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

[murkmanz]

A very good point Methodical. That little clue was staring us all in the face the entire time. The author of the notes wants some kind of recognition and to create panic and fear. I think its safe to assume that the initial 'S' relates back to the author, directly or indirectly. If not, then he wouldn't bother signing it in the first place if he was trying to be anonymous.

So, like Methodical says, first names beginning with S, second names, and even nicknames??

 

[GoingByMyGut]

From the beginning, I also felt the notes left at school, both to Bill and his friends, had a moderate potential to have come from other kids at school, unconnected to any of the actual perps, as kind of a "copycat" terror threat (if they knew bout perps focus on Bill) or simply kids that "pick on a certain few kids" (if they weren't aware of the the perp's acts/threats at Bill).

It confused me a bit at the start, as the school notes were said to be signed in a red "S", but later on the first note sent to the neighborhood (AJT's notes, post #82) was signed with an "X".
I started to assume the first newspaper reports made a typo/error with the "S", as an "X" sig is common for threat notes, but not an "S" sig.

This is also quite an highly unusual coincidence (to say the least!), but in my sister's missing case, it also dealt with an "X" sig on evidence note, but the paper later reported it as an "S". Totally incorrect!
But now I take most news report "details", like this, with a grain of salt, as they frequently put wrong/flawed "facts".

However,, IF the school note(s) was truly signed with a red "S", then I would pay special attention to any students whose name started with an "S". Focus on first names primarily, but last names secondary.

Or nicknames. Also, kids get wrapped up in fantasies and sometimes carry a dialogue that involves some imagined superhero-type figure (a made-up one, The S___) who rights all wrongs (or sometimes wrongs all rights). It might be seen where there's graffiti.

 

[bessie]

Two males, 17-20, with possibly an older male 25-30, in charge if you will. Students at high school and living in neighborhood, or close by. Something provoked in Bill's first couple weeks of high school that made him a target. Targeting escalated because of perceived weakness of victim and his unwillingness to talk. Very fast start and rapid ending, four months later. Now as adults, unknown males, still in contact locally at functions, but keep their distance from each other. An uneasy truce between them, you tell we both go down, that creates a bonded silence that helps hide their actions. Ties have been broken with the older male, who is no longer in their circle. They are married, have kids, and middle income jobs locally. They may have had some LE contact, DUI, domestic, etc.

Disclaimer:This is just an unproven, ungrounded theory with no specific facts to reinforce ideas. IMO

If they did go on to live in the mainstream, domestic violence, substance abuse would be be a given, IMO, particularly for Offender A (older/dominant guy). The rage exhibited in the attacks on Bill doesn't just dissipate. I also think it's quite possible that at least one of the pair moved away.

Thanks for answering my question about the note, yesterday.

 

[bessie]

I'd love to dismiss the school notes as a red herring. That's why I asked Bob about the note left at the scene. I hoped he would say it wasn't typed in red. Obviously we can't rule them out based on the physical variations, but at least it remains a possibility. Though talk about coincidences. What are the odds of being dealt two sets of copycat notes? A copycat of a copycat? Yet, I know that anything is possible, and one should never say never.

 

[GoingByMyGut]

The pathway of the railroad tracks would provide a quick getaway for the murderer(s). After killing Bill, they could have walked down the tracks, avoiding anyone out looking for Bill.

Adding my thoughts to this.

This is one of the reasons I include the neighborhood that starts with Deerfield in my thinking. It seems to me that the residences along Annhurst are very "off the radar" places to live. Less activity around them -- and stealthy in and out by way of the tracks.

Kat, I remember you saying there was a fence between most homes and the tracks. Was there also a fence between Park and the tracks, where there are no homes?

 

[GoingByMyGut]

Two males, 17-20, with possibly an older male 25-30, in charge if you will. Students at high school and living in neighborhood, or close by. Something provoked in Bill's first couple weeks of high school that made him a target. Targeting escalated because of perceived weakness of victim and his unwillingness to talk. Very fast start and rapid ending, four months later. Now as adults, unknown males, still in contact locally at functions, but keep their distance from each other. An uneasy truce between them, you tell we both go down, that creates a bonded silence that helps hide their actions. Ties have been broken with the older male, who is no longer in their circle. They are married, have kids, and middle income jobs locally. They may have had some LE contact, DUI, domestic, etc.

