09-17-2011 Topaz Mountain Search Yields Charred Wood and Decomp

[mysteriew]

Paulette Bennett - dog handler, Search and Rescue

There has been confusion on wording used by police last week when they announced they’d found human remains in a shallow grave near Topaz Mountain. In an attempt to clear up the confusion that human remains aren’t always bones, Paulette said, “Dogs are taught only one alert for human remains regardless of the size or specific source.


Continue reading on Examiner.com Public expresses gratitude to WVCPD and others searching for Susan Cox Powell - National missing persons | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/missing-per...-police-search-for-susan-powell#ixzz1YUzUHB5n

 

[Taminator]

No... I doubt they would "love" to tell the public anything. Most jurisdictions want as few details as possible to get out to the public, because that keeps the gawkers away. They prefer to do their work unhindered without any interference from the public and especially the media.

I agree. They aren't going to show all the cards they have in their hand. And perhaps they are bluffing just a little to coax the P's into saying something. But, I do believe the reason they are still in that area is partly because of things they gleaned from the last search warrant and mostly because of the silence on the P's part since the new search began. Funny how the two blabbermouths are not saying anything. I bet they are scratching themselves raw trying to keep quiet. JMO

 

[passionflower]

Could DNA be a piece of unburnt FABRIC from a deceased person with decomp on it attached to a charred piece of wood that someone forgot to gather when moving the remains? Just a thought I had.

 

[sarx]

More and more I'm seeing handlers talk about how dogs can hit on blood, urine, feces, etc (you know things like dirty diapers and bandaids), while I have a HUGE problem with this, and in my opinion it makes your HRD dog pretty much worthless, I'm wondering if it's possible that these dogs fall under that training criteria. Maybe that's the explanation for the "interest". Maybe someone did pee on the fire (ok, sorry, couldn't help myself).

On a side note, has the "grave" itself been discussed? I know that they had dug down over 2 feet at this alleged site, but has anyone talked about the logistics of him doing this. It's not a quick process, digging a hole that size in winter ground none the less. Where were the kids?

I'm ok with being wrong, but I don't think she is or ever was in this hole.

 

[passionflower]

This exerpt is from a book called "to young to kill"
but could SP/JP of done this to Susan? Speculation if they had read
this also. True crime from out west.
'Adrianne's body charred, stuffed into garbage bags, and scattered. It seemed the work of hardened criminals, but the truth was far more astonishing: her own "best friends” choked Adrianne to death and cut her up. '

 

[Oriah]

I imagine the PD sent their forensics people back to the lab on Saturday with the charred wood so it could be determined if Susan's DNA is on it before they pack up and leave Topaz.

Since her DNA is already on file...that'd be fairly easy, and would explain why they suddenly ramped up their efforts after ramping them down.

No, respectfully- this would not be fairly easy.

If Susan's DNA were on charred pieces of wood found at the dig site, it would also contain at a minimum three other individuals DNA. Analyzing that takes a bit more time than one day.

 

[Oriah]

Paulette Bennett - dog handler, Search and Rescue

There has been confusion on wording used by police last week when they announced they’d found human remains in a shallow grave near Topaz Mountain. In an attempt to clear up the confusion that human remains aren’t always bones, Paulette said, “Dogs are taught only one alert for human remains regardless of the size or specific source.


Continue reading on Examiner.com Public expresses gratitude to WVCPD and others searching for Susan Cox Powell - National missing persons | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/missing-per...-police-search-for-susan-powell#ixzz1YUzUHB5n

Yes, I'd say there has been a lot of confusion going on here. :banghead:

 

[Oriah]

Could DNA be a piece of unburnt FABRIC from a deceased person with decomp on it attached to a charred piece of wood that someone forgot to gather when moving the remains? Just a thought I had.

Yes. And it would also account for alerts by HRD dogs.
Now that would a valid and useful piece of evidence.

 

[HotLavaJavas]

No, respectfully- this would not be fairly easy.

If Susan's DNA were on charred pieces of wood found at the dig site, it would also contain at a minimum three other individuals DNA. Analyzing that takes a bit more time than one day.

