GUILTY FL - Dan Markel, 41, FSU law professor, Tallahassee, 18 July 2014 - #1 *Arrests*

[dotr]

What type of person might drive a Prius?

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/the-rich-drive-differently-a-study-suggests/?_r=3

"In the San Francisco Bay Area, where the hybrid gas-and-electric-powered Toyota Prius is considered a status symbol among the environmentally conscious, the researchers classified it as a premium model.

“In our higher-status vehicle category, Prius drivers had a higher tendency to commit infractions than most,” Mr. Piff said".

 

[fasteddy8170]

Wow, to use a horrible cliche: This is getting curiouser and curiouser. So, the police have somehow tracked down the vehicle they believed was used in the murder using traffic cams. They have all this information about the vehicle--some unique things, I might add. But no picture of the person in the car and no picture of the license plate. Wow, those Tallahassee cops really know how to solve crimes.

Now that I've vented . . . given how particular the traits are of this vehicle, I'm a little surprised it hasn't been found yet. However, I guess we now know the Prius wasn't a rental vehicle. Mismatched mirrors? EZ Pass sticker? Nope, those wouldn't be on a rental. In fact, given how many things seem to be outwardly wrong with the vehicle--tow hole, sideview mirror, rearview mirror--it could be a remanufactured car. Meaning, the car was totalled by an insurance company and somebody bought it and put it together piece by piece--gathering what they could from junk yards or wherever.

The EZ Pass part of this is especially interesting. I've lived in FL for almost 4 years, although I don't live near Tallahassee. But I've been through the city enough to know you don't need an EZ Pass there--there aren't any toll roads. Now, where I live? Yes, for people who are on the highways a lot, the EZ Pass pays off. So, the EZ Pass leads me to believe whoever owns the car isn't from the Tallahassee area at all. However, it still could be that the killer is from the city.

As for the tow hole itself, I can't remember the last time I noticed a car that had its tow hole exposed. And I'm kind of a car guy. Once again, though, this tells me this car might've been towed because it was totalled at one time, and somebody towed it to a shop--someone who didn't have a flatbed to do it.

I'll have to think about all this a little more and come back later.

 

[colette]

Those tow hole caps do pop off, mine did and I had to reorder a replacement cap. My car was never towed, one day that cap was just missing.

 

[dotr]

http://www.talgov.com/tpd/news/4295.aspx[video=youtube;aQPYsaKw5qo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQPYsaKw5qo[/video]

 

[fasteddy8170]

Btw, it looks like the Prius picture clears up the question as to whether there was more than one person at Dan's house that day. The passenger seat in the picture looks empty.

 

[fasteddy8170]

https://www.sunpass.com/sunPassInstallation


This is a link to the page where there are pictures of the small SunPass. It seems to me to be about the size of the one in the Prius picture. I, of course, understand that many of these devices from different states look the same. Unfortunately I'm not in FL right at this time or I would take a look to see how many people put their Pass right in the middle of the windshield. I really never paid attention--and I don't have one so I can't say from personal experience.

I guess we have someone here who is follows the rules in applying their SunPass but also is a murderer--a unique combo. But, that the cop said that the car's owner might've not been aware the Prius was used is interesting to me. However, we still have to keep in mind: It's been almost a year of searching for this unique Prius and the police haven't found it.

 

[nancydrew71]

If this is a junk car, could it be road rage?

 

[fasteddy8170]

I'm guessing that the police didn't reveal the details of the Prius until a few days ago because they were afraid the murderer would try to cover up these unique traits of the vehicle, making the search for it quite difficult. Now that they've ventured down all avenues, they're hoping people in the last year have seen this Prius riding around. In addition, the police didn't tell the public about these additional details because they didn't want the murderer to know how much info the police had on the vehicle.

My guess is we'll know very quickly if anyone has seen the car or not. If it goes longer than a couple weeks without anyone coming forward, we can consider this a deadline as well.

 

[colette]

My guess it is the car of the shooter's girlfriend. That is my first guess, after that I will go with family member's car. Not sure any of those would know what's on the news or turn the guy in. If some other person, such as a friend to the girlfriend knows about the car/reward that might be who tells.

 

[Russian Blue]

For the record: What I said above is not meant to mean I think another Jewish person killed Dan. I'm Irish Catholic and have Waze on my phone so whoever killed him could be of any ethnicity or religious persuasion--hey, anybody can download the app. Plus, it's free.

dotr, a great distance? Well, there has been the hypothesis out there that the Prius was rented--has its owner ever been found? I don't know. As somebody somewhere said: A Prius and a murder don't seem to go together. Yes, that's a huge stereotype but there's a bit of truth in it.

As far as the app goes, you can track somebody in another state if you want, as long as you know the person's username. If coming from another state qualifies as a "great distance", then the answer is, "Yes", somebody could've come from another state if in fact this app was part of the crime. Like I said above though, lots of if's and maybe's in my theory.

I have been reading backwards on this one just having come across it today, so if this has been brought up already, my apologies. I thought about the rental too, and they do rent Prius, what I think though is that most do not come with the I PASS thing and if you brought your own you would need to get a sticker. Also a rental probably would not have a different mirror replacement after a possible accident. If they now have the actual car picture, I don't think we are dealing with a rental.

