Found Alive NC - Allison Cope, 24, Raleigh, 26 June 2017

[eeyorelrn]

I have a friend that works at the Columbia Meto Airport back home, and he knows almost all the pilots, stewardesses, baggage handlers, ticket agents, Airport Police, etc.., so I would not be too surprised if the Helicopter use for searching Falls Lake was not offered by someone who knew AC from RDU or knew of her. Heck, can you blame them for wanting to use any resource available?

 

[Compassion]

Something is off-kilter with all of this.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Has anyone ever been at a point where your last nerve was hit and you said, "I'm done". And then removed yourself from that situation that had gone on way too long with no looking back?

I have but not to the point where I have completely disappeared. But when I'm done with a certain person or situation, I am done with it.

It's true that none of us *knows* exactly what happened with Allison, but I do know from working on many cases what it looks like.

 

[Amyk63]

Anything new today?

 

[anonypotomous]

It's true that none of us *knows* exactly what happened with Allison, but I do know from working on many cases what it looks like.

Ooooh, I wish I knew what you were thinking. I always enjoy your posts and theories.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Ooooh, I wish I knew what you were thinking. I always enjoy your posts and theories.

I've felt (and posted) from the beginning that she left voluntarily and it's not going to end well. I know a lot of people have a hard time not holding out hope until the very last possible second, so they criticize those who feel otherwise. I could say all day long that I'm sure she's fine and just relaxing somewhere, but I don't believe that. I've said it often, but it bears repeating ... I will always share my honest opinion here.

 

[Madeleine74]

BBM The gas attendant and LE are both judging her behavior and emotion based off grainy footage from a surveillance video, not from an encounter. Her own friend/family said she parked in a weird place in the gas station and she looked like she was upset. She is missing, they (FBI, SBI, local law enforcement) spent time and money to search for her, so I do believe there is more to this than just a young woman running away.

The gas station attendant saw her live and in person because she came in to the little store and used the restroom inside, then left. He said she didn't look like she was in trouble or upset or anything.

The FBI and police have said she did not appear to be in distress. I have no reason to doubt their assessment. This situation does not appear to be a kidnapping.

 

[SteveP]

We may not now know, or ever know 'why' something happens, but more often than not, Occam's Razor seems to be a good principle to follow here. AC, for whatever reason, seems to have left her job, mid-shift, voluntarily, and seems to have purchased gas a little over an hour later, in an area relatively near her home, where all indications are that she was still alone, and in no apparent distress, and then proceeded to disappear, seemingly by choice. To assume someone was pulling her strings from a hidden position in her car, or to assume that her luck was so poor that a random stranger just picked her out to successfully accost, out of every person at RDU airport at that particular moment, or to assume any other nefarious situation involving someone else, unseen by anyone, is to ignore the things that are most apparent here. JMO

 

[Madeleine74]

Someone who has a mind to do something isn't necessarily thinking about the impact on others or consequences of just taking off. She left, she was alone, she made a choice to leave, she was seen alive and ambulatory and alone on camera, in a gas station where she easily could have communicated if she was in any trouble.

Sometimes an adult will just take off. It won't make sense to someone else. None of us know this young woman, so to say what would be usual or unusual for her based on not knowing her nor knowing what was going on in her life, seems strange.

At some point she'll probably be found. It might take awhile, but some clue will emerge eventually and police or FBI will be on it.

 

[Normancita]

This is reminding me of the Jennifer Huston story....


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[SteveP]

Just wondering and thinking outside the box...given that a manager seems to disappear from her job, mid-shift, and does not return, is it likely that a corporation like Starbucks would send auditors in soon to just verify that all things financial are normal? I know that may seem uncaring and unfeeling, but business is business.

 

[LadyL]

sometimes when you're so stressed out that you have to escape a situation right now... that's it, you're done, you can't think about the circumstances or the consequences

people are thinking she planned to disappear and leaving her cell phone was part of that plan but the opposite could be true - that she just snapped, maybe had a panic attack and had to immediately leave the situation ... when this happens, all you know is you gotta go and nothing else matters

she may have been driving with no known destination in mind ... stopped to get gas with the last of her money, during the 'missing' time between leaving and the gas station - she could've been just driving in circles or sitting in her car crying ... wondering what to do next but feeling like she can't go back, not even for her cell phone or purse

BBM

This has been a sticking point for me as well.
For those who think she wants to "disappear" why do it at that time where it is sure to create a scene?
Kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?

