Found Deceased WA - Cheryl DeBoer, 54, Mountlake Terrace, 8 February 2016 #2

[steelman]

I'm wondering too about the blood found in the car. In the initial reports, it was indicated that a search warrant was served on the vehicle and all that was found inside was a book. Nothing what-so-ever about visible blood was mentioned.

Was this blood visible to the naked eye, or did it only become apparent after Luminol was sprayed on it ?

This car was a 1988 model, which means the vehicle itself is 28 years old. There's many different ways blood could show up in a car that is 28 years old. If they DNA tested it and typed it to her, then we've got something.

If not, the conclusion it belongs to her could be a little premature. The fact that blood wasn't mentioned as a probable cause to get a search warrant makes me wonder a little bit about how long it's been there and how it may have gotten there during the last 28 years.

Also, if an effort was made to wipe down the vehicle in order to hide evidence, where's the bloody rags or paper towels that were used ?

 

[Elainera]

It's really bold to bring the car back to its parking spot after taking Cheryl. Why would they do that? Why not dump it somewhere completely different. That would also have had the effect of confusing the investigation.

Unless, they did not take her away in her car but forced an injured but still alive Cheryl (at gunpoint, knife to her back?) into their own car and then took her away.

I find the fact that the car was found at the park the most puzzling piece of this mystery. It seems an unnecessary risk.

I wonder if she had some incriminating info on a colleague that they did not want to become known.

 

[QueenBea13]

Bringing my last post over from Thread #1, because I'm curious regarding the home surveillance/alarm system:

I wonder if it actually shows who is leaving, like a camera or is it just whoever's code is entered? I know at our house we each have our own codes, so if I know my husband's code I can use it or we could possibly be walking out together & only use one or the other.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12361382


The thoughts & opinions stated above are that, MY random thoughts & opinions.

 

[darring21]

Wow, a lot of new information to process! I'm so glad Cheryl's husband is in the clear and she did not die feeling betrayed by the person she loved.

I haven't analyzed all the new info yet, but one thing that strikes me is that I can not imagine that the perp would have dumped her that morning, in daylight, with people around. It was said her body was halfway into the culvert so it wasn't just a matter of opening the car door and pushing her out, I think the person must have gotten out of the car as well and pushed/pulled her partly into the culvert. I can not imagine this happening that morning.

I think they forced her to drive somewhere more remote, killed her, hid her body, brought her car back to confuse the investigation, and put her into the culvert at night. I still think this was someone she knew, an acquaintance, a neighbor, a colleague with a grievance. Revenge perhaps? Robbery or sexual assault seem to be less likely now.

Good to know they found something of interest in yesterday's grid search, I wonder what it was, and I hope it leads to someone.

The police gave a couple of clues that they did not think it was her husband. They said something about her actually being at her car or near her car at 7:00 and they want tips beginning at 7:00 on Monday and through the rest of the week. This suggests to me they think she may have been put there a day or more later. I think its likely her car never left where she parked it. A lot of uncertainty though.

 

[steelman]

It's too bad she wasn't actually talking on the phone with her friend instead of texting, the mystery about what transpired next might be greatly clarified.

I suspect her head being down texting while her door was propped open is probably the tiny window of opportunity this guy needed to get the jump on her. She may have also gotten out of her car earlier while attempting to search for the badge under the seat, wedged down in the console, or hidden under items on the passenger side. Most likely she was accosted while her attention was focused elsewhere.

This sounds almost like a deliberate kidnapping.........but for what possible reason ?

Only two possible scenarios are now available to us, and the cops already know the answer.

A) Was she assaulted in her car and then moved in her own vehicle ?

B) Was she assaulted in her car and then transferred into another vehicle ?


The cops may very well have an eye witness to what happened in that parking zone, but much like everything else so far, they refuse to comment on it or confirm it. The information that came to light during the late evening hours was due to information contained in the search warrant, not because Pickard offered it up.

I can't understand the possible reasoning behind not divulging that her husband left for work prior to her, arrived at work on time, video caught her car driving towards P & R, and hubby passed a polygraph early on. All of these people on social media (and in here) trying to implicate her husband in the disappearance, and yet the cops knew all along he had nothing to do with it. That suspicion could have been cleared up days ago, but they refused to do it.

Just keep in mind that cooperation ain't a two-way street with these guys.

 

[Ibiz]

Yes, it does seem to look like an abduction of some sort.

 

[dalsglen]

Forgot to subscribe to cheryls thread at the start, sad to come across it this morning with this news.

 

[kammiemc]

If the perp did remove and then return the car to the same area as it was parked earlier, they would may have seen it on the surveillance video that they used to discover that Cheryl's car did pass by it 2 minutes prior to her sending the text to her friend. If the car was moved it likely would have had to approach the library and the police station, which I would think would definitely have cameras that they would have already checked.

