FL - Somer Thompson, 7, Orange Park, 19 Oct 2009 #33

[liz b.]

I noticed the different times given. It makes it very difficult to pin anything down completely. This is an event where even a couple of minutes makes a difference. I can't get over how the window of opportunity for the killer was so small.

 

[liz b.]

One other thought : I was struck from the beginning at how Somer was surrounded by kids on her journey home. All along Gano. But, the only place I know she was alone,( because Kyle never mentioned any kids with her ), was when she walked into the yard of the Gano House. It is very possible that a person,or people saw her going in there. But, I doubt that anyone would have noticed that she didn't come out. So, I guess that everything else I have written and thought is speculation ( the park, getting a ride etc.), but she was indeed alone at the Gano House.

 

[ChickenPants]

What you think the construction workers killed her in that house and threw her in a conveniently located dumpster on their own jobsite? Not likely. And their vehicles are not still impounded as evidence so they didn't take her somewhere else either.
They are cleared in my mind.

"Ayyyyy! Yew tawikin' ta MEE?" (lol) I don't think construction workers did it. I think somebody else might have done it there or around there and put her in the dumpster.

 

[sadnpod]

Somer walks with MC up to a point when she has spat.
J., boy on bicycle sees Somer at tanks with frown on her face.
Somer talks with Kyle.
Somer is seen near Gano and Grove Park by CS.
Somer catches up with siblings in 1100 block of Gano (this is near Gano and Grove Park).
Somer takes off, and they lose sight of her in the crowd of other kids.
So did Somer hide somewhere, let her siblings pass her and head back to the park to take the shortcut? If so, maybe she talked to Kyle then.

I think they are not relying on the statements of the children ... so that may be why Kyle is the "last one" ... or he is. She could have also encountered M. again and walked home with her ... and then taken the route that made M. comment that tomorrow she'd ask her where she goes.

BBM
maybe both stories are true..

she leaves school w sibs, argues with abby, smacks sam with backpack, runs left on gano
boy on bicycle sees Somer at tanks with frown on her face. (hiding from sibs, they pass, she then:
Somer talks with Kyle.
Somer is seen near Gano and Grove Park by CS.
Somer catches up with siblings in 1100 block of Gano (this is near Gano and Grove Park).
Somer takes off, and they lose sight of her in the crowd of other kids.[/B] MC is a part of this crowd, goes right on grove park wth MC, has another spat with her and heads to shortcut back to park from grove park to wait for ac
or takes shortcut home from arbor to debarry through hole in fence.

 

[ChickenPants]

If this statement by kyle is true, Somer would have gone back toward the school, wouldn't she? I am assuming she approached the Gano house from the direction of the school. Of course, I don't think I have ever heard from which direction she came to the Gano house. I guess she could have passed it by on her way home then doubled back and came to the Gano house from toward Debarry, thus never being seen by the crossing guard at Debarry. It would help if we knew what time kyle saw her and what time CS's daughter saw her, and what time it was when she separated from the little girl who said she walked home with Somer that day. I suppose LE has all that information and have determined the time line of who was the last to see Somer that day, but are not releasing that information.

I am wondering now about MC telling her uncle she walked home with Somer that day. Did she mean her home or Somer's home?

What I'm thinking while reading this is "neighbors". It's said that "neighbors" were in charge of looking out for the Thompson kids, and that Somer would drop by a "neigbor's" house (whose?) to play, and insinuated that one "neighbor" got tired of having her hanging around. Which if any of the regular neighbors who knew her may live around that particular (Gano) area where she was allegedly last seen? Could she have been on her way to one of their houses when she disappeared. Would it be a neighbor that was on DT's call-down list whenever Somer was away for a while? Not to blame the neighbors, but to narrow down which way she might have been headed.

 

[ChickenPants]

As I understand it :

1. Somer walked from school with her friend M ; they walked along Gano.

2. Somer ran ahead,and caught up with her siblings in the 1100 block of Gano.She became upset after a conversation with her sister,and ran ahead.Her siblings lost sight of her in a large group of kids walking along Gano.

3.She was seen at the propane tanks on Gano.

4. She was seen at the Gano House by a worker,who said she praised their work,and then left the way she came.

5.Connie S's daughter saw Somer at the junction of Gano and Grove Park Drive. * Somer's siblings did not see her at all on the rest of their walk home. We do not know who, if anyone,she was with when Connie S's daughter saw her.*

I have been thinking in too much of a linear way, because I placed her at the corner of Gano and Grove Park, AFTER she exited the Gano House. It could easily happened that she walked back to the Gano House AFTER she saw Connie S's daughter. Didn't an anonymous caller suggest that LE check the Gano House and dumpster ? They must have seen something ?

For what it's worth, I believe that most construction companies -- even small ones -- start work early, about 7a.m., and finish up early too, usually around 3p.m. * Speculating * that someone could have offered a ride, or gone to the park with Somer ?

As far as statements go by anybody in this case, they haven't been proven to my knowledge, and some of them are conflicting. When little children make statements, the often change them, as well. The quotes about what AT told happened and Uncles and all of these people were made early on in the case. We all know the statements on MPR are also subject to scrutiny or speculation.

