Found Deceased NC - Stephanie Mayorga, 27, & Paige Escalera, 25, Wilmington, 15 Apr 2020

[cujenn81]

This case is very odd to me. I really don't see what most people seem to see with Stephanie and Paige being "madly" in love. The lovey-dovey stuff always rubs me the wrong way. The way they wrote captions and comments doesn't seem to match the way they acted on those videos. Maybe it's just their personality, I don't know. Some details in this case do make me thing that maybe their relationship wasn't as good as they may have wanted to make it seem. It's possible that the goal wasn't really a murder-suicide and things just got out of control during a fight, who knows. I just don't believe this was 100% an accident.

I agree 100%. I've heard it said that the sign of a good relationship is no sign of it on Facebook. The notion being similar to a different idiom -- confidence is silent and insecurities are loud. It always seems suspicious to me when people feel the need to repeatedly post about how much they love their partner or how lucky they are to have such an amazing person in their life. Who are they trying to convince?

I don't necessarily believe this accident was a planned suicide mission. However, I do believe the reckless behavior -- drinking and driving at speeds over 100 mph despite a pending DUI charge -- is indicative of someone who cares very little about their life at the moment.

 

[AVerySunshiny]

I agree 100%. I've heard it said that the sign of a good relationship is no sign of it on Facebook. The notion being similar to a different idiom -- confidence is silent and insecurities are loud. It always seems suspicious to me when people feel the need to repeatedly post about how much they love their partner or how lucky they are to have such an amazing person in their life. Who are they trying to convince?

I don't necessarily believe this accident was a planned suicide mission. However, I do believe the reckless behavior -- drinking and driving at speeds over 100 mph despite a pending DUI charge -- is indicative of someone who cares very little about their life at the moment.

You put this much better than I did.

 

[Knox]

I agree 100%. I've heard it said that the sign of a good relationship is no sign of it on Facebook. The notion being similar to a different idiom -- confidence is silent and insecurities are loud. It always seems suspicious to me when people feel the need to repeatedly post about how much they love their partner or how lucky they are to have such an amazing person in their life. Who are they trying to convince?

I don't necessarily believe this accident was a planned suicide mission. However, I do believe the reckless behavior -- drinking and driving at speeds over 100 mph despite a pending DUI charge -- is indicative of someone who cares very little about their life at the moment.

OT~ My ex-DIL did exactly what you describe. She would put up a photo with flowery words, while we the family knew they were fighting. It was the weirdest thing to observe. Anyone on the outside looking in, would never have imagined what life in that house was really like. For seven years that person wrecked havoc in our family. Happy to say it's been peaceful since she exited the scene.

 

[AVerySunshiny]

Absolutely amazing photos -- BIG thanks, @Vail!

I, too, do not think that this crash was intentional -- they were probably talking, having a good time, not noticing how fast they were going, and then things happened in the blink of an eye. So, so sad.

I would think it would be rather difficult to not realize one is going at or near 100 MPH. Even straight roads in Wilmington seem wonky, everything has a slight (or major) curve, it seems like someone threw cooked spaghetti down and that became the road patterns. Fog late at night and early morning, coyotes and foxes crossing roads, everything winds around slight and major marshes, waterways, natural marine geographical topography. I have a great sense of direction and it took me well over a year to get my bearings.

 

[carbuff]

I would think it would be rather difficult to not realize one is going at or near 100 MPH. Even straight roads in Wilmington seem wonky, everything has a slight (or major) curve, it seems like someone threw cooked spaghetti down and that became the road patterns. Fog late at night and early morning, coyotes and foxes crossing roads, everything winds around slight and major marshes, waterways, natural marine geographical topography. I have a great sense of direction and it took me well over a year to get my bearings.

Thanks for the insight. It sounds very possible that if she was driving that fast, she wouldn't have had time to react when she realized the road wasn't quite where she thought?

 

[MimosaMornings]

Did they take the beer with them?
Only thing I remember seeing was that they bought “snacks” at that store, perhaps there was another stop somewhere?

 

[AVerySunshiny]

Thanks for the insight. It sounds very possible that if she was driving that fast, she wouldn't have had time to react when she realized the road wasn't quite where she thought?

That is very possible, the roads are winding and they wander. Wilmington is a pretty, clean, nice yet quirky little town, very busy traffic but there never seems to be anyone around, it is so very quiet it is eerie. There are the weird booms at night that someone else mentioned. It's just a bit odd but I love it. It feels like we live in an isolated area, we live in the middle of town but there is almost always zero external noise or activity, and I do mean zero. From my experience living here, they absolutely could have crashed hard and no one heard anything.
edit: typo, clarity

 

[Jo in Calif]

Did they take the beer with them?
Only thing I remember seeing was that they bought “snacks” at that store, perhaps there was another stop somewhere?

Police also said that several empty beer bottles were discovered in the vehicle, and that it was determined that the women had purchased a 12-pack of beer from a convenience store about an hour before the wreck.

WPD confirms bodies in vehicle were those of missing Wilmington women

 

[MimosaMornings]

Police also said that several empty beer bottles were discovered in the vehicle, and that it was determined that the women had purchased a 12-pack of beer from a convenience store about an hour before the wreck.

WPD confirms bodies in vehicle were those of missing Wilmington women

So they purchased beer at the K&D Mini-Mart.

 

[Steph8angels]

JMO
It's just a sad ending to what I researched about Steph and Paige.
I really wish both of them were out on the water today enjoying this beautiful weather alive and with loved ones. Our reality is that they both are gone. Maybe to a place of peace together.

Engaged Couple Was Intoxicated And Driving 103 Mph Before Fatal Crash, Police Say

• Wilmington Police Department spokesperson Linda Thompson told Port City Daily, “We believe that the officers who responded to the crash call on April 15 acted appropriately. We did not return to the crash site the following day because there was no evidence to show that there was a crash.”
  
  The department told Oxygen.com on Tuesday that they will not be commenting any further on the case.
  
  Both women died of traumatic head and chest injuries sustained in the crash, Sotelo said Thursday.

10% cc due to TOS/WS

 

[Kittybunny]

So they purchased beer at the K&D Mini-Mart.

Plus, one of them had a beer in her hand as they were leaving the house. Who knows how much they had already been drinking that day?

 

[MajorHoople]

JMO
It's just a sad ending to what I researched about Steph and Paige.
I really wish both of them were out on the water today enjoying this beautiful weather alive and with loved ones. Our reality is that they both are gone. Maybe to a place of peace together.

Engaged Couple Was Intoxicated And Driving 103 Mph Before Fatal Crash, Police Say

• Wilmington Police Department spokesperson Linda Thompson told Port City Daily, “We believe that the officers who responded to the crash call on April 15 acted appropriately. We did not return to the crash site the following day because there was no evidence to show that there was a crash.”
  
  The department told Oxygen.com on Tuesday that they will not be commenting any further on the case.
  
  Both women died of traumatic head and chest injuries sustained in the crash, Sotelo said Thursday.

10% cc due to TOS/WS

Sounds to me like some of the relatives hope they can win a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Wilmington.

From the Oxygen article:

"Escalera's sister Stevie Jenkins told Oxygen.com on Tuesday "there was no evidence indicating that the driver was intoxicated."

She added, "That sounds to me like they are using alcohol as an excuse to not search further and to sway the attention of the public from their negligence to drinking and driving."

Jenkins also alleged that "had they [police] done a proper investigation at the time of the crash, they would have been able to either save their lives or determine the actual cause and factors of their deaths."

"Jenkins has remained critical, alleging that certain explanations don't add up for her.

"Had they done their best and not provided such runaround reasonings for not finding them in an appropriate amount of time, I don't think I would be as upset as I am," she told Oxygen.com on Tuesday. "There were so many clues and as a Police Department, you would think that they would have done a better job. These are professionals who are supposed to be serving and protecting their citizens and they failed to do this. I feel that we have been lied to so much just to cover up the negligence on their end."

 

[Lusitana]

I mean, I understand why the family is upset. BUT, there is a history of BOTH driving under the influence. There are SEVERAL videos of them driving WHILE drinking. Oh, and the footage of them leaving the house, with one of them holding a... beer. I'm sorry but the chances of this being an accident caused by the driver being under the influence are really high.

 

[cujenn81]

I mean, I understand why the family is upset. BUT, there is a history of BOTH driving under the influence. There are SEVERAL videos of them driving WHILE drinking. Oh, and the footage of them leaving the house, with one of them holding a... beer. I'm sorry but the chances of this being an accident caused by the driver being under the influence are really high.

I totally agree. After LE released the accident simulation (created based on info taken from the car data box), I can see why they weren't able to locate the car on the night of the accident. If the car battery hadn't been damaged in the crash, the headlights would have likely pointed them in the right direction. Also, the person who reported the accident said they hit a wall, and I'm sure LE conducted their search with that information in mind. I don't think it's fair to blame those officers at all.

 

[JenEffy]

I just watched the reconstruction and, while I completely understand that their friends and family are angry due to grief, I agree that it's not fair to blame LE. I don't see how anyone could survive hitting a tree at 102 MPH.

 

[LadyL]

their anger is misdirected
it should be at two adults who caused their own deaths and put others at risk by driving intoxicated

 

[Lusitana]

As cruel as this may sound, this was bound to happen. The family needs to find other ways to grieve.

 

[Knox]

Like many of you have said, her anger is understandable. SJ had recently began communicating with her estranged sister again, now the opportunity to mend and forge ahead in the relationship is gone. I get it.

What I won't agree with is the filing of any type of lawsuit against WPD. That would make her loss about money, not her sister.

 

[grillzgirl]

Can someone point me in the direction of the reconstruction?

 

[Knox]

Can someone point me in the direction of the reconstruction?

Video at link.
WPD cites alcohol as cause of missing women’s fatal crash, defends search efforts | Port City Daily