OR OR - Heather Thompson, 39, Roseburg, 4 Aug 2010

[Wrinkles]

Something I forgot to say...

So an adult woman in her 50s goes looking for a friend and finds her door open...her dog there... and didn't she go in and not find her supposedly?

Then she leaves? She didn't have a cell phone to call MG and say, "There is something wrong here... I think you need to call the police, I'll stay here and make sure the dog stays safe. No...from what I recall, she leaves, and then MG and her come back... Now they both look for Heather and can't find her?

This is two grown adults looking? Did they "want" to find her? Or did they just want to muck up the scene? Was Heather so hard to find in the house?

 

[Wrinkles]

Mr. Stitches,

Do you recall if MG or CS had any type of accent that might give us a hint about their history, i.e. where they came from originally? i.e. NY type accent, southern type accent, that type of thing?

 

[Missizzy]

Wrinkles--A few things. I put together a time line based purely on the news sources and the few details I've gleaned from this thread. It's in Post #200. You are right on the button on your overview IF these two people are to be believed and the reporters got everything right. Remember, we are taking MG's word on a lot of stuff--his age, the length of time he knew Heather, her demeanor. If I remember correctly, we've never heard from CS. I've been struck by the fact that MG seemed to seek out the reporters to tell his story. He'd only known her for 3 weeks but he sure was willing to give out a lot of info about her. I know that 71 stitches said that he and some family met with the man and CS but didn't totally trust them. It would be interesting to hear more from neighbors and staff and customers at Mystic Earth. After all, it sounds as if Heather met up with CS at Mystic Earth on Monday nights to do readings. There must have been some other people who met her too. I'd think that curiosity about Heather's death would cause them to find this thread and weigh in.

We also have to remember that this is an ongoing murder investigation. LE might have a pretty good idea as to who committed the crime. Family and friends might have far more than they are allowed to give out. The killer/killers could be under tight surveillance. There's just so much that we do not know. If I was a woman living alone in that community, however, I'd want some answers.

 

[Missizzy]

In looking at a map earlier today, I realized that I've driven right by where Heather lived. It was on the way out to Wildlife Safari. Wildlife Safari is a well known and well-reputed drive-thru animal reserve in Winston. They are known for their rhino and cheetah breeding programs and recently got a lot of press about winning some awards. I know Heather loved animals. Any chance that she volunteered out there or had any connection with the place: I believe the entrance is literally only a mile or two from her home:

http://www.wildlifesafari.net/

 

[only71stitches]

Mr. Stitches,

Do you recall if MG or CS had any type of accent that might give us a hint about their history, i.e. where they came from originally? i.e. NY type accent, southern type accent, that type of thing?

Hi Wrinkles, I don't remember for sure, but CS may of had a bit of a mid-west accent going on...

Also, the MG in the picture does not really look like the MG I saw...

 

[carbuff]

From a quite similar incident in my own life, I can say that when two adults are looking for another adult who isn't where they expected her to be, crime isn't the first thing that crosses your mind. (This was in pre-cellphone days). The first thing we thought was, well, we must have mistaken the time. And then we thought, maybe we were mistaken about the place. She must be on her way to our place. Probably the door didn't quite shut, the wind blew it open, and the dog got out.

We got back to our place, she wasn't there. We called her house several times, got no answer, finally left her a note saying if she got back to our house to just stay put and call us at her place (thinking maybe she had done the same thing we had and gone back to her house to look for us) and we went back to her house. By then we were starting to worry that instead of the dog getting out, he had been with her when she fell or fainted or something and had come back looking for help. We looked all through the house and yard and didn't find her. A neighbor came over and all three of us started walking along the street. Nothing.

We got back to the house and heard her shouting from somewhere. We found her in the depths of a closet where a bunch of boxes had fallen on her and knocked her out. We had looked in the closet but I guess hadn't gone deep enough in.

And we never did figure out how the door was unlocked. She had locked it before she went upstairs. She always figured it was an angel...

The only point is that it's easy to miss a body, you don't think of crime first, and if we had eventually found her dead, we would have totally wrecked the scene. All in a perfectly normal tizzy of worry. So I don't find these people's behavior in that regard to be automatically suspicious. It could be. There's certainly room for it. But not necessarily.

 

[Wrinkles]

Hi All,

Hello Carbuff, nice to meet you! Yes, the looking through the house as you have mentioned certainly could be something we do, mucking up a crime scene without thinking crime... On the other hand, wouldn't that be with someone we know well?

