WA WA - Shantina Smiley, 29, & Azriel Carver, 8 (fnd deceased), Olympia, Mar 2010 - #5

[SMK]

Theory: SS stopped to called RS, found out he was on the way and because she initially did not want to see him/or for him to go with her. She decided not to go the rest of the trip and the rest is history...

Yes, I agree with your premise, she decided not to take the rest of the trip, and probably for the reason you have stated. But the rest is history: But which history, for those hours and hours? She and Az stopped to sleep on a beach and drowned when the tide woke them up? Or a third party came into the scenario and took advantage? How can anyone be sure this did not occur, even with little sign of it? I am haunted by that story I recalled , which I posted above, because it is a reminder that such things can happen.

 

[Jules71]

There was even a fire department she would have passed when she was traveling North after leaving the Williams home, just North of the mercantile a bit.

Here is a sign on Boston Harbor RD NE just before she would have veered right onto Zangle. The sign has an arrow pointing right, but I can't read what it says. Anyone know?


The next picture is where she would have gone right onto Zangle. Unfortunately I can't see the detail with google maps satellite because it stops there.

 

[Aion Essence]

A PHONE CALL AWAY : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part II)

Much has been made about Shantina's 'forgetful' misplacement of her phone at home.
The first explanation offered up was: 'well, everyone makes that mistake sometimes'. And most of us certainly do, I know i've forgotten my phone on many occasions (but largely, that's subconsciously intentional since I don't care much for cell phones anyways; both from an electro-magnetic interference standpoint as well as for matters relating to ostentatiousness).
The second was: 'well, we could see by her choice of drinking later that she wasn't acting responsibly or rationally anyway'. And this makes sense too. It combines the first explanation with the larger assumption that she is & has been 'off the wagon' with regards to drugs & or alcohol.
The third reason, pointed out initially I think by Mark Fuhrman, is entirely more nefarious. That she left it at home to avoid being tracked or traced suggests that it was not only an intentional decision but one that was done to either hide a later criminal act on her part, or at the very least a desire to later contact someone else discreetly & anonymously. This scenario in turn offers up four rationales.
Either :
A) she desired to herself get rid of Azriel, which has been suggested by some but I personally don't consider at all likely. For one, I don't think she was really capable of doing anything so sinister, despite past charges of neglect against her. The abuse charges & complaints remember, were filed primarily against former boyfriends, & as far as we know, not ever her exclusively. Secondly, she was a step or foster child herself at least two-times over so if she were having problems w/ him or just simply wanted to start fresh, why not just put him up for adoption or have another member of the family take him on. She might have even exhibited outbursts of anger at one or more individuals, including her son, but her otherwise 'loving nature' as its been described precludes I would think any sort of premeditated act against him.
B) she had asked someone else to meet her & help dispose of Azriel. This corresponds with the elopement scenario bandied about in the early stages of the investigation, where some thought she might have been meeting up with a 3rd individual to then go off & start a new life. But you still have to be an extremely disturbed person to attempt or contrive such a plan, & if for nothing else, her behavior towards her son immediately prior, in the convenience store videos, discredits such an assertion.
C) she had to call someone anonymously from a pay phone at some point on the trip down. Possible, yes, but why? Well basically, so that she could impart certain information to them without their refusing the call based on who it was coming from. Perhaps after an argument, RS wasn't returning her calls. Perhaps she had to communicate something important to him. It could be simply notification that she was upset & was taking Azriel & going down to spend time with members of her extended family. Perhaps a long time. Or it could be something else entirely. And /or to someone else. Nevertheless why would she leave her cell phone at home instead of take it with her when she could just as easily use a pay phone as well at any time she really had to?
D)she needed an excuse to be left alone. Perhaps RS, or someone else, had been trying to get a hold of her & she needed a good excuse to not answer him, or them. This is the only one of these four options that I consider to be 'sound'. But I suppose one should never underestimate the potential frailties of another human being.
E) Someone asked her to leave the phone at home. Someone, whom she had planned to meet, pressed her for the need for utmost secrecy, in this endeavor. In the desperate state that she may have been in (which will be explained shortly) she may have foolishly felt the need to oblige.


For whatever reason, once she leaves her phone at home, it'll necessarily limit the numbers available to her to call. Dramatically. Most people have all their #'s programmed into their phone these days. And nothing was said about her having a Blackberry or iPad or other such hand-held device. Very few actually carry an address book in their purse or back-pocket anymore. She would probably remember RS's # (hopefully). But beyond that she is pretty much limited to whoever she can remember from memory. This means she could call who? Well her Grandparents in Brinnon, her Grandmother in Castle Rock, her Step-father & maybe only one other person, JS perhaps.

Ah, but there is still one more reason for her to have originally left the cell phone unintentionally behind at their Island Lake home anyway. And that is, simply, she did not have either the time, nor the ability, to take it with her.

 

[trigger]

I agree. But if Shantina and Azriel were my own sister and nephew, I could not rest until I had left no stone unturned. I just could not.

Me either. Its strange that no ones helping him find her. Whats with the boys scouts, can't they help look for her esp in the very beginning??? When I went looking on google map there are bed and breakfast, hotels, rentals all along these islands. The houses for rent show the area of where she was parked on the beach. Im so surprised no one saw her car. This case is frustrating. I hope they find her now that its spring break and kids and parents are on vacation. Maybe someone will find her. Its to sad.

 

[Aion Essence]

A CHASE MEETING : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part III)

Perhaps someone either shows up or threatens to show up at their home just north of Silverdale. 'Why' & 'who' we will get into shortly, but for the moment here, humor me, because this is a possibility I think that we need to consider. Feeling harried, she leaves her phone behind at the last moment on the counter (or somewhere else) shortly after she was just using it. Perhaps the phone was even dropped or thrown somewhere as opposed to simply left behind. Or if they actually show up at her door, or as she & Azriel were packing into the car, it would be even more easy to leave it behind. A fairly quick getaway become necessary.
Someone close to the family, I forget who now, commented that she 'would have protected her son over anything'. RS's daughter too remarked that Shantina was even more like a mother to her than her 'real mom' was. Worried more than anything that the pursuer would somehow harm her son, Shantina decides to attempt to avoid any physical interaction whatsoever & takes off for Castle Rock at once. This could be also why she 'couldn't wait' for RS to get home from his camp training.

