Bob Johnson asked by LE when he last washed the car

[NewMommy09]

I've always been interested in this tidbit of information and what it might mean. There wasn't a whole lot of discussion on this at the time, and there may not be much to discuss. On the other hand, this may be a major part of this case. I wanted to start a thread for discussion on this topic.

http://www.kpho.com/video/22349318/index.html
I did a search for the older posts about this and this is the corresponding news story I came up with. However, the video won't play for me here at work so I could not verify. If this is the wrong link, please let me know and I will edit. And if anyone has any other links that mention this info, please post them.

I have a couple of possible theory's on this:
Could it be possible that fingerprints were found on the car that don't belong to EJ or any known persons in this case? LE may have wanted to verify when the car was last washed so they could narrow down a time frame for when these prints would have been made. I think it's possible other forms of DNA were found. But I think it's more likely prints because whatever they found was obviously on the outside of the car.
I find it very interesting that they asked Bob Johnson about the car being polished. Another theory is that the car was treated with a wax or polish that was not available in AZ or TX. Stretch, I know.

Any other idea's?

ETA: Also please feel free to post any forensic information that could be related, or information from other cases that might be related to this.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Fingerprints are a good possibility. Also maybe they found a certain type of dirt/soil/clay only found in a specific area.

 

[NewMommy09]

Fingerprints are a good possibility. Also maybe they found a certain type of dirt/soil/clay only found in a specific area.

Thanks Yellow!!! That's a great theory.
I can't believe I came up with "a type of polish not used in AZ or TX", and didn't think anything about clay/dirt/soil.

I feel silly. :blushing:

 

[BeanE]

Transcribed by me from the video starting at 1:28

Reporter: Now we also heard from Bob Johnson today, Elizabeth Johnson's grandfather. He says he got a call from Tempe police asking him when was the last time that he washed Elizabeth's car, when was the last time he waxed it, what type of polish did he use. They got very specific, and he told them the last time he remembers it being washed was September.

 

[NewMommy09]

Link to some information about Botanical Forensics as it pertained to another kidnapping case.

http://www.botany.org/PlantTalkingPoints/crime.php

Note: Most likely LE's questions about the car have nothing to do with Botanical Forensics, but it's a possibility.

 

[Prof]

This news was interesting to me that day, too -- all kinds of possibilities raised in discussion

I don't know how we measure quantity around here lol, but we did fill up a few pages of thread 17 discussing this topic starting with post #532 the day the video was aired --

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735157&postcount=532"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

just a fyi

 

[TXangel]

Maybe they were trying to find out if the last coat of polish on the car matched what he normally used or if it was some other kind? If it was another kind, and the polish job looked well done they might get the idea to start checking car washes or something. They might be able to do that by matching up the brand found on the car by the brands different car washes in the area use, if that were the case.

 

[Prof]

Here are a few posts I found on this when the news aired -- the news aired the day before the mods decided to end all general threads, so thank you for bringing this topic up again for exploration, NewMommy

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735346&postcount=556"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735445&postcount=561"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735497&postcount=568"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735552&postcount=577"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735559&postcount=578"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735567&postcount=580"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735570&postcount=581"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735588&postcount=585"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735602&postcount=589"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735697&postcount=597"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735739&postcount=604"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4735754&postcount=605"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4738175&postcount=725"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4738577&postcount=750"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17[/ame]

 

[NewMommy09]

This news was interesting to me that day, too -- all kinds of possibilities raised in discussion

I don't know how we measure quantity around here lol, but we did fill up a few pages of thread 17 discussing this topic starting with post #532 the day the video was aired --

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #17

just a fyi

Thanks Prof.
I did see a few posts pertaining to this in thread 17, including yours LOL.
I just didn't have a lot of time to go back through the whole thread to catch everything. We could ask BeanE to move some of the related posts from that thread to this one. I believe you click on the post # in the upper right corner and it gives a url for that post. ETA: Nevermind, Prof saved the day already.


ETA: I guess my idea of not much discussion was due to the fact that it was only discussed by certain WSers and only for that day the video was released (I think).

