WA WA - Sky Metalwala, 2, Bellevue, 6 Nov 2011 - # 4

[rachelslaw]

The running out of gas story is what gets me. If you thought you were running out, wouldn't you keep driving until you would be close as possible to a gas station? Not to mention, she used to live in the area, so she knew where they were.

Most vehicles manufactured in the last decade have a surplus after the warning comes on. I know mine can go another 30 miles according to the manual. Why wouldn't you try to coax your car to go another mile to the gas station, then to just park, and leave your child with unlocked doors.

I just hope this doesn't turn into a Melinda Duckett case and Sky is never found.

I'm with you. Recent reports indicate that there was approx. 2.2 gallons in the tank, which would suggest that the "idiot light" came on, but the vehicle still had enough fuel to make it that one mile to the gas station. Most drivers are generally aware of that feature and would not be inclined to shut the vehicle down, but to drive directly to the next gas station.

Based on that particular piece of information, I am inclined to think that the car was not stopped at that particular spot because "it ran out of gas" (because it did not), but rather she had another reason to park the car there, leave for an hour or so with her daughter, then return and claim that her son is now missing. Who even knows for a fact that her son was actually in the car at that time?

My personal prediction, for what it's worth...lol, is that the mother will crack and confess eventually. Her actions to date simply don't suggest a person who plans well, and added to the fact that she has a history of leaving her children alone for hours suggests that they are not a priority to her. If she is in a fragile emotional state, it's not because her son is "missing", but because she is carrying the burden of knowing the truth of what happened to him because she is the cause of his disappearance. With enough pressure, I predict she will break.

IMO

 

[MizStery]

apartments in bellevue wa - Google Maps

this was just a cursory search.. none seem to be in the exact area (apartments in bellevue WA)...

I cannot find the post. But,from memory the apartment she lived at (prior to moving to Redmond)was either on NE 28th Place or NE 29th Place or NE 30th place off Bellevue Way just north of the Chevron. Early on her husband wondered why she did not go to the Brief Encounters Cafe(they are open for breakfast) behind the Chevron. I thought at the time they must have ate there and knew people there. It is also a very children friendly place to eat.

 

[Cubby]

This is all I have:

"Sam Metalwala, Solomon's brother, said Sky's mother once had an apartment in the neighborhood where the car was found on Sunday and that she may have been there because it was a familiar place."

http://www.king5.com/news/cities/be...ph-test-133433438.html?commentPage=4#comments

FWIW, IF she were really taking her son to the hospital (which I don't buy) she may have stayed with a pediatrician and hospital closely located to her former residence.

 

[cluciano63]

2.2 gallons in most cars would still get you about 30-40 miles, that is about $7-8 worth of gas isn't it? Sometimes I put that much in and drive for my nearby errands for a week...

 

[Kitty Kat]

2.2 gallons in most cars would still get you about 30-40 miles, that is about $7-8 worth of gas isn't it? Sometimes I put that much in and drive for my nearby errands for a week...

It would get you far enough. I am the queen of low fuel, my light is always on. Never actually ran out though. (yes I know it's bad for your fuel pump, I've already burnt one out) I've made it downtown and back with my light on and it's aprox 20 miles each way. I have a mustang too so it's not like it's a car that's very good on gas and I still made it that far. No way she ran out.

 

[ladonna]

Anyone recall the apt complex name that the mom and children were living at when Sky went missing?

 

[SurfieTX]

Anyone recall the apt complex name that the mom and children were living at when Sky went missing?

Veloce Apartments.

 

[greenpalm]

I only saw one picture of Sky on Facebook and that was in the avatar.

The facebook pictures look mostly older. Maybe she's just started using flikr instead? You can post pictures on flkr at higher resolution, and better quality, and still share them via a Facebook link.

I did see more pics of the daughter, but I took fewer pics once I had a second & third child too. Regardless of the picture thing… something is not right with her story. And speaking of pictures. Wait, I'm going to find a link before I say this…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metalwala/

curious... a lot of her albums say "eddited" on them now... (and spelled wrong)

didn't notice that before

The ones she has marked as "eddited" have been edited, for example, a vignette has been added, or a color wash. I noticed it, but I don't think it's relevant. I'm a photography enthusiast.

Sometimes I think the courts need to do a better job and not give the children to either parent, until and unless they can be a little more certain that they will be safe...it shouldn't be the lesser of two evils, IMO, just because they are the parents...

This thought really scares me. I'm not ready to give that much power to CPS or the government. Yikes! I respect your opinion, but I strongly disagree.

I think there are innocent people that refuse a poly but NOT if your child is missing and you truly have no idea where he is. I'd love someone to ask her-through her defense attorney of course, just what jb has done since Sunday to find Sky. Or heck, ask her family!