Disclaimer:This is just an unproven, ungrounded theory with no specific facts to reinforce ideas. IMO

BBM: I am still really struggling with the likelihood of two attackers. To me, adding a third one is even harder to imagine. That would place four people at each crime scene -- so much more likely to be seen. Also, among three people I would expect less cooperation -- in the dynamic you describe, the older male giving instructions and perhaps some competition between the younger males. How well choreographed could a trio be? Just thinking it through out loud. To my eye, the level cooperation during these attacks, if we go with that scenario, appears to be very high, esp. with LE not finding signs of struggle. On the other hand, more attackers means Bill could have been more easily overcome, and thus less struggle ... MOO

 

[zoomom]

Or nicknames. Also, kids get wrapped up in fantasies and sometimes carry a dialogue that involves some imagined superhero-type figure (a made-up one, The S___) who rights all wrongs (or sometimes wrongs all rights). It might be seen where there's graffiti.

ok, so this might sound nutty, but here goes: I was trying to remember what life was like in 1979, so I looked up what movies came out that year. "Alien", "Apocalypse Now", "The Warriors", "Mad Max", "Escape from Alcatraz", plus more calmer movies ("Life of Brian", Kramer vs Kramer", etc). I was just trying to get into the mindset of teenage boys at the time.

What caught my attention was that "The Warriors" is about gangs & fighting, sounds pretty brutal, and happens to have 2 main characters whose name starts with an "S". "Swan" and "Snow". Now I never saw that movie so I don't know - but were these two characters tough guys that picked on people??

Like I said, nutty, but I'm just trying to think what delusional thinking would make anybody do anything like what happened to Bill.

added: my point is could there have been trouble-makers at Bill's school that were really, really into that movie and fancied themselves wanna be gang members or "tough guys"?

Quotes from the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080120/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu

 

[Methodical]

This is one of the reasons I include the neighborhood that starts with Deerfield in my thinking. It seems to me that the residences along Annhurst are very "off the radar" places to live. Less activity around them -- and stealthy in and out by way of the tracks.

Kat, I remember you saying there was a fence between most homes and the tracks. Was there also a fence between Park and the tracks, where there are no homes?

Good observation of the benefits (criminal-wise) of the houses on Annhurst with their backyards being along the RR tracks.
On the fences, I'm fairly positive there's never been a fence along Park St (between Park & the RR tracks). I believe what Kat meant was most all the homes north of their house, and ones facing Buena Vista had fences, surrounding each property line.

On the 3 perps theory,, I believe Bob nailed it.
All the 3 attacks, especially the one we know most about (abduction/murder site) to me "shout" 2 attackers, age 17-20. But I've always had this feeling, due to the possible sexual/domineering factor, that there is "more" than just 2 "under 20 yr old" perpetrators.
However, IF a car was used in the abduction/murder, I can also see a third older perpetrator, possibly 24-30 years old involved. The 2 younger ones would be the "henchmen", but the older one would be the dominant leader and primary root of all the (possible) sexually motivated indications that most of us are "picking up on".

 

[Methodical]

ok, so this might sound nutty, but here goes: I was trying to remember what life was like in 1979, so I looked up what movies came out that year. "Alien", "Apocalypse Now", "The Warriors", "Mad Max", "Escape from Alcatraz", plus more calmer movies ("Life of Brian", Kramer vs Kramer", etc). I was just trying to get into the mindset of teenage boys at the time.

What caught my attention was that "The Warriors" is about gangs & fighting, sounds pretty brutal, and happens to have 2 main characters whose name starts with an "S". "Swan" and "Snow". Now I never saw that movie so I don't know - but were these two characters tough guys that picked on people??

Like I said, nutty, but I'm just trying to think what delusional thinking would make anybody do anything like what happened to Bill.

Not a "nutty" thought at all! In fact, I remember exactly what it was like in 1979, as I was a bit (cough, cough) older than "a kid", and even at that age, the Warriors had a huge impact on our entire group. In fact, the most impacting spot in the movie was when Sean Penn (just a "kid actor" then) was a street gang leader and their gang was in the process of "calling out" and rumbling with the opposing gang, the Warriors. Oops, my mistake. Wasn't Sean Penn. It was David Patrick Kelly.

Three empty bottles were used in the pinnacle scene. Sean Penn put his thumb in one bottle, and a finger in the other 2 bottles, then proceeded to "clank" them together, repetitiously, calling out "Hey Warriors... come out and playyy-yay" over and over. As a calling out to the Warriors for battle.
Most kids in that era, especially deviant kids, would be seen repeating that line... everywhere they went. Shows the huge impact it had!
You possibly may have something there, with that "S". Long shot, but hey,, it's also quite possible.

Plus, there was a beer bottle recovered from the murder scene, tho it was a stubby fat "keg bottle" (clank-able, but more awkward) and not like the skinny long neck bottles in the movie. Hmmm?

