Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors: Ann Rule's Crime Files

[Carioca]

Omg! Finally- a pic of the message on the door! Is that verified as the real door or a "reenactment" photo???? If it's real- look how high up its written!!!

Here is the message superimposed over the SDSO door photo. It's a perfect fit, thus would say it's the real McCoy.

A few observations on my part:
IMO first the following was written:
HE SAVED
YOU SAVE

Note the alignment: the HE and the YOU are aligned flush left, such as we Westerns write (the red line in perspective to the door).
The "S" appears to have been added afterwards, as well as the scrunched up CAN below it (the blue line).

The “S” on “SHE” is very different than the other S’s. (and the paint is much thinner, which doesn’t make sense if it had been the first letter written)
The CAN is smashed together, like killer didn’t plan ahead.
The “A” in CAN is different than the other A’s, has a different slant.
The “H” in HE is different than the H’s in HIM and HER.
The spacing between words is quite wide between HE SAVED and YOU SAVE, grows tighter between next words on both lines.
Note the killer ran the message over where the panel of the door rises. This indicates the original message was only 4 words, 2 words on each line.
The “y” on YOU is the only lower case letter.

Thus IMO this indicates 2 people writing and possibly 3...

Another point: writing in acrylic paint is not easy. Much easier to finger paint. This also indicates whoever was writing on the door didn't seem to feel rushed, seemed confident he/she/they would not be disturbed.

All just my humble opinion.

 

[bourne]

Omg! Finally- a pic of the message on the door! Is that verified as the real door or a "reenactment" photo???? If it's real- look how high up its written!!!

You're observant! The high height on the door of the painted words would not be a comfortable height for a barefooted 5'3" Becky to be painting. Painters tend to paint at ergonomically comfortable levels -- eye level plus/minus 2-3 inches.

The height of a standard door is 6'8". Those words look to be at over 6 feet -- much too high for a petite woman such as Becky to be painting.

Can someone determine how high the top row of the painted words are?

 

[bourne]

Here is the message superimposed over the SDSO door photo. It's a perfect fit, thus would say it's the real McCoy.

A few observations on my part:
IMO first the following was written:
HE SAVED
YOU SAVE

Note the alignment: the HE and the YOU are aligned flush left, such as we Westerns write (the red line in perspective to the door).
The "S" appears to have been added afterwards, as well as the scrunched up CAN below it (the blue line).

The “S” on “SHE” is very different than the other S’s. (and the paint is much thinner, which doesn’t make sense if it had been the first letter written)
The CAN is smashed together, like killer didn’t plan ahead.
The “A” in CAN is different than the other A’s, has a different slant.
The “H” in HE is different than the H’s in HIM and HER.
The spacing between words is quite wide between HE SAVED and YOU SAVE, grows tighter between next words on both lines.
Note the killer ran the message over where the panel of the door rises. This indicates the original message was only 4 words, 2 words on each line.
The “y” on YOU is the only lower case letter.

Thus IMO this indicates 2 people writing and possibly 3...

Another point: writing in acrylic paint is not easy. Much easier to finger paint. This also indicates whoever was writing on the door didn't seem to feel rushed, seemed confident he/she/they would not be disturbed.

All just my humble opinion.

Your graphic skills are as amazing as your sleuthing :rocker: So we know the image is a truthful one of the actual painted door.

I don't agree, however, about the multiple painters. It looks to me that there was only a single painter, and s/he was angry as heck and as another poster mentioned, under the influence. I think this painter's intoxicated state caused the painter to be hesitant at the beginning of both phrases, "SHE SAVED HIM" and "CAN YOU SAVE HER" and the words "SHE" and "CAN" are both broken up and the "CAN" is near illegible.

As a whole, the way the painted words are slanted upward to the right suggests to me a right-handed painter. The pressure of the paint against the door appears deep, strong with heavy force, indicating the painter was full of hate and resentment.

Look at the right vertical stroke on the letter "M" on the word "HIM". It looks like the painter was pressing down real hard and very long -- again in an angry manner -- on the brush whereas an impartial or indifferent painter would make both sides of the M approximately the same length and size.

This long, arched stroke of the M shows deep anger and hate in this painter -- so much so the right vertical of what should have been a line became a rounded arch, and this vertical arch is much larger, longer and more pronounced than any other letter in the entire message.

For some reason this painter emphasized this letter M. I think it was subconsciously done, as M coincidentally begins the word "Murder". In fact, "Redrum" (Backward to murder) from the movie "The Shining" also shows the letter M with the same extended right vertical.

Image from http://www.theshining2.com/images/redrum.gif

 

[Bonepile]

We have the very same door in our house (or one like it). The top of the top panel is 75 inches (6 feet 3 inches) from the floor, and if you note with both lines of writing it angles up in the words "saved him" and "save her" with the "him" and "her" at or near that 6'3" mark.

 

[K_Z]

We have the very same door in our house (or one like it). The top of the top panel is 75 inches (6 feet 3 inches) from the floor, and if you note with both lines of writing it angles up in the words "saved him" and "save her" with the "him" and "her" at or near that 6'3" mark.

My first impression when I saw that picture is that a very tall person painted those words.

Maybe even a person who is "statuesque".

 

[Carioca]

You're observant! The high height on the door of the painted words would not be a comfortable height for a barefooted 5'3" Becky to be painting. Painters tend to paint at ergonomically comfortable levels -- eye level plus/minus 2-3 inches.

