GUILTY TX - Alanna Gallagher, 6, Saginaw, 1 July 2013 - #7

[CatFancier]

In the interests of thoroughness, are the "verified insiders" on this case actually verified?

Is there some way to tell easily?

My take on the vandalism/fires - most likely some straight laced person who has taken umbrage at the family's lifestyle.

Probably a teenager, maybe even a grown adult...either way I see it as a "hate crime" not actually connected to Alanna's death as such.

Any branches of Westboro around?

The only verified insider on this case is LDHummingbird. Bessie listed her as one on the first page of this thread.

 

[fred&edna]

RE: The fire/s (I'm catching-up and maybe someone has suggested this)

We saw how a number of people were anxious to chatter on FB the other day when the false rumor (parents being arrested) was posted. I'm wondering if some locals believe Alanna's parents are guilty and the fire was started for the same reasons (a vigilante-type thing).

 

[iamnotagolem]

I'm not understanding the vigilante angle at all. If someone assumed the parents were guilty, burning the car & house down and possibly killing them would also risk their innocent children's lives. If someone was upset that the parents killed Alanna why would they risk killing her siblings as well?

 

[briTCU]

Does anyone know how often killers taunt the victim's family? I mean, is it likely that they do? Not that anything about this case seems likely.

 

[SapphireSteel]

It was KG's car. Yes, MM is Alanna's biological father.

Hi LD thanks for joining and for sharing with us.

I just wanted to say I'm so glad Alanna's family has such good friends to stand by them. They must be living a nightmare.

I don't think they should move, whoever is harassing them will be caught and exposed, it is probably only one sick individual.

There's always someone wishing to kick you when you're down, it seems.

:sick:

 

[iamnotagolem]

Back to the church angle, could Alanna have been targeted because she was not born to the married couple in the relationship since she was MM's daughter?

 

[GingerzMomma]

I take it LE and FBI have not released the info they were going to today yet? It is approximately 2:50 p.m. there, so, will they release or wait for the evening news?

Isn't the end of the day on Friday when you always release the stuff that you want people to pay attention to?...........ugh..................

Not their fault, of course: the fire situation(s) was a huge curveball.

 

[SapphireSteel]

Back to the church angle, could Alanna have been targeted because she was not born to the married couple in the relationship since she was MM's daughter?

I think Alanna was targeted merely because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This screams opportunity and disorganisation, to me. Whoever killed her had no "plan" in my opinion, it was spur of the moment.

:moo:

 

[GingerzMomma]

I'm not understanding the vigilante angle at all. If someone assumed the parents were guilty, burning the car & house down and possibly killing them would also risk their innocent children's lives. If someone was upset that the parents killed Alanna why would they risk killing her siblings as well?

I think it's been stated in the MSM that the other children are not in the home at this time.

 

[briTCU]

Back to the church angle, could Alanna have been targeted because she was not born to the married couple in the relationship since she was MM's daughter?

It seems in this case anything is possible, but I don't believe that it is likely though. There are just so many kids born out of wedlock these days. I'm just not sure she was targeted for any specific purpose other than she was outside alone. Of course, your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully today will be the day LE gets the perp(s) and we all start getting some answers.

 

[Fringedomina]

Wow, so many pages of discussion since last night!

FringeDomina, I just want to give you a HUGE Internet hug.

Thanks! :seeya:

I think maybe it's just a way of speaking*, but ... what with the "propped" some thought they heard instead of "tarped"... I do wonder. Probably not, though.

ETA* - sometimes I hear people speak of an object as "just sitting there", and sometimes people depersonalize a body, speaking of it as an object ... that's what I'm thinking

People here do say "[it's] sitting there", meaning it's currently in that spot, whatever position it's actually in.

Welcome and thank you so much for sharing your story!

If it's any consolation, my personal opinion is that the two incidents are unrelated because of the difference in time. If Alanna had been snatched in the middle of the night, I would be more concerned about a connection. I'm glad you reported the incident as a tip so that LE can evaluate the possibility. I suspect you are right that one reason they did not follow up with you is that they probably do not feel it is relevant.

Yeah, the time difference is mostly why I haven't pressed harder on it. On the other hand, if some guy was looking to take a girl in the night while her parents were away, and ended up stymied, maybe snatching one in broad daylight was desperation.

Jeeeeez the creepiness of those words. I may have to insist LE question them just so that I can not think them ever again. But it would be the most freakish coincidence in the world - Alanna's family are literally the only people we actually know in Saginaw. (We technically live in Fort Worth, one street away from the city line.)

I didn't see a lot of response to this, but I definitely think you should follow up and bug LE about this. Sometimes mistakes are made and tips are ignored or overlooked. I would insist they take it seriously. Why was someone in your driveway at the wee hours of the morning? If your husband saw him go into a specific house, couldn't he be questioned as to what he was doing there? I think you should follow up until they take you seriously and show they are taking you seriously by at the very least talking to you about what you saw! JMO

See...I'd think that if they were that much at a loss, they might at least want to talk to the guy. :?

