IN - Hannah Wilson, 22, IU student, murdered, Brown County, 24 April 2015

[luckyseven]

I really don't know what to make of the car thing. My first thought when I saw that his car was silver is maybe he was waiting by her house and ambushed her after the Uber/cab guy dropped her off. But Inthedetails has a good point. The story makes way more sense if there was one car involved, and it is very possible that witness descriptions were wrong.

ETA - one of the articles says "They heard her tell her address to the driver. The fare was paid in full at the curb."

This doesn't sound like Uber. If she uses Uber often she would have her address in her phone and it would be sent to the driver, she wouldn't have to tell him it out loud. When I get in an Uber, the driver already knows where I want to go. If she was really drunk and she and her friends were kinda all over the place, I guess she could have forgotten to put the destination in.

Also, I've never heard of Uber allowing someone to pay upfront. Your credit card info is already in the app, so at the end of the ride the driver deducts the fare from your account. This never happens upfront in my experience.

 

[osu]

He could have been parked or standing outside in front of the bar and overheard her friends talking, saying they need to call for an UBER to take her home. The girls had been drinking and they were probably talking loudly.
A green and white taxi pulls up, they pay the fare and he then follows the taxi to her house.

 

[luckyseven]

Here's a summary of the events in the probable cause affidavit for those who can't/don't want to read:

• The body was found at 5284 Plum Creek Road.
• A black phone with a red cover was phone near her feet.
• LE called the recent contacts in the phone in order to find the identity of its owner.
• LE received a search warrant for everything on the phone.
• They learned that the suspect worked at Fine Print printing service in Bloomington and went. His boss said he was absent from work that day, which was unusual. Apparently it was so strange for him to not show up for work that his coworkers were actually concerned about his safety.
• LE got the last known location for Messel in Bloomington and went there with a search warrant. The property was owned by Messel's father who was home at the time. The house was searched/processed.
• Messel's father told LE they had gone to dinner at Cheddars in Bloomington around 6pm on the 23rd and then returned home.
• At 8pm Messel left the house to go to trivia at Yogi's in Bloomington, which he usually does on Thursdays. He usually gets home to his father's house around 11pm - midnight, but that night he never returned and his father never heard from him.
• LE returned to Fine Print to interview one of Messel's co-workers who played trivia with him. The co-worker told police that Messel gave him a ride home from Yogi's at 11pm.
• LE called the Bloomington PD to ask about missing persons reports. They are told that a girl, Hannah Wilson, had just been reported missing by her sorority sisters and forwards a picture.
• Hannah is ID'd as the victim by the state police and the county coroner.
• LE then brought in four of Hannah's friends for interviews. They learn that Hannah was drinking at the Hilton Garden Inn at a party in room #101. She and her friends left around 1am and went to Kilroy's, but she was too drunk to get inside. The group discussed getting an Uber, but a green and white taxi pulled up to the curb nearby. Hannah got into the taxi alone and a witness heard her say her address out loud.
• Detectives then got a search warrant for Hannah's residence, but on the way there they were called and told that Messel had returned home so they went to his house instead.
• When LE arrived, Messel was exiting his home with a garbage bag full of clothes. A search warrant was pending at the time of writing for the contents of the bag.
• Messel also had scratches on his forearms.
• He was then arrested and declined to make any comments.

 

[mibright]

Maybe they knew each other? It's a big age gap, but he was a regular at Trivia night at a local bar (Yogi's). Maybe they met there?
http://www.idsnews.com/article/2015/04/daniel-messels-stepfather-recounts-day-of-arrest

The man who raised murder suspect Daniel Messel told Fox 59 News that his son spoke of knowing a girl named “Hannah” from the bars near the Indiana University campus in the weeks before coed Hannah Wilson disappeared and was found slain Friday morning.
http://fox59.com/2015/04/26/relative-says-co-eds-murder-suspect-spoke-of-a-hannah/

 

[WideOpen]

Once again,
I own a small taxi co. We service a tourist college area.
Just throwing out a couple ideas and my opinion.
Many companies will not take a very inebriated person a block and can refuse to take them, especially if they think the person will vomit in their car. The driver will make them get out. That is our money making hour and we do not want to be tied up with a passenger and the expense involved.
Also, if a passenger asks to be let out-we are required to let them out. I always try to find a safely lit place, I have to let them out when requested through.

This new detail about the cab paid up front is curious. Doesn't mean she didn't ask to get out at another bar or at the stop sign down the block. Will be thinking about this.

JMO

 

[SurfieTX]

WideOpen, is it possible that her friends pitched in some money that was well beyond what the fair would be and just said to keep the change as a tip? Would you do something like that? Do most college students know the general fair for X amount of blocks?

