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

[21merc7]

I'm not sure the phone is good news either. I just keep trying to figure out where an accomplice would be able to keep her. Alive, but where no one could hear her, or she would have to be sedated, or something. No way anyone could tape her mouth then take that off for food and water and a strong willed young lady would not be screaming her head off. I don't see her willfully tossing her phone either. (And must wonder who the other phones belonged to. I don't think people just decide to throw their phones away off the side of a road.)

Can someone point me to how the phone being found is a positive angle? Other than it was in the vicinity? I usually see things in the negative, so I need some help with a positive angle.

 

[4MYGUYS]

I'm not sure the phone is good news either. I just keep trying to figure out where an accomplice would be able to keep her. Alive, but where no one could hear her, or she would have to be sedated, or something. No way anyone could tape her mouth then take that off for food and water and a strong willed young lady would not be screaming her head off. I don't see her willfully tossing her phone either. (And must wonder who the other phones belonged too. I don't think people just decide to throw their phones away.)

Can someone point me to how the phone being found is a positive angle? Other than it was in the vicinity? I usually see things in the negative, so I need some help with a positive angle.

Maybe his fingerprints or DNA are on it. Maybe they can trace messaging to him.
If it was found with others, maybe the others belong to past victims, or can be traced to victims that he used as throw aways. They could show planning or a pattern of usage for possible victimization.
Just having found it in his vicinity will throw considerable guilt his way.
A lot of possibilities.

 

[CHERIE.T]

I'm not sure the phone is good news either. I just keep trying to figure out where an accomplice would be able to keep her. Alive, but where no one could hear her, or she would have to be sedated, or something. No way anyone could tape her mouth then take that off for food and water and a strong willed young lady would not be screaming her head off. I don't see her willfully tossing her phone either. (And must wonder who the other phones belonged to. I don't think people just decide to throw their phones away off the side of a road.)

Can someone point me to how the phone being found is a positive angle? Other than it was in the vicinity? I usually see things in the negative, so I need some help with a positive angle.

IMOO if her phone leads LE to her ......it is a positive thing.
Her being missing for months on end would be horrific for her family.
Her family having closure one way or the other IMOO is positive.

 

[katinva]

You are correct they found several cell phones, weeks ago. I imagine it took them awhile to track it back to belonging to her. They would never say for sure it was hers even if it was identified by the family. There could be another like It and they would only confirm this by doing test on it and getting info from it. As for the statement about him parking his car in c ville. LE stated that they knew he was at the gas station when she was there and he pulled out after
Her.

Do you have an article that says they know he pulled out after her? I never heard that and I feel like Ive read them all.

 

[Cherry]

Dont quote ME but I believe they have CCTV of the cars leaving and he was right behind her.

 

[CHERIE.T]

Dont quote ME but I believe they have CCTV of the cars leaving and he was right behind her.

I believe so too Cherry. My gas station has cameras inside, outside at the pumps and iirc outside cameras that point towards the road. That's how attempted robbers were caught here.. so therefor I think you are right on. :moo:

 

[Nelson]

A past thread pointed to an additional charge in the RAT case one week prior to AM missing, I believe the charge was for stolen property found at his home. Also in the search LE found phones on RATs property after AM went missing Ams phone was one of them. If Rat followed her out of station I firmly believe he flagged her down in a simalar fashion just like the RT 29 killer. The question is Could he have took her phone at gas station flagged her down on road and told her he would help her get it back or could he have taken her nd phone on the road shortly after? Although if he did he take her on the road it means he had a partner or did he trick her to go back back at his house? Keep and mind she could not call for help.

