GUILTY NY - Vincent Viafore, 46, Newburgh, 19 April 2015 - #2

[silly1]

He also wore neither a wet nor dry suit and his kayak itself was said by other kayakers to be ill-suited for Hudson conditions. Add that to no personal flotation device and his status as a responsible outdoorsman sags a bit. Graswald's to blame for all this though, I suspect?

That is one of the puzzling aspects to this case. By all friend accounts, they say he was a responsible outdoorsman. WHAT caused him or WHY did he enter the water without a life vest knowing that if he capsized and was incapacitated, he would drown? Part of the reason NY created the law was due to the large number of accidental drownings that had occurred on our waterways. http://nysparks.com/newsroom/press-releases/release.aspx?r=760

It seems like we are just going to have to wait for answers. Hopefully, on 6/22 we will find out new information that will shed light on this.

 

[wfgodot]

From Newsweek, a pretty good, balanced piece from a couple weeks ago -- nothing new obviously, this being pre-body discovery, but a good read if one hasn't. One does notice a rather prevalent presence of alcohol in the reminesences of friends.

Hobby or Homicide? How a Kayaking Disappearance Turned Into a Murder Investigation

 

[epiphany]

From Newsweek, a pretty good, balanced piece from a couple weeks ago -- nothing new obviously, this being pre-body discovery, but a good read if one hasn't. One does notice a rather prevalent presence of alcohol in the reminesences of friends.

Hobby or Homicide? How a Kayaking Disappearance Turned Into a Murder Investigation

I had read another article yesterday which left me with a similar impression--alcohol was a very close companion. It stood out to me and I wondered if they had been drinking before setting off. I could not find it when I searched.

Finished my limit for the month on access to NW. Any snippets?

 

[wfgodot]

I had read another article yesterday which left me with a similar impression--alcohol was a close companion. I could not find it when I searched.

Finished my limit for the month on access to NW. Any snippets?

Mea culpa -- just clicked back to find some, and found I've done the same, access-wise. Little there I hadn't seen before elsewhere, just (seemingly innocuous) short mentions of Viafore (and Graswald to a lesser extent) and alcohol. One does wonder if it was a problem, as it appears its use on the fatal day may feature in the defense.

 

[JerseyGirl]

That is one of the puzzling aspects to this case. By all friend accounts, they say he was a responsible outdoorsman. WHAT caused him or WHY did he enter the water without a life vest knowing that if he capsized and was incapacitated, he would drown? Part of the reason NY created the law was due to the large number of accidental drownings that had occurred on our waterways. http://nysparks.com/newsroom/press-releases/release.aspx?r=760

It seems like we are just going to have to wait for answers. Hopefully, on 6/22 we will find out new information that will shed light on this.

I thought about this and wonder if he did have the vest with him on the kayak right out to the island and at some point on the island she "hid" it. When they were preparing to leave, she might have led him to believe it either flew away or something. Then when the police were on the island they found it (and haven't told us).

I dunno, then too he may have been confident in his ability to kayak to the island without the vest (since he's such an outdoorsman) and had mistakenly left it at home. If he were wearing that life vest, he'd most likely be alive today. That life vest was key.

 

[SweetPea60]

I thought about this and wonder if he did have the vest with him on the kayak right out to the island and at some point on the island she "hid" it. When they were preparing to leave, she might have led him to believe it either flew away or something. Then when the police were on the island they found it (and haven't told us).

I dunno, then too he may have been confident in his ability to kayak to the island without the vest (since he's such an outdoorsman) and had mistakenly left it at home. If he were wearing that life vest, he'd most likely be alive today. That life vest was key.

I was just thinking along the same lines. Either something mysteriously happened to his or even maybe hers and he gave her his to keep her safe.

 

[DayLea]

There have been a few mentions of Gone Girl in this thread and incidentally I'm reading Gillian Flynn's novel right now (already a fan of the movie). This passage stuck out to me - Nick Dunne, while talking with the police:

I was speaking loudly, I realized, and I sounded almost angry, certainly righteous, but it was such a relief. I'd started with a lie [...] and turned that into a surprising burst of pure truth, and I realized why criminals talked too much, because it feels so good to tell your story to a stranger, someone who won't call bulls**t, someone forced to listen to your side. (Someone pretending to listen to your side, I corrected.)

Fiction, I know, but food for thought. Whether you think AG is guilty or not, this passage could go either way, which is why I found it interesting.

