OH OH - William 'Bill' Comeans, 14, Columbus, 7 Jan 1980 - #1

[Tulessa]

Very well stated Kat and I share every single one of your thoughts. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for your family's loss. Such a monumental (still an insufficient word & understatement) loss to such a great "gift to everyone he crossed paths with in life" person, such as Bill. I never knew Bill, however I feel that I do know Bill, thanks to you and Bob.

You don't sleep much either eh? :scared:

 

[Methodical]

You don't sleep much either eh? :scared:

I must admit, significantly less, since involvement with Bill's case.
You caught me away from this thread and I was 3/4 the way thru Alan & Lisa's (your) thread. Right after the guilty verdict.

 

[Tulessa]

I must admit, significantly less, since involvement with Bill's case.
You caught me away from this thread and I was 3/4 the way thru Alan & Lisa's (your) thread. Right after the guilty verdict.

March the 20th will be six years, and it still feels like yesterday. Hubby just got up, and said,*Honey, you can't fix everything*. He's so patient with me, and has been so supportive. He reads this thread and several others, but as a guest. He doesn't want to bother with registering. Going to try again to get some sleep. Nite friend.

 

[GoingByMyGut]

I want to express my thanks for everyone taking their time to brainstorm, research, ponder, and share with us. I believe there is a time for everything. Perhaps it's taken 34 years for this new DNA testing to come about because it's taken that long for the DNA of whomever it belongs to, to get in the system. Maybe 20 years ago if it were tested, we'd have no matches. I have been called 'annoyingly optimistic' and I believe the answers to Bill's murder will come. I was 9 when Bill was murdered, so I have spent most of my life wondering why, praying for answers, hoping for something. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to Bill's attacks and there will never be an excuse for why he was murdered. I know nothing will bring back my brother, and any answers we will be given won't make things ok. But the life of a my brother was taken and the life of our family altered forever... even in to the next generation. Someone is responsible for Bill's death and that person needs be held accountable. I will be glad when we can all stop the discussion and move on... to the next cold case.

BBM1: I love that thinking. You may just be right.

BBM2: Yes, I know this to be true. As a few others on this thread know, my father's father disappeared in 1929 when my father was nine months old, leaving behind a wife/mother with four mouths to feed during the depression. He was never found. While everyone in the family has a different idea of what may have happened to him, everyone was changed by it. This many years later, you can see their pain. It's become part of who we all are.

BBM3: Best use of the pain (next to making sure everyone knows you love them today). JMO

 

[GoingByMyGut]

BBM

This is a very interesting scenario. I just yesterday asked my brother about his days as a paper boy. He was 13 and 14 when he had his route. I asked him if he could think of anything that would get a paperboy into trouble with his customers. He laughed and said a lot of things could. And he went on to tell me that he learned a lot of uncomfortable things about some of the neighborhood families. For example, he once stumbled upon a drunk man sleeping it off in his car in the driveway. And he saw some 'domestic' situations, like parents swatting their kids a bit hard. But one significant incident was that he saw his friend's father, leaving his neighbor's house early one morning. And a single mom lived there. He was married and lived next door. It was just before sunrise and my brother felt awkward seeing him leave the house, and pretended not to notice.

So it is quite possible that a paperboy could stumble into a very awkward secret.

This is EXACTLY what made me ask the question about the heavy tippers! Thanks for that opening, KatyDid23.

When I was Bill's age -- maybe even 13 (so 1969/70) -- I babysat for a family with two very little kids. The mother went bowling at 7:30, and the father came home at 8 -- and handed me a ten (these were the days when babysitters made a buck or two an hour, folks). When the two went out together, he would often give me a fifty, leaving me thinking "Wha-a-a-at?!" And though I offered to bring him change the next time I came, he always laughed and said he didn't want any change.

Well, then I started babysitting for the neighbor, a widow whose backyard abutted this backyard. The first night I babysat in the widow's house (OT, but an incredible Victorian with front and back stairways, skylight, and libraries, that burned to the ground about two years later), guess who was waiting in the car to take me home? Oh yeah. That night when he handed me the fifty, I suddenly got what it was for.

And guess what? I told myself that the main reason I was on his side was that his wife smacked their two little kids silly, to the point where one -- a 3-YO -- cut his forehead on a nightstand after being whacked across a bed. But I was bought. And I think I was dang lucky that that's all there was to it.