Before long, probably within a few short moments, perhaps she realizes she's left her cell phone inside the home. While initially this would seem to her to be a huge mistake, she swiftly puts a nice spin on it by stopping somewhere along the way to call RS from a pay-phone. Assuming the chase (or at least the silent pursuit) is on already at this point, she hopes that this will leave the follower (if she is in fact aware of them at this point) with the impression that she could be calling the cops, in other words 'to report them'. But that might only be perceived as a bluff anyway. Besides, if the cops do show up, there's nothing they can really do except ask the 'admirer' to lay off & tell them to go home. Big deal. She wouldn't even be able to file a restraining order until monday, should she choose to take that route. This obviously, as we shall see, did not deter them.

Unfortunately, always in the back of her mind, she thinks that if she can bluff them & keep herself appearing dignified & strong & resilient, that that too could convince them to lay off & give up the chase. This dynamic could even go on for quite awhile. In & out of convenience stores, very possibly more than even the ones that we know of. Perhaps having some sort of verbal exchange with the pursuer every now & then. Occasionally using a phone or at least looking for one. Most mini-markets in fact used to have pay phones. One could even usually find a working phone in gas stations, bus terminals & bars as well. You could pick up a phone, call or pretend to call someone you new & be just as prepared to dial 911 if you had to. But times have changed, &even in Washington where pay phones are still more frequently found than in many states, they are still a scarcity. Few & far between even.

Within the circumstances of the 'chase' & when it might have actually commenced, there is one other possibility to consider & that is sort of a melding of a couple of the above scenarios. That, she left the phone at home purposefully to avoid RS's inquiries and/or partially out of guilt, since she intended to rendezvous with this other person, very likely in Olympia, & only after that encounter took place did she realize she was to be hunted down.

There is one convenience store/gas station, after leaving Silverdale, that should definitely be checked out, if this has not already been done so, for it may well indicate where & when this thing developed. It is at a little fork in the road in a community known as Gorst. The road to the southeast becomes highway #16 & proceeds across the Tacoma Narrows bridge & into Tacoma (where it meets up with I-5 & the quickest way to Olympia). The road that shoots off to the southwest is highway #3, & though narrower & slower, it is the most likely route for them, considering both the length of time that elapses & their eventual entry into West Olympia. Either way, they would have had to go through this intersection, & it would be the most likely & promising place for Shantina to make a 'security stop' if she had to (there was a pay phone there as of a couple years ago), and also for cameras to spot the two of them, as well as the individual(s) following. There are a couple market/stations along the highway in the vicinity of Silverdale as well, or actually just south of there (& again several others in & around Shelton, if she took #3), but most of these would entail a short departure from the highway itself, not unlikely, but not as likely either.

There will be at least one stop further south & closer to, or within, the vicinity of Olympia itself that would have been made, if for no other reason than the one of timing. I don't care how slow somebody drives, it doesn't take nearly 3 hours to go from just north of Silverdale down into the state Capitol. According to the Williams' (10 pm), she initially got off the highway in Olympia to find a place for Azriel to go to the bathroom. If that is true, he certainly doesn't seem to engage in that activity at either of the two stores on video. Perhaps a bit later at the diner? But that's over an hour after the 1st mini-mart video. A child doesn't usually ask to go to the bathroom & then a bit later go shopping for beverages instead. One first, then the other, or one shortly following the other. And yes, this could have simply been an excuse for one to utter before a family of seemingly helpful strangers, to provide rationale for a series of events that you might otherwise have trouble explaining. But nevertheless, there was more than likely a 'stop' (if not an actual destination) made prior to their arrival on camera at the two convenience stores.

I'm also willing to bet that someone somewhere (perhaps quite a few people) might have noticed the one vehicle apparently chasing the other, especially if it had begun to transpire back in the area of Silverdale. At certain points it would have been hard to miss. However with the prevalence & indeed, commonality of Road Rage these days, i'm not sure people might even report it as they might have otherwise felt compelled to do even a few short years ago. And any potential for an after-the-fact recall of the incident by any one or more witnesses can pretty much be precluded since one rarely gets a good view of either driver in such cases. Also, there is an increasing possibility that the pursuit largely occurred primarily in & around Olympia.

At some point there is a very good chance however that there is a physical encounter between the two, perhaps even more than one. Remember the 'Mommy hit her head' comment by young Azriel at the diner? Yes, that could be simply a child covering for an alcohol or substance-abusing parent, & it also could be an actual statement based upon an actual event (i've hit my own head many times getting in & out of quite a few vehicles, especially when a bit frantic & in a hurry). But it could also be a child covering for a parent that's been on the recent receiving end of an abusive adult relationship and/or one who has seen a lot of first-hand abuse themselves. It's also possible that where a 4 or 5 year old had uttered the statement it might have been different. 'Some man hit my Mommy'. Whereas an 8 yr. old, especially one that's seen a lot, might have have said something less inflammatory, but the needing to comment on the condition still being there. However, more likely than merely an accident, or a blow to the head is that whomever Shantina interacted or met with, had not struck her, but merely pushed her. And thus, 'Mommy hit her head'.

 

[90Nine]

I think she knew the beach was there. Perhaps from growing up in the area (Castle Rock is 50 miles away), but it's not that far for having grown up somewhere. I think she spent time there earlier in the evening. I was thinking that perhaps she could have asked someone for directions earlier and they told her about the beach - but that person would likely have come forward and told police. Just a couple of theories. Or, that same person told her to come back if she got lost again...

It really seems to me that she was coming from the beach on the way to the Williams home: 1) The Mercantile store is directly on the path up from the beach and to the Williams 2) because she didn't have shoes on when she showed up at the Williams door.

Maybe she met someone near the beach while she was there earlier and went back to meet where she was talking to them and something happened.

But I do believe she was there earlier and that a 3rd party was involved.

 

[Aion Essence]

KAT & DOG : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part IV)

Initially I was quite perplexed as well by Shantina's almost aloof demeanor in the 2 convenience store videos we know of. Why was there no apparent fear or even noticeable dismay on her countenance? Most people might otherwise take such a sudden turn of events in absolute shock, if not outright horror. But remember, this is no Timid Tabatha here. Shantina has experienced quite the string of domineering &/or potentially abusive partners in her short life, perhaps starting in early family life. As the sister of her son's father mentioned, 'Shantina seems to have made her share of bad choices regarding men' (can't find the original quote just now, so i'm paraphrasing). The thing is, someone who is used to perhaps 'harsher men', usually is capable of holding their own, at least to some extent. There is often a lot of pride involved too. 'If you don't let a man get to you, then they can't & won't get you', (& bring you down).

