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

[AutumnRose]

I think they probably left the shell casings behind because the COD was obvious and well established. They knew this wasn't a shooting. Also SG shell casings and brasses degrade extremely quickly and are (almost) as common as dirt in these parts. They could probably tell they were a bit old, subjected to the elements, and not valuable as evidence (no fingerprints would be left, ect)

He did say they took the bag and mattress (or they were gone) so obviously they thought those may have been related.

But yeah, total thoroughness would have been a bit soothing.

i'm still not worried though, I think they've got 'em in a corner anyway.

We do not know for a fact that there were any shell casings left there, nor do we know, IF they are there, that they weren't deposited after LE had been there. It's all rumor. Can anybody confirm this? We also don't know anything about the buoy. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Maybe the dive team left it there. I wonder if the neighbor would know. It might be worth a trip to talk to the neighbor.

speculation and rumor

 

[Miss Optimism]

Yes, I had the privelage of seeing MC when she was alive, and her underbite was a noticeable feature

I just think its so sad that she didn't have this fixed at an earlier age, possibly saving her some heartache over the years. My mom had an underbite when she was little and they did something about it when she was like 5 years old- some kind of brace thing I think. It fixed it right away because she was so little and never had to have surgery or anything for it.

 

[AutumnRose]

I just think its so sad that she didn't have this fixed at an earlier age, possibly saving her some heartache over the years. My mom had an underbite when she was little and they did something about it when she was like 5 years old- some kind of brace thing I think. It fixed it right away because she was so little and never had to have surgery or anything for it.

I have thought about this a lot. If it was so noticeable and she suffered so much teasing over it, why wait so long for the braces and surgery? I can only think that there must have been a medical reason for it. Perhaps there is more to it and they needed to wait for bones to finish growing or something else. Dr.
Girlfawkes........what do you think?

 

[Ozz]

They also left spent shell casings..Rio said probably cos they were old BUT! if they could maybe lift prints off them it could maybe tell them WHO had been hanging out in that exact spot at any time prior to the murder..Ya think that would be of some importance? :waitasec:

Even if the above was not possible it's still EVIDENCE that was just left behind at a crime (tho maybe not murder) scene by LE!

eta..Did Rio say they also left behind his items in the duckblind? I can't recall.

Shell casings were Del Rios

 

[Miss Optimism]

LE did not know this prior to meeting up with him on day (?) of the investigation & even after they did LE still left them only on the word of someone they could not possibly know at that time was not somehow involved..It's also goes beyond that because they were found so close to the body..They should've taken WHATEVER was there..End of story!

In the CA case they left NOTHING behind in the very large area where Caylee was found even tho they had to believe some of it was not related to the crime..That's just GOOD police work!

I agree. I have questioned the competency of the LE this whole time. I was horrified upon hearing that they didn't pick up these casings as evidence. No wonder they have no POIs! I think someone needs to call them on this! Wenatchee World, if you're reading, interview the LE about how they have left things behind at crime scenes!

 

[AutumnRose]

Shell casings were Del Rios

If they were indeed there, I'm sure they will be in crime scene photos, and then defense attorney's will rip LE to shreds. I have a really hard time believing any evidence was left behind. JMHO

 

[Miss Optimism]

I have thought about this a lot. If it was so noticeable and she suffered so much teasing over it, why wait so long for the braces and surgery? I can only think that there must have been a medical reason for it. Perhaps there is more to it and they needed to wait for bones to finish growing or something else. Dr.
Girlfawkes........what do you think?

I thought that at first, but it seems to be the most beneficial to not wait until the bones are finished growing. Since my mother had the same issue Mackenzie had and it was fixed very easily and quickly when she was little, that just makes me think that MC should have had something done earlier as well. Poor girl.

 

[pepsi]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that MC's phone was GPS-enabled...That's the only way that LE could know that she was at the boat dock, unless an eye-witness saw her there.

my wife has the same exact phone as mac's...gps is an option.

 

[Liz]

I think they probably left the shell casings behind because the COD was obvious and well established. They knew this wasn't a shooting. Also SG shell casings and brasses degrade extremely quickly and are (almost) as common as dirt in these parts. They could probably tell they were a bit old, subjected to the elements, and not valuable as evidence (no fingerprints would be left, ect)

He did say they took the bag and mattress (or they were gone) so obviously they thought those may have been related.

But yeah, total thoroughness would have been a bit soothing.

i'm still not worried though, I think they've got 'em in a corner anyway.

Good points, girlfawkes! But, I would've hoped that LE would have collected those 'left behind' shotgun shells (all of them) with even the slightest possiblity that the perp who placed Mackenzie's body there, may have been the one that left those shotgun shells behind previously.

"Someone" who knew about that spot, placed Mackenzie there, imo!

Also, imo, there's always the possibility that someone's fingerprints are on those shotgun shells; degraded or not.

Attention Investigative Team: You might want to go back and retrieve 'em, just in case!

 

[pepsi]

sorry i couldn't stay away...this case is to adicting

 

[AutumnRose]

I thought that at first, but it seems to be the most beneficial to not wait until the bones are finished growing. Since my mother had the same issue Mackenzie had and it was fixed very easily and quickly when she was little, that just makes me think that MC should have had something done earlier as well. Poor girl.

