Found Deceased PA - Dakota James, 23, Pittsburgh, 25 Jan 2017 #1

[ChuckMaureen]

http://www.wtae.com/article/surveil...g-dakota-james-in-downtown-pittsburgh/8690155

Sources have confirmed the following timeline of James' whereabouts on that night:

• Went to a happy hour at Station Square with co-workers from J.B. Hunt.
• Took the T downtown to Market Square with a co-worker after happy hour.
• Went to two bars on Liberty Avenue: Images and 941 Saloon.
• Co-worker leaves 941 Saloon via Uber; James presumably begins walking.

The time line as reported is not unreasonable and probably 'accurate' up to what was known at that point. Some details are not included, likely because reporters (and maybe even LE) had not yet been made aware of the additional detail.

According to what has been up-to-most-recently reported, the time line would appear as below:

• Went to a happy hour at Station Square with co-workers from J.B. Hunt.
• Took the T downtown to Market Square with a co-worker after happy hour.
• Went to two bars on Liberty Avenue: Images and 941 Saloon.
• Co-worker and DJ leave [one of those bars] and walk to the Wood Street T Station.
• Co-worker enters Uber vehicle in front of Wood Street T Station.
• DJ is seen "alone" at Wood Street T Station after co-worker leaves in Uber.
• DJ presumably begins walking [up Seventh Street].
• DJ is seen on surveillance video walking through Katz Plaza toward Scott Place.

This next item was reported with no relative time stamp, so it is a floating item unless we assume it occurred after the Katz Plaza event, which would place it as the last item in the above time line: "DJ is seen on the Roberto Clemente Bridge."

 

[Jmd9981]

There isn't a T stop at Market Square though. The closest stop to Market Square is Gateway which is the furthest stop from Images or 941. If he was coming from Station Square and next destination was 941 or Images the logical T exit is at Wood street or Steel Plaza. T continues to Gateway then under river to northside after Wood Street. Timeline including Market Square doesn't seem correct.

Being on Clemente bridge is reported with a weird caveat---"at least one time".

 

[ChuckMaureen]

bbm, shortened for focus:

CM the last link you posted to WPXI has a timeline that is really goofy. Not sure if it is just poor journalism or as discussed previously the cameras were out of sync but they say he was seen at Katz at 11:46 and Wood Street at 11:49. His trail is reported in that article as going cold at Wood Street and this was after the Katz photo was release?

...[deleted for focus]

I think we're on to something that many cameras owned by the city are inoperable.

We know 45 of 163 cameras were reported as not functional or otherwise not useful. I posted this information earlier in the thread:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ittsburgh-25-Jan-2017&p=13117057#post13117057

 

[Jmd9981]

I'm aware cameras were out but they were supposed to be addressing the issue. I should have used the word still in my statement.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

New poster:

 

[Jmd9981]

Pamela James made a post yesterday at 7:30AM and interestingly Ron Yancoskie's brother replied about his suspicions about his brother's death and a lack of clarity from the police. Even more interesting is that Jimmy Slack's mother responded to this comment, noting something that was not made public my knowledge- no drugs and low alcohol levels in Jimmy's tox report.

 

[Ileeanna]

I saw a news program featuring a story about homelessness and the "man in the box" campaign in Pittsburgh (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/man-in-a-box-in-market-square-in-downtown-pittsburgh--continuing-to-generate-awareness-of-homelessness-and-the-salvation-army-300405130.html). If the family/police can get assistance from someone working at kitchens/ shelters (Salvation Army and other half way houses) it might be useful, or bring new ideas on areas to search. The one halfway house named in this article is just ½ mile north of Dakota’s apt. Also, I wish LE or the news would confirm DJs last true sighting and time.

 

[LisaWL7TR]

I don't think this has been posted yet. Hoping this helps find Dakota!

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A national organization that helps families find their missing loved ones is now working with the family of Dakota James, the 23-year-old Duquesne University grad student who has been missing for several weeks.

‘Bring Our Missing Home’ is a registered non-profit group based in Georgia and works on missing persons cases across the country.




http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2017...sons-group-working-with-grad-students-family/


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[Blsdjs]

I've been following this story and this thread from the start, but have not commented yet. This may be against rules, so please delete if it is, BUT... DJs mother makes daily posts on her FB that are heart wrenching. This morning's post has some things in it that make me think she isn't just talking about LE not helping. She posts "I know you don't know me, I don't want to know you, but you know my son and he doesn't deserve this from you". LE doesn't "know her son". Strikes me as a little different from her previous posts...

Again, if this is against any posting rules please delete!

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[ChuckMaureen]

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2017...sons-group-working-with-grad-students-family/

bbm

A national organization that helps families find their missing loved ones is now working with the family of Dakota James

Founder Cathy Rhodes tells KDKA’s Kym Gable her teams have been working with the James family on leads and information in the case.

James was last seen on Jan. 25 walking through Katz Plaza downtown.

Rhodes said there has been a lot of misinformation being disseminated.

She says her network is working on a course of action in Pittsburgh, but cannot reveal the details of any of those plans. She did say that an Erie firm had already supplied a drone that searched the river from above.

Robert Bendig is a former private investigator in Allegheny County.

“You have to make sure you communicate with everybody,” Bendig said. “You can’t have information that is to be disseminated going in different directions. You have to bring it back to a repository, which brings us to the organization that is helping the family.”

No mention of DJ having been last seen "on the bridge". Which brings us to "dissemination of [mis?]information".

It seems now that instead of [only] LE managing 'dissemination of [mis?]information' there is a national organization tasked with better managing that, i.e., "working on a course of action in Pittsburgh, but cannot reveal the details of any of those plans."

