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

[LivingJuicy]

Do we have verification as to the origin of his report? Did he phone in, or did he walk in? If he drove to Roscoe to check on her, it would be closer to report her missing in Roscoe vs driving 15-20 minutes back to Machesney Park to report her missing.

Opinions Please?? If **advertiser censored* spouse were to kill his/her partner, and then go to all the trouble to scatter the belongings, dump the car and such--Would you expect him to have enough sense not to lie regarding the relationship status? Wouldn't a third party provide a bit of a distraction for LE and take some of the focus away from you? OR perhaps it is beneficial for you to pretend that you didn't know there was an affair?

I'm sooo confused!

Hi Luna,

I think these type of people lie to create the illusion that they would have no reason or desire to harm their spouse. They want to create the sense of a harmonious family and home life. No one points fingers at a loving husband or doting wife.

Unfortunately, when the lies start to surface, we start to point fingers. By then, they realize they are probably suspected and the walls close in.

It seems to me that things were thrown in different areas and found on different dates. I'm not saying that this for sure couldn't be a random attack, I just don't assume that way because a. we haven't heard of her bank card being charged (robbery motive) b. a body found (possibly sexually motivated) and c. her car was found abandoned (which IMO rules out car jacking or someone wanting her vehicle.)

 

[LMStyle]

He stated that they were together and she was coming home that night. Why say that in public EVEN after detectives publicly state they are separated.

Your giving an excuse of why he wouldn't report her or try to find her that night that contridicts with what he said about this already.

Had he wanted to give himself an alibi he should have simply stated that she was going to stay at the other house for the night. I think in wanting to not be deemed an instant suspect he lied in a way that made him even more suspicious.

Yeah either he was distraught that she was missing and didn't speak clearly, or he is involved and can't keep his stories straight.

 

[McDonough]

BBM: You are correct on that. I live in a village and we are routed through our county sherrif's department for non-emergency calls. They have a "contract" with the nearest city for emergency calls. HTH.

This may be accurate for some of the smaller villages but I can confirm that not all. I live in a village and we have our own police force and when I can 911 the operator answers "McDonough's Town" 911 what is Your emergency.

I would assume that size of the community would be directly tied to if they have their own police/fire departments or if they rely on county coverage.

 

[scottiemom]

Why would the cell ping in Beloit? That's at least eight miles from the 173 shopping district?

 

[StormyNights]

This may be accurate for some of the smaller villages but I can confirm that not all. I live in a village and we have our own police force and when I can 911 the operator answers "McDonough's Town" 911 what is Your emergency.

I would assume that size of the community would be directly tied to if they have their own police/fire departments or if they rely on county coverage.

Yes, thank you. This is probably true. I should have clarified that this is the way it is where I am. I do indeed live in a very small Village just outside a large city. Thanks!!:rocker:

 

[McDonough]

Why would the cell ping in Beloit? That's at least eight miles from the 173 shopping district?

Her phone had to have been within range of a tower on Beloit for it to ping there - meaning she must have either gone to or was taken to the Beloit area after she was seen on security cameras.

 

[McDonough]

Yes, thank you. This is probably true. I should have clarified that this is the way it is where I am. I do indeed live in a very small Village just outside a large city. Thanks!!:rocker:

Although now that I think about it my parents also live in a larger "village" yet while they have a police department they share a fire department with several other towns in the area. Guess its individual to the town

 

[scottiemom]

That's what I thought, with all the towers along 39/90, it would have hit closer.

 

[Salem]

Stop with the rumors, guys. The brother's blog is not allowed at this time. If that changes, I'll let you know, okay?

Salem

 

[mp6191]

I like the way you think, if he was out checking the other place she was staying, the nearest police department would be Roscoe, and even if he called from home, it's likely it would get routed through roscoe. Even under Village of Machesney Park, IL website department listings, the picture of the guy for the police department is wearing a Winnebago County Sheriff's Department uniform, not a city/village police uniform. I don't think villages get their own PD, I think they just assign a County Sheriff to reside/patrol over that area.

