GUILTY VA - Vanessa Pham, 19, found murdered, Fairfax County, 27 June 2010

[panthera]

Video of her car in the shopping center from surveillance cameras...arriving and leaving the area. Just minutes before she was found. Very sad and kind of eerie.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/fairfax/video-shows-pham-driving-10-mi.html#more

Thanks so much! What I noticed about the car leaving the shopping center and being stopped so long before turning right is at least one other vehicle (going the opposite direction on Gallows) turned left into the center which would've given her time to turn onto the street but she didn't.

Another thing that seems odd is how could she have accessed Facebook in the parking lot of someone were already in the car? It's a small car and I'd sure think she'd know someone was in it. The only thing I can think of is someone got in while she was sitting there texting, and maybe held her at knifepoint and told her to drive. Then somewhere between leaving the parking lot and where she was found she was stabbed and the perp got out of the car?

What I still can't figure out is what the purpose of all this would be and how the perp would've gotten back to his own vehicle (assuming he had one) at the shopping center. I also notice the drivers side window is closed so that eliminates my first theory that someone reached into the car and stabbed her. :waitasec: MOO

 

[Lovejac]

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1997909

Fairfax County Police spokesman Don Gotthardt says investigators are hoping to hear from some of the people in numerous cars who either passed her or were behind her.

"If anyone thinks they saw looked inside and saw her, we'd like to hear from them to know what they saw and if they saw anyone else in the vehicle," says Gotthardt.

I pray this generates some phone calls.

 

[joijoi12]

Maybe someone can help straighten this out for me?

Initially I read that her car was found off Williams Drive on the north side of Rt. 50/Arlington Blvd. So I had pictured her taking a right turn off Gallows Rd onto Gatehouse Road which is cut through road and has many restaurants. I prefer that route if going onto 50.

Then I read that the car was found on Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, which is on the southside of Rt 50. This is what prompted me to predict that she stayed on Gallows crossed over Rt 50 towards the hospital.

Now I read this report
http://www.fcnp.com/news/6861-fairfax-county-police-release-video-of-fc-homicide-victim.html

which maps her route, but I am not sure if it means to pinpoint the location on the north or south side of Rt. 50 (looks like it's north).

 

[KR2tonenow]

VIDEO REPORT FROM THE NAIL SALON

http://cfc.news8.net/videoondemand.cfm?id=68763

Wasn't Phuong Le out of Fairfield, CA found with a stab wound to her chest and dumped in a rural area in Napa? The killer still hasn't been found. Seems to be a similar or coincidental case. Both murdered or abducted from a shopping area and taken by car to another location and stabbed. Both vietnamese attractive, ambitious young women.

 

[panthera]

Wasn't Phuong Le out of Fairfield, CA found with a stab wound to her chest and dumped in a rural area in Napa? The killer still hasn't been found. Seems to be a similar or coincidental case. Both murdered or abducted from a shopping area and taken by car to another location and stabbed. Both vietnamese attractive, ambitious young women.

If the locations weren't so far apart I'd see a possible connection, but I do agree there are some similarities.

 

[lizzybeth]

If someone were in the military they might have reason to be in CA and VA at different times. Or anyone else that might work for the government.

 

[KAE]

Maybe someone can help straighten this out for me?

Initially I read that her car was found off Williams Drive on the north side of Rt. 50/Arlington Blvd. So I had pictured her taking a right turn off Gallows Rd onto Gatehouse Road which is cut through road and has many restaurants. I prefer that route if going onto 50.

Then I read that the car was found on Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, which is on the southside of Rt 50. This is what prompted me to predict that she stayed on Gallows crossed over Rt 50 towards the hospital.

Now I read this report
http://www.fcnp.com/news/6861-fairfax-county-police-release-video-of-fc-homicide-victim.html

which maps her route, but I am not sure if it means to pinpoint the location on the north or south side of Rt. 50 (looks like it's north).

I'm sorry, I missed your earlier post (been lurking in Kyron's forum ).
Thanks for the info. It's always great to have a local posting here!

I based my location of the car from the statement that she was traveling the wrong way on a one way access road.

Here's a snapshot from this video:
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0610/751175_video.html?ref=newsstory



And here's a street view of the area where I believe the access road is located:
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=...9&ll=38.865509,-77.232192&spn=0,0.016512&z=17

The push pin on my Google map shows the approximate location where I think the car was located:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...6535,-77.232267&spn=0.00194,0.004128&t=h&z=19

Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I've never been there!

 

[carbuff]

I wonder if he was hiding in back on the floorboards and when he pulled the knife to tell her to drive to wherever he had in mind, she panicked and caused the accident, which caused him to stab her and run?

 

[tfrohning]

Hi all! My first post here. This link talks about the East Coast Rapist. There is information on page 3 about the woman attacked in Fairfax, VA in 1999 while carrying groceries home. I am suspicious that he may be responsible for Vanessa's murder and Morgan Harrington too as a couple of this guys composite pics resemble the composite pic in Morgan's case. It's a chilling article and I am afraid he has escalated.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...3/15/AR2010031501859.html?sid=ST2010031501850

Sorry if this has already been posted.

RIP Vanessa.

wm

this post has been edited for clarification and to add MOO.

I agree on composites pics...but LE saying no connection to Morgan.

No connection between Pham, Harrington murders

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1997259

I guessing since they also has the East Coast pert DNA they tested with Morgan murder.

