Victim: Alexis Murphy, 17, missing from Shipman, VA, 03 August 2013 - #7

[Montjoy]

And for what it's worth (perspective, at least), sex trafficking (as terrible as it is) is not the fastest growing crime in the US -- that would be identity theft. Human trafficking is fast growing, to be sure, but sex trafficking is only a part of that. So, the likelihood that Alexis is being trafficked in Atlanta (based on, what, some photographs with blurred out faces that vaguely resembled her body type?) seems extremely slim (likely not worth wasting time exploring without more information, IMO) especially when they already have arrested a suspect.

 

[Justice101]

Thanks TrueCrimeSleuth.....If rumors were around, it probably would not come from the familiy if the case is being run like it was in Morgan Harrington's case... LE was slow to give anything but general updates on the case to her family... just to make sure nothing slipped out to help the perp I suppose.. .but thought maybe there were rumors about where they were concentrating their search or questioning people.

 

[Just K]

In Northern, VA it is not the case that only troubled girls or girls in foster care are being lured into the sex trade. It is happening to girls just like Alexis. The girls are targeted, groomed, enticed with money, clothes, fairly nice hotels, after-parties, djs/club scenes, drugs and alcohol. Often, other females are used to lure the girls into this lifestyle and then into escorting. Then when the girls see what is really happening and they try to stop, get away, etc. they are threatened. They are told they owe the guy a lot of money. The men who control their daily comings and goings also threaten the girl's family members.

If you want to believe that this isn't happening, just research what is going on in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

And, we can't forget that pimps act like boyfriends. Alexis had her twitter and 11,000 followers. In the one video, she even said, "maybe I should just be a stripper." 11,000+ people saw her posts. Any one of them may have used money, drugs, alcohol, expensive gifts/clothes, access to exclusive private parties and clubs, etc. to entice her and to groom her. She may have already been sending more explicit pics and videos privately through her DMs. She may have even been accepting favors for doing so. We cannot rule that out. She obviously had two very different personas. Her online presence representing a wild girl and her day to day persona, the shy girl, as seen and described by her friends and family.

 

[x_files]

In Northern, VA it is not the case that only troubled girls or girls in foster care are being lured into the sex trade. It is happening to girls just like Alexis. The girls are targeted, groomed, enticed with money, clothes, fairly nice hotels, after-parties, djs/club scenes, drugs and alcohol. Often, other females are used to lure the girls into this lifestyle and then into escorting. Then when the girls see what is really happening and they try to stop, get away, etc. they are threatened. They are told they owe the guy a lot of money. The men who control their daily comings and goings also threaten the girl's family members.

If you want to believe that this isn't happening, just research what is going on in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

And, we can't forget that pimps act like boyfriends. Alexis had her twitter and 11,000 followers. In the one video, she even said, "maybe I should just be a stripper." 11,000+ people saw her posts. Any one of them may have used money, drugs, alcohol, expensive gifts/clothes, access to exclusive private parties and clubs, etc. to entice her and to groom her. She may have already been sending more explicit pics and videos privately through her DMs. She may have even been accepting favors for doing so. We cannot rule that out. She obviously had two very different personas. Her online presence representing a wild girl and her day to day persona, the shy girl, as seen and described by her friends and family.

It can happen to anyone. It's happened to girls drinking at night clubs, find themselves dosed and kidnapped to run away from their "pimp" later on.

 

[2Hip2BSquare]

More on sex trafficking....

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...n-weekend-sex-trafficking-raids-fbi-says?lite



Sadly, there is not a shortage of troubled youth, from troubled homes in our society for them to prey on.

I am aware of this case of the nearly 100 saved -thank you! It is very important to note the many of the girls willingly go into sex trafficking, but there still are the few that are used for not just sex trafficking, but human trafficking as well. And once in it is near impossible to leave the pimps/career/organized network.

I am currently in talks to set up a ministry for victims of human and sex trafficking. It is a cause close to my heart so I appreciate you educating us all on this aspect.

I just always fear that maybe Alexis is one of the few kidnapped for a specific reason - whether ransom or trafficking. But that's all IMO and based off of nothing - not fact nor rumor. Just my own fears.

 

[Ixchel13]

IMO the chances sex trafficking in this case are slim to none. Victims of sex trafficking are typically runaways, foster children or their own guardians are trafficking them.

Traffickers do not abduct children out of the blue that there will be a all out search for. This would be high risk for a trafficker and they most certainly wouldn't be posting photos of her anywhere on the net. They prey on runaways that are trying to survive on the streets, immigrants, etc.....

From everything I have seen about Alexis, she is a strong, well adjusted 17 year old, from a good tight family. She is a fighter.....

Alexis would not fit the bill for what a sex trafficker would be looking for in a victim.

IMO, this guy RAT, is 100% responsible for what happened to Alexis along with at least one other girl. He is not handing girls off to other people. He abducts them for his own sick reasons. (In this case after his *advertiser censored* purchase).