I also don't think Cheryl had enough time between the timestamp of the surveillance video at 7:00am and the sending of the text at 7:02am to drive two blocks, park, get out of the car and start walking in the park and then start texting her friend. I would think that in such a short timeframe she never left the immediate area of her car.

My thoughts wander to a more targeted crime. It would make more sense if the perp had his own car and knew CD's pattern of parking in that overflow area. Now, her forgetting her key card and ORCA card on that same day...? I don't know, that's just a whole other level of confusion. I suppose coincidence isn't out of the realm of possibility, but I don't like how convenient that is. A targeted crime against her specifically, where another vehicle is used to transport her and get rid of the body makes more sense to me.

On Steelmans map (I think that's the name?) they say that the location of CD's body was on the far side of the street and not in that main big culvert that we've all seen very clear pictures of. They call it the "East side" of the culvert. Right next to that is a small pull-in area that's in a somewhat brushy and less conspicuous location to remove a body from a car. For nobody to recall seeing a car parked there it must have been quickly done and a vehicle that didn't really stand out.

I've really examined the map and can't see any place else where a perp could have dropped her off at - there's just no access because the stream that feeds that culvert is basically a shallow ditch along side of Cedar Way - there are houses right next to it, and all behind it, so they would have had to have put her in the water there. I wish the ME would have shared how long she was deceased, as that would help everyone focus their memories on a particular time period.

Again, on Steelman's map at https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zAAmDUXJe_aE.knlZzA2tpxDE you can actually zoom in and see where a white utility truck is pulled into that makeshift parking space. It's really just a few steps from the side of that truck to where you would have to put a body for it to not be seen for over a week. That easily could have happened in broad daylight.

As to why, I'm just baffled.

Yeah, the timing seems to dictate that she was either accosted in her car or just upon exiting. The blood seems to indicate that she was hurt in her car, even if she was not transported in it. Seems risky for a perp to lead her to his/her own vehicle in that situation to take her from the scene, but.....something unlikely and strange happened, so it's certainly as solid as any other theory.

I think the badge and text thing are throwing us off. If it's true that nothing happened to her at home (sounds true, unless someone had been hiding in her home and forced her out into her car without her items) then it's just a red herring and she texted after having parked her car and checked for her items. Maybe being distracted made her vulnerable (note to self!)


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[darring21]

It's too bad she wasn't actually talking on the phone with her friend instead of texting, the mystery about what transpired next might be greatly clarified.

I suspect her head being down texting while her door was propped open is probably the tiny window of opportunity this guy needed to get the jump on her. She may have also gotten out of her car earlier while attempting to search for the badge under the seat, wedged down in the console, or hidden under items on the passenger side. Most likely she was accosted while her attention was focused elsewhere.

This sounds almost like a deliberate kidnapping.........but for what possible reason ?

Only two possible scenarios are now available to us, and the cops already know the answer.

A) Was she assaulted in her car and then moved in her own vehicle ?

B) Was she assaulted in her car and then transferred into another vehicle ?


The cops may very well have an eye witness to what happened in that parking zone, but much like everything else so far, they refuse to comment on it or confirm it. The information that came to light during the late evening hours was due to information contained in the search warrant, not because Pickard offered it up.

I can't understand the possible reasoning behind not divulging that her husband left for work prior to her, arrived at work on time, video caught her car driving towards P & R, and hubby passed a polygraph early on. All of these people on social media (and in here) trying to implicate her husband in the disappearance, and yet the cops knew all along he had nothing to do with it. That suspicion could have been cleared up days ago, but they refused to do it.

Just keep in mind that cooperation ain't a two-way street with these guys.

Completely agree and why I was a little suspicious. Why wouldn't the police say he had been cleared? Could they have someone else as their main POI and they wanted to let that person believe they weren't on to them?

 

[Ibiz]

How long after that 7AM text did they find her car?

 

[kammiemc]

Completely agree and why I was a little suspicious. Why wouldn't the police say he had been cleared? Could they have someone else as their main POI and they wanted to let that person believe they weren't on to them?

Why would anyone target this woman? Going back to the age old motives, like love and greed, I am going to make a speculation that one possibility is that it could have been love motivated. (That could be why LE has been a bit quiet, if it is a known person.) I keep thinking this was a man. But, perhaps if LE has their eyes on someone, another scenario is that it could be a jealous woman who was after her husband, someone who thought CD stood in the way.

That is an easier scenario for me to wrap my head around than a work situation. Though both sound like made-for-TV movies. I hope they solve this soon and her family can find peace.


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[JulieAnne]

Several people on this forum have mentioned that CD often or could have often parked where her car was found. I read several accounts not on this site - that she would not have parked there. They sited several reasons that she would not have gone there. Have we seen actual reporting of her parking habits?

I thought during one of the first PCs that they had found blood right away. Something about how he phrased his words about evidence she had been there but then the only belonging was a book.

