Victim: Alexis Murphy, 17, missing from Shipman, VA, 03 August 2013 - #4

[SisterWolf]

Thanks...

I wasn't clear enough... Was I...

they were at the gas station at the same time...

but video didn't catch them interacting...

Thanks for clarifying that, Mom!

:seeya:

Well this kind of contradicts his story then because he says he asked her at the gas station if she could score him some weed, which would have meant they were interacting and there was highly likely some ccvideo to prove it.

 

[margarita25]

Thinking of Alexis' family right now. May they find strength.
:rose:

 

[writer411]

"Mr. Taylor told law enforcement that he met this missing girl at the Liberty gas station by coincidence. He had parked at the pumps to buy cigarettes and she had parked at the pumps to get gas," Hallahan said. "She made a comment to him about smoking marijuana based on her seeing him at another car wash in Lovingston weeks or a month before that. He had indicated to her that he would like to get some more. She said, ‘I know a guy' she told him to meet at another location in Lovingston and they rode up there in both cars."

BBM

Link

As if RAT needed to randomly hit up Alexis for weed...!

Is RAT willing to face 10 years and a fine before Alexis is found, instead of admitting he was just looking to smoke a joint when he last saw her? Shouldnt he be key in aiding LE towards finding her abductors?

I'm back up. Still p!ssed as heck! That bit about some random girl walking up to some random creep at a car wash in Lovingston going "hey old creepy looking man I don't know from a hole in the ground, you look like a weed smoker! wanna know where you can get some!" This sounds a lot like the conversation I had with the Michelin man when he dropped off an igloo at my house last week.

Let's do a survey to find out how many 50 year old weed smoking men in Nelson county randomly walk up to random girls in Lovingston asking them for weed.

I mean, he can demonize this high school girl up to a point. The least he could do to honor her memory is come up with some believable lies.

You know, he could have started following the story online before he was arrested, just to observe what happened and cooked up his story after seeing her twitter profile. Hopefully, they've checked the computers at the homes of his known relatives, associates.

 

[bettiepageturner]

He's reminding me a lot of Stephen McDaniel, the neighbor/classmate/perp from the Lauren Giddings case. Weeks after being arrested and giving the world's most self-incriminating interview, his mom and lawyer(s) were yapping about how sweet, innocent, condom-stealing, panty-hiding, master-key-copying, child *advertiser censored*-possessing, scratch-covered, hacksaw-buying, cannibalism-story-posting, perfect-murder-planning, godfearing, cute-as-can-be Stephen was viciously framed by the maintenance man who he "suddenly remembered" seeing on Lauren's porch the (assumed) night of her murder.

So, maybe like... a .07% chance. But with no cause of death (which I hope beyond all hope will not be the case with AM or SC), it's scary to think that could be enough to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. Stephen was a law student and was thus very aware of many loopholes and procedural intricacies. RAT is a serial offender who's somehow squirmed his way out of much of his prior sentencing.

Just read the comments on well, any article about a high profile sexually motivated crime. There will always be the (vaguely misogynistic..) skeptic touting "innocent before proven guilty" as though there's not already an enormous burden of proof on the state, as though numerous experts on a federal level haven't already considered this. Odds are, that "skeptic" will be summoned for jury duty sometime soon. And lawyers like Stephen McDaniel's and RAT's would love to buy them a beer afterwards.

Not suggesting a conspiracy, just a rather unfortunate consequence of successfully gambling an alternative explanation.

 

[margarita25]

I'm back in [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218376"]Thread 1[/ame], lol, but just wanted to repost the initial MSM. In reference, it shows the time frame of how quickly the FBI was involved:

http://www.wset.com/story/23050479/nelson-co-officials-looking-for-missing-teen
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/nelson-county-sheriffs-office-to-hold-news-conference-about-missing-teen/-/20128466/21340392/-/7f2birz/-/index.html

"FBI agents told residents of Cannery Loop that this is the last place a cell tower received a hit from Murphy’s cell phone. Agents searched everything from their rooms to their refrigerators, according to neighbors."

 

[Japandaaa]

Don't believe RAT for one minute, BUT, if it turns out it's proven there is this 3rd person (the beer bottle DNA), and he is African American, could this be the missing link to Sketch, from Morgan's murder?

I was wondering the same thing as soon as I heard African-American.

 

[Curious Me]

Regarding the speculation about whether Alexis would have talked to RAT out of politeness: I know a lot of people here say that she was smart enough to avoid him because she didn't know him and he's kind of scary looking. However, I'm just not convinced. Societal conditioning exerts SO much influence, and young women especially are taught to be polite and nice to everyone lest they be labeled a "b*tch".