IMO, polys are generally useful as an interrogation tool. When LE smells hink they give someone a poly and tells them they failed it to put pressure on them. Or, conversely, they tell them they passed to see if they get lazy and cocky and slip up. I would never agree to take one, though, if innocent, I would certainly answer questions until I fell over face first from exhaustion, if my child were missing. But nope, no poly for me. I've read how they are used in all these cases.

.And I have broken down with kids in the car before we had cellphones. And once my husband broke down on a freeway bridge with our four-year-old daughter inside. He was carrying her down a ramp and twisted his ankle but he kept walking till he got to a phone. And he never let go of our child, for heaven's sake!

respectfully snipped

My DH broke down with both our boys once. He slowly walked home, pausing to rest in the shade, etc. They were 5 & 18 mos. ( About like this woman's kids) I was away for the day. He had my car because the car seats stayed in it. Anyway, it took him a long time to get home, but he did not leave either child! I felt awful later, because all that time, the stroller was in the trunk, and he didn't think to look. (or call me)

 

[Lori_TX]

I'm with you. Recent reports indicate that there was approx. 2.2 gallons in the tank, which would suggest that the "idiot light" came on, but the vehicle still had enough fuel to make it that one mile to the gas station. Most drivers are generally aware of that feature and would not be inclined to shut the vehicle down, but to drive directly to the next gas station.

Based on that particular piece of information, I am inclined to think that the car was not stopped at that particular spot because "it ran out of gas" (because it did not), but rather she had another reason to park the car there, leave for an hour or so with her daughter, then return and claim that her son is now missing. Who even knows for a fact that her son was actually in the car at that time?

My personal prediction, for what it's worth...lol, is that the mother will crack and confess eventually. Her actions to date simply don't suggest a person who plans well, and added to the fact that she has a history of leaving her children alone for hours suggests that they are not a priority to her. If she is in a fragile emotional state, it's not because her son is "missing", but because she is carrying the burden of knowing the truth of what happened to him because she is the cause of his disappearance. With enough pressure, I predict she will break.

IMO

BBM - This is what I am wondering as well. Is it possible that he could have possibly been in the car "sick" as she said initially, and been removed somewhere else along the route? What if he had been sick for a while (caused by possible neglect or abuse, or even an accident) and really was in need of emergency medical attention but she was worried and reluctant to take him in earlier, and he died on the way? Or maybe he really wasn't in the car at all that morning, and the mom just put the blanket in there for scent and possibly to throw off her daughter. I just don't know! I am so saddened and confused even more as the info comes out. :banghead:

The LE at PC last night said that one of the reasons his scent could not be tracked outside of the car could be due to him being removed and placed into another vehicle. Is there any possibility that another reason he could not be tracked outside of the vehicle at the particular location was because he was removed somewhere else entirely? I am really curious about this because it seems entirely possible and reasonable to think she could have removed him before her final stopping point. This is my speculation only: I feel like she had to get him out of their apartment at some point after he died. If it was done over this large timeframe of 2 weeks since anyone last saw them, she could have taken him anywhere. BUT if the 4 year old has indicated that she saw her brother that day, maybe that is more helpful that they think. It does not confirm anything for certain - like if he was really in the car, or if it was a decoy with the blanket, or if she really saw him in the car for part of that car ride, and then not. As crazy as all of this is, I could see if not being the smoothest story...obviously. I feel like it was made up on a whim, making whatever happened to little Sky fall into a tighter window. Who knows. I'm rambling out loud right now! Sorry! I hope we know more today!

As of right now, I think he wasn't in the car that day at all, or was removed from the car long before she conveniently stopped her vehicle and walked away from it with her one remaining child. MHO if course...

Please let Sky be found today!!

 

[hollyblue]

The Law and Order Episode is not an EXACT story of Sky, but it IF Julia was looking for a way to get rid of Sky, this particular episode would spark her interest.

The mother in the show wanted to name her child "Ty". Sky is missing.
Father in the show had domestic incident against him. Sky's father had charges of abuse.
Sister and mother in the show hated men because the father/husband left. IMO, for all we know, this could be one of the reasons Julia has no pics of Sky on Facebook and was attempting to hide photos on Flickr

I'm really curious about JB's social life since she has had the apartment. Did she go out with her friend SO, did she ever date, etc. or did her OCD interfere with ability to do so? If she did, who watched the children...if anyone? I'd like to see confirmation of the one instance where I've read the Acura is/was her brother's. Besides the high rent, I don't see her spending much. Food and clothing, etc, but it could be she is extravagant in what she does purchase. ( I have a few striped sweaters, but after this case, I may hide them in the back of the closet this season or wait until February!! ) I'd also like to know about her childhood, because two years after her family comes to the US she's already hooked up with the man she then marries. I agree with others.....very odd....and how long has the OCD been present? imo

 

[tlcya]

When Sky was reported missing my first thought was the Law & Order episode I had just watched. Apparently LE has noted the intersting similarities of this disappearance and that episode as well.

