So, in the spirit of “posting what we know,” I’m reposting what I posted in response to a request by
@Sleuth2010 for my point of view.
Can we add facts we know to this list, questions the facts bring to mind and the conclusions we can draw from these facts?
Dotta you hold a lot of cards and chips. Please answer the multi questions too!!! You are a smart cookie with good insight. WS regulars... there is a group of detectives, who work only with circumstantial evidence ( ie: no physical body, but still get convictions) That's where these...
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—Dave ran errands in town that day. (Who did he see? Any altercations? Was he expecting company?)
—There is a locked gate at the bottom of his rutted driveway. (Did his killer walk in? Was his gate locked or unlocked when firefighters arrived?)
—His body was found in a bedroom. (Was he in bed? asleep? Is that where an argument took place?)
—He was shot in the head. (Did he see it coming or not?)
—It’s likely Dave did not own a gun because of his felony conviction.
—He had smoke in his lungs, so he was alive when the fire started.
—Another fire was started later about 6 miles up the road, but reported first. (Was there evidence in that cabin?)
There’s probably more that I know, but that’s all that comes to mind right now.
With those facts in mind, here are my vague thoughts that are all over the place…
—His murder or the confrontation that led to his murder was planned. This was not random.
—Dave knew his killer and his killer was familiar with Dave’s place.
—It’s possible Dave expected this person and it was a friendly visit that turned ugly.
—If the visitor wasn’t expected they had the ability to approach stealthily, on foot, at a time Dave was likely to be asleep.
—For the killer to start the second fire 6 miles away, they had to have had a vehicle and fuel for the fire, or an accomplice.
—If the killer took a vehicle to Dave’s place, they were expected, in order for the gate to be unlocked. Otherwise, they left it on DIMR nearby and walked in.
—The motive could have been to silence him, get revenge or to steal something of value.