Trolling through the papers again...
IMHO - This may explain a few things concerning Jennifers case -
A possible alternative motive for Jennifers disappearance
Why Jennifer's case was not investigated thoroughly at the time
Why Police refused to take a Missing Persons Statement from Susan Wilmer
What was happening in the area (Hawkins Bar) at the time in 1992-1993
The local crowd.
Bear with me - long post...
_______________________________
The Hawkins Bar 8
Gary Summar's murder happened in Oct 2 1991 in Trinity County.
Although 8 people from Hawkins Bar were arrested - 15-20 people were involved...
Source: On the evening of Oct. 2, a mob of 15 to 20 people beat and stomped Summar before a smaller group dragged him away and stabbed him at least 70 times, authorities said.
14 months later....
December 27, 1992
Aftershocks of a Murder : Homeless Man's Brutal Killing Jars the Tranquillity of Rural Trinity County
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-27/news/mn-5124_1_trinity-county]L.A. Times. Read More...
HAWKINS BAR, Calif. —
They found Hop's body in the woods outside this Trinity County settlement, half-buried in a small crater beneath a toppled tree stump. He had been killed in a most horrifying way--stabbed 70 times or more, with his eyes gouged out and his left ear sliced off.
-----
Five men and three women have been charged with the killing, and--in a style befitting the region's frontier heritage--have been dubbed the "Hawkins Bar Eight."
The Encampment:
*Summar, 37, and about two dozen people had been living at the campground along the Trinity River since summer.
**In the summer and fall of 1991, investigators said, Summar shared a trailer with two of those charged with his murder--Bernard MacCarlie and his girlfriend, Barbara Adcock. The three whiled away the warm days partying with about two dozen other people camped beneath a stand of oak trees along the river, authorities said.
*Since the slaying, the camp dwellers have dispersed, but Hawkins Bar residents fear they may return or move to another of the many public and private campgrounds along Highway 299 between Redding and Eureka.
Where did all these people go?
Did some of them stay in the area camping out along the 299 Highway or on properties until 1993?
Getting work on Farms?
With the exception of the arrests of the Hawkins Bar 8 - did Jennifer eventually meetup with any others of these people involved in this murder? There would be a commonality having been living in Hawkins Bar and just hanging out in the area.
Were any of the Hawkins Bar 8 questioned as to who the other people were?
Did they know Opie, Mingo and Jennifer from Hawkins Bar (if they were living in the area around 1991)?
Summar was said to be murdered after the encampment residents thought he had molested one of the camp members children. It was investigated by Police and Summar was innocent of any doings.
The other motive suspected was to gain Summar's Disability Pension.
**But investigators believe the leaders had other motivations, such as taking Summar's disability check, Torongo said.
''The followers may have felt there was a vigilante effort, but not the leaders. That was a ruse,'' Torongo said.
Is it possible that this could be another alternative motive to why Jennifer disappeared.
Jennifer was on welfare at the time of her disappearance.
Could it be that someone was trying to get Jennifers welfare check?
Was Jennifer's welfare checks cashed after she disappeared?
Was anything not right with Jennifer's bank accounts or money?
On a side note:
Jennifer also had access to a plane ticket which was available to her at anytime if she wanted to go home to her parents. It only needed to be activated at any travel agency for her to use.
Did Jennifer tell anyone about the ticket? Did anyone other than Jennifer visit a Travel Agency at Alcata to inquire about activating that ticket?
The Missing Persons Report
At the time Jennifer went missing it seems that there had already been substantial commercial and economic damage and fallout from the publicity of Summars murder.
The prosecution case was in the half million range, and business' relied on tourism for their next dollar.
The last thing Hawkins Bar and Trinity County needed was another missing Persons case (and possible murder case) in suspicious circumstances.
JMHO - but I think Jennifers case was swept under the carpet and not acted upon by authorities due to financial and economic directives at the time.
There had been many complaints of what the cost of The Hawkins Bar 8 had done to the area - both from business owners, Police and their resource teams - Games and Fishing Authority - logging companies - Parks and Recreation ....
I think it was all about money - bad publicity - business, and those in authority who would not want the money to stop flowing and people not coming into the towns to spend their money.
On a side note: Not all the authorities were clean either - didnt ES Christie Jnr head the Fishing and Gaming at one point? Please add detail or correct me if Im wrong on that point.
**
Theirs will be the first death penalty trial in Trinity County history. Legal costs--$550,000 and rising--already have broken records, law enforcement authorities have been swamped by the complex investigation and every defense attorney in the county is tied up with the case.
-----
Other consequences are less easily measured, but worrisome nonetheless. Some business owners fear that news of the murder (edit) might scare off vacationers drawn by the area's fine fishing and stunning peaks. With the timber industry on the ropes and unemployment ranging as high as 20%, tourism is the county's last best hope for economic security.
-----
"Tourism is all we've got left up here, and news like this can really hurt," said Jeff Kohlhagen, who owns a market and bait shop in Big Bar, a wide spot in the road along the Trinity River. "It's not like we're Miami Beach. Things are weak already, so any decline and you're in big trouble."
-----
Sheriff Paul Schmidt said such repercussions would be unfortunate--and unfair.
Article links
*
AP News Oct 2 1991
**
LA Times - December 27, 1992