MS - Jessica Chambers, 19, found burned near her car, Panola County, 6 Dec 2014 - #9

[SeeAlice]

Maybe I'm not thinking straight or might be missing something, but I don't see why the residence in Courtland JC went to after she left M&M is such a secret. Another thing: IF JC left the M&M just after 5:30 pm (if the video time stamp was off by an hour) and LE is saying she drove to this residence and arrived just before 7pm...how could it have taken her that long to drive from the M&M to anywhere in Courtland as it is such a small town?

It's a secret because there are certain bloggers inserting themselves into the case, IMO. "Internet vigilantes," I believe they're called. Jumping to conclusions, making bizarre accusations that some unstable readers then act upon, making threats, etc.

 

[southernyankee]

In many cases, LE is more than pleased to release any possible places where a victim may have been seen prior to the murder. This could very well tweak the memories of potential witnesses. Champion did give the intersection in Batesville where Jessica was spotted (video cam I think) but why didn't he disclose the place(s) where she went? This seems strange to me. We know it may have been Sonic, Walmart, Goodys etc. but what would be the harm in releasing this information?

I believe Champion made reference to that particular video footage as from a "private source." That could mean a privately owned business, of course, but even some traffic-light cameras are actually operated by private companies contracted by local/city govt. It could also mean by way of a security camera situated on a private residence or property located along that route.

Personally? When I heard that, my first instinct was "small business security camera" - namely, that of a specific place where Jessica went for 10-15 minutes. For example, if Jessica went to the Sonic there - and this specific information may not be released because specific questions may be asked of witnesses, etc. at this point than can be better verified if some of those details remain withheld.

I really believe that Jessica went willingly with the killer(s) or met up with him/her/they. I think that initially, she was totally oblivious to the horrible demise that was planned for her. I don't think this was a spur of the moment argument that turned into a rage killing. This may seem to be a mute point, but who would carry accelerant with them for a meet up especially if he/she got into the car with Jessica. All JMOO.
In summary, I think that Champion did not release certain information that may seem innocuous, for fear of putting the guilty party on high alert. Once again, MOO.

I agree with much of this, and what I've bolded is a point I think it's worth noting again, as obvious as it may seem.

 

[debirlfan]

Speculation mode here. I live in an area where cell phones work poorly if at all. No one seems to know quite why - too few towers, too much rock, possible interference from the local Navy installation? In any case, you're lucky to get a signal, especially with some carriers.

Now, my understanding is that in order to locate a phone, you need pings off of several cell towers. However, it would seem that connecting to one tower would be sufficient to establish a call. So - might Jessica have been somewhere with spotty reception between 6:30 and 7:30 and only connected with one tower? Enough to talk to her mother, but not enough to get a "fix" on her? If so, then this would suggest that she was stationary during that period, rather than moving between areas of better/worse reception. Or she could even have been at the parking spot, and finally a second/third ping just happened to connect.

If she was parked there for some time before the fire - could she have been parked there waiting for someone to come and meet her in another car? Person in second car/truck could have had the gas with them, and after setting the fire could have just driven away.

 

[dairydog]

I don't blame you if you think that this is a crazy thought but this case sends my mind on many different tangents. I've been re-visiting some of the stories from this case's infancy. CW mentioned that Jessica was attending a party (BTW I don't think for a minute that she has any involvement). Why would she lie? I think we all likely felt (at least I did) that this was an adult party, gathering etc. but what if she was referring to a child's birthday party? I know this doesn't make sense but is it possible that it happened to be CW's home that Jessica dropped into after getting gas at M&M? I know that CW lives close to LD so why would she back track? Was CW going to the party? None of this was ever confirmed IIRC. CW stated that after the party something went wrong and it happened. Now that I look back, she was right. We all know what ultimately happened to her. She may have dropped into a little party when she arrived back in Courtland but left if she had plans to meet someone who turned out to be her killer(s). MOO.