(FWIW, unless there is a LOT more to AG's diary than what's already been revealed, I don't necessarily think her entries were fake. She could have painted a far worse picture of VV IMO. Not liking your sex life isn't the same as fearing for your life. Just my thoughts.)

 

[BunnyHop]

From Newsweek, a pretty good, balanced piece from a couple weeks ago -- nothing new obviously, this being pre-body discovery, but a good read if one hasn't. One does notice a rather prevalent presence of alcohol in the reminesences of friends.

Hobby or Homicide? How a Kayaking Disappearance Turned Into a Murder Investigation

From your link:

She stuck with at least one routine, volunteering at Bannerman Castle, which she had done every Wednesday morning for a year. There, she would help weed the garden and plant flowers with 10 or so other people. On April 29, 10 days after the kayaking incident, as she was tending to the zinnias and marigolds and bee balms and preparing a floating wreath for Viafore, state investigators showed up to ask her questions they hoped would guide their search for Viafore’s body. They would later say there were inconsistencies in her answers, so they took her back to shore and arrested her for murder.

Thanks for the link which clarifies one of my previous posts.
On April 29, most would be doing weeding and clean up. I'm in that business for many years.

Here's what I found that I find very interesting regarding her "lawyer".

I know some may be fans of Judge Jeanine. However, I grew up here and remember when she was county DA. For anyone that does not know, her husband was a big time crook around here. (read between the lines) Somehow, she managed to advance her career, go figure. Think Portale is looking for "advancement"?

Anyway, here's what I discovered:

 

[silly1]

I thought about this and wonder if he did have the vest with him on the kayak right out to the island and at some point on the island she "hid" it. When they were preparing to leave, she might have led him to believe it either flew away or something. Then when the police were on the island they found it (and haven't told us).

I dunno, then too he may have been confident in his ability to kayak to the island without the vest (since he's such an outdoorsman) and had mistakenly left it at home. If he were wearing that life vest, he'd most likely be alive today. That life vest was key.

BBM. Interesting thought. Seems plausible.

 

[silly1]

Ok...so I just checked out her instagram for the first time. There are pictures of the two of them on the Hudson in kayaks both without life vests on. Apparently it's warm as he's not wearing a shirt and she's in a bathing suit. There are also other pictures of them on smaller bodies of water without life vests as well. Scroll down to June 8 2014 to view them. I guess some of his friends weren't aware of his risk-taking behaviors, based on the media reports.

There were also lots of pictures of drinks and beers featured, FWIW.

I'm still thinking she's guilty, but this definitely helps add some clarity on the situation IMO.

 

[DayLea]

Ok...so I just checked out her instagram for the first time. There are pictures of the two of them on the Hudson in kayaks both without life vests on. Apparently it's warm as he's not wearing a shirt and she's in a bathing suit. There are also other pictures of them on smaller bodies of water without life vests as well. Scroll down to June 8 2014 to view them. I guess some of his friends weren't aware of his risk-taking behaviors, based on the media reports.

There were also lots of pictures of drinks and beers featured, FWIW.

I'm still thinking she's guilty, but this definitely helps add some clarity on the situation IMO.

This. Bringing forward my post from the previous thread:

Regarding the life jacket question, I wonder if they weren't people who simply rarely used them. In the pic she posted of herself kayaking, she's not wearing one, nor did I see either of them wearing them in any of their FB photos. If that is the case, it's much more suspect that she wore one than that he didn't.

 

[hot cawfeee]

Or maybe pictures like that---with out vests--- are more of their "vanity" pictures?

 

[kimi_SFC]

Kayak Murder Case: Experts Say It Was a Dangerous Day to Be on the Water : People.com
12 hours ago

A Dangerous Day to Kayak

The experts tell PEOPLE that the amount of water entering a small hole could be minimal compared to the amount of water splashing into the open cockpit of Viafore's boat. He was using a Future Beach Fusion kayak, according to Portale.

"More water will come into the cockpit area than the small little plug," says Bill Garrison, owner of Hudson River kayak touring company Mountain Valley Guides, who saw a copy of the kayak's owner's manual. "It gets very tippy and you go over, and you can't get back into the boat because it's so unsteady due to the water inside of it."

Brian Grahn, owner of Hudson River Expeditions in Cold Spring, N.Y., who also saw a copy of the manual, says: "It's not the best kayak to use on the Hudson River. The issue of flotation is a big one, a major one."

