I DO wonder about David Lenox's case though.....where he was found, I'm pretty sure there's a direct line (without bldgs in the way) to the trails. I tried to look but leaves on bushes and trees are present now but weren't in February.
MO - Four similar homicides on Indian Creek Trail in Kansas City Aug 2016 *arrest*
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Snoopster
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So Willow Creek Apartments is gated, but it looks open to the south toward the trail. Victoria, can you confirm whether my restricted google maps view is correct?
I wonder if the homeless stabbings last fall were part of the killer's "prep" for further killings. John Palmer was murdered last August in a very remote area (based on what I see on the maps). Perhaps the killer had a reason (however flimsy it might have been) to kill him and then liked the thrill so much he got ready to "continue". Do we know if John Palmer was shot or stabbed?
Or perhaps the homeless stabbings from last fall were not related. It just seems like such a coincidence since they were in the immediate area of 2 of the "white-male-with-dogs" victims.
I would still really like to know which one of the 4 victims wasn't walking a dog. Were all of the dog walkers shot? I can't imagine stabbing someone to death while they walked their dogs. The dogs would go absolutely ballistic.
Its so hard to speculate about the killers' intent on "prep" because what I read is they thought that the attacks (no killing ones on the homeless) were to "run them out". There doesn't seem to be ANY apparent motive whatsoever! So frustrating!
I don't know who the third person is and I didn't see it anywhere. I'm still searching.
I too wondered about the dogs but I'm guessing if they were shot without a warning the dogs wouldn't know what happened.
Your map is pretty accurate, just off a little bit on exact locations.
It's time for bed and I can help pinpoint them tomorrow if you want. 😊
Also.....I don't know how much truth there is to any of them getting stabbed or cut up.
And I'm pretty positive there isn't any openings of the gates around the complex.
But I'll look tomorrow.
Nick_1
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Just saw this story on the local news at 10 PM. I live geographically in fairly close proximity to the KC metropolitan area. I used to read and post years ago on this site. I got a new account in the fall as my last posts were in excess of 5 years old. I would consider myself a serial crimes researcher. Formerly, I was employed by a LE agency (Not KS or MO), but in a nearby state. I will have a long post up here in an hour or two as I get up to date. Initial thoughts from comments on this thread:
1) Vagrant individuals are exceedingly unlikely to perpetrate violent crimes outside the homeless community. When they do, primarily, robbery is the motive. It's not my place to release case specific information as doing so may hinder an ongoing investigation. However, I would refer the reader to media reports regarding the motive.
2) Transient populations don't work well in serial crimes; inherently, they're transient. Four crimes in six months is an awfully large amount of time to have elapsed and have the same group still together. Moreover, these weren't joy or opportunity kills, I would initially opine. The secluded, consistent areas of these crimes suggest some sort of premeditation.
3) Examining the case information at first glance, victims here are problematic. White males, older and walking dogs it appears almost always, with the exception of one case. Walking dogs suggests a preoccupied victim, perhaps. Older white males, many times, are a father or grandfather. Could the perpetrator be acting after he experiences or views a trigger? For example, he sees a happy father at the park with his son, is the suspect angry he or she never had or has that experience? Something isn't right on this case. A younger perpetrator typically can't let long periods of time elapse before he or she partakes in violent crimes. Vagrant individuals are the same way, striking when they need money to fund a habit or feed a child. This one is interesting and complex.
Upon initial examination of the geographic area, victim age sex and race, and the elapsed time in between each case; undoubtedly in my mind, these cases are connected.
More in a bit. -Nick
1) Vagrant individuals are exceedingly unlikely to perpetrate violent crimes outside the homeless community. When they do, primarily, robbery is the motive. It's not my place to release case specific information as doing so may hinder an ongoing investigation. However, I would refer the reader to media reports regarding the motive.
2) Transient populations don't work well in serial crimes; inherently, they're transient. Four crimes in six months is an awfully large amount of time to have elapsed and have the same group still together. Moreover, these weren't joy or opportunity kills, I would initially opine. The secluded, consistent areas of these crimes suggest some sort of premeditation.
3) Examining the case information at first glance, victims here are problematic. White males, older and walking dogs it appears almost always, with the exception of one case. Walking dogs suggests a preoccupied victim, perhaps. Older white males, many times, are a father or grandfather. Could the perpetrator be acting after he experiences or views a trigger? For example, he sees a happy father at the park with his son, is the suspect angry he or she never had or has that experience? Something isn't right on this case. A younger perpetrator typically can't let long periods of time elapse before he or she partakes in violent crimes. Vagrant individuals are the same way, striking when they need money to fund a habit or feed a child. This one is interesting and complex.
Upon initial examination of the geographic area, victim age sex and race, and the elapsed time in between each case; undoubtedly in my mind, these cases are connected.