SisterWolf, what you say above about all the parts of the case is true, but I agree with Methodical's points about why we should stay open. I will only add that I myself am not completely convinced (1) that the notes figure into this case the same way you do, (2) that multiple attackers existed, or (3) that the motive was vengeance. When I asked the question, I was looking at the possibility of Sugar Daddy testing/grooming behavior potentially fitting another way.

Just explaining my thinking ... I am enjoying your back and forth.

 

[GoingByMyGut]

Your reply to ZooMom quoted below:


This all originated from my post, so I'll respond also.
I think the *risk* of something being exposed by any person that is deemed not 100% trustworthy of keeping a life long secret, is often times a HUGE motivator in permanently silencing that chance, depending on the severity of the implications should "whatever secret/person" be exposed.

The fact that Bill never mentioned it or exposed it has no bearing on the perceived trustworthiness that Bill would *continue* to keep that information private. If Bill had exposed that "possible" secret, then the motive to kill him may not have gone away, but simply changed from "to prevent exposure" to... "sheer payback/retaliation".

I totally agree with this entire post. Re the BBM: Psychologically, I think just *knowing someone knows* can be a crazy-making thought in the mind of an already disturbed individual -- and can ultimately push the person over the edge just to *quiet he thought* (i.e., kill the person who knows).

 

[Methodical]

G'mornin all (tho there may be some overseas G'evening WS viewers).

Apparently a video of the crime scene exists.
I'm not sure if it was video'd by news crews or if it was video footage they obtained via LE.
It's obvious it's a video showing parts of the evidence before it was removed from the crime scene. This is part of Channel 10 coverage of Bill's murder, which is shown on the following YouTube link.

The snippet of video footage starts at approx the 1:50 mark in the YouTube video. It shows a small portion of the knife and handle. The knife is partially embedded into the snow, upside-down (sharp blade edge facing upwards), with the knife being nearly horizontal (but with upward angle towards the handle end). At the handle there appears to be a few inches of clearance between the snow and handle end, which gradually tapers to no clearance between snow/handle at the handle to blade junction point.

I don't have a similar knife on hand at the moment, for a "probability test", but I find the knife blades straight vertical orientation to be quite unusual. Typically if a knife of this type were to fall onto the snow, it is highly unlikely it would do so with the "flat of the blade" in a near perfect vertical position. It can happen, but very rarely.

Furthermore, the clearance between the snow and handle is such that it is not beyond reason that this would be virtually the same clearance if someone was to have the knife grasped by the handle, then swing it downward, to intentionally embed it in the snow.
I'm not saying that is what happened, but these two "peculiarities/coincidences" do cause one to question this very unusual position.

Again, just an "oddity" and by no means actual proof either way.
My point is... the unusual position suggests the "possibility" of the knife *intentionally* being left at the scene.

YouTube Video at Comeans Crime Scene

Screenshot/Freeze-frame of knife at scene:

Screenshot/Freeze-frame of beer bottle at scene:

 

[rosemadderlake]

I wonder what level of Valium was found in Bill's system? If this finding was a total surprise to Bill's family, I am surmising neither parent had a prescription for it.

Was he forced to ingest it? If it was injected, who would have access to that form of the drug? Was it planned like the abduction and murder? Was it a mock arrest by a nark?

It was a street drug in the 60's & 70's. Did he buy it? Was he trying to be cool, fit in? If so, who else in his age group at school knew and were experimenting with drugs themselves? Did a friend give it to him to try to help calm him after attacks 1 & 2? -Which suggests he told someone about what was happening to him.

Kids definitely did not tell their parents, or anyone who might tell their parents (like older brothers) when they were experimenting with drugs. But what young kids do not realize is serious drug dealers kill for nothing. So, while another high school kid could have been a contact at school, they are on the fringe of drug rings and illicit groups which would be a factor in a city like Columbus, OH.

 

[Methodical]

I wonder what level of Valium was found in Bill's system? If this finding was a total surprise to Bill's family, I am surmising neither parent had a prescription for it.

Was he forced to ingest it? If it was injected, who would have access to that form of the drug? Was it planned like the abduction and murder? Was it a mock arrest by a nark?

It was a street drug in the 60's & 70's. Did he buy it? Was he trying to be cool, fit in? If so, who else in his age group at school knew and were experimenting with drugs themselves? Did a friend give it to him to try to help calm him after attacks 1 & 2? -Which suggests he told someone about what was happening to him.

Kids definitely did not tell their parents, or anyone who might tell their parents (like older brothers) when they were experimenting with drugs. But what young kids do not realize is serious drug dealers kill for nothing. So, while another high school kid could have been a contact at school, they are on the fringe of drug rings and illicit groups which would be a factor in a city like Columbus, OH.

