I would rather they take their time and get the forensics right. These cases involving fire can be tricky. Theories have been debunked a lot these past 20 or so years as "junk science." Do it right the first time and catch the bad guys!!
AL AL - Eric Cates, 32, Walker County, 21 March 2015
- Thread starter SwampMama
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SwampMama
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This wait has to be so hard on his mom. Eric was her miracle child. She had her older son and was told she could not have other kids. She tried for many, years and it just didn't happen. but she had faith and said it was up to God and not the doctors. When she became pregnant, she was sure it was a girl, she would be named Erica and she had all pink at her baby shower. Well, Eric showed up and her mom and mom in law had to go buy him something blue to wear home from the hospital because everything he had was pink.
She still has that faith in God that she will get the answers she so badly needs and there will be justice.
She still has that faith in God that she will get the answers she so badly needs and there will be justice.
Some of you have probably noted the case of Jessica Chambers in Panola County, Mississippi. Jessica was also burned in her automobile. https://www.facebook.com/JUSTICEforJESSICALANE?fref=ts
I've read a lot about both cases and find some similarities and some differences. I won't try to connect the two crimes nor suggest they are related what-so-ever.
Much speculation was given to the purpose of the digital FBI billboards for JC being placed along the interstate highways.
Not being familiar with the area, I mapped Panola County, MS to Walker County, Alabama. Not expecting much, I almost fell over when I saw that the two counties are nearly parallel with each other, being only 3 hours apart in drive time. Just feel it is worth noting for record keeping purposes.
Any speculation would be just that, so I'll avoid speculating. I've posted this on Jessica's WS page as well. Below is the mapped location for both counties.
I've read a lot about both cases and find some similarities and some differences. I won't try to connect the two crimes nor suggest they are related what-so-ever.
Much speculation was given to the purpose of the digital FBI billboards for JC being placed along the interstate highways.
Not being familiar with the area, I mapped Panola County, MS to Walker County, Alabama. Not expecting much, I almost fell over when I saw that the two counties are nearly parallel with each other, being only 3 hours apart in drive time. Just feel it is worth noting for record keeping purposes.
Any speculation would be just that, so I'll avoid speculating. I've posted this on Jessica's WS page as well. Below is the mapped location for both counties.
BirdycatNY
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REWARD INCREASE IN CATES CASE
By Chelsea Barton on August 17, 2015
http://wvua23.com/reward-increase-in-cates-case/
If you have any information that could assist law enforcement in this case you are asked to call the Walker County Sherriffs Office at (205) 384-7218.
***
I hope LE are making progress in this case, reward increased to $25000.
By Chelsea Barton on August 17, 2015
http://wvua23.com/reward-increase-in-cates-case/
If you have any information that could assist law enforcement in this case you are asked to call the Walker County Sherriffs Office at (205) 384-7218.
***
I hope LE are making progress in this case, reward increased to $25000.
JusticeWillBeServed
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March 2016:
Deaths of man and dog found in burned truck remain a mystery 1 year later
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/eric_cates_one_year_later.html
Justice for Eric Cates Facebook Page continues to be updated. Almost two years later and no arrests have been made. A vigil is being planned to take place next month.
Deaths of man and dog found in burned truck remain a mystery 1 year later
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/eric_cates_one_year_later.html
Justice for Eric Cates Facebook Page continues to be updated. Almost two years later and no arrests have been made. A vigil is being planned to take place next month.
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How insane there can be almost no information almost two years later!
Just stopping by to see if there are any updates. This happened not far from where I grew up so I have been following this case for the last few years. The family is now offering a car new car to anyone that will give information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the persons involved.
Remains released in Eric Cates’ death
Facebook community "Justice for Eric Cates" claims they have named suspects. Also says a new sheriff was elected so they're hoping for new leads and progress on the case.
Facebook community "Justice for Eric Cates" claims they have named suspects. Also says a new sheriff was elected so they're hoping for new leads and progress on the case.
State asked to investigate Cates cold case
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith has asked that the State Bureau of Investigation review the case of Eric Cates, a 32-year-old whose body was discovered inside a burned pickup behind the old Empire School in March 2015.
The case files were turned over to the SBI on Wednesday.
Smith said Tuesday that his office will also be cooperating with Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, whose previous attempts to assist with the investigation were rebuffed.
Cates and his family are from the Cullman area.
"He (Gentry) wants to work on the Cates case and a missing persons case on a female that they have involving Walker County. He said he feels like they are both very solvable cases, but it's going to take the cooperation of both departments," Smith said.
Cates' mother, Tobbie Stover, said she is pleased that Smith has reached out to the SBI.
The move offers a glimmer of hope to Stover, who had previously requested that an outside agency be consulted as years dragged on without an arrest.
"As many times as your balloon can be burst, mine has been. Now I have another one aired up, and we'll see how far it goes," Stover said Tuesday afternoon.
The bodies of Cates and his dog, Gypsy, were discovered on March 21, 2015, by hunters.
It took more than a month for an identification to be made and for the remains to be returned to Cates' family for burial. An autopsy could not determine the cause of death.