I know. And there was a story last night (updated with video at around 11:30 Saginaw time) where there was talk of releasing video stills and surveillance of the area where Alanna was found. Someone worried? Their garage almost caught fire, the FRONT end of the car which was facing the garage has a lot of damage from what I can tell. That means someone probably lit the fire right there under the front end.

Another creepy coincidence is that another local who knows the family posted last night saying she saw a guy on her property about a month ago and he ran off.

Not a month ago, less than 48 hours before Alanna was taken.

Hi, welcome..... You didn't call the cops because your husband saw the man enter his home, is that correct?

:moo:

At the time, he thought he did. After Alanna was found it occurred to me that the guy might have just ducked behind the bushes to throw my husband off the scent. I asked if he'd actually seen the door open, and he said he hadn't, and neither had he registered the sound of it opening/closing.

I'd contact the police. Walk into a station and show them the photo of the house and cars you took that night.
Demand (nicely) that they take down your report.
I'd call Alannah's parents asap.
If I was them I would want to speak to you asap.
This is very important.

If I were you, I would not call, I would go to PD in person.

I'm seriously considering it. I don't want to seem like some kind of attention seeking, obsessive freak wasting valuable LE time with something that's truly not relevant. But...I agree with you. If I were them, I'd want to know more about a stranger lurking in the dark at the home of one little girl, so soon before another was taken. I'm afraid the tip might have been skimmed over and discounted during a time when they were getting lots of them, and focusing on a red truck.

I've never seen this guy before. I have no idea if he lives at that house, or in this neighborhood.
I'm so torn!

 

[greenpalm]

Text of note on mailbox in video at this link: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Images-in-Saginaw-Slaying-Case-May-Be-Released-216101751.html

Dear Saginaw Neighbors,

We wish to express our shared grief at the recent death of Alanna Gallagher. This terrible tragedy became even more horrific as it unfolded before us on the very corner where our own children live and play.

Along with the rest of the community, we wish to keep Alanna's memory alive. The items that were placed here were removed by the city. The items were either ruined with the recent rain, or were taken to her parents. In the future, instead of placing items on our street, we respectfully ask that you make your donation in Alanna's name to a children's charity or to her family.

Thank you,

The Citizens of Cindy Lane & Roundrock Dr.

Locals, did anyone go back to read the notice posted at Alanna's memorial of where she was found that had been removed yesterday? tia

I posted the text of the note on the mailbox where the memorial had been at the above link. I paused a video and copied it.

 

[human]

Every day in America, people disagree with the way that other people live, and every day in America, people go right on living their lives. Most people don't commit murder because they don't like someone's lifestyle. I think if someone hated the family's lifestyle, then one of the adults would've been targeted. In other crimes like this (I hate the term hate crime because most crimes involve hate), the gay, African American, Jewish, etc. individual is targeted (e.g. Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena, etc.).

I'm not sure how the events are connected, but they have to be connected in some way. I think they were committed by the same person or it's some sort of weird hint of some kind.

I think if you are going to do a hate crime, shouldn't you identify it as such? What I mean is there should be some kind of scrawled message or communication or sign.

That is why I think it is just some stupid person . I do not see a big message in this

 

[matou]

Does anyone know how often killers taunt the victim's family? I mean, is it likely that they do? Not that anything about this case seems likely.

In Tori Stafford's murder case, one of the murderers was obsessed with the case, posted online about it, gossiped about it and kept turning the attention to Tori's mother who did drugs, implying she was directly involved with her disappearance. He was a real evil manipulator.

 

[GingerzMomma]

I know, the Facebook posts in particular have got me riled up. It's very hard for them to consider moving. Two of their children were born in that house (literally -- home births) and Alanna lived there all her short life. I hate to think that whoever set that fire wins by chasing them out of the area.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear: I don't mean put the house up for sale and move away altogether...... What I meant was could LE either put them up somewhere/allow them to stay somewhere else for awhile?

 

[cypress]

It was KG's car. Yes, MM is Alanna's biological father.

I know that this may seem repetitive... I know KG is the owner of the car, but is it the car he drives every day? Do the adults have specific cars that are theirs, or do they share? Thank you!

 

[LDhummingbird]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear: I don't mean put the house up for sale and move away altogether...... What I meant was could LE either put them up somewhere/allow them to stay somewhere else for awhile?

Ah. I don't think LE has that kind of resources, honestly.

 

[matou]

Sorry Fringedomina, I got confused with Alanna's birthday in June and I thought that's when you saw that man on your property. 48 hours is too damn close in terms of time, is there an arsonist-murderer in the neighborhood? WTF?

 

[greenpalm]

I know, the Facebook posts in particular have got me riled up. It's very hard for them to consider moving. Two of their children were born in that house (literally -- home births) and Alanna lived there all her short life. I hate to think that whoever set that fire wins by chasing them out of the area.

I am repeatedly struck by how "like me" this family is. Seldom do I identify so strongly with crime victims. (Although I only have one husband, I could use another!)

2 of my children were born in my home. I saw a photograph of Laura on her blog with sharpie marker as if she'd seen The Silence on her arms indicating her as a fan of Doctor Who. There is so much more…

 

[ahintexas]

Ah. I don't think LE has that kind of resources, honestly.

The FBI does.