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

[samantha17]

So -- have any locals intimated to reporters that they are bound up in a vast, deep culture of Panola Co. fear? I mean, yes, silence might speak louder at times than words, but it is unclear, here, just what that silence is saying, if anything. And we have that great omerta, too, on the streets, tip-wise, we're told. And "warning hits"? It's almost as if we're seeing this rural county as governed by a vast gangsta intelligencer, some dominant combination of Lao Tzu's 'The Art of War' and (of course) Machiavelli's 'The Prince.' Sorry, I just don't see it. The investigators need to move back to the beginning and try, try again.

I believe what LE should do is release more info to the public .... this may solve the crime.

 

[wfgodot]

I believe what LE should do is release more info to the public .... this may solve the crime.

Not sure they have anything at all. Also I think an investigative sin is what they first chose to release, which resulted in no arrests and in addition was hard for some to believe. But yes, if they have anything at all, let the public know; let the county be aware.

 

[4senthia]

Well I'm still of the strange and unpopular belief that this murder was possibly a random act. Maybe didn't even involve anyone local. We have the info on the billboards concerning this crime being posted long distances away apparently targeting long distance truck drivers. I have considered the possibility that these were to also target those involved in hauling drugs such as cases in the past. Somehow I just don't see it as that. The Feds do get involved in series of connecting serial murders (often involving deaths in close proximity to highways) and they keep these investigations almost totally secret. Many times an arrest hinges, unfortunately, on solving the next murder. How far is that Sonic from the Love's again? Hmmm I'm just stubborn. Sorry about that.
:moo:

 

[4senthia]

Not sure they have anything at all. Also I think an investigative sin is what they first chose to release, which resulted in no arrests and in addition was hard for some to believe. But yes, if they have anything at all, let the public know; let the county be aware.

I cannot agree with you more on this point. I think the Feds are in the area for several other reasons. Maybe trying to connect this murder with others potentially states away. JMOO
:thinking:

 

[4senthia]

Panola County is close to Memphis and has it's gangsters that visit from there, just as they go many other places to seek a little less visibility at many times. Also this has created the gangster wannabes. There is violent crime there for sure, just as there is everywhere. Any town near major metropolitan areas and large interstate highways have the same characteristics. I just don't think Courtland is as dangerous as has been portrayed in MSM and elsewhere. I've been there many times and also to the other areas just south of Memphis. IMO this is a random act, and I don't see it as a cold premeditated act even though I may be very wrong in that.
Not trying to be purposely contrary I promise. JMO

 

[ZOOL]

Since LE places Jessica at the crime scene precisely at 7:31 pm, I am now very interested in both the direction of travel of the 911 caller, and also all the particulars surrounding the VCFD's nearby, first fire.

 

[New1]

I believe what LE should do is release more info to the public .... this may solve the crime.

Although I would like more information, I don't feel like more "misinformation" would do any good. I think we all have been duped by misinformation since the start, so them coming out with more of the same only frustrates me more. At first, I believed that Jessica named her killer (Eric or Derrick), but it didn't take me long to stop believing it when no arrest was forthcoming. But then again, I can't remember where I first heard those names. Was it from LE's release of information? I'm not sure. It must have been from the interview of Eric Bibbs when he said his name was mentioned. Then, I'm positive her father said she named her killer, but he doesn't know who she named. That is kinda unbelievable if you think about it. Does it seem reasonable for LE to withhold the name/s from the father? Not to me, it doesn't. It seems to me LE would ASK the father if he knew anybody by that name who Jessica or himself might have been friends/acquaintances with. It seems to me they would have also asked the mother and all Jessica's friends the same question.

The media is even more outlandish. They (and her father) have told us Jessica was found walking in the road on fire or either walking away from her burning car. Other sources say she was found lying by her car and not on fire. Still others reported that she was more dead than alive when found. More dead than alive, she would not have been walking on fire nor speaking, IMO. And now, this latest release of where she was all that day except for one hour was no help whatsoever, because during that missing hour, her mother said she was talking to her on the phone, so that can't be believed either. Why would her mother make that up, or how could she be mistaken about what time it was when she could look that up on her cell phone, and you would think LE took a look at her mother's phone to see if that was correct? Now, they have come out with an "explanation" of why they didn't mention that phone call in their presser. Why was an "explanation" given? Did a reporter ask them about it later. Did they read the posts here of people asking why they left it out then decide they should "explain" it? By the way, the "explanation" made no sense to me. If she was "on the move" when she was talking to her mother, there would have been background noise of some kind, yet her mother said it was really quiet while she was talking to her--no background noise at all. I believe she was at the scene waiting on someone to meet her there while she was talking to her mother at 7:13, and the person who was meeting her there was late arriving, but that's just MOO FWIW.