Garrison questioned the couple's knowledge of kayaking. "Crossing the river stuck with me. Why were they doing that?" he says. "Crossing the river in 46-degree water without a life jacket – that's kind of insane. That's someone who doesn't understand or respect the danger of that."
[...]
"I certainly would not be out on the Hudson River in 47-degree water without a dry suit on, that's asking for trouble," hypothermia expert Gordon Giesbrecht, PhD, professor of thermophysiology at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, tells PEOPLE.

According to Giesbrecht, people immediately experience a cold-shock response when they hit 47-degree water – a gasp followed by hyperventilation of rapid, shallow breathing lasting from 30 seconds to 90 seconds. Then comes cold incapacitation, when muscles and nerves get colder and strength and coordination diminishes.

"Your fingers and hands become weaker within minutes," Giesbrecht says. "It would make it hard for him to hold onto the boat."

Adds Garrison: "People can't just get in a kayak and go, you have to know what you are doing. It can get really choppy really quickly and the wind and the waves can be really dangerous."

http://www.people.com/article/kayak-murder-angelika-graswald-case-experts



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[geevee]

Quote Originally Posted by silly1 View Post

Ok...so I just checked out her instagram for the first time. There are pictures of the two of them on the Hudson in kayaks both without life vests on. Apparently it's warm as he's not wearing a shirt and she's in a bathing suit. There are also other pictures of them on smaller bodies of water without life vests as well. Scroll down to June 8 2014 to view them. I guess some of his friends weren't aware of his risk-taking behaviors, based on the media reports.

There were also lots of pictures of drinks and beers featured, FWIW.

I'm still thinking she's guilty, but this definitely helps add some clarity on the situation IMO.

This. Bringing forward my post from the previous thread:

Regarding the life jacket question, I wonder if they weren't people who simply rarely used them. In the pic she posted of herself kayaking, she's not wearing one, nor did I see either of them wearing them in any of their FB photos. If that is the case, it's much more suspect that she wore one than that he didn't.

So if she usually went without a life jacket, why did she have one on that evening?

 

[wfgodot]

So if she usually went without a life jacket, why did she have one on that evening?

Where is it stated she "usually wore a life jacket"? By whom?

 

[geevee]

Where is it stated she "usually wore a life jacket"? By whom?

The quote by silly1 of Instagram pics of her kayaking without one?

There are pictures of the two of them on the Hudson in kayaks both without life vests on. Apparently it's warm as he's not wearing a shirt and she's in a bathing suit. There are also other pictures of them on smaller bodies of water without life vests as well.

 

[JerseyGirl]

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 27 at St. Martin de Porres Church, 118 Cedar Valley Road, Poughkeepsie. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Poughkeepsie.

Viafore's obituary, online at the McHoul Funeral Home website, says that the 46-year-old man's family moved to Dutchess County in 1970, from Bronxville.

Viafore is a graduate of Wappingers' Roy C. Ketcham High School, and was on the wrestling team, his obituary says. He went on to Dutchess Community College, and spent more than 20 years with the state Office of General Services Design and Construction Department as a certified code enforcement official and a senior project manager.

"He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and had a very close relationship with his nephew, Michael," Viafore's obituary reads."He loved the Hudson River Valley and enjoyed running the Walkway on a regular basis while participating in various billiard and volleyball leagues, as well."

Graswald is not listed on his obituary, but his "former wife and close friend, Suzanne Carson Viafore," is.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2015/06/09/funeral-set-vincent-viafore/28733807/

I found his Obituary: http://www.mchoulfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/2159378/Viafore-Vincent/obituary.php

 

[JerseyGirl]

The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy but have declined to comment on its results. Prosecutors also declined to comment on the autopsy, but Graswald's attorney tells PEOPLE the body showed "no signs of foul play."

http://www.people.com/article/kayak-murder-case-vincent-viafore-funeral

 

[BunnyHop]

This is my son after hiking Breakneck.
See the highlands below. I just saw this on my FB feed.

My heart goes out to Vinny's family and friends. May he Rest in Peace.

Those of us in the Hudson Valley have deep love and respect.

Blessings.

eta: Breakneck is directly above Bannerman's on the East Bank.

 

[wfgodot]

Anything new? My Google Alerts seems to have fallen distressingly silent in this most interesting case!