 

[Justice101]

I can see this manipulative RAT flagging her car down by flashing his lights... she rolls the window down slightly... he says he see sparks coming from under her car and that if she can pay a garage that he knows..they are open this late and she can get it fixed... He then tells her he thinks he can bend the piece back in place to stop the sparks but he needs to get a crow bar at his house "right here on Rte 29 down the road 10 miles"... She bites on the idea and he pulls in to his property and eventually lures her to help carry something else from his house to help him with the job (maybe ramps to raise her car so he can "fix" the problem underneath). Then he punches her or knocks her out and drags her to his trailer. Wonder if he knew his neighbors we out of town that weekend. Of course this is ALL SPECULATION.... but with this modus operandi I could see this working very well. Otherwise, I cannot see her letting him into her car, I cannot see him getting into the back of her car at the gas station, I cannot see many other scenarios (including drug deal)... the only one I can imagine is one that matches what the Rte29 killer has done in the past. A treasure trove of cell phones in the gully would mean to me that one person has done this many times...you just don't find piles of cell phones in any place but at the dump. That's my 2 cents worth

 

[katinva]

Good thoughts Justice101!

 

[4MYGUYS]

I can see this manipulative RAT flagging her car down by flashing his lights... she rolls the window down slightly... he says he see sparks coming from under her car and that if she can pay a garage that he knows..they are open this late and she can get it fixed... He then tells her he thinks he can bend the piece back in place to stop the sparks but he needs to get a crow bar at his house "right here on Rte 29 down the road 10 miles"... She bites on the idea and he pulls in to his property and eventually lures her to help carry something else from his house to help him with the job (maybe ramps to raise her car so he can "fix" the problem underneath). Then he punches her or knocks her out and drags her to his trailer. Wonder if he knew his neighbors we out of town that weekend. Of course this is ALL SPECULATION.... but with this modus operandi I could see this working very well. Otherwise, I cannot see her letting him into her car, I cannot see him getting into the back of her car at the gas station, I cannot see many other scenarios (including drug deal)... the only one I can imagine is one that matches what the Rte29 killer has done in the past. A treasure trove of cell phones in the gully would mean to me that one person has done this many times...you just don't find piles of cell phones in any place but at the dump. That's my 2 cents worth

I can see this too. Plus he was said to be parked at the pumps (while he got cigs) and stated he talked to her. Wonder how long he was parked there waiting. I'm guessing he was using a stolen cell to follow her on her SM that day too. ?? #2 cell found in ditch??

 

[Nolita]

Idk I might get flack for this, but I DON'T think we should completely rule out a drug deal - to me, that seems like the most likely scenario...I can't think of any other situation that she would go to his house. Crazier things have happened. I believe that maybe she has talked to him before and built up a bit of trust with him - a lot of you say that there's no way that she would go to his house bcs he creepy but yet you believe that she would go to his house if he flags her down and tells her to go to his house bcs her vehicle is damaged? Does that make him less creepy? I'm more than sure she would have called or texted someone...if she were following him to his house for him to fix her car. The only plausible scenario IMO is the HALF TRUTH that RAT gave - the drug deal- or what Alexis THOUGHT was going to be. Maybe RAT told Alexis that he could get some weed, maybe he has been dealing her weed and became obsessed with her. IMO I don't understand why ppl are so hell bent on believing she did not smoke weed...I think is more probable than not that she did - it's apart of the American teenage culture now, and it doesn't make her a bad person if she did. I don't mean to attack anyone..I'm speaking in general - sorry!


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[ArianeEmory]

Idk I might get flack for this, but I DON'T think we should completely rule out a drug deal - to me, that seems like the most likely scenario...I can't think of any other situation that she would go to his house. Crazier things have happened. I believe that maybe she has talked to him before and built up a bit of trust with him - a lot of you say that there's no way that she would go to his house bcs he creepy but yet you believe that she would go to his house if he flags her down and tells her to go to his house bcs her vehicle is damaged? Does that make him less creepy? I'm more than sure she would have called or texted someone...if she were following him to his house for him to fix her car. The only plausible scenario IMO is the HALF TRUTH that RAT gave - the drug deal- or what Alexis THOUGHT was going to be. Maybe RAT told Alexis that he could get some weed, maybe he has been dealing her weed and became obsessed with her. IMO I don't understand why ppl are so hell bent on believing she did not smoke weed...I think is more probable than not that she did - it's apart of the American teenage culture now, and it doesn't make her a bad person if she did. I don't mean to attack anyone..I'm speaking in general - sorry!