I am really surprised at how much speculation of truth there is on the "tale" that he told LE, after LE told him they had evidence of her in his trailer.

She went to his trailer to help arrange a drug deal (of marijuana) between two dudes and she didn't smoke any herself?? Seriously??? WTH would she do this for?

The story is lame IMO and makes no sense. It's just a futile attempt to try and get away with another murder like he did in the past. This time it ain't gonna happen.

^^^tell it like it is!^^^

 

[21merc7]

Any known searches or is there still festival activity going on?

{Where is Alexis??!!! lease:}

 

[BeginnersLuck]

In Northern, VA it is not the case that only troubled girls or girls in foster care are being lured into the sex trade. It is happening to girls just like Alexis. The girls are targeted, groomed, enticed with money, clothes, fairly nice hotels, after-parties, djs/club scenes, drugs and alcohol. Often, other females are used to lure the girls into this lifestyle and then into escorting. Then when the girls see what is really happening and they try to stop, get away, etc. they are threatened. They are told they owe the guy a lot of money. The men who control their daily comings and goings also threaten the girl's family members.

If you want to believe that this isn't happening, just research what is going on in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

And, we can't forget that pimps act like boyfriends. Alexis had her twitter and 11,000 followers. In the one video, she even said, "maybe I should just be a stripper." 11,000+ people saw her posts. Any one of them may have used money, drugs, alcohol, expensive gifts/clothes, access to exclusive private parties and clubs, etc. to entice her and to groom her. She may have already been sending more explicit pics and videos privately through her DMs. She may have even been accepting favors for doing so. We cannot rule that out. She obviously had two very different personas. Her online presence representing a wild girl and her day to day persona, the shy girl, as seen and described by her friends and family.

Luring/grooming girls and outright abducting/kidnapping them are two different scenarios. Alexis falls into the latter category which makes the other scenario IMO irrelevant.

There is nothing to indicate she was involved in any of the above mentioned things in your post. Unfortunately, teens post a lot of things on social media these days that as a parent I would rather not see. It is not unusual though. Teens as well as adults can often have different online persona's. An investigation of her social media devices, her daily activities and her circle of friends would easily rule any of the above out. I have yet to see that her daily activities even hint at any of the situations that you mentioned.

As far as twitter followers, it is a trend to get as many as you can for a lot of people. There are programs that you can download to get "fake" followers and she may have gained quite a few after her disappearance.

No "pimp" wants a girl there is a full blown search for involving the FBI.

:moo:

 

[BeginnersLuck]

I am aware of this case of the nearly 100 saved -thank you! It is very important to note the many of the girls willingly go into sex trafficking, but there still are the few that are used for not just sex trafficking, but human trafficking as well. And once in it is near impossible to leave the pimps/career/organized network.

I am currently in talks to set up a ministry for victims of human and sex trafficking. It is a cause close to my heart so I appreciate you educating us all on this aspect.

I just always fear that maybe Alexis is one of the few kidnapped for a specific reason - whether ransom or trafficking. But that's all IMO and based off of nothing - not fact nor rumor. Just my own fears.

It's great you are doing this! I just spoke to someone in my community that is working on doing the same! Is it you? :floorlaugh:

I would love for Alexis to be found alive but sadly my "fears" are that RAT did the unspeakable. I am basing my opinion on what is known of the timeline and his past. I hope I am wrong.

 

[4MYGUYS]

Any known searches or is there still festival activity going on?

{Where is Alexis??!!! lease:}

No, festivals in the area are over. Haven't heard of any new searches.
:scream:

 

[Just K]

RAT is a petty criminal who hangs out with young people, in general, and young girls/women, in particular. Why is it so hard to believe that he associates with other criminals? He first met SC at a bar. It is possible that he either finds girls to sell to other low life criminals or those people find the young females, either in bars or on line, and hire RAT to abduct them.

I didn't make up or insinuate anything re: AM. I watched all of her videos and read every ask dot f m post/answer. She was answering very graphic questions from strangers and many times suggesting that they DM (Direct Message) her via twitter and vine. She gave out her real name, her hometown, the name of her school, where she worked, when she worked, and her team uniform number. She posted a picture of her father's car (with a visible license plate number) and another picture with nearly $1000 cash in her lap. She spoke about LEAN & weed, she gave out freely her mother's name and her cousin's name. She said in a Vine video, "maybe I should just be a stripper." I didn't make any of that up.

Maybe she was joking around but she gave out way too much information. The kind of information that would be picked up on by the kinds of people that target young girls. Her online persona invited people to come meet her or did not dissuade these strangers from coming to meet her. People offered to take or bring her to England, to California, to Maryland, to Miami and other cities.

I am simply saying that we should not rule out the possibility that she was attracting the wrong kinds of people. It was fairly obvious that she even realized that they were coming there because of her looks v. her personality but she kept the conversation going with these obvious creeps. It is not that big of a stretch to believe that she did meet up with some of them. It does not mean that she would have left town with them and left her life voluntarily. That is not what I am suggesting.