These 2 people were people who said they had only known Heather a few weeks (3?), they couldn't have known her long she had just moved there. C told Stitches that she had to Google to get to Heathers... I've been places before and still had to Google it to get there, but Stitches was told that she had never been there (or did she say she had never "driven" there?)

Now if you have NEVER been to someone's home and have only known them, what, 3 weeks? do you go to their home and walk through it looking for them? Did she say she walked through it, or did she say she just shouted, "Heather, you home?" But oh wait a minute, no, C told Stitches she had been there for dinner -- so maybe she did feel comfortable going in and walking through. There is already something wrong with a woman C's age who mixes up those two stories. The quirky behavior could have been drug behavior, on the other hand it could have been drug and guilt behavior...

There is something wrong with a woman who supposedly was some "new close friend" wearing the exact unique necklace that Heather was wearing and Heather's necklace being missing after having been murdered by "who knows?" There is something wrong with a woman who has never been, oh but maybe she has been, to another woman's house and that woman knowing where Heather kept the herbs for her potions.

There is something wrong with MG feeling "so close" as to have "loved" Heather in 3 weeks. I'm not saying Heather wasn't immediately lovable, I'm saying that a 61 year old man who so quickly is endeared that he would reference her as "loved" in this short amount of time feels strange to me.

So... This morning in thinking this through, I am thinking of "motive." I am thinking of "crime scene." I'm thinking I wish I had crime scene photos to look at. I'm thinking I need to know the marks on Heather's body, was she raped, how was she murdered, where was her body placed (what type of strength would it have taken to cause Heather's death and put the body where it was found), was her house rifled? Were things moved around or mucked up in cupboards and closets and drawers?

As I look at this picture, I come up with some odd thoughts... How about a man who has "quickly" endeared himself to her goes to her home and murders her, figuring he has a fall guy (the ex roommate maybe -- he might kinda look like the ex-roommate who has been seen coming and going, and well he knows so much he knows that her and the ex-roommate were squabbling so sure the roommate had to have done it, not him -- he "loved her")... He hides her body in the house, he rummages "carefully" through her house looking for money or valuables (or maybe he doesn't rummage carefully, he has a fall guy), he takes valuables that he finds and her necklace (as a token)... He leaves, has second thoughts about whether he dropped something, he calls his scam partner, asks that they go look for this "friend who hasn't answered the phone" (but make sure that he didn't drop his pocket knife, for example, that is missing) AND that no one else has discovered the crime yet. Once that coast is clear, the two scammers go "re-visit" the house, but this time they take innocent 3rd parties (the neighbors?) and search for this friend who isn't answering the phone. NOW if something at the scene of the murder just so happens to be that of the "friend who looked for her" -- there is a reason, after all, they looked for her and it could have dropped out of their pocket when they were looking.

It was curious to me that a bunch of adults didn't find Heather when they went to search for her, curious in the respect that sometimes you don't find that for which you are looking because "you" don't want to be the one to find it -- you just want to make a good show.

My curiosity now goes to, "Where is the necklace? Is it still on CS? If not, why not, is it in her jewelry box? Did she give it to someone? Who? If Heather wore that for years, there would almost certainly be skin cells from her stuck to it UNLESS it had a trip to the jewelry store for an ultrasound cleaning?

Based upon Mr. Stitches observations, the mixed info of CS, my earlier gut feelings and Missizzy's concerns (agreed, MG had an awful lot of "helpful" info to share didn't he? maybe a nice "feed" of what he wanted thought?) and, now, where is MG? -- I'm very concerned that these two "might" have been involved in Heather's death. Maybe they or one of their minions (recently intro'd to Heather maybe?) was involved.

DCC66, nice to meet you, did Heather share any info on the type of "house cleaning" that she was having to do for CS? Just guessing based on a few things, I would expect some "ugly" stuff hanging out around CS. Also, DCC66 did Heather ever mention to you about this new relationship with CS or MG, did she mention going out to dinner with them, having either or both of them to dinner at her house?

Mr. Stitches, was Heather the type of person that liked to have new found friends (or old found friends) over for dinner? i.e. did she like to cook for others, or put out a spread for them?

Also, Mr. Stitches...do we know anything about Heather's banking account activity?

Missizzy, I wonder about CS past employment (career type), history... How did she meet MG...hmmm... I hope that LE does have what they need and they are just waiting for the perp/s to make the blunder that nails them.

PS. Mr. Stitches, please catch your private messages in here

 

[Wrinkles]

Hello Mr. Stitches,

I was just reading Heather's memorial site and saw your last message there.

