Omaha double murder

[Ryuzaki]

I've been thinking about this case a lot, and i had a startling thought the other day, we have concentrated a lot on Tom's possible computer usage and possibly interacting wth the perp through a computer but i was thinking: it was said that they found Tom's video game on pause right? well what video game system does he have? is it either PS3 or xbox 360? I'm aware that both of these gaming systems allow players to access online gaming, which would give a whole new internet log, taunting is very common on these online gaming networks, as most players wear a headset where they can talk to one another this is called "team speak" which gives the player a lot of liberties, verbally that is.... any way this is just a hunch but if the logs on any potential gaming systems havent been traced i highly recommend it.

 

[Snick1946]

Ryuzaki, thanks and welcome back. Haven't had a post from you in months. We are mostly still here although not as many posts as earlier. There are those who come and go and then come back again. You are all welcome. Some of us hard core types will keep the flame going.
Without revealing too much of what I know about some of this, my information is that Tom's game system was an X Box- I assume 360 because to all indications he was a dedicated gamer and as such he would probably have had the best.
I wonder if the perp could have traced him via his internet address or is there such a thing in these deals. Might explain why the person of interest was seen starting and stopping that day, maybe he was on line with Tom? I wouldnt know if the logs on this have been traced. My guess from what I know is that they haven't. They need to be. Anyone from OPD reading this??
I and others have given up trying to submit tips to OPD as they never acknowledge or seem to show any interest.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I've been thinking about this case a lot, and i had a startling thought the other day, we have concentrated a lot on Tom's possible computer usage and possibly interacting wth the perp through a computer but i was thinking: it was said that they found Tom's video game on pause right? well what video game system does he have? is it either PS3 or xbox 360? I'm aware that both of these gaming systems allow players to access online gaming, which would give a whole new internet log, taunting is very common on these online gaming networks, as most players wear a headset where they can talk to one another this is called "team speak" which gives the player a lot of liberties, verbally that is.... any way this is just a hunch but if the logs on any potential gaming systems havent been traced i highly recommend it.

Yes Yes! thank you Ryuzaki! This is what I was referring to in an earlier post but didn't know how to say it because I'm not familiar with these games. (I remember Pong, LOL!) Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the subject. I became curious after watching my son in law play his PS3 one day and he was communicating in this 'team speak' as you called it. I was amazed at the profanity he was using because I'd never heard him cuss before. My daughter was trying to explain to me how it works and my thoughts immediately went to Tom and the paused video game.

Are the player logs easy to obtain? Do these games operate on a wireless network or must there be a land line? If operating on a wireless network, wouldn't it be easy for the perp to track the address?

Welcome back and thanks for your input.

wm

 

[YellowDog]

What is known about the brother Jeffrey who lives in Omaha? Did he live with the family or alone somewhere else? Could he have possibly been the intended target?

 

[waltzingmatilda]

What is known about the brother Jeffrey who lives in Omaha? Did he live with the family or alone somewhere else? Could he have possibly been the intended target?

I wonder the same YellowDog. Did I read somewhere that he lived in another city and moved back to Omaha after the murders? Perhaps someone can refresh my memory.

This also adds the question if Tom's brothers played on the same 'teams' with him in his games. The paused game haunts me for some reason. Maybe because it is one of the few facts we know about the crime scene. But after observing my SIL play I realized how easy it would be to track someone in this way. I still don't understand how the communications can be tracked. Are the records of these conversations thru these video games easily accessed by LE...like cell phones and land lines?

I have so many questions and so few answers....

wm

 

[Snick1946]

What is known about the brother Jeffrey who lives in Omaha? Did he live with the family or alone somewhere else? Could he have possibly been the intended target?

Jeffrey so far as I know was not living in the home at the time, at least officially. I think he has been in and out like many young people in their early 20's. That doesn't mean someone couldnt have targeted him thinking he would be there. I'd like to think LE went into all that but with this case nothing is apparently to be assumed.
My understanding is that Jeffrey and Tim, the other brother are both now living in the house with the parents. Probably the family felt the need to support one another after the killing. I wonder if the brothers may have felt endangered for some reason.

