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

[AFTM]

Here's something I wonder....
Does anyone here think about the fact that this happened on a Wednesday? Point being, sure I go out for happy hour on a Wednesday from time to time but it seems like an odd day of the week to be drinking to the point of service refusal and someone involved not remembering much detail of the night.
In response to someone quite a bit earlier saying that they hadn't had much experience drinking and not remembering details, I think a lot of people can say that it's happened to them. Probably more times than either of us would like to openly admit. I don't find that odd, just the day of the week and the level of drinking that the story puts out there.

I have questioned this too....What about work in the morning? What about school? Why get blitzed to the point you are eating someone else's pizza. YUK!!!

I wonder if they were celebrating something...

But nobody has given any indication of that.

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[OnTheBreeze]

I thought it was a little odd to get that drunk on a Wednesday as well. Not that I haven't. But it seems like a long night for the middle of the week. What actually had me thinking was how many places they went to for a Happy Hour. I work in town and when my office does happy hour we typically go somewhere close to our office and most likely no where else. Happy Hour doesn't typically mean bouncing around, at least not me my case. Not that it seems relevant to him missing.

 

[SomeoneElse333]

I have questioned this too....What about work in the morning? What about school? Why get blitzed to the point you are eating someone else's pizza. YUK!!!

I wonder if they were celebrating something...

But nobody has given any indication of that.

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That's why I have wondered about why there have been no statements from the co-worker, the employer, or the university. I have to wonder if law enforcement knows a little bit more about what motivated him that night or what he might have been going through based on interviews with those people and organizations.

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[OnTheBreeze]

This is what I tried to say the other day. Better watch it everyone will have a fit. I compared him to my sons and you should of heard them. The truth will come out eventually...

I think it is a very sad situation. I hope they find him. My nephew is a recruiter for National Guard. He rounded up a bunch of guys to help search one Saturday. They found nothing like everyone else.

I truly think he is in the river and either he jumped or someone put him there...Will we ever know?


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Don't misunderstand what I am saying. I am NOT saying he was doing anything wrong or that he was not a responsible upstanding young man. I am saying in general no one really knows anyone 100%. For all we know he had a secret habit of reading to the blind and feeding the homeless. Not all secrets are bad.

 

[AFTM]

6) Sixth Street to Roberto Clemente Bridge

7) Across the Roberto Clemente Bridge and down the stairs

Geezzzz it would of been so easy for him to just step off....and into water...

I wonder...


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[OnTheBreeze]

That's why I have wondered about why there have been no statements from the co-worker, the employer, or the university. I have to wonder if law enforcement knows a little bit more about what motivated him that night or what he might have been going through based on interviews with those people and organizations.

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I thought it strange that there wasn't even a mention in the news saying something like "Co-work said he was heading to..." or " As far co-work knew he was heading home". I know somewhere it stated that co-worker didn't remember much. It would be so helpful if it was know where he was intending to go or even where he told co-worker he was intended whether the same or different.

Do we know if he had class the next day? Did he go at night or online?

 

[SomeoneElse333]

Geezzzz it would of been so easy for him to just step off....and into water...

I wonder...


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I've said this several times. There are sections of the river walks that are precariously close to the rivers' edge. And the stretches without barriers make it tremendously easy to go in by accident.

I suppose this is part of the reason why I'm doubtful that there is a serial killer in the area. I think the combination of the number of bars downtown and their proximity to the walkways along the river just makes it too easy for accidents to happen to people who have maybe had a little too much to drink.

Also, I don't think anyone would go to the river walks at night unless they were meeting someone. They're not shortcuts to anything, and you have to go out of your way to get to them. I can't imagine anyone feeling safe there at night. I barely felt safe there (and getting there--which was also desolate) early in the morning on a Sunday.

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[SomeoneElse333]

I am NOT saying he was doing anything wrong or that he was not a responsible upstanding young man. I am saying in general no one really knows anyone 100%.

I couldn't agree more. I've had friends who almost led double lives. The person they were around me was very different from the person they showed their families or co-workers.

I'm not making any conclusions about Dakota or his relationship with his family, but no one knows except probably, at his age, his closest, closest friends. So I take it with a grain of salt when I hear family saying that so-and-so would never do this, that, or the other.

And in some ways I think the police must have attitudes like that as well. Also, I think they have to protect the victim's identity in case they were legitimately trying to hide from the very people who are looking for them. Again, I am not making any conclusions about Dakota. Im just thinking about the challenges of piecing things like this together from disparate sources of information. It must be a very difficult position for police to be in in situations like this. How much do you reveal, to whom, and when?

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[OnTheBreeze]

I couldn't agree more. I've had friends who almost led double lives. The person they were around me was very different from the person they showed their families or co-workers.

I'm not making any conclusions about Dakota or his relationship with his family, but no one knows except probably, at his age, his closest, closest friends. So I take it with a grain of salt when I hear family saying that so-and-so would never do this, that, or the other.

And in some ways I think the police must have attitudes like that as well. Also, I think they have to protect the victim's identity in case they were legitimately trying to hide from the very people who are looking for them. Again, I am not making any conclusions about Dakota. Im just thinking about the challenges of piecing things like this together from disparate sources of information. It must be a very difficult position for police to be in in situations like this. How much do you reveal, to whom, and when?