But there are indeed indications of something very unorthodox going on. In the 1st video from the Handy Pantry, Shantina is seen almost pushing Azriel through the door. Scooping him in as one would do instinctively, protectively, of a smaller child. She does this again later as they leave the 2nd store. It's possible that this is partially done to simply 'move her child along' but I think it's at least subconscious to protect him as well. The look on Azriel's face too as they enter the 1st store is almost bewilderment, like 'what is going on here?'
Then after asking for directions (at the 1st store), she decides to buy the wine, almost as if it were an afterthought, perhaps Azriel had asked for something to drink & that triggered a like thought in her, 'say, something to drink might not be a bad idea right now'.
She had similarly turned to alcohol when she'd had to deal with abusive situations in the past & perhaps this occasion presented an unfortunate return to that life-predicament & so a return to her previous coping 'skills' would perhaps seem to suddenly present itself as the antidote. Or maybe she was just hoping now that the recent stress & ('nightmare') were over & the wine was in fact more of a celebration, a triumph (albeit one engaged in far too soon).

Then there's the matter of the 'hazard' lights on the car being turned on briefly just before she & Azriel enter the 2nd convenience store. Most have discounted it as a careless accident, & certainly that could make sense, but it appears just as likely that it was not entirely accidental either. And her behavior in the five minutes or so between the 2 stores (& the 2 videos) has changed considerably. She still seems aloof, but now she seems to be more fluid, & less 'taught'. She gestures animatedly when communicating with the clerk(s). So what has transpired in that time? It seems obvious that this would primarily be due to the 'cup' or so of wine that has been quickly imbibed. Others have pointed out how she seems to press heavily into the counter at the 2nd store as indicative of someone on alcohol. And I think they're right. So the flicking on of the hazards could easily be due to inebriation, & thus merely accidental in the larger sense of the word. But I think there's another component here as well.
As she leaves the store she strikes the curb on the east side of the tiny parking area with the front left tire of her car. She goes over it in fact. What would cause her to do this? Obviously the alcohol would be a motivating factor. And it could be indicative of someone who's a little out of sorts either in terms of their recent stress or with what they've been ingesting. However there's perhaps more of a 'trigger' here, if you will, in addition to the above. I think that just as she pulled up to this 2nd store, she noticed someone or something that could be a reminder of whomever she recently had an interaction with. Yes the hazards are flicked on, in part accidentally, but also prompted by the sudden appearance of a potential unwanted development, or at least one that could provide her with a quandary for sure. Then when they get back into the car & leave, she looks into her rear-view mirror & she sees that 'sure enough it's them again', & while doing so, goes over the curb. Or it could be she's just very 'fumbly' at this point, but personally i'm more than convinced that at this point someone is following. Or, conversely, she was to be led.

The Martin Way Diner incident that follows, is at the crux, or should be, of this entire adventure, at least in a behavioral sense. It is an indication of something being very wrong with this whole evening. It is also oddly, the literal geographic center of the entire sequence of events.
Four blocks to the southeast is the on-ramp for I-5 & while not necessarily an easy escape (she/they would have still had to deal with a reckless pursuer, potentially even all the way to Castle-Rock), it at least offered the promise of an escape. So why not a quick jump on the freeway? Was she really that confused & misdirected? No, I no longer believe she was; perhaps slightly, but not considerably. I think she was strongly torn however between three erstwhile flight/fright tendencies. On the one hand she felt the need to stay close to people, for in the proximity of both other human beings as well as the city lights of Olympia she felt there was safety, & in a sense there was, for awhile. But in another regard, perhaps she felt eventually she should just get away, for the ultimate safety of her son, as well as for her own self. Third possibility is that something compelled her to stay, but what could that be?

So the diner escapade would seem to be a microcosm perhaps of these conflicting feelings at work.
Likewise, the entry into the diner could have been prompted not just by hunger, but perhaps by the appearance of refuge. Bright lights, close proximity to other humans (who are not pursuing you) & potentially a phone to use as well if they had to.

Hence the 'corndog' incident. Initially, as I mentioned, this struck me as telltale of someone who suddenly felt compelled to evade someone or something. Why else would anyone walk into a diner, order a corndog & tater tots for her & her son, pay for them, & then hurriedly leave before receiving their order? In my effort to explain this incident previously (still wrongly operating under the premise of fear-of-arrest), I'd considered that a need to evade a police officer as reason enough. And that's where I erred, completely. Unless you had a tractor-trailer loaded with drugs, or an A.P.B. out on you, I don't think that would be explanation enough, no matter how drunk or stoned you were, & that might only call attention to yourself.
No instead, it should be pretty apparent that one of 4 things took place:
A) She was simply feeling ill as some have suggested. And if one is not feeling 'their best' then a jaunt inside a greasy diner with all of its expectant odors & atmosphere could indeed induce a fairly rapid exit to the restroom or more plausibly, outside & to fresh air. The recent intake of wine (yes, I think that's obvious), possibly on an empty stomach would not have helped this matter much. (What might have precipitated the illness though i'll mention shortly). However, this explanation, while still possible, doesn't explain why she didn't just have Azriel run back in to pick up their order, if for nothing else, he at least must have been hungry. So this reason alone I don't think is good enough.
B) She may have either seen her pursuer seemingly drive off (perhaps they simply were just turning their car around) & she felt that this was her big chance to get her & her son to safety. So a quick run to the car, never-mind the cheap diner food anyway. Only unfortunately, in her hurry she stumbles, & once in the car she discovers that the pursuer hadn't really completely left anyway, perhaps they were merely down the street, or around the corner, waiting.
C) Or worse, they, her pursuer(s), had walked into the diner as well, & sat down across the room. And she either sees them walk in or happens to look up & suddenly notices them. If either of these last 2 scenarios are correct then it would mean that by this point, she would have had to endure roughly an hour's worth of wanted attention from this individual (or individuals) & would have been more than compelled by this point to just get away. It was just past 8:00 pm when she & her son left the 2nd convenience store & it was just before 9:00 pm when they entered the diner. These two businesses however are only about 3 miles apart. It doesn't take anyone nearly an hour to traverse 50 some city blocks even in the worst city traffic there. I've been to Olympia on a number of occasions, & even on a Saturday night, it is hardly a bustling metropolis. So why the delay? Obviously it should appear to everyone by now that someone or something was impeding them, but who?
D) She didn't flee from but instead ran to someone or something. Someone was going to 'help' her out in some way & she had to rush out (along with Azriel) to follow them.

 

[90Nine]

Also - maybe when she did call RS she did tell him what exit she was at (not on purpose, just came out)...she saw him when she was getting the corn dog and left immediately.