 

[YellowDog]

Jeffrey so far as I know was not living in the home at the time, at least officially. I think he has been in and out like many young people in their early 20's. That doesn't mean someone couldnt have targeted him thinking he would be there. I'd like to think LE went into all that but with this case nothing is apparently to be assumed.
My understanding is that Jeffrey and Tim, the other brother are both now living in the house with the parents. Probably the family felt the need to support one another after the killing. I wonder if the brothers may have felt endangered for some reason.

I'm sure the whole family feels endangered not knowing who the killer is or why it was done. It also makes me wonder if the family knows more than they are letting on or at least has strong suspicions. It must be very hard for them to carry on a day to day life with this still unsolved. My heart goes out to them.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I'm sure the whole family feels endangered not knowing who the killer is or why it was done. It also makes me wonder if the family knows more than they are letting on or at least has strong suspicions. It must be very hard for them to carry on a day to day life with this still unsolved. My heart goes out to them.

My heart goes out to them too, YellowDog! I can't imagine enduring the journey they have suffered. I am sure that the Hunter family has their suspicions.....what family wouldn't? And surely Shirlee's family have their own suspicions as well.

The family feeling endangered could be a reason that they have been selective in granting interviews.

I wish that Shirlee's family would grant some interviews also. But then, perhaps they havn't been asked. Unfortunately, the media is ratings driven and a story of a young boy of affluent parents provides a better 'hook' to drive up ratings than a story about a murdered housekeepers' family's insight into the crime. Sad but true, IMO. (I have a background in broadcast communications from which I am drawing this conclusion)

I wonder what happened to Ryuzaki? I was hoping for a response to my questions about the XBox and PS3 systems.......:waitasec:
Don't be shy 'R', you have great ideas.

wm

 

[YellowDog]

I may be wrong, but I don't think computer gaming had a thing to do with this. I think this a revenge killing or a killing to silence someone.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I may be wrong, but I don't think computer gaming had a thing to do with this. I think this a revenge killing or a killing to silence someone.

I agree with part of your opinion, Yellow. I don't particularly feel that Tom and Shirlee's murders were the result of computer gaming gone wrong. However, I do believe that the computer game could have been an avenue in which to track Tom's movements or by which to gain his trust. JMO

 

[YellowDog]

I agree with part of your opinion, Yellow. I don't particularly feel that Tom and Shirlee's murders were the result of computer gaming gone wrong. However, I do believe that the computer game could have been an avenue in which to track Tom's movements or by which to gain his trust. JMO

Well, I agree, they could have used it to make sure Tom was home. They could have waited until he logged in and, thus, they would know he was home.

I think Tom knew something that someone did not want divulged and they either killed him themselves or hired someone to do it. I think Tom had information that could have destroyed someone personally, politically or professionally. There was no robbery, no history of drugs or gambling that has been brought forth..........just two killings and then the killer vanishes into thin air. This was pre-planned and then carried out.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Well, I agree, they could have used it to make sure Tom was home. They could have waited until he logged in and, thus, they would know he was home.

I think Tom knew something that someone did not want divulged and they either killed him themselves or hired someone to do it. I think Tom had information that could have destroyed someone personally, politically or professionally. There was no robbery, no history of drugs or gambling that has been brought forth..........just two killings and then the killer vanishes into thin air. This was pre-planned and then carried out.

I agree YellowDog. It has certainly crossed my mind that perhaps the killer intended to frame Dr. Bill Hunter for these murders. Especially if the killer purposely commited the murders while Shirlee was on duty at the Hunter home as snick suggested in an earlier post.

I do feel that predators these days are more tech friendly and I have only recently realized the numerous ways that victims can be stalked or tracked thru the world wide web. One never really knows with whom they are interacting in the cyber world.

Things sure have changed alot since PONG, eh?

wm

 

[Snick1946]

Here is a link to what may be Jeff Hunter's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/search/?ini...rugby?ref=search&sid=1446294948.3815241004..1

Jeff plays soccer for UNL apparently, so I think it may well be him.