More in a bit. -Nick
Kansas City is no stranger to serial killers. There's also:
-Gregory Breeden, who is suspected of being the Independence Ave/Missouri River Killer. Active in the 90s and suspected of killing 10 women.
-Ray Jackson, the Gilham Park Strangler. Killed 6 women in the late 80s and early 90s.
-Gene Raspberry, very little information on him, though he committed 6 murders in KC in the 60s.
-Marc Sappington, the Kansas City Vampire. Killed and cannibalized 4 men in 2001.
Nick_1
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As I suspected, this one is puzzling.
Information for this writing was found utilizing an online search engine. This search engine displayed results of webpages. These webpages contain publicly available information. All pertinent informational credit belongs to the aforementioned webpages.
Start broad, become more specific. My first note after geographically mapping each crime scene was not the creek, it was the interstate. It would appear that each of these 4 crimes occurred in close proximity to interstates that run north, south, east and west. More troublesome, in my mind, is the nearby state line. If this suspect crossed back into Kansas, generally, this would become a federally led investigation due it's interstate nature. Assuming these crimes are of the serial nature, you've got to jump back and delve into each case.
Chronologically, Palmer (08/16), would be this offender's first victim. The phrase, "words matter," is extraordinarily important in this analysis. KMBC reported in their August article headline, "man found slain on south KC walking trail." In the first sentence of this article it states, "man found slain off a walking trail." Very different areas, obviously. Further research of this crime revealed that he was found off the walking trail in a, "wooded area." That makes it a whole different ballgame. If he was found off the trail, where was he murdered? Was he lured into the woods or vegetation that surrounds most trails? Were their items of evidentiary value found on the trail? For example, were his keys found on the trail, while his body was found off the trail? The presence of physical evidence such as a clump of hair, blood or other bodily fluids along the trail would suggest the crime began here. Did a struggle ensue and physical evidence show perhaps their encounter began on the trail and finish in the woods? Was their no physical evidence present along the trail? If that's the case, it must be looked at if this was a crime scene, or simply the scene where a body was dumped. The month of August also has warm temperatures. This means that the decomposition process of the human body begins rapidly. A cause of death can't always be determined. But, it can almost always be determined how long a body has been deceased.
Lennox (02/17), wasn't found along the trail at all. While it is true he was found in close proximity to the trail, he was actually found in an apartment parking lot. This apartment complex is located within a few hundred yards of the trail, from what I gather. First thought that comes to mind, was he running home to get help? I'd sure like to know if he had his cell phone on him in order to further or discount this theory. The local newspaper's website states that he was found at 1050 PM. Residential areas have frequent vehicle and foot traffic. Shared living buildings or apartments have even more traffic. This leads me to believe that the victim was not deceased for long before first responders arrived. A body located within a residential parking lot would be discovered much quicker than along a trail. A body in the woods is very different than a body in the streets. This suggests a difference in type of offender, too. Unless, the offender didn't kill him on the trail. As the Kansas City Star reported, the victim was a Vietnam Veteran, per family members. Were their signs of a physical struggle that would support this theory?
Rice (04/17), is sort of an anomaly, I believe. According to his obituary, he was from Excelsior Springs, Missouri. A quick google search showed this to be a good distance away from where was found. He was found in a shelter house at a park. This park was close to the trail mentioned in the first two crimes. The shelter house reported appears to be similar to where family functions or gatherings would take place, usually. I believe many refer to a shelter house as a, "pavilion." One of my initial thoughts, what mode of transportation was he using that day? If he arrived by car, why was he so far away from home in Excelsior Springs at 10 AM? If he arrived by bike or was found wearing workout clothes, perhaps he was exercising along the trail. Even then, that seems like an incredible distance to have traveled utilizing physical exertion. What brought him to the shelter house? Photos of the scene by the local NBC affiliate depict law enforcement personnel amidst a cloudy backdrop. Did it start raining and he was looking for shelter? This crime is the most puzzling to me. This one seems to make the least sense on how he was killed.
Darby (05/17), at the surface, appears to be the victim of an escalating offender. As the Kansas City Star reported, he was killed around 630 AM. His dogs were found at or near the scene. That means it happened within an hour or less of when he was found, I'd guess. It also means that you have a fairly narrow crime scene, certainly. I look at the time of the crime and it's the first thing that I notice; at their peak, trails have the most cyclist or foot traffic in the morning. I would assert this offender was incredibly brazen. Even if the crime occurred along a quieter portion of the trail; people are running, people are biking, the attack had to have been quick. I'm guessing the victim was attacked in a fairly rapid manner. The offender, "had the jump." Perhaps the dog was pulling in a different direction or barking at wildlife, the victim turned his attention to his animal. It is my best guess that something had the victim's focus. That's when the offender struck. I guess this because had the victim resisted greatly or yelled for help, other trail travelers would have seen the suspect. Or, perhaps they did see the suspect? If this offender is engaged solely in crimes where the victim can't provide a recollection of the suspect's identity, the individual wouldn't need to conceal their face with a mask or garment. Perhaps the offender blended in wearing workout clothes, appearing to be a morning runner.