 

[SeeAlice]

I don't blame you if you think that this is a crazy thought but this case sends my mind on many different tangents. I've been re-visiting some of the stories from this case's infancy. CW mentioned that Jessica was attending a party (BTW I don't think for a minute that she has any involvement). Why would she lie? I think we all likely felt (at least I did) that this was an adult party, gathering etc. but what if she was referring to a child's birthday party? I know this doesn't make sense but is it possible that it happened to be CW's home that Jessica dropped into after getting gas at M&M? I know that CW lives close to LD so why would she back track? Was CW going to the party? None of this was ever confirmed IIRC. CW stated that after the party something went wrong and it happened. Now that I look back, she was right. We all know what ultimately happened to her. She may have dropped into a little party when she arrived back in Courtland but left if she had plans to meet someone who turned out to be her killer(s). MOO.

I don't think the child's party is crazy. Jess was friends with many in ShaSha's family and I'm sure she also had friends who had infants and young children. As a matter of fact, I stated quite a while back that babysitting was probably one of the very few jobs available to someone young & inexperienced around there.

I don't know what was edited out of ShaSha's interview nor what the context of the questions she was asked. A child's birthday party sounds more legitimate to me than a kegger in the woods (usually after dark, in my experience, especially if underage) or Jess being "the party," again in broad daylight.


JMO

 

[debirlfan]

Following up on my earlier thought that perhaps Jessica had been parked there for awhile waiting for someone to meet her... Might she have reclined the seat/seats so that anyone passing by wouldn't see that someone was sitting in the car? I can think of places in my town where people often pull off the road to park to fish, and no one would think twice to see an unoccupied car there - but an occupied car would be somewhat suspicious. The same might be true of where Jessica was parked if there was fishing/hunting/hiking/etc in the area.

You also might recline the seats to make out.

 

[Yvettea]

but who would carry accelerant with them for a meet up

Really? This isn't obvious to me unless you mean one of the lawn crews that must work overtime there to keep all that grass mowed.

 

[MizStery]

Really? This isn't obvious to me unless you mean one of the lawn crews that must work overtime there to keep all that grass mowed.

Does anyone remember on a previous thread that someone asked if a person was going crappy fishing on a local lake if they might have have some kerosene or acetone solvent in their vehicle to clean their equipment?

Flatfootjoe posted he used alcohol for deep cleaning on his rods, or water for light cleaning. However, when he cleaned and regreased his reels, he used kerosene to dissolve the old grease and grit, or in a pinch acetone.

Han,when I read the original post:I remembered that discussion.The conversation was lengthy & explored who would routinely have kerosene or a flammable solvant in their vehicle. This is all just my opinion. :moo:

 

[Yvettea]

who would routinely have kerosene or a flammable solvant in their vehicle.

I guess you could also say someone who routinely cooked out using a Coleman stove. Or routinely used a Coleman lantern. Or routinely used a Coleman space heater.

ETA: Everybody carries fuel - in the tank of their car. Some people make a real artform out of siphoning even a career.

 

[Yvettea]

Just as an aside and probably off topic here, but there's a really over-the-top case of problems in the sheriff's department that happened in Robeson County, NC between 1994-2004. Deputies in the department were responsible for things like arson, kidnapping, and extortion as well as drug-related offenses. Just makes you think, What can happen when the law turns on the citizens. One reason they did these crimes in that county was to send a message to dealers.

 

[Cajun Girl]

I've been even quieter than usual after the last presser. It just hit me sideways...so much so, I contacted the reporter right after the 'we have no information on Jessica from 6:30 to 7:30' comment. The reporter assured me they were aware of the phone call...the 'timing' of said call seemed to shoot over her head. So be it.

IMHO, there is a reason for this gap in information. Someone in some branch of LE knows something, the 'what' seems to be in their plan. Looking at the billboards posted, it displays the number for the FBI. Personally, that tells me a lot.

 

[debirlfan]

What if - instead of going to do drugs, she was planning to meet with a dealer that she owed money to from "before"? She doesn't have all the money, and he gets mad, maybe demands sexual favors if she can't pay - a fight ensues, he hits her in the head. Thinking that she's dead, he tries to cover up the crime and maybe destroy dna, gets some sort of fuel from his vehicle, pours it around, throws a match then jumps in his car and leaves.

 

[BelieveinUFO]

Following up on my earlier thought that perhaps Jessica had been parked there for awhile waiting for someone to meet her... Might she have reclined the seat/seats so that anyone passing by wouldn't see that someone was sitting in the car? I can think of places in my town where people often pull off the road to park to fish, and no one would think twice to see an unoccupied car there - but an occupied car would be somewhat suspicious. The same might be true of where Jessica was parked if there was fishing/hunting/hiking/etc in the area.