In a strange case of life imitating art, it now appears that a recent episode of the NBC television series "Law & Order: SVU" featured a storyline remarkably similar to the account a mother in Washington state gave police about the disappearance of her 2-year-old son, Sky Metalwala, when she left him strapped in his car seat on the side of a road

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nat...hild-car-missing-sky-metalwala-biryukova.html

 

[tlcya]

"I've heard about the 'Law and Order: SVU' episode that has great similarity to this case. I heard that it aired Saturday, the day before the disappearance of Sky," Bellevue Police Maj. Mike Johnson told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.

"I know that there are several folks up in the operations center of the command post that have taken a look at that episode, and have commented that it is strikingly similar in nature," he said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nat...hild-car-missing-sky-metalwala-biryukova.html

 

[tlcya]

I would like to know if the blanket was still in the car, and more importantly if any dolls or stuffed animals or pile of materials that could have been wrapped in the blanket to appear to be a toddler were found in the car.

 

[ClassyT]

I think she definitely has mental health issues but not a psychotic episode. Her son was not the star of the show. He was not able to speak during the abuse investigation and the daughter was already so coached. If it were a break I am more inclined to think it would have been daughter to "save her".
I am beginning to think what may have happened is Sky died accidentally, perhaps when she left the two alone. She was so hyperfocused on being the good parents and WINNING the custody dispute, she knew if a child died in her care it would be an automatic out so she concocted the story. I don't think she hurt the child physically.

I know this sounds crazy but in one of the photos in her Flickr, Sky is sitting on the floor right next to a bottle of tide in a plastic bag and an exposed light socket. I am the mom of three. A bottle of tide, a light socket and a plastic bag can all kill a kid. Individually or together. Moms look for those kinds of things and child-proof. I am not going to offer up danger to my kids! Two year olds get into everything. EVERYTHING.

This makes more sense in my head, but then I am not mentally ill.... (well, as far as I know. lol)

 

[Patty G]

I would like to know if the blanket was still in the car, and more importantly if any dolls or stuffed animals or pile of materials that could have been wrapped in the blanket to appear to be a toddler were found in the car.

IIRC, in one of the press conferences, maybe the one from the afternoon, LE indicated there was a blanket in the car.

 

[Lori_TX]

I would like to know if the blanket was still in the car, and more importantly if any dolls or stuffed animals or pile of materials that could have been wrapped in the blanket to appear to be a toddler were found in the car.

I believe they did say the blanket was in the car, but no mention of anything else that was there. I'm curious about this as well. Maybe more info at the presser today? Hopefully!

 

[ClassyT]

To add to my comment above, in the custody hearing yesterday the dad said something like "Well, he didnt go missing in my care so my daughter should be with me." Spouses even estranged seem to think similarly. Especially being together 14 years. When I heard it, it gave me goosebumps. I think that is what motivated her to say it was a kidnapping. My opinion may change with more info but as of now thats where my head is.

 

[CharlestonGal]

I would like to know if the blanket was still in the car, and more importantly if any dolls or stuffed animals or pile of materials that could have been wrapped in the blanket to appear to be a toddler were found in the car.

"An FBI agent with expertise interviewing children has spoken to <modsnip>, and the little girl said her brother Sky was in the car, wrapped in a blanket, on Sunday, "which wasn't what we expected to hear," Johnson said.

A blanket was found inside the vehicle, providing K-9 search and rescue teams with a scent to follow, but their hours-long search near the car on Sunday didn't turn up any trace of Sky, he said."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016724529_missing10m.html

BBM. It just says "a" blanket was found inside the vehicle. I don't know if that was "the" blanket he was wrapped in, but I assume it would be if K-9 used it to get Sky's scent.

 

[Amster]

Unless there is evidence, proof, of abuse by the father then he should be given custody of his daughter. Seems to me CPS doesn't have a good track record in this case so far. Why are they now trusted to still be making decisions? Hopefully, dad has a very good lawyer and will fight these people. After all, in their infinite wisdom, they decided J was a good mom....

 

[ClassyT]

Unless there is evidence, proof, of abuse by the father then he should be given custody of his daughter. Seems to me CPS doesn't have a good track record in this case so far. Why are they now trusted to still be making decisions? Hopefully, dad has a very good lawyer and will fight these people. After all, in their infinite wisdom, they decided J was a good mom....

The last case against him was overturned and CPS admitted they only spoke with the child and mother. They didnt even interview the father. This says to me that mom is an amazing manipulator and victim. I think its unheard of to NOT speak with the accused. They went based on what was reported. That scares me. Do I think there were some fights between the parents? Absolutely. Their finances were a mess and their marriage was falling apart, the stress was amplifying her disorder. It was not pretty. BUT, they didnt even check with dad.

If they do a thorough assessment and he's fit, he should have his child and an apology for making him feel like a criminal and missing out on valuable time with his babies. Sadly, if he hasnt seen his son in a year and hes only two...thats half his life. He may not see his child ever again. That alone is an unbearable thought.