed a master and copied it.
2. SM swiped a master.
3. SM was given a master by management and didn't realize it was a
master which would explain why he also had LG's key. But then how did
he get in the other apts to steal condoms?

I don't understand number 3

 

[Destini]

Another thing that has bothered me is how quickly management of the apartments gathered up the keys & replaced them. So now there's no way to know who all could have conceivably had master keys (inadvertently). Maybe everyone had a master key by mistake. Was that something LE checked?

Doesn't seem likely, I know, but then why did they hurriedly replace all the keys? I mean the feeling I got from it was they didn't know exactly who did have master keys so to be safe they just replaced them all.

 

[3doglady]

I don't understand number 3

Some posters speculated earlier that the master key SM had, was given to him by accident by management instead of the regular key to his apt and that he did not know it was a master key. If that scenario were true, and he did not realize he could use it to enter LG's apt,(and if SM is the killer) that could explain why he stole LG's key. Does that make sense? Do we know how he entered the apts he stole the condoms from?

 

[Backwoods]

Some posters speculated earlier that the master key SM had, was given to him by accident by management instead of the regular key to his apt and that he did not know it was a master key. If that scenario were true, and he did not realize he could use it to enter LG's apt,(and if SM is the killer) that could explain why he stole LG's key. Does that make sense? Do we know how did he entered the apts he stole the condoms from?

FWIW, there have been reports from "SM's side" that they were unlocked. (I'll see if I can find a reference...) Seems odd, because it was around the holiday break time, but maybe those guys were at the apts. over holidays -- or maybe maintenance was being done in the apts. and they were unlocked for a while

 

[3doglady]

FWIW, there have been reports from "SM's side" that they were unlocked. (I'll see if I can find a reference...) Seems odd, because it was around the holiday break time, but maybe those guys were at the apts. over holidays -- or maybe maintenance was being done in the apts. and they were unlocked for a while

I know these weren't dorm rooms, but my son and his roomie lost their key so many times they would just leave their door unlocked. I think young guys are less concerned about locking things up.

 

[SmoothOperator]

This would depend on the individual and other behaviors.
At that time, TM may not have felt that SM was actually capable of committing the crime he was theorizing about.
Plenty of people theorize about how to get away with murder or other crimes.
I've done it. It's just an exercise in intellect. I would never act out those theories.
(I think I've said that 3 or 4 times now... may have to make it my signature :crazy
It's only when someone who speaks of these things becomes more and more graphic
and obsessed with the idea, and displays other disturbing behavior that you would
start to become concerned about it. And even then, most people wouldn't want to
think that someone would actually do it - especially if it's someone close to you.
From what I've seen so far looking through his OpChan posts, I don't know that he was
displaying enough disturbing behavior (at least outwardly) at that time to cause immediate concern.
In fact, he may not have right to the end. I'm definitely seeing an escalation in his writing
in the years before the murder. But, not having known him (and not many really did during
that time), he still may have kept this hidden within well enough.
Unfortunately, as someone else pointed out a few weeks ago, it's very possible that
LG was the only one to really see this. And her very nature, and the fact that she would
be gone soon, kept her from acting upon her own intuition.

Before I address the above BBM I wanted to first say a THANKS!!

Thanks for the big help in transcribing the even tiniest of details from Friday's commitment hearing!! Especially for those of us for whatever reasons have yet been able to view the hearing in its entirety[I personally have only viewed the first half].. So, I greatly appreciate you, Super!!

Now back to my above BBM.. I believe that it was I who pointed this out a couple weeks ago..and I won't go thru the long, drawn out details of what I feel strongly to have happened in those last 11 days that Lauren was alive.. She'd only returned to Macon after her sister's wedding on June 14..11 short days later she was gone forever..

I will just agree with you wholeheartedly about Lauren having been possibly the only one who saw, noticed, and especially IMO sensed greatly that there was something amiss with her awkward neighbor something much more and much darker than what she had known of this "harmless" introverted neighbor whom she defended, ALWAYS!!.. Because I, too believe that there was a definite escalation as time passed, especially the rapid escalation that took place from the time Lauren returned home to her apt in Macon and the time he executed the crimes against Lauren..

I, too believe that the extremely strong just as much mentally/emotionally as she is physically..and that in her seeing, recognizing, or taking notice in these changes in her neighbor I believe 100& this woman thought she was handling the situation properly..she was removing herself totally and completely from the situation in which her instincts were sensing some sort of danger.. she likely thought to herself that she only had a few more days and this would all be history.. No need to stir up any type of a big hubbub telling everyone, speaking out to anyone who'd listen, therefor causing them worry or angst.. I can see her protecting friends and family from creating a burden or worry for them..but most importantly too I believe she may have even felt guilty for having these negative intuitions about him..based on nothing concrete but rather just a woman's intuition.. I believe that played into why she wasn't verbalizing to EVERYONE her concerns and who those concerns were about..her awkward neighbor, Stephen..

She never ever could have known that even one more hour of being there vulnerably alone in that apt was more than enough time for the monster to make his attack..it makes me very angry and very sad all at the same time..

But I do totally agree that it is the victim herself, Lauren that likely was the only person aware and/or had seen in those last 11 days disturbing behaviors in some capacity that were coming from Stephen..

 

[Backwoods]

FWIW, there have been reports from "SM's side" that they were unlocked. (I'll see if I can find a reference...) Seems odd, because it was around the holiday break time, but maybe those guys were at the apts. over holidays -- or maybe maintenance was being done in the apts. and they were unlocked for a while

Quoting my own post to add a link with such a reference (and apparently not "from SM's side"):

link: http://www.newscentralga.com/news/local/Changes-at-Lauren-Giddings-Crime-Scene-126038238.html

QUOTE: He is currently jailed for two counts of burglary from allegedly entering two unlocked apartments.

 

[Destini]

I know these weren't dorm rooms, but my son and his roomie lost their key so many times they would just leave their door unlocked. I think young guys are less concerned about locking things up.

Also, LG was a beautiful young lady, but she wasn't afraid to leave a key right outside her door & apparently a lot of people knew this. So maybe this was something others there did, leave a key outside somewhere in case they lost theirs.

Or maybe he knew he had the master key. ullhair: