NY NY - The Alphabet Killings, Rochester

[Megsleuths97]

Something I’ve been wanting to add to this forum for a while now is that Riga is usually called “Churchville-Chili” because that’s what the school district is named there.

As a native Rochestarian, I don’t think I’ve ever actually called that area Riga. Probably not a big detail but if that’s the only outlier for Carmen, then it might not be an outlier at all.

 

[ziggystarshay]

Something I’ve been wanting to add to this forum for a while now is that Riga is usually called “Churchville-Chili” because that’s what the school district is named there.

As a native Rochestarian, I don’t think I’ve ever actually called that area Riga. Probably not a big detail but if that’s the only outlier for Carmen, then it might not be an outlier at all.

It's great you brought this point up. I grew up similarly, with Fairport/Perinton being the same situation. Village of Fairport, town of Perinton: village of Churchville, town of Riga. And like you, everyone who grew up in Perinton just says they're from Fairport (because of the school district). But I didn't actually grow up in the VILLAGE of Fairport, I was in the greater Perinton area.

My issue with the Riga/Churchville variation when discussing the Double Initial killings, is that Carmen was always reported to have been found in Riga, which is true. The street her body was discovered on is technically in the greater Riga area, and not at all in the village of Churchville. But once Wanda and Michelle were abducted and then recovered from towns beginning with the same letter of their names, newspaper articles began to say Carmen was found in Churchville. It made it more compelling to see that THREE, instead of just two, cases could be potentially tied/related and carried out by one perpetrator.

 

[Megsleuths97]

It's great you brought this point up. I grew up similarly, with Fairport/Perinton being the same situation. Village of Fairport, town of Perinton: village of Churchville, town of Riga. And like you, everyone who grew up in Perinton just says they're from Fairport (because of the school district). But I didn't actually grow up in the VILLAGE of Fairport, I was in the greater Perinton area.

My issue with the Riga/Churchville variation when discussing the Double Initial killings, is that Carmen was always reported to have been found in Riga, which is true. The street her body was discovered on is technically in the greater Riga area, and not at all in the village of Churchville. But once Wanda and Michelle were abducted and then recovered from towns beginning with the same letter of their names, newspaper articles began to say Carmen was found in Churchville. It made it more compelling to see that THREE, instead of just two, cases could be potentially tied/related and carried out by one perpetrator.

Right! I know that it's technically Riga. What I'm trying to explain is that Riga is generally called "Churchville-Chili" and I've never heard someone even say that they're from Riga. Usually, people say Churchville, Chili, or a combination of both. Residents of Riga send their kids to Churchville-Chili school district. While she was far from Churchville, she was closer to Chili from what I understand in a gully along 490. Looking at a current map of 490, it's closer to both Churchville and Chili than it is Riga.


I know that the reports were maybe changed or worded to go along with a bigger story to tie into the other murders, but in my opinion it's not a big factor for me due to the fact that the entire Riga area is called something else by everyone who lives there, and around there. I guess it'd also have to come down to specifics as to which gully along 490, since there looks to be many different areas to fit that description along 490 between Churchville, Chili, and Riga.

 

[ziggystarshay]

Right! I know that it's technically Riga. What I'm trying to explain is that Riga is generally called "Churchville-Chili" and I've never heard someone even say that they're from Riga. Usually, people say Churchville, Chili, or a combination of both. Residents of Riga send their kids to Churchville-Chili school district. While she was far from Churchville, she was closer to Chili from what I understand in a gully along 490. Looking at a current map of 490, it's closer to both Churchville and Chili than it is Riga.


I know that the reports were maybe changed or worded to go along with a bigger story to tie into the other murders, but in my opinion it's not a big factor for me due to the fact that the entire Riga area is called something else by everyone who lives there, and around there. I guess it'd also have to come down to specifics as to which gully along 490, since there looks to be many different areas to fit that description along 490 between Churchville, Chili, and Riga.

No I totally know what you're saying. And same for me that everyone from Perinton says they're from Fairport, even though it's technically Perinton. Like you, where people say they're from Churchville or Chili, when actually it's considered the bigger encompassing Riga. Churchville and Chili are both within Riga, and Fairport is the village within Perinton. Our school district is Fairport even though all the schools aren't even in the village of Fairport.

I've attached a photo - the red line is Stearns Rd where Carmen's body was found, and you can see Churchville is a ways away in the top left, and the purple is where the Chili limits begin. So according to the maps, and where town lines start, she was found in Riga, albeit very close to the start of Chili.

It just bothers me that the media changed to saying she was found in Chili for seemingly the sensationalism of the case.

 

[Megsleuths97]

No I totally know what you're saying. And same for me that everyone from Perinton says they're from Fairport, even though it's technically Perinton. Like you, where people say they're from Churchville or Chili, when actually it's considered the bigger encompassing Riga. Churchville and Chili are both within Riga, and Fairport is the village within Perinton. Our school district is Fairport even though all the schools aren't even in the village of Fairport.

I've attached a photo - the red line is Stearns Rd where Carmen's body was found, and you can see Churchville is a ways away in the top left, and the purple is where the Chili limits begin. So according to the maps, and where town lines start, she was found in Riga, albeit very close to the start of Chili.

It just bothers me that the media changed to saying she was found in Chili for seemingly the sensationalism of the case.

Ahhh okay I’m better understanding the location now! I had to take a drive out that way Wednesday via 490 and honestly in my opinion, I’d call that area Churchville so maybe the authors didn’t realize it at first and then when the second one happened, they were like “OH, Churchville!” (lol)

But again, thank you so much for the exact location because I was super in the dark, seeing how a lot of what’s out that way is marsh land, and I was looking for a gully my next rez trip I’ll have to detour. I much better understand locations by being there!

 

[ziggystarshay]

Ahhh okay I’m better understanding the location now! I had to take a drive out that way Wednesday via 490 and honestly in my opinion, I’d call that area Churchville so maybe the authors didn’t realize it at first and then when the second one happened, they were like “OH, Churchville!” (lol)

But again, thank you so much for the exact location because I was super in the dark, seeing how a lot of what’s out that way is marsh land, and I was looking for a gully my next rez trip I’ll have to detour. I much better understand locations by being there!

Haha and glad it was helpful! Definitely have to dig through articles to find the more specific details like that. It was reported she was raped and killed her near the expressway, and then drove the 2 miles to Stearns Rd and rolled her body into a ditch. Ugh, tragic. But I agree, seeing it on a map clarifies it a lot. I've never taken a drive out there, so you'll have to report back! Wonder how much it's built up/changed since the early 70s.