GUILTY VT - Melissa Jenkins, 33, St Johnsbury, 25 March 2012

[TxLady2]

I don't think they did. I think they are not telling the whole truth. She was beaten savagely. No one admitted to that. Condoms were found near the body. No one admitted to that.

The suspects are totally downplaying this horrific murder.

I think so, too.
I can understand a mother not wanting to believe her son could do something this horrible, but he apparently admitted to it, or at least enough that they could charge him. He took them to the crime scenes.
And this confession may be why he is not being charged with 1st degree murder, could have been a kind of plea bargain.

 

[elmomom]

I think so, too.
I can understand a mother not wanting to believe her son could do something this horrible, but he apparently admitted to it, or at least enough that they could charge him. He took them to the crime scenes.
And this confession may be why he is not being charged with 1st degree murder, could have been a kind of plea bargain.

Somewhere earlier someone posted the statute for murder in Vermont. forgive me for not finding it. But it was clear that no matter what degree of murder is charged, the JURY gets to decide the degree. So, charging for 2nd degree is sort of meaningless. It is just to get the case going and the killers behind bars while they build the evidence they will provide to the jury.

 

[cocomod]

Allen's sister just posted on her own FB page that she is sorry for what her brother and sister-in-law did to Melissa. She also says that she is sorry for little T. She said that her biggest question is WHY?

It takes a very big person to realize when to say when. I am impressed that she is not going to keep denying her brother's actions!!

 

[stillwatersc]

Anyway...[/I][/B] why would Melissa's son say "a boy" or "Michael Jordon" had done this to his Mom?
That strikes me as very odd.
I wouldn't think the hat or clothes would make him say that... and since this dude is white, it seems like an odd thing to say.
I realize this is a 2 year old. But he was right about the strangling, the car, the guy... so, any ideas on the "Michael Jordon"? :waitasec:

Maybe Ty knows someone named Michael Jordon who resembles the perp. It's not an unusual name. (or someone who he heard called "Michael Jordon" as a nickname or joke)

 

[nursebeeme]

I don't think they did. I think they are not telling the whole truth. She was beaten savagely. No one admitted to that. Condoms were found near the body. No one admitted to that.

The suspects are totally downplaying this horrific murder.

ITA!!!

the affidavit says that she was severely beaten BEFORE her death (that wasn't in his confession)..

how horrible...

 

[nursebeeme]

little kids don't see "colors" of people...

"michael jordan" could just be his way of saying "man"... also, the other witness says AP was in shorts

 

[SurfieTX]

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...attack?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

When Rathburn came upon Jenkins’ SUV parked on the side of the road, he called 911. He saw the abandoned car, the toddler sleeping inside — and signs of a struggle outside, including one of Jenkins’ shoes lying on the road.

“She is not here and her shoe is here,” Rathburn told the operator.

Just like Sherry Arnold, she put up a fight. I don't think they killed her right there on the side of the road, not for one minute.

 

[SurfieTX]

And where exactly were his mother and sister while they supposedly went back to the house? I think they picked up the stuff from the house and then drove directly to the river and...just ugh...

Rest in Peace, Melissa.

:rose:

 

[elmomom]

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...-murder-suspects-Vermont?odyssey=mod|mostview

It's not letting my iPad quote, but to summarize, the charges may be upgraded after the completion of the investigation. They can be charged with 1st or 2nd degree, OR with Aggravated Homicide, which carries a MANDATORY sentence of Life with no Parole. They would have to prove this murder was committed with a sexual assault for that charge. I think they would need the DNA results off the condom to prove this... So the charges are basically at the lowest rung,and as they accumulate more evidence I am sure they will be upgrading.

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Something definitely doesn't add up. AP admits to pouring bleach on her at his home while she was on the tarp. LE says that found condoms and wrappers at the river. AP left out the sexual assault completely. I hardly believe that he bleached her body before he assaulted her. Seems more logical that they only reason he bleached her to begin with was to erase any traces of his own DNA.

Just my opinion.

 

[SurfieTX]

I wonder what the wrappers were for - just the condoms or other things?

And really, why did he even use a condom? Like SHE was going to give him a disease? Please. Likely the other way around....

 

[Amster]

Okay, this affidavit is horribly written.
He's charged with second degree murder and unauthorized barial?
Dispatch advised that a vehicle had been found on the road and there was no sign of the child's mother.
There are typos all the way through it... I really wish they'd spell check. :banghead:

Anyway... why would Melissa's son say "a boy" or "Michael Jordon" had done this to his Mom?
That strikes me as very odd.
I wouldn't think the hat or clothes would make him say that... and since this dude is white, it seems like an odd thing to say.
I realize this is a 2 year old. But he was right about the strangling, the car, the guy... so, any ideas on the "Michael Jordon"? :waitasec:

Page 5
http://blackpearl.wcax.com/documents/PrueAffidavit.pdf

Because he's only 2 and just went through a very scary situation?

 

[Joe Friday]

Something definitely doesn't add up. AP admits to pouring bleach on her at his home while she was on the tarp. LE says that found condoms and wrappers at the river. AP left out the sexual assault completely. I hardly believe that he bleached her body before he assaulted her. Seems more logical that they only reason he bleached her to begin with was to erase any traces of his own DNA.

Just my opinion.

