MS - Jessica Chambers, 19, found burned near her car, Panola County, 6 Dec 2014 - #10

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Its not a stretch to consider that the reason for the accelerant and subsequent fire could have had as much to do with destroying evidence as it did the murder itself. I can't quite buy into the notion that the fire was strictly the chosen method used to commit murder for the sake of murder, there's much more efficient ways to have done it.

A bludgeoning or knifing or strangling in the dark would pose less risks for the offender than to set a vehicle and its occupant alight on the side of the road, a ten minute walk from the center of town. Lighting the fire within eyesight of any passing vehicle was a risk the offender chose to take. Was the murder so she wouldn't tell and the fire so the forensics couldn't tell?

"They didn't find anything in the autopsy that they didn't expect to find" full stop.

Champion said they don't feel like this was a random act, one way to take this statement is that this wasn't a complete stranger that she came across that night. Whoever it was she was likely not very well acquainted with. If she truly "knew" the person, someone capable of such psychotic behavior, she wouldn't have been with this person. So maybe a person who she was barely familiar with and when the bad vibes did kick in it was too late.

The two main clues we have, and they've been there all along, are the fire itself and its location. Add to that a fairly narrow timeline and I'm hoping its just a matter of time.

I also wanted to associate myself with several of FindHG's recent posts and line of thought.
 
Its not a stretch to consider that the reason for the accelerant and subsequent fire could have had as much to do with destroying evidence as it did the murder itself. I can't quite buy into the notion that the fire was strictly the chosen method used to commit murder for the sake of murder, there's much more efficient ways to have done it...

If fire was chosen to destroy evidence (and that's possible if it was the most readily available item available or part of plan/conspiracy), what crime was the perpetrator(s) covering up? Sexual assault is the most obvious crime that comes to mind. But the individual(s) would still have a complete disregard for human life to a. rape Jessica and b. set fire to her just to cover their tracks. Sick individual(s) regardless, and people can't always recognize dangerous people. But then if rape was the purpose, how did the individual(s) get Jessica to a point where they could rape her unless it was a car-jacking type crime. Or Jessica was trusting enough/acquainted enough with individual to not suspect harm. Jmo but Jessica had to trust someone enough and was acquainted enough with someone (a connection/lure) for her to get to the Herron crime scene unless it was something like car-jacking. I just don't see where perpetrator(s) had access to Jessica/getting in her car? Where would that happen? Sonic?
 
That thought occurred to me as well, that may be Jessica had a fight with someone in the family and it got out of hand and perpetrator snapped. But I don't think it is family related quarrel because of what individual(s)-acquaintances stated after Jessica's death; I also think LE/FBI/ATF would have discovered something by now if it was some haphazard fight. But it's possible I guess. Jmo/



Flatfoot Joe, I totally agree. Perpetrator(s) are psychopaths/off-kilter and this is an irrational and psychotic crime, so my guess is not many individuals fit that profile regardless of whether they are involved in other criminal or indecent activity. It's more likely individual(s) have criminal record and I do believe these perpetrator(s) have served some prison time, BUT they are off-kilter. Psychotic jealous girlfriend/wife is plausible to me though, but I don't think Jessica was willingly on Herron Rd and wife would have to be mentally unstable prior to crime. This crime is a complete disregard for human life and rage-filled. Not normal heat of moment crime, imo.

Also, re: seats reclined, I think LE would be able to tell if someone else was driving Jessica's car based on whether seat was pushed back (ie measuring length between gas petal and seat to figure out leg length. Reclining drivers seat is something teenagers and college students do, especially guys. I don't think I've ever seen a female recline driver's seat before, but I could be wrong.



Exactly. What kind of individual(s) would be sick in the head enough to commit such an horrendous and painful crime? A Taste of Honey posted a great study on arsonists and profiling. The other question that I come back to is what was the LURE? how did the individual(s) lure her? So if Jessica hypo were into drugs (let's say marijuana), who was her connection for purchasing it? Who knew that Jessica was into whatever they lured her with? How did they connect with her (by phone, email, work, neighborhood?). Also, who knew Jessica's brother died in a car accident (JC crime scene looked staged to me)? There are probably only a handful of people that are sick enough in the head to do something and they were able to lure her, so what's the lure? Jmo, but there are individual(s) that know more than they're sharing to LE/FBI.

