NC NC - Sara Graham, 18, Fairmont, 4 February 2015 - #1

[margarita25]

I can just marginally see the sneaking away from an unpleasant situation scenario, but I can't come up with any reason at all why she wouldn't have called or sent a text or something when she got to where she was going. Or why if other family members were aware of it, they wouldn't let LE know privately.

This is all very AHish to me.

I think that if there was a plot to run away, LE would have figured this out by now.

Would they be able to subpoena phone records from her family in TX?

 

[margarita25]

I believe I'm stating this correctly when I say this about Sara's route to work. She took Centerville Church Rd., North Northwest all the way to McDonald Road. Normally she would have turned right at McDonald Road. The van was found West Southwest of Centerville Church Road in a field parked next to a tree line. The driver may have exited the vehicle into the tree line. Apparently someone turned left where Sara would have turned right. (I edited the wording of the previous sentence because I have no idea who turned left at that intersection. If you happen to see the wording "Sarah turned left where she should have turned right" in any articles you read please notify me, thank you.

There is very little along that route. There are a few houses, rarely grouped together, with fields between. Sometimes the view of the road is blocked by trees growing along the fence line. I don't believe there are any businesses. I'm not entirely sure of the route she took; for some reason they haven't clearly stated it but I do believe she took Centerville Church road for quite a while until reaching McDonald Road (about 5 miles.)

I would like to see where the traffic lights, stop signs etc are.

 

[margarita25]

So, if someone abducted her from her vehicle, they took the time to remove her personal belongings. Could this mean it was likely parked later after the initial abduction? Because if she was abducted and forced out of her vehicle in a hurry it might be hard to quickly grab all loose items?

 

[margarita25]

My thought of the morning is that she was potentially groomed by an older male, maybe catfished...but how is this not evident in her electronic footprint? Would have to be a burner phone (eta: or communication in person)

I feel like there is one big piece of the puzzle we are missing.

Back to the surveillance footage from Walmart. In Kelsie Schelling's case (her family is now suing the Pueblo Police Dept. For dropping the ball, covering up, all kinds of things), one of the allegations by her family was that LE did not submit the Walmart footage to the FBI for enhancement. Has this been done? I doubt it, especially if they don't think there's anything on the video. Maybe it deserves a second, third, fourth look...

 

[GigTu]

So, if someone abducted her from her vehicle, they took the time to remove her personal belongings. Could this mean it was likely parked later after the initial abduction? Because if she was abducted and forced out of her vehicle in a hurry it might be hard to quickly grab all loose items?

I don't think Sara was ever once at that location where the van was found.

 

[margarita25]

I don't think Sara was ever once at that location where the van was found.

This is very interesting. Please, share more on this! :wave:

 

[margarita25]

(Han, you're local right?)

 

[Topcat]

Maybe surveillance footage on any road leading away from the wheat field ,which would be pretty obvious ,needs to be double checked. I understand it's an open area but people do have security cameras aimed at their driveways and maybe a vehicle could be captured on it that passed in two directions during that early morning time period.

 

[Topcat]

I don't think Sara was ever once at that location where the van was found.

How did you draw that conclusion?

 

[Aeronomy]

"The sheriff's office got a call around noon in reference to a suspicious vehicle." from here

"Around 12:15 pm, deputies received a phone call about a suspicious vehicle, Sealey said." later, from here

"The Chevrolet Astro was located on East McDonald Road near Chicken Road after it was called in as a suspicious vehicle." from here

They may have, but I see what you mean. It was also reported that LE setup roadblocks and canvased drivers in the area, stopping them to see if they had seen anything, IIRC.

Thank you for providing those links as they do help me in making my point.

In them there are requests for information if anyone has information about Sara's disappearance and requests to share a flier, there's information saying the car she was driving was found parked in a wheat field along East McDonald as well as information saying the Chevrolet Astro was found on East McDonald Rd; and in every single one of them, including the flier, there's also information about her father's job. But where is a picture of the van or an actual description of the van? The year, the color. I'm glad it was finally stated she was driving a Chevrolet Astro, but it took, what, 5 days to get that out there?

I'm not really understanding why in the first days of her disappearance LE did not make a plea pertaining to the vehicle, if anyone had seen it, seen her driving it, seen someone else driving it, not seen it at a time they normally see it or if anyone did or did not see the vehicle where it was found at any time prior than 12:00. If they did a roadblock then hopefully that helped, but I really do think that info should have been requested from the start.

 

[margarita25]

I wish we could see what internet search terms / queries Sara made on her phone (and/or home computer/device) over the past 6 months.

If her cell records were subpoenaəd/analyzed, would they also be able to tell what searches she made on her phone and web pages she accessed? I would think so...