What I am suggesting is that she may have been being groomed and someone made their move on her...whether it was someone who paid RAT to get her isolated or whether RAT acted alone... only he knows or possibly he and another creep know the answer to that question.

 

[Cherry]

I feel the same about her twitter activity. Way over the top.

 

[PresleySyndrome]

I feel the same about her twitter activity. Way over the top.

I also think most if the followers probably came after she went missing.

Sigh. I'm disappointed there's no real updates.


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[CluelessWonder]

I also think most if the followers probably came after she went missing.

Sigh. I'm disappointed there's no real updates.


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Actually, I believe most of her followers were following her before she went missing. I was following this story on Day 1 or Day 2. And I recall that we were quite shocked that she had so many followers. Of course, that has little to do with the case.

 

[Curious Me]

I feel the same way. It's called TMI - Too Much Information. It's dangerous.

I think about Alexis often. There's always hope. Praying for Alexis and her Family. This is going to take longer, but keep the faith that the investigation will keep moving forward.

 

[NuSleuth]

IMO the chances sex trafficking in this case are slim to none. Victims of sex trafficking are typically runaways, foster children or their own guardians are trafficking them.

Traffickers do not abduct children out of the blue that there will be a all out search for. This would be high risk for a trafficker and they most certainly wouldn't be posting photos of her anywhere on the net. They prey on runaways that are trying to survive on the streets, immigrants, etc.....

From everything I have seen about Alexis, she is a strong, well adjusted 17 year old, from a good tight family. She is a fighter.....

Alexis would not fit the bill for what a sex trafficker would be looking for in a victim.

IMO, this guy RAT, is 100% responsible for what happened to Alexis along with at least one other girl. He is not handing girls off to other people. He abducts them for his own sick reasons. (In this case after his *advertiser censored* purchase).

I am really surprised at how much speculation of truth there is on the "tale" that he told LE, after LE told him they had evidence of her in his trailer.

She went to his trailer to help arrange a drug deal (of marijuana) between two dudes and she didn't smoke any herself?? Seriously??? WTH would she do this for?

The story is lame IMO and makes no sense. It's just a futile attempt to try and get away with another murder like he did in the past. This time it ain't gonna happen.

this makes sense. the trafficking idea is very unlikely.

 

[NuSleuth]

I feel the same about her twitter activity. Way over the top.

It was excessive and excessively sexual, some of the photos (not of Alexis herself but *advertiser censored*) were really risque. But of course she's a teenage girl in American today we really shouldn't really expect propriety and discretion.
I wish her parents had been monitoring her. She gave so much of herself away on social media.

Please no one take this as a blame Alexis post, it is not. I'm just pointing out things that could have made her a greater target than other girls.
If she was this open on SM, I can believe she was also trusting in person.

 

[CHERIE.T]

RAT is a petty criminal who hangs out with young people, in general, and young girls/women, in particular. Why is it so hard to believe that he associates with other criminals? He first met SC at a bar. It is possible that he either finds girls to sell to other low life criminals or those people find the young females, either in bars or on line, and hire RAT to abduct them.

I didn't make up or insinuate anything re: AM. I watched all of her videos and read every ask dot f m post/answer. She was answering very graphic questions from strangers and many times suggesting that they DM (Direct Message) her via twitter and vine. She gave out her real name, her hometown, the name of her school, where she worked, when she worked, and her team uniform number. She posted a picture of her father's car (with a visible license plate number) and another picture with nearly $1000 cash in her lap. She spoke about LEAN & weed, she gave out freely her mother's name and her cousin's name. She said in a Vine video, "maybe I should just be a stripper." I didn't make any of that up.

Maybe she was joking around but she gave out way too much information. The kind of information that would be picked up on by the kinds of people that target young girls. Her online persona invited people to come meet her or did not dissuade these strangers from coming to meet her. People offered to take or bring her to England, to California, to Maryland, to Miami and other cities.

I am simply saying that we should not rule out the possibility that she was attracting the wrong kinds of people. It was fairly obvious that she even realized that they were coming there because of her looks v. her personality but she kept the conversation going with these obvious creeps. It is not that big of a stretch to believe that she did meet up with some of them. It does not mean that she would have left town with them and left her life voluntarily. That is not what I am suggesting.

What I am suggesting is that she may have been being groomed and someone made their move on her...whether it was someone who paid RAT to get her isolated or whether RAT acted alone... only he knows or possibly he and another creep know the answer to that question.

Exactly. Some things shouldn't be said on the net. Especially by minors.

 

[Sun48shine]

RAT has experience in the repo business of taking possession of other people's property with a quick turnaround. Would he do the same with people?

 

[CHERIE.T]

I also think most if the followers probably came after she went missing.

Sigh. I'm disappointed there's no real updates.


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If you back to one of her first threads here on WS, she had 1000 followers before she went missing.