Rhodes also noted an "Erie firm had already supplied a drone that searched the river from above." I interpret the "searched from above" item as part of their "course of action" and that leads to some possibilities:

The organization was leaning toward DJ having ended up in the river and aerial search was stage one of the plan. A next stage would include dives, with where and when to be determined or implemented.

-or-

The organization wanted to more definitively rule out the possibility (river) since multiple dives by authorities and others and PSP helicopter searches turned up nothing, therefore it's time to move forward with ground search.

-or-

The organization is starting with a structured plan, from scratch, with no assumptions as to what, when or where DJ was and where he is.


We do not have enough information, whether it is mis- or accurate- information, to assume DJ is or is not in the river or whether or not DJ was seen 'on the bridge' that evening. I'm guessing he might have been seen on the bridge that evening after the Katz Plaza sighting but LE did not want that tidbit released.

LE wants the public to remain 'in the dark' on this case. The national organization, with their 'secret' plans, seems intent on the same but, it's early. Either way, I believe LE remains the primary authority and would have ultimate say-so but the family might believe otherwise, given the involvement of the national organization.


Now, waiting for information dissemination plan #1 to be implemented....

 

[Beamer15]

I think she was referring directly to the person or persons who may have DJ or know something about his disappearance...LE was going to review DJ social media apps. Maybe something has been told to just the family.


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[ChuckMaureen]

bbm

I've been following this story and this thread from the start, but have not commented yet. This may be against rules, so please delete if it is, BUT... DJs mother makes daily posts on her FB that are heart wrenching. This morning's post has some things in it that make me think she isn't just talking about LE not helping. She posts "I know you don't know me, I don't want to know you, but you know my son and he doesn't deserve this from you". LE doesn't "know her son". Strikes me as a little different from her previous posts...

Again, if this is against any posting rules please delete!

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I interpret that as PJ believing DJ has not gone missing by his own choosing, that someone has caused the situation or at least knows what happened and has not come forward.

 

[Blsdjs]

bbm



I interpret that as PJ believing DJ has not gone missing by his own choosing, that someone has caused the situation or at least knows what happened and has not come forward.

Those were precisely my thoughts as well. Wondering, like someone else said already, of maybe they do have more info. I certainly hope that's the case. This poor family has been through such a nightmare. My heart bleeds for them!

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[Beamer15]

Those were precisely my thoughts as well. Wondering, like someone else said already, of maybe they do have more info. I certainly hope that's the case. This poor family has been through such a nightmare. My heart bleeds for them!

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Mine too. So so sad and tragic for the family.


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[Insomnia Momma]

I will never understand why when someone is missing so many things are kept secret. First with LE and now even the search organization? SMH

 

[sadcky]

I read in a FB group "Dakota James Search Party Pittsburgh" where DJ's sister commented, "To all, the news is wrong. He did not make it to the 6th St bridge. Confirmed by police." She commented in the post by J.C Ewalt

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1235783473154912/

 

[Blsdjs]

I read in a FB group "Dakota James Search Party Pittsburgh" where DJ's sister commented, "To all, the news is wrong. He did not make it to the 6th St bridge. Confirmed by police." She commented in the post by J.C Ewalt

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1235783473154912/

Good to know! Now we know for sure that that was a newsmade myth. Thanks for sharing.

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[ChuckMaureen]

I read in a FB group "Dakota James Search Party Pittsburgh" where DJ's sister commented, "To all, the news is wrong. He did not make it to the 6th St bridge. Confirmed by police." She commented in the post by J.C Ewalt

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1235783473154912/

I believe family if they report DJ was not seen "on" the bridge but I am reluctant to entirely dismiss a report of DJ having being seen near / approaching the Roberto Clement Bridge.

IIRC, the local news video report (have not located link) I saw regarding the additional sighting (beyond Katz Plaza) on a surveillance video showing DJ was that he was seen near the Roberto Clement Bridge. It was suggested in the news video the surveillance camera was on a high-rise building; the reporter / news camera pointed / aimed upward toward one of the taller buildings on Fort Duquesne Blvd. It was in the print article(s) that reported it as "on the bridge".

I still believe it is possible DJ was seen on surveillance video on Fort Duquesne Blvd. walking in the direction of the Roberto Clement Bridge (from Scott Place / Barkers Place). What might make it difficult to confirm it was DJ is that surveillance camera is at a distance. But, given other DJ video exists from that evening it seems a good possibility comparison of gait / clothing would be enough to 'confirm'.

Given comments from another family member (on SM) it is clear they believe someone other than DJ is directly responsible. LE would not officially make such a conclusion without at least some degree of evidence. As for the family, their 'evidence' is, they *know* DJ. But is that enough?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

bbm

Good to know! Now we know for sure that that was a newsmade myth. Thanks for sharing.

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No, we do not "know". The report attributed the information as being from an official source. I do not believe that news organization would make up such a thing regarding such a sensitive situation... the organization had nothing to gain and everything to lose: credibility.

LE, on the other hand, could have investigative reasons to not want that info released but it was inadvertently revealed or was a premature conclusion on their part.

 

[sadcky]

It's quite possible LE is trying to keep everything confidential in case there is foul play involved. If there is, they wouldn't want anything to be revealed to the potential perpetrator. But this makes it extremely difficult on the family to not receive any answers at all.

I'm not sure if I read it was WPXI who reported the bridge sighting? If so, they do have the tendency to report false news.

I believe I read somewhere that one of DJ's family members said LE seemed to think he did this to himself. I'll have to find where it was stated.