WV WV - Leah Hickman, 21, Huntington, 14 Dec 2007 - #1

[Secret Squirrel]

In case anyone was wondering, yes I am bored and i get way too involved in these cases.

In follow up to my post #289 note the position of the AC units and then compare it to this one.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/gallery_news/x607056662?mode=photo&im=19

The CSI van is in the alley and the door to the laundry room is to the left in the adjacent alley and out of the photo. However the AC units are visible and clearly show a small parking pad. Therefore the person in the truck (post 289) was clearly affiliated with the building on or about December 20. They took the time to neatly back into this space when ample parking is conveniently available on the street. WHY! Because whomever owns the truck has some type of relationship to this building and was there perhaps the day before the body was found. School is out parking is plentiful, why back a heap neatly into a space. Maybe to unload tools, materials etc. Fortunately the plate is in view and possibly able to be magnified from the original photo. LE should clear it if they have yet to do so. Also I know of very few college students that run around in a late 70's beat up Chevy pickup.

 

[concernedperson]

In case anyone was wondering, yes I am bored and i get way too involved in these cases.

In follow up to my post #289 note the position of the AC units and then compare it to this one.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/gallery_news/x607056662?mode=photo&im=19

The CSI van is in the alley and the door to the laundry room is to the left in the adjacent alley and out of the photo. However the AC units are visible and clearly show a small parking pad. Therefore the person in the truck (post 289) was clearly affiliated with the building on or about December 20. They took the time to neatly back into this space when ample parking is conveniently available on the street. WHY! Because whomever owns the truck has some type of relationship to this building and was there perhaps the day before the body was found. School is out parking is plentiful, why back a heap neatly into a space. Maybe to unload tools, materials etc. Fortunately the plate is in view and possibly able to be magnified from the original photo. LE should clear it if they have yet to do so. Also I know of very few college students that run around in a late 70's beat up Chevy pickup.

Again, I am saying this is good info. Please send this to LE. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Hi Secret Squirrel and Concerned...

I remember that there were two men working on or in the building at the time that Leah disappeared. Seems like they were related to the owner of the building. I wonder if the truck belongs to one of them? It looks like it is parked right at the end of the building. If the guys were working there I wonder why they didn't smell something or maybe they were working at the opposite end of the crawl space. Wonder how well they were questioned.

I thought the truck might belong to that house by the apt building but it isn't even parked between the house and apts. It looks closer to the apt building. I wish we had a better pic of the truck and exactly where it is parked.

I wonder if the police have anything on this case? Right now there is a killer somewhere out there who is probably feeling pretty proud of himself for not getting caught. If he raped and strangled Leah he wouldn't have left any blood. He could have taken her by surprise in her apt. She might not have had the chance to fight him if he came up behind her. If it was someone that she had seen before...a worker or previous renter she might not have even been afraid of him before he took her by surprise. There wouldn't be any signs of a struggle. After she was dead he could have carried her down to the crawl space. The plastic bags could have come from her apt.

 

[WV_Lady]

Hi Secret Squirrel and Concerned...

The plastic bags could have come from her apt.

I believe at the time it was reported she was wrapped in plastic..no bags were mentioned. That was my understanding. My thought was that the plastic may have been a moisture barrier and she was found under it..in the crawl space. Hmmm??? This is all just soooo frustrating. I can't imagine how the family and friend must feel.

:banghead:

 

[Bobbisangel]

I believe at the time it was reported she was wrapped in plastic..no bags were mentioned. That was my understanding. My thought was that the plastic may have been a moisture barrier and she was found under it..in the crawl space. Hmmm??? This is all just soooo frustrating. I can't imagine how the family and friend must feel.

:banghead:

I can't find anything in the news articles that say anything about plastic but in going back to the beginning and reading the posts people are talking about the plastic bags. I've always thought that she was wrapped in plastic bags.

I can't imagine being in the shoes of Leah's family and friends either. It would just be horrible not knowing who murdered your daughter. This case just seems so easy to solve.

 

[Taximom]

This link had an update from 1/26/08...wasn't sure if that posted or not here, so here it is:
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/12576086.html
Soraya McLung says the lab has finished testing the first set of evidence sent by Huntington police investigators. But she says tests on a second set of evidence are not finished.
Also, scroll down to the comment:
Posted by: nicole on Mar 2, 2008 at 08:25 PM (didn't bring it here so read it there!)


Interestingly enough, I can't find one reference by news media about being wrapped in plastic/plastic bags. I wonder if that was heard and not written? I'll try to find the press conference video.... I know we didn't just make that up!