 

[luckyseven]

There are so many locations involved, I couldn't help but throw a quick map together. Correct me if any of this is wrong.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zpuI3RWXkJcY.klJoLYtrG3Fc

 

[osu]

Suspect formally charged with murder in case of missing Indiana University student Hannah Wilson

~snipped

Messel had his initial hearing Monday, April 27, and he was formally charged with murder. He attended the hearing via video conference from the Brown County Law Enforcement Center.

He answered the judge’s questions with a “yes” or “no,” and the judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. Messel was appointed a public defender.

Messel’s bond hearing is set for May 15, and his jury trial is tentatively set for July 22.

An investigator told CBS4 that the circumstances surrounding Wilson’s death made detectives think of the 2011 disappearance of IU student Lauren Spierer. Detectives planned to examine both cases for any similarities.

http://cbs4indy.com/2015/04/27/cour...ain-indiana-university-student-hannah-wilson/

 

[bx2]

Realize this is a bit extraneous to the facts at hand, but what exactly does a person in this situation do for 12+ hours?

No cell phone, car that is visibly incriminating/suspicious, don't show up for work or go home... Just saying that there is potentially additional people that may have participated either before or after.

 

[bx2]

There are so many locations involved, I couldn't help but throw a quick map together. Correct me if any of this is wrong.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zpuI3RWXkJcY.klJoLYtrG3Fc

Maybe worth adding a dot for Hilton Garden Inn that she was at just before Kilroys? Also, maybe a slight clarification, that while she was a member of the sorority on your map, we have not yet received official word where her residence (and presumed destination) was. I know that upper class members typically have the option of living off campus, for example.

 

[Inthedetails]

James McLary Owner of e2 taxi company says suspect Daniel Messel is not and has never been an employee. "We do not know who this man is."
9:01 AM - 27 Apr 2015

https://twitter.com/laurenslavin/status/592720127948369921

FWIW, here is a picture of the local taxi company's green & white car:
http://e2taxi.com/environmental.php
Edited to add photo of larger vehicle in fleet: http://e2taxi.com/qos.php

And here is a picture of a 2012 Kia Sportage, which Messel owned:
http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/k...2012_kia_sportage_4dr-suv_sx_fq_oem_1_500.jpg

 

[Inthedetails]

Realize this is a bit extraneous to the facts at hand, but what exactly does a person in this situation do for 12+ hours?

No cell phone, car that is visibly incriminating/suspicious, don't show up for work or go home... Just saying that there is potentially additional people that may have participated either before or after.

Look for his phone?

 

[luckyseven]

Maybe worth adding a dot for Hilton Garden Inn that she was at just before Kilroys? Also, maybe a slight clarification, that while she was a member of the sorority on your map, we have not yet received official word where her residence (and presumed destination) was. I know that upper class members typically have the option of living off campus, for example.

Thanks! I'm using the house as a placeholder until we find out if she lived there. I searched SM to see if I could find out where she lived, but no avail. I'll clarify. Thanks!! And yes! Totally forgot about the Hilton.

I also added just a couple things on a layer about Lauren Spierer in case people are interested in comparing.

 

[Inthedetails]

Here's a summary of the events in the probable cause affidavit for those who can't/don't want to read:

• The body was found at 5284 Plum Creek Road.
• A black phone with a red cover was phone near her feet.
• LE called the recent contacts in the phone in order to find the identity of its owner.
• LE received a search warrant for everything on the phone.
• They learned that the suspect worked at Fine Print printing service in Bloomington and went. His boss said he was absent from work that day, which was unusual. Apparently it was so strange for him to not show up for work that his coworkers were actually concerned about his safety.
• LE got the last known location for Messel in Bloomington and went there with a search warrant. The property was owned by Messel's father who was home at the time. The house was searched/processed.
• Messel's father told LE they had gone to dinner at Cheddars in Bloomington around 6pm on the 23rd and then returned home.
• At 8pm Messel left the house to go to trivia at Yogi's in Bloomington, which he usually does on Thursdays. He usually gets home to his father's house around 11pm - midnight, but that night he never returned and his father never heard from him.
• LE returned to Fine Print to interview one of Messel's co-workers who played trivia with him. The co-worker told police that Messel gave him a ride home from Yogi's at 11pm.
• LE called the Bloomington PD to ask about missing persons reports. They are told that a girl, Hannah Wilson, had just been reported missing by her sorority sisters and forwards a picture.
• Hannah is ID'd as the victim by the state police and the county coroner.
• LE then brought in four of Hannah's friends for interviews. They learn that Hannah was drinking at the Hilton Garden Inn at a party in room #101. She and her friends left around 1am and went to Kilroy's, but she was too drunk to get inside. The group discussed getting an Uber, but a green and white taxi pulled up to the curb nearby.
• Hannah got into the taxi alone and a witness heard her say her address out loud.
• Detectives then got a search warrant for Hannah's residence, but on the way there they were called and told that Messel had arrived home so they went to his house instead.
• When LE arrived, Messel was exiting his home with a garbage bag full of clothes. A search warrant was pending at the time of writing for the contents of the bag.
• Messel also had scratches on his forearms.
• He was then arrested and declined to make any comments.