 

[imkeylime]

Well I'm still of the strange and unpopular belief that this murder was possibly a random act. Maybe didn't even involve anyone local. We have the info on the billboards concerning this crime being posted long distances away apparently targeting long distance truck drivers. I have considered the possibility that these were to also target those involved in hauling drugs such as cases in the past. Somehow I just don't see it as that. The Feds do get involved in series of connecting serial murders (often involving deaths in close proximity to highways) and they keep these investigations almost totally secret. Many times an arrest hinges, unfortunately, on solving the next murder. How far is that Sonic from the Love's again? Hmmm I'm just stubborn. Sorry about that.
:moo:

I'm willing to consider all possibilities. Someone said a page or two back that the fact both seats were reclined would suggest one perp and JC. Thanks to whoever that was. I agree to a large extent. At one point, at least, the car probably contained JC and one other person. That doesn't mean that someone else couldn't have driven up and assisted later on, of course.

So that said, does this situation suggest a random perp? Maybe, if someone drugged her or knocked her out (there's that allege gash to consider) and then attacked her. It would help to know if there was a sexual assault. If so, I could see one perp, familiar or random. Maybe the perp had trouble in that department. Arson has been linked with sexual release (creepy, I know). Just speculating, based on your speculation.

 

[4senthia]

Yep arson is linked many times with impotency. And maybe this killer is just a person who lacks any type of feelings, much like a shark. None of us relatively "normal" humans will ever really be able to get inside the mind of those like that, not even Ressler or other profilers. Even exploring their brains at autopsy doesn't always reveal a "cause". Many times it's damage to the frontal lobes or such.
Imagine being able to set a person on fire if you can. That's a dark place. IMO anyone with even a basic conscience would crack or display signs of guilt and changes since the crime.
>OT<In the Holly Bobo case I believe we were dealing with a real psychopath, but those around him eventually began to weaken and her remains were found.
The federal presence in this case leads me to think that there is something more involved and the billboards so far away tend to confirm that. I hope that those here who do believe the reports that the DA is giving about it almost being solved and that the phone just happened to not be traceable again until exactly 7:31, and that they know exactly where she was and what she was doing are correct.
Otherwise, this may continue to go cold while the Feds will never tip their hand when it comes to linkage w/a serial predator.
All JMO and hoping for a local connection soon or else something is not as it seems.
:thinking:

 

[Foxfire]

The "Feds" (not sure who if being referred to here exactly) have no authority over the local District Attorney. So they have no authority to "allow" or "disallow" anything in regards to him. If the US Attorney thought that local law enforcement was somehow involved in this crime, they could take over under their own jurisdiction. But they have not. Much more likely, the local Sheriff's Office and the FBI, U.S. Marshall's, and BATFE are working together.

Well I'm still of the strange and unpopular belief that this murder was possibly a random act. Maybe didn't even involve anyone local. We have the info on the billboards concerning this crime being posted long distances away apparently targeting long distance truck drivers. I have considered the possibility that these were to also target those involved in hauling drugs such as cases in the past. Somehow I just don't see it as that. The Feds do get involved in series of connecting serial murders (often involving deaths in close proximity to highways) and they keep these investigations almost totally secret. Many times an arrest hinges, unfortunately, on solving the next murder. How far is that Sonic from the Love's again? Hmmm I'm just stubborn. Sorry about that.
:moo:

<BBM for Focus>
Apr 6, 2009 - Our Highway Serial Killings Initiative is helping to link unsolved cases and identify ... The suspects are predominantly long-haul truck drivers.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Highway Serial Killings Initiative
New Initiative on an Emerging Trend

<snipped - read more>
Today, we&#8217;re publicly announcing our Highway Serial Killings initiative to raise awareness among law enforcement agencies and the general public about this issue and our unique assistance on these cases.