I am wondering if she got out of her car at 7:01, texted, was watching her phone, juggling her bag, looking in a side pocket maybe just to make sure her badge wasn't there and they took her phone. Then they negotiated for its return? Let's go talk about how you can get your phone back in the car?

 

[Occam's Zebra]

I don't think we can assume that Cheryl's car was never seen on camera again.

I am guessing, though, that it was never moved from where she parked it. I don't think she'd planned on staying in that parking spot - she was there to text her friend and search the car for her badge. Maybe that is where she usually parked - but it sounds as if she was safety conscious enough not to park where she'd have to walk through the woods every morning.

If the blood in the car is hers, the perp could have:
1) moved her to his vehicle - this seems very risky, though if she were still alive he could have held her up and pretended he was 'helping' her. And as someone said upthread, people are caught up in their own lives and tend not to notice much - or sometimes they do notice, but pretend everything is normal.

2) driven her vehicle elsewhere, dumped the body sometime that morning (after rush hour?), then returned the vehicle to its spot before her husband found it. I agree this is risky - why not leave the car in some random place? If he needed to get on public transportation, there have to be other ways to do that. Plus there would be (might be) evidence of another driver besides Cheryl or her husband - prints on the steering wheel or inside of the driver's door.

Also could be the perp's blood, though I don't think so. If he's in the passenger seat and she's in the driver's seat, he'd have to move her or get her out of the car somehow - seems like that would leave blood in other places.

Maybe she's got the passenger door open (which is safer, since the driver's door opens into the street) and is rummaging around looking for her badge. He attacks her, she falls into the passenger seat, and then somehow he gets her into his vehicle and drives off. He has to turn her phone off pretty quickly, so maybe he surprises her while it's still in her hand from texting?

 

[ceattle]

Driving past MLT transit center this morning on my way to work and obviously thought of Cheryl... I hope they find who did this to you! What a scary world we live in.

 

[Stripehaven]

Regarding Cheryl's car: I can't find the link now, but I read awhile back that her car was a 1988 Subaru IMPREZA, which is a sedan. Her car was just shown in a KCPQ newscast and it is a light-colored sedan. It looks quite small and I am thinking any physical altercation or forcing someone to do anything in that space would have been difficult.

(We used to have a 1988 Subaru wagon. I don't think they made the Legacy back then. Ours was a DL.)

Like some of you all, I am hung up on why LE didn't publicly clear MD sooner, especially along with suggesting the public needn't worry. Do they think it was someone else close to Cheryl, or are they flying blind? could it be some kind of strategy, like giving the real attacker a false sense of security for some reason? It seems so cruel to let the public start speculating about MD, especially since as he was dealing with the knowledge of blood in the car, and a likely horrible outcome. WHY?

 

[Bravo]

I cant make heads nor tails of this????

 

[Elainera]

Maybe she's got the passenger door open (which is safer, since the driver's door opens into the street) and is rummaging around looking for her badge. He attacks her, she falls into the passenger seat, and then somehow he gets her into his vehicle and drives off. He has to turn her phone off pretty quickly, so maybe he surprises her while it's still in her hand from texting?

respectfully snipped for focus

Your last paragraph made me think, maybe she dropped her phone at that moment when he was attacked and it fell in some kind of drainage or gutter? Which would explain that it's not pinging and not been found. Is there a drainage or gutter or something where she parked?

 

[DanceCard]

I cant make heads nor tails of this????

I've just managed to catch up on the thread and was struggling to know what to say, given the new information. You've expressed it perfectly!
I'll add that I'm clueless. But my imagination is starting to run riot.

 

[MU42M]

My guess now is going to be the one that seemed least likely earlier - stranger attack. Given the increase in drug-related crimes here, I'm going to guess it was someone on drugs or doing something stupid for drug money. I live in a neighboring city that's exceptionally safe, and we've been hit by multiple crimes in the last year alone (after 30 years of never having issues). One of the last hit us and neighbors between 6 and 7 and the responding officer said that time in the morning was common for them to be out and about. We went from leaving cars unlocked, sliders open in summer, etc. to having a full security system with cameras surrounding the whole house installed and our neighbors did as well. And, again, while I'm not in MLT, I imagine MLT has had a similar (or worse) experience over the last two years. I figured they'd be able to piece car movements because so many houses have cameras now. I hope I'm wrong. The only thing that kept me feeling safe was that all the drug crime had really remained property-related. This would change that.


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[Kale]

So if the husband has been ruled out, and there are no other POI (as far as we know), why are they saying there's no public threat? I don't feel unthreatened, I didn't go to my usual places in MLT when I picked up my friend from work a couple days ago. Usually once or twice a week I get her from her first job, we go shopping for an hour, and I drop her off at her second job and then go run errands in MLT. There's a park I love to go to to zone out and I didn't want to go and get out of my car. Like, if there's no threat, maybe say why so we can chill out?

IMO if you don't know who did it, it could be a psycho who likes killing people.