Found Deceased MT - Rita Maze, 47, Wolf Creek, 6 Sept 2016 #1

[Tillicum]

Just looked at the statement again to confirm. The medical examiner statement says she was "shot once in the heart and abdomen area." They led with the heart, so guess I assumed that was the primary wound. It also would guarantee death. An abdomen shot wouldn't necessarily guarantee death.

Thanks I haven't read the ME's statement.

 

[bluesneakers]

Sorry OBE I don't have any answers. I do think if the shot went in at an angle at the chest, it would've damaged the stomach as well. IMO the shot hit the chest first and that's why she was already deceased when they found her.

It's all very confusing and I'm not sure what I believe happened. I've even had the crazy thought that it started out as a scam between Rita and someone else and they were really setting her up.

I thought about that too, especially after the potential POI was first mentioned.

 

[DatelineFan]

How do we know she was shot in the heart?

I recall reading that she was shot in the chest.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Because people aren't thinking clearly when they commit suicide. Here's a weird double suicide that I always remember from 2003.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Big-Sur-deaths-appear-to-be-suicides-2-Long-2582716.php

As to why the women were found bound with tape and rope, with garbage bags fastened tightly over their heads, and why Toves was wearing a Kabuki- style mask, Kanalakis said, "It's very, very difficult to understand what goes through someone's mind when they are determined to kill themselves. We are at a loss to explain it."

I have seen experts saying the suicidal person will bind themselves with tape, rope, and bags over their heads so they cant back out plus they would know the bag over their head would suffocate them.

Yes, I know. I had earlier explained the situation when my husband's 24 year old nephew committed suicide with a shotgun.

But sometimes you can determine why they killed themselves. If they had a terminal illness. If they had clinical depression. If they had lost a loved one recently that meant everything to them. They were under stress themselves financially. Lived in constantly pain from a serious injury. They were guilty of a horrible crime and couldn't live with it any longer or they didn't want to go to prison. The exact reason why is usually left a mystery yet there usually is background information that may show why it happened or at least help explain it.

 

[DatelineFan]

I think it might be a while before the manner of death is decided upon. Toxicology tests can take several weeks. I'm fairly confident that LE is going to be as thorough as they possibly can. In situations like this, I think it can be very difficult to convince the family of suicide. LE will make sure all loose ends are tied before they announce anything. This has got to be unbearable for her daughter.

Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk

 

[blue22]

This is so true. Attempts can also be well planned or impulsive. If Rita committed suicide this seems like a complicated way to do it, but with the odd parts to the story it also seems not planned out. Warning signs aren't the same for everyone - sometimes there aren't any. If you have a gun you're at a higher risk and she had one sitting right there.

100% JMO, but I do think she committed suicide, and I do think it was impulsive. It just seems like a situation that was thought up as it went a long. If that's the true scenario, I can't imagine the despair and panicked state she was in...and the incredible despair and confusion her family is left with.

Again, totally JMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

BBM.
I had that thought briefly as well. What if it was an accidental death? What if she was having an affair or hired someone to drive with her in the trunk and fake an abduction but she died from fumes or the suffocating heat of the trunk. Then the accomplice paniced, shot her in the chest and closed the trunk to make it look like suicide. This came into my mind when watching Nancy Grace's expert talk about why they would wait for toxicology reports before determining manner of death. I think this is highly unlikely, BTW, but it seemed just as likely as a hit man or a suicide at the very beginning when we had very little info. As things trickle out, it does seem they think she made up the abduction. It remains to be seen what the cameras and forensics will reveal.

What boggles my mind the most is how long she followed through with her charade when she was all along contemplating suicide. Maybe this was her weird way of letting the police and her family know where they could find her body/car. She knew by then they were tracking her cell phone.

 

[blue22]

"KHQ talked to the FBI on Friday and they said they had no comment to all questions except to say hopefully they'll have more information to release on Monday."

http://www.khq.com/story/33062141/fbi-to-release-new-details-in-maze-case-on-monday

 

[DatelineFan]

What boggles my mind the most is how long she followed through with her charade when she was all along contemplating suicide. Maybe this was her weird way of letting the police and her family know where they could find her body/car. She knew by then they were tracking her cell phone.

I would imagine that after she started it, she felt that she couldn't go back. If I did something like call my fiancé and tell him I was abducted and in a trunk, and it wasn't true, I'd probably want to end it all, too. How do you get out of that lie? I'm not saying I think she should have committed suicide or anything like that, I just think she possibly realized what she had done, and felt she couldn't back out. It's very sad. I'm sure her family would prefer to defend charges against her than lose her. truly heartbreaking.

 

[jjenny]

Thanks, I thought maybe she was tall. I was wondering if the hoodie they found in the trunk of her car has anything to do with why they might have difficulty identifying a person on cameras. Perhaps she put on the dark blue hoodie and kept her face out of view enough that they cannot be sure if it is her or someone else.

She described her abductor as 6' 5'' and I don't think she is anywhere near that tall.

 

[AceDetective]

What boggles my mind the most is how long she followed through with her charade when she was all along contemplating suicide. Maybe this was her weird way of letting the police and her family know where they could find her body/car. She knew by then they were tracking her cell phone.

She didn't start her 'charade' until 10:25 PM, when she phoned her husband. Not sure how long it went on before she killed herself, but she was found dead 3 hours later.

 

[Gardener1850]

What boggles my mind the most is how long she followed through with her charade when she was all along contemplating suicide. Maybe this was her weird way of letting the police and her family know where they could find her body/car. She knew by then they were tracking her cell phone.