 

[Aion Essence]

A ROAD TO NOWHERE : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part V)

It is a little after 9:00 roughly when they leave the diner. It is another hour before they wind up at the Williams' place. What happened then, before & after the Williams' ? Again, the two locations are not that far apart (only slightly more than 3 miles) & it certainly shouldn't take a whole hour to get from one to the other. One could walk there in fact in that time quite easily, child in tow even. So?
Obviously, the chase continues in some form (or she's sleeping her drink off while parked under a tree somewhere as others have suggested, but which, due to the other mounting evidence, isn't very likely). No the pursuer(s) has to make sure that she is prevented from continuing on her journey. At all costs. And from this they will not deviate. For now, they are chasing her, blocking her, chasing her etc., eventually they will silence her.

But she finds the Williams' house. Their home as it happens, sits only about a couple football fields from a decent-sized church. Gulf Harbor Lutheran Church is very nearly across the street from them actually. Not a lot else around there except for a few stray houses & an auto wreckage/parts place. If she was feeling extremely threatened by this time (as i'm sure she was) she would have looked for sanctuary perhaps in a church. But at that time, on a Saturday night it would have been closed. If anyone was in there, they did not hear her. Or like the Grimmer's later would do, they simply ignored her. So she had to take her chances & went across the street & knocked on the Williams'. They provided a phone call or two, a slice of pizza, & a brief respite.

Certainly by this time, she would have realized the extent of her & her son's predicament. And yet she still chooses to not involve the police in this. Why not? What could possibly prompt such seemingly irrational stubborness. She has no warrants that we know of. Even by the Williams' report she did not appear inebriated so she can't possibly be worried about a DUI at this point, if she ever did. So what then?
No, she can't call either her fiance or the police at all. For if she does, they will find something out about her that she does not want anyone as yet to know about. Unfortunately this decision will end up costing the lives of both her & her young son. A decision of course that she would make very differently now if she could i'm sure. However, there is one element here that also contributes to her mode of thinking greatly. She sincerely (but wrongly) trusts that her pursuer(s) will ultimately come to his senses & do the right thing. Wouldn't he? She miscalculates utterly the potential cruelty of her pursuer & with tragic consequences.

Either way, after the Williams' perhaps she is boxed in once more, literally or figuratively. Short & long pauses perhaps between vain dashes for freedom. I'm truly surprised her car doesn't show more evidence of scratches & dents, in this scenario. But it's not her car, & RS would be very curious as to what caused any damage. And she can't afford to let that information slip out, it would not only break his heart but also probably end their engagement. Likewise there are large amounts of apparent silence in all of this. She strangely persists in preventing a loud disturbance, thus no honking or shouting or screaming or even accomplished cursing. Ironically her pursuer(s) desires this as well. They don't want to cause a scene for much the same reason. Slowly, however she becomes more & more cornered in & ever closer to the water.

 

[Aion Essence]

A NEW MAN : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part VI)

Shantina apparently, within the weeks previous, had been ramping everything up following the announcement of her & R.S.'s engagement. She seemed resolute in proving herself both a good wife & mother, as well as a capable breadwinner, preparing for her re-entry back into the workplace. She also appeared quite determined to re-establish, or establish firstly in some cases, good bonds & relations (at long last) with members of her past. She was contacting all manner of ex-es. Former partners, step-parents & family members, & formerly close friends too. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone who had ever been an important part of her life was being contacted & an effort made to smooth over ruffled feathers & even forgive past transgressions. A new life, replete with a good firmament was to perhaps quite desired.

But then there was the new matter of R.S.'s condition. A 'urological' one according to Azriel's birth father, shortly after he had been informed by RS about it. An interesting characterization, for a urological condition can mean quite a few things. RS states that he was worried it might be cancerous. But as yet, this had not even been diagnosed as such by a physician, so why the panic & worry on Shantina's part? She didn't seem to be the Nervous Nelly type, so why would this, on its own, lend itself to a relapse into past poor behavior including alcohol & perhaps drugs as well. It shouldn't. Something IS missing in the story here.

As I mentioned a couple days ago, a significant other would seem far less likely to turn to drink or drugs in the advent of bad health news on the part of her partner. That would be highly selfish don't you think? No, the recipient of the bad news themselves would be the ones driven to drink or drugs, or some other form of escape. The partner of said recipient would instead be far more likely to reach out to & try to help that person, to 'be there for them' if you will.

And then R.S. mentions the bleeding. She was, according to him, even more upset by the sudden appearance of blood. Urological blood. But i'd be willing to bet it wasn't any blood of his that was upsetting her, it was her own blood (or lack of) that had had her so worried. He somewhat inadvertently combined the two stories. But we should be grateful he did because it displays before all, one of the bigger clues, even if he didn't fully understand or comprehend it at the time.

Bleeding, from that area, can mean many things. In men, it can mean evidence of internal damage to the testes or the prostate for sure. Not necessarily a cancer, but that would fall within the field of possibility. It could also be indicative of merely a temporary disorder like a simple hernia. Actually, the loss of blood through the urethra can be due to damage virtually anywhere in practically any internal organ in the body in either sex. In & of itself, it would not necessarily be 'urological' (a term often erroneously, but liberally, used as a male counterpart to the female term 'gynecological'). For a woman this holds true as well, but more than anything else, in a young female, sexually active or not, it usually is simply an indicator of a regular menstruation. However, I believe it was actually a noticeable absence of this sort of monthly discharge that concerned her greatly. But why?

On the face of it, if she were indeed pregnant, an additional member of the family could & probably would simply cement their already significant relationship. Sure there might be new financial or logistical/spatial worries, but nothing that couldn't eventually be overcome. And the new joy that a new life would bring should prove more than rewarding. Perhaps greatly so.
Ah, but R.S. did have a 'urological' problem, did he not? He was certainly conscious of one. And I doubt it was one that might lend itself to a pregnancy so easily. In fact, I would be inclined to think that a 'problem' such as he may actually have, or have had, would easily remove any such possibility. Why? Because it would naturally most likely contain a 'mechanical' element. And yet Shantina realizes she may well be pregnant. She also of course realizes immediately that there is no way R.S. could be the father.

 

[Aion Essence]

ENCOUNTERS IN THE NIGHT: ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part VIII)

So who else? As suggested it possibly could have occurred almost as an afterthought. With someone who was similarly 'not getting any', either at all, or in their primary relationship. Yet someone who otherwise had a stable, strong relationship as well, & whom also could be trusted to keep silent so as to not jeopardize either of their main relationships. And it almost certainly did happen by chance. As covered above, she seemed to have been in the process of reacquainting herself with significant people in her past & attempting to heal over any perceived sores. So it then it could have well happened as the unplanned result of one of these 'make-ups'.