Has Heather's family been informed by LE that they have no clues? If that is the case, then something seems seriously wrong. There seems to be a lot that LE could have learned by now, within the midst of what they could have learned there should have been some distinct clues... How often is the family getting information from LE? Has the family pursued information on who LE has interviewed, whether they have learned anything about the background of MG and CS etc?

 

[carbuff]

Wrinkles, I agree that there's a lot hinky about those two people. I just don't find the search itself necessarily suspicious.

In my case, the person in question was my brother's then-girlfriend; I don't remember how long they'd been going out, but it can't have been more than a couple of months. I barely knew her. I presume he had been to her house before The other odd thing was that she had several housemates, none of whom were home at the time.

Just thinking also that if these two didn't know Heather well, that might be why they didn't find her the first time. Hesitant to really look around.

They sound more like they were setting her up for some kind of financial scam.

 

[Wrinkles]

Okay all...

Sorry for my bad work, not studying and keeping things present in my mind. I've got a lot going on at home/s. Even so, finding the perp that took Heather's life is important.

Someone correct me where I am wrong... Also putting down what Missizzy gathered and placed in post 200:

>>Aug. 3rd--Heather talked to her dad in the morning but he was unable to reach her in the evening. MG repeatedly called Heather "at her house" (land line?) and got no answer. Maybe MG meant by cell but that's not what was reported. This is interesting as Heather had a cell phone as reported by her former husband. He sent her a text and I don't believe many land lines receive texts. dcc66, one of our posters, says that Heather did readings for her and that they spoke and texted frequently, as friends. Heather got off the phone at 1 pm on this day, telling dcc66 that she needed to do homework. In some of Heather's photos, one can see a cell phone clipped onto her jeans' pocket. Was her cell found? What about the records?<<

1. Heather went to Fred Meyers, Lowe's and Home Depot on the day she was murdered (assuming that was likely to have been the 3rd, is that fairly well confirmed by autopsy report?)

Her dad wrote:
>>She also may have been seen in Fred Meyers or Lowe&#8217;s and Home Depot buying items for her rented house on Honey Lane.<<

Can we assume that police have receipts for this, do we know "Heather" did the purchasing? Did she sign for things? Was it her signature? Credit or Debit? What time was on the receipts? What did she purchase? Were these things for her rental OR for the work she was doing in CS's laundry room? Was "cash" taken out too?

2. Heather spoke with a friend on the east coast at 1PM (was that you DCC?)

According to Heather's father on the memorial site:
>>She was last heard from at 1:00PM by a friend on the east coast.<<

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5557205&postcount=138"]According to DCC:[/ame]

>>I got off the phone with her at 1pm that day-she was going to do her homework and not leave until it was done and then go into town to see her friends.<<

Notice DCC says "go into town" and "see her friends" -- not drive to look at a house 113 miles north (at 2'7" driving time one way according to Google maps)

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5685424&postcount=168"]Also from DCC:[/ame]

>>... I am pretty sure Heather didn't go anywhere that day Missizzy....she had a paper to finish. We ended our phone call at 1pm Oregon time and when I called her to check back in (like we always did) it was 6:30 Oregon time and she didn't answer....which was not like Heather.<<

After so many months of communicating on a regular basis with Heather ("like we always did"), my guess is DCC knew Heather's pattern to get the phone. I'm also guessing she expected Heather to answer after having done homework -- getting a paper written.

Which leads me to the questions of whether Heather had a computer to do that paper, and I would guess she did based upon her online activities. Certainly seems that we would have good reason to believe that someone took Heather's life between 1 and 6:30PM Oregon time.

DCC this was an online class? Do we know if Heather submitted that paper? Do we know if Heather's computer (assuming she had one) was checked for most recent documents and when they were last saved? My guess is that she was going to work on or was working on that paper on the computer and was going to turn it in online. That being the case, she probably would have had to login at the online class to submit the paper. Did she login, did the paper get submitted? If so, at what time?

Was there any activity on Heather's computer after 1PM? Were there any signs of printed documents next to her computer, or work on a paper on the computer? Or study books laying near the computer to assist in writing the paper -- was this a research paper (needing study books) or an opinion paper, i.e. would she have needed to go to a library to pick up books or was there an online library at the online class?

IF Heather intended to press in and get her homework done, and finish a paper, doesn't it seem that she would have made it clear to MG and CS (or at least CS) that she was going to be studying until X time or so? Did they ever mention this to LE?