Even where I live is an actual city but where I live is patrolled and responded by the county sheriff, the city police actually have no jurisdiction here.

<modsnip>.

I live in South Beloit, near Roscoe, Rockton & Machesney Park. The first 3 have their own PD's. Machesney Park uses sheriffs deputy from Winnebago County. If I call 911 the call goes to the Winnebago County Call Center; http://www.winnebagosheriff.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=36

They then dispatch the PD from the town or village I'm in, but in cases where you are outside town or village limits, but stilll in the county, the Sheriff's Office is dispatched. All PD's have their own non-emergency numbers also.

http://www.roscoepolice.com/
http://www.rocktonpolice.org/
http://www.southbeloit.org/home/index.php/city-departments/police-department
http://www.machesney-park.il.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={B16F436C-5DC9-4C8C-80D3-92E1C6501F8D}

 

[Elainera]

If your spouse does not return from a 9pm errand, you try to call him/her, then drive the route they would have taken, maybe drive around for an hour or two, and then call police, even if you know they might not take you seriously so soon after the person was last seen. What sort of person would not do this? I mean, seriously, do you just say "oh well" and go to bed? And when you get up in the morning, spouse still not there, and you still don't call 911 right away? None of this makes any sense, if indeed the spouse was living in the home.

Ok I'm gonna play devil's advocate here re why did he not call her or police on the night she was supposed to come back home.

Seems their relationship was in trouble. She had moved out, or partly moved out, slowly cutting ties with TS. Maybe she wasn't so sure herself what she wanted, needed a bit of space, hence the condo. TS is in denial, chooses to believe she's only housesitting and will return home in a few weeks.

On Oct 22 she comes by to pick something up or to see the puppy or whatever. They have a fight, argue, he tries to convince her to stay. She doesn't want but is tired of the arguing so she agrees but says she has to run an errand and will be back later to get out of there. She leaves.

TS waits for her to return but she doesn't show. He's angry and sad that she doesn't come back and assumes she went to the condo. Decides not to call but wait for tomorrow to talk to her again. Maybe he had drunk a bit and went to sleep early and only discovers the next morning that she never returned.

Next day he gets news that she never got into work and reports her missing.

I'm sure there are probably holes in this story, just wanted to show that all is not black and white. People can have reasons for not calling, for living in one place and also in another but coming back to the first, for one partner believing one thing about their relationship status, and the other believing something else.

 

[scadder21]

Ok I'm gonna play devil's advocate here re why did he not call her or police on the night she was supposed to come back home.

Seems their relationship was in trouble. She had moved out, or partly moved out, slowly cutting ties with TS. Maybe she wasn't so sure herself what she wanted, needed a bit of space, hence the condo. TS is in denial, chooses to believe she's only housesitting and will return home in a few weeks.

On Oct 22 she comes by to pick something up or to see the puppy or whatever. They have a fight, argue, he tries to convince her to stay. She doesn't want but is tired of the arguing so she agrees but says she has to run an errand and will be back later to get out of there. She leaves.

TS waits for her to return but she doesn't show. He's angry and sad that she doesn't come back and assumes she went to the condo. Decides not to call but wait for tomorrow to talk to her again. Maybe he had drunk a bit and went to sleep early and only discovers the next morning that she never returned.

Next day he gets news that she never got into work and reports her missing.

I'm sure there are probably holes in this story, just wanted to show that all is not black and white. People can have reasons for not calling, for living in one place and also in another but coming back to the first, for one partner believing one thing about their relationship status, and the other believing something else.

Interesting theory but he doesn't even call her? We know that.

What was his need to lie about the nature of his relationship with her? If he would have said we were separated so didn't expect her that night he would have seemed a lot less guilty. Did he lie in order to see less guilty to the public? Maybe he thought he wasn't going to be a suspect if people thought they were happy? Why try to keep up the the lie even after detectives say otherwises?

 

[Elainera]

Interesting theory but he doesn't even call her? We know that.

