FL - Somer Thompson, 7, Orange Park, 19 Oct 2009 #24

[Noway]

TIA but how do you know the party pix are from 2003/2004 when they are dated 01/29/2005?

 

[sorrell skye]

Noway - may I please have a sugar cookie? I promise I'll save it til after dinner! Thank you!

I wanted to respond to several posters' comments regarding the cause & manner of death.

This is not my field of expertise (in terms of profession), but more an academic understanding (thanatology - study of death). In terms of manner of death, (here comes a new acronym) there are five different categories - NASHU.

N - natural cause(s)
A - accident
S - suicide
H - homicide
U - undetermined cause

LE has not released the cause of death. But we know the manner of death, because they have ruled it a homicide.

They announced it as a homicide very soon after they recovered the body, before the autopsy was complete (IIRC). Which leads me to believe the fatal injuries the victim sustained were obvious, rather than insidious.

Someone posted a comment speculating on a dog attack - in which case the manner of death would likely be accident, not homicide, and LE wouldn't be looking for a "child killer". Besides which, a fatal dog attack would be apparent, in terms of wounds.

Someone else posted possibly poisoning (in a previous thread, I think). Again, that would not be apparent immediately.

My belief is that since LE ruled it a homicide so quickly, there must have been obvious fatal injury to the victim's body to lead them to that immediate conclusion - obvious fatal injury that would not be confused with injury sustained during possible trash compaction.

What kinds of fatal injuries are obvious to the naked eye?

 

[JLMcKenna83]

What kinds of fatal injuries are obvious to the naked eye?

RSBM...

Blunt force trauma
Strangulation
Stabbing?
Gun shot wounds?

 

[sorrell skye]

I want to also add that even if a homicide is accidental (IOW not intentional) it is still a homicide.

 

[Tom'sGirl]

They put crime scene tape around my house when it caught on fire.. to keep people out.. although it wasnt a crime scene.. I think they use the same tape for alot of reasons, mostly for no trespassing.

My house was also taped off, but it wasn't Crime tape, it was Caution tape. There are many varieties.

 

[Tom'sGirl]

RSBM...

Blunt force trauma
Strangulation
Stabbing?
Gun shot wounds?

And amputation

 

[sorrell skye]

And amputation

I think the word you might be looking for is dismemberment?

But I KWYM.

Thanks! Add that one to the list.

 

[paris_paris]

I don't think DT rode any limos the night her daughter went missing.

But, IF you know differently, by all means, please give us the link.

Sorry, I forget that not everyone follows more than 1 case.

I was referring to Tori Stafford's Mom's limo ride.

Just me being smarta$$

 

[VirginiaTwo]

Florida - Mockingbird >>>>>>>>> I wish this mockingbird would sing!

Sorry, but I don't think discussing which state I was in was off topic. I looked at it as more of an exercise...yeah!...that's it!..an exercise in sleuthing.

I know I did go off topic talking about smoking. And if my punishment for doing that is a time out, well, okay, if I must, I'll go to the garage.

I wish that birdy would sing, too!!!!

Hey Chickadee, I was just using the Chickadee search as an example. I sure hope I didn't come across as judgemental or anything. I put the O/T 'cause I was worried about me being off topic. LOL. You were fine. I had no problem whatsoever with anything you said. You are fun!!

The smoking talk was hilarious. I enjoyed that, too. Sometimes it's good to just laugh and get to know one another. It's like oil for the machinery, KWIM??? (Sorry, I love similes and metaphores!!)

 

[Noway]

I'm trying to read the tape in the photo: http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Somer Thompson/2-1.jpg

 

[Noway]

Considering she'd been under tons of trash and in a compactor-type trash truck, I'm not sure that anything other than gunshot would make you think murder immediately; however, I had wondered whether she was bound and/or gagged. And in that case, I think homicide would jump to mind.

 

[JLMcKenna83]

I'm trying to read the tape in the photo: http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Somer Thompson/2-1.jpg

It is upside down and backwards! Holy Moly.. sort of looks like it may say Crime Scene Do Not Cross and possibly Sheriff

 

[Noway]

It is upside down and backwards! Holy Moly.. sort of looks like it may say Crime Scene Do Not Cross and possibly Sheriff

Thank you! I didn't want to sway anyone as to what I read! I can only be somewhat sure of Sheriff and can read the Do Not Cross.

But IMO that is different than Caution. But maybe not. I think it is Sheriff's Office Do Not Cross but that is conjecture on my part.

