Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #16

[Mysterylover]

Does anyone know if LE has ask the PUBLIC to describe any type of vehicle that may have been SEEN on that dirt road between 4:00 and 5:15, the day of the murders, to come forward and describe what vehicles and occupants they saw that day.
There could possibly have been more trucks than just the one, that Sunday evening.

I hope LE is thinking outside the box and not totally focused on the one truck and POI.

 

[Busylady]

I firmly believe Claudia saw Skylas body at the scene. Its quite understandable that she didnt know the entrance and exits of the various wounds. She was spot on with saying where Skyla was shot etc. In addiiton, there is no restraining order on file for Claudia or Jim Farrow. I have yet to see one report that Claudia told anyone she was a vet, yet that seems to be being repeated over and over that Claudia led people to believe that. If Rose was not close to her mother, why did she call Claudia within minutes of arriving at the scene and let them be the ones to tell Roses father about the death of Skyla.

I have no clue why the source seems to be tainted when it comes to Claudia but it does make me question everything else they have said. The problem is so many people are taking the information as fact, heck its even being copied to other boards. We do not know if Vicki and Peter were home or not, the first responders going to the house first makes no sense, there were cars on the road, at least Vicki, Peter, and Rose there makes sense first responders would of seen these people before turning up a driveway right by the crime scene. We do not know if Joe Mosher was at the scene before police arrived.

While local information is great and it gives additional information to think about toss around until its proven as fact people who question it or discount it shouldnt be told they are wrong over and over and be discouraged from talking about what we do know as fact.

 

[fabvab]

I'm sorry but if I were the killer I'd be all over jumping up and having my gun tested so I could go to prison for the rest of my life. Heck no.

However, this does make me wonder if they don't suspect someone young or the fact that someone may have used dads/relatives guns and returned them and dad/relative has no idea they were moved or used. But then they would have to clean them up. I don't know. But if the gun testing statement is true...then it also leads me back to thinking that OSBI doesn't have a concrete clue. Which is scary. They may have suspicions.

AT first I was thinking it would narrow down the list of suspects. But the "killer(s)" could easily leave the murder weapon at home and take in a gun that was NOT used in the killing for testing and pretend to be cooperating hoping to take some heat/eyes off of them. But...it might lead LE to a gun that was borrowed from dad/relative by someone without the owner's knowledge.

 

[fabvab]

I firmly believe Claudia saw Skylas body at the scene. Its quite understandable that she didnt know the entrance and exits of the various wounds. She was spot on with saying where Skyla was shot etc. In addiiton, there is no restraining order on file for Claudia or Jim Farrow. I have yet to see one report that Claudia told anyone she was a vet, yet that seems to be being repeated over and over that Claudia led people to believe that. If Rose was not close to her mother, why did she call Claudia within minutes of arriving at the scene and let them be the ones to tell Roses father about the death of Skyla.

I have no clue why the source seems to be tainted when it comes to Claudia but it does make me question everything else they have said. The problem is so many people are taking the information as fact, heck its even being copied to other boards. We do not know if Vicki and Peter were home or not, the first responders going to the house first makes no sense, there were cars on the road, at least Vicki, Peter, and Rose there makes sense first responders would of seen these people before turning up a driveway right by the crime scene. We do not know if Joe Mosher was at the scene before police arrived.

While local information is great and it gives additional information to think about toss around until its proven as fact people who question it or discount it shouldnt be told they are wrong over and over and be discouraged from talking about what we do know as fact.

I thought it odd that Skyla lived right next door to Claudia, her grandma, but that it had been a week since Claudia had seen Skyla. (This is what Claudia said in a TV interview.) I just assumed that a child on summer vacation would be next door at Grandma's house more often than that (unless one of them was not at home that week).
I do agree that Rose had to be close to her mom because that is the first person she called. Unless Rose did because she knew it was the only way to get in touch with her husband.
I just think Rose and her husband didn't want Claudia giving interviews because they were private people...or didn't want people digging up info on their past.
Given all that...I do find that Claudia gave pretty good info in the TV interviews I saw. She described the bullet wounds accurately (that is the first thing I thought when reading the autopsy)...and Claudia said Skyla wanted to be a vet. She never said she herself was a vet. Claudia said in her interview that she had been a school bus driver and knew Taylor from driving the school bus.

 

[fabvab]

The one thing we DO know is that ONE of Taylor's parents is one of Peter and Vicky's 4 children - The Plackers were Taylor's bio Grandparents and that has been stated over and over. The logical answer is Jennifer because of her age (31) and her being somewhat "apart" from the family - there is very little linking her to the family found online. If it was one of the others, Taylor (b 4-6-95) had a very young mom or dad - Linda is 27, Jessie 26, Christopher 25 - making them at most 14, 13 and 12 when Taylor was born. Plus Jennifer and Jessie are the two who use the Paschal last name. Linda and Christopher use Placker. From the autopsy we know Taylor's LEGAL name was Paschal.