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A lot of us don't rule out the possibility that pot was the initial basis of their interaction, or a lure or whatever. I think those of us who don't rule it out all agree explicitly that it doesn't mean Alexis deserved to have anything bad happen to her. I think we have had several non-flame discussions about it.

 

[Nolita]

A lot of us don't rule out the possibility that pot was the initial basis of their interaction, or a lure or whatever. I think those of us who don't rule it out all agree explicitly that it doesn't mean Alexis deserved to have anything bad happen to her. I think we have had several non-flame discussions about it.

I def agree that she didn't deserve anything bad to happen to her! That's not what I meant at all...I just don't see why some people are adamant that it couldn't have happened ;(


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[ArianeEmory]

I def agree that she didn't deserve anything bad to happen to her! That's not what I meant at all...I just don't see why some people are adamant that it couldn't have happened ;(


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I'm not sure, I didn't think you meant that though. (I don't think anyone means it when trying to rationally discuss the pot aspect.)

I assume it's because RT is perceived as gross/creepy/old now that we know what he's been arrested for, so no one can imagine going near him knowing what we know now. But AM wouldn't have known anything about him, except maybe that he was an older guy who had or wanted weed.

 

[katinva]

Im not discounting the weed story.....something made her go there. I dont think he abducted her in daylight at the gas station.

 

[2Hope4]

Her last known use of the phone was said to be calling her voicemail.

 

[Nolita]

That's what I'm saying, for the Mickey Shuick case - they had someone who kept talking about the Occam's Razor theory - and I kind of believe it..that the simplest answer is usually the right answer. The simplest answer IMO is that AM went there willingly and then it took a turn for the worst, I just can't see any other explanation...I mean besides him flagging her down and telling her something is wrong with her car...but I feel like she would have called or texted someone..that would be the first thing I would so before following a man that I didn't know back to his place...or maybe it is plausible maybe she did know him and he flagged her down and told her to follow him and he'd fix it...I still feel like even in that scenario she would have called/texted someone..I just don't think we should completely rule anything out... He may be creepy but I know a lot of creepy looking people that I've talked to and trust because I know them..If I was driving and they tried to flag me down I'd flip out and drive as fast as I could and call the police.


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[x_files]

A lot of us don't rule out the possibility that pot was the initial basis of their interaction, or a lure or whatever. I think those of us who don't rule it out all agree explicitly that it doesn't mean Alexis deserved to have anything bad happen to her. I think we have had several non-flame discussions about it.

Quite possible.
Another reason I think marijuana should be legalized in every state. Takes away the danger of back street alley interactions with seedy types. Sel it in the store.

 

[Nolita]

Meaning if I were driving and and a person that I don't know well tried to flag me down there is NO way I would stop.


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[2Hope4]

How does finding her phone further the investigation though? So much time spent tryign to find it...but it would seem to me they could have gotten her cellphone records since FBI was there within 24hrs of her disappearance, so any info they needed should have seen been available via the records.

Now IF there are fingerprints on the phone, sure, that would show someone else handled the phone. Easily explained away as 'oh she left on the trunk of the car, and I saw it fall as she was leavnig", or "I picked it up when she dropped it at the camper."... I'm sure he would have some excuse, factual or not.

And "IF" she called or text someone prior to leaving the gas station, FBI would already know that without the phone.

The information of him seen leaving or following her out of the gas station was first reported by the Bedfordinformer twitter person. Makes me wonder if there isn't a camera at the stop light! And when I travel through there to go to the state fair, I'm going to look for one!