Motive For Murder

[Labrat]

With all due respect, I don't think there was any relationship between Annie Le and RC other than professional. Strangulation is personal but it doesn't mean they were having an affair. He texted her to meet him, it was not a coded message. RC was in an abusive relationship w/ his GF. He's the abuser. Who's to say the person he really wanted to kill was his GF and he killed Annie instead? Annie's petite, smart, pretty and Vietnamese. She made him mad just by existing. JMO

I agree with you. By all accounts Annie was very much in love with her fiancee. He's a doctoral student in Physics, and a great guy according to the people who know him. They had so much in common- she said he was her best friend. They met as undergrads and stayed together while attending different graduate schools. Talked on the phone for hours, according to her friends. She was embroidering her wedding veil- that's about the sweetest thing I've ever heard. This is a woman who wanted her wedding ceremony to be meaningful and special. I don't see how anyone could really think for one minute that she would throw all that over for a tryst in a supply closet with an abusive guy who changes mouse cages for a living.:banghead:

 

['Ailina]

I agree with you. By all accounts Annie was very much in love with her fiancee. He's a doctoral student in Physics, and a great guy according to the people who know him. They had so much in common- she said he was her best friend. They met as undergrads and stayed together while attending different graduate schools. Talked on the phone for hours, according to her friends. She was embroidering her wedding veil- that's about the sweetest thing I've ever heard. This is a woman who wanted her wedding ceremony to be meaningful and special. I don't see how anyone could really think for one minute that she would throw all that over for a tryst in a supply closet with an abusive guy who changes mouse cages for a living.:banghead:

Absolutely agreed. The difference between perp & victim...maturity.

 

[Labrat]

oh, labrat! welcome back.
I'm sure you're busy catching up here. But your opinion on my question in post #247 would be appreciated. It's also an "is this unusual" lab question.

thank you,
emma

Hi Emma! I didn't even peek in earlier today because I knew I wouldn't get anything done if I did. I came here tonight and the whole board was different and there's so many new posts now I'll never catch up!

I'll go try to find your post.

 

[TonyGatto]

DNA matches; Arrest appears likely
New Haven Register

 

[Labrat]

She was leaving town for an out of town wedding, possibly a honeymoon. Would it really be so strange for her to give this individual (co-worker with the mice) her phone number? I have no idea, actually, just asking...

She may not have "given" it to him in a personal way. I have a contact number on my mouse cages so if there is a problem someone will call me. The animal supervisor has all my numbers in case there is a problem.

I have the personal cell phone numbers of many of the students I am doing work for- not because we're buddies, but because it's an easy way to get in touch. I have an office phone, but I'm rarely there- the same is true of them.

The more I read, the more I am becoming convinced that he was the technician assigned to take care of her mice. She may very well have given him her cell phone number to call her in case of a problem- she may also have had his for the same reason.

 

[Labrat]

Well, it's been a while since grad school, but back in my day, techs/research assistants did have phone numbers for the grad students in case of problems. This was before cell phones and texting, but they emailed us whenever they were trying to reach us, if they couldn't get us on the phone. I don't think it's *that* weird that he would have her cell phone number. He was in charge of the mice she was using for her experiments. She would want to know if there was a problem.

On another note, I thought it was weird when I read (I think in the Yale Daily News) that someone said they used to see her wheeling her mice back and forth between Sterling and Amistad. I don't recall ever seeing anyone wheeling their mice around on the street around the med center.

I thought that was odd, too. At least the back and forth. Usually if mice go out, they don't come back. And you wrap them up so they're not visible on the street.

 

[Jersey*Girl]

This is not unusual at all. I get the impression that people think Annie's work with the mice was unusual- it was not. Many mice are disease models-they are sick. You usually have to do some breeding to keep your colony going- most, if not all of the researchers would have some pregnant mice.

If this bothered him, he would have flipped the first month into that job.

Hi LabRat! I'm getting ready to go to bed, thought I'd respond before I go to sleep. I read that he and a group he was involved with in school raised money to donate to pregnant women and cancer research. That's the only reason I posted the above...I know it's a stretch, but just wanted to throw it out there to try to cover all ground. I have to get up in 5 hours to make my boys breakfast! I can't even believe I'm still on here...addicted I tell ya!

 

[Labrat]

Hi, new here..took a couple of days to get approved.

I am familiar with the medical center at Yale. I can resolve a lot of these misconceptions.

1. Normally, researchers don't give out their personal cell phone numbers to custodial mouse techs. RC's job was to manage the mice colonies. That's what they do. They don't participate in research at all. If he sent her a text about managing a colony, it was likely because his girlfriend might see the text message and they were trying to hide a relationship.

Why would you think that? Sure, Dr. Bennett wouldn't, but someone who is working with the mice certainly might. What does participating in research have to do with it?

Here are the people who have my office, work cell, personal cell and home numbers:

The Animal Care Supervisors in three facilities
the animal care techs who take care of my mouse rooms in two facilities.
The overnight security guards in the building my lab is in.
The facilities people in the building my lab is in.

None of them participate in my research.

Security has called me at 10PM because my tank alarm went off, preventing the loss of 5 years of work.

An animal care tech called me on a Saturday because one of my mice died giving birth. I went in and was able to foster the pups and keep them alive. They would have been dead by Monday if she had not called.

The Animal Supervisor called me during a week off because a time sensitive shipping container arrived unexpectedly. I went in and unpacked it. Those samples could have been destroyed by the time I went back to work if he had not called.

I could go on..... they don't participate in my research, but they do know what's important to me.

 

[Jersey*Girl]

Labrat, your info is limitless. Thank you.