Zoomom added (post 487): added: my point is could there have been trouble-makers at Bill's school that were really, really into that movie and fancied themselves wanna be gang members or "tough guys"?

I can almost guarantee that any JD or trouble-maker would be strongly impacted by the movie "The Warriors".
Heck, me & my friends were the "good guys" (well, within reason) and every time you turned around one of us was saying (with slightly raised voice)... Hey Warriors... come out and playyy-yay".
So yes,, it would have a huge impact on any kid in high school age. The deviant kids would use this movie, and the famous "call out" as their main creed.

 

[Tulessa]

It's interesting that we have so many guest following this thread. Please register and give us your input.

 

[GoingByMyGut]

ok, so this might sound nutty, but here goes: I was trying to remember what life was like in 1979, so I looked up what movies came out that year. "Alien", "Apocalypse Now", "The Warriors", "Mad Max", "Escape from Alcatraz", plus more calmer movies ("Life of Brian", Kramer vs Kramer", etc). I was just trying to get into the mindset of teenage boys at the time.

What caught my attention was that "The Warriors" is about gangs & fighting, sounds pretty brutal, and happens to have 2 main characters whose name starts with an "S". "Swan" and "Snow". Now I never saw that movie so I don't know - but were these two characters tough guys that picked on people??

Like I said, nutty, but I'm just trying to think what delusional thinking would make anybody do anything like what happened to Bill.

added: my point is could there have been trouble-makers at Bill's school that were really, really into that movie and fancied themselves wanna be gang members or "tough guys"?

Quotes from the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080120/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu

I don't think it's nutty at all! I was following a similar angle, but looking more for the note text than for the S character. Good thinking! The only thing I found was that the song, "The Boys are Back in Town," by Thin Lizzy, has the line "blood will spill" in it, but the song is from 1976 so I'm not sure it figures.

 

[Tulessa]

The only thing that makes sense to me in this case, is that the killer was LE. I'm probably way off base, and hate to even type that, as my hubby was LE in Kentucky. Bob, Kat, was any LE ever under suspicion(in your eyes?). This case has floored me. Bill was loved, respected, and a fine member of the community. It just doesn't make sense. Below is a serial killer that was LE. Notice method of killing?


Robert Carl Hohenberger


Classification: Serial killer?
Characteristics: Rape - Former California sheriffs deputy
Number of victims: 0 - 7
Date of murders: 1978
Date of birth: 1943
Victims profile: Teenage girls
Method of murder: Strangulation
Location: California/Louisiana, USA
Status: Committed suicide when officers attempted to arrest him in June 1978

He was also an ex-convict though and his method of disposal was different, and all were teenagers.

Everybody was pretty much afraid to go out in the evenings," Rodermund said recently from Houston. His parents relocated there years ago, soon after their 16-year-old daughter's disappearance. "For three or four months it was sheer terror."
He also operated (gag on that word) during the evenings.

http://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hohenberger-robert.htm

 

[Tulessa]

I don't post a lot, but this case absolutely breaks my heart. though I DO READ AND THANK EVERY POST! You guys are so wonderful and compassionate. Thank you!

 

[Tulessa]

The only thing that makes sense to me in this case, is that the killer was LE. I'm probably way off base, and hate to even type that, as my hubby was LE in Kentucky. Bob, Kat, was any LE ever under suspicion(in your eyes?). This case has floored me. Bill was loved, respected, and a fine member of the community. It just doesn't make sense. Below is a serial killer that was LE. Notice method of killing?


Robert Carl Hohenberger


Classification: Serial killer?
Characteristics: Rape - Former California sheriffs deputy
Number of victims: 0 - 7
Date of murders: 1978
Date of birth: 1943
Victims profile: Teenage girls
Method of murder: Strangulation
Location: California/Louisiana, USA
Status: Committed suicide when officers attempted to arrest him in June 1978

He was also an ex-convict though and his method of disposal was different, and all were teenagers.

Everybody was pretty much afraid to go out in the evenings," Rodermund said recently from Houston. His parents relocated there years ago, soon after their 16-year-old daughter's disappearance. "For three or four months it was sheer terror."
He also operated (gag on that word) during the evenings.

http://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hohenberger-robert.htm

He had been a policeman. He knew what it took to get control of someone," said Duval Arthur, a St. Mary Parish detective then and now police chief in Berwick.

Arthur said he and other investigators theorized that Hohenberger, who had served as a sheriff's deputy in California before fleeing a rape charge there, used his badge to induce his victims to accompany him.

 

[21merc7]

Tulessa, Don't feel bad for thinking it could be LE. I have pondered, if this was a murder, it could have been LE or LE family members and covered up, or an upstanding citizen's family member cover up.

