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

[SuziQ]

NANCY GRACE
Search Continues for Missing West Virginia College Student
Aired December 20, 2007 - 20:00:00 ET

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/20/ng.01.html

 

[SuziQ]

The below is snipped from the NG transcript tonight:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/20/ng.01.html

BROOKS: Now, was there any -- when you all were called there, was there any sign of a struggle inside the apartment, in the hallway? Was the door locked?

WILLIAMS: No, sir. The back door to the apartment was open, but there was no apparent signs of any struggle

BROOKS: Now, her cell phone -- her cell phone is missing. People would try to call her. Apparently, it`s going right to voice-mail now. Have investigators subpoenaed records to try to find out if she has made any calls, if anyone`s made any calls in to her?

WILLIAMS: Yes, sir. With the assistance of the FBI, we tried to locate the phone without any results. It`s apparently either turned off or went dead.

BROOKS: So -- so what you`re saying, Sergeant, no pings whatsoever coming from any -- from her phone at all.

WILLIAMS: No, sir, no activity after that one -- that last call.

BROOKS: You know, Rhonda, that is a fantastic question. Sergeant Williams from the Huntington police, were any dogs come in to see if they could find any scent evidence?

WILLIAMS: Yes, sir. West Virginia State Police brought down a bloodhound. And we attempted -- we got a scent in the house, but it ended in the driveway of the home, and we could not pick up a scent in the perimeter of the area.

BROOKS: Now, going back to the surveillance footage -- were there any surveillance cameras -- I know many McDonald`s and many drive-ins have surveillance cameras. Were there any there that showed her possibly there with anyone else?

WILLIAMS: Well, unfortunately, they erase after a very short period of time. And us receiving the case a day-and-a-half later, they had already been erased.

 

[SuziQ]

BROOKS: ... and then came back. And Sergeant Williams from the Huntington police said the back door was open. Is that normal, for the back door of the apartment to be open?

VICKERS: Actually, we leave it unlocked if we`re doing laundry. And I have two cats and they`re kind of ornery, and they`re able to open the back door, so...

BROOKS: Yes.

VICKERS: ... it`s not completely unusual...

 

[Taximom]

Ohhh, wow. Not good leaving doors open!

I can't paste a copy here, but if you go to this site:
http://www.familywatchdog.us/search.asp
and input:
400 8th Ave
Huntington
WV
25702

It should bring up a map of the local RSO's in the neighborhood. If someone local could check the address for accuracy, I'd appreciate it! It's the general address found in the 1st newspaper link.

Zoom in about 4x (or more) to see 8th Ave. DoubleClick on any colored rectangle for the offender's pic and info.

 

[Angelray]

Ohhh, wow. Not good leaving doors open!

I can't paste a copy here, but if you go to this site:
http://www.familywatchdog.us/search.asp
and input:
400 8th Ave
Huntington
WV
25702

It should bring up a map of the local RSO's in the neighborhood. If someone local could check the address for accuracy, I'd appreciate it! It's the general address found in the 1st newspaper link.

Zoom in about 4x (or more) to see 8th Ave. DoubleClick on any colored rectangle for the offender's pic and info.

Thanks for posting that now I know exactly where that is and I would not consider that a bad area at all. That is strange..

 

[Bobbisangel]

It sounds like the sister was the one packing a bag. The last time she saw her sister was when she...the sister...was packing a bag. The sister did spend the night away from home that night I think.

Two of those apts were not rented and the people in the third one were away which left just Leah at home in the whole place. I wonder if they found any laundry in the laundry room or any in the apt that looked like it was just washed, dryed, and folded? Could it be that someone that she knew stopped by and wanted her to go someplace with them and that person ended up killing her somewhere else? No struggle in the apt, her coat is missing but she left her purse, etc, at home. Maybe she thought they were just going to run somewhere when she left.

 

[SuziQ]

It sounds like the sister was the one packing a bag. The last time she saw her sister was when she...the sister...was packing a bag. The sister did spend the night away from home that night I think.

That could be as well. I've heard so many different things. First the apartment was locked, now we hear that the backdoor was unlocked.

 

[SuziQ]

From the below link, we have the backdoor was open, and the backdoor was unlocked. Where were the cats when Vickers came to the apt on Saturday?

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/20/ng.01.html

BROOKS: Now, was there any -- when you all were called there, was there any sign of a struggle inside the apartment, in the hallway? Was the door locked?

WILLIAMS: No, sir. The back door to the apartment was open, but there was no apparent signs of any struggle

and

BROOKS: ... and then came back. And Sergeant Williams from the Huntington police said the back door was open. Is that normal, for the back door of the apartment to be open?

VICKERS: Actually, we leave it unlocked if we`re doing laundry. And I have two cats and they`re kind of ornery, and they`re able to open the back door, so.