The height of a standard door is 6'8". Those words look to be at over 6 feet -- much too high for a petite woman such as Becky to be painting.

Can someone determine how high the top row of the painted words are?

The eye level in the photo is deceiving due to the angle and also the top of the door having been cropped from the photo. Here is a diagram showing that RZ would have been at approx. eye level with the message.

 

[K_Z]

Awesome graphic, Carioca!! You read my mind!

A short person would have to stand very close to the door, reaching up. The shape of the words, and the height they are painted, make me think a tall person painted them. Statuesque, even.

 

[K_Z]

I'll share these for comparison, from Ann Rule's book:

 

[Inparadise]

And JS has a first cousin in NY who received a law degree magna laude from Cornell. Not suggesting this cousin was consulted. Just saying there exists legal counsel within the family beyond JS without officially retaining services.

IP please correct me on this if I'm wrong. TY

You are absolutely correct........In all the excitement, I forgot about the cousin in NY, who BTW, was at ES's Mar Mitzvah.

 

[time]

The eye level in the photo is deceiving due to the angle and also the top of the door having been cropped from the photo. Here is a diagram showing that RZ would have been at approx. eye level with the message.

I'm nearly the same height and if these dimensions are correct, then I think Rebecca could have painted this on the door. However, I've always gone by the theory that she was forced to write this by knife point or even with something around her neck (strangulation lines). Doing this under duress could also cause the strangeness in the letters painted. It would be a cunning way to get paint on Rebecca and her possible fingerprints on things and the perp(s) off. It has the added bonus of being humiliating, moreso if she was forced to do this naked.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Here is the message superimposed over the SDSO door photo. It's a perfect fit, thus would say it's the real McCoy.

A few observations on my part:
IMO first the following was written:
HE SAVED
YOU SAVE

Note the alignment: the HE and the YOU are aligned flush left, such as we Westerns write (the red line in perspective to the door).
The "S" appears to have been added afterwards, as well as the scrunched up CAN below it (the blue line).

The “S” on “SHE” is very different than the other S’s. (and the paint is much thinner, which doesn’t make sense if it had been the first letter written)
The CAN is smashed together, like killer didn’t plan ahead.
The “A” in CAN is different than the other A’s, has a different slant.
The “H” in HE is different than the H’s in HIM and HER.
The spacing between words is quite wide between HE SAVED and YOU SAVE, grows tighter between next words on both lines.
Note the killer ran the message over where the panel of the door rises. This indicates the original message was only 4 words, 2 words on each line.
The “y” on YOU is the only lower case letter.

Thus IMO this indicates 2 people writing and possibly 3...

Another point: writing in acrylic paint is not easy. Much easier to finger paint. This also indicates whoever was writing on the door didn't seem to feel rushed, seemed confident he/she/they would not be disturbed.

All just my humble opinion.

I think the S could have been the first letter and the writer realized afterwards that they needed to load up the brush with more paint.
Why wouldn't they write WITHIN the panel? That's another reason I think that they were high and angry. They just blaaaa, put it out there.
I think there is possibility that they may have written with their opposite hand, but I def. think they were high and ANGRY.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Wondering if any of the green paint was used. Was the writing all in black? ( black would certainly make more of an impact)

 

[Inparadise]

I think the S could have been the first letter and the writer realized afterwards that they needed to load up the brush with more paint.
Why wouldn't they write WITHIN the panel? That's another reason I think that they were high and angry. They just blaaaa, put it out there.
I think there is possibility that they may have written with their opposite hand, but I def. think they were high and ANGRY.

Adderall perhaps..........the immediate release variety?

 

[Gilgamesh]

I have the e book. No photos. I'm also not near a B & N. I haven't seen any of the photos contained in the book except the newly entered writing on the door.
Would someone be kind enough to include all of the photos one by one here?
I think a lot of us would like that and be most appreciative.
Hopefully, TIA.

 

[time]

Adderall perhaps..........the immediate release variety?

Did you pick this drug out because someone was on it or perhaps had easy access?

 

[deca]

It looks like the someone who did it was NOT used to painting or paintbrushes.

 

[Zinn]

I think the S could have been the first letter and the writer realized afterwards that they needed to load up the brush with more paint.
Why wouldn't they write WITHIN the panel? That's another reason I think that they were high and angry. They just blaaaa, put it out there.
I think there is possibility that they may have written with their opposite hand, but I def. think they were high and ANGRY.

Regarding painting within the panel, I will admit, I can't even imagine painting something in this way. It would not occur to me to write a large portion outside the panel like that. It just looks insane and out of control to me. However, I consulted a friend about this and she told me she would never notice such a thing and wouldn't think twice about bleeding text outside the main panel. While I'm not rejecting the notion this person could have been drunk and/or high and wouldn't normally write this way, I think it's also possible it's a personal style or personality trait thing. Some people color within the lines and some do not. Just my opinion.

 

[Inparadise]

Did you pick this drug out because someone was on it or perhaps had easy access?

I picked this drug out because one of the POIs had a script for it.

 

[Quester]

You are absolutely correct........In all the excitement, I forgot about the cousin in NY, who BTW, was at ES's Mar Mitzvah.

"Mar"? - was there discord/violence at the event? TIA

 

[Inparadise]

"Mar"? - was there discord/violence at the event? TIA

Sorry, typo.........but perhaps there was some discord/violence at the event.....I wasn't there, but a certain someone didn't look too happy in the group photo.