It has always, from day one, been my opinion that the "lure" was a married man with whom Jessica was romantically involved with. I know the family has said that Jessica didn't have a boyfriend at the time, but I don't think they would have known about a married boyfriend, and even if they suspected it, I don't think they would have tarnished her name after her death by telling anyone about it.

I may be way off base with this line of thinking because I have been in the position of an enraged wife before. I didn't burn the other woman's car, never one time touched her nor wanted to kill her...but I truly did want to rough her up to the point of putting her in the hospital. I still WANT to, and that's been over 10 years ago, but I'm a sane person so I was able to control my anger at both of them. I figured they deserve each other because one cheats on his wife and one sleeps with married men, so...what a match made in hell!

I think my perception was clouded from the beginning by my own experiences, but I still think when/if the truth comes out, this is what it's going to turn out to be.

I think Jessica drove herself to that spot to meet her lover. It was dark, black car...not easy to spot from the road. Perfect for a meeting place, but something went wrong, especially for Jessica.

All of this is speculation and JMO.
 
BBM...My guess is they have and they possibly did, but that alone is not gonna get a conviction. They need more...lots more...and apparently they don't have it. JMO

With the number of federal LE agencies involved, it would come as no surprise to me if there were several court-ordered wire taps active for those currently under suspicion. I believe a wire tap has to be renewed every 30 days or so, but that shouldn't be a problem based on the lack of progress in this case.
.
March 6th rapidly approaches, at which point I will unofficially declare this a COLD CASE and start checking back on a semi-annual basis...

:coldcase:
 
It has always, from day one, been my opinion that the "lure" was a married man with whom Jessica was romantically involved with. I know the family has said that Jessica didn't have a boyfriend at the time, but I don't think they would have known about a married boyfriend, and even if they suspected it, I don't think they would have tarnished her name after her death by telling anyone about it.

I may be way off base with this line of thinking because I have been in the position of an enraged wife before. I didn't burn the other woman's car, never one time touched her nor wanted to kill her...but I truly did want to rough her up to the point of putting her in the hospital. I still WANT to, and that's been over 10 years ago, but I'm a sane person so I was able to control my anger at both of them. I figured they deserve each other because one cheats on his wife and one sleeps with married men, so...what a match made in hell!

I think my perception was clouded from the beginning by my own experiences, but I still think when/if the truth comes out, this is what it's going to turn out to be.

I think Jessica drove herself to that spot to meet her lover. It was dark, black car...not easy to spot from the road. Perfect for a meeting place, but something went wrong, especially for Jessica.

All of this is speculation and JMO.

I am sorry that you had bad experience and as someone who has been cheated on by a manipulative ex-bf, I can say it's not pleasant feeling at all. If Jessica were hypothetically with a married man, then hopefully there is some evidence trail like phone calls, emails, etc. because direct communication would be extremely difficult. IE it would have to be communication like hush-hush texts, separate cell phone etc. And I didn't mean to offend anyone that's been cheated on because it is very painful and it's not always rational, but I just think immolation is a very extreme reaction and wouldn't happen unless feelings were stewing for a bit and the perpetrator is mentally off. Hypo if wife suspected cheating for awhile and finally confronted them...but still think the person would have to be more of a short-tempered personality/volatile or may be on drugs? Setting someone on fire is not normal reaction. Yelling at ex-bf and feeling angry, I think that's normal. But your theory makes sense and does include female perpetrator. And I totally think a female was involved in JC's death.

Regardless, of Jessica's dating history, hypothetically or otherwise, I don't judge her or think she deserved harm (we are all human and JC was at an age where teenagers experiment and explore). So I would hope if family/friends know something like "an affair" that they notify LE because it could be helpful to case, so I really hope they wouldn't feel ashamed by something like that if it were true. Idk though, jmo.
 