First, some background. The victims in these cases are primarily women who are living high-risk, transient lifestyles, often involving substance abuse and prostitution. They&#8217;re frequently picked up at truck stops or service stations and sexually assaulted, murdered, and dumped along a highway.

The suspects are predominantly long-haul truck drivers. But the mobile nature of the offenders, the unsafe lifestyles of the victims, the significant distances and multiple jurisdictions involved, and the scarcity of witnesses or forensic evidence can make these cases tough to solve.

Enter ViCAP, part of our National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime and a national repository for violent crimes. The database&#8212;which contains information on homicides, sexual assaults, missing persons, and unidentified human remains&#8212;is available to law enforcement throughout the country over a secure Internet link on our Law Enforcement Online (LEO).

ViCAP analysts have created a national matrix of more than 500 murder victims from along or near highways, as well as a list of some 200 potential suspects. Names of suspects&#8212;contributed by law enforcement agencies&#8212;are examined by analysts who develop timelines using a variety of reliable sources of information. <Note these statistics were released in 2009; six years ago - There has not been an update since> <See victim map @ link>
<BBM>

Note: Map of Panola County, MS Truck Stops --> https://www.google.com/maps/search/...+MS/@34.3569385,-89.9590065,10z/data=!3m1!4b1

 

[debirlfan]

I don't think there's a discrepancy. Jessica may have pulled over somewhere to speak with her mom and then kept driving. She may have been within about a 10 - 15 minute drive of where she was found, passing through reception dead zones. It would take local knowledge, what carrier she had, and lots of tech info to begin to make any sense of that.

I'm not convinced that she wasn't already parked at the site of the murder when she talked to her mother. If the reception is spotty in the area, she could have gotten enough signal to complete a call, while not pinging off enough towers to triangulate a location. It's also possible that she was parked there but knew she had awhile to wait so she got out of the car and walked around while she was talking on the phone - or alternately (maybe more likely) she got out of the car at 7:31 and that's when the signal pinged strong enough to locate her.

If the police haven't already tried it, they should take an identical phone out to that exact spot (preferably both inside and outside of a car) and see what they get for reception with it.

 

[PrairieWind]

When I refer to the feds, I am speaking of federal agents, employees by the US government. You may very well be correct, that all agencies are working happily together to investigate this crime, sharing every bit of evidence with one another, and supporting each other along the way. What I was referring to in my post, was that the feds, i.e. Federally employed agents, are at the top of the totem pole, so to speak. As you mentioned, local LE is still overseeing their own jurisdiction, which does indicate that the Federal Government has not established that local LE was involved in this crime. "Many cases are also prosecuted under state statutes such as murder, arson, or more recent local ethnic intimidation laws. Once the state prosecution begins, the Department of Justice monitors the proceedings in order to ensure that the federal interest is vindicated and the law is applied equally among the 95 U.S. Judicial Districts. The FBI forwards completed reports to U.S. Attorneys and the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, which decide whether a federal prosecution is warranted. They may move forward, for example, if local authorities are unwilling or unable to prosecute a crime of bias (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/overview)". From my experience and observation, there have been instances of local LE and federal agents working together, but not being too happy about it, to put it gently. Local LE can be protective over their 'crime', wanting to be in charge of their town, etc., and it has happened in the past, that local LE can be somewhat offended that the 'big dogs' are in their town, in their nice cars and suits, trampling over what the local LE see as being 'theirs'. This is not saying that 100% of the time this is the way it is, I am just throwing it out there, that this does happen. They are all working towards a common goal, presumably, to solve this murder. At the end of the day, the FBI does have the authority to take over and prosecute if local LE does not.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/overview

That simply is incorrect. At this point there has been, as far as I know, no indication of a separate federal investigation. The FBI can only "take over" if there is a federal crime, and even then will not interfere with the local authorities. The BATFE, U.S. Marshall, FBI have been called in by the local authorities to assist due to their expertise. This is very common and generally the assistance is very much appreciated by local law enforcement. There has been no indication of friction between the local, state, and federal authorities. You have provided a link to the FBI hate crime web page, but there is as no indication yet this was a hate crime. And by "Feds" I wasn't sure if you were referring to the US Attorney, the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshalls or who else. All are separate entities, several in different departments of the federal government.