Good questions & points Rose.
However I think the severity of this crime would go far beyond what a normal high school kid runs into, as far as drug use or related contacts, at school. I see Bill more as very home-orientated, with a steady paper route job, and much of his time consumed doing wholesome "family-valued" type activities.

We simply don't know anything yet about any possible contacts (other than the 3 attacks) that would involve those of very sinister/evil character. At this point, with lack of info, my "guess" would be he was sneaking/taking some valium to help cope with the seemingly constant bullying and threats that occurred in his life.

I think it's extremely important to find out exactly how much valium was in his blood, and it's probable effects in the hours before his death. The coroner should/would know this. I had also asked for this info way back in the thread, but it was never addressed. I hope that maybe Kat or Bill has a copy of the coroner's report, to provide this info.

 

[bessie]

I think you both make good points here, Methodical and Gemmie. I think Methodical means the LE discussion in particular can be sensitive, given the new case assignment. And I think, Gemmie, that the family backs you up on your thoughts because they've posted several times that we should not hold back.

I think another problems is that we may be treading a fine line with TOS on the LE topic, which I think dictates no *LE bashing.* I don't know where I read that, but I read it somewhere. I don't think we've crossed into that yet, but to be honest, I have NO idea where the dividing line is between that and reasonable discussion of legitimate, documented LE problems around the case. Just something to keep in mind. Maybe Bessie will weigh in when she looks in on us next.

You're correct, GBMG. Bashing LE is not allowed. That's not to say we can't question, or even critique, LE actions in a respectful manner. Courtesy and common sense go a long way. In other words, it's not what we say, as much as how we say it.

The greater concern is what Methodical mentioned, and what you clarified for Gemmie. Obviously, our discussions are bound by certain limitations. While we might have the sense of being behind closed doors in these small group discussion threads, that's not the reality. The privacy and safety of family members and innocent third parties is very much a concern. We also must be cautious about posting sensitive information that could potentially interfere with an investigation. I'm happy to say that so far, we're good on all of the above.

 

[bessie]

I want to express my thanks for everyone taking their time to brainstorm, research, ponder, and share with us. I believe there is a time for everything. Perhaps it's taken 34 years for this new DNA testing to come about because it's taken that long for the DNA of whomever it belongs to, to get in the system. Maybe 20 years ago if it were tested, we'd have no matches. I have been called 'annoyingly optimistic' and I believe the answers to Bill's murder will come. I was 9 when Bill was murdered, so I have spent most of my life wondering why, praying for answers, hoping for something. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to Bill's attacks and there will never be an excuse for why he was murdered. I know nothing will bring back my brother, and any answers we will be given won't make things ok. But the life of a my brother was taken and the life of our family altered forever... even in to the next generation. Someone is responsible for Bill's death and that person needs be held accountable. I will be glad when we can all stop the discussion and move on... to the next cold case.

Hold onto that attitude, Kat. You deserve your answers, and I pray they come to you very soon.

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

G'mornin all (tho there may be some overseas G'evening WS viewers).

Apparently a video of the crime scene exists.
I'm not sure if it was video'd by news crews or if it was video footage they obtained via LE.
It's obvious it's a video showing parts of the evidence before it was removed from the crime scene. This is part of Channel 10 coverage of Bill's murder, which is shown on the following YouTube link.

The snippet of video footage starts at approx the 1:50 mark in the YouTube video. It shows a small portion of the knife and handle. The knife is partially embedded into the snow, upside-down (sharp blade edge facing upwards), with the knife being nearly horizontal (but with upward angle towards the handle end). At the handle there appears to be a few inches of clearance between the snow and handle end, which gradually tapers to no clearance between snow/handle at the handle to blade junction point.

I don't have a similar knife on hand at the moment, for a "probability test", but I find the knife blades straight vertical orientation to be quite unusual. Typically if a knife of this type were to fall onto the snow, it is highly unlikely it would do so with the "flat of the blade" in a near perfect vertical position. It can happen, but very rarely.

Furthermore, the clearance between the snow and handle is such that it is not beyond reason that this would be virtually the same clearance if someone was to have the knife grasped by the handle, then swing it downward, to intentionally embed it in the snow.
I'm not saying that is what happened, but these two "peculiarities/coincidences" do cause one to question this very unusual position.

Again, just an "oddity" and by no means actual proof either way.
My point is... the unusual position suggests the "possibility" of the knife *intentionally* being left at the scene.