Its not a stretch to consider that the reason for the accelerant and subsequent fire could have had as much to do with destroying evidence as it did the murder itself. I can't quite buy into the notion that the fire was strictly the chosen method used to commit murder for the sake of murder, there's much more efficient ways to have done it.
(snip)

I agree with you, LR1. I don't think Jessica was burned "alive" because of a sadistic streak in her murderer(s). I believe the arson was premeditated, and that her killer(s) knew in advance arson was their best way to destroy any evidence of their presence at the scene (fibers, hairs, DNA) -- even dirt in the tire treads of her car, which could be used to trace her previous whereabouts, would be all "gone up in smoke". The perpetrator(s) obviously came prepared: they had gasoline and/or lighter fluid on hand, and a means of igniting it. They also had a means of escape, either by hoofing it through the woods or by driving away in another vehicle. I think Jessica's being found alive afterward was unexpected and unintentional, that she was struck on the head to knock her out and then doused and torched to kill her, not to torture her. That she came to after being set on fire was, IMO, totally unexpected by the murderer(s). In the end, that might be what breaks the case open -- perpetrator(s) hard-of-heart enough to burn a corpse, but not a living person. May they rot in Hell otherwise.

:moo:
 
I am not entirely certain how the following link will play out for everyone but...

I've been watching the Aaron Hernandez trial.

On Day #16, Ricardo Leal, a records custodian for Sprint Telecommunications, took the witness stand. For the next 2.5 hours, he described in great detail how cell phone records contain such vital and specific information that one wonders now how DA Champion can remain so vague about the period 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

If you are interested and have 2.5 hours to spare, listen closely: http://www.wildabouttrial.com/trial_videos/aaron-hernandez-trial-archive/

On another point:

from the Dec 9, 2014 Panolian

Firefighters at the Courtland Volunteer Fire Department were cleaning up after responding to a house fire Saturday night when they received a call at 8:12 p.m. about a car on fire about a mile away, just outside Courtland corporate limits. A passing motorist had discovered the blazing car near 3448 Herron Road.

The three firefighters immediately remounted their truck and drove to the scene where they found the vehicle still ablaze....

CVFD "were cleaning up after responding to a house fire..."

This tells me that the First Fire ought to have had a fair number of onlookers since it involved a house. A similar 2014 fire in Courtland once had 30 to 35 responders.

"...they received a call at 8:12 p.m. about a car on fire about a mile away"

This defines the distance between the two fires and provides a time (8:12 p.m.) Using an online speed distance time calculator, and the rough estimate of their arrival (which I have previously understood to be between 8:13 - 8:15 p.m.)(*see below note), we can determine that their speed to the murder scene from the house location was approximately 36 mph. (e.g. distance = 0.78 miles, time = 1 min 18 secs, speed = 36 mph).

After having Google-Street-driven that area many times, a speed of 36 mph does not seem too unreasonable when averaged between 33 mph and 39 mph while simultaneously making allowances for "cleaning up" and accelerating from 0 mph to 33+ mph.

So I have good reason to believe that a fair commotion took place within one mile of the crime scene between 7:30 p.m. and 8:09 p.m.

My primary interests now are:
  • How is it possible that no one noticed Jessica's car at the crime scene at 7:31 p.m.
  • Why did Jessica remain there (if she did) while a House Fire took place within one mile
  • Was Jessica transported to the crime scene from another location
  • Was the House Fire somehow related to the murder
  • Was the direction of travel for the 911 caller south on Herron (which seems the most logical since north would have involved traffic from the House Fire)
  • How is it possible that with all that commotion within the area of the crime scene that Jessica could be set afire and remained next to her burning car for several minutes from 8 p.m. to 8:09 pm and that stretch of Herron Road remained virtually untraveled by only one other vehicle: the 911 caller.
  • Why am I unable to find any specific details in the Panolian to that House Fire

*Note: from the Dec 12 Panolian, pg. A3:http://www.panolian.com/editionviewer/default.aspx?Edition=5042ea7e-ea66-4ab4-bdef-ed262a88c17e
"...remaining conscious at the scene long enough to talk to a firefighter from the Courtland Fire Department who arrived on the scene with two other volunteer firemen four minutes after receiving the report of the burning car." -- my emphasis
 
With the number of federal LE agencies involved, it would come as no surprise to me if there were several court-ordered wire taps active for those currently under suspicion. I believe a wire tap has to be renewed every 30 days or so, but that shouldn't be a problem based on the lack of progress in this case.
.
March 6th rapidly approaches, at which point I will unofficially declare this a COLD CASE and start checking back on a semi-annual basis...