You also might recline the seats to make out.

You should see the exact location on google maps and zoom in and see. The closest area to fishing is not within 2-3 miles. That area where the car was parked will never arise a suspicion even if someone goes that way on the road - because :
1) It is a deserted lonely stretch.
2) The road is pitch black at 7pm (remember it was at Dec and it was already dark by the time she went to gas station.)
3) The area has no street lights. (there is a video from a MSM reporter showing how dark it was when they switched off camera lights)
4) the car was parked right in front of a gate (behind which there is a path leading to a house a short distance away) and no one will never suspect that was suspicious even if they manage to see the car when they drive around. (unless they are regulars and never seen one before)

So she did not pull up to fish and there is really nothing suspicious of a car parked in front of a gate.

The only creepy factor is that there are wooded areas around that place and LE never searched that night.

 

[BelieveinUFO]

What if - instead of going to do drugs, she was planning to meet with a dealer that she owed money to from "before"? She doesn't have all the money, and he gets mad, maybe demands sexual favors if she can't pay - a fight ensues, he hits her in the head. Thinking that she's dead, he tries to cover up the crime and maybe destroy dna, gets some sort of fuel from his vehicle, pours it around, throws a match then jumps in his car and leaves.

IMO, if that was the case, she would have obliged without any trouble. You gotta think, most dealers act as pimps and they wouldn't kill her taking an accelerant with them unless ofcourse it is to frighten others.

 

[FindHG]

I've been even quieter than usual after the last presser. It just hit me sideways...so much so, I contacted the reporter right after the 'we have no information on Jessica from 6:30 to 7:30' comment. The reporter assured me they were aware of the phone call...the 'timing' of said call seemed to shoot over her head. So be it.

IMHO, there is a reason for this gap in information. Someone in some branch of LE knows something, the 'what' seems to be in their plan. Looking at the billboards posted, it displays the number for the FBI. Personally, that tells me a lot.

Great to know your thoughts and about your query. Thank you for sharing them. I agree with how you see it.

 

[imkeylime]

Speculation mode here. I live in an area where cell phones work poorly if at all. No one seems to know quite why - too few towers, too much rock, possible interference from the local Navy installation? In any case, you're lucky to get a signal, especially with some carriers.

Now, my understanding is that in order to locate a phone, you need pings off of several cell towers. However, it would seem that connecting to one tower would be sufficient to establish a call. So - might Jessica have been somewhere with spotty reception between 6:30 and 7:30 and only connected with one tower? Enough to talk to her mother, but not enough to get a "fix" on her? If so, then this would suggest that she was stationary during that period, rather than moving between areas of better/worse reception. Or she could even have been at the parking spot, and finally a second/third ping just happened to connect.

If she was parked there for some time before the fire - could she have been parked there waiting for someone to come and meet her in another car? Person in second car/truck could have had the gas with them, and after setting the fire could have just driven away.

Yes, this is exactly what I was thinking earlier. I live in an area with similar reception issues (rock walls and rock in the hills, plus hills and windy roads). I have terrible reception WITHIN my house; I often have to go on the porch to send a text. And on the nearest road, the coverage cuts in and out.

I have no idea if this happens in Courtland. But hypothetically, she could have been in and out of her car on Herron Rd. or even in a structure nearby and then returned to the car. Are there any old barns in that area? The confusing part is that I don't think she would have left the car all alone in the dark, unless she was meeting someone in private or something.

Also, I'm assuming that her mom called her. Maybe LD had been texting her and got no response so then called? This is what I do when I don't hear back from my daughter. Just a thought.

 

[dairydog]

What if - instead of going to do drugs, she was planning to meet with a dealer that she owed money to from "before"? She doesn't have all the money, and he gets mad, maybe demands sexual favors if she can't pay - a fight ensues, he hits her in the head. Thinking that she's dead, he tries to cover up the crime and maybe destroy dna, gets some sort of fuel from his vehicle, pours it around, throws a match then jumps in his car and leaves.