None of the things so far about where Somer went, or was last seen, or who she fought with (some say at school, some say on the way home), or whether she ran ahead and ST behind, or whether SP was there to babysit, etc., have been validated to my knowledge. In fact, a lot of them just don't add up. We don't even know what time DT really got to the park or to her house and can't prove who called whom when. But LE must know by now.

 

[ChickenPants]

Somer walks with MC up to a point when she has spat.
J., boy on bicycle sees Somer at tanks with frown on her face.
Somer talks with Kyle.
Somer is seen near Gano and Grove Park by CS.
Somer catches up with siblings in 1100 block of Gano (this is near Gano and Grove Park).
Somer takes off, and they lose sight of her in the crowd of other kids.


So did Somer hide somewhere, let her siblings pass her and head back to the park to take the shortcut? If so, maybe she talked to Kyle then.

I think they are not relying on the statements of the children ... so that may be why Kyle is the "last one" ... or he is. She could have also encountered M. again and walked home with her ... and then taken the route that made M. comment that tomorrow she'd ask her where she goes.

That is all speculation on my part, not fact.

Where were all the neighbors keeping an eye out for her in these various areas? And if they weren't, then why weren't they? Some gave rides in the morning and some allegedly were watching in the afternoon, correct? What happened here?

 

[infinity14]

IIRC, the quote was that she went "around the house" at Gano. Whatever that means.

Did she go into the back yard?

Someone saw Somer in front of the Gano house. The workers were questioned by LE because someone saw Somer there on the sidewalk and she was seen nowhere else, except by the little M girl that walked with Somer.

LE told Kyle that HE was the last KNOWN person to see Somer alive, but we have this little girl that saw Somer WHEN?

Seriously, why would Kyle say that he saw Somer? He must have. Why make up a story that puts you in the microscope of hundreds of LE? Remember, the reporter called Kyle, so Kyle is not some serial confessor.

Everything is totally mum on Kyle. Everyone else seems to have statements and are people that are identified by first and last name. What's up with Kyle?

BBM
Because IF Somer's DNA was found at the burned out house and Kyle didn't admit that she was there, he becomes suspect #1. IF he was involved it would be smart for him to say "she was here for a minute, but left". KWIM? Just my opinion!

 

[ChickenPants]

I remember reading that she walked from the school with her friend M for about 5 minutes. She then caught up with her siblings in the 1100 block of Gano. As far as I can tell she didn't see M again. The whole scenario that was given by the worker at the Gano House does not sound true to me. Something's off there IMO.

If he was looking for his fifteen minutes of fame, it sizzled out. But why compromise himself by making that up, I wonder? Surely he knew they would interview him as a possible suspect?

 

[NSC]

Wanted to post this article--Read Comments below article:

http://wokv.com/localnews/2010/01/search-for-somers-killer-far-f.html#comments

Snip:

Detectives collected what they describe as a large quantity of evidence at both the garbage dump where the 7-year-old's body was found, and a vacant home near Somer's school

I made a comment for follow up on this article:

It has never been released/confirmed that the house on Gano was a "crime" scene -- Are you confirming this??

This reply was made back:

Reply to "Girl"
No, there is no confirmation that any crime occured in the vacant house.

We are simply reporting that status of the investigation, using the terms of the investigators.
-Mike
By Mike Dorwart, Program Director @ 01/05/10 04:57:04 PMreport abuseHouse

I asked more follow up questions that they did not answer.

 

[ChickenPants]

If she had a fight with another child, was it a one-time thing or a regular thing? I ask this because if it was a regular thing, and AT knew about it (she chided her later), then chances are she would run off regularly - well, we know she did!

Isn't there someone (a child a "neighbor" who knows her regular run-to places? On this day, why should she have run somewhere different? She must have had a "habit" of going off in certain directions, and to where? That would narrow down the possible routes she took. Had she ever been on the "scary" roads before? Where did they lead to for her? Would someone who could hurt her know that he might find her there?

Do we know, for instance, if she would run home and then run out again? Was she home alone for any amount of time...did she have a key (unlikely) or did someone else usually let her in? Did she run somewhere else because AT had a key to let them in, or the older brother? Or was the house left unlocked (DT once said she didn't have to lock her doors, the neighborhood was so safe).

It seems like she would probably run off and come home when she knew someone was there to let her in. Who among the neighbors on the phone list DT provided can give some of these answers?

 

[ChickenPants]

Putting Somer in the normal context of other children going home after school:

They are all excited and wired up getting out of school. There are different kids splitting off at different routes and taking different streets home. Kids on the sidewalks even far ahead of where AT and ST (who was lagging behind) last saw their sister. A busy time of the day with even parents looking out the doors or windows for their kids. People all over. Cars going up and down streets, and they have to drive slowly or stop because it is a school zone, correct? They have a lot of time to look around.