:coldcase:

How would you wiretap a cell phone? Can that be done? I really don't know. A lot of people do not have landline phones anymore.
 
If fire was chosen to destroy evidence (and that's possible if it was the most readily available item available or part of plan/conspiracy), what crime was the perpetrator(s) covering up? Sexual assault is the most obvious crime that comes to mind. But the individual(s) would still have a complete disregard for human life to a. rape Jessica and b. set fire to her just to cover their tracks. Sick individual(s) regardless, and people can't always recognize dangerous people. But then if rape was the purpose, how did the individual(s) get Jessica to a point where they could rape her unless it was a car-jacking type crime. Or Jessica was trusting enough/acquainted enough with individual to not suspect harm. Jmo but Jessica had to trust someone enough and was acquainted enough with someone (a connection/lure) for her to get to the Herron crime scene unless it was something like car-jacking. I just don't see where perpetrator(s) had access to Jessica/getting in her car? Where would that happen? Sonic?

A carjacking by a stranger with what we have to go on can't be ruled out. but then he would have to drive her somewhere where accelerant was readily available, do his thing and then drive her to the location and set it all alight. I find this unlikely because of the fact she was allowed to answer the call from her mother and according to mom nothing in the conversation appeared unusual. The more likely scenario is a pre planed meeting or even a chance encounter with this person either in batesville, courtland or somewhere in between. They decided to go have a talk or a drink or whatever and the assault/murder was a spontaneous act that happened after the phone call with mom. In a state of panic the fire was set to cover his tracks. But he had a problem, he couldn't drive too far away with her because a long walk back or a call for a ride would have gotten him noticed. If this is how it went down, its all about location. A lot can happen in 18 minutes but only if the 7:31 location and the place where accelerant was obtained, possibly the 7:13 location, was in somewhat close proximity.

The other scenario is the offender was parked up with her with his own vehicle at the fire location and he just happened to have accelerant on hand. I think this is unlikely because anyone passing by while they were sitting there would have prevented him from going through with this because of fear that his vehicle had been noticed.

Another thought I had was, with the offender going through the trouble of using fire with the risk of being seen at the location, turns out she didn't die immediately. This leaves a chance of him being identified. I feel like there's a good possibility that he was interrupted by a passerby and this caused him to bail before his job of silencing his victim was complete. If there's any truth to this thinking then he was on foot.
 
IF my theory is in any way right, and Jessica WAS having an affair, who would it most likely be with:?
1. Someone she met at work
2. Someone she met at the M&M station
3. Husband of a friend
4. Someone totally out of the circle of people she knew
5. Other
 
More rambling speculation... If at 7:13, Jessica was still okay, not in fear, and with this person in the car, then whatever attack took place would have had to have started thereafter, after that phone call. We're all connecting different dots without really knowing much for certain, as not much is know for certain in public, as flatfootjoe pointed out.

Jessica has been described by colleagues at work, especially, by pretty much everyone who knew her, as kind and trusting. For me, Jessica's demeanor as described by her Mom, her demeanor during that last call as I hear it from her mom, is most important. I don't know why exactly, but I get the sense that Jessica may have been with somebody unstable, a male, if she was raped, who had been reaching out to her for help with personal issues, such as recovery, anger management, but had other things in mind. A person in Courtland not on her normal radar, as it would seem a person who may have left no electronic trail of contact.

Jessica may have thought she would have a heart to heart with this person and get home, as she mentions to her mom. This person may have been set off by rejection, as Jessica intended to go home soon. Jessica, not for a second in that video, the way she was dressed, moves or looks, seems like she's headed for a rendezvous. Think ladies, look at her, does she look like she's excited about meeting a man in that video, any movement, expression, anything to make you think that? I think Jessica was being kind to this person with a ride, or a pep talk, and it went bad, when she tried to leave.

It went so bad so fast that this person in a short amount of time, after the attack may have moved her in the car and burned her by the tree farm, near the fire house, because it may have been away from their own house, and maybe because it was close enough to the fire house not to cause major trouble. The perp may gave taken time to set the fire, douse Jessica and to escape. Jessica was located at that spot by LE at 7:31 according to the DA's presser and interview. The perp even turned the phone on again, perhaps, at 7:31, as it may have been turned off where Jessica was initially attacked. The phone that was located somewhat burned and in pieces outside the car.
 
