Evidence

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

If I were LE, I would really wonder why he was OUTSIDE the house waiting for their arrival...The only time I could see that being approrpriate is if one's house was burglarized, or something like that...Since he reported his wife as being "hurt", rather than "deceased", WHY WASN'T HE IN THE ROOM WITH HER, unless he was "finished with her", if ya know what I mean...

I was thinking that he could have been running in and out, checking on her - looking for them. But that would totally depend on where Kaiden was. Had Raven checked the house while waiting for LE? Could he have known that the perp was no longer in the house? Raven seems to love Kaiden so much that I find it VERY difficult to believe that he would be so focused on Janet or waiting for LE that he would forget about Kaiden in his crib, especially considering that whomever had been there was a brutal murderer. If Kaiden was in his crib, it would seem to me that Raven was either hysterical in his mind, or he felt that there was no danger to the baby.

 

[SouthEastSleuth]

Reading your post made me go back to one of the earliest details that we knew ... that Raven stated that Janet had been shot. I'm trying to think of how I might react or what I might say to 911. And if I was too freaked out to go near the body to determine for sure that it was a gunshot, I would most likely say something like "my wife is hurt - she's got a big wound on her chest - I can't tell if she's been shot or stabbed but there's a lot of blood - please come quickly". I can't say what Raven would say in the same circumstances if he's not the perp but I can tell you that he really set himself up to look like the perfect suspect, IMO. Stating that Janet was shot when she was actually stabbed is probably the number one thing that makes me suspect Raven. It's just too damned convenient, and definitely seems like something Raven would say, thinking that it would make LE think he's innocent. It seems just like Raven ... a pretty smart idea in theory but one that had he given it more thought, he might have realized that it wasn't the brightest thing to do or say after all. JMO.

I've often wondered about this too. The warrant even mentions that LE thought they were responding to a gun shot. When the first officer arrived, Raven told him that his wife was upstairs hurt (according to the warrant). This is nit-picky for sure, and speculative as well, but the semantics bother me a little. If you thought she was upstairs and had been shot, wouldn't you say to the office, my wife's been shot, she's upstairs, as opposed to, "she's hurt?" I mean in emotions of a moment like that, which I hope I NEVER have to experience, who knows what a person will say or so...but I always found it odd...

 

[SouthEastSleuth]

Someday, I suppose not until a trial - I eagerly look forward to hearing that 911 call....

 

[Timex]

Ive been going back over the blood evidence...what little there is. Could just be the wording, but it doesnt say there was blood splatter on the walls, its says "stain". A stain to me would be from where someone or something that had blood on it brushed against the wall. There was also blood found on a door, right? This tells me that whoever the perp was, he/she had blood on them. It also tells me they most likely had contact with the body, and not just splatter on their clothes. I read somewhere that the carpet had been removed from the steps. Perhaps there were footprints on the carpet?

 

[SouthEastSleuth]

Ive been going back over the blood evidence...what little there is. Could just be the wording, but it doesnt say there was blood splatter on the walls, its says "stain". A stain to me would be from where someone or something that had blood on it brushed against the wall. There was also blood found on a door, right? This tells me that whoever the perp was, he/she had blood on them. It also tells me they most likely had contact with the body, and not just splatter on their clothes. I read somewhere that the carpet had been removed from the steps. Perhaps there were footprints on the carpet?

All great points.

But playing devil's advocate a second -

We do NOT know if Janet was actually stabbed IN the bedroom either, simply that that's where they found her body.

Is it possible that she was stabbed DOWNSTAIRS, at least initially, got blood on the door while trying to escape, THEN ran upstairs (leaving blood on the stairs), ran into the bedroom, was against the wall at some point, leaving the stain, and THEN fell to the floor??

 

[Timex]

All great points.

But playing devil's advocate a second -

We do NOT know if Janet was actually stabbed IN the bedroom either, simply that that's where they found her body.

Is it possible that she stabbed DOWNSTAIRS, at least initially, got blood on the door while trying to escape, THEN ran upstairs (leaving blood on the stairs), ran into the bedroom, was again the wall at some point, leaving the stain, and THEN fell to the floor??

Yep..it is possible. But, since LE is saying it wasnt random, Im assuming they are saying no signs of a struggle. If someone had chased her through the house, surely something would have gotten knocked over etc?

 

[SouthEastSleuth]

Yep..it is possible. But, since LE is saying it wasnt random, Im assuming they are saying no signs of a struggle. If someone had chased her through the house, surely something would have gotten knocked over etc?

Yes, true, but if LE suspected Raven from the start, then there could be signs of a struggle, etc., that we know nothing about...and that the crime would still be reported as being "not random."

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Thanks, just the color purple seems strange to me for a mans shirt. Maybe it wasnt really "purple". I assume the police officers were male, which would mean they would call anything that came close as being purple. Then again, maybe Raven liked strange colors.

Raven seems to like being in the latest fashions and believe it or not, for those of you that don't know, pink is the newest "gangsta" color. Teenaged boys are wearing all sorts of pink shirts, hats, etc. now so I don't think that purple is that way off in the current male fashions. How large is 16 - 16 1/2. Would that be something that would be too large for Janet to wear? Sometimes women will wear men's shirts to bed but for her to be the owner of a Pierre Cardin dress shirt that's too big ... that's a different story. She most likely wouldn't have purchased it as a cozy nightshirt, and if it was too big, she wouldn't dress that way for work - in an oversized shirt with the sleeves hanging beyond her fingertips. I don't know men sizes so maybe someone who does can consider these things.

As for the shoes, I would assume that they took all of these shoes to see if there might be any evidence on any of them. LE would be aware that Raven might have changed clothes after arriving home. It could also be a blood spatter issue since if I'm remembering correctly, in the pictures of Raven and Kaiden at the desk in that bedroom/office, isn't there a closet behind him with clothing in it? Perhaps the shoes were also kept in that closet?

