Deceased/Not Found CA - Sierra LaMar, 15, Morgan Hill, 16 March 2012 #4 *A. Garcia-Torres guilty*

[jessieann]

When I first read of the "secreted" bag I thought she had hidden the bag there with intentions of coming back later to get it OR she hid it there for a friend.

I used to hide my rain boots in a lot on the way to school because I was ashamed of them. I would pick them up on the way home and put them back on. If she was NOT supposed to be wearing something per her mom or if she was changing in to something more suitable for going elsewhere - she could have left her bag "secreted" away with the intent of getting changed back in to her regular clothes later that day.

Possibly she was only going to be gone for the day or maybe the weekend and was going to meet somebody and was wearing something "grown up" and once the media caught wind of her disappearance, she was afraid to contact her family. She may be hiding out due to fear or guilt.

Ive been thinking this too. Sierra reminds me a bunch of myself when i was in high school. My parents moved me from one town to a new one right in the middle of my JR. year. Before moving i was a cheerleader/dancer, in the popular group, etc. I'm sure i didn't show it to everyone but i was depressed, lonely, hurt, did some drugs, (we didn't have things like tumblr to post to but i showed signs.) I even disappeared for a few days. No one knew where i was or where to find me, I had some friends that no one knew about and that's where i went. I called my parents after a day to let them know i was ok.
But what i'm trying to get at here, is that its very possible that she wanted to get away for a while, maybe to feel wanted, maybe just to get away.. who knows.. I can only hope and pray that this is the situation, and not worse...

All MOO, JMO, and all that jazz

 

[nutkin]

How is that working out for them?
I only ask because we have seen many, many cases where LE keeps it all to themselves and yet never seem to find the victim or solve the case...JMO of course...

Anyway, they are getting all kinds of reports about alleged abductions anyway-which LE is saying are unfounded. People always seem to report these things when something happens.

I am not buying it, personally, that they are "communicating" with the alleged abductor...I just don't think they know what they have here.

JMO of course...but I DO think LE needs to let the public the know if they have any evidence of a stranger abduction of a minor.

Even if they were to let the public know, it wouldn't change anything. People should always be vigilant because stranger abductions can occur at any time. By holding a press conference and stating the obvious, that isn't going to make anyone safer.

 

[katydid23]

So wouldn't that rule out her being the one who dumped the bag?

Not if she had thrown it from a car. [ Which I doubt.]

I don't think she was the one who threw it.

When I saw the picture of dogs out in the field searching it looked to me like they were also looking for her body. [ hate to type that.] But that had to cross their minds as well. imo

 

[cluciano63]

Even if they were to let the public know, it wouldn't change anything. People should always be vigilant because stranger abductions can occur at any time. By holding a press conference and stating the obvious, that isn't going to make anyone safer.

That depends on if Sierra "met" a stranger on the internet, for example...there can never be enough reminders to the public about the dangers of that, in my opinion. Also, if she WAS taken by a complete stranger, perhaps they should be talking about the idea of children having bus stops where they are the only student, things like that. There are some things that would need to be looked at, IMO. And lots of people do not pay close attention to these stories, as we do here. They may see it and think "oh, she probably ran off" and never go back to it. If LE knows there is a perp, I think they need to address it, and again, JMO.

 

[nutkin]

That depends on if Sierra "met" a stranger on the internet, for example...there can never be enough reminders to the public about the dangers of that, in my opinion. Also, if she WAS taken by a complete stranger, perhaps they should be talking about the idea of children having bus stops where they are the only student, things like that. There are some things that would need to be looked at, IMO. And lots of people do not pay close attention to these stories, as we do here. They may see it and think "oh, she probably ran off" and never go back to it. If LE knows there is a perp, I think they need to address it, and again, JMO.

If people aren't paying attention to the story, they aren't going to catch the warning.

Also, people should be addressing children waiting at a bus stop by themselves anyway. And the walking to school by themselves (in my area)...there are FOUR YEAR OLDS walking to school alone here!!

I think any reasonable person knows that children are abducted. In this day and age, if you have a TV or the internet or even a radio, you know. If you've not taught your children about this, you've dropped the ball. I've always reminded my kids every single time we've left the house.

 

[Gem2626]

Not if she had thrown it from a car. [ Which I doubt.]

I don't think she was the one who threw it.

When I saw the picture of dogs out in the field searching it looked to me like they were also looking for her body. [ hate to type that.] But that had to cross their minds as well. imo

Ahh yeah right. That scenario doesn't sit right with me either.

 

[Sjsleuth83]

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/morgan-hill-santa-clara-sheriff-sgt-jose-cardoza/vGfDT/

Initial news report stated she may be wearing a gray Shark's sweatshirt. (I assume they got this information from her mother). This would seem to be different than the "shirt" found in the bag.

 

[Niner]

WOW! way behind again... :banghead: LOL!