This offender appears to be escalating with the recent brazen crime. Normally, media coverage would cause an offender to, "lie low." I think of the Phoenix Serial Street Shooter case, as an example. In that case, his crimes were discovered to be connected. Along with this, a victim survived. This victim gave law enforcement a description of the suspect and a sketch rendition was developed. Clearly, this case lacks a suspect description.
Baffling why a human being would ever feel the need to kill one person. Perplexing why a human being would ever feel the need to kill multiple people.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading.
Information for this writing was found utilizing an online search engine. This search engine displayed results of webpages. These webpages contain publicly available information. All pertinent informational credit belongs to the aforementioned webpages.
Start broad, become more specific. My first note after geographically mapping each crime scene was not the creek, it was the interstate. It would appear that each of these 4 crimes occurred in close proximity to interstates that run north, south, east and west. More troublesome, in my mind, is the nearby state line. If this suspect crossed back into Kansas, generally, this would become a federally led investigation due it's interstate nature. Assuming these crimes are of the serial nature, you've got to jump back and delve into each case.
Chronologically, Palmer (08/16), would be this offender's first victim. The phrase, "words matter," is extraordinarily important in this analysis. KMBC reported in their August article headline, "man found slain on south KC walking trail." In the first sentence of this article it states, "man found slain off a walking trail." Very different areas, obviously. Further research of this crime revealed that he was found off the walking trail in a, "wooded area." That makes it a whole different ballgame. If he was found off the trail, where was he murdered? Was he lured into the woods or vegetation that surrounds most trails? Were their items of evidentiary value found on the trail? For example, were his keys found on the trail, while his body was found off the trail? The presence of physical evidence such as a clump of hair, blood or other bodily fluids along the trail would suggest the crime began here. Did a struggle ensue and physical evidence show perhaps their encounter began on the trail and finish in the woods? Was their no physical evidence present along the trail? If that's the case, it must be looked at if this was a crime scene, or simply the scene where a body was dumped. The month of August also has warm temperatures. This means that the decomposition process of the human body begins rapidly. A cause of death can't always be determined. But, it can almost always be determined how long a body has been deceased.
Lennox (02/17), wasn't found along the trail at all. While it is true he was found in close proximity to the trail, he was actually found in an apartment parking lot. This apartment complex is located within a few hundred yards of the trail, from what I gather. First thought that comes to mind, was he running home to get help? I'd sure like to know if he had his cell phone on him in order to further or discount this theory. The local newspaper's website states that he was found at 1050 PM. Residential areas have frequent vehicle and foot traffic. Shared living buildings or apartments have even more traffic. This leads me to believe that the victim was not deceased for long before first responders arrived. A body located within a residential parking lot would be discovered much quicker than along a trail. A body in the woods is very different than a body in the streets. This suggests a difference in type of offender, too. Unless, the offender didn't kill him on the trail. As the Kansas City Star reported, the victim was a Vietnam Veteran, per family members. Were their signs of a physical struggle that would support this theory?
Rice (04/17), is sort of an anomaly, I believe. According to his obituary, he was from Excelsior Springs, Missouri. A quick google search showed this to be a good distance away from where was found. He was found in a shelter house at a park. This park was close to the trail mentioned in the first two crimes. The shelter house reported appears to be similar to where family functions or gatherings would take place, usually. I believe many refer to a shelter house as a, "pavilion." One of my initial thoughts, what mode of transportation was he using that day? If he arrived by car, why was he so far away from home in Excelsior Springs at 10 AM? If he arrived by bike or was found wearing workout clothes, perhaps he was exercising along the trail. Even then, that seems like an incredible distance to have traveled utilizing physical exertion. What brought him to the shelter house? Photos of the scene by the local NBC affiliate depict law enforcement personnel amidst a cloudy backdrop. Did it start raining and he was looking for shelter? This crime is the most puzzling to me. This one seems to make the least sense on how he was killed.
