Disclaimer, please read first: this is not a conclusion but is where Im at after looking at the driveway and little else. Please keep that in mind. I've looked at this case all of about one week and I have a whole lot to learn, with a lot more data dumping on the horizon.
The challenge in this case is that the behaviors demonstrated at this crime scene are different depending on whether or not the personalities present kidnapped the victim by foot or car. In other words, it is precisely this final moment in the abduction that serves as the fulcrum for understanding the psychology present.
It is well-known in criminology that something like 85% of persons on death row can be shown clinically to harbor a personality disorder. But testing for these often generates false negatives because the subjects are so good at deception. For this reason, it is almost certain that percentage is closer to 100%. And these persons come from all backgrounds, including very intelligent persons from a high SES. The lesson for anyone looking at the crime scene of a capital crime is that it is almost certain a personality disorder was present. This is a powerful clue because a limited range of behavior types are highly predictable with personality disorders while with normal subjects they are not. This is their weakness, and a clever person with experiential, personal experience with Axis II persons can spot this easily. So, the first step on a crime scene should be to identify the type of disorder present. Once you know this, behaviors for which no direct evidence exists are reliably predictable, provided you have a good understanding of what specific behaviors are predictable and which ones are not. Thus, this subset of predictable behaviors will overlap with the sufferers modus operandi. This can then be used to guide investigators toward the collection of more direct evidence.
So it can be said that the same personality that lifted a stranger of approximately 75 pounds onto his back and ran a distance probably not greater than 100 meters is the same personality that posed a nonsensical question to JEW and two minor witnesses; that is, the personality was actively engaged in deception at the crime scene. We can understand this if we imagine S1 (our suspect) running JEW up the driveway, then slowing to a walk as he left the driveway. This is consistent with flight as the primary concern; that is, a desire to augment the distance from the crime scene that is maximum at the crime scene itself. But doing the reverse is a sign of a thinking sufferer who is concerned with appearances and deception. He is concerned with moving rapidly at key points in the flight, not just generally. Right now, this draws our attention to Histrionic Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Well see more as we go.
Likewise, the same personalities that colluded to kidnap an 11 year old child in the prosaic, rapid manner they did are the same personalities that openly and credibly reported their presence at the crime scene on or about 2003 or 2004. If the evidence at the crime scene represents abduction by lifting a child into a car without opening the doors, this suggests what wed expect with a personality or personalities who have prioritized flight correctly. They are not thinking about deception as much. Right now, this draws our attention to Anti-Social Personality because the elements of deception and histrionics are features associated with other personality disorders. Clearly, they are nasty folks likely guilty of a capital crime, but now we know more.
The same personality that transmitted disinformation to the authorities via two minor witnesses is the same personality that harbored a magical belief in his or her ability to abduct an 11 year old at the foot of his or her own driveway and not be suspected of the act. The street smarts and dark humor involved in putting out this mythos about ages is clever and characteristic of a particular personality type; that of the malignant narcissist (malignant is a catch-all that usually refers to an NPD with features of anti-social).
Due to a lack of information, it is unknown why the personality that abducted this child by car posed questions related to the childs age, but the source of that request almost certainly came from a female. In the case of a car being involved, we dont see the runner personality that would substantiate a pattern of NPD-like features. Rather, we see what is only a circumstantial oddity we need to explain. So, this wasnt likely the result of an attempt to deceive.
The same personality that designed disinformation is the same personality that found not only utility but wild humor in the act itself. Now NPD waxes strong, as this is a condescending and edifying goal of the designer. Every single person who reads about the case was the intended audience, and the intention is to prove to his ego how stupid they are and how smart he is as they go and chase wild leads about the boys ages.
The same personality that abducted a child by lifting the victim to his back is a personality most likely to be an Axis II Narcissistic Personality and who harbored a magical belief in his intimacy with the victim. Combined with the identification of this personality supra with that of a personality dissembling with dark humor, this personality was most likely moderate to severe Axis II and not a good candidate for treatment. Finally, the NPD pattern is salient to anyone with intimate experience with personality disorders. With the addition of some formal education, it is possible to quickly size up the personality from viewing a crime scene. Given the presence of, and pathological affinity for, deception, there is also the likelihood that the firearm used was a replica or stage gun.
Combining the feature set, this personality most likely harbored an Axis II Narcissistic Personality with features of Axis II Anti-Social and Axis II Histrionic Personality.
The immature aspects of this crime, dressing goofy with hose on his head and a stage gun, most likely derive of Histrionic Personality Disorder as associated with the primary disorder of Narcissistic Personality.
Combining the foregoing, this runner personality was most likely above average intelligence and therefore rare in this type of felony. The personality that abducted a child preoccupied only with aspects of flight (as opposed to a flight planned to conceal information), and who exposed themselves years later by credibly reporting to have been at the crime scene in an automobile, is most likely of lower than average intelligence.
