GUILTY MI - Mariha Smith, 5, Detroit, 24 July 2011

[Cubby]

Further looking at the map there appears to be garages and an alley behind the home where Mariha and her mom where staying.

Also, lots and lots of open land in the immediate area. Which is clearly not indicative of undeveloped land, but lots of homes already torn down. In fact in some area's there are only a few homes left per block. The sidewalks look 50 years old, and in some places can barely be seen.

The rear exit from the home - via the alley looks like there are quite a few trees which, in addition to the garages, might obstruct the view of someone taking the child out by way of the alley.

 

[Kat]

I had to run pick up my kids just now (football practice) so I thought about this while in the car.

I wondered about that too Cubby. Thank you so much for the map. I thought that if the home where the child's body was located was close enough the person that took her there could have carried her. Because it was so late at night and if they walked alleys they could have held her as if she were sleeping and no one would have paid any attention if they had seen. KWIM? Possible. That's assuming if she was deceased when she left that house.

But if we assume that it was a predator usually when we see predators that go into a home, especially one that small and filled with adults and other children IMHO we can pretty much assume that the predator is willing to engage in high risk crime. More than likely, not always, we would be looking at a planned crime instead of a spur of the moment crime. Someone who watched, waited and then seized the appropriate moment.

Because doing such a thing is so high risk, I'm having a hard time reconciling the high risk crime (and the usual indication that the predator that engages in such crime has quite a bit of experience, meaning this wouldn't be a first time IMHO) that if the body is Mariha the cover up doesn't make sense to me.

The coverup smacks of inexperience and panic in a way. Keep her within the neighborhood? Dispose of her within the same neighborhood? Dispose of her in way that brings attention? (fire) Something doesn't jibe for me with that. If the man at the gas station is connected, why go into the store? Why only buy .41 cents of gas. Why not have that gas already? The crime would have been planned more than likely then IMHO so would the cover up?

If this was a predator and one that has had at least some experience in order to engage in such a high risk crime why not travel with her out of the area? Why not bury her somewhere, or dump her miles away?

If we are dealing with a predator that did take her more than likely we can assume that he had transportation. How in the world would he expect to walk over a mile with a child who more than likely was awake at that moment? Or did she know him and had trusted him?

I'm not saying it wasn't a predator I'm just trying to make sense of the coverup because it is incongruent with the crime at this time. JMHO.

 

[Cubby]

Good points Kat. I always thought when it was a 'stranger' they aren't so particular about where they leave the body. Iow, they don't have any attachments so they aren't as concerned about hiding a body a greater distance. I really don't know if it was a stranger or not. I'm open to both possibilities.....

One thing that really sticks out to me is why this particular home that the body was found? I don't have a lot of experience with vacant homes. (who does, for the most part?) but this particular home had a mattress. Do most vacant homes have mattresses? Did the previous owners of this home leave the mattress? Or was the mattress moved into the home by transients? How long has this particular home been vacant? Also, there are plenty of vacant homes closer to the home from which Mariha disappeared, so why this one in particular?

I did see from the map the vacant home were the body was found is less than a block from a school. This particular vacant home is within a 3 block walk to a gas station. Do either have any relevence with why this particular home was chosen?

 

[Kat]

http://www.detnews.com/article/2011...ssing-5-year-old-determined-to-keep-searching

Last Updated: July 29. 2011 1:07AM

Family of missing 5-year-old determined to keep searching

The found girl, who was suffocated to death, had her skull crushed and was set on fire, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's autopsy.

videotape of the man they say bought 41 cents of gasoline at a BP station two blocks away around 7:47 a.m. Sunday — about 10 minutes before the fire started. The store gave its surveillance tapes to police.

The man is described as in his 20s, with short hair and about 5 feet, 9 inches tall. In the video, he was seen wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts and black shoes.

Better description of POI in the arson. I wasn't aware until I read that article that the skull of the UID child found in the abandoned home had been crushed.

 

[Cubby]

You're post makes a lot of sense Kat. It made me think of the following which I hadn't thought of previously.

A predator would have likely been watching. Known the adults were partying and probably wouldn't have been up very early. At least not as early as the fire was started and the body found.

Since you mentioned it being 'sloppy' and someone purchasing such a small amount of gasoline that does tend to lead to someone who perhaps would be more concerned about accounting for their time and an alibi.......