We haven't heard if the body was clothed or not. The bag could contain both of their items of clothing.

He left his cellphone at the scene, left obvious evidence in the car, and then was caught by police at his home disposing of a garbage bag full of clothes....he really was destined to get caught.

My armchair analysis is that he had a "career" of crimes against women and at age 49 his sloppiness with this crime was a way of winding down. Jail is sort of a retirement, or at least an end to his life of crime. TOTAL speculation on my part...and probably some wishful thinking... that he deep-down inside wanted to be caught.

JMO.

 

[WhitneyLea]

There are so many locations involved, I couldn't help but throw a quick map together. Correct me if any of this is wrong.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zpuI3RWXkJcY.klJoLYtrG3Fc

Maybe worth adding a dot for Hilton Garden Inn that she was at just before Kilroys? Also, maybe a slight clarification, that while she was a member of the sorority on your map, we have not yet received official word where her residence (and presumed destination) was. I know that upper class members typically have the option of living off campus, for example.

Map looks good to me - I went to school at IU and I love Bloomington, so I'm always drawn in by cases that happen there. This article mentions that her house was at the corner of 8th and Dunn: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2015/04/24/body-found-in-brown-county/26341067/

If that's correct, she wasn't living at the sorority house, and I have a couple thoughts.
1) That address is only 5-6 blocks from Kilroys, which makes paying the cab fare in advance make sense to me. The driver and/or her friends could have estimated the fare for such a short trip pretty easily. I'm sure her friends thought that was the safest thing to do for her - get her home so she didn't get more intoxicated, and putting her in a cab seems much safer than letting her walk alone.
2) That address is also very close (2-3 blocks) to Yogi's, the bar where Messel played trivia every Thursday. This part really freaks me out, considering his dad saying he mentioned meeting a "Hannah" recently. I think it's extremely likely that Hannah would have hung out at Yogi's and Messel could have seen her there - it's popular with the college crowd and easy walking distance from her place. (I know I hung out there a lot.) It's the closest bar to her place, actually. That doesn't answer how he came across her that night, but I still think it's creepy.

 

[WhitneyLea]

We haven't heard if the body was clothed or not. The bag could contain both of their items of clothing.

The probable cause affidavit described the clothing she was wearing when found - sweater, leggings & sneakers. I believe it also mentioned no signs of sexual assault. Which makes me curious as to his motive ... I guess it could have been an attempted sexual assault, but she fought back & that's when he killed her.

 

[4 Free Speech]

4.27.15

http://kfor.com/2015/04/27/murder-of-college-student-causes-investigators-to-look-into-cold-case/

One investigator says Hannah Wilson’s murder case is “eerily similar” to the disappearance of another Indiana University student, Lauren Spierer.

It was in June of 2011 when Spierer went missing. She has never been found.

Now one investigator says detectives will most likely re-examine that four-year-old unsolved case.

p.s. New to this thread so bare with me while I catch up.. it looks like you all are doing some amazing work. I just ran across the above article, forgive me if it's already been posted.

 

[Inthedetails]

Maybe they knew each other? It's a big age gap, but he was a regular at Trivia night at a local bar (Yogi's). Maybe they met there?
http://www.idsnews.com/article/2015/04/daniel-messels-stepfather-recounts-day-of-arrest

The man who raised murder suspect Daniel Messel told Fox 59 News that his son spoke of knowing a girl named “Hannah” from the bars near the Indiana University campus in the weeks before coed Hannah Wilson disappeared and was found slain Friday morning.
http://fox59.com/2015/04/26/relative-says-co-eds-murder-suspect-spoke-of-a-hannah/

Wow. I would be shocked if they knew each other. I can't imagine that a college co-ed would hang out with a middle-age guy who liked trivia contests. But...maybe it's true. Maybe he spoke to her at some point.

Still, it would be strange that he picked her up because he knew she would be outside a bar too intoxicated to go inside. I'm still thinking he was on the prowl looking for a victim.

 

[Inthedetails]

The probable cause affidavit described the clothing she was wearing when found - sweater, leggings & sneakers. I believe it also mentioned no signs of sexual assault. Which makes me curious as to his motive ... I guess it could have been an attempted sexual assault, but she fought back & that's when he killed her.

Thank you!!! How in the world did I miss that?!

 

[Inthedetails]

There are so many locations involved, I couldn't help but throw a quick map together. Correct me if any of this is wrong.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zpuI3RWXkJcY.klJoLYtrG3Fc

It would be helpful to know where his trivia-contest friend lived. The friend said Messel dropped him off at home after trivia night. Not sure we'll get that info, but it would be useful to know where Messel was immediately before the incident.

Thanks for the map. They are so helpful to have when reviewing a case. Good job.