The same personality preoccupied with aspects of flight (as normally expected) was the same personality who posed questions at the direction of a confederate who was herself most likely female. The reasons for the inquiry, at least to the culprits, was prosaic.
Both confederates using an automobile most likely harbored an Axis II Anti-Social Personality with co-morbidities unknown due to a lack of information. One or both of these two persons likely had imagined or real connections to law enforcement. Due to this lack of information, a determination of the disposition of the victim is not possible. Nor is it likely to be able to predict, based on the disorder presenting in both confederates and other details, the disposition of best evidence, if it exists.
The victims behavior at the crime scene provided no indications of the presence of a personality disorder and, at that age, would have been an unstable indicator in any case. Rather, the victim demonstrated a personality consistent with an influencing component vice a dominant component (Axis I): this victim most likely would have attempted to negotiate their safety rather than fight or escape. This finding is weak as it is derived of only two indicators left at the scene.
The same personality that harbored a moderate to severe Axis II Narcissistic Personality was most likely male (crime scene only), most likely had a dark sense of humor, most likely feels immense shame over the event to the extent that it harms their public reputation, most likely employed a replica firearm in the attack, most likely is employed in an occupation which gives him access to children in the same age range as the victim, most likely took the victim to a basement or hidden dwelling (but probably his own dwelling) within 100 meters of the last known impression of JEW, likely sexually assaulted him for approximately one hour, and likely murdered him with a blunt instrument.
In this case, this victim most likely expired at approximately 10:40 p.m. 22 October 1989 local time with a cause of death most likely blunt force trauma to the head. Given the intelligence of the sufferer, the victims remains were most likely not left intact, and were likely processed either by cutting, grinding or incineration or some combination thereof. Those remains most likely were removed from the property early by foot and buried along an accessible foot trail within 5 miles of the sufferers property. Investigators should seek shallow graves containing bone or ash or both within 50 feet of all known trails leading from that property at that time. Investigators should be aware of the possible presence of personal items of the victim indiscriminately mixed within but not all of which will be found (which should not be surprising, but some items may have been deliberately kept by the sufferer). Indications by the sufferer that something might be found on his property are a clever, passive ruse.
The evidentiary cleanup likely occurred in a two-stage dissembling assembly of evidence whereby a quick cleanup was performed initially. As weve seen before, the second stage likely occurred right under the noses of authorities. Several hours into the night, a more complete cleanup occurred which might have extended into the next 3 days. All evidence was likely removed within 4 days. Stage 1 likely completed at approximately 11:20 p.m. 22 October, 1989 local time. Due to the staging nature of the cleanup, a holding area on the property probably existed at one time.
The victim, in the one case, was an 11 year-old child, was smaller and weaker than his attacker, likely attempted to engage his attacker with means not understood by a personality of this kind, was terrorized by an abduction and threat of a firearm, was taken alone into unfamiliar surroundings, likely heard the arrival of a State police helicopter, was likely attacked by a person harboring a moderate to severe personality disorder, was likely the victim of a strong male who acted with cool deliberation, speed, strength and ruthlessness of agency; and likely suffered not less than 85 minutes. The victims tarry of expiration (start of attack to code blue) was likely about 10 minutes.
This was an aggravated first degree murder with malice and forethought, a felony abduction of a minor, a felony sexual assault of a minor, a felony physical assault of a minor and an unlawful detention of a minor. This attacker is unusually dangerous due to the combination of the disorders cited and a high intelligence and it would be in the better public interest that he be institutionalized for the remainder of his natural life. The travel history of this person should be scrutinized. Any male minor still missing from places within 30 miles coincident to travel destinations and times of the sufferer should be re-examined. All like homicides should be re-opened and evaluated on account of the intelligence of the sufferer. Due to the type of disorder present, this person most likely will not kill again in the vicinity of St. Joseph, MN, but it is unlikely he stopped killing before the age of 45.
In order to justify such a search for remains, the involvement of one male and one female sufferer in an automobile should be absolutely ruled out first as the preponderance of evidence in the driveway points rather to that conclusion. Given that law enforcement has spent 25 years on this case with no result, and given the compelling circumstantial case against the two sufferers, law enforcement protestations of their innocence should be regarded as naked assertions. It would be in the better public interest for law enforcement to state clearly and fully what evidence they have that is exculpatory as this has a direct bearing on resolution of the case.
As Ive said, we should be looking for a male and a female in an open top car whose driver goes by the name of Kevin OR we should be looking for an athletic man now in his 50s who had legitimate access to the Rassier property on the night of 22 October 1989. And we do not have enough information to decide which party was responsible. I put those odds, based on very limited information, at 50/50. With more information known to be available I believe the final disposition of the victim can be resolved and the parties responsible clearly identified with a low uncertainty.
~ svh