Sorry if it has been posted earlier, but have the condoms been positively linked to AP yet?

This area where her body was found sounds like a place where young folks might go parking. The condoms could have been discarded by just about anyone.

JMO

ETA: You know your getting old when you say "young folks" LOL

 

[MissieMt]

This murder is ultimately inexplicable. These two, imo, will never admit in full exactly what they did. It is beyond disturbing and frankly, why my heart doesn't let me come to WS very much anymore.
But I want to offer a few ideas, all my own opinion and not based on fact, rumor, or expertise.

I am around the same age as Melissa. While growing up, Michael Jordan was a HUGE icon. Considering her past coaching, I think it's safe to assume she loved basketball. Odds are, she loved Michael Jordan. So although he is no longer "main stream" to most of us, she probably had introduced her son to the words "Michael Jordan" and maybe even said things like "you're gonna be a star like michael jordan" or "he's mommy's little michael jordan". When he mentioned michael jordan it was probably just 2 year old ramblings, but the detective was smart and noted it just in case.

Also, I have a VERY VERY strong feeling that this is not the first time for this man. Maybe it was the first time he brought his wife along, and that could easily explain why things were so botched. He was out of his element with having her along.

And lastly, Melissa was very smart in that she let people know where she was going. She obviously felt uneasy about the situation and wanted to let someone know, just in case. But for the love of all things holy, it absolutely breaks my heart that she didn't follow her gut and refuse to help them.
So take note people- In this day in age, yes it is important to always let people know where you're going. But it is even MORE important to follow your instincts!!!

 

[oh_gal]

I'm going to take a guess and say he may have been referencing the hat. A polaris racing hat was found.

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT the actual hat that was found but only being used as a possible theory as to the boy and Michael Jordan reference by T.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/POLARIS-RACING-CAP-2860011-/230448603507

http://www.famousjerseys.com/index.php/michael-jordan-hat.html


As to the "boy" reference, AP doesn't look like a very tall guy.

http://www.wdtn.com/dpps/news/natio...e-charged-in-vt-womans-death-nt12-jgr_4119348

I think some children make associations with objects as we saw in the Jason Young trial. The "mommy" doll (as an example).

Little T may have done the same thing in this case. boy = AP not very tall. Hat = Michael Jordan

JMO!!

I was thinking the same thing -- that something Prue was wearing made the child think of Michael Jordan....it's amazing how many brands young children recognize (McDonalds, Burger King, SpongeBob, etc.). Perhaps this child was just into Michael Jordan.

 

[KellyConQueso]

Maybe the Prues told him that - Michael Jordan so it would point to a black man? "Tell the police Michael Jordan hurt your mom." I don't know. It's weird. And MJ isn't really that big of a basketball star anymore for a 2 year old to even know his name?

My son LOVED the movie "SPACE JAM" when he was around that age and he knew exactly who Michael Jordan was despite never having seen an NBA game.

ETA - he loved him so much that he wanted to be him for Halloween. I kind of freaked out at first because I though, "How am I going to make my < 3' tall Ginger look like a > 6' black NBA player?" Turns out all it took was a bulls jersey and a small gold hoop earring (this was the late 90's and MJ was hawking some hot dogs wearing that stupid dang earring) and the transformation was complete - He WAS Michael Jordan. Kids that age don't identify people by the color of their skin. They see a jersey, a hoop earring, a combination of colors, or a distinctive clothing style. So even if they don't even know the word for something, they will relate it back to something they do know. So maybe the perp was wearing black/red, or had a jersey on, or wore a tiny hoop earring - the tot may not know those words but he might say the person was like Michael Jordan.

 

[oh_gal]

Are these people (the Prue's) mentally challenged? I have only read a very small amount of info on this case, but they remind me of a couple I know who live on the fringes of normalcy, if that makes any sense. If you didn't know much about them, and didn't spend much time with them (if you saw them in passing) you might think they were as normal as you and me. But spend any time with them, and it becomes apparent that they are cognitively impaired to some degree. They can still function at basic things - drive a car, pay for purchases at a grocery store, but they are limited.

If they were mentally challenged and Melissa knew this, then she probably wouldn't think twice about helping them, if they called her. This could also explain why she seemed (to me) not to push things too much when Prue showed up at her house drunk, and also asked her out a few times. I mean, she was bothered by it, but it didn't go any further than her commenting to a friend that it bothered her (if I have the facts right).

The whole scenario just doesn't add up to me. They wanted to "get a girl" - why? If I am understanding correctly, she wasn't sexually assaulted, yet condoms and wrappers were found near her body. Was because the Prue's, in their limited mental capacity (*if they are limited, that is, purely speculation on my part) thought they were being smart, and these little clues would throw the investigation off? Same with the bleach. Have they watched enough true crime shows to think they know how to evade discovery?

 

[Amster]

Did the autopsy show evidence of a sexual assault?

 

[SurfieTX]

Did the autopsy show evidence of a sexual assault?

I believe the question was asked by reporters, but they are not releasing that information right now.

 

[Krisy]

Our local kindergarten teachers actually have them make a book with pictures of brands they know. They cut pics from paper of McDonald's, Nike, m&m's, fruit loops and such as a way to get them to start reading!

They know them all. Michael Jordan, heck they might not even realize he's actually real, as he's on clothes and TONS of shoes they see all the time.