Don't want you to think I'm picking on you, FC, breaking up your post and disagreeing with it! I just wanted to show that there are other ways of interpreting some of this stuff, too. Don't mean to say that I think you're wrong, necessarily.
They (OSBI) are going to some trouble to protect, even shield, the families (who have been cleared) and the families are NOT taking part in the media campaign to find the killer.
How is the OSBI "protecting" and "shielding" the family?
In what way should the families take part in a media campaign to find the killer? Several of them have given interviews. Is it usual for every single person related to a murder victim to give an interview? Is it suspicious if they don't? How would a media interview with a family member aid in finding the murderer?
Even Skyla's family has been silent and absent from any media coverage -- we must ask ourselves why Skyla's family isn't speaking out - perhaps because they too are frightened and afraid of becoming targets - or becuase OSBI has advised them to remain silent?
Maybe Skyla's family is in deep mourning and doesn't feel like being on the morning news or discussing their grief with strangers.
Something OSBI would do if they thought any publicity might prove incendiary to the killer and cause perhaps further acts of retaliation or "control" targeting the Whitaker family?
Or maybe they're concentrating on other things besides the Whitaker family.
The Memorial Video for Taylor released to the public contains not a single photo of Taylor with a family member- and many included photos were abviously taken at celebratory school events where one would assume her family was in attendance and yet there were no photos shown of those events with Taylor and at least ONE of her GP's. I have never seen a memorial video where there was not a single photo of a child victim with ANY family member - in Taylor's video there was not a single baby photo, not a single holiday photo, not a single school event photo containing her family, not a single photo of her with her siblings - in fact, there was not a single photo of Taylor more than a year or two old and not a single photo taken outside a school event or classroom.
Maybe the Plackers don't have a camera. I don't.
This was not (IMO) some "crack/meth head". The behavior shown by the killer (and also the POI) was NOT that of a fearful, whacked out, paranoid, impulsive strung out, tweaking person. This killing shows an unusual LACK of emotion and a level of planning. It was cold, calm, calculated and organized
The experts I've seen have seemed to think this killer was unorganized. I don't think the murder seems well planned at all -- lots of people around, non-fatal shots and fatal ones, casings left around, the girls just happened to be on the road at that time (no way the killer could have known ahead of time that they'd be there.)
TWO GUNS were used - that's not the behavior of a "thrill killer" - that's the behavior of someone who is as invested in sending the MESSAGE to the survivors as in the killing itself. The killing itself seems almost secondary to the presentation of message because the killer risked a LOT to leave that message - something he did NOT have to do if killing the girls was his ONLY goal.
"Two guns" being used could be the behavior of two thrill killers. Also, I don't get how using two guns would send more of a message than using one gun. In fact, I would think that one shot in the back of each of their heads would send a much more effective message.
Psychology of this scene says the killer didn't care so much about killing (or who he killed) but about the message the killing left behind. The deaths were only important as the medium to communicate the message and frankly, I don't think the killer cared WHO he killed - so long as the MESSAGE was clear and unmistakable to the target.
I agree that this killer probably did not care who he killed. I also suspect that the killer wanted to send a message to someone in the family. But I don't think the killer thought it out coldly -- I think the killer was angry and out of control.
And I do think the murders are in some way connected to the Placker Family thru the Bandidos. Perhaps the Bandidos didn't order the hit - but I betcha the killer is related to someone in the Bandidos or is in the Bandidos.
The killer could be associated with the Bandidos, but I don't for a minute think the Bandidos ordered this hit. Even if they were low and cowardly enough to order a hit on a little girl, they would expect it to be done with some sort of efficiency. There are plenty of very bad people with ties to members of this family besides the Bandidos. Or, the killer could just be some nut job. I don't see a way we can come to a conclusion at this point.
Somebody was "sending a message" to someone in the Placker family for some reason...and to do that they killed two girls who came out of the Placker house - don't think they cared WHO they were or HOW they were related. The message was clear and I think Taylor's G-PA knew this the minute he saw the bodies.
My Opinion
IF this was a retaliatory or revenge murder, I agree that Peter Placker probably knew immediately.
