VA VA - Katelin Akens, 19, Springfield, 5 Dec 2015 #1

[PeggyAnnMcKay]

I don't remember who said it or when. But in 70+ pages it might be tough to find now. If I have time later I might look back for it.

Oh no - don't worry about it. I thought you might remember the poster but don't go looking for it.

 

[Just K]

I don't remember who said it or when. But in 70+ pages it might be tough to find now. If I have time later I might look back for it.

12/15/2015 ClaireNC posted this:


Quote Originally Posted by sillybilly View Post
IMO, if this was a voluntary disappearance and the suitcase was meant to be a red herring, it's likely it would have been left in a place where it was more apt to be found (i.e. city street, beside a dumpster) ... not in a drainage ditch on a country road where workmen stumbled across it by chance.(End QUote)

"I agree, though it could have been left someplace in the open and picked up and moved by somebody else. There is a homeless population that lives near River Road. Somebody might have taken what the could use out of the suitcase and left the personal papers and stuff behind."

 

[Yvettea]

Luggage was found near the city limits of Fredricksburg in Spotsylvania Co. at 6600 River Rd.

 

[Soulmagent]

12/15/2015 ClaireNC posted this:


Quote Originally Posted by sillybilly View Post
IMO, if this was a voluntary disappearance and the suitcase was meant to be a red herring, it's likely it would have been left in a place where it was more apt to be found (i.e. city street, beside a dumpster) ... not in a drainage ditch on a country road where workmen stumbled across it by chance.(End QUote)

"I agree, though it could have been left someplace in the open and picked up and moved by somebody else. There is a homeless population that lives near River Road. Somebody might have taken what the could use out of the suitcase and left the personal papers and stuff behind."

It was always likely to be found on that road. Really might as well have been on a sidewalk with the way you can see everything.

 

[PeggyAnnMcKay]

It was always likely to be found on that road. Really might as well have been on a sidewalk with the way you can see everything.

You are local right? If so, do you know any details about where on River Rd it was found? Which side of the street? I looked on the county's GIS and 6600 is a large parcel of land - 640 acres. Although I didn't measure the exact frontage, I would think it's pretty extensive.

 

[Yvettea]

It was always likely to be found on that road. Really might as well have been on a sidewalk with the way you can see everything.

You can easily see into drainage ditches?

 

[helpfulcharlie]

The longer we hear nothing, the less likely it seems this is voluntary. Although long periods of quiet don't surprise me in a case like this. Say they get pings from SD and want to check out every location the vehicle was stopped at any length of time. That's a lot of jurisdictions between SD home and Springfield. Spotsylvania County, City of Fredericksburg, Stafford County, Prince William County, Fairfax County and WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) for Metro. Add Arlington County, City of Alexandria and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority if you want to include the airport in the investigation. That's a lot of coordination to establish a valid timeline and a lot of circumstantial evidence to gather and sift through.

While I've never seen homeless in that particular area (the luggage dump site) this area is well known for homeless sex offenders living in wooded areas.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I'm new here and had a question for the seasoned "sleuthers", if you would:

Have you seen other situations like this where LE discourages a neighborhood search (where suitcase was found, in this case) so as not to disturb potential "crime scene", yet it doesn't appear LE returned to the same area to re-search it themselves? Media silence, and then the comments on "corroborating" that a vehicle was in the area (mall) but nothing further?

Being at the 2 week mark, the family is still frantic for information but no new reports. I agree w/ other comments that LE must know a lot more than they are telling, but at what point do they tell the family what they know? And the lack of media updates in a potential abduction case, does this typically mean they know where the person is? There must be a reason they're not asking the community to search, or running updates on local news - all without a POI, so in your experience, what does this mean?

First :wagon:

I've seen many cases where LE keeps most information close to the vest so to speak. Many times it's because they have info we aren't aware of. Quite often LE doesn't want searchers because they don't want a possible crime scene contaminated, but usually after LE is done in an area, people search. I do wish we'd hear something though!

 

[Ibiz]

Food for thought.

What if she had no clothes with her in the suitcase.
What if it was just a ruse to make everyone think she was going to the airport.

Or maybe she changed her clothes for some reason. Some of the reports I read stated: "SOME CLOTHES" were missing. Not sure what was ment by that.

I'm new here and had a question for the seasoned "sleuthers", if you would:

Have you seen other situations like this where LE discourages a neighborhood search (where suitcase was found, in this case) so as not to disturb potential "crime scene", yet it doesn't appear LE returned to the same area to re-search it themselves? Media silence, and then the comments on "corroborating" that a vehicle was in the area (mall) but nothing further?

Being at the 2 week mark, the family is still frantic for information but no new reports. I agree w/ other comments that LE must know a lot more than they are telling, but at what point do they tell the family what they know? And the lack of media updates in a potential abduction case, does this typically mean they know where the person is? There must be a reason they're not asking the community to search, or running updates on local news - all without a POI, so in your experience, what does this mean?

It's hard to say. It depends on the LE department I suppose. Most LE feels that the media messes up their investigation efforts. The only time they release info to media is when they feel it will benifit the investigation in some way.

As far as what they know we can only guess. I've seen cases where LE acted like they had it all figured out, but then the case went cold and was never solved. Years later, and still wont tell the public what they know.

I seen other cases where LE acted like they knew nothing. Then all of a sudden they new everything.