 

[debirlfan]

Have we been able to decipher what kind of phone that Jessica was using that night? That would be helpful here, for me at least.

Pure speculation, but we're talking about someone who normally only put $5 of gas in her car - my guess is that she may well have had a cheap or older phone. Possibly something without wifi or any of that.

 

[PrairieWind]

Pure speculation, but we're talking about someone who normally only put $5 of gas in her car - my guess is that she may well have had a cheap or older phone. Possibly something without wifi or any of that.

Thats a good point. Seems everyone was just assuming it was a smart phone. I actually know lots of folks that have non-smart phones still. However, I must say it always amazes me to see people that barely have enough money to feed themselves yet seem to have the latest iphone or galaxy.

 

[ZOOL]

Almost every fire that I have known has been significantly announced with plentiful horns, sirens, and flashing lights. Vehicles have sped up and down neighborhood streets with volunteers, and on-lookers all headed towards THE FIRE wherever it may be. So how is it possible that all that activity from the FIRST FIRE was missing? Are we to believe that Jessica could go unnoticed from 7:31 pm until 8:13 pm while A FIRE took place in a "nearby location"?

What time did the Volunteers leave their nearby station for the first fire? When did the horns go off? What about the neighborhood 4-wheelers who follow along on their CB units? Or the nosey old men who have little else to do but jump into their white station wagons?

Was the FIRST FIRE merely something Courtland ignored because no one in Courtland loves a good fire, even if it was only a trashy fire in a neighborhood still?

I doubt it. Something seems strangely off.

 

[debirlfan]

I just had a thought... Maybe we're looking for the perp in the wrong place.

Does anyone know where this domestic violence shelter she stayed at was located? Was it near where she lived, or several towns away? What if her killer is connected to her through the shelter? Presumably there would have been other women staying there. Maybe one of them had a very violent husband/boyfriend. If this guy found out Jessica was in the same shelter, he might have gone to Jessica to find out where the girlfriend was, and if she didn't know or wouldn't tell him... If she did say a name, and everyone in town with a similar name has checked out, that could explain it - this guy could be from elsewhere. He could have lured her into meeting him by pretending to be someone else, especially since she would most likely not know him by voice or appearance, but only from what the other girl might have told her about him.

 

[4senthia]

Yes Foxfire it isn't out of the realm of possibility at all. LE says they have JC on video in Batesville and this is still Batesville. I don't entirely believe the truth of the situation is being revealed to the public, and possibly not to local LE in full. They are counting on that local connection, but I still don't think it has gotten them anywhere. Feds are there for a reason IMO.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lov...ppi+6,+Batesville,+MS/@34.3288842,-89.9807517
Love's Travel Stop, 725 Hwy 35 N., I-55 Exit 246, Batesville, MS 38606
Sonic Drive-In, 700 Mississippi 6, Batesville, MS 38606
via MS-35 S9 min
4.9 miles9 min without traffic · Show traffic

 

[Foxfire]

4senthia, imo, in most cases where slight acquaintance/stranger sexual predators/serial killers, are involved. There are usually indicators.. Due to the lack of chatter on the streets, multi investigative agencies; state, federal, and local, combined with the sizable amount of the reward for Jessica Chambers' killer/s now up to $53,000.00. Due to the time that has passed since JC's murder without someone coming forward with significant indictable information via Crimestoppers anonymously, is very concerning...

___________________________________________

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...ica-chambers-killer-now-up-to-53000/22190929/
On Thursday evening, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms put out a release announcing the addition of $10,000 to the $43,000 currently offered. That includes money from U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Mississippi State Fire Marshal's Office, CrimeStoppers, and private donations.