She could have been at the house of an old friend. Perhaps not even a male friend, but possibly an old girlfriend. Ah, but girlfriend's themselves don't get one pregnant, even very 'special' ones, do they? Yet it could be that while waiting for an old girlfriend she took up conversation with the husband, they in turn shortly discovered their mutual predicament & perhaps even attraction. Not impossible. Perhaps even plausible if the husband announced that he too had currently been experiencing a lack of 'satisfaction' as well. And more 'conceivable' for instance if his wife or girlfriend was pregnant or had just given birth. A long 'dry run' for some men.

There is actually at least one such couple who fits this description and so falls within the realm of possibility. There are actually many such couples, in northern Cowlitz county alone (remember winters are often long & wet out there) but one couple definitely does stand out. The woman is a former 'best-friend' who indeed had a special relationship with Shantina many years ago, & so would fall into the category of 'important people' who Shantina would likely re-approach, if for no other reason than to possibly help with the wedding itself. But I suspect she felt she 'needed' to on another level as well.
Her husband is a big-guy, a very big-guy. Let's call him 'Joe Sixpack' or 'big fella', just for fun shall we? Unlike RS or JS, this guy is truly imposing. I don't want to get into what he does for a living, since I think that would be too much information at this point, but he works outside (again not uncommon in this area), & I think that it's quite fitting that he does. He's perfect for it actually, & it takes a certain kind of person to do what he does. You have to be tough, very tough. And you have to be ready to accept a certain amount of danger. But according to one source (*admittedly not the best) he is also a former soldier. So this, to go with his already adept rugged dominance supplies him with that capacity.
But what would someone like him see in Tina? Perhaps nothing at all. Perhaps only the proximity of place & time & the convenience of circumstance that presented itself. Well, along with the matter of the potentially overflowing hormones, that is.
The thing that really intrigued me about this couple though was that one day in the past week or so, I noticed that Shantina had 'lost' two friends on one of her social media sites. I wasn't imagining this. One of the suddenly 'removed' friends it would appear was the one female former best-friend. (That could imply as well, that the other missing social media 'friend' would be this woman's husband, but I don't know that for sure; I had only cursorily noticed the figure earlier this week & hadn't bothered to look at who each of Shantina's friends were.)
Now who would delete a missing person as a 'friend' before it was even proved that she was dead? Maybe somebody who had read & believed some of the more scurrilous media reports that suggested that Shantina, in an alcoholic stupor, had either killed her son deliberately or else wantonly allowed it to happen through her own selfish consumptions. Given this line of thinking perhaps an old friend , no matter how close, wouldn't want to be seen associating with somebody who could 'do something like that', body or no body.
So, why else would one delete a former friend, especially since only a week had gone by & this one hadn't been found yet? Other friends of Shantina's were posting her picture in place of their own, demonstratively showing to all their concern, & even issuing updates & beseeches to either help keep a lookout or simply to pray.
But it is strange for someone who had otherwise described, more than once, how anguished she was at the tragedy, on the very same site, to presumably then, go & drop her friend. On another post this woman obviously comments on Shantina in the past tense as well, although that again could be simply assumptive. But does she know, or suspect, something that others as yet don't?
Of course, another reason to drop somebody as a 'friend' in such a situation would be if one discovered or suspected that their 'friend' had done something that was indeed very hurtful or upsetting to them. A very good reason.

For what it's worth, the husband, the 'big fella', does indeed have several priors on him, dating back to his late teens in southern King county. Other than that he seems to be quite the family guy, or at least tries to be. In addition to the older children, it should be noted that his wife is yes, 'expecting'. In the 3rd trimester actually, already.
But assuming the worst here, for this seemingly happily married couple, what could possibly be the motive? Sure, news of such a tryst could conceivably undermine his marriage if not actually cause a dissolution, but would that drive him to kill? Maybe if he was angry enough at her. Perhaps she had led him to believe that she was indeed 'on protection', so that this very sort of thing wouldn't happen. But would Shantina even 'blab' about it, or threaten to, in the 1st place? Highly doubtful. That would effectively destroy her own upcoming marriage. And, either way, it would seem most likely that Shantina would not have wanted ultimately to carry through the child. Would she? Why then for such intense concern on his part (presuming again, his involvement in the 1st place). Was she asking him to provide $ for the abortion? Possible, especially if she had hopes of still keeping this all a secret from RS. And she wasn't working at her new job yet so may not have any real income to speak of. In that situation, RS would have to come up with the $, & i'm sure he would want to know what she needed about a half-grand for. So was she hitting the 'big fella' up for the $? Possibly. He may have had a little more cash at his disposal than she, since both he & his wife are technically employed, but his wife's line of work requires a heck of a lot of moving & standing, so with her about to drop another baby, she wouldn't have many days left at her job, assuming she's still running shifts even at this time. And i'm sure she would also wonder where the $500 (or so) payout was going. However, I would think chalking it all up to a 'bad gambling loss' would be a much more satisfactory way of dealing with things, at least as far as explaining it to the wife, than taking it out on the person (& her son) that helped get you into this mess. But maybe i'm just overestimating 'big fella' & maybe he “don't” think like that. But what if he hadn't had that much work lately? Times are tough all over, especially for his industry, & although it was a mild winter there I hear, it would have still been considered the off-season. So would he have had to ask the wife for the $ as well? This would clearly complicate things for both of them.

[One other addition here though, & it's significance can be interpreted in a couple different ways; remember how I mentioned that 'big fella' was a family man? Well, on the same social media site that his wife uses, he made a bunch of posts in the days & weeks preceding the disappearance, all of the same general nature: farmville, poker & other app games. Then nothing for a couple days before her disappearance, & nothing for 3 ½ days after 'The Event'. And then he posts a whole bunch of family tree information, one right after the other, all at one time. He has been silent ever since.]

 

[Aion Essence]

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part IX)

There are still a couple of other major (& hypothetical) scenarios that may not have been discussed yet. I of course am still going with the ASSUMPTION of a pregnancy because without that one variable, this case is absolutely wide-open & doesn't make much sense whatsoever. It would come down simply to:
1)an insane murder-suicide (which I think can otherwise be ruled out by now);
2)a foolish intoxication & senseless drowning through 'misadventure';
3)an enraged & possibly psychotic spurned ex-lover;
4)or, an even more bizarre attack brought on by either a complete stranger(s) or an as yet still unknown character(s).

And even though i'd originally championed #1 here as the most likely probability, now of course I clearly presume there was an obvious perpetrator involved, & in my opinion a pursuer that night who knew her.

Within the 'pregnancy' ASSUMPTION category alone, there a couple of other potential suspects out there on the horizon.