What was his need to lie about the nature of his relationship with her? If he would have said we were separated so didn't expect her that night he would have seemed a lot less guilty. Did he lie in order to see less guilty to the public? Maybe he thought he wasn't going to be a suspect if people thought they were happy? Why try to keep up the the lie even after detectives say otherwises?

Maybe he was just in denial and believed she would come home to him after the "housesitting".

And as regarding calling somebody or not, I have been angry enough not to call somebody. Sometimes it's also much wiser not to call but wait.

I don't see anything suspicious in his behaviour. I think you're reading far too much into this.

Although he is a strong suspect, I do agree with that, it gets a bit boring for me that many here have already made up their mind that he killed Katrina.

That is not sleuthing. I can get that at the tabloid comments sections.

MOO

 

[kmartin96]

Maybe he was just in denial and believed she would come home to him after the "housesitting".

And as regarding calling somebody or not, I have been angry enough not to call somebody. Sometimes it's also much wiser not to call but wait.

I don't see anything suspicious in his behaviour. I think you're reading far too much into this.

Although he is a strong suspect, I do agree with that, it gets a bit boring for me that many here have already made up their mind that he killed Katrina.

That is not sleuthing. I can get that at the tabloid comments sections.

MOO

I think Elainera makes some great points.....

I do believe it's quite possible that Katrina was letting TS believe that she was NOT leaving him, while telling others close in her life (sister, friends) that she WAS going to leave him.

Possibly, when told by the police, something to the effect of...."c'mon, we know you are separated", he could have responded, "that's news to me..." I suspect LE then re-confirmed with sister/friends what she told them and then LE were truly convinced that Katrina viewed the situation as a separation.

I would compare this to how my a-hole ex husband acted years ago when he was having an affair. Even after I found out, and we were 'reconciling'....he put up one "face" to me, told me we were working things out, things were fine, etc....while telling the "other" woman....yeah, I'm leaving my wife, I'm planning my future with you, blah, blah, blah. I wanted to believe SO BADLY that we would work things out, it would have been a shock if someone would have said to me...."I hear you're getting a divorce"....I would have replied "No we're not, we are working things out...." My ex lied to me for cowardly reasons, but in Katrina's situation....

-maybe she wasn't ready to deal with the repercussions of being honest with TS about wanting a separation or divorce
-maybe she was frightened of what his reaction would be so it was safer to let him believe the house-sitting story
-maybe she wasn't 100% sure of what she wanted, but didn't want to admit that to anyone (ie. she knew she SHOULD leave him for whatever reason, friends/family could have been pointing this out), but was embarrassed that she hadn't come clean with TS yet, or maybe was having second thoughts....

I guess my point is that there are a few key pieces of inside info we are missing to be sure we are on the right track.

I agree he looks guilty as he&&, especially with the no phone calls to her that night. If HE is the one who thought all was well with the relationship, I really think he would have called her at some point. If you strip away everything else, I think he would have called to at least say 'hey' - that would be normal couple behavior.

All MOO

 

[cluciano63]

I haven't made up my mind at all as to what happened to Katrina; but husbands are often the perp and so far, I have not seen or heard anything much in the way of convincing me that this case is not the same type of crime.

 

[Micheline]

I am not so convinced that this case is what it seems, IMO.
The presumed suspect allegedly scammed people for tens of millions, I would guess there would be some thinking and planning involved doing those kind of things, yet this same person upon reporting his wife missing puts himself in the place of the last person to see her alive, and tells police then they happily live together (which allegedly would be a lie).
Why would someone who allegedly is able to pull of the huge insurance scams not put any kind of thought in what he would tell the police and fore com being person of interest number one?
Other then that he would not have cared of what he head left behind, scattered items everywhere that indicate a crime took place, his wife's car, wallet, purse and phone found, also the paper with blood on it, gloves, plastic, duct tape and a shovel, the only thing missing is a piece of the alleged suspects shirt on barbwire near where the duct tape was found.