We just need a whole lot more info than what we have to look at. Not enough here to go on, so we must come up with innuendo and speculation, without knowing what was ever actually found out. Hopefully, if more attention is garnered, LE will open up on that case and let us know why it lead where it did for them. News outlets would be helpful if they could do some asking for us.

 

[zoomom]

I don't think it's nutty at all! I was following a similar angle, but looking more for the note text than for the S character. Good thinking! The only thing I found was that the song, "The Boys are Back in Town," by Thin Lizzy, has the line "blood will spill" in it, but the song is from 1976 so I'm not sure it figures.

That fits, too!!! I started out by looking for the quote "Blood will spill..", then ended up looking at movies for that year. For sure the kids of that time would be familiar with Thin Lizzy!

 

[zoomom]

I don't think I'm going to post anymore. I'm a thread-killer. not even kidding......

 

[Gemmie]

Hello. I'm new here but been following since I read about the twitter acct on Yahoo news a few wks back but have been lurking. :lurk:

I decided to join as every now and then something strikes me about this case that I'd like to share with all the awesome sleuths on this forum. I don't give compliments easily but WOW! I've seen some great thinking/sleuthing here. I wish I had run across this site long ago. :loveyou:

OK, so, my first post is going to be one I sent to Bob personally on his blog a week and a half ago (that never made it here so it's here now. lol).

>>> There’s been something nagging at me I’d like to toss out. Can you please pass this along to websleuths? I’d like to see them solve this.
In a nutshell without going into too much detail… I had an incident with LE where I was almost raped by them (more than 1). I was stranded on the freeway and they were supposed to be taking me to a phone. Without going into details since it’s not pertinent to your case, suffice it to say that I saw a side of LE that I wish I hadn’t. When I tried to report the guy and the incident I got NO help from them. In fact, they tried to cover for the guy, refusing to log my complaint, etc.
Them covering for each other is what is screaming out at me in this case. How they readily dismissed it, pointed their fingers everywhere else, etc. (you know the details of that). Maybe the perp was a kid at the school whose parent was LE and they were covering for them? Or maybe they were LE themselves. Anyway…. just tossing that out in the event it helps solve the case. I found it odd that they didn’t take it very seriously (notes, etc) when it sure sounds serious to me from what I’ve read. I just find their reaction to it puzzling.
So there! My first post. :seeya: I hope I have this site figured out. Don't publically embarrass me if I screw something up. lol

 

[pdxmama]

Hello. I'm new here but been following since I read about the twitter acct on Yahoo news a few wks back but have been lurking. :lurk:

I decided to join as every now and then something strikes me about this case that I'd like to share with all the awesome sleuths on this forum. I don't give compliments easily but WOW! I've seen some great thinking/sleuthing here. I wish I had run across this site long ago. :loveyou:

OK, so, my first post is going to be one I sent to Bob personally on his blog a week and a half ago (that never made it here so it's here now. lol).

>>> There’s been something nagging at me I’d like to toss out. Can you please pass this along to websleuths? I’d like to see them solve this.
In a nutshell without going into too much detail… I had an incident with LE where I was almost raped by them (more than 1). I was stranded on the freeway and they were supposed to be taking me to a phone. Without going into details since it’s not pertinent to your case, suffice it to say that I saw a side of LE that I wish I hadn’t. When I tried to report the guy and the incident I got NO help from them. In fact, they tried to cover for the guy, refusing to log my complaint, etc.
Them covering for each other is what is screaming out at me in this case. How they readily dismissed it, pointed their fingers everywhere else, etc. (you know the details of that). Maybe the perp was a kid at the school whose parent was LE and they were covering for them? Or maybe they were LE themselves. Anyway…. just tossing that out in the event it helps solve the case. I found it odd that they didn’t take it very seriously (notes, etc) when it sure sounds serious to me from what I’ve read. I just find their reaction to it puzzling.
So there! My first post. :seeya: I hope I have this site figured out. Don't publically embarrass me if I screw something up. lol

:welcome:

We're so glad you're here, Gemmie!

First of all, I want to say that I'm very sorry that you had that experience. It is the ultimate violation when someone you should trust breaks that trust in such a horrible way.

Second, I am leaning toward LE being involved as well. I really hate to say that and I don't mean that they are necessarily the perpetrators but I do think it is likely they were involved in a cover up and it very well could be they were covering for a friend, family member, etc.

Great first post!

 

[pdxmama]

I don't think I'm going to post anymore. I'm a thread-killer. not even kidding......

Don't you dare leave, zoomom! We need you!