Now I am wondering what the hours are at this BP. Is it a 24 hour BP? or do they open at 6 or 7am on Sundays? Maybe they had to wait for the gas station to open as it would have been too risky to take Mariha further? and maybe one of the male friends of the bf or the bf was able to get someone to due him a favor for something that person owed....

though, if Mariha was physically abused in that home prior to being strangled she would have likely cried out and woken one of the other children even if the adults were too passed out to wake up.

Maybe the thought of a sister helping another sister when they are both moms is too much for me. I'd hate to think if I were ever in need and had to share housing or rent a room from family, my childs life would be endanger while I lived in the home.

 

[Kat]

Yup I agree Cubby there has to be some kind of connection to the home by whoever put her there.

http://www.century21town-country.com/Property/MI/48206-1434/DETROIT/2918_BURLINGAME_ST

This says the house is still privately owned. (as opposed to a foreclosure/repo thing). Not saying that it was the owner, just saying I can't backtrack to see like I could if the house had changed hands back to the bank in order to figure out how long it has been sitting empty.

 

[Kat]

http://www.michigangasprices.com/BP_Gas_Stations/Detroit/110012/index.aspx

I called Cubby, nice man, open 24 hours.

 

[Kat]

Good points Kat. I always thought when it was a 'stranger' they aren't so particular about where they leave the body. Iow, they don't have any attachments so they aren't as concerned about hiding a body a greater distance. I really don't know if it was a stranger or not. I'm open to both possibilities.....

One thing that really sticks out to me is why this particular home that the body was found? I don't have a lot of experience with vacant homes. (who does, for the most part?) but this particular home had a mattress. Do most vacant homes have mattresses? Did the previous owners of this home leave the mattress? Or was the mattress moved into the home by transients? How long has this particular home been vacant? Also, there are plenty of vacant homes closer to the home from which Mariha disappeared, so why this one in particular?

I did see from the map the vacant home were the body was found is less than a block from a school. This particular vacant home is within a 3 block walk to a gas station. Do either have any relevence with why this particular home was chosen?

I agree. In my mind it would have been so much easier for a stranger predator to have dropped her in a garbage can, dumpster, tossed her in an abandoned garage or house and just left her there.

Why set her on fire? That brings too much attention IMHO. Someone was more concerned to cover something up instead JMHO. Not just a sex crime IMHO. Fire doesn't always destroy the evidence of a sex crime, we've seen that too many times. I could be wrong just looking at things as they stand right now though. JMHO

ETA: also, why set the fire so close to the time people would be up and about in the neighborhood? It was reported well after daylight yes?

 

[Cubby]

Yup I agree Cubby there has to be some kind of connection to the home by whoever put her there.

http://www.century21town-country.com/Property/MI/48206-1434/DETROIT/2918_BURLINGAME_ST

This says the house is still privately owned. (as opposed to a foreclosure/repo thing). Not saying that it was the owner, just saying I can't backtrack to see like I could if the house had changed hands back to the bank in order to figure out how long it has been sitting empty.

Private owned, with an assesment. I wonder what the assesment is for.
Also says 3rd party approval required. Could be a home that was bought for non payment of RE taxes but I have no idea how to backtrack that.... If the property is only valued at 4,900 dollars I can't see a bank paying the 1500 or so dollars a yr on the property. I'd think they'd let it go. Can't be certain, but a guess.

Even the comps shown at the bottom of the listing are so inexpensive!

 

[Cubby]

yes, the fire was reported after daylight. The video shows the guy buying gasoline after daylight. IIRC there was only about 20 minutes or so between the time the gasoline was purchased and the time the fire was started.

 

[Kat]

Wait Cubby I think I looked at the wrong address from your map :duh:

 

[Cubby]

I think you did. Mariha lived on Burlingame. The home she was found in was on Waverly I believe.

 

[Kat]

I hate when I do that. I'm so sorry. I'll go see if I can find a listing for the abandoned house and if there are any details to be found about that one. Lordy. Sorry.

 

[Cubby]

No worries, it happens. I missed it too!
The home she was found in is a duplex and the addresses for the home are 2916 and 2918 Waverly street. hth

ETA: Maybe that's wrong too. Nix the 2916 for now......

 

[Kat]

http://www.detnews.com/article/2011...k&utm_medium=everyblock&utm_source=everyblock

(4 days ago)

I tried a records search for the abandoned bldg. didn't find anything. Maybe someone else is more skilled and can find something as to when it was abandoned.