 

[Noway]

O/T
Sorrell Skye, yes you may have as many sugar cookies as you want (same goes for everyone) and you don't have to wait until after dinner.

 

[JLMcKenna83]

Thank you! I didn't want to sway anyone as to what I read! I can only be somewhat sure of Sheriff and can read the Do Not Cross.

But IMO that is different than Caution. But maybe not. I think it is Sheriff's Office Do Not Cross but that is conjecture on my part.

I think you may be right.. not necessarily Crime Scene, Just Sheriff's Dept Do Not Cross.. Up here, all the le tape either says.. "CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS" or "SHERIFFS DEPT DO NOT CROSS"

 

[human]

Thank you! I didn't want to sway anyone as to what I read! I can only be somewhat sure of Sheriff and can read the Do Not Cross.

But IMO that is different than Caution. But maybe not. I think it is Sheriff's Office Do Not Cross but that is conjecture on my part.

You guys are good!

1. So why do they take the certain items from there?

2. If it is the murder house, wouldn't the crime tape still be up?

3. What could they take from OPAA bathroom considering it was the command post for that night?

4. How long was LE at OPAA that night? All night or did they leave?

5. It seems like they went right to the bathroom at OPAA. But I don't have a link for that. Did they get a tip?

 

[nurselady]

The unmentionable..a brutal rape...could also be the cause of death!!

 

[VirginiaTwo]

They announced it as a homicide very soon after they recovered the body, before the autopsy was complete (IIRC). Which leads me to believe the fatal injuries the victim sustained were obvious, rather than insidious.

Someone posted a comment speculating on a dog attack - in which case the manner of death would likely be accident, not homicide, and LE wouldn't be looking for a "child killer". Besides which, a fatal dog attack would be apparent, in terms of wounds.

That was me with the dog attack scenario. I don't believe in this scenario so much that I would argue to protect it, but I do have other thoughts on it. :waitasec:

There was a case where a child was killed by dogs and the parents were convicted of murder and imprisoned. At the autopsy and later in trial, the wounds were shown to be neat and straight as from a knife. But the ER personnel that had tried to save her life had cut off the jagged edges when treating her. Years later, the pictures surfaced of the wounds before her treatment at the ER. The appearance of wounds caused by knives vs dogs teeth was changed by treatment. So, could the appearance of obvious wounds be changed on purpose? Yes, I believe so.

If a dog attacked and injured Somer, the owner could have finished her off with some sort of other method: Bullets, blunt instrument(s), knives. He or she also could have used these methods after death to change the obvious appearance of the animal wounds to seem to be from something else. During an autopsy, the animal attack, the actual cause of death (if different from the animal attack), and any other mutilation(s) would be discovered.

The young man who killed his neighbor hurt her first with the ball, I think. Then he finished her off with the bat. I'm thinking an adult or older youth may have more means (weapons) at their disposal such as guns, knives, etc. Just something to think about. I'm not ready to totally dismiss the dog attack angle.

Having said that, this is not my only or even my #1 theory/scenario. Just don't want to dismiss possibilities too quickly.

 

[Cheewawa007]

You guys are good!

1. So why do they take the certain items from there?

2. If it is the murder house, wouldn't the crime tape still be up?

3. What could they take from OPAA bathroom considering it was the command post for that night?

4. How long was LE at OPAA that night? All night or did they leave?

5. It seems like they went right to the bathroom at OPAA. But I don't have a link for that. Did they get a tip?

BBM: my imagination would like to entertain #5 please... ok my imagination envisions a false ceiling in the bathroom & maybe one of the ceiling tiles weren't properly in place. So they looked up there & found some type of evidence that had been hidden. Or someone tipped them off to look in there...just like my imagination feels someone tipped them off about the trash. Good old fashioned detective work my big fat azz.

 

[Noway]

You guys are good!

1. So why do they take the certain items from there?

2. If it is the murder house, wouldn't the crime tape still be up?

3. What could they take from OPAA bathroom considering it was the command post for that night?

4. How long was LE at OPAA that night? All night or did they leave?

5. It seems like they went right to the bathroom at OPAA. But I don't have a link for that. Did they get a tip?

Bold is mine
I think they went there on Thursday ...

The spot where Somer disappeared is about three blocks from the school. Investigators returned there Thursday afternoon seeking evidence in a vacant house, trash bin and surrounding property at 1080 Gano.


http://jacksonville.com/community/m..._continues_at_scene_near_where_somer_thompson



Investigators left the abandoned house around 1 a.m. Friday, but it remained a crime scene with 24-hour police protection.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/l...0&provider=rss