 

[margarita25]

Maybe surveillance footage on any road leading away from the wheat field ,which would be pretty obvious ,needs to be double checked. I understand it's an open area but people do have security cameras aimed at their driveways and maybe a vehicle could be captured on it that passed in two directions during that early morning time period.

Yes, in other cases, we see pleas for homeowners to review their own security footage. Maybe with door to door canvassing LE has been looking for this?

With her dad being LE, we can hope that all methods have been / are being utilized in this investigation. But so often we see "small town agencies" not experienced in missing person's cases...

Now, IF they think she might have crossed state lines (I'm guessing this new possible information is maybe speculation since she has family in Texas?), wouldn't this be sufficient cuase for the FBI to get involved? Or would they only get involved if they knew for sure it was a kidnapping?

There are more questions in this case than answers.

 

[Hraefn]

I would still like to know whether the van was marked or recognizable as LE. Or if it was known to locals to be Sara's dad's van.

Speculation - I think, as others have mentioned before, a perp could have already been in the van when Sara left for work. She may not have been the intended target. She has only been in the area 3-6 months so she's only be driving the van a maximum of 3-6 months.

Here's the map again just for convenience https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zC5gj3l6KPzQ.kzsZyMaMSzqU

 

[margarita25]

More speculative brainstorming here (you guys might as well make some popcorn, we are about to get snowed in / epic proportions, I'm hunkered down)...IF she harmed herself, would she:

1. Leave a note
2. Use a weapon of her dad's? (I'm assuming no guns are missing?)
3. Use pills?

If she drove out, parked her car, then harmed herself, how has she not been found yet?

*How far is access to the Lumber River (or other water) from where her vehicle was located?

Eta: Did Leanna Barden hang herself from a tree or am I remembering this wrong?

 

[margarita25]

I would still like to know whether the van was marked or recognizable as LE. Or if it was known to locals to be Sara's dad's van.

Speculation - I think, as others have mentioned before, a perp could have already been in the van when Sara left for work. She may not have been the intended target. She has only been in the area 3-6 months so she's only be driving the van a maximum of 3-6 months.

Here's the map again just for convenience https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zC5gj3l6KPzQ.kzsZyMaMSzqU

Jumping off your post, hopefully her neighbor's homes have been canvassed door to door to see if any of them had home surveillance/security cameras....one might be able to see if someone followed her from her house...would LE think to do this?


I just don't get it....she must have stopped somewhere?!?

Maybe we can compile a list of exact possible locations where she might have stopped? Starbucks, fast food, convenience stores, etc...

 

[margarita25]

(Repeating my question, I didn't see an answer, sorry if I missed it...)

Which department did she work in? Was she a cashier?

Just wondering, because if she worked in the computer (or phone) department, maybe she did searches/communicated with someone that way?

 

[GigTu]

Post #425

I don't think Sara was ever once at that location where the van was found.

This is very interesting. Please, share more on this! :wave:

Hi. Waves back. :wave:

Here are my cynical thoughts:

Post #406

All of the "running off" theories sound so nice. I wish. But I highly doubt it.

1) I still think it's highly plausible though, that this is some sort of revenge act. 2) But let's face it, most crimes occur between people who know each other. Which places the eye of Sauron squarely on the home Sara was living in.

Thanks for finally saying "something might have happened at home." I've been thinking it all along. It's been mildly hinted at, but no one has dared to 'go there'. There's about 1000 scenarios that could be played out here, but because both parents work in LE and had plenty of resources to produce a really good scenario/alibi, my guess would be that if something did happen at home, it occurred spontaneously, even accidentally. Who knows?

This is why I asked earlier, who besides the parents was last to actually hear her voice before 6:30 a.m. that day? I think that should be the last known sighting. Not 6:30 a.m. before work. Money says her vest shows up somewhere. Waaaaay too convenient, considering the staged van location. I have a sinking feeling mention of the vest is also staged.

1) and 2) are the two scenarios I feel most strongly about. 2) being the lead runner, as it makes the most sense, common compared to being abducted, and the appearance of being staged in a place no possible cameras would capture its route at any point.

If there was a phone ping, I wouldn't put too much stock into it. Anyone could have traveled with the phone, to seal the staged MP.

All jmo. Having said all that, I also hope she just ran away because she wasn't happy and didn't want a confrontation. But why not take any of her stuff? So weird.

 

[margarita25]

Has LE checked every restaurant, gas station etc where she might have stopped? I would totally think so. They need to look at footage during that time frame in all nearby places in case she stopped; I would think they would do this. Whatever the case, surveillance footage is only retained for so long, depending on the camera, time is running out if there is a clue on any existing footage. It might even be too late. Hope they got to it in the initial stages of the investigation.

 

[margarita25]

Post #425




Hi. Waves back. :wave:

Here are my cynical thoughts:

Post #406

Gotcha :wink:

:seeya:

 

[GigTu]

How did you draw that conclusion?

Just a hunch that the van was dumped.