Tips and leads have continued to come in as recently as two weeks after Smith took office. Smith and Sgt. Chuck Tidwell traveled to Jefferson County to conduct an interview with a suspect and a polygraph was scheduled, but the individual was unable to take it for medical reasons, according to Smith.
Smith said the decision to involve the SBI is not a reflection on the investigation that Tidwell has been conducting.
"Sometimes we hit a dead end in cases and I think a fresh pair of eyes is good to look over a case and make sure that we haven't missed something," Smith said.
Eventually, Smith plans to assign someone the task of looking into the county's cold cases. A retired investigator willing to work part-time would be ideal, according to Smith.
In the meantime, Smith is willing to meet with anyone who would like to make him aware of an unsolved case involving their loved one.
Smith addressed the case of Cates first because it is one of the county's most recent cold cases and because Stover approached him during last year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week Candlelight Vigil. At the time, Smith was nearing the end of his campaign for the Sheriff's Office.
"This case isn't more important than any of the others, but we have to start somewhere," Smith said.
At one time, a $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest related to Cates' death, but the money did not seem to sway anyone who had information.
In November 2017, Gov. Kay Ivey authorized a $5,000 reward. Ralph Shoemaker, who towed away the burned truck in which Cates was found, has long offered a $5,000 reward as well, according to Stover.
For Cates' family, the wait for answers has compounded the tragedy of his death as well as the losses that followed.
His uncle, Mike Cates, died in February 2016. He was the last person to see his nephew alive and carried that burden with him until his death, according to Stover. Eric Cates' father, Wayne Cates, passed away from cancer in August 2016.
"It has been a rough four years," Stover said.
Father and son shared many interests.
Cates drove a truck for his father's company, Cates Logging. He also followed in his father's footsteps as a dirt track racer.
In 2001, the two built River Valley Speedway, a dirt track in Bremen. The name has since been changed to ECM (Eric Cates Memorial) Speedway.
Fishing was another lifelong hobby for Cates, who was raised on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River in an area known as Cates Valley.
Stover described her son as a prankster who never met a stranger.
"People have told me that he literally gave them the coat off of his back. He was a good guy," she said.
Cates had special affection for Gypsy, the English-American bulldog mix that he owned since 2004 when she was six years old.
"He never called her a dog. She was his daughter," Stover said. "She was the sweetest, stubbornest dog, and she was Eric's right hand."
In addition to renaming the speedway, Cates' family keeps his memory alive by holding a candlelight vigil each year on the date of their deaths. The first was held at the site where he died. In 2017, it was held at the speedway. Last year, it was held at the cemetery where he and Gypsy were buried.
In May, family and friends will release balloons at the race track on his birthday. The track also hosts a memorial race each year for Wayne Cates.
Stover said that she feels a kinship with other families who have waited years for answers and for justice to be served.
Her heart breaks for others like the family of Jordan Wilson, a Cullman woman who went missing in 2016. Her body has never been found. At least one search for Wilson has been conducted in Walker County.
"It's horrible knowing what we've been through to think about what they have been through not knowing. At least I know where my son is," Stover said.
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith has asked that the State Bureau of Investigation review the case of Eric Cates, a 32-year-old whose body was discovered inside a burned pickup behind the old Empire School in March 2015.
The case files were turned over to the SBI on Wednesday.
Smith said Tuesday that his office will also be cooperating with Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, whose previous attempts to assist with the investigation were rebuffed.
Cates and his family are from the Cullman area.
"He (Gentry) wants to work on the Cates case and a missing persons case on a female that they have involving Walker County. He said he feels like they are both very solvable cases, but it's going to take the cooperation of both departments," Smith said.
Cates' mother, Tobbie Stover, said she is pleased that Smith has reached out to the SBI.
The move offers a glimmer of hope to Stover, who had previously requested that an outside agency be consulted as years dragged on without an arrest.
"As many times as your balloon can be burst, mine has been. Now I have another one aired up, and we'll see how far it goes," Stover said Tuesday afternoon.
The bodies of Cates and his dog, Gypsy, were discovered on March 21, 2015, by hunters.
It took more than a month for an identification to be made and for the remains to be returned to Cates' family for burial. An autopsy could not determine the cause of death.
Tips and leads have continued to come in as recently as two weeks after Smith took office. Smith and Sgt. Chuck Tidwell traveled to Jefferson County to conduct an interview with a suspect and a polygraph was scheduled, but the individual was unable to take it for medical reasons, according to Smith.
Smith said the decision to involve the SBI is not a reflection on the investigation that Tidwell has been conducting.
"Sometimes we hit a dead end in cases and I think a fresh pair of eyes is good to look over a case and make sure that we haven't missed something," Smith said.
Eventually, Smith plans to assign someone the task of looking into the county's cold cases. A retired investigator willing to work part-time would be ideal, according to Smith.
In the meantime, Smith is willing to meet with anyone who would like to make him aware of an unsolved case involving their loved one.
Smith addressed the case of Cates first because it is one of the county's most recent cold cases and because Stover approached him during last year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week Candlelight Vigil. At the time, Smith was nearing the end of his campaign for the Sheriff's Office.
