WA - Mackenzie Cowell, 17, Wenatchee, 9 Feb 2010 - #8

[pufnstuf]

It was a dry day, no precipitation, no snow, on Feb 7, 8, 9, and only a small amount of rain the following days. There was no snow on the ground on Feb 9, no fog, and visibility was 10 miles. Here's the weather history for Feb 9. Click on the image to take you to the wx history, and you can look at the historical data for any date:



ETA: you can scroll down all the way at the linked page and see that it was OVERCAST all day, night, in Wenatchee on Feb 9.

 

[Sherlock_9]

Respectfully snipped...

Gravel pits are places that teens hang out. That's where they hang out here, to go parking, drinking, and have bonfire parties, etc.

Puf- I think you may have missed my point here. The gravel pit is just a reference point where the road turns, in my terminology. It's not that big nor is it secluded.

I should have been more specific- my bad- the gravel pit is where you turn off Squilchuck Road and head up Wenatchee Heights Road. The development I was referring to- Whispering Ridge is about half a mile up on the right.

It is 4.6 miles from the entrance to Whispering Ridge to Pitcher Canyon Road.

 

[ahsgramma]

About the missing phone:

Either it's in the river, or it is smashed to pieces. I don't think it will be found whole, and in working condition. (I'm just guessing...)

MOO is the river.

 

[Miss Optimism]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this, and am so impressed by all of your sleuthing!! Dang it they've got to get that monster and fast!! Please catch me up on a couple of things: :waitasec: 1. Who was at the car wash, WC? or MC? and when? And was there definitely a man with her and has anyone suggested who he could be? And was the car wash info mentioned by police or how did you know about it? And, 2. where is the "spec house" and are you thinking the murder occurred there (or where else?) or just that MC's body was kept there for a while? Thanks!

Al this is speculation based on what someone reported someone else saw or heard.

1. MC was rumored to be at the car wash with an unknown male on the afternoon of the day she went missing.
2. The spec house is a house owned by WC. If I understand correctly, the speculation is that something happened there because it was searched by LE more than once, but it's unknown what happened there, if anything.

I just wanted to add that one of the sleuthers had a friend who worked at a car wash that said they were questioned by LE and saw MC's car go through. That is where the whole topic came from- the police never have mentioned this. I think they thought it was somewhere in the 3:00-4:00 range but, again, none of this is confirmed.

This is a link to the spec house from a search engine real estate section: http://realestate.yahoo.com/Washington/Wenatchee/3635-ridgeview-blvd:81443193ca49dbfff10d73dedabfaee

Hope that link was ok to post. Just trying to help.

 

[Thinking Out Loud]

This is the first time I've seen the car photos. I don't think the mud on the tires is that big of a deal. Part of my driveway is dirt (maybe 100 feet?) and my tires look like that most of the time during the winter. It didn't have to be rainy or snowy that day. There was enough precipitation in January and February to keep a dirt road wet without being muddy and sloppy. Also, the roads in town at that time were still quite a mess (just winter road "junk") so I would guess that Squilchuck and PC were probably even worse. Add to that, the speed limit up there is around 45-50. The back of the car could have gotten that dirty on the way up. Especially if it had just been washed, the dirt would stick to it even more if it was still wet from the car wash.

All . . . still . . . just . . . MOO!

 

[Moonsabove]

I'm still reading the last thread (thread 7) and am only up to page 25 on that one.

I saw the car conversation, and want to post the photos here...with a couple of comments. Hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes from the last thread by doing this. If these have already been posted, please disregard.

The car obviously had not been washed in awhile, because you can see the dust and exhaust residue on the back of the car. Notice that most of the residue/dust are on the back right? That's because that's where the tailpipe is on this car.

Things that would be helpful to know:

• Was the car pointed toward town or away from town when it was found?
  
  
• Did LE bring the car back to the impound lot by TOWING it with a chain instead of placing it on a rollback at the site that it was found??