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BBM... I wondered about that. If someone is "hiding out" I guess they would come out and say he is no longer missing and the case is closed.

 

[pittsburgh1]

psu2007: Do you mean this door?

I was curious about it as well. There is a camera aimed directly at it but also - to my surprise - it is locked by default and exists only to let people out from inside. Someone would have to be there either leaving or holding it open for him to use it.

 

[psu2007]

Yes, that door. You didn't get the camera above the garage attendant booth, but I assumed it was the one that caught him putting his phone in his pocket. It could have been the one on your video though.

I also assumed it was for people to leave. The stairs you can see inside must lead to an entry into the parking lot as well as the apartment building. Again, probably cameras inside and I'm sure those have been reviewed.

However, DJ still could have entered the apartment complex on FDB.

psu2007: Do you mean this door?

I was curious about it as well. There is a camera aimed directly at it but also - to my surprise - it is locked by default and exists only to let people out from inside. Someone would have to be there either leaving or holding it open for him to use it.

 

[M-Henry]

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to take these videos P1. This really helps all of us who are unfamiliar to get a better idea of the set up!

 

[psu2007]

Actually, (and again I'm assuming there's video cameras inside this building) if LE is unsure if DJ turned left or right and he wasn't spotted on any other camera, he could turned right and immediately been at a door. It's very odd that the camera at Warhol/7th street bridge didn't see him, unless they were turned off because of construction. Then again, that apartment building should have outside cameras and I haven't seen any...I've been looking daily.

Yes, that door. You didn't get the camera above the garage attendant booth, but I assumed it was the one that caught him putting his phone in his pocket. It could have been the one on your video though.

I also assumed it was for people to leave. The stairs you can see inside must lead to an entry into the parking lot as well as the apartment building. Again, probably cameras inside and I'm sure those have been reviewed.

However, DJ still could have entered the apartment complex on FDB.

 

[psu2007]

Ok, so this got me thinking again. If the camera at the Warhol/7th st. bridge is off because of construction (we don't know if it's working either way), then I'm not sure he would have been picked up on the camera in the photo below. That'd be a tough angle to capture footage coming out of Scott Pl., which would validate LE saying they couldn't tell if he turned left or right. He potentially could've gotten into a car right there and not been seen. And since it's a straight shot from where he was seen putting his phone into his pocket, then that makes some more sense. I just can't understand why that apartment building doesn't have cameras outside.

 

[SomeoneElse333]

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to take these videos P1. This really helps all of us who are unfamiliar to get a better idea of the set up!

Agreed! Big time! I'm a local and these videos have helped me a whole lot!

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[HCC2017]

Yes Thank you!
It's nice to have a visual of the area especially when your not from there or been there.

Had no idea how close the river is when you descend the steps..

 

[Pittsburgh Sarah]

I've been reading this thread for a while and am posting for the first time. I'm confused about the time stamp of him being near the Wood Street Station at 11:49PM and then at Katz Plaza at 11:46PM. If this is true, then he was walking into town, and not out of town towards FDB or any of the bridges. Additionally, he would have been walking OUT of Katz Plaza, and not taking Scott Place to Barkers and then to FDB. Based on the image we have, it's clear that he's walking into Scott Place through Katz Plaza.

Second thing... this is clearly a path that he took frequently. I'm downtown in the cultural district a lot, and have parked in the garage off of 7th Street many times. I frequently go to a restaurant on Penn, about a block from Katz Plaza (called Meat and Potatoes). I've never noticed the short cut behind Katz and back to the garage... and if I had, I certainly wouldn't take it. At any rate, I feel that he was headed for the Roberto Clemente bridge, as if he was heading for the Warhol/7th Street bridge, he wouldn't have cut through Katz/Scott/Barkers. If he was headed for the Warhol/7th Street Bridge, he would have continued walking straight, and not turned left to get to Katz Plaza. I hope this makes sense. I'm attaching a map with his path for clarification.

 

[maf88]

I find it very frustrating that LE will not release an image of him at the end of Scott Place where it intersects with FDB. I would think that at this point with the family challenging their efforts, that they would want to provide as much information to the public that they can. Especially, since they stated that they saw him there on the video but can't make out if he we went left or right on FDB. I don't get it, if they confirmed it why not release photo/video to the public. Sometimes its nice to just have the proof rather than taking their word for it that he was there. I often think that LE is making statements that not may or may not be entirely true just because the family is putting pressure on them.

 

[maf88]

I believe that I read somewhere that time stamps on the videos could be incorrect. Or maybe that he was at Wood Street T station at 11:39 and at Katz at 11:46. I could be wrong on this though.

 

[psu2007]

You're right...it's just LE still came out to the news conference on Tuesday and gave inaccurate info, which is being reported by the TV stations, etc. Frustrating.

I believe that I read somewhere that time stamps on the videos could be incorrect. Or maybe that he was at Wood Street T station at 11:39 and at Katz at 11:46. I could be wrong on this though.