I wonder what type of man her husband is? We have not seen any interviews from him. I wonder how he answered the phone when she first called. Is he the type of husband that would answer the phone and say, "thank God! we have been so worried we filed a missing person report." OR is he the type who would answer angrily and annoyed and yell, "Where the h3ll have you been?!? We filed a missing persons report!" I wonder if she never planned anything but to get away for a while and found herself just driving aimlessly. Then when she realized the amount of time that had passed and she should call, maybe her husband's response on the phone (whatever it was) made her decide to make up the abduction story on the spot. From there it could have spiraled out of control. Perhaps once she knew the police were tracking her phone she feared would be arrested when found. Maybe she had already thought about it in the past but did not plan to do it right then and that way? But once "cornered" she thought this would be a way that would not bring as much shame to her family? I don't know. Just trying to make sense of the seemingly poorly thought out, allegedly-staged abduction.

 

[Inthedetails]

Why in the world would she shoot herself in the stomach in order to commit suicide? Gunshot wounds to the abdomen area aren't immediately fatal. She would be suffering immensely in pain until she died.

It wasn't a shot to the abdomen but to the chest and abdomen, and she did die. They didn't even bring her to the hospital but pronounced her dead at the scene. Seems like she was determined (which makes me sad for her, of course).

jmo

 

[eucalyptuz]

"KHQ talked to the FBI on Friday and they said they had no comment to all questions except to say hopefully they'll have more information to release on Monday."

http://www.khq.com/story/33062141/fbi-to-release-new-details-in-maze-case-on-monday

I wonder if they have footage of her posting mail? Perhaps a suicide note or goodbyes to loved ones...
It is hard to see any other reason for such a precise "after the weekend" delay in information.
If there was any credence to the story of an attacker, then information from witnesses, cctv footage, traffic cams etc would surely be issued as soon as they have it?

 

[Gardener1850]

She described her abductor as 6' 5'' and I don't think she is anywhere near that tall.

I don't either. I was looking at pictures of her with her husband and daughter though and was thinking her husband could be 6' 2". And she seems to be just a little shorter than him and her daughter. All the family members seem to have long finger and big feet so I assumed they were tall but there are really not good points of reference to guess. I thought someone might know the answer because this was a missing person case at first. And it plays into why she would say (or her family would estimate) her attacker was 6' 5" if she is close to 6 foot herself. She might have just said, "he was much taller then me". Either way, my thought was that she could have tried to fake a tall hijacker by putting on the blue hoodie found with her body in the trunk. If she hid her face well enough while wearing the hoodie it may explain why they cannot be 100% certain of who is on video footage. Just a theory. One of many I have had.

 

[blue22]

I wonder if they have footage of her posting mail? It is hard to see any other reason for such a precise "after the weekend" delay in information.
If there was any credence to the story of an attacker, information from witnesses, cctv footage, traffic cams etc would surely be issued as soon as they have it.

I wonder if they are waiting on certain tests or reports. Or maybe giving the family the weekend?

 

[Inthedetails]

I don't either. I was looking at pictures of her with her husband and daughter though and was thinking her husband could be 6' 2". And she seems to be just a little shorter than him and her daughter. All the family members seem to have long finger and big feet so I assumed they were tall but there are really not good points of reference to guess. I thought someone might know the answer because this was a missing person case at first. And it plays into why she would say (or her family would estimate) her attacker was 6' 5" if she is close to 6 foot herself. She might have just said, "he was much taller then me". Either way, my thought was that she could have tried to fake a tall hijacker by putting on the blue hoodie found with her body in the trunk. If she hid her face well enough while wearing the hoodie it may explain why they cannot be 100% certain of who is on video footage. Just a theory. One of many I have had.

I think it's an excellent theory. It's quite a coincidence that her attacker had a hoodie and she was found with a hoodie. It's entirely possible she wore the hoodie when she knew she was on camera.

I'm confident LE will be able to sort this all out.

jmo

 

[LietKynes]

Thanks, I thought maybe she was tall. I was wondering if the hoodie they found in the trunk of her car has anything to do with why they might have difficulty identifying a person on cameras. Perhaps she put on the dark blue hoodie and kept her face out of view enough that they cannot be sure if it is her or someone else.

SABBM

WHAT ??? Trying to keep up with this thread ....... So, what else --besides the two shell casings and the hoodie-- was in the trunk ?

Makes me think she may have worn it herself as a disguise --which also appears this may have been more planned out, rather than just a quick descent into depression or paranoia.
Also the fact she told her husband a large man wearing a hoodie had attacked her.

Of course, there's no suicide note left that le knows of.

What made me think this was most likely suicide is the statement that "...there's no threat to the public...". Le seems quite certain on that point.

If it turns out that Rita did indeed make the choice to leave this world, it would maybe help the family if she left a note or something to explain her actions .
:moo:

 

[Inthedetails]

SABBM

WHAT ??? Trying to keep up with this thread ....... So, what else --besides the two shell casings and the hoodie-- was in the trunk ?

Makes me think she may have worn it herself as a disguise --which also appears this may have been more planned out, rather than just a quick descent into depression or paranoia.
Also the fact she told her husband a large man wearing a hoodie had attacked her.

Of course, there's no suicide note left that le knows of.

What made me think this was most likely suicide is the statement that "...there's no threat to the public...". Le seems quite certain on that point.

If it turns out that Rita did indeed make the choice to leave this world, it would maybe help the family if she left a note or something to explain her actions .
:moo:

About the note, I'm wondering if something was left on the ipad. I'm hoping so, but not sure. Surely she knew they would find the ipad and look at it.

jmo

 

[jjenny]

There is no way she would leave a note. Obviously if it were suicide she didn't want anyone to think it was a suicide.