GUILTY IL - Katrina Smith, 30, beaten to death, Machesney Park, 23 Oct 2012 - #1

[Knox]

well, during all the kerfuffle over on the fb this morning about the search warrant the family said that ts did let them in the house last week but they were only there for a short time...fwiw...moo

Circled back and have a reason now, or perhaps a poor start to the investigation?

 

[HeinekenMan]

No I'm not in LE, but have spend some time reading appeal cases. How about I say IMO, does that work for you?

LOL. Well, we had the info from the paper and the info from you. And I was just thinking that you had some insider's knowledge. From what I've read, the law is fairly cut and dry. But it sounds like LE takes precautions to avoid headaches from lawyers, who often try to twist the law to help their clients. For example, I can hear someone saying they couldn't understand the officer's accent. I did read that the homeowner can actually ask to reclaim evidence right at the scene, and the officer must return it to the homeowner. And the homeowner can change his mind and tell LE to leave. I imagine LE still asks even if they don't play to search. That way, they can get an idea of whether the person is being cooperative. In the Celis case, I wonder what would have happened if LE had been unable to obtain the warrant and the family found out and decided not to allow a search. That would stink. I wish they would sove that case, by the way.

 

[nervous_nellie]

Circled back and have a reason now, or perhaps a poor start to the investigation?

i think like mentioned above that le will come in to be sure there isnt an obvious crime scene or that the missing person isnt in the home anywhere...but i cant recall any case where le went in day 1 with csi's...can you? there prolly is one, i just cant recall it...

 

[TeenyTaurus]

Is there anything to confirm Katrina's car was found near the residence of a family member?

 

[nervous_nellie]

all i saw in regard to where the car was abandoned was when a person on the missing fb stated that the car was behind her parents house and that her brother heard a sream around 4am.. she said they reported it to le.. i didnt get the idea that this person was a family member of katrina..

 

[MidwestMama]

Doesn't change the fact that often people will let LE search the house especially if it will clear there name and help find the killer. Think the House to house search in the Jessica Ridgeway case. Let's say hypothetically that they could have found something in his house that could have lead the police to the person who kidnapped Katrina. Why would TS make the cops get a search warrant and waste a precious week.

For all we know someone that TS owed money could have kidnapped her as revenge.

In post 446 on this thread someone who knows the family states that LE was let into the condo right when this began. It sounds as if TS freely let them in but now that they want to do an actual search, the LE got the warrant first. IMO, it is unfair to state that he would not allow them to search when there is nothing in MSM that states that. IF we find out he barred the search without a warrant that is a different story.

I'm not sure why but I don't think the husband did this. I am always suspicious of the husband/family first, but after hearing all in this case, I just don't have that feeling in this case. Certainly there are things in his past that make a person think hmmmm, but the gut feeling isn't there for me on this one. I could certainly be wrong ( I have been before :what but I pray I am not because of his daughters.

 

[Knox]

i think like mentioned above that le will come in to be sure there isnt an obvious crime scene or that the missing person isnt in the home anywhere...but i cant recall any case where le went in day 1 with csi's...can you? there prolly is one, i just cant recall it...

Certainly not day one, maybe it took them a while to gain perspective on probable cause.

IIRC, there was conflicting info on the "separation" from get-go. IMO, that is the biggest red flag in this case, besides the fact that he was the last person to see her that night.

 

[winningx3]

i hate to even type this, but have they checked the land fill?

To my knowledge they have not, but I caught myself think landfill tonight too. It seems like the more days that pass the harder that would become especially because we don't have any idea where he could have dumped her if he did so in the trash. We have roscoe, matchesney park and south main area of Rockford and all that in between where he or anyone could have put her In a dumpster. Typing that makes my stomach churn.

 

[winningx3]

I just mapped where her car was found and a general location of her wallet was found (south main is a long street) and it gave a few possible routes. If the person was coming from where the car was found out to south main I think he would travel on Latham road. That used to be a lot of rural like farm land. Does anyone know if that is correct? I wonder if that area has been searched?
If coming from matchesney park - loved park area the perp would have taken north second. North second street would be much busier road and less places to easily dump a body. With the wallet being found on Thursday, I have a hard time believing it was on south main that whole time and not picked up before then. It is high crime area. I would think that fro
Very early on Todd's moves were being carefully monitored by family and law enforcement. I have a hard time with the wallet being found on Thursday and Todd being responsible. Anyone else?

 

[HeinekenMan]

I just mapped where her car was found and a general location of her wallet was found (south main is a long street) and it gave a few possible routes. If the person was coming from where the car was found out to south main I think he would travel on Latham road. That used to be a lot of rural like farm land. Does anyone know if that is correct? I wonder if that area has been searched?
If coming from matchesney park - loved park area the perp would have taken north second. North second street would be much busier road and less places to easily dump a body. With the wallet being found on Thursday, I have a hard time believing it was on south main that whole time and not picked up before then. It is high crime area. I would think that fro
Very early on Todd's moves were being carefully monitored by family and law enforcement. I have a hard time with the wallet being found on Thursday and Todd being responsible. Anyone else?

