Found Deceased TX - Leanne Bearden, 33, Garden Ridge, 17 Jan 2014 #11

[Trino]

I believe J, the family, LE, and the PI, although not at first, had later suspicions that L was suicidal. Hence, there were many statements about L leaving on her own. There also were not later massive private volunteer organized searches or massive volunteers handing out flyers as we have seen in many cases. Interesting, too, there was a lack of LE searches for an abductor or LE concern about an abduction. However, there were statements about anxiety and some FB statements sleuthers considered strange, which now seem to be falling into place. The bottom line is WSlers did not focus on suicide.

In many missing persons cases there are statements to the effect the missing person could be suicidal. Assuming the idea may have been visited, in the interest of safety I wonder about the fine line between privacy and the public's right to know. In this case there were those living in the area who felt L could have been abducted and who may have been concerned for their own well-being. Again, assuming this idea was considered, perhaps this might have been mentioned by authorities.

Sympathies to the family.

 

[EmmieA]

I'm also really unhappy with the Search and Rescue mention that (paraphrasing) 'the family told us they'd searched this area, so we didn't search it ourselves'. The family isn't a trained search team, and there's no way Search and Rescue shouldn't have started at the family home and branched out from there and done a trained search of the area closest to the last place she was seen. I'm picturing Josh and his parents walking around the neighborhood calling for her, knocking on doors, asking people if they'd seen Leanne, looking in drainage ditches - that's the kind of search they could do. While Search & Rescue had dogs and manpower and the official credibility that might have convinced (for instance) elderly homeowners to let them do a quick search of their property FOR them. No way could Josh and his parents systematically have done that. So I hate that S&R never searched one of the most important areas because "the family already looked there". I think that's a HUGE lesson to be learned.

In regards to the search, here's a quote from a searcher who helped in numerous searches. I'm not sure if he was part of the official search.

“It could be like trying to find a quarter on the moon because it was just so hard to see into those trees,” said Busch.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/02/13/missing-denver-womans-body-found-blocks-from-where-she-was-last-seen/

 

[Lilibet]

What if there is a suicide note, written by LB, found in the backpack that she took with her? Would you still expect a murder investigation? Just wondering.

You ask a good question. If the handwriting matched another handwriting sample of Leanne's, and was checked for fingerprints other than Leanne's, I'd be satisfied as long as the rest of the investigation was unbiased and thorough.

Interestingly, in some of the research I've done, every death investigation needs to be conducted as a homicide investigation until the facts prove otherwise. That way, nothing is missed and crucial mistakes aren't made with the evidence. Apparently, investigators sometimes assume suicide, when it is a homicide.

This case has already experienced jumping to conclusions about Leanne, so I just want her cause of death to be determined accurately and nothing overlooked.

 

[ami]

You ask a good question. If the handwriting matched another handwriting sample of Leanne's, and was checked for fingerprints other than Leanne's, I'd be satisfied as long as the rest of the investigation was unbiased and thorough.

Interestingly, in some of the research I've done, every death investigation needs to be conducted as a homicide investigation until the facts prove otherwise. That way, nothing is missed and crucial mistakes aren't made with the evidence. Apparently, investigators sometimes assume suicide, when it is a homicide.

This case has already experienced jumping to conclusions about Leanne, so I just want her cause of death to be determined accurately and nothing overlooked.

BBM. That's exactly what I was struggling to say way less succinctly. Leanne and family deserve to have this done right, so that whatever the outcome of their investigation the family can at least know what they're grieving is the reality. As much as possible.

For the record, I wouldn't be as surprised today to hear that it was suicide. I don't need for there to be a bad guy. Even if S&R found her during their search, it would have been too late if she had taken her own life. However I do hope that something can come of this - some lesson, or awareness, or improvement in the system? Something like that.

 

[Lilibet]

I always find it interesting that we seem to WANT there to be a bad guy. We WANT some one else to have killed her ... for if she killed herself, then who can we be mad at? LE? The search team? The property owner? Surely SHE can't be the "bad guy" , so we try to dismiss the suicide.

I'll wait for official report, however many time with suicide they won't release details, so we may never know the details.

Leanne, I hope you are at peace. You are loved.

I understand what you are saying about people wanting someone to blame besides Leanne. Personally, I hope she didn't go through the horror of murder. But if she was murdered, I don't want it passed off as a suicide. That leaves the perp walking around and that isn't fair to the family or to their memory of Leanne. So, I too will await the official report and hope they don't just write it up automatically as a suicide. I trust they will be thorough and keep an open mind.

 

[EmmieA]

This case has already experienced jumping to conclusions about Leanne, so I just want her cause of death to be determined accurately and nothing overlooked.

Absolutely. I think there will always be questions, but I hope an absolute cause of death can be determined to at least put everyone's mind at ease about that aspect of this tragedy.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I always find it interesting that we seem to WANT there to be a bad guy. We WANT some one else to have killed her ... for if she killed herself, then who can we be mad at? LE? The search team? The property owner? Surely SHE can't be the "bad guy" , so we try to dismiss the suicide.

I'll wait for official report, however many time with suicide they won't release details, so we may never know the details.

Leanne, I hope you are at peace. You are loved.

I don't want there to be someone. I want to make sure that no one gets away with murder. There's a difference.

Someone mentioned the jewelry. People are murdered all the time and nothing is taken. That is not a clue of anything to me.




Forgive the autocorrect. Tapatalk has a mind of its own.