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5765223&postcount=229"]We then have Stitches writing:[/ame]

>>From what I had been told, Heather was going to meet with CS on the 3rd and then drive up north with her to check out a home in Albany area...<<

Stitches, who provided that information? Do we have any computer printouts of Albany properties found in the midst of Heather's belongings, or search work on Heather's computer that indicates she was looking for a home (to buy? to rent?) in Albany, or had checked one out to go look at on the 3rd? Do we have any calls from Realtors on her cell phone, or a Realtors card anywhere found? Or any notes that she had an appt. to see a house in Albany, or was this supposed to be a "drive by" only? Why drive so far to do a drive by only? Was Heather in a position to be spending money on gas for a 4 hour round trip, or for a hotel at the other end -- or did she know someone in Albany to stay with over night, and would they put up a friend she brought along? If CS couldn't pay her bills to keep her house out of foreclosure, would she be spending money on a hotel or meals out on a 4 hour trip? IF MG was on disability, was he going to be sharing change for a hotel in Albany for CS?

Stitches, where is Heather's computer? (don't answer that please, you know what I mean -- don't forget to catch your private messages in here). As a computer techy (me that is), I would love to have combed that computer on the day Heather's body was found.

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5765463&postcount=232"]And Missizzy writing:[/ame]

>>Now, it appears as if Heather had plans to travel north to Albany to look at a house that afternoon, maybe after she did her homework? That's a drive of 120 miles, one way. Were they planning on coming back that night? Or are you referring to spending the night at CS's house on the 3rd and heading north the following morning?<<

Great question... IF Heather had to study on the 3rd, and if she began at 1PM, and IF she was making herself buckle down to study...sounds like she intended to work for at least a couple hours. That might have put her to 3PM studying. Would she leave at that time to take a 2 hour trip north to look at a house in Albany? What time did it get dark then, and again did she have an appt. to look at one, or was this supposed to be a drive by. IF DCC knew about that studying, wouldn't she have known about that trip to Albany? Similarly IF CS knew Heather was coming over later, wouldn't she have known about the studying?

IF CS knew about Heather studying at home, would MG know? "IF" Heather purchased product for CS's closet, would CS or MG have gone to Heather's to pick it up that day and take it to CS? I would like to know precisely what Heather purchased that day.

Bottomline, there is a problem with information here... Heather was studying, was she really going to Albany? Did someone show up at her house ostensibly to pickup product and lose her life due to letting that person in to pick it up?

 

[Missizzy]

Excellent thoughts and questions, Wrinkles. Very close to my own. We must remember that even kind and considerate people, like Heather, can certainly be circumspect about their plans with no malice whatsoever. She might have signed off early claiming to have homework to do, while planning to make a quick run to look at a house in Albany. Being that it was mid-summer, she could have easily done a drive-by until 7:30-8 pm. She might not have been ready to share with family or friends that she was planning a purchase or move.

I've actually wondered if MG and/or CS might have been employed as subcontractors photographing soon to be foreclosed homes. Maybe they'd found something they hoped to interest Heather in.

I've been open on the boards about the fact that our family has recently lost all our homes and rental properties to foreclosure. I'm well aware of the subcontractors/representatives who work for the banks and realtors to document the upkeep of home awaiting foreclosure. I've been struck by how gracious and professional some have been and appalled at the behavior of others.

A couple of weeks ago, I surprised a woman in my backyard when I suddenly opened a door to let a dog out. She took off running. The last thing I saw as I hit the concrete patio with a grand mal seizure was a frightened looking blonde woman. When I came to an hour later, I was very upset to learn that she hadn't even closed our gate and had allowed our elderly and blind little poodle to wander out into the street. It was unbelievable to me that she didn't come check on a person who was obviously having a medical emergency or even call 911 anonymously.

We've also dealt with a man attempting to take photos in the windows when he thought the house was empty (I was lying in bed) and another who hid in the bushes and tried to talk our very startled special needs daughter into allowing him to photograph inside the front door. Others have just snapped a quick photo of the perfectly maintained homes and gardens from the street and some have even waved.

This must be a growing cottage industry due to the number of foreclosures and I've wondered if CS or MG might have been involved. After all, CS did just need some spirits cleansed from a home. I've heard from a realtor friend that most of these folks are traveling quite a bit.

I've also wondered if this might have been a funeral which CLS recently attended:

http://freepressnewspapers.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=6117

She's listed as a step-daughter, living in Melrose, OR (11 miles from Heather's home) and is linked with this man in both Illinois and Oregon searches. The identical relatives show up in both states. I wonder if she might have returned to the Verona/Joliet/Seneca/Plainfield Illinois area.