How reliable are cell phone companies and their records?

These are some of my experiences with Verizon over the past 13 years:

I can be sitting at home (or anywhere) talking and suddenly, no signal. Signals go in and out when I haven't moved. Even during a call it will disappear and the notice saying “searching for service” appears on the screen.

I can make a call, speak for several minutes and there's no record of my having made that call.

I can receive a call and speak for several minute and there's no record of that incoming call.

I will have my phone in my hand and turned on. I can call myself from another phone and my phone will not ring, the log will not show a call has been received, there is no “new message” indication, and when I call in to retrieve messages, there are no messages. The messages will show up on a later date as 'new message'.

There are times a voice mail will not show up for two weeks. I know when the message was left and when the message does finally show up in my inbox, the envelope will tell me it was left two weeks previously. I began testing this when my doctor died and I had no idea why I hadn't heard from him. I was working on a project for him and he wasn't returning edits via fax, phone or email. I later found out that he was dead. He died on July 5, his partner left me a message on July 6 but the voicemail didn't appear as a 'new message' until July 20. When I listened to the message envelope, it said it came in on July 6. It hadn't been in my voicemail box before July 20 because I check vm several times daily.

This makes me wonder what the records are like at the company itself - do they have the same problems? I would think so, if what we're getting/not getting is from them.
 
How reliable are cell phone companies and their records?

These are some of my experiences with Verizon over the past 13 years:

I can be sitting at home (or anywhere) talking and suddenly, no signal. Signals go in and out when I haven't moved. Even during a call it will disappear and the notice saying “searching for service” appears on the screen.

I can make a call, speak for several minutes and there's no record of my having made that call.

I can receive a call and speak for several minute and there's no record of that incoming call.

I will have my phone in my hand and turned on. I can call myself from another phone and my phone will not ring, the log will not show a call has been received, there is no “new message” indication, and when I call in to retrieve messages, there are no messages. The messages will show up on a later date as 'new message'.

There are times a voice mail will not show up for two weeks. I know when the message was left and when the message does finally show up in my inbox, the envelope will tell me it was left two weeks previously. I began testing this when my doctor died and I had no idea why I hadn't heard from him. I was working on a project for him and he wasn't returning edits via fax, phone or email. I later found out that he was dead. He died on July 5, his partner left me a message on July 6 but the voicemail didn't appear as a 'new message' until July 20. When I listened to the message envelope, it said it came in on July 6. It hadn't been in my voicemail box before July 20 because I check vm several times daily.

This makes me wonder what the records are like at the company itself - do they have the same problems? I would think so, if what we're getting/not getting is from them.

I think you will find Ricardo Leal's testimony (Part 1) in the Aaron Hernandez trial most revealing. Sprint records contain:
  • longitude and latitude
  • times of day (2400:mins:secs) Central Time
  • whether a call is incoming or outgoing, and IDs both the caller's no. and the recepient's no.
  • account ID and address
  • length of call in secs
  • identifies a call as either: text, voice mail, or conversation
  • and a bunch of other data, compromising something like 15 columns of information on a single call
Because of this, it is/was possible for the Prosecution (in AH case) to be able to identity specific conversations between co-conspirators, to pinpoint deleted text material, and to isolate locations and times of relevant calls, and where people were when they called. Armed then with the co-conspirators' actual cellphones, the Prosecution's case becomes very difficult for the Defense.

Knowing all of this, I imagine that Jessica's murderer(s) are extremely nervous. I believe Mississippi executes for premeditated murder.
 
My primary interests now are:
  • How is it possible that no one noticed Jessica's car at the crime scene at 7:31 p.m.
  • Why did Jessica remain there (if she did) while a House Fire took place within one mile
  • Was Jessica transported to the crime scene from another location
  • Was the House Fire somehow related to the murder
  • Was the direction of travel for the 911 caller south on Herron (which seems the most logical since north would have involved traffic from the House Fire)
  • How is it possible that with all that commotion within the area of the crime scene that Jessica could be set afire and remained next to her burning car for several minutes from 8 p.m. to 8:09 pm and that stretch of Herron Road remained virtually untraveled by only one other vehicle: the 911 caller.
  • Why am I unable to find any specific details in the Panolian to that House Fire

Interest 3 and 4 emphasized by me...I believe there was two crime scenes...the first being close by the second...