When 1st contemplating what could possibly compel a person who was being chased to not utter even a whimper or call the police, one immediately has to consider potentially the obvious, even if one doesn't really want to. And I think there are at least two possibilities that must be raised here (aside from that mentioned above, the one of silent complicity, i.e. 2 people having to keep a 'secret' a secret). The first one should be fairly apparent. If the pursuer were actually a member of the police force themselves, that could complicate things, no?

Within the larger group of possible former friends or associates of Ms. Kanally, there are at least a couple of individuals who would fit the wider description of being involved with law enforcement. But as far as I can tell they are either military police or corrections officers, which I think if it came down to it, wouldn't necessarily prevent Shantina from making a most desperate call if she needed to. Worth looking into but not necessarily the greatest motivation toward forcing herself to silence, unless there are a couple of contributing factors as well. Nonetheless I would hope L.E. has checked out that possibility.

The 2nd possibility here is one that might be even a little harder for some to accept; & that is that a person (or persons) of the cloth are responsible (or at least involved).
As we have seen already, supposedly the reason Shantina stopped into the Williams' in the 1st place is that they had a little cross on their lawn. At least that's what they told the press. And it's a very interesting statement. If this is true then it would seem to suggest a certain amount of inherent trust on Shantina's part toward the people of the faith.
Would this trust hold though for her if a member of the clergy were after her, for instance ?

But why would some member of the priesthood be in 'pursuit' of Shantina? Well, clergy are men & women too. I don't think I need to even go into some of the more repugnant items in the press recently that members of the Church have had thrown at them, in many cases with good cause i'm sure. Nevertheless, priests & pastors are people too. I knew one fellow in my college days, who after leading a life for a few years of nearly extreme promiscuity stunned all of his friends a couple years later by joining the priesthood. He took an initial vow of celibacy, followed that a couple years later with marriage, & a couple years after that, the word on the street again was that he was 'tending to his flock', or at least the women thereof. Need I say more.

Within the larger circle of Shantina's friends there is one chap who potentially fits this profile very well. A former classmate of hers, he too had recently been making a fuss about trying to reconnect with all his old school chums. And whereas Shantina was trying to start this good new life of hers, & then demonstrate to her old friends how well she was doing again, this fellow (let's call him 'Bob Religious', or 'the devout'), after a long period away from the area, has recently 'returned' in a more literal sense.

Now assuming a lot for a minute, let's nevertheless play around & suggest that he & Shantina did chat it up online. It would be somewhat likely in fact, actually. There is no evidence of them ever being 'social media' friends, but he could easily have dropped her as a 'friend' (like we've seen others do) in the early days after the disappearance, without anyone even noticing. They do have quite a few mutual friends though as it turns out, so this could well be more than conceivable (there's that word again). Lets say they decide to meet up somewhere, either casually, the next time they happen to be within proximity to the other, or more purposefully, by specific arrangement. Olympia in fact, could make a wonderful meeting point. If nothing else, geographically speaking it's in between them (although closer to her). And no he doesn't live in Castle Rock either, like so many of their other classmates still seem to. He does live over the hills a bit, but it's really only about a 3 hour journey for him, & he may well occasionally have business there. In fact, there seem to be more than a few connections between either himself or his church group to both the Olympia & Seattle areas, aside from their mutual Castle Rock connection. Oh, did I mention he was the the head of his own church? Yes, he has his own brand new congregation in fact, not bad for someone who is roughly Shantina's age. But what in God's name would she see in someone like him? Maybe one or both of them had a crush on the other, perhaps years & years ago. Or again, maybe nothing more than what she might see in any big guy, but for hormones, circumstance & safety. 'The devout' is pretty safe in that regard. He probably wouldn't go mouthing off anytime soon. In addition to him being top dom at his own church, he is also a proud new father. His wife gave birth just a couple weeks ago.

Granted, this is not your most expected case profile by any means, I agree. It's one that would have to be understandably unique to this case. Someone like 'the devout' would probably consider someone like Shantina to be actually downright sinful, especially if a conjugal act was committed. Maybe he can save his former classmate & turn her toward the light? But after a couple glasses of wine perhaps he turns around his own priorities instead. He wouldn't think well of her after that, especially when she doesn't seem to suddenly rejoice like he'd hoped & take up his new conviction. Or does she? Even if there had been new faith talk at her house, it would have been substantially dampened by her own new internal discovery of another sort. And that brings up a certainly sticky subject for a devout & earnest young fellow like him.

In the scenarios put forth above, a 'motive' then in this case all comes down to a necessity to silence the victim to prevent 'word' from getting out. However in this last variable, there is another component at play as well. Not only would a deeply religious man like himself feel threatened at the prospect of losing both his new family and his new job (his church!), but he would also end up in a very deep corner spiritually speaking as well. And that to him may mean everything.

But maybe i'm giving this chap too much lead credit. There have been others who've become brethren of the faith for more somewhat more desperate, & sometimes even insidious reasons. And no there are probably not many of these people, but they are out there. Individuals who have been torn between the perceived conflict of light & dark within themselves & so have initially entered into the fold in order to seek solace. While doing so they then ascertain that they too have the ability to guide & advise others, at least in their understanding. They then move their way up in the ranks, but unfortunately some of the 'darker' feelings are still there. We have seen this time & again over the years with some of the more Tele-evangelists types. Self-promotionalists with the occasional penchant for debacchery, ostensibly to test themselves, their faith, & perhaps their God as well.

Abortion is the 'sticky subject' I referred to above. Shantina I doubt, as I mentioned in a previous scenario, would have desired to carry an unwanted pregnancy through. She certainly might keep it if it were her fiance's contribution, but some guy she didn't really have feelings for? Doubtful. And besides he was married. What would he do, leave his wife? Again very doubtful, that would almost certainly break up his congregation. And suggesting Shantina would even be willing to start over again somewhere with him in the first place would indeed be going too far. So what was he going to do? Would he turn the cheek & look the other way while she received an abortion? I suppose that wouldn't be the first time that that had happened to a member of the cloth. But it would certainly be out of the ordinary. And would greatly lead him to question his own spiritual core. And perhaps he didn't have the $ either to help her out anyway. Thus a desperate man in a very, very desperate situation.

The one thing about following this particular lead through to it's unfortunate conclusion though, is that it's much different than the previous exaggeratedly hostile themes. In this scenario, conveniently, there may not have had to be any noisy car chases (which would have most likely resulted in damage inevitably to either car frame). There wouldn't have had to be any angry exchanges in public which would have been most likely later recalled by passersby. It would have been sordid nonetheless, but only on the dirty underbelly, & Shantina may have only felt a little creeped out as opposed to completely terrorized.

