For those who have asked or are wondering, why this couple went across the border at this spot when they knew there had been trouble here before, IMHO, it's because they 'thought it couldn't happen to them.' Of course in hind-sight, they were wrong, but there's many people who are of the same mind-set. I mean, if you've been going back and forth for years and everything was ok, you get a false sense of security.
My son's wife and family are originally from Mexico and they have family all over Mexico. They're always going there for vacation, family gatherings and special occasions. My dil and her parents went just two weeks ago for a cousin's wedding. Because it was further down and they didn't want to drive that far, they crossed over and took a bus for a good deal of the distance.
Of course I worried about them, but they said it would be ok. Then today I read an article that in Brownsville, they had a candle light vigil for a U of T student who was killed a few days prior, when he took a bus in Metamoris to go visit his family. There were three people killed on the bus when a Mexican cartel hijacked a city bus. Now my son goes to Metamoris often to visit his SIL and her family and they tell me Metamoris is safe.
David was a history buff and as a couple, the Hartleys were adventerous. David's sister said in an interview, they had tried to persuade Daviid not to go down that day. He told him 'it would be alright. He can take care of he and Tiffany.' A friend said that David and Tiffany had stayed in their home in Mexico for a while after the violence had erupted, because David said they wouldn't hurt THEM, because they were part of how the locals earned a living, ie visiting local retailers. The Hartleys didn't move back to the U.S. until David's company asked them to, because of the violence that had been reported escalating.
I know at first Mexican LE tried to down-play this and tried to put doubts about the wife's story. But think about it, they didn't want to bring attention to their town, and the spotlight onto the local criminals. But now that it's gotten a LOT of attention, including Ms. Napolitano of HLS, the heat has made it necessary that the local Mexican LE cooperate. Thus, allowing the number of searchers in the vicinity the past several days. And now we hear they have TWO possible suspects.....................The suspects names were most likely provided by the locally based cartel to take the heat off.
I feel bad for this poor woman and all of their family and friends as well. But poor Tiffany has had the more difficult time, especially when so many people doubted her story and she's been looked at like a criminal. I just can't even imagine, loosing your husband in such a horrific incident and then to be accused of making it up and that she really killed her husband?!
I pray the cartel and the Mexican authorities follow through with this all the way to the end, and allow this grieving family to bring their loved one home, and prosecute the guilty parites.
JMHO
fran
PS....I'm just going to post again, the link
alwaysonmymind provided yesterday about the history of David and Tiffany Hartley. It's the most comprehensive story I've read about the couple thus far. They really seemed like a very nice young couple. Just fwiw,...fran
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16293727
PPS....Here's a link to the student killed in Metamoris. Now he was a Mexican national going to school in the U.S. He was home visiting his family, and ended up an innocent victim. There have been over 25K innocent people killed in this drug war over the past few years. The current president declared war on the cartels, so the majority of the murders have happened during the current administration....fran
http://www.kens5.com/internal?st=print&id=104661534&path=/news
Candlelight vigil takes place for slain Texas student
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...o_speculation_about_lake_pirates_story_is.php
Napolitano: Speculation About 'Lake Pirates' Story Is 'Unwarranted'