"This case isn't more important than any of the others, but we have to start somewhere," Smith said.
At one time, a $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest related to Cates' death, but the money did not seem to sway anyone who had information.
In November 2017, Gov. Kay Ivey authorized a $5,000 reward. Ralph Shoemaker, who towed away the burned truck in which Cates was found, has long offered a $5,000 reward as well, according to Stover.
For Cates' family, the wait for answers has compounded the tragedy of his death as well as the losses that followed.
His uncle, Mike Cates, died in February 2016. He was the last person to see his nephew alive and carried that burden with him until his death, according to Stover. Eric Cates' father, Wayne Cates, passed away from cancer in August 2016.
"It has been a rough four years," Stover said.
Father and son shared many interests.
Cates drove a truck for his father's company, Cates Logging. He also followed in his father's footsteps as a dirt track racer.
In 2001, the two built River Valley Speedway, a dirt track in Bremen. The name has since been changed to ECM (Eric Cates Memorial) Speedway.
Fishing was another lifelong hobby for Cates, who was raised on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River in an area known as Cates Valley.
Stover described her son as a prankster who never met a stranger.
"People have told me that he literally gave them the coat off of his back. He was a good guy," she said.
Cates had special affection for Gypsy, the English-American bulldog mix that he owned since 2004 when she was six years old.
"He never called her a dog. She was his daughter," Stover said. "She was the sweetest, stubbornest dog, and she was Eric's right hand."
In addition to renaming the speedway, Cates' family keeps his memory alive by holding a candlelight vigil each year on the date of their deaths. The first was held at the site where he died. In 2017, it was held at the speedway. Last year, it was held at the cemetery where he and Gypsy were buried.
In May, family and friends will release balloons at the race track on his birthday. The track also hosts a memorial race each year for Wayne Cates.
Stover said that she feels a kinship with other families who have waited years for answers and for justice to be served.
Her heart breaks for others like the family of Jordan Wilson, a Cullman woman who went missing in 2016. Her body has never been found. At least one search for Wilson has been conducted in Walker County.
"It's horrible knowing what we've been through to think about what they have been through not knowing. At least I know where my son is," Stover said.
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I'm listening to the podcast now. Came to WS to look for a thread and perhaps updates on the autopsy report & COD for Eric Cates. I'm only on episode 1 of SECRETS TRUE CRIME podcast so maybe I will get the info from listening patiently instead of jumping ahead and trying to find the answers!
BUMP for Eric Cates and Gypsy
‘Long time coming’: Person of interest jailed in 2015 deaths of Alabama man and dog found in burned truck
Sumiton police on Friday announced a person of interest – a 55-year-old man – is custody on unrelated charges in the 2015 deaths of Eric Cates and his bulldog-mix Gypsy. Their bodies were discovered March 21, 2015 behind the old Empire school building in Walker County,
The link in post #34 above didn't work for me. Here is another article from 2021. But no POI is named.
Sumiton Police holding a 'person of interest' in death of Eric Cates | News | cullmantimes.com
This article names the POI.
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New video at link..
May 3 2023
www.wbrc.com
''WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) -There’s new interest in a cold case in Walker County because of a true crime podcast. The case is being investigated by the Alabama Attorney General’s office.
“My life changed completely. It will never be the same,” Tobbie Stover, Eric Cates’ mother said.
For 8 years, Tobbie Stover has been living a nightmare after remains of her son Eric Cates and his dog Gypsy were found in a truck that was burned behind the old Empire school in March 2015. Just days before his death, Eric told his mom he was going to a barbeque on a Friday night.
“Of course that never happened and that barbeque turned out to be him and Gypsy being set on fire alive,” Stover said.''
May 3 2023
Secrets True Crime podcast brings new life to Walker County cold case
There’s new interest in a cold case in Walker County because of a true crime podcast. The case is being investigated by the Alabama Attorney General’s office.
“My life changed completely. It will never be the same,” Tobbie Stover, Eric Cates’ mother said.
For 8 years, Tobbie Stover has been living a nightmare after remains of her son Eric Cates and his dog Gypsy were found in a truck that was burned behind the old Empire school in March 2015. Just days before his death, Eric told his mom he was going to a barbeque on a Friday night.
“Of course that never happened and that barbeque turned out to be him and Gypsy being set on fire alive,” Stover said.''
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“The pathologist found Cates was alive when he was set on fire in his truck with his dog. Soot was found in his lungs and trachea.”
Guinevere
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I was so happy to see articles announcing an arrest when looking for updates today when catching up on Erics Case.
My prayers go out to his mother who has never given up her efforts to obtain justice for Eric & Gypsy. Glad she is finally going to get some closure and peace with these two behind bars.
abc3340.com
My prayers go out to his mother who has never given up her efforts to obtain justice for Eric & Gypsy. Glad she is finally going to get some closure and peace with these two behind bars.
Two indicted in Walker County cold case of Eric Cates
According to court documents, a grand jury indicted Joshua Franklin Hill in the death of Eric Cates.
abc3340.com
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