 

[Taximom]

SuziQ posted this link way back and it's the official LE comment about finding the body presumed to be Leah.

Official Police Statement:
http://media.herald-dispatch.com/adv...estatement.pdf

It doesn't mention plastic at all. It might have been spoken, but the only press conf video link I found doesn't have the video up anymore.

I'm giving up for tonight!

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Does anyone know if HPD has an email tip line or an email contact of any kind? Also is there a specific hotline dedicated for information about this case? One would think that they would have a website.

 

[Bobbisangel]

SuziQ posted this link way back and it's the official LE comment about finding the body presumed to be Leah.

Official Police Statement:
http://media.herald-dispatch.com/adv...estatement.pdf

It doesn't mention plastic at all. It might have been spoken, but the only press conf video link I found doesn't have the video up anymore.

I'm giving up for tonight!

Thanks for looking Taximom. I wonder if someone thought plastic bags were a fact but they really weren't? Seems like it was said that is what kept her body from smelling for a while though. Maybe we have lost it...ya think?!

 

[Taximom]

What's interesting is that "plastic" does show up in the search results on a few news sites, yet when I go to the cached version, "plastic" is not in the article. I truly believe we heard this in the press conference, and I think news media took it out of their articles for some reason. I don't know, I'm still scratching my head about it!

Could be we've lost it, Bobbisangel! I hope not though.

 

[Taximom]

Does anyone know if HPD has an email tip line or an email contact of any kind? Also is there a specific hotline dedicated for information about this case? One would think that they would have a website.

Good heavens, their online PD info is ridiculously hard to find. Here's some info w/the phone number if you want to call that and ask, SecretSquirrel:
Huntington Police Department

Chief of Police
Skip Holbrook

675 10th Street
Huntington, West Virginia 25701
(304)696-4470


I thought there was a "find leah" website, but I could be wrong. I couldn't find anything like that w/a quick google search.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x29546642

This is probably just coincidence but the "robbery not a motive" got me thinking. The distance between Huntington and Burlington is only six miles. What do you guys think?

 

[PandaJ]

What's interesting is that "plastic" does show up in the search results on a few news sites, yet when I go to the cached version, "plastic" is not in the article. I truly believe we heard this in the press conference, and I think news media took it out of their articles for some reason. I don't know, I'm still scratching my head about it!

Could be we've lost it, Bobbisangel! I hope not though.

Hello everyone, pardon me for butting in here...I post on In Session all the time and I just got this account here at WS too.
I followed this whole case from the time she went missing. The plastic reference was what the media was first reporting in pretty much ALL their articles immediately after her body was found. It was stated in the news articles, but then was deleted about ten minutes later. I haven't seen that reference since. My opinion is that she WAS found in plastic but that LE just didn't want the media releasing that info. All JMO.

Anyway, just wanted to clear that up for you guys!

 

[Taximom]

Thank you, PandaJ!

Ever think of defecting?

 

[christine2448]

I can't find one reference by news media about being wrapped in plastic/plastic bags. I wonder if that was heard and not written? I'll try to find the press conference video.... I know we didn't just make that up!

Try NG and Greta transcripts maybe? I remember this too, you are not crazy...well, not in relation to this anyway

 

[christine2448]

Hello everyone, pardon me for butting in here...I post on In Session all the time and I just got this account here at WS too.
I followed this whole case from the time she went missing. The plastic reference was what the media was first reporting in pretty much ALL their articles immediately after her body was found. It was stated in the news articles, but then was deleted about ten minutes later. I haven't seen that reference since. My opinion is that she WAS found in plastic but that LE just didn't want the media releasing that info. All JMO.

Anyway, just wanted to clear that up for you guys!

Welcome to WS Panda! Thanks for jumping in to help clear that up for our posters. Stick around! The more the merrier!

 

[Taximom]

Christine! lol

Greta seriously needs to have a transcript service. NG...hmmm...I'll have to look around. Good idea, Christine! :blowkiss:

 

[Spotted1]

LE to have a news conferance today at 2:00 regarding Leah Hickman's murder.

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/16642431.html

ETA WSAZ will have a live feed of the conferance.

ETA again that a video was just added to the link.

 

[Taximom]

I found nothing in transcripts at NG's regarding plastic. That doesn't mean there isn't something there, I just didn't see it with my quick skimming. They did, however, spend 3 entire shows talking about the SF tiger mauling death at that zoo.

WOW, news conference? They wouldn't do that just to update us that nobody has been arrested, would they? Let's hope someone is going down for this murder.

Thanks for the news, Spotted1!

 

[Taximom]

Bumping for 2:00 news conference.