The news media will only get heavy when they feel a story is "Jucy", meaning they will get ratings, and make money from it. That's all they care about. Making money. Sure, they will post a press release when LE sends them one, and that's what we have seen here so far.

So unless something changes that grabs media attention they wont report anything unless they desperate and hungry.

 

[LaborDayRN]

The longer we hear nothing, the less likely it seems this is voluntary. Although long periods of quiet don't surprise me in a case like this. Say they get pings from SD and want to check out every location the vehicle was stopped at any length of time. That's a lot of jurisdictions between SD home and Springfield. Spotsylvania County, City of Fredericksburg, Stafford County, Prince William County, Fairfax County and WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) for Metro. Add Arlington County, City of Alexandria and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority if you want to include the airport in the investigation. That's a lot of coordination to establish a valid timeline and a lot of circumstantial evidence to gather and sift through.

While I've never seen homeless in that particular area (the luggage dump site) this area is well known for homeless sex offenders living in wooded areas.

Great post. I hadn't thought of all the intricacies of a simple cell phone ping! :blushing:

 

[katydid23]

12/15/2015 ClaireNC posted this:


Quote Originally Posted by sillybilly View Post
IMO, if this was a voluntary disappearance and the suitcase was meant to be a red herring, it's likely it would have been left in a place where it was more apt to be found (i.e. city street, beside a dumpster) ... not in a drainage ditch on a country road where workmen stumbled across it by chance.(End QUote)

"I agree, though it could have been left someplace in the open and picked up and moved by somebody else. There is a homeless population that lives near River Road. Somebody might have taken what the could use out of the suitcase and left the personal papers and stuff behind."

True, but they left the money. That makes no sense.

 

[Soulmagent]

You can easily see into drainage ditches?

on this road ,yes.

 

[Soulmagent]

You are local right? If so, do you know any details about where on River Rd it was found? Which side of the street? I looked on the county's GIS and 6600 is a large parcel of land - 640 acres. Although I didn't measure the exact frontage, I would think it's pretty extensive.

I don't know which side of the road. I saw the 6600 block in the paper . I think 7800 block has an old abandon building on it .

 

[Yvettea]

on this road ,yes.

Based on that information then I would guess the perpetrator wanted the suitcase to be found in an area frequented by homeless sex offenders believing someone would go through the bag obscuring evidence and knowing that they (the perpetrator) cannot be connected to the crime making it unlikely the SD is the perpetrator.

 

[Soulmagent]

Based on that information then I would guess the perpetrator wanted the suitcase to be found in an area frequented by homeless sex offenders believing someone would go through the bag obscuring evidence and knowing that they (the perpetrator) cannot be connected to the crime making it unlikely the SD is the perpetrator.

That is not a true, as I know it to be; representation of the area of the luggage ditch.
The homeless population is closer to 95 and route 3 and do camp in the woods near the interstate and in the tree line behind the shopping centers.

 

[Yvettea]

Does anyone know if it is even possible to easily get to the metro station from the mall?

 

[katydid23]

The suitcase in the ditch is what baffles me.

I can very easily believe that a 19 yr old, living with her fiancé, across the country,and being dependent upon her financially, MIGHT feel a bit trapped and uncertain about how to make changes. Very easy to believe a 19 yr old could just 'bolt' and try to start over while figuring things out. And I think they'd eventually reach out to family, friends, loved ones to explain , apologize etc.

But the suitcase in the ditch does not make sense with that scenario. Not unless she had 'help' from someone with a vehicle who had ties back in her hometown area. But if that is true then I'd think LE would know that by now from cell logs/Social Media? But why would she dump her stuff like that? Why not just lay low and think things through if you just need a little space?

To me, that suitcase spells desperation, urgency, and trouble. It is possible that she had someone that she considered a friend to help her run away. And maybe that person was not trustworthy at all?

Then again, maybe she never made it out of the Spotsy area?

 

[katydid23]

Does anyone know if it is even possible to easily get to the metro station from the mall?

Yes. It is apparently a direct 10 minute walk and people do it often.

 

[ClaireNC]

True, but they left the money. That makes no sense.

When I made that post about somebody moving the suitcase, I wasn't aware of the fact that there was money in it. I can see them leaving the wallet, id, etc., but not money.

 

[PeggyAnnMcKay]

The suitcase in the ditch is what baffles me.

I can very easily believe that a 19 yr old, living with her fiancé, across the country,and being dependent upon her financially, MIGHT feel a bit trapped and uncertain about how to make changes. Very easy to believe a 19 yr old could just 'bolt' and try to start over while figuring things out. And I think they'd eventually reach out to family, friends, loved ones to explain , apologize etc.

But the suitcase in the ditch does not make sense with that scenario. Not unless she had 'help' from someone with a vehicle who had ties back in her hometown area. But if that is true then I'd think LE would know that by now from cell logs/Social Media? But why would she dump her stuff like that? Why not just lay low and think things through if you just need a little space?

To me, that suitcase spells desperation, urgency, and trouble. It is possible that she had someone that she considered a friend to help her run away. And maybe that person was not trustworthy at all?

Then again, maybe she never made it out of the Spotsy area?

One thought is that the dumping of the luggage on that road could be a diversion. Remember AJ Hadsell's items being dumped out on the road only for Wesley and his crew to find? I don't remember off the top of my head how far AJ's items were found from her body, but I think it was in a different direction.

Maybe whoever dumped Katelin's items did so to put LE in the wrong area and off track in the investigation.

Just a thought