 

[Elley Mae]

I understand what you are saying about people wanting someone to blame besides Leanne. Personally, I hope she didn't go through the horror of murder. But if she was murdered, I don't want it passed off as a suicide. That leaves the perp walking around and that isn't fair to the family or to their memory of Leanne. So, I too will await the official report and hope they don't just write it up automatically as a suicide. I trust they will be thorough and keep an open mind.

I agree. It does not make sense when you hear a story about a girl that traveled the world for 2 years, returns back to the real world, set up a call for a job interview before you even get back to the home you have in another state, go for a walk before the call and end your life. Unless we are missing something it just does not jive to me either. I as well want to hear the autopsy results. jmo

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

Her mom and Josh have that pic of her with the sun in the heart over her shoulder. IT is a beautiful pic.

I don't know what it is about this that is so hard for me to accept. I just can not believe that she was around the corner the whole time and NO ONE saw her. The dogs did not follow her scent??!

I think that is what gets to me the most. The dogs. I just do not believe if she was there they would not have found her?

I just pray they investigate thoroughly. Look into everything.

 

[gingerbread]

About a year ago, my neighbor, a husband and father of two young children, committed suicide at home. He and his wife were both at home that morning, and our area was experiencing terrible storms. Schools dismissed early, and his wife ran up to our elementary school to pick up their third grader. While she was gone, for no more than 20 minutes, her husband hung himself in their garage. He knew his wife and young son would find him when they returned home and opened the garage door. But he did it anyway. Suicide rarely makes sense to anyone who doesn't see it at as the only way to end whatever they are struggling with.

 

[BluesClues0]

Suicide is not something that makes sense. Folks on this board are saying, 'oh I can't except that. It makes no sense. She seemed so happy. She had so much to live for. She had friends and family that loved her.'. You're trying to make sense of something that cannot be made sense of. I had a family member who committed suicide. It didn't make sense either. Believe me, murder would have been easier to make sense of. And would even have been less painful. Try as you might, you cannot, and will never, make sense of it. But it does happen. I hope Leanne has found her peace.

 

[Pseudonymph]

I agree. It does not make sense when you hear a story about a girl that traveled the world for 2 years, returns back to the real world, set up a call for a job interview before you even get back to the home you have in another state, go for a walk before the call and end your life. Unless we are missing something it just does not jive to me either. I as well want to hear the autopsy results. jmo

It makes perfect sense to me. The scheduled interview could have pushed her to the breaking point. If you have never suffered from severe anxiety or suicidal depression, it would be harder to understand. I have, and this scenario is thoroughly plausible.

Again, I posted this before, but she may have been perfectly happy and content on her trip. That does not preclude falling apart upon returning home. All things may be exactly as they appeared.

 

[ami]

http://www.kens5.com/news/local/nei...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Interview with a GR neighbor:

"We've all been praying for her and the family for three weeks. We all figured she wanted to run away," ....

 

[dragonfly]

If you haven't heard this brief interview between Michael Board and Garden Ridge Chief of Police Donna O'Connor, this might help clarify.

http://www.woai.com/onair/michael-board-17319/bearden-final-12065605/


FWIW, I have not read or heard anything about "hanging," though there seems to be speculation based on the reported sighting of someone with a hand saw or hacksaw at the scene today.

The chief makes it clear that without an autopsy she will make "NO assumptions."

Thanks for going back and finding this link PPKik
It sure didn't take some reporters long to muddy the water and here we go again! More speculation and unfounded theories.

Just to be clear this interview was with MB. I know he wasn't the guilty party releasing info about the hanging but it's clear the Chief didn't want that information released to the public.

 

[KateB]

Her mom and Josh have that pic of her with the sun in the heart over her shoulder. IT is a beautiful pic.

<respectfully snipped by me to address this one part>

I just pray they investigate thoroughly. Look into everything.

Thanks Scarlett, I did stop looking for it last night on the blog. Unless it goes up on the OFLB page or the findleannebearden.com or is one of the 17,000 on Flicker that I haven't gone through, I'll have to find a different one until that one is shared with the public.

I have many others to choose from. For sure.

 

[ami]

Thanks for going back and finding this link PPKik
It sure didn't take some reporters long to muddy the water and here we go again! More speculation and unfounded theories.

A few articles are citing "a source" in the investigation for the reigning theory re: the tree. The reporting has been so bad in this that it's hard to know if 'a source' is someone guessing or someone who actually knows something.

 

[Elley Mae]

It makes perfect sense to me. The scheduled interview could have pushed her to the breaking point. If you have never suffered from severe anxiety or suicidal depression, it would be harder to understand. I have, and this scenario is thoroughly plausible.

Again, I posted this before, but she may have been perfectly happy and content on her trip. That does not preclude falling apart upon returning home. All things may be exactly as they appeared.

bbm, Sorry I missed the part about her suffering from depression and that she was suicidal. I'll have to read back. jmo idk

 

[bwt42]

If the autopsy says suicide and Josh, his family and her family accept it, that's good enough for me. I will not ask for more proof to satisfy my curiosity. Not saying there are not good reasons for those who want to know more.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I checked out the statistics for women choosing hanging as a method and it's not as rare as you'd think .. Just under 50% of female suicides .. I'll get a link up (on phone at moment), but I was surprised.

Actually it is about 19%.

Not near 50%..

http://www.suicide.org/suicide-statistics.html

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

If the autopsy says suicide and Josh, his family and her family accept it, that's good enough for me. I will not ask for more proof to satisfy my curiosity. Not saying there are not good reasons for those who want to know more.

I agree. They knew her best. They loved her. If that is the final determination and it fits with what they know about Leanne, Then That is that. No one should speculate about her from there or her family. The answer is found and the sleuthing should then end to give them peace.