 

[Ryuzaki]

sorry for my absence... as far as the xbox 360 goes i'm pretty sure they're typically hooked up through a land line, and it would probably be easy to track logs for an investigator with technology skills, you could probably track the person according to ip address...

Yellow Dog, i think all that you say is possible, i at first believed that the murders had no connection to gaming systems or computers, but now that this has drug on, we can leave no stone unturned...

Snick that is his facebook.

...in his "about me" do you know what it says?

the only thing that is stated is this:

"I want to know who murdered my little brother."

 

[YellowDog]

sorry for my absence... as far as the xbox 360 goes i'm pretty sure they're typically hooked up through a land line, and it would probably be easy to track logs for an investigator with technology skills, you could probably track the person according to ip address...

Yellow Dog, i think all that you say is possible, i at first believed that the murders had no connection to gaming systems or computers, but now that this has drug on, we can leave no stone unturned...

Snick that is his facebook.

...in his "about me" do you know what it says?

the only thing that is stated is this:

"I want to know who murdered my little brother."

That's what we ALL want to know. Who committed these horrible murders? I agree we should leave no stone unturned, Ryuzaki.

 

[Snick1946]

...in his "about me" do you know what it says?

the only thing that is stated is this:

"I want to know who murdered my little brother."

OMG- I never saw that- poor guy.
I wonder if he is aware of what we are doing on here, some of our stuff may be upsetting to the family but hope he at least knows people are trying.

By the way- where did you find that- I cannot see it on the page. Did you have to add him as a friend before you could?

 

[Snick1946]

I may be wrong, but I don't think computer gaming had a thing to do with this. I think this a revenge killing or a killing to silence someone.

I think you may be right, YD. It's just one of those many things we need to get out and discuss.
I have been thinking more lately about the idea of this being a killing for hire. A lot of it fits. Such killers often use materials at hand just to throw LE off. I almost hope it is not because it means that the perp is one or more levels removed from the ultimate killer, the one who paid for the contract. You have to wonder why someone would have paid perhaps $10,000 to kill an 11 year old kid? Your idea fits about someone feeling threatened by something Tom found out or knew. I think if that is what happened we can discard this being the act of some imbalanced person or psychotic who for example took offense at something he thought he saw in one of the doctor's papers, etc.
it puts it in the area of protection for someone or perhaps revenge for something someone in the family did. An ended relationship maybe? Perhaps someone used Tom as an excuse for ending an illicit relationship.
I think a lot of hired killings never are recongized for what they were. I recall back in the late 1950's there was a murder of the wife of a prominent grocery owner in my home town, someone forced his way in to the house after ringing the bell, shot and killed the wife then fled leaving the husband unharmed. Husband was all over the media calling for leads, etc. It all calmed down; several months later he married a much younger woman. I cannot now find anything at all on it on line. There was a double muder similar to this one in Indiana in 2006, never solved. I have doubts about that one too.
Hitmen often do not want to kill collateral people they find there but feel they have to. That may be what happened here. I also understand there is a sort of code of honor among some of them that they do not kill children. Maybe this guy was not a seasoned professional, but an out of work ex commando who needed money.

 

[GannyP]

Hey Snick, you might want to edit your post. I don't think we are allowed to link facebook or myspace pages. I've never posted on this thread, but I check in and catch-up often.

 

[Snick1946]

Hey Snick, you might want to edit your post. I don't think we are allowed to link facebook or myspace pages. I've never posted on this thread, but I check in and catch-up often.

GrannyP- Nice you checked in, hope to see you here more often. No I was not aware of this; if a moderator is following can you confirm and if so I will delete the link from my post. Not questioning what you say but I have seen lots of such links on these boards and think there have been a couple in this thread. That of course doesn't mean they were legal. If one additional person can confirm I will unlink, thanks.

 

[YellowDog]

Unfortunately, the most plausible scenarios I can think of would be that:

1. Someone well thought of in the community had a fixation on Tom, had made advances toward him and Tom had threatened to expose him.

OR

2. Tom, in his youthful innocence and curiosity, had become involved with an older man and wanted to break it off.

Either of these scenarios would be devastating to the perpetrator careerwise and familywise and something they could not face.