MI MI - Julia Niswender, 23, EMU student, Ypsilanti, 10 Dec 2012 - #2

[MIMOMMY]

Julia taken by surprise from the back, choke hold, passed out, and drowned is within the realm of scenarios if somebody could get in and out with a key when they knew she would return to an empty place.

Wouldn't her step dad have been the last person she'd want in her apartment, given she avoided him by living with her grandmom for three years prior to living of campus?

Also - she showed no signs of being "choked out" or of strangulation. I have always thought she came into her apartment thru her bedroom entry (you could access her apartment from outside) and someone followed behind her. I do not believe they were "Welcomed" in by Julia.

 

[FindHG]

Also - she showed no signs of being "choked out" or of strangulation. I have always thought she came into her apartment thru her bedroom entry (you could access her apartment from outside) and someone followed behind her. I do not believe they were "Welcomed" in by Julia.

By Katrease Stafford, MLIVE, Nov 15, 13 1:03 pm

"We do know she was asphyxiated prior to being placed in the tub," said Ypsilanti Detective Joe Yuhas."

 

[MIMOMMY]

agreed! She was asphyxiated - but that does not mean she was choked...and remember there were no signs of trauma to the body...this was why they looked at her medical condition so closely.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Also - she showed no signs of being "choked out" or of strangulation. I have always thought she came into her apartment thru her bedroom entry (you could access her apartment from outside) and someone followed behind her. I do not believe they were "Welcomed" in by Julia.

This sounds like someone might have been waiting around outside the apartment because Julia was out when the perp arrived. He/She waited outside for Julia to return home and, as you've suggested, came in behind her as she entered her apartment.

 

[MIMOMMY]

Bette - EXACTLY! This has been my thought from the beginning. At one point I played around with the idea that she may have had a "watcher" from working in retail. I know that I personally work with the public and can say I have taken long and confusing routes home when I was aware I was being followed by a resident/customer.

Am I saying that is what happened - no...but it is a possibility.

 

[FindHG]

Bette - EXACTLY! This has been my thought from the beginning. At one point I played around with the idea that she may have had a "watcher" from working in retail. I know that I personally work with the public and can say I have taken long and confusing routes home when I was aware I was being followed by a resident/customer.

Am I saying that is what happened - no...but it is a possibility.

So air was cut off to her brain, but no signs of anyone touching her, so somebody gentle, pristine and strong, who can move like a ghost and leave no trace? Leave her there and move on? Do you think that person free at the moment?

 

[MIMOMMY]

Yes! I believe that the person that did this is very much still free. I say this because of the "other evidence" in the apartment that could not have been "planted". The actual small time frame of her death is also known because of some of this evidence.

 

[hockeymom4]

Anyway someone could have been in her apartment when she got home? Could someone have got access to a key?

 

[MIMOMMY]

Sure...the roommates, family, someone from the staff, friends of roommates - I suppose lots of "Somebodies"

 

[Spellbound]

Julia taken by surprise from the back, "asphyxiated", passed out, and drowned is within the realm of scenarios if somebody could get in and out with a key when they knew she would return to an empty place.

Wouldn't her step dad have been the last person she'd want in her apartment, given she avoided him by living with her grandmom for three years prior to living off campus?

We keep trying to place JT as the suspect in a murder, but remember that the original articles declaring him a POI were because it is felt he has info that could lead to the killer. It is entirely possible he was not at the apartment .. and still have a connection to her death.

 

[hockeymom4]

Sure...the roommates, family, someone from the staff, friends of roommates - I suppose lots of "Somebodies"

I don't know if you know and this is probably a stretch...but maybe someone got her key. I was just thinking how dumb I am actually. I leave my purse in a cubby while we go to gymnastics every week for an hour. I feel safe and there our cameras everywhere. I know everyone and there are very few people. But, it got me thinking, did she leave her purse in an unlocked locker at work or the gym on a regular basis? Maybe someone who was watching her knew this. Could have grabbed her keys and made a copy. I think I read she worked at Walmart. But maybe not because I read so many cases. What if it was someone she worked with? Grabbed the key at work, walked to the machine, made a copy and put it right back in her purse. Probably a big stretch....I know. But, just a thought.