 

[MSCJgrad]

When I typed the word 'feds', I was referring to federally employed agents whom are assigned to this case. I should have been more specific, and I apologize for any confusion that this may have caused you or anyone else. For example, the ATF, US Marshals, and the FBI are actively involved in this investigation. Agents whom are employed by the FBI, US Marshal's, and the ATF are employed by the Federal government, which I was abbreviating by using the term 'feds', which is a term for federal agents.
I was not intending to indicate that there is any assumed friction between local law enforcement and federal agents in Panoply County at this time pertaining to the JC case. I should have been more clear here as well, and taken more time to clarify my point, which was that it does happen, in some circumstances, that there can be some friction (good choice of descriptive word, btw) between the two. There are times when local law enforcement officials are thrilled to have federal agents assigned to their cases, and greet them with open arms, appreciative for any assistance that they may be able to provide. This is often the case. Alternately, there are some instances where federal agents are not greeted with such eagerness, and there can be an underlying resentment of sorts, depending on the situation. This is an interaction that federal agents are trained in, there have been seminars and continued education courses provided that were required for federal agents to attend, in efforts of improving the general partnerships with local law enforcement officials during dual investigations. Where I provided a link in my previous post that was from the hate crimes page, I should have included this as well "http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/FBI/a0537/chapter12.htm". This is an OIG Audit report regarding FBI and local law enforcement interactions. This goes without saying, if there were no issues of friction between the two, there would have been no need for an audit. Audits are not cheap, and they are time consuming. Worth noting is, "Several FBI field division managers emphasized that professional relationships are dependent on the personalities of those involved". This is true of any occupation, especially one such as law enforcement and investigations. It is also worth noting that the FBI by nature is not forthcoming out of necessity to their duties as federal agents, so expecting a detailed breakdown of their interactions with local law enforcement officers is setting yourself up for failure.
With the FBI adding $25,000 towards the reward, and the ATF contributing $10,000, this is a good indication that they are personally and professionally invested in this investigation. Why is this? That's for everyone to decide for themselves. I did not mean to indicate that JC's murder was a hate crime by providing a link from the FBI's hate crime page. I was intending to provide a useful quote pertaining to the FBI, which was located on that page. That being said, could the FBI be involved because they are investigating this as a hate crime? Sure. Could it be because of possible gang involvement? Sure. Could it be because of possible relation to serial killings? Sure. Perhaps some other form of organize crime? That's possible as well. Could it be due to a suspicion that there has been a violation of another federal law at the base of the murder of Jessica? I don't believe that we can rule that out, either. Could the FBI have been assigned simply to assist local authorities with their advanced investigative resources (laboratory analysis, DNA, technologies in tracking phones and data,etc)? Sure. That wouldn't really explain them putting up their money for the reward, but still possible. Could the FBI also have gotten involved because the victim is from a family associated with local law enforcement? Could be. Could they have already been in the area for another purpose, as some other WSers have indicated on previous threads? Sure. The only thing that is for certain IMO, is that anything is possible at this point. To answer your question/assumption that the FBI will not interfere with the local authorities, this is somewhat on target, however they may choose to prosecute a crime even when local law enforcement does not. The presence of a federal crime has presented itself in the case of JC, IMO, and that is apparent by the federal agents' continued involvement and financial investments into the reward fund.
I do apologize if there were any misunderstandings in my post or anything that led to confusion on your part or anyone else's. It was somewhat a rushed post, just spewing out my opinion. That is my opinion, however, and my opinion does remain the same in that things are not always peachy and loving between local law enforcement officials and federal agents who are assigned to their cases. You are correct in saying that there has been no indication that there is any friction between the two, and I could like to add that there has been no indication to the contrary, either. Not that it is even relevant, for the most part, but I did want to take the time to respond to all of your questions.

That simply is incorrect. At this point there has been, as far as I know, no indication of a separate federal investigation. The FBI can only "take over" if there is a federal crime, and even then will not interfere with the local authorities. The BATFE, U.S. Marshall, FBI have been called in by the local authorities to assist due to their expertise. This is very common and generally the assistance is very much appreciated by local law enforcement. There has been no indication of friction between the local, state, and federal authorities. You have provided a link to the FBI hate crime web page, but there is as no indication yet this was a hate crime. And by "Feds" I wasn't sure if you were referring to the US Attorney, the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshalls or who else. All are separate entities, several in different departments of the federal government.

 

[MSCJgrad]

Thats a good point. Seems everyone was just assuming it was a smart phone. I actually know lots of folks that have non-smart phones still. However, I must say it always amazes me to see people that barely have enough money to feed themselves yet seem to have the latest iphone or galaxy.

Both good points, and as I am still unaware of the kind of phone that JC had at the time, let alone the particulars of her plan, a few threads back, we did determine that she at some point in time had in her possession a smart phone of some sort, based speculatively upon a 'selfie' she had taken, holding such a phone.