Hi. I registered specifically to post on this topic. Not only am I an EMU alum (c/o 2009) but I was also in the dorm where Laura Dickinson was found murdered - three floors below me. I still shudder at Laura being murdered while I was sleeping. I also have had Julia on my mind.
Random insight: The dorms where Laura and I resided were single dorms and you shared a bathroom. Laura was ONLY found due to the smell of her decomposing body. 'The Hill' as the collective dorms are called are quite tall buildings. The day she was found the ENTIRE building smelled to the point of my suitemate and I ended up throwing a lot of our items out because we just could not get rid of that smell. Many of us were told that Laura was found in her bed, that she had a little known heart condition and it appeared to be natural causes. We were told of an arrest ... when it was too late to receive a refund for housing. To this day, Laura's dorm is stripped and unoccupied. Due to the mishandling of this case and the severe damage my school received to its reputation, please believe that they are doing everything they can. Its been a bit disheartening to read some of the comments on various news sites. NOW, onto Julia.
Her apartment building, Peninsular Place, is a few years old. They were originally touted as luxury student apartments. They come fully furnished and are NOT cheap. I've been in the complex plenty of times and they are quite spacious. Think of an apartment within an apartment. Peninsular Place, while spacious, are, well, quite cheaply built. (Your room would shake at a train passing by.) They almost remind me of an outdoor mall. And everyone has access to everyone. Climb a set of stairs and you're at anyones door. I read a theory that perhaps an intruder locked her door before climbing out of her window. To be honest, that complex is so busy 24/7 that someone would have noticed a person climbing out of the window. As for Julia locking her door? I locked the bathroom door that I shared with my suitemate in 2006 even when I was home. We had no issues and were good friends. It was just out of habit. And, yes, while they're nice apartments, they are not in the safest area. The townhouses and apartments behind the complex are notorious for drug activity. That being said, none of that ever really spilled onto campus. I never heard about students into drugs, campus was always lit at night and there are programs intact to help with safety. I walked alone, in the dark, for a full winter to my dorm from a evening class and honestly never felt unsafe.
While I fully support the theory that she was poisoined, I'm more curious as to what manner her body was found in and the state of her room to make police determine it a homicide. Also, are they finished with her room? Why is her sister being allowed to remove items? Any news on the room mates that were interviewed? First I read her family called the police and then I read the room mates did. And honestly, your only indication that something is wrong is an alarm clock going off? This entire thing sounds incredibly off to me.
Sorry for the novel!