You seem to have misunderstood me. With Susan's and Josh's DNA on file, IF DNA has been found, there's two controls for comparison. But since this was decomp, I highly doubt it is Josh's DNA on that wood, assuming it is there at all.

Just my opinion, afterall.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

If Susan's DNA were on charred pieces of wood found at the dig site, it would also contain at a minimum three other individuals DNA. Analyzing that takes a bit more time than one day.

Would you be kind enough to explain that a bit? I'm not following. Why would there be three other individuals' DNA on the wood?

 

[motappin]

But since this was decomp, I highly doubt it is Josh's DNA on that wood, assuming it is there at all.

If by chance Josh cut himself or something, or even (gross) relieved himself on that wood, it would have been "decomping" since Decmeber of 09, thus the decomp smell the dogs picked up on. I guess the fact that this could technically be ANY human being really bothers me.

I really hope they find out that this is in fact Susan and can verify it. We all know she is not alive, but they need to find out where she is and what happened, so justice can be served.

 

[Oriah]

You seem to have misunderstood me. With Susan's and Josh's DNA on file, IF DNA has been found, there's two controls for comparison. But since this was decomp, I highly doubt it is Josh's DNA on that wood, assuming it is there at all.

Just my opinion, afterall.

There are three people (at a minimum) pictured sifting through the evidence recovered from this dig site. As pictured, no one has protective gear on. The possible cross contamination is huge.
Can we say, sneeze? Nosebleed? Not to mention the burn, and possibly an accelerant?

Gonna be awhile before DNA can be isolated.
MOO, of course.

 

[sarx]

OK< just for clarification... My smartmouth comment about peeing on the wood was in jest. A properly trained HRD dog will NOT I repeat NOT hit on pee, poop, dirty diapers or bandaids, regardless of their age.

 

[Oriah]

You seem to have misunderstood me. With Susan's and Josh's DNA on file, IF DNA has been found, there's two controls for comparison. But since this was decomp, I highly doubt it is Josh's DNA on that wood, assuming it is there at all.

Just my opinion, afterall.

I do not understand how we know there is decomp present on this evidence??

 

[sarx]

There are three people (at a minimum) pictured sifting through the evidence recovered from this dig site. As pictured, no one has protective gear on. The possible cross contamination is huge.
Can we say, sneeze? Nosebleed? Not to mention the burn, and possibly an accelerant?

Gonna be awhile before DNA can be isolated.
MOO, of course.

I think it also merits further qualifying that we are not talking about decomp when discussing this DNA, two separate beasts in this discussion. In other words, we are also talking current DNA that just landed on the site as Oriah stated.

 

[sarx]

I do not understand how we know there is decomp present on this evidence??

Because the dogs told us silly....
:great:

 

[Oriah]

Because the dogs told us silly....
:great:

Yeah.
And our dogs told me this morning that they hadn't been fed all week.
Liars, every last one of 'em.

Folks, there is no way to confirm minute or trace evidence of decomp, much less DNA- on anything until it is analyzed by a lab who specializes in either or both.

Unless there was visual identification at this site- I just don't see how it can be reported this way.

 

[DLT88]

If by chance Josh cut himself or something, or even (gross) relieved himself on that wood, it would have been "decomping" since Decmeber of 09, thus the decomp smell the dogs picked up on. I guess the fact that this could technically be ANY human being really bothers me.

I really hope they find out that this is in fact Susan and can verify it. We all know she is not alive, but they need to find out where she is and what happened, so justice can be served.

Would urine, though, constitute a human decay smell? Urine always smells like urine to me --- far different from rotting flesh that I've smelled. Just wondering.

 

[JBean]

broken quotes have been carried for a while. It is going to take some time to fix. PLEASE DO NOT KEEP QUOTING THEM. they will all be unapproved until someone can fix them.

thanks and please please be careful when quoting others.

 

[motappin]

Would urine, though, constitute a human decay smell? Urine always smells like urine to me --- far different from rotting flesh that I've smelled. Just wondering.

I don't know. Not sure how that all works. Guess my point is that any decomp on that wood could have come from Josh (or anyone) who bled on it or something. Not sure if urine counts. :waitasec:

Poor, poor Susan and boys!!