But I did see this quote:

Some neighbors said that the two-family flat, at 2916 and 2918 Waverly, had been vacant for years, but that sometimes people would occupy the house in order to use drugs that were purchased at a crack house down the street.

So it has been abandoned for years. But that still doesn't answer a very good point you brought up. That there are more than a few abandoned houses and why that one? I think you might be onto something there Cubby. JMHO.

Plus if it was used as a crack house it might have had some squatters too. Might be why there was a mattress. Maybe.

(off topic but while I was searching those properties, I saw that the unemployment rate in Detroit is around 27%---yikes and ouch!)

 

[Cubby]

I couldn't find a listing either, OT- but I did - honest to goodness - find a forclosure on Waverly for 350.00 - yes, three hundred and fifty bucks. That tells one something about how incredibly depressed this area is. Very sad.....


I do think there is something with that particular house. I wonder if LE has anyone in jail or any outstanding arrest warrants for persons known to be in this particular vacant house. I'd be asking, canvassing, interviewing and I'd be cutting deals if it meant positively id'ng that POI and tying him to that house.

ETA: With this area being so depressed, LE should put out a reward for the ID of POI gas guy.

 

[Cubby]

Just some other observations about this particular home at 2918 Waverly.
From the google street view, and I don't know how old or how recent these photo's were taken. There appears to be some homes very well kept. Some recent renovations. (stickers from new windows still on the windows, roofing material/covers.). On Waverly.....

This part of Waverly also "dead ends" or ends at Lawton then leads to the back of a parking lot to a factory of some kind. Turning onto Lawton at the next corner and across from the school field or playground is an abandoned 3 story apartment building which has lots of open windows at least in the google image. Directly across from the apartment is yet another abandoned home- also with the front door open on the google image.. So the Waverly property appears to be surrounded by vacancy at least in a direction one might run.

Turning then onto Tyler, (w/in 2 blocks from the location on Waverly) there are two burnt out homes that are not boarded up in addition to several more vacant homes. So this is clearly not the only likely case of arson in this neighborhood.

I do hope LE looks to see if by chance this factory has survelliance in the parking lot, just by the long shot that perhaps if they do the POI was captured on survelliance here too.

block by block there are so many vacant homes, I can not believe the POI gas man chose this particular on Waverly randomly. No way.... If the apartment building is still vacant and not boarded up, he could have been in and out of there without any nearby neighbors due to the vacant home and parking lot immediately across the street and had less of a chance of being seen.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Last Updated: July 29. 2011 1:07AM.

Family of missing 5-year-old determined to keep searching

The Detroit News

Detroit — Konesha Smith is determined not to let anything stop her from finding her 5-year-old daughter, especially not the boarded-up doors of vacant houses on the west side.

Mariha Trenice Smith has been missing since Sunday, and for the past five days, her family has searched and posted fliers around the neighborhood, asking for information on her whereabouts, hoping she's alive.

Investigators said Thursday they are awaiting a DNA test to determine whether a body found in a burned vacant house a mile from where she went missing belongs to Mariha...


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110729...ld-determined-to-keep-searching#ixzz1TV01DfnR

 

[Salem]

http://www.michigangasprices.com/BP_Gas_Stations/Detroit/110012/index.aspx

I called Cubby, nice man, open 24 hours.

And isn't the timing kind of odd? The video was taken at 7:36 a.m. (if the clock is accurate). It appears it was already daylight outside judging from the windows in the video.

If the family was all sleeping by 3:30 a.m. that leaves approximately 4 hours for the perp to take the child and burn the house.

 

[CN2Souls]

Videos I hadn't seen,

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/new...arch-continues-for-mariha-smith-20110727-wpms

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/amber-alert-issued-in-disappearance-of-girl%2C-5-20110725-mr

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/28662489/index.html

Just hours after Mariha vanished, a little girl's body was discovered in a vacant home just blocks away. Sources said it appears someone suffocated the child and threw her body on a mattress inside the house, then set it on fire. The body also showed severe head trauma.

Investigators found a piece of flower print fabric inside the burned out house matching the description of what the girl was wearing when she disappeared.

Arson sent the fabric to the Michigan State Police lab for testing and it came back positive for gasoline, which again leads investigators to believe the culprit set the child's body on fire to cover up a crime.

Odd How different news media come up with different news....