 

[cluciano63]

Jmo, random spree killers don't wait in your driveway for you to get home. He was clearly targeted.

His ex wanted to move to Miami. Dan was apparently able to block her move, due to the children. After he was murdered, she moved. That worked out well for her.

 

[fasteddy8170]

And paid assassins don't wait in their target's driveway in broad daylight either. I would also urge against the confusing of correlation and causation--every day each of us is getting things our own way despite us having nothing to do with it.

 

[Skully]

Kind of brazen to use the sun pass, they will take a picture of your plate if you go too fast and it doesn't register. I don't know how far the Sun Coast Hwy goes up, will have to check but it is on line, and a map of it and all exits and tolls if anyone wants to look into it. the pass will also have vin information and type of car, all the roads that it is used on for up to 90 days on your account.

 

[nancydrew71]

I thought that prius pulled in after he got in his driveway. That's why I thought it was road rage. If the prius had been already IN his driveway, wouldn't he have rolled down his window as he passed it and asked what this person wanted!? He said on his phone, there is a car behind me, in driveway and I don't know who it is.

 

[dotr]

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2015/07/17/timeline-events-dan-markel-case/30330707/

Timeline of events.

"In the 36 hours before Markel was killed, police believe he stopped at four Tallahassee locations, including the area of the Florida State University College of Law, the I-10/Thomasville Road corridor and his synagogue, Congregation Shomrei Torah on Kerry Forest Parkway.

July 18 - between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. - Markel drops off his two sons at Creative Preschool on Tharpe Street near Mission Road.

- About 11 a.m. - Markel is shot in the garage of his Betton Hills home."



Somewhat surprising that " the most revealing disclosure" is that the car may not have belonged to perp, imo.
In any crime where a car is used, is it not almost expected the criminal would use a stolen car?
The details concerning the car's appearance, were what i might have thought was the aha! clue.
Prius is not a car one would associate with being a " hit car ", unless perhaps it was previously hit by DM. causing a passenger mirror to break and requiring its replacement with mismatched one due to lack of funds. imo.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2015/07/17/year-still-clues-dan-markel-killing/30330539/

"The most revealing disclosure was that investigators say the car, which appears light green or silver depending on the light, might not have belonged to the person who shot Markel point-blank in the head as he sat parked behind the wheel of his Honda Accord, the driver's side window shattered."

 

[colette]

Kind of brazen to use the sun pass, they will take a picture of your plate if you go too fast and it doesn't register. I don't know how far the Sun Coast Hwy goes up, will have to check but it is on line, and a map of it and all exits and tolls if anyone wants to look into it. the pass will also have vin information and type of car, all the roads that it is used on for up to 90 days on your account.

I don't think the Sun pass was used. I think the car was photographed at a light near the murder. LE says they think that sticker on the car is a toll sticker but they have not confirmed it.

 

[dotr]

Sometimes people known for being very smart, kind, professional, and well- respected for many reasons,, ect. ect. can be selfish bone-heads in day to day life.
Stealing parking spots, taking the handicapped parking, emptying dogs on other people's property, not picking it up, scraping snow off their car and onto somebody's freshly shoveled walk, cutting you off in traffic, not using turn signal, leaving car idling whilst blocking a road to get a starbucks coffee or to drop/pick up the kids, ect. ect.

Not saying DM did any of those things, but as a busy guy, doing important things and recognized for those things, he may have behaved unknowingly or been seen, as a rude, or entitled lawyer who needed to be ' slapped down '
imo, speculation.

 

[south fishy]

Was it confirmed that the toll payer was actually a SunPass? And am I understanding correctly that the toll booth captured the Prius' photo but the pass wasn't used? I ask because if it wasn't used, it could be an EZPass, which is used in all northeast states. They are placed in the center under the rear view mirror like the pic shows. Could be why killer wasn't concerned about any info being extracted from it.

 

[Russian Blue]

Was it confirmed that the toll payer was actually a SunPass? And am I understanding correctly that the toll booth captured the Prius' photo but the pass wasn't used? I ask because if it wasn't used, it could be an EZPass, which is used in all northeast states. They are placed in the center under the rear view mirror like the pic shows. Could be why killer wasn't concerned about any info being extracted from it.

If this wasn't a professional killer he/ she may have just forgot about the toll pass thing. The other day I rented a car and did the reverse I forgot I did not have a my EZ Pass and zipped through the tolls. I got a letter in the mail from Enterprise with the toll charges to my credit card along with a fine. But my point is maybe they forgot about the toll thing. I don't think about it, since it auto charges my credit card. I use it everyday on the way to work, so it is ingrained.

 

[colette]

Was it confirmed that the toll payer was actually a SunPass? And am I understanding correctly that the toll booth captured the Prius' photo but the pass wasn't used? I ask because if it wasn't used, it could be an EZPass, which is used in all northeast states. They are placed in the center under the rear view mirror like the pic shows. Could be why killer wasn't concerned about any info being extracted from it.

From the press release:

A toll transponder similar to a Sunpass or E-pass in the center of the front windshield.

http://www.talgov.com/tpd/news/4295.aspx

Then when you watch the video, they say they can not confirm that the sticker is a toll pass.