YouTube Video at Comeans Crime Scene

Screenshot/Freeze-frame of knife at scene:

Screenshot/Freeze-frame of beer bottle at scene:

Very good points again Methodical!
BBM Just thinking that is it possible that the perp might have left the "knife " there intentionally for giving the impression of a tool for rescue mechanism Bill brought up himself during autoerotic asphyxiation in case ?

 

[rosemadderlake]

Good questions & points Rose.
However I think the severity of this crime would go far beyond what a normal high school kid runs into, as far as drug use or related contacts, at school. I see Bill more as very home-orientated, with a steady paper route job, and much of his time consumed doing wholesome "family-valued" type activities.

We simply don't know anything yet about any possible contacts (other than the 3 attacks) that would involve those of very sinister/evil character. At this point, with lack of info, my "guess" would be he was sneaking/taking some valium to help cope with the seemingly constant bullying and threats that occurred in his life.

I think it's extremely important to find out exactly how much valium was in his blood, and it's probable effects in the hours before his death. The coroner should/would know this. I had also asked for this info way back in the thread, but it was never addressed. I hope that maybe Kat or Bill has a copy of the coroner's report, to provide this info.

Bbm: Can the coroner tell whether it was injected?

 

[Methodical]

Very good points again Methodical!
BBM Just thinking that is it possible that the perp might have left the "knife " there intentionally for giving the impression of a tool for rescue mechanism Bill brought up himself during autoerotic asphyxiation in case ?

I wish I had *full* details of how all things/particulars appeared at the initial crime scene. One thing that we would know is that IF it was ever shown, via evidence, that the knife was left intentionally, then it would surely be to deceive the course of the investigation.

**Bob,, it pains me to ask this, but was all of Bill's clothing intact at the scene? Was ANY article of clothing pulled down, unzipped, unbuttoned, displaced/shifted noticeably, removed (all prior to CPR), etc.??

 

[Methodical]

Bbm: Can the coroner tell whether it was injected?

Yes. A coroner doing a very thorough autopsy certainly should be able to show any injection sites. It may be hard to determine on a deceased that has been dead for a long period of time, but this was not at all as Bill's case. Bill's body was discovered within the hour.

However I worry that many coroners/medical examiners do not do a needed thorough exam of all areas to determine this. I worry that may have been this way, in Bill's case. Not enough info yet to say for sure.

 

[Gemmie]

More rambling thoughts tumbling through my brain this morning I thought I'd get down on paper before I lost them.... Sorry it's so long.

If I this was a timed test and I had to come up with an answer in the next 5 minutes from the facts as I know them… my answer would be that I don’t think there’s anything logical about what happened. My guess would be that sadly it was just a pure evil thrill on the part of 2 warped men. It kind of feels like hunt and chase to me. The sadistic thrill messing with someone’s head gives someone like the perps. Then the ultimate, The Kill. I’d also venture a guess it did not stop with Bill.

Beer bottle – probably trash left behind at the scene and not related.

The fact there was no struggle – Done elsewhere and dumped there. It would take a car and 2 men to do that.

Not afraid – perhaps it was LE. We grew up thinking they were the good guys, trusted, on our side, keep us safe (Well, until my incident. Then I saw an evil side of some of them). Maybe they approached the yard to ask “how’s things, has he had any more notes or noticed anything out of the ordinary?” Bill would trust LE so would leave the safety of his porch to go down and talk to him/them. Then hand over the mouth and needle with valium in the arm, chest, wherever which made him silent, no struggle, and off he went into the cop car.

People would also not be paying much attention to a LE car (since they’d think it was there to protect them) so no suspicion. A teal hot rod that doesn’t belong in the neighborhood it’s not!

another 5 to less than 10 minutes on scene[/B]. (Gemmie’ note – that’s PLENTY of time for LE to arrive, especially since they told Bob they saw someone North (as they were going South (getting away from the scene of the crime, perhaps, and didn’t think this would be the night he was found so soon?)

Brother and I were third and fourth on scene. No LEO. I accessed Bill, told brother to cut scarf off his neck and I ran up to northwest house on corner and called 911 for ems. 2-3 minutes later I was back at the ditch and LEO was taking pictures. I don't remember him saying anything to us or if it was the same LEO from the earlier encounter. Ems arrived probably within 5-10 mins . (Gemmie’s note: That’s really helpful (said with sarcasm). Was it because they knew he was dead and or knew he/they were guilty and had to do SOMETHING so it didn’t look odd? Had he had time to think it through he might have helped with CPR. I think people tend to kick ourselves in the butt when we don’t have time to think of the BEST thing to do to not look guilty and did something we look back on (taking pics when Bill needed attending) and say “What the hell was I thinking?? I should have done X, Y or Z instead”.

