Victim: Alexis Murphy, 17, missing from Shipman, VA, 03 August 2013 - #5

[ArianeEmory]

Respectfully bolded by me.

In the event that any poster notices an instance of victim blaming - please, alert the post. There are a wonderful group of mods here at WS who simply won't stand for that.

That being said, I've yet to notice any post that blames the victim: I have seen posts stating that her SM did, in fact, contain references to weed - which, in my humble opinion, is not blaming, it is a sourced fact - and there has been no post stating that she was to blame for ANY of this, in any fashion.

----

As to another part of your post - the trailer and internet access - I would humbly suggest that trailer-dwelling folk are every bit as likely to have an Internet connection as an apartment renter - I do not see any correlation between trailer and internet.

Respectfully MOO.

Just agreeing, and stating again for the record: please don't assume that because someone discusses AM's possible pot involvement means that person thinks she is a "bad" person. To go even further and suggest it's victim blaming (which I assume means she brought it on herself?) is DEFINITELY something I have not seen mentioned, and which I seriously doubt anyone here is even remotely thinking. I mean, I assume we run the spectrum of viewpoints on marijuana, but the vibe I've gotten here is that no one thinks it's a big deal, nor a bombshell of any sort. However, it's information worth examining when one is trying to piece together how RT constructed his defense story.

I feel like I've typed this before, but I've SEEN cases where it's obvious there is a bit of disgruntlement towards the victim or victim families, and this just hasn't been one of them, IMHO.

 

[CHERIE.T]

I think that's good news. They swooped on RAT pretty quickly and must be confident, to charge him. Especially after he sued the LE.

Something I thought of too, he spent the next day with his son, so he has to have kept AM somewhere else? His trailer didnt look big enough to hide her in. And her car was apparently seen by "the family friend" in the lot on the Monday. So I think he's moved pretty quickly after abducting her on the Sunday.

Blefusvu, I do too. For the past few days Ive worried about Alexis being found and worried about evidence......Today's article gives me hope.
Good point about RAT spending the next day with his son....where did he keep A? :moo:

 

[CHERIE.T]

Anyone know if Scent dogs were used in and around the trailer?

 

[writer411]

Ok, just my opinion. I dunno if he had Internet access or not. Just doesn't make sense to go and buy movies from a shop if he could download *advertiser censored* straight onto a computer.

Shows his out of touch mentality. Someone who slithers under radar may not realize he can get *advertiser censored* online. Plus, internet isn't easy to get in Nelco. You need to have a smartphone, satellite or wifi, all of which you must register with your name, address and a credit card. If you're living underground, skirting the law, it might not serve your purposes to have a satellite pointing at your house.

As for blaming the victim, I don't care what Alexis did. How many people in this world end up in this nightmare of situation because they were in the room when someone bought, sold, smoked weed? Not that I believe for a Nano second that she was in that person's dwelling voluntarily, but even if she was, doesn't explain her being forcibly removed from her family, wiped off the face of the earth. Just like Samantha Clarke, I don't care how many boys she was dating, doesn't mean that justifies her being permanently removed from the face of the earth. This man, thinks it does.

 

[zapped]

I wish they would get off the pot reference. From the 1960's until present it has been nothing to blink an eye at for teens or adults to smoke pot. This RAT picked up on something from MSM or her SM and ran with it. It makes me sick that his ploy has worked to draw attention or focus on the pot reference. There is no way this young girl went to his trailer to hook up two old dudes with some smoke. I'm sickened by the media giving focus to this.

I'll admit to having experimented when I was younger. That being said, theres no denying that the use of any illicit substance brings people into close contact with undesirables and those who care little for the law.

Thats the real danger, in not being able to trust those you associate with, even a little.

From the sounds of it, RAT was doing a whole lot more than just something as relatively harmless as weed to begin with.To insinuate that Alexis was doing anything at all wrong is pure speculation at this point.

He could have lured her away from the gas stations for a dozen different reasons.

 

[carbuff]

Anyone know if Scent dogs were used in and around the trailer?

The news footage showed a number of dogs at work. What kind, I don't know.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

RAT threw the pot reference out there to put blame on the victim and look at what is being discussed in the media....he would love the fact that reference is being put on this concocted story he created...as long as it keeps attention "he wins"...

Makes me sick...

 

[cluciano63]

I really hope the family is not being given false hope. Personally, I cannot imagine this ending well. I just hope she is found, in any event, unlike Samantha. Her never having been located does not give me confidence. JMO

 

[mystiviolet]

I just wanted to comment something my boyfriend had said a few days back. Really made me feel yucky, but I think it's important to find out from you knowledgeable people how realistic this is. He is a hunter (and believes if her body is found it will be via hunter) and has lived in VA and WV his entire life. He says there are many "crevices" small cracks in the mountains that are hundreds of feet deep that if RAT is aware of one of them around his property they would never find these girls, hence RAT's confidence that the girls will never be found. Is this true? Do we have no technology to scan deep in mountains (I understand heat could not be used). Just really makes me sick....