I commute to work on the train every day. Today an older guy (probably 60 or so but hard to tell) approached me and started talking to me. Without even giving it a second thought, I allowed him to engage me in conversation. He said some things that kind of creeped me out - that he sees me on the train every morning and has wanted to talk to me for a long time but I'm "always reading" so he doesn't, and stuff like that. Maybe he was just lonely, but with Alexis's case fresh in my mind, it made me nervous.

Anyway, I soon realized what I was doing and came to my senses. I'm almost 10 years older than Alexis, and I've lived in enough large (and dangerous) cities to consider myself pretty street smart, but I still let down my guard just to be nice. You never know. Maybe she did talk to him just to be polite and things escalated from there.

I know what you're saying. Being polite or having compassion has made me ignore the gift of fear sometimes. Now days, it's much more acceptable to be a rude b!tch when someone is manipulating you.

MOO, I think, there's sometimes a camaraderie among all 420 friendly people regardless of age. It's probably the same if people like the same football team, beer, or belong to the same club. I just don't think Alexis appeared to be headed for a drug deal in some scary guy's trailer. Most likely, convenient bunch of lies to explain away evidence, IMO.

 

[Soulmagent]

Hah. Such a realistic scenario. If I saw RAT smoking weed at a carwash I would definitely 1) remember and 2) bring it up to him next time he's on lurk-duty at the local gas station. Because what are the odds somebody besides me, my hundreds of friends, my thousands of followers, most modern day pop culture icons, the grand majority of several densely populated medicinal marijuana states, etc etc, also does it? Social standing, subtlety, critical reasoning, and general knowledge of how human beings interact with each other be damned! :floorlaugh:

Also, he sounds like my grandma speculating about the children of a churchgoer she doesn't like. "He did three whole marijuanas!"

Speculation

I wouldn't discount some truth being in what he says about the car wash. What I think could be the case here ,is he met AM though his weed man. On a different transaction. I would hate to be his weed man right now because it sounds like he is trying to nail him with an FBI investigation or a murder charge .

AM may be friends with the weed man or related to etc.. I believe RAT could have led off with "hey do you have so and so's(weedmans) number ?" When he remembered her.

Seems a pattern if what is know about SC case is correct.

He met her though other friends and found a way to stay in contact .It is really easy to stike up conversations with girls who are not reg smokers and think it is cool. They will go out off their way to sorta prove themselves streetwise and crafty when they are not.

Girls who smoke reg and less trusting of people not in their circle ,as they have met and dealt with shady people and learn .

 

[bettiepageturner]

Well this kind of contradicts his story then because he says he asked her at the gas station if she could score him some weed, which would have meant they were interacting and there was highly likely some ccvideo to prove it.

Well, it might've happened off camera, as his lawyer may suggest soon. She probably flashed him the secret symbol and ushered him into a dark alleyway, where her corn-rowed associate popped out of a manhole and opened up his trenchcoat to display the marijuana he was retailing at the time. Too bad he rode off cackling into the sunset in his hydraulic, blood-stained Range Rover before RAT could get a name. :snooty:

 

[margarita25]

I know what you're saying. Being polite or having compassion has made me ignore the gift of fear sometimes.

MOO, I think, there's sometimes a camaraderie among all 420 friendly people regardless of age. It's probably the same if people like the same football team, beer, or belong to the same club. I just don't think Alexis appeared to be headed for a drug deal in some scary guy's trailer. Most likely, convenient bunch of lies to explain away evidence, IMO.

That's why the video could be so important. What if it shows Alexis pulling in, making her purchase, and then leaving without talking to him? That would completely blow his defense, right?

<I guess what I'm trying to find out in thread 1 is if there has been any confirmation of a conversation between the two, and if not, could that have been bc the cameras were out of range.>

 

[cluciano63]

Do we know if he had a computer of his own? I would be shocked if this man ever used twitter.
How many people who have access to the internet go and shell out money for *advertiser censored* on DVD. Does the camper he live in have a wi-fi antenna ?

Yeah I kind of wonder about that too. I am on here all the time but am clueless about SM for the most part. And I am always online, but twitter means nothing to me.

 

[margarita25]

I think I have an idea where the defense is going to go with this. Not going to post it. Let me just say I hope the prosecution has something else concrete to nail him if he's the guy.

<edit: If I'm going to post it, I might as well post it, right? lol>

The defense is going to try to pin it on MH's killer.