With this case, I suppose that anything is possible. However, I don't think that this heinous murder resulted from a drug deal gone wrong. In the city where I live the gun is the weapon of choice as far as gangs are concerned. We've had several gang shootings and it seems to me that they shoot and run. Usually it's related to a drug deal or some kind of turf war. JMOO.

 

[BirdycatNY]

Following up on my earlier thought that perhaps Jessica had been parked there for awhile waiting for someone to meet her... Might she have reclined the seat/seats so that anyone passing by wouldn't see that someone was sitting in the car? I can think of places in my town where people often pull off the road to park to fish, and no one would think twice to see an unoccupied car there - but an occupied car would be somewhat suspicious. The same might be true of where Jessica was parked if there was fishing/hunting/hiking/etc in the area.

You also might recline the seats to make out.

I think your second suggestion of reclining seat to make out is more likely than Jessica reclining her seats. Jmo, but I think someone else was driving her car, that Jessica let drive willingly or involuntarily. I used to date a guy who would drive my car if we we're driving together, he just loved driving cars. If Jessica were dating, even if informally dating and met up with guy, then he may have been driving around with her. She did just get her car back and potentially set up something with a friend/boyfriend. If Jessica and person drove to Herron Rd to "make out" /drugs, and somehow drug-related accident, I think the individual would have notified LE by now. So it's suspect to me unless individual has a serious drug problem with something like meth, crack, or narcotics etc.

If someone else drove Jessica's car to Herron Rd and it was involuntary, then I think Jessica potentially was at someone's house, and something very bad happened. The perp(s) then knocked her out and drove her to Herron Rd. If it happened at someone's house/apartment/office/hotel/community music event/party, then LE is possibly looking into individual(s) that live alone or with other young adults, or individuals working alone, and local musical events/parties. I also wonder about potential guys that Jessica may have rebuffed over the last year, but she was friends/acquaintances with. LE could potentially check the seat adjustments/measurements to determine height/leg length of person in driver's seat and what about car seat belt adjustments? Does anyone know if K-9 dogs would still be able to trace any sign of Jessica if her personal items were at a residence or in woods? Tia, Jmo/

 

[dairydog]

Now I am thinking about the autopsy and just hope that the ME did a thorough job. If Jessica had a sexual encounter with her killer (whether voluntary or not) I just hope that valuable DNA was retrieved (if possible). I certainly understand why any evidence from the autopsy wouldn't be divulged until such time as a trial. We can only hope.

 

[suspicious1]

I just wanted to relay some of my thoughts with regards to Champion's updates. Sorry if I'm being repetitive as I know much of this has been discussed. Starting with the timeline:
I have no proof but a gut feeling that there may have been more to the phone call that Jessica received at home. For all we know, she may have made no plans to go out until she received this call. Champion made light of the call and basically said it was innocuous! Or was it?
In many cases, LE is more than pleased to release any possible places where a victim may have been seen prior to the murder. This could very well tweak the memories of potential witnesses. Champion did give the intersection in Batesville where Jessica was spotted (video cam I think) but why didn't he disclose the place(s) where she went? This seems strange to me. We know it may have been Sonic, Walmart, Goodys etc. but what would be the harm in releasing this information?
I also wondered too, if the investigators' technology actually pinpointed Jessica at that fateful spot or was she nearby. Champion seemed to say she was at that spot at 7:31.
I really believe that Jessica went willingly with the killer(s) or met up with him/her/they. I think that initially, she was totally oblivious to the horrible demise that was planned for her. I don't think this was a spur of the moment argument that turned into a rage killing. This may seem to be a mute point, but who would carry accelerant with them for a meet up especially if he/she got into the car with Jessica. All JMOO.
In summary, I think that Champion did not release certain information that may seem innocuous, for fear of putting the guilty party on high alert. Once again, MOO.

"Who would carry that type of accelerant?

IMO, if it was lighter fluid, someone may have lived close enough to run and get it from home and return within moments....OR

LE said she visited several small businesses in Batesville....what if she visited a liquor store? What if the accelerant is not gas or lighter fluid?
If she showed up to a party, what if she took someone to get alcohol for this party? Kwim? And the alcohol was the only thing on hand when she was attacked.

I'm just thinking out loud because I just don't see someone carrying around gas or lighter fluid especially if they were riding with Jessica.