AL - Karen Shahan, 53, murdered, Homewood, 23 July 2013 #1

[IHAVENOCLUE]

The Rev. Richard Shahan takes administrative leave days after Homewood police question him in wife's death

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/08/the_rev_richard_shahan_takes_a.html

Interesting...

This would not be surprising... Had he made that choice immediately following the shocking, brutal death of his wife...

but the timing of this decision (right after being in jail while being interviewed by LE) is what creates some questions.... No?

:waitasec:

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

This would not be surprising... Had he made that choice immediately following the shocking, brutal death of his wife...

but the timing of this decision (right after being in jail while being interviewed by LE) is what creates some questions.... No?

:waitasec:

Most definitely! Yes.....quite interesting. I feel there is much more to be revealed here....

 

[TGIRecovered]

Most definitely! Yes.....quite interesting. I feel there is much more to be revealed here....

Right. I suspect that this paid leave might turn in to severance pay.

It's a precarious situation. If he did kill Karen or if he had knowledge that someone else planned to do it, he's got to know his goose is cooked. Desperate people do desperate things.

I hope police aren't going to let him go off on any short trips to "clear his mind" like Drew Peterson and Mark Powell did. They at least need to be tracking every move he makes until enough evidence is collected and an arrest is made.

MOO

 

[Elley Mae]

Has it been reported what the nature of the visit to the son was for? Did the dad visit the son alone before? idk I said to my hubby, hey if I want to report someone missing what would the police tell me when I called to do that? I didn't give him time to answer before I said would someone have to be missing for an amount of time before they are considered missing? Then I said if I worked with you and you didn't show up for work and I called to tell the police would they go to your house right away? I do wonder how long past her start time at work did the employee wait before calling the police? I am sure they called her cell phone first, assuming she has one. It would seem that as an employee you would have emergency contact information on file for employee's. I wonder if they tried calling her husband first. Seems he would have been her emergency contact. idk jmo

 

[ClemiFern]

This would not be surprising... Had he made that choice immediately following the shocking, brutal death of his wife...

but the timing of this decision (right after being in jail while being interviewed by LE) is what creates some questions.... No?

:waitasec:

I agree with you. I wondered on Friday evening, when he was released from custody, what might happen before Sunday morning services at First Baptist, so I was not completely surprised at this turn of events.

It appears it was posted later in the evening on Saturday...too late to hit the local news...but in time to make the announcement for this morning before church services.

I do think there will be more developing stories in the next few days. I wish I knew the scuttlebutt going around and I do know some of it but I wish I knew someone a little closer to the circle.

 

[ClemiFern]

BBM

Has it been reported what the nature of the visit to the son was for? Did the dad visit the son alone before? idk I said to my hubby, hey if I want to report someone missing what would the police tell me when I called to do that? I didn't give him time to answer before I said would someone have to be missing for an amount of time before they are considered missing? Then I said if I worked with you and you didn't show up for work and I called to tell the police would they go to your house right away? I do wonder how long past her start time at work did the employee wait before calling the police? I am sure they called her cell phone first, assuming she has one. It would seem that as an employee you would have emergency contact information on file for employee's. I wonder if they tried calling her husband first. Seems he would have been her emergency contact. idk jmo

Yes, it was reported why he was visiting his son(s). I don't know which news article reported it but it was one of the earlier ones...not the first ones...one that came a few days after the incident. I do remember that he was visiting a son in TN and one in KY. Apparently he was in KY when it happened because it was reported that someone from the church drove up to KY and brought him back down to AL when it happened.

I have wondered the same thing as you as to whether someone at Hobby Lobby tried to call him after they couldn't reach Karen. It seems like they would have but there haven't been any stories about that so we just don't know at this point.

 

[Elley Mae]

The information I want to see from the medical examiner is time of death.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Elley Mae, your post got me to thinking that maybe the employee who reported her missing actually had tried to call or text Karen earlier in the morning or late the night before. If I had a friend from work who didn't answer I would probably wait to see if she showed for work before thinking foul play.

I really think there was more to it than just missing work. I think that Karen had a friend who was already concerned for her and who was keeping in touch with her each day. I've done that for a friend before.

MOO

 

[Elley Mae]

A co-worker of Shahan said many of them were just learning of her death this morning and said they are sad. They said they weren't allowed to discuss it further, and referred calls to the company's home office.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/07/woman_found_slain_in_homewood.html

bbm, Discuss what? Things that make me go hmmm

 

[TGIRecovered]

Oops!

 

[LambChop]

A co-worker of Shahan said many of them were just learning of her death this morning and said they are sad. They said they weren't allowed to discuss it further, and referred calls to the company's home office.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/07/woman_found_slain_in_homewood.html

bbm, Discuss what? Things that make me go hmmm

I would imagine LE instructed them not to discuss if further until they had a chance to take statements from those she worked with independent of one another. First question might be was Karen having problems with anyone at work or was there any incidents with a customer, etc. jmo

 

[al66pine]

I would imagine LE instructed them not to discuss if further until they had a chance to take statements from those she worked with independent of one another. First question might be was Karen having problems with anyone at work or was there any incidents with a customer, etc. jmo

As LambChop imagined above, I can see, that LE might instruct H/L E'ee's not to discuss further.

But would a H/L E'ee, approached by media, say "I can't say anything further. Call the H/L home office" -- unless H/L home office or local store mgr. passed that down the chain of command?