Finally, if Raven was so hysterical when talking to Janet's family, and was intermittently hysterical at the funeral, I can't help but wonder how he sounded on that 911 call. I desperately want to hear the 911 call!!!

 

[golfmom]

Wasn't it the bedroom that was converted into an office area where Janet was found? I was thinking it would have been the same room that is pictured here ....

http://www.ravenstree.com/images/Kaiden Images/IMGA0426.JPG

 

[Timex]

Right, but here's what I was thinking when I posted. If someone were chasing me through the house with a knife, I would be pulling things down behind me as I ran, in an attempt to slow them down. The things I pulled over would also have blood on them. Since we didnt see anything about chairs with blood, tables with blood etc, I assume this wasnt the case? Again, Im just basing my speculation on what I think I may have done in this situation, as it's all I really have to base my speculation on at this time.

I am torn about if I would run upstairs where my baby was or not. Part of me thinks I would stay as far away from my baby as possible, in hopes of the perp not finding him...and part of me thinks my first instinct would be to get to my baby to protect them.

Of course, if she were already in the bedroom when the attack occured, then none of that would apply.

 

[SouthEastSleuth]

Wasn't it the bedroom that was converted into an office area where Janet was found? I was thinking it would have been the same room that is pictured here ....

http://www.ravenstree.com/images/Kaiden%20Images/IMGA0426.JPG

Hi GM!

I do remember discussion about that BR/office as the site where Janet was found...but, do we know that for sure? The warrant just states an upstairs bedroom.

 

[Timex]

Wasn't it the bedroom that was converted into an office area where Janet was found? I was thinking it would have been the same room that is pictured here ....

http://www.ravenstree.com/images/Kaiden Images/IMGA0426.JPG

Ahhh then this bring us back to the computer issue. I am 99% sure law enforcement has, or had that computer. If we assume the story about a co-worker emailing, IM'ing or whatever is true, LE would have taken the computer first IMO. Since they would then know the computer was a normal means of communication for Janet. One of the first things they would have wanted to do was check her online activity, IMO.

 

[golfmom]

MY SPECULATION ONLY.

I thought that Janet was already upstairs, possibly on the computer. She was attacked and killed there. The blood found elsewhere was from the murderer.

That might account for why the co-worker was disturbed hearing a report of a murdered woman and concerned because Janet didn't respond.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

All great points.

But playing devil's advocate a second -

We do NOT know if Janet was actually stabbed IN the bedroom either, simply that that's where they found her body.

Is it possible that she was stabbed DOWNSTAIRS, at least initially, got blood on the door while trying to escape, THEN ran upstairs (leaving blood on the stairs), ran into the bedroom, was against the wall at some point, leaving the stain, and THEN fell to the floor??

When people fall or pass out, they typically fall forward, landing face-down. Janet was face-up when LE arrived.

The blood on the door and the wall are interesting in that I wonder the height of the stains. Were they hand-level, and for what height person? Were they at the same level as any of Janet's injuries, etc.?

By the way, SES, I thoroughly enjoy your posts. While they are lengthy, every word is important, and takes us clearly through the thought process. I, for one, think they're perfect just as they are.

 

[Timex]

MY SPECULATION ONLY.

I thought that Janet was already upstairs, possibly on the computer. She was attacked and killed there. The blood found elsewhere was from the murderer.

That might account for why the co-worker was disturbed hearing a report of a murdered woman and concerned because Janet didn't respond.

Ive thought about that, and here's why I dont think it happened that way...just my thoughts...and I realize we dont have all of the info. When I read of the swabbings that were taken...there is no mention of them swabbing a computer, keyboard, mouse etc. If she had been on the computer at the time, I would think that would be one of the first things they would have done?

 

[SouthEastSleuth]

Question for NCBanker -


I recall that when you went to the house, you said you looked in the window, and you reported here that the carpet was missing from the staircase. Do you recall by any chance noticing if there was carpet on the floor in the rooms you could see? I just wonder if the carpet on the stairs was the only carpet that had been removed from the house (either by the owner, or, by LE)....

 

[golfmom]

Ive thought about that, and here's why I dont think it happened that way...just my thoughts...and I realize we dont have all of the info. When I read of the swabbings that were taken...there is no mention of them swabbing a computer, keyboard, mouse etc. If she had been on the computer at the time, I would think that would be one of the first things they would have done?

If the computer was still there. They said in the request for the search warrant that they wanted computer files, etc. and it never made it into the recovered items. Maybe they have it and it wasn't listed, or maybe it wasn't there at all. :waitasec:

 

[Timex]

If the computer was still there. They said in the request for the search warrant that they wanted computer files, etc. and it never made it into the recovered items. Maybe they have it and it wasn't listed, or maybe it wasn't there at all. :waitasec:

Right, but if it wasnt, IMO, that would be more than enough reason to at least detain Raven for questioning. LE would obviously know at that point someone had taken/gotten rid of a computer.

 

[Timex]

To me, law enforcement has to have some idea as to if Raven was being truthful that night. Was the hood to his vehicle warm, to indicate he had indeed just gotten home? This is the type of thing I have to assume they at least made note of. If the vehicle was completely cool, it would show he had either never left the home that night, or...he waited quite a while before calling 911 when he did get home.

 

[golfmom]

Right, but if it wasnt, IMO, that would be more than enough reason to at least detain Raven for questioning. LE would obviously know at that point someone had taken/gotten rid of a computer.

I agree, but I believe that initially they may have been looking at a number of senarios, including burglary. Something must have made them rule that out when the released that this was not a random murder. Raven may not have been *capable* in LE's opinion to be seriously interviewed that evening.