 

[SuziQ]

Huntington PD Missing Persons Report:

http://media.herald-dispatch.com/advertising/pdf/HickmanPoliceReport.pdf

 

[Angelray]

I wonder if she may have went with someone maybe to the movies? I would think that they would have checked video from over by the movie place. That would explain her not taking her pocket book. Just a thought.

 

[SuziQ]

So far we know: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1864603&postcount=71

12-14-2007

00:0?PM Her mother, Sherry Russell, of Leon, W.Va., said she last talked to her daughter Friday afternoon about coming home for the holidays. She called her later that night and Hickman's phone went straight to voicemail. Upon a third call, Hickman's voicemail was full, her mother said.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x1106460136

01:56PM Leah leaves a Myspace message to a friend.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1859161&postcount=5

04:00PM Jessica Vickers, who said she last saw Hickman pack her bags Friday night in preparation to spend the night with a friend.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x1106460136

Dec. 14 and was supposed to meet with a friend later that evening, but never showed.
http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=32766

Leah was finishing the dishes, according to her sister who last saw her.
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/12576086.html

Vickers said Hickman was doing dishes sometime between 2:30 and 4 p.m. that day when the two last talked.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x1287098516

05:40PM A receipt found in a trashcan shows that Leah ate at McDonald's.
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/12576086.html

bnhall
Her sister is on MSNBC right now. Sister spoke with her at 5:40pm. They know she ate dinner at McDonald's
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1859948&postcount=10

WILLIAMS: Best we can tell, she was (ph) spoke to just prior to 6:00 PM that night. And judging by being at the apartment, she had brought her food there, so we can assume she was there after 6:00 PM.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/20/ng.01.html

12-15-2007

00:0?PM At The next day, she asked Vickers to stop by the apartment and check on Hickman. Hickman’s car, keys and purse were still at the apartment, but there was no sign of the woman herself.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x1287098516


05:00PM Leah was scheduled to work at the dress Barn, but didn't show up.
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/12576086.html

12-16-2007

04:48PM Leah is reported missing.
http://media.herald-dispatch.com/advertising/pdf/HickmanPoliceReport.pdf

 

[SuziQ]

I wonder if she may have went with someone maybe to the movies? I would think that they would have checked video from over by the movie place. That would explain her not taking her pocket book. Just a thought.

How far away is the movie place? LE mentioned a convenience store that was checked out that is about a block away and they found nothing.

 

[Angelray]

Let me explain that a little better. Just maybe someone came by that she knew and said lets go to movies. If I was going to movies that close to the house I would not have taken my purse. I would have taken my cell phone is all. Most of the young crowd around here goes to the movies on Fri or hangs around down at that (what I call Mall). I am just thinking that she left with someone she knew. If they had a way of checking the videos from around the movie intrance they may spot something on that. I would think that if it was someone in the house that they would have went thru her pocket book or something else would have been missing.
l

 

[Angelray]

How far away is the movie place? LE mentioned a convenience store that was checked out that is about a block away and they found nothing.

I cant for the life of me think what they name of that Mall is (and I live here). Its not very far at all from where she lived maybe five minutes at the most.

 

[Angelray]

Pullman Square is the name of it. There is tons of young kids that hang around that area on the weekends. They have lots of little shops, bookstore, eating places. Right in back of this is a flood wall, and the river park. Very dark over there.

 

[SuziQ]

Pullman Square is the name of it. There is tons of young kids that hang around that area on the weekends. They have lots of little shops, bookstore, eating places. Right in back of this is a flood wall, and the river park. Very dark over there.

I think you should call that in as a tip. LE needs to check out the tapes before they get erased. And going to a movie would explain turning your phone off.

 

[Angelray]

have they verified that her phone was off?

 

[SuziQ]

I don't mean to hog this thread this morning. I just happen to have some free time on my hands and have been going through media reports. The below is what I found:

http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=32766

I had asked what kind of car Leah had:

Her yellow Chevrolet Cavalier still is parked just outside her apartment building at 403 8th Avenue

I'm still confused on Leah's plans for Friday night:

It's known that Hickman bought McDonald's about 5:40 p.m. Dec. 14 and was supposed to meet with a friend later that evening, but never showed.

 

[SuziQ]

have they verified that her phone was off?

In the NG transcript, LE says her phone never pinged after her 5:4ish phone call. That it was either turned off or the battery had run down.

 

[SuziQ]

WILLIAMS: Yes, sir. With the assistance of the FBI, we tried to locate the phone without any results. It`s apparently either turned off or went dead.

BROOKS: So -- so what you`re saying, Sergeant, no pings whatsoever coming from any -- from her phone at all.

WILLIAMS: No, sir, no activity after that one -- that last call.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/20/ng.01.html