 

[Labrat]

Wait, so she had a 10:30 class? Can you share where you got that info, Sola? (Did everyone already know this except for me? I tried to keep up but I may have missed that detail)

Dr. Bennett, the head of her lab had a 10:30 class. I believe hers was at 2 or 2:30

 

[justthinkin]

Whatever the motive, this guy is mentally unstable, and probably unable to weigh the value of a human life vs. those of lab mice. I'm an animal lover, but there's a line you don't cross.

Then again, maybe there was a sexual relationship here, and maybe he was obsessed, decided if he couldn't have her then no one else could have her. Perhaps a relationship was altogether imagined on his part.

Whatever his irrational reasoning, the life of a bright, young and attractive woman has been violently ended.

When JH said what she did about she and RC being together for financial reasons, that was probably the real truth, despite her adding the LOL after her statement.

 

[Animal04216]

Knock the crap off with talking about Annies dress and implying she was permiscuous. Do not quote any of the posts either. I will be back tomorrow to clean up the rest of the mess........

 

[eyes4crime]

On Sept. 29, 2003 he was a senior at Branford High School when Det. Ronald Washington responded to a report of a dispute. The dispute was between the (now) lab tech and a female student.

“The two are in a relationship which [the girlfriend] wishes to terminate and [the male] does not wish to end it. [The male] did attempt to confront [the student] on this date and also wrote on her locker. The school will handle this incident concerning the locker and at the time of this report, [the lab tech] was advised to have no contact with” the female student.

The detective wrote that subsequently the girlfriend came with her mother to the station to speak to him.
An accusation that in high school Grant used force to have sex - rape accusation. Girl did not press charges.

She “wished to tell me of an incident that took place, however, did not want it pursued by this Department,” the detective wrote. “She stated that she had been having a sexual relationship with [the male] and that at one time [the male] did force her to have sex with him. The relationship did continue after that incident, however she is unsure of what he may do as a result of the break up.

“She was advised to contact this Department if he should make any contact with her and we would pursue criminal charges if the investigation warrants it. [The girlfriend] would not give any formal statement regarding the forced sex. It should be noted that [the male’s] parents were also contacted by this Detective and advised of the situation.”

No arrest was made because the young woman decided not to press charges.

My point in bringing this incident up once again is that we have a boy in high school who has been alleged to rape his girlfriend (force). Charges were dropped. If true, seems highly unlikely that Clark would go this many years with no other allegations, charges, or incidents using force. This young girl was frightened of what Clark would do as a result of a break up - she was fearful of him/ charges were dropped. I find it difficult to dismiss this information and wonder if he has continued his violent sexual ways and not been caught. Could Annie be a continuation of what started years ago for Clark? jmo

 

['Ailina]

A compelling theory from a commenter on this article:


http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_haven_cty/news_wtnh_newhaven_person_interest_raymond_clark_profile_200909161741_rev1

"...all buffed out----how bout steroid rage?"

I noticed Clark's pretty cut, too. He obviously works out. Makes me wonder...could he be on steroids? He IS an athlete (not implying all athletes do this).

 

[eyes4crime]

The COD was traumatic asphixiation but we don't know what other injuries she sustained... from media leaks we know there was blood on clothes found in the ceiling, a pair of bloody lab gloves, and blood on a laundry cart... All together that kind of hints (to me at least) that she sustained some injury like being beaten, etc....

(of course just a guess/thoughts)

This sounds horrific nursebeeme - poor beautiful Annie. She wanted to become a MD/PhD, contribute to society, and marry her one and only soul mate. This case is disturbing and so very sad.

 

[missyjane77]

He's not a tech...it's not like he's a research assistant (usually bachelor's degree staff employees). He's an entry level employee (only experience required I believe is some type of animal handling class) who cleans mouse cages and delivers mice to the labs. They do not work with researchers directly other than to give them what they need for research. They don't monitor their research or anything else. When their mice die or they need more, they provide them.

Where I work, that is called an animal technician. I'm fully aware of the job and yes, even our animal care people have my number. If we have a sick or dead animal, I'm the primary contact and I have to know ASAP. If there is a problem with transport, they call the lab first and my cell second. I deal with people in this position daily. I know what they do and how they do it.

 

[eyes4crime]

The Yale lab tech who’s a “person of interest” in the murder of grad student Annie Le was accused in a 2003 police report of forcing his high-school girlfriend to have sex with him — and vandalizing her locker when she dumped him, it was revealed yesterday.

The ex-girlfriend is “in total utter shock” that lab tech Raymond Clark is being eyed in bride-to-be Le’s slaying at a Yale research facility, according to a Facebook posting she made that was quoted by the New Haven Independent.

“I can’t believe this,” wrote the unidentified woman, who dated Clark when they were students in Branford, Conn. “I feel like I’m 16 all over again . . . Its jsut [sic] bringing back everything.”
------------------------
[bolded by me]
So now we learn, in addition to forceful sex (rape), he also trashed her locker? And she didn't press charges cause she feared how Raymond would get even (this was in high school with a 16yo!). My strong guess is that Raymond Clark has not been dormant regarding forceful sex, abusive relationships, and getting even.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/report_yale_lab_tech_forced_ex_into_AJL2tmpzL26j4Baf4ZqxXL

 

[awakewriter]

According to 9/17 8:25 a.m. presser, "workplace violence."

 

[Waddles]

workplace major major snap not your average workplace violence

 

[awakewriter]

workplace major major snap not your average workplace violence

Yeah. This is so bizarre.

I'm interested to find out if he planned it. If something annoyed him or made him angry and it became a much bigger thing in his head.

So strange, so very, very tragic.