I agree it is odd that Taylor was so "hidden" for so long.
My Opinion

I found it odd that info about Taylor's bio parent(s) was not revealed in any news article. I have worked in a school system for years. I currently work in a small town now and have many children being raised by gp, great gp, etc. I don't have any students in this situation in which it is a secret as to who the real parent is. Many of them also have contact with the real parent. Some of the gp have legal custody or guardianship...some don't have any legal paperwork but have always just raised the child...etc.

 

[cloudajo]

I know some don't think it was a teen or teens, but it is one thing I still consider.

Just wondering if any teens did not come back to school this year (Graham, Weleetka, etc.) - as in "went to live with a relative" etc. or if any changed from "on-campus" to "off-campus" status this year.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Probably because Claudia Farrow didn't raise Rose and her sister. They were either taken from her or she gave up custody to her sister, who raised them. Mr Farrow is NOT Rose's Father either, Claudia married him and moved to Weleetka after she lost custody of her daughters. The people in Weleetka didn't even know Claudia HAD a daughter until Rose and her husband moved to Weleetka 3 years ago. The relationship has been, and still is somewhat "strained" and the Farrows were not as close to Skyla as they insinuated they were...when Claudia was being interviewed all the time Rose's words were, "she barely knows my daughter".

Obviously Rose is a very private person, she is not appearing AT ALL on TV or being interviewed in the media (she says her husband is speaking for the family when necessary) and friends say she is having a very difficult time after losing Skyla this way. She is not (understandably) real close to Claudia and Jimmy Farrow and probably feels somewhat isolated and even paranoid in her grief. The Plackers have moved, but the Whitakers are staying. I think that's one of the reasons she has decided to go to work at Skyla's school - plus I believe her younger daughter starts school there this year.

Like most families, this one isn't perfect - Claudia is Skyla's GMa, but that doesn't mean she is particlarly "close" to any of the family. And I hasten to add that Claudia was at the scene and could easily have been there during the initial interviews and also could have been told what Skyla's injuries were by several people. I just do not believe CSI/LE would allow Claudia near the body - this is most obviously a homicide, they obviously hoped to have some DNA and other evidence on the bodies and would not want it touched or contaminated by a bunch of people leaning over or touching the body. Claudia said Skyla was shot execution style under the chin - she was actually shot in the neck where it met the chest and in the side of her jaw - neither of those is an execution type shot under the chin - it sounds to me like Claudia was relating what she had been told by Peter Placker, who did see the bodies, albeit when he was very upset.To Peter it might have LOOKED like both girls were shot execution style, it was a very bloody and ugly scene Peter walked up on - so SHOCKING!

Again, it doesn't matter and if people in Weleetka feel Claudia exaggerates and embellishes - that is their opinion and they have their reasons for believing it. THEIR OPINIONS, just like ours here.

And that's MY OPINION

This is EXACTLY what I am talking about! You just stated everything just then as being fact about the story of Claudia and Rose then casually mention they have their opinions. You don't know either one of them, do you? So you do not know this is factual information. We never heard Rose say anything like that or ANYONE say that Claudia wasn't close or didn't love her grandaughter.

Actually, the shot WAS under the chin just to the side and in fact WAS the kill shot. It was the one which showed powder burn so it was upclose and personal. It went straight into her head and did not exit. Taylor's kill shot entered the lip and exited out of the base of her skull with powder burn, IIRC. (I will go look them both up again to be certain tho.)

 

[SeriouslySearching]

When did I call Claudia a liar?

May I ask you SS what exactly did Claudia "see" or was she "told by the LE"?

(wonder why locals won't post)

You didn't...unless you are FC's "source"! The "source" of FC's did more than once, at least according to FC.

I watched Claudia being interviewed on Greta on Fox and she reported standing next to Skyla with a male (either husband or son-in-law) who moved back whatever was covering the girl and she in detail described the placement of the wounds also saying they were covered by gauze pads. I believed her and now I know why. She was being honest about what she observed much to the chagrin of LE, I am sure!

The "source" claimed then she did not and lied about the whole thing. As we can CLEARLY see now, the source was incorrect and the grandmother did NOT lie! Someone is out to smear the grandmother and it makes me quite angry. :furious: She/he has successfully done that here with FC's help. I am just making the point that we can't trust anything else the "source" has said now for threads and threads in this case. We need to stick with the facts and not the rumors!

 

[FlowerChild]

VIII. Entrance gunshot wound, right neck, penetrating through the pharynx to the left mastoid region.
a. Entrance gunshot wound: scattered gunpowder attached (15.5 x 13.5 cm).
b. No exit gunshot wound present: a damaged small copper coated lead bullet recovered.
c. Direction: slightly backward toward the left.
d. Left mastoid bone with focal fracture and small regional hemorrhages.
Localized subarachnoid hemorrhages of left temporal lobe (6 x 4 cm), likely due to gunshot wound
#8.