 

[NewMommy09]

Prof,

You are so awesome for picking out all those posts and bringing them over.

 

[Prof]

Thanks Prof.
I did see a few posts pertaining to this in thread 17, including yours LOL.
I just didn't have a lot of time to go back through the whole thread to catch everything. We could ask BeanE to move some of the related posts from that thread to this one. I believe you click on the post # in the upper right corner and it gives a url for that post. ETA: Nevermind, Prof saved the day already.


ETA: I guess my idea of not much discussion was due to the fact that it was only discussed by certain WSers and only for that day the video was released (I think).

Yeah, I understand-- the news came right at the same time general threads were axed, so again thanks for bringing this into new light

No problem, NewMommy, you are awesome for starting this thread, and I am just doing what little I can to help

Here's a pretty out there theory -- perhaps LE were able to find fingerprints on the car that should not really be on the car if it was recently run through a car wash in TX? Say some POI's from AZ fingerprints :whistle:

IDK as a three state desert road trip would result in a fairly dirty car IMO

Hmmn was it not also rainy in TX during that time frame?
ETA do we have the weather data for the time EJ and Gabriel were in SA?

 

[NewMommy09]

Yeah, I understand-- the news came right at the same time general threads were axed, so again thanks for bringing this into new light

No problem, NewMommy, you are awesome for starting this thread, and I am just doing what little I can to help

Here's a pretty out there theory -- perhaps LE were able to find fingerprints on the car that should not really be on the car if it was recently run through a car wash in TX? Say some POI's from AZ fingerprints :whistle:

IDK as a three state desert road trip would result in a fairly dirty car IMO

Hmmn was it not also rainy in TX during that time frame?
ETA do we have the weather data for the time EJ and Gabriel were in SA?

Hmmm, that's a little different than the fingerprint theory I was pondering. But a feasible theory for sure. I know Dallas got snow during that week (I think Christmas Eve). And I'm pretty sure I've seen it posted what the weather was like that week in San Antonio somewhere here at WS.

I asked my fiance what his take is on this subject. Mind you, he's not an expert in forensic science or law or anything like that. But he does have a lot of knowledge about cars, especially older one's. He said that the top layer of paint on cars (the clear coat) is somewhat sticky and retains a type of film on it that would contain particles from places it had been. Polishing the car would strip that layer off.
He thinks law enforcement asked EJ's GF about washing and polishing the car for a time line. His theory also includes possibly botanical forensic science and also dirt/soil/clay forensic science (would that be geological forensics?). If the car was last washed and polished in September, then whatever particles are on the film, would be from about a 3 month time frame. If this theory is correct, I would be willing to wager that LE also asked him everywhere he'd been in the car in that timeframe.

 

[Prof]

I guess we are under the assumption that it was not washed in San Antonio? -- I suppose that is a good assumption, considering if it was washed in San Antonio, they wouldn't be asking about the previous wash? or perhaps they could not exactly tell if the car had been washed in SA or not because of the weather-- hmmn IDK

 

[NewMommy09]

I guess we are under the assumption that it was not washed in San Antonio? -- I suppose that is a good assumption, considering if it was washed in San Antonio, they wouldn't be asking about the previous wash? or perhaps they could not exactly tell if the car had been washed in SA or not because of the weather-- hmmn IDK

I think it could go either way at this point. I tend to lean more towards it not being washed in SA. I think my fiance's theory has a lot of merit.
But on the other side, EJ could have washed the car in SA to try to remove evidence of some kind. I have a hard time believing that she would actually wash and polish the car herself though. So it would be more likely she went to a full service wash and had it done. I still don't think she would polish it though. I really think it's not a stretch to assume the car hasn't been washed since GF washed it last September. And I just HOPE they got some good evidence off that car.

 

[NewMommy09]

I don't think that the police are analyzing the paint on Bob Johnson's car, but I wanted to post this link for reference. It does give some interesting info on Paint Forensics and also mentions the "clear coat" of paint my fiance was referring to.

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/forensic_science_mystery_writer/67513

And here is some info about car polish and polishing.

http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/80225-polishing-paint-perfection.html