IF so, GRRRR! It could have been placed on a rollback with no one having to enter or touch the car. But if you look at the arrow that I've drawn on the final photo, you see that there's a chain attached from Mackenzie's car to another vehicle. If it was towed back to town by chaining it to another vehicle, that means that someone had to get in the car and turn the key on to be able to steer. Also, they may have had to turn the lights on, which, if they knew nothing about the car, they may have hit the wipers instead. If they did not use a rollback, very reckless of LE! The car should have been sealed at site, placed on the rollback, and brought back to a bay for examination. That way, no one would have had to enter the car.

IMHO - My dad owns a tow truck and the car woud NEVER have been pulled from a crime scene by a "chain". If it was not loaded onto a flat bed, it would have been dollied and lifted so only the back tires would have been touching the ground. In other words, the front of the car would have been lifted up in the air, while being adjoined to a tow truck. I also used to work at a tow company and they NEVER pulled cars by chains. I believe both would still require someone entering the car to put the car in neutral.

 

[Miss Optimism]

I AGREE!! IMO - They know who it is and want to make sure they cover EVERYTHING to cover their own a$$!

I saw the poster today at 4 different business, one being Au-to Mocha....it mentioned the money numerous time and how to collect it and you would not be named.

I asked who posted it, they said they didn't know them. Their exact words, 'Oh, I don't know. Just some old man." *smirk* The other girl in the stand just glared at me and continued to watch me as I read the poster.

Really? How odd that people would be so rude about such an important thing!!

 

[Sherlock_9]

I saw the car conversation, and want to post the photos here...with a couple of comments. Hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes from the last thread by doing this. If these have already been posted, please disregard.

The car obviously had not been washed in awhile, because you can see the dust and exhaust residue on the back of the car. Notice that most of the residue/dust are on the back right? That's because that's where the tailpipe is on this car.

Respectfully snipped

Great pictures- I had not seen the front and rear views.

That car is filthy! If it had been washed it was likely driven extensively on dusty dirt and gravel roads prior to discovery.

I dont see this dirt as coming from muddy, primative roads. I see it as dust from high speed travel on gravel. Also, as you state, exhaust residue.

And, the mud on the tires appears to be just covering the sidewalls. There does not appear to be buildup in the treads, as would be apparent if someone had driven the car far up in the mud. The tires look as though they were driven in mud, then driven quite a distance on either pavement or gravel.

Of course if it was towed back it would have run off some of the mud. But it's been my experience LE usually uses a carrier to transport vehicles. With the car parked near pavement, I see no reason why they would not have in this case. That tow chain in the pic may be something just used to pull the cra around into place on the impound lot.

Hmmm...

 

[ahsgramma]

IMHO - My dad owns a tow truck and the car woud NEVER have been pulled from a crime scene by a "chain". If it was not loaded onto a flat bed, it would have been dollied and lifted so only the back tires would have been touching the ground. In other words, the front of the car would have been lifted up in the air, while being adjoined to a tow truck. I also used to work at a tow company and they NEVER pulled cars by chains. I believe both would still require someone entering the car to put the car in neutral.

Did they know at the time it was a crime scene?

 

[Moonsabove]

Did they know at the time it was a crime scene?

Well, I'm not certain, but IMO, since law enforcement was involved and the car was impounded, it never would have been chained. Just my experience growing up in the towing industry.

 

[milliac]

Although I don't post here, I have been following MC's story since the beginning. Bless you all for not letting this be another forgotten case. You are doing a great job and I'm amazed by the way some of your minds think.

I have nothing much to add, but to give a tip on how to get caught up a bit faster on these fast track threads. Go to thread tools, click on print format then in the right corner click on view 1000 posts. As another Washingtonian, I will try to particpate more. I hope justice comes soon for that sweet girl.

 

[pufnstuf]

IMHO - My dad owns a tow truck and the car woud NEVER have been pulled from a crime scene by a "chain". If it was not loaded onto a flat bed, it would have been dollied and lifted so only the back tires would have been touching the ground. In other words, the front of the car would have been lifted up in the air, while being adjoined to a tow truck. I also used to work at a tow company and they NEVER pulled cars by chains. I believe both would still require someone entering the car to put the car in neutral.