 

[lovinlife83]

I remember reading somewhere (early in the investigation) that the Peninsular Place apartments are rather cheaply constructed, so the walls might not be soundproof. I don't recall anyone having reported hearing a struggle, but I think only one of the people with whom Julia shared the apartment was there that weekend; the other roommate had apparently gone home for the weekend. If LE reports indicate that Julia's body showed no signs of trauma, there must not have been a struggle that anyone else heard.

Just speculating, but since Julia was a communication/journalism major, maybe she discovered something about her stepfather while doing research.

I agree, wondering if there was evidence saved on a flash drive? Maybe that is what the perp was looking for?

 

[MIMOMMY]

I can honestly say I do not know if this person had a key to make entry - and then locked on their way out. I can say that whoever it was got IN - and did lock on the way out (whether they got in with a key - or locked with a key once out of the apartment. I know that her door could be "locked" before exiting the door)

 

[lovinlife83]

Julia taken by surprise from the back, "asphyxiated", passed out, and drowned is within the realm of scenarios if somebody could get in and out with a key when they knew she would return to an empty place.

Wouldn't her step dad have been the last person she'd want in her apartment, given she avoided him by living with her grandmom for three years prior to living off campus?

Is it possible that she left a spare key with her parents? In college I always made 3-4 extra copies of my keys to give to my parents incase I lost mine.

 

[MIMOMMY]

Yes that is possible as well.

Ask yourself this though - IF your roommate came and left daily - to class, studying for midterms, to visit with her sister, to go to work - and then her car did not move for days - and you did not see her for days - and she had not mentioned leaving for a few days - and she did not text or leave a note that she was leaving for a few days - AND her alarm clock continued to go off this entire time....

How long would YOU wait to ask for a welfare check????

 

[hockeymom4]

Is it possible that she left a spare key with her parents? In college I always made 3-4 extra copies of my keys to give to my parents incase I lost mine.

As did I.

 

[OldSteve]

The locked door recalls to mind the Amada Knox case.... :thinking: might not be good to tunnel-vision her step-dad. IMO, locked door bespeaks of something someone who lives with a person would do....

 

[hockeymom4]

Yes that is possible as well.

Ask yourself this though - IF your roommate came and left daily - to class, studying for midterms, to visit with her sister, to go to work - and then her car did not move for days - and you did not see her for days - and she had not mentioned leaving for a few days - and she did not text or leave a note that she was leaving for a few days - AND her alarm clock continued to go off this entire time....

How long would YOU wait to ask for a welfare check????

First and foremost, everything depends on the roommates relationship. There can be two roommates and they can be besties or they can be roommates or they can fighting. I have to be honest, I don't know the nature of their relationship. I will have to read up on that one. If it were me, the alarm clock would cause me concern no matter what the relationship I had with my roommate. If I was besties, I would be concerned instantly. Anything else, I wouldn't be because I would think they could have gotten a ride and they aren't obligated to tell me anything. That is if there was no alarm clock.

 

[MIMOMMY]

There were three roommates in total - Julia and two other girls. I can tell you that she was not on the greatest terms with ONE of the roommates but was close to the other. The alarm went off continuously for two days...at what point do you contact the roommate and say "Hey your alarm is driving me insane - When are you coming home? Even if I am not close to the person - I would be texting about it after the first....4 hours at least, and that's if I was in a good mood - Also....ponder this....her cellphone was in her room....why did noone hear it going off with texts and phone calls... (I know the answer to this, but it may help some of you with the next "steps")

 

[dmc43613]

I have thought about this too!! Based solely on what I read, I got the impression that the roommates weren't home but briefly between Sunday and Tuesday. But if they were home for more than a couple hours stretch, it is very odd (imo) that if an alarm and cell phone was continuously going off behind a locked door, and the car hadn't moved, I would have been getting in that room WAY sooner than 2 days, but that is me.

I haven't found anything with the roommates in MSM.