Per the Drawing, this shot (#8) went in below Skyla's right ear on her neck and hit her mastoid bone on the left side - it was NOT anywhere near under her chin and it was NOT the definative kill shot - Skyla died because of the body shots - she bled to death internally - most of her internal organs were penetrated - spleen, lungs (twice), pulmonary artery, kidney, diaphram, liver, etc. Her "neck shot" did bruise the temporal lobe, but did not penetrate. The shot went backward and across, not upward into her brain.

The shot was placed at very close range under her right ear, on the side of the very upper part of her neck where it meets the jaw. It was not above the ear straight across her head (a kill shot) and not under her chin upward into her head (a kill shot). It's as if the shooter took care NOT to mess up Skyla's face (as opposed to what was done to Taylor).

(All info from the autopsy)

 

[Tom'sGirl]

I am just making the point that we can't trust anything else the "source" has said now for threads and threads in this case. We need to stick with the facts and not the rumors!

I agree, and said so http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2453913&postcount=317

 

[YellowDog]

I feel sure the killer was not worrying about whether or not he was messing up Skyla's face when he shot her to death.

 

[Tom'sGirl]

The reason there was no food in the bodies could be that the girls stayed up all night watching TV, playing games, etc. and then slept all day like kids that age can do. Maybe they hadn't been up very long.

My opinion is that's very unlikely for children of this age.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Well, if you read the report again...it was in the neck region under the chin as the bullet hit the mastoid bone.

VII: Entrance gunshot wound, penetrating through the pharnyx to the left mastoid region.
a. Entrance gunshot wound, scattered gunpowder attached (15.5 x 13.5 cm.).
b. No exit gunshot wound present; a damaged small copper coated lead bullet recovered.
c. Direction: Slightly backward to the left.
d. Left mastoid bone with focal fracture and small regional hemorrhages.
~snip~
The neck shows entrance gunshot wound over the right lateral neck below the jaw.

I would say this was pretty close to what she described except the exit wound. Under the circumstances, it is conceivable that she could have mistaken that one.

I just find the information not credible on the part of your source which makes me question other things coming from such a source so it IS at issue and needs to be discussed as people here are taking everything being said by the source as factual information.

These are the ME's words...not mine. This says it wasn't lower on the neck. Either way you look at it...she was shot in the head by a bullet that entered close under the jaw/chin line area. This shot also left powder so was shot at close range. What is there to argue about on this?! Obviously, it was the intent of the shooter for this to be the kill shot even if the other one did it by penetrating her organs.

 

[YellowDog]

I don't know how anyone can be so sure of which victim was shot first. Skyla could easily have been the first one shot because she was furthest away from the road and probably trying to escape. As close as the volley of shots were heard, I think the shooter/shooters were just letting the bullets fly and hit wherever they may. I don't think they carefully calculated and planned each shot.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I feel sure the killer was not worrying about whether or not he was messing up Skyla's face when he shot her to death.

I agree.

 

[c2cd208]

WOW, you guys have been busy in here. I got busy and did not have a chance to catch up until now. We slept at the same truckstop again on Friday night so that Saturday morning I could go in and see if I could hear any gossip or anything. Nope, notta, nothing was said in the place nor did I see a poster showing the POI hung anywhere.

I have not had a chance to read the reports yet as we just come in last night for a over night stay at home and getting the wash done, prepping food for the week for the truck and doing house stuff has not allowed me the time. But I hope to get to read them tonight on the way to our next destination.

I have read a few messages here though and I am very confused about the tatoo found on Taylor. Are there any pictures of it in the report so we could see if perhaps it has the look of something professionally done or something that would be home made? The reason I ask is this, I have a son who is young and he has tried to give himself a tatoo. So if she did have a perm tat, is it possible it is something she did to her self or had a friend help her with? I know you have to be 18 in most states to get inked. But some artist will let your parents sign a waiver if you are under age but I can not see a professional artist taking a job on someone that young even with parental consent. Most ethical artist would only allow a waiver to be signed by the parent or guardian if he could visualy see that the underage person wanting inked were older say 16 or older.

 

[YellowDog]

My opinion is that's very unlikely for children of this age.

Ever been to a slumber party?

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I don't know how anyone can be so sure of which victim was shot first. Skyla could easily have been the first one shot because she was furthest away from the road and probably trying to escape. As close as the volley of shots were heard, I think the shooter/shooters were just letting the bullets fly and hit wherever they may. I don't think they carefully calculated and planned each shot.

It would appear that they shot with more aim after the girls were already down, imo.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Ever been to a slumber party?

Yes, but we didn't really sleep until we got home the next afternoon!

 

[YellowDog]

It would appear that they shot with more aim after the girls were already down, imo.

I agree.