Yeah, I know that tow companies don't use chains like that.

What I'm saying is I wonder if LE called for a wrecker, especially since parents showed up on site and no one knew that Mackenzie was truly missing and probably dead at the time. Did they take the car into custody THAT NIGHT? I would assume they did and that they called for a wrecker. But in this photo, the car is chained to another vehicle. Why? It should have been impounded in a bay and moved about on a dolly. Not hauled around behind another vehicle on a chain, which requires someone to be inside the car, steering.

 

[pufnstuf]

Did they know at the time it was a crime scene?

Yeah, same thing I'm wondering. Did they let the parents take the car back to RC's or WC's and then go retrieve it after it became obvious that MC was missing, or did they call for a rollback that evening?

 

[ahsgramma]

Well, I'm not certain, but IMO, since law enforcement was involved and the car was impounded, it never would have been chained. Just my experience growing up in the towing industry.

I guess what I am really wondering is when the car was found all they knew was that MC had missed curfew. You would think her dad would have had an extra key and driven it home unless there were other circumstances that made them think right then and there that a crime had been committed.

 

[pufnstuf]

Respectfully snipped

Great pictures- I had not seen the front and rear views.

That car is filthy! If it had been washed it was likely driven extensively on dusty dirt and gravel roads prior to discovery.

I dont see this dirt as coming from muddy, primative roads. I see it as dust from high speed travel on gravel. Also, as you state, exhaust residue.

And, the mud on the tires appears to be just covering the sidewalls. There does not appear to be buildup in the treads, as would be apparent if someone had driven the car far up in the mud. The tires look as though they were driven in mud, then driven quite a distance on either pavement or gravel.

Of course if it was towed back it would have run off some of the mud. But it's been my experience LE usually uses a carrier to transport vehicles. With the car parked near pavement, I see no reason why they would not have in this case. That tow chain in the pic may be something just used to pull the cra around into place on the impound lot.

Hmmm...

Yeah...they should have used a rollback to move the car back to the lot.

And yeah, the car is filthy. There is no way that that amount of exhaust and dirt built up on that car in one day.

 

[voominvava]

It's definitely too dirty .. I highly doubt she had a car wash that day.

 

[Sherlock_9]

Yeah, same thing I'm wondering. Did they let the parents take the car back to RC's or WC's and then go retrieve it after it became obvious that MC was missing, or did they call for a rollback that evening?

I could be wrong but I seem to recall the side picture of the vehicle sitting in the impound lot being circulated (on TV, I think) before the body was found. That would mean they took the car right in and didn't allow RC or WC to drive it home.

Also, didn't they (MCs family) show up w/ LE that night around ten at the location of the car up Pitcher canyon Rd? I would think she was declared missing then and the car likely taken right into custody as evidence in a missing persons case.

If evidence of an actual car wash occuring on Feb 9th involving that Pontiac is substantiated, it will certainly provoke thought as to just where in the world the car was driven to get it that dirty.

Likely no car wash occured Feb 9th.

Likely the car was taken into custody the night MC went missing.

I'm really hoping LE will toss out another "morsel" of the evidence I suspect they have. I, at least, need something new to work over in my mind.

 

[PaulR]

It's definitely too dirty .. I highly doubt she had a car wash that day.

Maybe the person who saw MC at the car wash is covering up for someone? :waitasec:

 

[pufnstuf]

Me, too, Sherlock.

We're all grasping at anything right now. Need new info.

I have a couple of questions that I haven't seen addressed...

1) Has Mackenzie been buried yet? If so, which cemetery? I didn't see any obituary at all, which would give this info.

2) How old is her boyfriend, and can someone give me his initials without breaking WS rules? Were they a couple when this happened? I've heard that they were, and then that they weren't. Was he at RC's house when the call came in that her car had been found or did RC call him to tell him?

 

[pufnstuf]

Maybe the person who saw MC at the car wash is covering up for someone? :waitasec:

I think it's just another instance of rumors being repeated until they become accepted fact.