There could simply have been a series of intense, perhaps even back & forth, emotional duels, a battle of the wills, if you will. It's still a pursuit, no question about it, but it probably didn't start off like one, & Shantina may not have even realized it was going to be a trap until it was too late.
They could have even met in a coffee house. No, not a Starbucks, or the more old fashioned, independent type that can still be found in Olympia, but one where 'the devout' could, for his own selfish purposes, show off his faith. I'm willing to bet in fact there would be more than one Christian-themed coffee 'klatch' type meeting room available around 6 pm on a Saturday.

Early on in the dispute, mostly likely long before they even got to Olympia, in the hours & days preceding perhaps, she would have been requesting his help with the abortion. She had to get it.
He on the other hand, would simply be looking for a way out of his own mess. In order to do so he would have to push & pull at the same time. Giving excuses, pestering her to change her mind, telling her he has a plan, trying to make one deal after the other with her. She might not have wanted to leave Olympia without a promise by him that he would help her get rid of the fetus. To her, adoption wasn't an option, since it meant she would have to carry through the baby, & RS wasn't going to buy into that. Very hurt, RS would inevitably leave her. Or at least that's what she has to assume.
For him adoption however, had pretty much become the only option. He probably worked that out in his frazzled brain on the drive down to the capitol. And he couldn't see himself leaving Olympia without taking care of this matter either. Following her continued intransigence on the matter, he was probably unexpectedly forced to come up with a very different plan that contained a very sinister element, but a necessary& inevitable turn perhaps in his mind.
This next will sound very bizarre, but he finally would have likely said something along the lines of, ' i'll agree to support you if you agree to let me baptize you & your child'. He gave the excuse of needing to purify them. It could have, of course been done or said slightly differently, but this is the most probable way of explaining the end events.

This fellow, 'the devout' would have been the among new breed of young religious brethren. Computer literate & technologically savvy, but old-fashioned, at least in letter, morally (as convoluted however as one might care to interpret them).

At around 7:00 on Saturday evening, the 13th of March, 'the devout' opened up his laptop & entered a very cryptic message onto a certain 'social media' site. It's the very last one in fact that he's made (& he made very few prior to that). He wrote how excited he was. How he had just gotten a young family to accept Christ into their lives and in a few short hours he would baptize them.

Shantina may not have ever realized for certain what kind of predicament she was in until it was far too late.

 

[SMK]

I think she knew the beach was there. Perhaps from growing up in the area (Castle Rock is 50 miles away), but it's not that far for having grown up somewhere. I think she spent time there earlier in the evening. I was thinking that perhaps she could have asked someone for directions earlier and they told her about the beach - but that person would likely have come forward and told police. Just a couple of theories. Or, that same person told her to come back if she got lost again...

It really seems to me that she was coming from the beach on the way to the Williams home: 1) The Mercantile store is directly on the path up from the beach and to the Williams 2) because she didn't have shoes on when she showed up at the Williams door.

Maybe she met someone near the beach while she was there earlier and went back to meet where she was talking to them and something happened.

But I do believe she was there earlier and that a 3rd party was involved.

I am with you on that !

 

[Aion Essence]

IF THE SHOE FITS : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part X)


There's an old song with the lyric: “a girl in trouble is a temporary thing”
There's a slightly older song that goes: “i looked around & couldn't find an exit, so i'm making you into a door”


Getting back to our case,
The subsequent theme of her going in & out of mini-marts ostensibly seeking directions could then simply be a cover, to act-out the lie that she would have to tell her family that she'd simply gotten lost, periodically calling them every now & then, or trying to.
The Martin Way Diner incident can now be seen in a slightly different light. Now it might be considered perhaps that she was indeed running to something as opposed to the 'from' investigated earlier. He may well have asked her to follow him somewhere in the car. Their order wasn't ready yet (remember this is a diner, not Jack-in-the-Box or McDonald's), but he may have been motioning for her to move-it-along nevertheless. She, in a hurry & also quite nervous about what was to proceed (possibly low blood sugar by this point), stumbles & falls some before she gets to the car (there is always the chance that she was drugged to, but the combination of alcohol & little to eat should be enough).
How they pass the hours from that point, we don't know. A walk along the harbor? A visit to Priest Park? Maybe a tour of the churches? There are a lot to choose from in little Olympia. She may well be trying to back out of it by now. I wouldn't be surprised if her “woman's intuition” told her something is not quite right with this guy. At some point she may even decide 'to heck with it'. He may have to threaten her, not so much with bodily force as much as emotional pressure. But a veiled threat to the safety of her son is not outside the realm of possibility either. The Williams' house could also be seen within this context. She has to use a phone again to let her family not worry. He can't let her use his because that would give him away. He points out the Williams' house. It has a cross in the lawn.
At some point, either in one car or two, they arrive on the beach. Perhaps he chased her there. Maybe he simply led.
Azriel too might not have realized things were so terribly wrong until it was too late. But finally sensing something was indeed very wrong, he perhaps did what he could to try & help.
I still think it was him that frantically knocked on the Grimmer's door late that night. As I explained in last week's submissions, the Grimmer's reported a knock on their door at around 1:00 am. But they/we are unclear as to whether it was the new time (& hence midnight) or the old time (technically 1:00 am, since the clock doesn't jump forward until 2:00 & then from 2:00 to 3:00). My guess is that they set their clocks before going to bed & so it is the new time figure that is cited. This means that it was around midnight (old time), most likely just after, when they heard the knocks. If the Grimmer's had actually answered their door instead of cowardly hiding, they probably could have saved the life of at least one soul.
But if the perpetrator is indeed 'Brother' why would he 'bother' to wait until midnight? Superstition? On the face of it, that's not very Christian. But 13 is indeed considered by some quite the unlucky number. Even 'fatal' or 'evil' according to the coarse 'theology' that some more 'old fashioned' groups might follow. More possibly it was his own attempt to give a sick rationale to what he was about to do. He would 'save' them by not 'damning' them to their deaths on the 13th. He would also be 'saving' them on a Sunday, the Lord's day.

It was also the 'new moon', very dark down there on what passes for a beach. Hard to see what one is doing in fact. Initially I was assuming a wider struggle & chase had happened, that somehow, either Azriel or his mother managed to get the one shoe off of the perpetrator, after they had gotten out of the car & were perhaps already in the water. Not unlikely, but they'd have to be very quick thinking & I hate to say this, because they were obviously so very unlucky that night, but they would have had to have been at least a little lucky to get the shoe off of a bigger guy such as this, whoever it might be. But there is also, assuming 'the devout's' involvement, a far easier explanation. When a baptism is performed, the parties involved first take off each of their shoes.
And like I mentioned, it was quite dark on that little sliver of beach. No moon that night, & no lights from the street lamps illuminating them either. A shoe, especially if a child had thrown it off somewhere, would be easily lost.
For whatever reason, the perpetrator, 'luckily', was not able to find his shoe.
And that may well be one of the more significant factors in identifying the murderer. The shoe tells us a lot. Who would, & just as importantly, who wouldn't, wear that type of shoe? Also, one male figure would have come home early Sunday morning without a shoe, or if he was smart, either shoe (It's much easier to try to explain the loss of both shoes as opposed to simply one shoe; such as, 'oh my feet were aching so I took my shoes off & when I turned around, some little kid had stolen them').