Possibly both LE & H/L requested H/L E'ee's not discuss further.

 

[LambChop]

As LambChop imagined above, I can see, that LE might instruct H/L E'ee's not to discuss further.

But would a H/L E'ee, approached by media, say "I can't say anything further. Call the H/L home office" -- unless H/L home office or local store mgr. passed that down the chain of command?

Possibly both LE & H/L requested H/L E'ee's not discuss further.

I would think LE would want to interview employees first. The home office of HL may not have wanted their store flooded with people who just wanted information which would interfere with their normal business transactions. Just a guess but that is what I would have told my employees....no comment at this time. jmo

 

[ClemiFern]

Here's something I've been wondering: Did RS stay with his son and his son's family while in KY or did he stay in a hotel? It has been reported that the son in KY has a wife and 2 children so was he staying at their home? To me, that would make it near impossible for him to be the actual killer because they would probably know if he was there the entire night.

IF he was staying in a hotel/motel, that would be a different story but nowadays, even a hotel employee or a security camera might have noticed/ caught him leaving in the early evening or coming back in the wee hours of the morning.

I know LE knows the answer to this already but sure wish we knew.

 

[meanmaryjean]

A co-worker of Shahan said many of them were just learning of her death this morning and said they are sad. They said they weren't allowed to discuss it further, and referred calls to the company's home office.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/07/woman_found_slain_in_homewood.html

bbm, Discuss what? Things that make me go hmmm

I imagine the reason they cannot discuss a co-worker with the media is a HR policy. Nothing nefarious- it is a common policy at many, many places.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Here's something I've been wondering: Did RS stay with his son and his son's family while in KY or did he stay in a hotel? It has been reported that the son in KY has a wife and 2 children so was he staying at their home? To me, that would make it near impossible for him to be the actual killer because they would probably know if he was there the entire night.

IF he was staying in a hotel/motel, that would be a different story but nowadays, even a hotel employee or a security camera might have noticed/ caught him leaving in the early evening or coming back in the wee hours of the morning.

I know LE knows the answer to this already but sure wish we knew.

It has never been said he was in KY when she was killed, it has been stated that he was in KY when she was found. Two entirely different times methinks!

 

[ClemiFern]

It has never been said he was in KY when she was killed, it has been stated that he was in KY when she was found. Two entirely different times methinks!

You are correct and only LE and the Shahan family know the answer to this. Again, though, don't you think his son and family would be the first to contradict his alibi. I mean, maybe he was in Franklin, TN with the other son or maybe he told that son he was staying in a hotel for the night, registered at the hotel and drove back to AL, did the crime, went back to hotel, checked out then drove 4 hours to Ft. Campbell...it would have cut some time off the 8 hr round trip drive IF he did drive from Franklin, TN to do it.

There are several ways he could have done this himself but IMO, they all hinge on timing and the fact that his whole trip revolved around visiting his sons and family. At least that's what has been reported. Maybe he had other business in addition to visiting the families. Again, I'm sure it's something LE knows but we still only know that he went on the trip to visit his children and family.

 

[LambChop]

You are correct and only LE and the Shahan family know the answer to this. Again, though, don't you think his son and family would be the first to contradict his alibi. I mean, maybe he was in Franklin, TN with the other son or maybe he told that son he was staying in a hotel for the night, registered at the hotel and drove back to AL, did the crime, went back to hotel, checked out then drove 4 hours to Ft. Campbell...it would have cut some time off the 8 hr round trip drive IF he did drive from Franklin, TN to do it.

There are several ways he could have done this himself but IMO, they all hinge on timing and the fact that his whole trip revolved around visiting his sons and family. At least that's what has been reported. Maybe he had other business in addition to visiting the families. Again, I'm sure it's something LE knows but we still only know that he went on the trip to visit his children and family.

Now this is what is a mystery to me. Someone from the church had to go get him in KY. He was there to help move his son back home to AL. If this is the case did he have his own car with him? When you are helping someone move you don't always bring your own car if you plan to help. In other words, was he planning on riding or driving back in his son's car? jmo

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Some Obsevations/comments/questions:

1. It was reported by BiB (Sleuther) that RS was helping the son in Franklin, TN to move back into the home so he could continue going to college in AL...
I am not sure if this has been verified, though...

2. It will be interesting to find out if RS was staying with his sons... Or staying in a motel/hotel.... while he was visiting with them... Surveillance video would give this info of his whereabouts...

3. there was something else... But I lost my track of thought...:giggle:

JMO

 

[ClemiFern]

BBM

Now this is what is a mystery to me. Someone from the church had to go get him in KY. He was there to help move his son back home to AL. If this is the case did he have his own car with him? When you are helping someone move you don't always bring your own car if you plan to help. In other words, was he planning on riding or driving back in his son's car? jmo

Was it the one in the army and his family that was moving back to AL? I thought I read that it was the one in TN...the single son... but I have read so much, it's all running together. The son in KY has a wife and 2 children and he's in the army...at least I think that's what was reported.

I don't know what he drives but maybe a pickup or an SUV so he could help with moving some household items. I assumed that when the people from the church drove up to get RS on the day KS was found, that one of them probably drove his vehicle back to Bham and he rode with the other person from the church....if there was 2 or more that went.

So many unanswered questions!!!