 

[Heroine]

I was wondering the same thing as soon as I heard African-American.

I thought about that too at first, but wouldn't that be so convenient 2 criminals hanging out, drinking beer, and smoking weed. It just sounds so unlikely. But who knows?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Just a reminder. Please don't make any name changes to RAT (no matter how tempting it is). Yes, the below rule does apply to Suspects as well.


[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8364858"]Rules Etiquette & Information - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]


Derogatory Name Changes to Case Players/General Name Calling

In an effort to keep case discussion constructive, name calling, general bashing and using derogatory name variations for any of the case players is not tolerated. Regardless of how we may feel about many of the people that are the focus of our discussion here, it is always best to elevate the conversation and avoid this type of posting behavior. Feel free to express your displeasure with individuals that are being discussed, just avoid petty nastiness, name calling, name changes and over the top rude posts directed at case players.

 

[AstroKitty]

Do we know if he had a computer of his own? I would be shocked if this man ever used twitter.
How many people who have access to the internet go and shell out money for *advertiser censored* on DVD. Does the camper he live in have a wi-fi antenna ?

Thank you! that was my point entirely.

 

[margarita25]

Bumping Wendisan's post from thread 1.

LE seems to be sure that they have their guy, but I think we need to keep looking in case:

a. There is an accomplice
b. RAT is not our guy
c. finding MH's killer and Alicia Reynold's killer
d. RAT is our guy and we need to help poke holes in his defense & bs tactics

*There are some nasty RSOs on this list right by there! One's with some serious charges! The FBI has ruled them out, it would seem? I remember initial reports of several inititial POI's.

I'm looking to see if any RSOs on the list resemble RAT's description of rastaman.

Old 08-05-2013, 11:56 PM
wendiesan

Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 113
FYI
City-data says 180 RSOs in Lynchburg as of today.
http://www.city-data.com/so/so-Lynchburg-Virginia.html

Homefacts says 34 in Nelson County.
http://www.homefacts.com/offenders/V...on-County.html

City data says 5 in Shipman.
http://www.city-data.com/soz/soz-22971.html

Does that make it more likely an internet predator could be involved?

 

[AstroKitty]

Well, it might've happened off camera, as his lawyer may suggest soon. She probably flashed him the secret symbol and ushered him into a dark alleyway, where her corn-rowed associate popped out of a manhole and opened up his trenchcoat to display the marijuana he was retailing at the time. Too bad he rode off cackling into the sunset in his hydraulic, blood-stained Range Rover before RAT could get a name. :snooty:

Oh my god hahahaha :blushing:

 

[Curious Me]

Well, it might've happened off camera, as his lawyer may suggest soon. She probably flashed him the secret symbol and ushered him into a dark alleyway, where her corn-rowed associate popped out of a manhole and opened up his trenchcoat to display the marijuana he was retailing at the time. Too bad he rode off cackling into the sunset in his hydraulic, blood-stained Range Rover before RAT could get a name. :snooty:

It's a pretty reasonably priced service for only $60 these two people drive to his trailer to sell him this weed.

Do you know the secret symbol? :giggle:

 

[laura08]

http://www.roanoke.com/news/2150555-12/defense-missing-teen-alexis-murphy-was-in-camper.html

On the evening Alexis Murphy went missing, she stood inside Randy Allen Taylor’s ramshackle camper while a man with her sipped Icehouse beer and smoked marijuana with Taylor, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Taylor, 48, didn’t know the man’s name but purchased $60 in marijuana from him, said Michael Hallahan, Taylor’s court-appointed attorney. Murphy, 17, neither smoked nor drank as the group talked, Hallahan said.

The Nelson County teen and the man left in separate cars before dark, Hallahan said. He never saw them again.

Eight days later, after finding a strand of Murphy’s hair in Taylor’s camper, authorities arrested him on an abduction charge, Hallahan said. He is being held without bond in Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail and faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence if convicted.

“We absolutely say that he is maintaining his innocence,” Hallahan said. “The evidence is very weak, from what I hear.”

 

[Heroine]

Well, it might've happened off camera, as his lawyer may suggest soon. She probably flashed him the secret symbol and ushered him into a dark alleyway, where her corn-rowed associate popped out of a manhole and opened up his trenchcoat to display the marijuana he was retailing at the time. Too bad he rode off cackling into the sunset in his hydraulic, blood-stained Range Rover before RAT could get a name. :snooty:

HAHAHAHA! Too funny! That was the same exact conclusion I came to. RAT must be a cool guy to abductors because he sure knows a lot of them.