I'm fascinated by dialects, have been for about 19 years. Within Indiana, I've heard several distinct and different dialects and accents. Two or three, generally, here in NE Indiana (Fort Wayne area).
Here's where things can kind of get murky, and yes I've listened to the short audio clip, which was obviously made louder by LE, and wondered where the speaker could be from, originally. More times than I care to mention. I wonder if the FBI have nailed down the general area where the speaker is from, I'm assuming they have more audio of him, which would help nail down a dialect. I'm also assuming the speaker's jaw was clenched, during the clip which has been shared with LE, which could complicate things
I've lived in 5 different states, in my adult life, but grew up in what I would call a "geographically isolated" part of NY State. Folks might assume I'm from NE or NW Ohio (Toledo), maybe central or Detroit, MI, or even Wisconsin. Some of my friends from Janesville, Wisconsin who are also transplants to Indiana, sound almost identical to my own dialect and accent, it's freakish. I'm from western NY, near Lake Ontario.
The Northern Cities Vowel Shift is very distinct, it varies across the Great Lakes, and can be heard as far south as Northern Missouri (I'm guessing because of migration patterns. immigration patterns of the late-19th C., and trade along the rivers). Does the voice on the recording resemble that of someone with a NCVS? I don't believe so, thus I think it's more of a rural Indiana, Illinois, or northern Kentucky accent. Around Fort Wayne, I hear the definite Kentucky influence in some areas, especially south side of the city and certain other city neighborhoods, and then on the north side and some suburban areas more of a NCVS.
I lived in Columbia, SC, for a few years a while back. My first weekend there I needed to make a trip to an auto parts store. The guy at the checkout was a retired soldier, and upon hearing me talk, looked me straight in the eye and told me where I was from, down to the city in NY :blushing: He wasn't from my hometown, but upon hearing me speak a few sentences knew exactly where I'm from.
Point being, it's not just a software program the FBI would use to try to nail down where this character is from, they also rely on human experts on dialects and accents to try to come up with a voice profile, or what have you. I know this because a famous linguist and professor in the field has been involved in FBI investigations, and he's an expert on the NCVS.
My hunch re: where LE are on this one is they are taking baby steps with what they release to the public. I'd imagine the software tech the FBI uses would blow our minds. Imagine a program that could combine both dialect/accent info, with tips, and other information which would result in nailing down where this individual grew up, and I'm assuming he was not a military brat or something similar, or went to a private school. I believe the FBI have that sort of tech, and then some.
MOO is the next step might be a profile.
JMO
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