It would appear that a lot of 'events' in the area are not being reported by the Panolian...or...If they are..you have to be a subscriber to read the news...

Classito
 
How would you wiretap a cell phone? Can that be done? I really don't know. A lot of people do not have landline phones anymore.

I don't know either, but surely there is a way. The phone company I use has a record of every phone call made on our household's cell phones, including numbers, date, time, and duration on our monthly bills. It would not be too much of a stretch to see such a capability extended to actually listen in on select calls. Any cellular employees who could confirm or deny "wireless" wire taps are indeed possible?

I remember back in the early days of analog cell phones, it was possible to have your conversations overheard on a nearby scanner. That went away with the digital age, but not to say it would not still be possible at a cell tower, switching station, or similar facility.

Awaiting input from the telecom experts out there.
 
Someone suggested Jessica may have been using recreational drugs as one explanation for the isolated spot where she was found. Think about it, she just started working at a new job. Who would risk getting caught by a random drug test and losing that new job (not to mention all da 'splainin she'd have to do to Mom)?
 
How reliable are cell phone companies and their records?

These are some of my experiences with Verizon over the past 13 years:

I can be sitting at home (or anywhere) talking and suddenly, no signal. Signals go in and out when I haven't moved. Even during a call it will disappear and the notice saying “searching for service” appears on the screen.

I can make a call, speak for several minutes and there's no record of my having made that call.

I can receive a call and speak for several minute and there's no record of that incoming call.

I will have my phone in my hand and turned on. I can call myself from another phone and my phone will not ring, the log will not show a call has been received, there is no “new message” indication, and when I call in to retrieve messages, there are no messages. The messages will show up on a later date as 'new message'.

There are times a voice mail will not show up for two weeks. I know when the message was left and when the message does finally show up in my inbox, the envelope will tell me it was left two weeks previously. I began testing this when my doctor died and I had no idea why I hadn't heard from him. I was working on a project for him and he wasn't returning edits via fax, phone or email. I later found out that he was dead. He died on July 5, his partner left me a message on July 6 but the voicemail didn't appear as a 'new message' until July 20. When I listened to the message envelope, it said it came in on July 6. It hadn't been in my voicemail box before July 20 because I check vm several times daily.

This makes me wonder what the records are like at the company itself - do they have the same problems? I would think so, if what we're getting/not getting is from them.
Wow most!of that has never happened to me. I do have trouble with text messages. My husband has texted me at 6:30 @ night and text comes through @ 1:30 PM the next day??? We know if we don't get a response from a text within min, to call. I have never not had a call I made on a bill. Could that be from the other persons phone being encrypted?
 
Interest 3 and 4 emphasized by me...I believe there was two crime scenes...the first being close by the second...

It would appear that a lot of 'events' in the area are not being reported by the Panolian...or...If they are..you have to be a subscriber to read the news...

Classito

"...transported to the crime scene from another location"

sort of implies that:
  • Jessica arrived at the murder scene precisely at 7:31 pm, remained there until approximately 7:59* pm, and then was set afire. But 28 mins between 7:31 and 7:59 seem like a lot of time for a perpetrator to be hanging around before he torches his victim; or
  • Jessica arrived at the murder scene precisely at 7:31 pm, then left, and was brought back shortly before 7:59 pm*

Both possibilities are probable.

However the second one seems more logical: it would conform better to the 28 minute period, and would mean that the perpetrator's presence would not need to be explained for being with his victim as long as the first scenario implies.

With regard to the particulars about the House Fire...I did a quick social media search for conversations but haven't come up with anything yet.

*Note: the time 7:59 pm is speculation; it allows for a 10 min period before the passing motorist calls in 911 at 8:09 pm, and allows for the 14 mins before CVFD arrives upon the scene.
 
On the Batesville Fire Dept facebook page someone is asking about a fire that took place Dec 6 on Carlisle St

Classito
 
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