The tweet was from the "web" at 6:29 am.
The txt was from home on her cell to a "friend" at 7:11am
from what I understand.
moo

anyway - jumping off your post...

Can they (LE) tell if maybe she was walking down her driveway at 7:11am sending the text? They say "from home", but couldn't it also be from her driveway?? Just a thought!

 

[LisaB]

Pink stands out. It is not a color found in nature.

This confuses me. My hydrangea blooms pink, so does my nectarine tree, several varieties of my tulips, and one of my rose bushes. Not to mention things like crown vetch which often spreads quickly over open fields.

Pink is a fairly common color in flora, as far as I know.

 

[Sjsleuth83]

One other intersting thought based on this news broadcast.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/morgan-hill-santa-clara-sheriff-sgt-jose-cardoza/vGfDT/

I beleive it was from Saturday a day before they found her purse. At the end they state that ground and air searches will end unless more evidence if found.

Im just pointing out the possibility that the purse was placed (more likely thrown at night by a travelling vehicle) their after this news broadcast to extend investigations.

 

[sindydee]

If SAR dogs have been taken to where the bag was found wouldn't they be able to pick up her scent there or would her scent be transferable because of the bag? Basically, is there anyway of telling if she herself was there?

I read somewhere that they found no scent around the phone or the bag. I'll have a look for the link.

 

[LisaB]

I'll have to find the link but I do believe LE stated they were "freshly laundered" in the presser after finding the juicy bag. On my phone so it may take a min!

I think that LE would have answered "no" to the question of the clothing having urine on it if it was freshly laundered. To me, once it has been peed on, it is no longer freshly laundered, y'know? No matter WHO did the peeing (i.e. if she wet herself or if the perp peed into her bag to make the items unusable?).

 

[gngr~snap]

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/morgan-hill-santa-clara-sheriff-sgt-jose-cardoza/vGfDT/

Initial news report stated she may be wearing a gray Shark's sweatshirt. (I assume they got this information from her mother). This would seem to be different than the "shirt" found in the bag.

I knew I had heard that once before! IMO I think this one.

~jmo

 

[GrainneDhu]

"neatly folded" could also refer to the positioning of the clothes inside the bag (tossed or not)

re: not wadded up, inside out, akimbo, etc...

I think it was sarx (???) who said to think of the way your luggage comes off of an airplane after being thrown all around by baggage handlers... the clothing is still folded. (if it wasn't sarx than thanks to whomever else posted that thought)

jmhoo, but I think the bag was tossed from a car, as was the phone, on the egress :moo:

I think you and sarx are correct.

Going from the picture of the bag, it was on the large side but definitely not large enough to put a laptop into. I think with pants, T-shirt, undies, book(s) and "personal items" the bag would be packed snugly.

I asked my niece to bring down her Juicy Couture bag. While it is not the same model, the hardware on her bag is sturdy and would not be easily ripped or torn open. It's actually a pretty well made bag. The stitching is even and well secured, there's no ravelly bits, etc.

Not that my niece would ever let me conduct the experiment with her bag but I could easily see it surviving a toss from a moving vehicle, particularly into high weeds.

 

[GrainneDhu]

I think all of this depends on what type of perp we have - organized or disorganized. If this was a stalker, then they'd have to be organized and thus, everything is planned out. The placement of the phone and purse mean something. If it is a disorganized offender, then she was a victim of chance and they just ditched her stuff as a way of getting rid of evidence. If we have the latter type, we can't rule out the offender not realizing the purse was even in the car and suddenly noticing it on his way back to the area and tossing it then.

I don't think tossing the cellphone and bag out the window along a fairly busy road necessarily indicates a disorganised perp.

An organised perp may well have rehearsed the most efficient way to conduct the abduction, including tossing practise items out the window (ordinary sorts of trash items that wouldn't draw undue attention if found, such as partially full water bottle). They'd have a checklist of tasks and what order to accomplish them.

If you consider that escape is among the priorities of an organised perp, then tossing the cellphone and bag was certainly effective in accomplishing it.

 

[jessieann]

563 Volunteers have showed up... wow.. thats amazing!!!!! sending prayers that way!!!!

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Overwhelming-Turnout-in-Sierra-LaMar-Search-144394955.html

 

[houndstooth]

This confuses me. My hydrangea blooms pink, so does my nectarine tree, several varieties of my tulips, and one of my rose bushes. Not to mention things like crown vetch which often spreads quickly over open fields.

Pink is a fairly common color in flora, as far as I know.

No you are not confused. You were just thinking of your flower bed at home.
I was thinking of roadside grass and brush.
It is varying shades of green and brown.
If you see pink, your eye is drawn to it naturally.
Because it stands out.

Anyway, your post was awesome.

 

[LisaB]

How is one able to deduce who folded the clothes by how they were folded?:waitasec:

When I met my ex, he folded jeans the way his mom had. They all had creases down the fronts of the legs, because she lined up the side seams and draped them over a hangar. I lay jeans out flat, fold one side over the other, and then fold in thirds, whith the pants leg hem folded up inside and the back pocket visible so I can see what is what.