But, we don't have access to MC's medical records and we don't know if it was just a simple underbite or overbite. It's just rumor. It may have been something very complex. Maybe it was considered cosmetic surgery and very cost prohibitive or insurance wouldn't cover it. We just don't have enough information on that to say it should have been taken care of when she was little. If it were my daughter, and Lord knows we have spent tens of thousands of dollars on braces for just 2 of them!) I would have had it done in a heartbeat, if it was as simple as a brace or 1 surgery. But, I suspect there was much more to it. MOO

 

[greydiggity]

I just think its so sad that she didn't have this fixed at an earlier age, possibly saving her some heartache over the years. My mom had an underbite when she was little and they did something about it when she was like 5 years old- some kind of brace thing I think. It fixed it right away because she was so little and never had to have surgery or anything for it.

This is more complicated then most people think. And HERS was obviously more severe. There are steps that have to be taken. Each step has to be done and it can be painstakingly long. Sometimes the bite has to be widened and a spacer is required for a time, braces for a while, jaw growth, etc. The palate has to be broken and jaw wired in some instances. I am on my third child with braces and jaw issues and two more to go it seems. I remember when my mom was having mine done, I had to wait until I was in my teens and then the next step could happen, and mine wasn't even noticeable! I can imagine a detailed case can be quite complex.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

I agree with this for the most part, except I keep thinking, what if they wanted the COD to remain secret, just in case the killer somehow "slipped up" during an interrogation or lie detector test or during a conversation with someone, and accidently let LE know that he/she knew how MC died? Since LE and the killer were the only people who knew how she died, they would be able to identify the killer.....just a thought.

Anyone could claim plausible deniability: "I guessed she was strangled."

Strangled.
Blunt force trauma.
Stabbed.

Those are not unique methods, but it is a unique situation when all three prodecures are implemented.

An interviewee would have to adamantly reveal all three procedures were used ... not likely unless the murderer wanted to be arrested.

Would only one perp perform all those methods, or was it a free-for-all revenge attack on MC, with each perp performing their own unique revenge? Unlikely to have been multiple since the attack was concentrated to her neck, up ... I would expect multiple perps to have attacked her entire body or at least to have incorporated more than just her neck / head.

 

[pepsi]

i wonder if LE bothered to check the gravel pit going toward CB. If JF was in construction that would one of the places i would check. There is also a gas staion right before you enter CB. i wonder if LE checked that area also. I bet if that gas station is open 24 hrs. i would guess whoever works there would of noticed traffic in and out of CB. is there more than one way in and out of CB?

 

[justiceformackenzie]

I agree. I have questioned the competency of the LE this whole time. I was horrified upon hearing that they didn't pick up these casings as evidence. No wonder they have no POIs! I think someone needs to call them on this! Wenatchee World, if you're reading, interview the LE about how they have left things behind at crime scenes!

How do you know for sure that LE left things behind at the crime scene?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

If someone knew MC's cell phone ... perhaps this tool could have been used to track the location?

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

It's a moot point now since the battery most likely is discharged and the phone most likely was turned off and / or destroyed or tossed into a body of water long ago.

 

[PlainFranky]

I was told by somebody that works at WW that, in the course of doing the business of the newspaper, the death certificate was obtained through the proper channels, but that LE found out they had it and begged them not to publish it. However; they did not have a court order or anything to stop it from being released.........merely a sticky note requesting the coroner's office to keep it mum. The WW held off, giving them time to obtain a court order, or whatever they would have needed, but it was either denied or LE didn't go that route. Either way, WW hung onto it for 2 whole weeks before releasing it to the public. Seems like, if it was really that important to the case, a court order could have been obtained? IDK. I guess this is considered a rumor, and JMHO for part of it.

I don’t see how LE could get a court order to stop WW from publishing a public document.

During that two week period you, me, or anyone else could have obtained a copy of the document.

The certificate is available to anyone at the health department 8:00am – 5:00 PM M-F. It is ready the next business day, after noon.

 

[AutumnRose]

If someone knew MC's cell phone ... perhaps this tool could have been used to track the location?

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

It's a moot point now since the battery most likely is discharged and the phone most likely was turned off and / or destroyed or tossed into a body of water long ago.

More than likely..........but whose to say the perp doesn't still have it? Maybe he doesn't know all this stuff about cell towers and pings and gps.........or didn't. Maybe he just turned it off, and kept it. Slim to none, I agree. But, anything is possible, especially if the killer cared for her a great deal.

speculation

 

[Miss Optimism]

"Treatment of an underbite is generally easiest when very young patients are involved, as the jaw positions can often be corrected through a continual application of pressure.

Historically, the procedure was to wait until the child stopped growing and then realign the jaws surgically. Today, the goal is to avoid surgery whenever possible by intervening when the patients are still growing, as young as age 5. Skeletal problems are very difficult to correct after the patient has reached puberty.

If treatment is not initiated by this stage, surgical intervention will most likely be needed to help achieve an ideal result. Skeletal problems can often be corrected without surgery if treatment is started before the patient stops growing."

 

[Miss Optimism]

i wonder if LE bothered to check the gravel pit going toward CB. If JF was in construction that would one of the places i would check. There is also a gas staion right before you enter CB. i wonder if LE checked that area also. I bet if that gas station is open 24 hrs. i would guess whoever works there would of noticed traffic in and out of CB. is there more than one way in and out of CB?

I believe that the gas station is open but there isn't a person there 24 hours. Yes, there is only one way in and out of CB.

ETA: I guess that gas station has actually been closed for a few months. My husband, who's more observant than I, just told me.