<from different post> LEO in patrol car was encountered on the middle block of Maple. He stated he thought someone saw someone walking somewhere north of our location. Brothers were headed south at the time, patrol car was headed south as well.

Father and neighbor headed north on Maple on foot at apx same time.

Brothers turned around and headed north, picked a car at family house, and drove down Maple to Park, turned right and stopped at Buena Vista and Park. Left car on road, walked over to tracks and saw Bill's body, father, and neighbor kneeling in ditch with Bill's body.

At that point LE KNOWS there&#8217;s an issue as family is out looking for them. So, if they point you in the direction North saying they saw someone up there, then why didn&#8217;t THEY beat you to the scene since they should have turned that car around and hightailed it up there? Or, offer you a ride. Did they not want you in the car? Was there something they didn&#8217;t want you to see? (empty syringe, means of hooding bill with something and a means of strangling him IF he hadn&#8217;t had the handy scarf on?) Your father and neighbor headed north on FOOT, yet they beat LE to the site. WTH??

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

Then had Bill have any kind of interaction with LE before , any troublesome incident , an accident , a friend/ foe from school having an LE parent or an LE customer / LE wife /exwife on Bill's paper route ? There has to be kind of interaction with the perp as the case does not appear to be random at all...He was absoultely targeted..

 

[Gemmie]

Then had Bill have any kind of interaction with LE before , any troublesome incident , an accident , a friend/ foe from school having an LE parent or an LE customer / LE wife /exwife on Bill's paper route ? There has to be kind of interaction with the perp as the case does not appear to be random at all...He was absoultely targeted..

I'm not sure I agree that there has to be some kind of interaction with perp. Maybe him becoming the target was random. Once selected (for whatever reason) he's then 'it'. I don't think psychopaths have to have a reason for what they do, do they? Or, their reason may make perfect sense to them, but not to others. (or whatever the psychological term is. I'm not going to pretend to know this stuff)

 

[Tulessa]

G'mornin all (tho there may be some overseas G'evening WS viewers).

Apparently a video of the crime scene exists.
I'm not sure if it was video'd by news crews or if it was video footage they obtained via LE.
It's obvious it's a video showing parts of the evidence before it was removed from the crime scene. This is part of Channel 10 coverage of Bill's murder, which is shown on the following YouTube link.

The snippet of video footage starts at approx the 1:50 mark in the YouTube video. It shows a small portion of the knife and handle. The knife is partially embedded into the snow, upside-down (sharp blade edge facing upwards), with the knife being nearly horizontal (but with upward angle towards the handle end). At the handle there appears to be a few inches of clearance between the snow and handle end, which gradually tapers to no clearance between snow/handle at the handle to blade junction point.

I don't have a similar knife on hand at the moment, for a "probability test", but I find the knife blades straight vertical orientation to be quite unusual. Typically if a knife of this type were to fall onto the snow, it is highly unlikely it would do so with the "flat of the blade" in a near perfect vertical position. It can happen, but very rarely.

Furthermore, the clearance between the snow and handle is such that it is not beyond reason that this would be virtually the same clearance if someone was to have the knife grasped by the handle, then swing it downward, to intentionally embed it in the snow.
I'm not saying that is what happened, but these two "peculiarities/coincidences" do cause one to question this very unusual position.

Again, just an "oddity" and by no means actual proof either way.
My point is... the unusual position suggests the "possibility" of the knife *intentionally* being left at the scene.

YouTube Video at Comeans Crime Scene

Screenshot/Freeze-frame of knife at scene:

Screenshot/Freeze-frame of beer bottle at scene:

So according to Kat (who is beautiful btw), he was bullied during his freshman year in school.

 

[Betty P]

I just wanted to clarify my earlier post, I dont get the impression Bill was hanging out with a bad group of kids. He seemed to be well behaved, well adjusted, getting good grades in school. Those aren't the habits of someone getting high or hanging with a bad crowd.

Somehow, in the months leading up to his death, he crossed paths with someone who was a bully of pathological proportions. Thinking back to his paper route, could he have come across someone that summer in the midst of committing a crime like breaking into a home, hot wiring a car, drug dealing, vandalism, etc. If so, he may have been able to steer clear of them until he started high school that fall. At that time the perps would have seen and recognized him, learned his name and where he lived, and began their game of stalking and attacking.

It would be interesting to know if the two older guys you've been discussing had prior records of juvie crime.