I always folded T-Shirts like my mother did. I laid them flat, face down, folded them in half lengthwise, then in half top to bottom. My ex taught me to fold like they do in retail shops, so you don't have a crease down the front of your shirt, and can see the entire design in the drawer.

Just an example. Different people fold things differently.

 

[LinasK]

How is one able to deduce who folded the clothes by how they were folded?:waitasec:

You can't. I just think it's more likely Sierra folded her clothes, because I've seen several true crime TV programs where the rape victim had neatly folded her clothes by the side of the bed.

 

[sindydee]

I haven't been following this case for very long, but I had a couple thoughts while reading up on this case and then looking at her social media added a few more, but in all of the available info there is one thing that really stands out IMO.
The most eye catching thing to me so far is the finding of her bag and then the delay in reporting that a bag was found. Some reports suggest that her parents did confirm the contents of the bag were hers, while other reports suggest that LE did not reveal this find because it took them awhile to confirm the bag was hers. This is the first red flag IMO. Keeping in mind LE already had a good idea what items to be looking for and they were going to verify it's contents regardless of her family telling them that the items are hers. You find the bag, check for anything unusual, if nothing unusual you immediately try to verify it is hers (showing to her parents may be a way a quick and easy way.) If you do find something unusual, you then take the necessary steps to ensure that information does not come out right away. After four days of holding onto the bag, there may have been some trepidation in even releasing that find. To make it seem more obscured, LE seems to be playing a little game with the bag and its contents through the media. It could of been, her bag was found but we do not wish to discuss that any further at this time, but that is not what we are being offered.
The timing of releasing that her bag was found and the timing of reports of the FBI becoming involved is not a coincidence. I fear this case has taken a turn for the worst because the FBI does not get involved in suspected runaways, but they do get involved in suspected abductions.
IMO there is certainly something going on with this bag, it does not appear to be as simple as her bag was tossed and that is all we know. Also, I think it would be a safe assumption that her friends at school would know when/why she carried extra clothes with her, did she usually have another purse/bag with her, etc... I also wonder if she had a habit of sharing clothes or other items that could be found in a purse with her friends, that bag could be a buffet of evidence, probably most of it not in any way related to her being missing.
Then we add in the other discrepancy of the bag being tossed or secreted away and I would say this bag may hold more clues than the public is being led to believe. Here is the quote (from a news clip) from LE on the Nancy Grace show- The reason the information wasn`t immediately made available to the public was because we had to confirm that the clothes did belong to Sierra, and we had to do some further investigative follow-up on that. Through confirmation from Sierra`s family and through some of the investigative efforts, we have now confirmed that those clothes and the bag did belong to Sierra.-
Take notice to the descriptions that LE was giving about the bag the next 2-3 days after the info was public. The array of attributed quotes from LE is the they found a bag and confirmed it was hers, another reported quote says they found the juicy brand bag and clothes inside, another report said juicy brand bag and clothes folded neatly inside, another report said neatly folded clothes with bra and underwear inside the purse. (Many other MSM articles are floating around.)
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/22/clothes-found-in-bag-belong-to-missing-
california-teen-police-say/
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Search-for-Missing-Sierra-LaMar-Intensifies-
Saturday-144108536.html
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1203/23/ng.01.html
Okay, so let me try to recap what is being said here. LE says that they had found her bag (keeping in mind this particular type of bag is not commonly found laying in the ditch/grass and they were already aware she had a similar bag) and it took them four days to confirm it was her's, through her family AND through investigative efforts. In the Nancy Grace interview, several days after the LE release of info, her mother claims to have not seen this bag after it was found.
What would make sense to me, is if there was some type of obvious evidence found on the bag/clothes and LE wanted to make sure they were ahead of the game before they released that info. Otherwise, you just have a bag with clothes that anyone in LE/searchers with basic information on this case would say there is a 99% chance that is her bag right away.
Is anyone else sensing a vibe that LE is trying to send out mixed messages about this
bag? What possible messages could they be sending out about this bag. Most likely
something they think that only the abductor may understand? I think where there is
smoke, there is fire.

I agree with this. There is more to the bag than we have heard.

I would have thought the easiest way to identify the bag would be to show her mother and ask her to identify the items. The mother hasn't seen the bag according to her statements on the Nancy Grace show. why?

Also no one can say for sure what she was wearing on the morning, so if you found a bag with clothes in that she may have been wearing it makes sense to show the items to the public in case it helps to jog anyone's memory.

The other thing is what was found in the bag or on the clothing? At the press conference when asked the urine question they were unable to comment.

If there was nothing on them they surely would have said this.

Unless they have something to hold back you imagine that they would just say "We found a bag of with clothes and books in it and have determined it belonged to her. She MAY have been wearing these clothes on the morning she disappeared" and show the items to the public.

Just thinking out loud.