So whose shoe is it?
I know I have my own emboldened & hardened assumption (based on personality types, etc.)

[However, if we have to revert to the old understanding that the 13-size mentioned by the authorities was indeed meant to convey a child's size, the 9-size (adult) would understandably follow of course to belong to Shantina. This wouldn't necessarily force the dismissal of the elements highlighted above, it would just make the identification of the perpetrator perhaps a bit more difficult.]

One other thing that needs to be addressed here, is that of the open doors on the car. A lot has been made about their possible significance. Initially I saw the fact that since it was the left-side sliding door & the rear hatch that were left open, it could be simply that those were the exit points of escape, assuming a soporific, high-tide 'accident' (as mentioned last week). Then, once I was pretty sure foul-play had been involved, the open doors, where they were, could explain entry points for a perpetrator. (i.e., the child may have been hiding in the back of the car & he or they had to get them out). But in the latest scenario it would simply & obviously be an after-the-fact. The perpetrator would necessarily have to find & recover any articles that might incriminate themselves; any handwritten notes, a phone, & certainly any another messaging unit, as well. He couldn't be sure how high the water would come up. But why then leave the doors open? Simply that he probably had closed one of the two front doors, realized it made an unnecessarily loud noise when he did, & decided not to risk slamming either of the other doors, lest they cause a local homeowner to turn on their porchlights & possibly get a glimpse of him. As for any missing articles that have not yet been found, they may well be lost at sea. But just as possibly at least one could have been saved as a souvenir (a purse? a handbag?). For a religious man like he, it would allow him to share reverence & ask continual forgiveness. And he will still have possession of that. Without it, in fact, he may well be simply damned.

This brings up another potentially horrendous aspect to this case. What if Shantina were not the first to 'go downstream' in this manner (assuming Azriel was simply an unfortunate witness to the intended crime). The cover of the clergy evokes a powerful trust in many, including young women who might be at a spiritual crossroads perhaps in their reproductive beliefs. Wouldn't you have faith in a man of the cloth? You would expect him to ultimately care enough to do the right thing would you not? Even in this day & age, many would still place more inherent trust in a minister than a policeman or a doctor. I should point out however, that in the recent months, there have been other cases in Washington where women have disappeared or been found murdered next to water, their cars found abandoned. I wonder if the pretext initially given to these women might not have been quite similar?

So admittedly what is outlined above are ASSUMPTIONS based on more ASSUMPTIONS, & there sure a whole heck of a lot of them ! (hah), but still perhaps worth checking out?
And yes there are many unanswered questions. (esp., does the abusive ex-boyfriend fit at all into the case anywhere?)
Just trying to help out a bit here by offering up lines of inquiry.
[ And once again, THANK YOU all for bothering to read through this voluminous bit of theories. I know it's a lot & I promise to reciprocate likewise ^ _ ^
(& apologies if i've only re-stated the tired & obvious). Thanks ! ]

 

[Jani]

OK, here is an idea, that may sound off the wall, but just something to throw out there, and to keep in mind: I recall several years ago watching a true crime story on A & E. It was about a woman and her two teen-aged daughters, in the 1990s, who took a car trip from Ohio to Florida for fun, while the Dad stayed home and tended the farm. He phoned them each night in their Florida motel, only one night they stopped answering. The motel manager became concerned, because they were gone, but all their luggage and belongings were still in the room. In the end, it turned out some older man, very nice seeming gentleman who owned a home and a boat, had chatted with them one afternoon when they were lost and asked for directions, and invited them to come see his boat. Well, he drowned all 3 of them, 3 grown women. Now, this stuff happens. Who is to say it could not happen to Shantina: Young, pretty, impaired, lost, alone with a small child, late at night, in a deserted area? Does anyone see why I told this story?

I remember that story. A casual, brief encounter with a stranger and they lost their lives for no apparent motive. There are sick individuals out there and these things DO happen.

 

[SMK]

~Respectfully snipped by Salem~

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE : ALL THAT IS BELOW IS MERELY A THEORY !
(New Profiles, part IX)

There are still a couple of other major (& hypothetical) scenarios that may not have been discussed yet. I of course am still going with the ASSUMPTION of a pregnancy because without that one variable, this case is absolutely wide-open & doesn't make much sense whatsoever. It would come down simply to:
1)an insane murder-suicide (which I think can otherwise be ruled out by now);
2)a foolish intoxication & senseless drowning through 'misadventure';
3)an enraged & possibly psychotic spurned ex-lover;
4)or, an even more bizarre attack brought on by either a complete stranger(s) or an as yet still unknown character(s).

You are quite a good writer, and this was a fascinating read!

 

[Jules71]

Also - maybe when she did call RS she did tell him what exit she was at (not on purpose, just came out)...she saw him when she was getting the corn dog and left immediately.

Good thought. This is from RS's website (and he mentions 9:00 PM which is when Shantina and Az were at the diner):

We started to get worried about 9:00pm, I began to check in with the WSP about accidents. Her step father and I drove around the area to see if we could spot her.

My question is which area did they drive around? Around Castle Rock? Or around Olympia?

 

[90Nine]

another theory:

she did meet someone while driving around in that area earlier. she had already been drinking and they talked, they told her to go grab a bottle of wine and come back down there. she being social and emotional from all that was going on, open to talking is what i mean, she went back down there. maybe parked her car somewhere else and walked and talked with this person and had wine.

she left, maybe felt guilty, not sure...went to go get back on the freeway...stopped at the mercantile for directions, not open, stopped at the williams, got directions, made the phone call...after talking to the family she felt better and decided to go back to the beach and drive down instead.

 

[Aion Essence]

because she didn't have shoes on when she showed up at the Williams door.

Is This True ?

... might it be a practice run then ?

(sorry i'm lousy at this quote thing .. better go read up on the FAQs!)

 

[SMK]

I remember that story. A casual, brief encounter with a stranger and they lost their lives for no apparent motive. There are sick individuals out there and these things DO happen.

Thanks, I suddenly recalled this just tonight, and it made me think that Shantina may have been prey very easily caught. Thanks again.