Darby (05/17), at the surface, appears to be the victim of an escalating offender. As the Kansas City Star reported, he was killed around 630 AM. His dogs were found at or near the scene. That means it happened within an hour or less of when he was found, I'd guess. It also means that you have a fairly narrow crime scene, certainly. I look at the time of the crime and it's the first thing that I notice; at their peak, trails have the most cyclist or foot traffic in the morning. I would assert this offender was incredibly brazen. Even if the crime occurred along a quieter portion of the trail; people are running, people are biking, the attack had to have been quick. I'm guessing the victim was attacked in a fairly rapid manner. The offender, "had the jump." Perhaps the dog was pulling in a different direction or barking at wildlife, the victim turned his attention to his animal. It is my best guess that something had the victim's focus. That's when the offender struck. I guess this because had the victim resisted greatly or yelled for help, other trail travelers would have seen the suspect. Or, perhaps they did see the suspect? If this offender is engaged solely in crimes where the victim can't provide a recollection of the suspect's identity, the individual wouldn't need to conceal their face with a mask or garment. Perhaps the offender blended in wearing workout clothes, appearing to be a morning runner.
This offender appears to be escalating with the recent brazen crime. Normally, media coverage would cause an offender to, "lie low." I think of the Phoenix Serial Street Shooter case, as an example. In that case, his crimes were discovered to be connected. Along with this, a victim survived. This victim gave law enforcement a description of the suspect and a sketch rendition was developed. Clearly, this case lacks a suspect description.
Baffling why a human being would ever feel the need to kill one person. Perplexing why a human being would ever feel the need to kill multiple people.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading.
darkstar105
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I remember the Gillham Park Strangler, Buckeye. I went to UMKC at the time.
On another note, I met Bob Berdella. And as they say, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. He was behaving very strangely in Theis Park at the fountain. I was sunning. Later he came over and told me women would get what they deserve for showing their bodies. Thing was, he was gay--but what he didn't like was the young men he fancied, fancying the women in the park.
On another note, I met Bob Berdella. And as they say, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. He was behaving very strangely in Theis Park at the fountain. I was sunning. Later he came over and told me women would get what they deserve for showing their bodies. Thing was, he was gay--but what he didn't like was the young men he fancied, fancying the women in the park.
darkstar105
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Hey Nick. Remember in 2014 when the KC highway sniper (since caught) did a shooting near 435 and State Line. If I remember correctly, they found a bullet hole in a house in the area. And they had a mechanism whereby photos had been taken of license plates parked in the area just willy-nilly. And that's how they found a license plate for a car that was in the area at the time that shooting happened.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article101607677.html
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article101607677.html
darkstar105
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Hi Nick! Thanks for your analysis. I've been to that Minor Park shelter where Rice was found, and it's usually pretty busy. There are tennis courts and a remote control helicopter field nearby. There's usually someone flying remote control helicopters. Additionally, the "Blue River Glades" https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/blue-river-glades is a favorite of local hikers who prefer a bit more rugged terrain, as well as mountain bikers I think. Additionally, the "Blue River Parkway" is a favorite of mountain bikers locally I think. https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8012848/blue-river-parkway So I would probably figure Rice was out for a hike, because I know plenty of local hiking enthusiasts who like that area, dog or not. Friend of mine who both bikes and hikes, that's his favorite trail.
The 17 you see is the year. He posted month/year.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article152214697.html
The 6:00 news stated they're putting 7 security cameras alone Indian Creek Trail.
The 6:00 news stated they're putting 7 security cameras alone Indian Creek Trail.
Thoughts are welcome
Your posts are very informative and makes a person "think".
Of course having experience in the field of LE, you "know" what to think!
I'm curious and wondering your thoughts on this - will putting security cameras make the "killer" move elsewhere?
The gates DO go all the way around the complex.
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Thoughts are welcome
I hope LE is perusing the "casual encounters" section of Craigslist, although that would involve them actually responding to ads and seeing if anyone suggesting a meet-up on that trail.
Nick_1
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Certainly, a plethora of commerce occurs in the area. The trouble is, no offender description or details are known, at least publicly. I would bet this offender has been seen on surveillance recordings in the area. Most likely, the last attack he committed. That was around the same time as the morning commute. It will be difficult to pin down possible suspect vehicles traversing a federal interstate during rush hour.
-Nick
Nick_1
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Thanks, DarkStar. I am pondering the question; would babysitters, nannys or single mothers bring their children to this park's pavilion area, do you think? I am specifically interested in daytime hours. I know where I am from, some parks are tailored towards like you mentioned uav activities. How would you describe the citizens who patronize the area? Would you feel comfortable walking alone in the area after sundown?
-Nick
Nick_1
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Honestly, I hope they are not. That isn't meant to be condescending or negative in any manner. I dug deep into the marital history of victims, as I found one was divorced. Nothing remarkable was found, that I saw. All avenues must be explored as a case progresses and evidence or witnesses lack. This early though, I couldn't see anyway that a man would leave the safety of his apartment for an encounter; only to be shot in the apartment parking lot. I couldn't see why a man would take his two dogs along for some sort of escapade. Not to discount your theory, nothing has been eliminated in the realm of possibilities in my mind, yet.
-Nick
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