 

[shefner]

I think what happens after a number of years following these cases is that one becomes a bit cynical....and also a bit wise to the ways of the world. Much like a seasoned investigator, long-time sleuthers get a "feel" for the case (often because they have seen dozens just like it). Of course, that feeling can be wrong.

I don't think the sentiment expressed by a majority of posters to this thread is off-target in this case. But even so, we need a variety of viewpoints and thoughts....these conflicting ideas can actually keep us alert and in focus.

I think hubby is guilty as sin...but respect those with different thoughts about Katrina's case. We all agree with one thing: our hearts are broken because Katrina is missing.

 

[Knox]

I am not so convinced that this case is what it seems, IMO.
The presumed suspect allegedly scammed people for tens of millions, I would guess there would be some thinking and planning involved doing those kind of things, yet this same person upon reporting his wife missing puts himself in the place of the last person to see her alive, and tells police then they happily live together (which allegedly would be a lie).
Why would someone who allegedly is able to pull of the huge insurance scams not put any kind of thought in what he would tell the police and fore com being person of interest number one?
Other then that he would not have cared of what he head left behind, scattered items everywhere that indicate a crime took place, his wife's car, wallet, purse and phone found, also the paper with blood on it, gloves, plastic, duct tape and a shovel, the only thing missing is a piece of the alleged suspects shirt on barbwire near where the duct tape was found.

I'm not convinced either, but ... if he is responsible and what occurred was a crime of passion (not schemed or planned). I would imagine things were done in haste and without a lot of logical thought as to how contrived the evidence scattering would look. It probably sounded good in his head at the time.

Someone may have seen her car back in the driveway after that first round of shopping, or at least he thought there was a chance of that. So, he had to place her back at the house, yet distance himself again, so he says she leaves to run another errand.

The lie about the state of their marriage, why is that surprising? He evidently has no compunction about lying and would seem to be pretty good at it. He convinced people to let him handle their money. Maybe he is so full of himself, he thought LE, as well as family would take what he said at face value and he would never be suspected.

Anyway, I'm still keeping an open mind. Just thought I would throw out a few opposing thoughts as to why he could be responsible for her disappearance.

 

[shefner]

The fact hubby is a law-breaker and a liar about so many things in the past makes me distrust him in general.

 

[scadder21]

Ok I'm gonna play devil's advocate here re why did he not call her or police on the night she was supposed to come back home.

Seems their relationship was in trouble. She had moved out, or partly moved out, slowly cutting ties with TS. Maybe she wasn't so sure herself what she wanted, needed a bit of space, hence the condo. TS is in denial, chooses to believe she's only housesitting and will return home in a few weeks.

On Oct 22 she comes by to pick something up or to see the puppy or whatever. They have a fight, argue, he tries to convince her to stay. She doesn't want but is tired of the arguing so she agrees but says she has to run an errand and will be back later to get out of there. She leaves.

TS waits for her to return but she doesn't show. He's angry and sad that she doesn't come back and assumes she went to the condo. Decides not to call but wait for tomorrow to talk to her again. Maybe he had drunk a bit and went to sleep early and only discovers the next morning that she never returned.

Next day he gets news that she never got into work and reports her missing.

I'm sure there are probably holes in this story, just wanted to show that all is not black and white. People can have reasons for not calling, for living in one place and also in another but coming back to the first, for one partner believing one thing about their relationship status, and the other believing something else.

You are making good points I admit that. Still if he was so angry that she was leaving that he didn't care to call her then was he angry enough to kill her? We already know he should have 3 counts of attempted murder if our legal system was decent.

Take away the specifics and look at this in general terms. I'm not saying he should be convincted based on what we know but in this situation who is the prime suspect. Husband A states he last saw her at 9. She was supposed to come back but never did He doesn't call her that night, doesn't report her missing till sometime the next day. When detectives inform people he was separated he states that isn't the truth and that they were happily married and she planned on coming back that night.

I haven't wanted to add this part yet but looking at the body language and fake tears and high whiny voice it also appears those are fake emotions.

Not saying he should be convicted with what we know just that he's the main suspect.