 

[zapped]

RAT threw the pot reference out there to put blame on the victim and look at what is being discussed in the media....he would love the fact that reference is being put on this concocted story he created...as long as it keeps attention "he wins"...

Makes me sick...

I agree, in looking at his various run-ins with the law in the past decade, I think this man is a psychopath and the type of person who would derive extreme satisfaction from doing just that.

I also firmly believe that theres a connection between him and Morgana Dana Harrington and perhaps dozens of other missing girls in the area.

 

[mystiviolet]

and as far as RAT. His lawyer/he did do a good job turning the focus from RAT to AM and CRD. Actually, RAT stated AM did not smoke or partake in drinking so his huge I talked to her to obtain drugs, even though she doesn't do them gets just dumber and dumber...I am not sure if my other post got deleted when we had trouble, but this drug dealer she supposedly left with, well AM allegedly knew him so well as to go to his house (so obviously she was there before according to his story) yet she was always safe and returned home. She was obviously, according to RAT, comfortable enough to see CRD alone at night for a complete stranger, but then she meets RAT and she disappears...

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I just wanted to comment something my boyfriend had said a few days back. Really made me feel yucky, but I think it's important to find out from you knowledgeable people how realistic this is. He is a hunter (and believes if her body is found it will be via hunter) and has lived in VA and WV his entire life. He says there are many "crevices" small cracks in the mountains that are hundreds of feet deep that if RAT is aware of one of them around his property they would never find these girls, hence RAT's confidence that the girls will never be found. Is this true? Do we have no technology to scan deep in mountains (I understand heat could not be used). Just really makes me sick....

:welcome: Mystiviolet! :wagon:

Interesting question regarding deep crags in the hills/mountains! :what:

:seeya:

 

[Japandaaa]

I'm betting that we get news tomorrow morning. It'll come through while the website is down for maintenance so we won't be able to get on to talk about it.

I was thinking the same thing. Whenever news breaks and I want to talk about it, a website is down. LOL. It's been eerie quiet in the news surrounding her. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[CHERIE.T]

This came out earlier today though...not really new the way they were building it up, IMO.

Sorry, I came upon this as I read my net alerts. And it was new to me.

I can delete if you like, I
don't want to ruffle feathers. imo

 

[CHERIE.T]

The news footage showed a number of dogs at work. What kind, I don't know.

Thanks car buff. I read that dogs were used near a stretch of highway.
I'd love to know if they were used in, out an around the camper.

 

[Ghostwheel]

I just wanted to comment something my boyfriend had said a few days back. Really made me feel yucky, but I think it's important to find out from you knowledgeable people how realistic this is. He is a hunter (and believes if her body is found it will be via hunter) and has lived in VA and WV his entire life. He says there are many "crevices" small cracks in the mountains that are hundreds of feet deep that if RAT is aware of one of them around his property they would never find these girls, hence RAT's confidence that the girls will never be found. Is this true? Do we have no technology to scan deep in mountains (I understand heat could not be used). Just really makes me sick....

You would have to search those one at a time, I think. I remember when a young man went missing in the mud caves in Anza Borrego (Guillermo Pino, Jr), his family hired a PI and they hooked up a camera with lights to lower into the crevices on a rope. That is the only way they found him, from the camera footage they reviewed after pulling it back up.

 

[cluciano63]

Sorry, I came upon this as I read my net alerts. And it was new to me.

I can delete if you like, I
don't want to ruffle feathers. imo

No, no...I just get annoyed at the news stations for doing those leading blurbs all day and then telling us what we heard earlier, lol.

 

[carbuff]

Thanks car buff. I read that dogs were used near a stretch of highway.
I'd love to know if they were used in, out an around the camper.

The camper had already been hauled away by the time the dogs I noticed were there. But they looked like they could have been working in the yard. They weren't exactly letting the media up close.

 

[CHERIE.T]

The camper had already been hauled away by the time the dogs I noticed were there. But they looked like they could have been working in the yard. They weren't exactly letting the media up close.

I inquired about the dogs because I thought about John Couey....living in a trailer and his disposing of a body outside of but close to the trailer.
:moo:

 

[margarita25]

I agree. There is a well known old missile silo, but there are bound to be old mines, wells, old tunnels for Railroad and again, caves... I wish locals could go looking. I hope all that have lots of property are riding it and walking it.

This reminds me of the intense intense search and capture of the Boston Marathon Suspect.