I think the wallet was placed on the same night that her vehicle was dumped in the park. The wallet may have been discovered by someone, who checked it for money and dumped it in a random spot. But I do wonder about the location of the wallet as it relates to the route that a perp might have traveled. And I have been looking at that farm land northwest of the park. There is a lot of open space. In fact, it seems to stay fairly rural all the way to the Mississippi River.

 

[Elainera]

I get your point now, if they suspect someone they will get a SW so that the suspect can't claim later that it was an unwarranted search thus found evidence to prosecute them shouldn't be counted in court. That said I'm assuming that they asked the husband early to look around and it seems like he said no for a week.

bbm

Source for that?

 

[scadder21]

The article makes it seem like the permission was denied which caused the need for a search warrant. That is up in the air at this point but why else would it take a week for a thorough check of her last known place.

 

[TGIRecovered]

bbm

Source for that?

I've learned to MOO almost everything I post unless it comes directly from a link able source. I also use " it seems to me..." or "I think", "I believe", etc. to indicate an opinion but it never hurts to add MOO, even when it seems obvious that I'm not quoting a linkable bit of info.

This is not directed at anyone in particular, just trying to avoid misunderstandings!

MOO MOO MOO!

 

[winningx3]

They have now cancelled the family press conference stating they they have taken information regarding Todd's past directly to the authorities. I remember the rumors after the fire of Todd being the fall guy for someone else in the family, I wonder if this is what they are claiming. Im sorry if this is not allowed the mods can delete it if not please.

 

[WideOpen]

I think the wallet was placed on the same night that her vehicle was dumped in the park. The wallet may have been discovered by someone, who checked it for money and dumped it in a random spot. But I do wonder about the location of the wallet as it relates to the route that a perp might have traveled. And I have been looking at that farm land northwest of the park. There is a lot of open space. In fact, it seems to stay fairly rural all the way to the Mississippi River.

Being somewhat local (My parents still have the farm I grew up on in the area) to that rural area myself and the location where her car was found I suspected the Sugar River Forest Preserve as a place the perp could hide a body. Sugar River is less than 20 miles from the spot the car was found.

From Latham I would go out to Merridian Road and go west on 75 (Freeport Road) or my most travelled route would be Merridian up to Shirland Road.
This is rural and very little traffic at all when I was living in the area. I have been gone 10-15 years although I do go home on holidays.

jmo

 

[scadder21]

They have now cancelled the family press conference stating they they have taken information regarding Todd's past directly to the authorities. I remember the rumors after the fire of Todd being the fall guy for someone else in the family, I wonder if this is what they are claiming. Im sorry if this is not allowed the mods can delete it if not please.

Wonder if he's also the fall guy for the other major legal situation he has been in in the last year :waitasec: lol.

Of course I don't believe that. He's the fall guy for his mom or dad? Or his sleeping brother?

Wonder why his dad and brother sued him 2 years after the fire?

 

[winningx3]

I think people who knew the family thought something was hinky back then. Rumors that pictures and valuables were out if house before fire- not necessarily the 17 y/o belongings. Also- how often do 3 "sleeping" people get out of a house that had a gas explosion. The house was destroyed- I think locals that knew the family raised an eyebrow or two. I am not aware of the brother suing Todd. The brother would have maybe been all but 13-4 tops when this occurred. I knew the dad, mom and younger brother- later I met DC. Not sure how to say this with out getting in trouble, but of you knew dad you may say hmmm? I'm guessing locals from the neighborhood where this occurred may conquer. Dad, mom and youngest brother are no longer in the area.

I need to add I am in no way a supporter of Todd. I don't know him, but wanted to say that things may not be exactly as they seem, or they maybe. The latest charges I know nothing of- but if found true he's got no one to blame there. Regardless of past it does not automatically make him guilty. I think everyone is looking for body that they think husband dumped- but not looking at any other possibilities. Police aren't giving us much to sleuth so Todd is the target.

 

[scadder21]

Todd has/had admitted to doing it in court documents in the past. Not sure how he can come back now and say it was someone else.

 

[winningx3]

Todd has/had admitted to doing it in court documents in the past. Not sure how he can come back now and say it was someone else.

I agree that it is way too late to change his story, and given the circumstances it makes him look desperate if it's true or not. I was just giving my opinion on to what I thought they may claim about his past.

 

[cluciano63]

Unless they are a notoriously bad LE department, I think they are probably considering all options. But it would be foolish not to look hard at the spouse in any case, especially if there are conflicting stories about a possible separation and the fact that he seems to have been the last one to see her. Not to mention, the tale about her heading out again at 9pm is a very fishy one, IMO.