Wrinkles, early on you linked Heather, in some way, to the Ruch/Williams area of Southern Oregon. Can you remember how you came to find her down here and in what capacity?

I truly believe that CLS and MG have far more information than they have yet shared.

 

[Missizzy]

This is odd. I was checking back on Keen to see if they've posted any sort of notice about Heather's murder and I found this:

http://www.keen.com/details/LadyDragonfly57/Love-Relationships/9486735

The post by "Christine Locke" on 7/23/10 was NOT there earlier. Notice that the comment precedes Heather's death by over a week. Not sure what this is all about. Is it even possible to pre-date or insert reviews and comments?

 

[DeepThinker]

This is odd. I was checking back on Keen to see if they've posted any sort of notice about Heather's murder and I found this:

http://www.keen.com/details/LadyDragonfly57/Love-Relationships/9486735

The post by "Christine Locke" on 7/23/10 was NOT there earlier. Notice that the comment precedes Heather's death by over a week. Not sure what this is all about. Is it even possible to pre-date or insert reviews and comments?

is it possible she had a comment there already, heard about Heather and went back to edit the comment, but the original date stayed? :dance:

 

[Missizzy]

I guess it's possible but that still seems weird. I don't remember that name and I really perused that list. Maybe one of our mods could answer the question. We sure can't do that on WS and you can't go back and change the wording of a review on Amazon or Ebay months later. I looked at that list before I went on hiatus--probably in mid to late October and it wasn't there. Wouldn't this person just post a new review/message of condolence which would have the correct date?

 

[DeepThinker]

ITA, Missizzy...I would think that it would show edited or something. I've never been on a board that didn't time stamp each and every post, change, etc.

I just always try to look at every angle, and that was one of 'em. Probably not a very good one, either

That comment is concerning....and, like you, I want to know HOW that happened...

 

[Missizzy]

From the very beginning, I've been disappointed in the Keen website. Granted, I know nothing about how they work and I guess I'm holding them up in comparison to WS. Probably not fair to do so as we have amazing moderation. Tricia does take care of us. But Keen is a bit like Ebay--a group of people paying to use the website to sell their services.

Well, one of their members was murdered!!! And it's possible that her line of work could play a part. Could they not mention this? Do they have to leave the one poor reviewer hanging, thinking that she's been stiffed for her reading that never came? IMO, this is appalling.

I was checking out another reader last night who has been used by the "Christine Locke" mentioned above and I was really bothered to read review after review that raved about this reader's talents and then apologized (apologized!!) for running out of funds. That is just not OK in my book. I fully understand that reading is a service ie. medical care, auto mechanics, hair styling, etc. but there seems to a huge chasm between caring and the almighty dollar. I just don't get it.

 

[DeepThinker]

I have been very disappointed in all the websites similar to keen...they all seem to be the type that the person doing the reading has to pay for the site and the person getting the reading has to pay for the service. I'm all for free enterprise and such, and I have no problem paying, but there are some really "different" people on those sites...you never know if you're getting someone that's "real"...if you kwim...
plus, a lot of them are rude

 

[Missizzy]

Just how hard would it be to put a small announcement on Keen's home page memorializing Heather? That's just heartless, to my mind. By the looks of things, Heather did quite well on Keen. She was popular and busy. That means that she paid her fair share of costs. Why can't she be honored? The obvious place would be on her review page. It is glowing. Why is it even still up and running if the poor woman has passed--unless it could be morphed into a small forum for those grieving her loss.

It's interesting that not a single poster mentions Heather trying to cut a reading short. Rather, she seemed to go the extra mile for people and as we know here, even made friends with some of her clients. By all accounts she was studying psychology and seemed driven to learn more about the mind.

I'm hopeful that LE has thoroughly investigated Heather's dealings on Keen. I'm not getting a good feeling at all.

 

[DeepThinker]

I also don't understand why they are letting her site still be up and running...

and the poor people who don't know what happened are just sitting there expecting a reading and don't get one...

I don't know how well it's moderated. Not very well, I'm guessing. I agree with posting some sort of memorial on her page - that would let people know sort of what happened and pay tribute to Heather. She seemed like a wonderful person, with goals and a plan for her life.

 

[only71stitches]

Hey guys.... I have sent several emails to people at Keen letting them know what's going on and they have not answered a single one... I was at least able to get into her Keen page and set her status to away so no one else would try to purchase her services... I also tried to contact ebay and paypal to let them know so they could shut down her accounts, but the same thing, no one has contacted me back...