 

[panthera]

I wonder if he was hiding in back on the floorboards and when he pulled the knife to tell her to drive to wherever he had in mind, she panicked and caused the accident, which caused him to stab her and run?

The car seems to small for an adult male to be hiding behind the front seats without being detected, unless there was something in the vehicle he could hide under (a pile of bedding, for example). I'd also think the autopsy and forensics from inside the car could indicate from which direction the stab wounds were inflicted ~ something we haven't heard any information on. That's another question I have too, whether or not the perp was in the car when it wrecked. MOO

 

[panthera]

If someone were in the military they might have reason to be in CA and VA at different times. Or anyone else that might work for the government.

Well, for that matter, so would a cross-country truck driver as another example. Following the other case (Phuong Le) though I still feel it may be someone who knew her and her pattern whereas this case it seems Vanessa just happened to be in that parking lot. MOO

 

[joijoi12]

I'm sorry, I missed your earlier post (been lurking in Kyron's forum ).
Thanks for the info. It's always great to have a local posting here!

I based my location of the car from the statement that she was traveling the wrong way on a one way access road.

Here's a snapshot from this video:
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0610/751175_video.html?ref=newsstory

View attachment 10127

And here's a street view of the area where I believe the access road is located:
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=...9&ll=38.865509,-77.232192&spn=0,0.016512&z=17

The push pin on my Google map shows the approximate location where I think the car was located:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...6535,-77.232267&spn=0.00194,0.004128&t=h&z=19

Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I've never been there!

Thanks for the info! In all fairness, she was driving under duress or was wounded already, so that throws all "traffic-avoiding" train of thought out the window. If the murderer was in the car, he was definitely leading her off the main roads of Gallows and Rt. 50.

As a local, I definitely have an interest in this story. I don't often find myself in that area anymore, but am very familiar with it. I was led to Websleuths due to the Morgan Harrington case, also in VA, but a few hours away..and then her murder is linked to a rape that occurred a few miles from my house and work. Not feeling very safe in Fairfax right now.

 

[Harmony 2]

I am really sorry there has been no more new information on this case.

I thought I would post some screen shots from the video to see if anything could be garnered from them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHgGwq01JhY

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/SoulShynz9293/Decorated images/Pham4.png

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/SoulShynz9293/Decorated images/Pham3.png

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad64/SoulShynz9293/Decorated images/Pham.png

 

[Lovejac]

I am really sorry there has been no more new information on this case.

I thought I would post some screen shots from the video to see if anything could be garnered from them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHgGwq01JhY

I search for new information every, too. I was really hoping someone would remember something about that day in the shopping center and call in a tip.

Me, personally, I believe her killer was in the car with her when she left the parking lot.

She updated her FB from her phone at 3:09 pm after she left the Nail Salon, was seen leaving the shopping center at 3:24 pm and then found stabbed 10 - 20 minutes later.

Oh how I wish she had parked near a surveillance camera in the parking lot.

 

[Lovejac]

http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0710/754665.html

Police Seek Leads With Pham Flyers in Multiple Languages

Despite a person to person canvass there and the release of surveillance video showing Vanessa's white Toyota driving through the lot, investigators still haven't heard from anyone who actually saw her in the 10 minutes between when she left there and was found dead in her car a half mile away.

 

[SongBird]

I am really sorry there has been no more new information on this case.

I thought I would post some screen shots from the video to see if anything could be garnered from them...

​

does that look like a male in the passenger seat!!! or am i just seeing things?

looks like he could be leaning forward ...maybe looking in the glove box...hmmmmm


thanks for posting ​

 

[carbuff]

does that look like a male in the passenger seat!!! or am i just seeing things?

looks like he could be leaning forward ...maybe looking in the glove box...hmmmmm


thanks for posting

I keep thinking I see something there, but I can't quite make it out.

 

[EnvoyDriver61]

Upon viewing the video again, I think someone different is definitely driving on the way out. Coming in, Vanessa is obviously driving, unless she had someone and they split ways while she got her nails done. Otherwise, the driver coming INTO the parking lot gives a wide berth to obstacles on the right of the car. The driver is driving nearly in the middle of the roadway from the time the driver enters the parking lot all the way until we see a slight turn.

The driver leaving the parking lot nearly hugs the right side of the roadway, even almost hitting two pedestrians walking (about 1:10 in the video). It just doesn't look like as conscientious of a driver at that point. However, police do believe she was driving the car when it crashed.

I wish more would be released about the nanny job. Was it something she had already lined up and just got confirmation? Or, did she meet someone in the nail salon who offered this job? I could see someone offering her the job in the nail salon. She posts on facebook from her car in the parking, and this same individual approaching her in the parking lot, now has Vanessa's trust, and Vanessa allows this individual into her car- after all it will be her future employer- and it takes a sinister turn from there.

 

[lizzybeth]

Ok, don't think I'm crazy please. I think I heard that Target has some of the best surveillance cameras and people working for their surveillance. I wonder if they could clean up the video some to see if there is a passenger.

Maybe the person that did this DID drive out of the parking lot. Somewhere along the line, stabbed Vanessa and fled. Maybe she did try to drive herself to the hospital and that's when the crash happened.

I haven't heard anything new on this. It seems like there's so many cases now that have come to a complete dead end. I hope this isn't one of them.

 

[lizzybeth]

Stopping by to see if anyone has heard any news on this case.