 

[Compassion]

Well, given that Falls Lake and the surrounding area were searched with boat(s), helicopter and volunteers and dogs, it seems that LE and her roommates also believed that something bad happened to Allison. Usually families and friends are so hopeful and can't bear to even think about the possible negative outcomes, but that wasn't the case here.

Leaving her phone at RDU is so key to this whole thing and seems to suggest that she chose to leave and calculated the best way to do it.

Getting gas with her debit card and then using the bathroom seems to have been calculated as well. I don't know that she needed gas as much as she wanted a record of where she was . . .

 

[LadyL]

hm, hadn't thought of that possibility

Just wondering and thinking outside the box...given that a manager seems to disappear from her job, mid-shift, and does not return, is it likely that a corporation like Starbucks would send auditors in soon to just verify that all things financial are normal? I know that may seem uncaring and unfeeling, but business is business.

 

[Compassion]

I think Steve's point is helpful. In trying to figure this out, I've come up with all sorts of complicated scenarios. But, as with many things, the things that are most apparent here actually tell us quite a bit.

 

[LadyL]

[bbm]

what case is that? I'd like to check it out

I know that people upthread were griping about comparisons to other cases, but I can't help it. There is another active case on here of a young woman last seen leaving work. One theory is that an acquaintance of hers asked her for a ride from her workplace.

I wonder if something like that happened. When Allison ran out to her car for whatever reason, someone she knew was out there too. I'll call the unknown person N, like someone did above.
N: Hey, Allison. I need a ride to ____. Can you help me out?
A: (Being the nice girl she is.) Well, I am on my break so...
N: Oh please? I have an appointment, have to take my kid to the doctor, etc. You can just drop me off and come right back, You're the boss! LOL
A: Well, ok. I have to stop and get gas though.
N: That's ok, oh man, I sure do appreciate this. I owe you one!

She may have left voluntarily with this person, thinking that she was doing a good deed (I am always in that mindset, though I shouldn't be). Figured she could make it quick, and well, she did need to get gas. So, she wasn't under their power knowingly at the gas station. No frightened look, no clues to the cashier, etc. But perhaps did look a little "on a mission" because she was maybe bending the rules a bit.
When she got in the car, or sometime thereafter, things went downhill fast.

Why didn't she take her purse, phone, etc. ? Because she hadn't planned on leaving the premises.
Not saying this is what happened, but IMO it is surely possible.

 

[LadyL]

that's really scary ... not sure about protocol but pretty sure LE would say to report anything suspicious ... could prevent a future crime or even just put a perp on their radar

OT, but today I was approached in a parking lot. The man had his car hood raised. He said, "excuse me ma'am, can I ask you a question?" I immediately had a bad feeling. But the thing is he wouldn't approach me, he wanted me to walk over to his car. I did not. I said abruptly, "ask."

He started giving me a convoluted story about needing an alternator, only had $100, needed $117, something about his wife and needing a ride. I didn't let him finish, just said no, got in my car, locked the doors, wrote down his license plate #, car make and model.

Then I saw two men walk directly by him and he did not approach them. Then a woman walked by and he tried to speak to her, but she kept walking.

I just thought about Allison. I don't know whether this guy was legit or up to no good, but it was WEIRD. What if something like that happened to her and she fell for it and the guy was evil?

 

[LadyL]

the quote from the attendant states that she walked inside for a couple minutes, used the bathroom and left

Wondering about what is in her hand at the gas station - and some wondering if it's the restroom key. Most gas stations have inside restrooms, don't they? Any local know if that particular gas station has the restroom outside - needing a key to enter it?
Thanks

 

[Jules Clues]

I haven't read anything on a boyfriend, which seems strange because usually it seems like it's the first thing mentioned.
I wonder if she left voluntarily to meet up with someone


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[Midge Montana]

[bbm]

what case is that? I'd like to check it out

Danielle Stislicki in Michigan.