There are normal fights and squabbles, pushing and whacking over the head. My guess is that Somer was not the only child ever to have gone near or even into the Gano house...I'll bet more than one kid has passed through that fence for a peek into the windows, or waved to construction workers, or picked up a block of wood or something interesting to play with. Here is Somer weaving in and out of the crowd of kids per her usual routine of running ahead and her regular behaviors. So, nobody noticed. There was no sound of "Help! or "Don't! or "Leave me alone!" Nobody saw anyone yank her by the hand, nobody saw a car following a little girl anywhere.

From what I know of school routines, it is the same parents of the same children in the same grades who are present when their kids get out of school, whether they are walking them home or picking them up in a car. Walker parents all stand around and talk to one another, all of the parents/kids (especially in such a small "safe" community) pretty much know one another to some extent. So the parents of the kids in Somer's grade would by virtue of habit being around know Somer and have seen Somer leaving with her brother or sister or running ahead, etc., every day.

My point is, these parents would have noticed something unusual, say, if a parent walking her child home saw a car with someone unusual picking Somer up. A parent of a friend of Somer's would have made a mental note somewhere if Somer walked off with a stranger, wouldn't they? Somewhere somebody saw something. Or maybe who Somer walked off with was someone they knew, so they did not think it unusual.

My opinion only. Excuse me if I do run on.....thinking "out loud....thanks

 

[human]

Do you think she was in that construction dumpster? I feel absolutley that there is no way that she was in the construction dumpster at Gano.

1. LE would have taken the whole thing into a lab
2. It had not been emptied.

That WAS NOT the dumpster.

 

[human]

As far as people in the neighborhood watching the Thompson's kids.................. I am only thinking of myself here, and I am a conscientious person.

I doubt , except for noticing that Somer ran wild, that anyone was paying any particular attention to what Somer was up to. Neighbors have their own lives and own issues.

Maybe someone at first might have been concerned and keeping track. But then they see that DT works and she has -------

( I am only giving some ideas of what people in the neighborhood might get resentful over because they had to provide FREE babysitting. NO ONE is that saintly, I don't think to not get resentful).

Anyway- parties, cars, she lives in her parents house, her kids have fancy clothes- I don't know. These are just some ideas of things that might make other people mad and not pay attention to the T kids.

But someone who really "cares" about children would be in the catbird seat to take advantage of a situation like this. They would know exactly what the kids are up to and where they are.

So, it could be a neighbor, neighbor friend or acqaintance, friend or acquanitance of the family, or DT or PC or SP or Kyle or RSO, or GCV. So many choices!

 

[ChickenPants]

Motivation in child abductions:

Forgive me if I posted this before, it is interesting.
MOTIVATING FACTORS

Why are children abducted? Interpretation of offender motivations and behaviors often is complicated, [5] particularly in abduction cases where children simply seem to vanish. In such cases, the ensuing en·sue
intr.v. en·sued, en·su·ing, en·sues
1. To follow as a consequence or result. See Synonyms at follow.

2. To take place subsequently. investigation involves searching for both the victim and an offender who may be a parent, relative, friend, acquaintance, or total stranger. This differs from other scenarios, such as parental abductions, where the identity of the offender and sometimes the location of the abducted child are known, and the offender's motivation is more obvious. [6] Even in the most clear-cut cases, however, law enforcement may have difficulty determining exactly why the offender abducted the victim. The apprehension of the offender and a reliable confession may not even provide law enforcement with the true underlying motive. However, an accurate understanding of the behaviors and intentions of offenders who abduct abduct /ab·duct/ (ab-dukt´) to draw away from the median plane, or (the digits) from the axial line of a limb.abdu´cent
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ab·duct
v. children and how these crime characteristics change as potential victims get older can provide investigators wit h important insights early in a developing case and allow them to use their resources more effectively.

Research and investigative experience have shown that family abductions, motivated by domestic discord Discord
See also Confusion.

Andras

demon of discord. [Occultism: Jobes, 93]

discord, apple of

caused conflict among goddesses; Trojan War ultimate result. [Gk. Myth. and custody disputes, overwhelmingly represent the most frequent type of child abduction. Short-term, nonfamily incidents where abductors release or return children, often before anyone knows they are missing, constitute another type of child abduction. Short-term cases often involve sexual molestation molestation n. the crime of sexual acts with children up to the age of 18, including touching of private parts, exposure of genitalia, taking of pornographic pictures, rape, inducement of sexual acts with the molester or with other children, and variations of these . Long-term, nonfamily abductions are the least common and those that result in child homicide happen rarely. These cases frequently come to the attention of police as missing child reports and rarely result in quick resolution. Motivations for long-term, nonfamily abductions include: sexual gratification; retribution (e.g., revenge or "collecting" on an unpaid debt); financial gain (e.g., ransom or extortion extortion, in law, unlawful demanding or receiving by an officer, in his official capacity, of any property or money not legally due to him. Examples include requesting and accepting fees in excess of those allowed to him by statute or arresting a person and, with ); desire to kill (this, alone, is reported to motivate and gratify grat·i·fy
tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies
1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please.

2. some offenders); and, maternal desire (where an offender desires to possess a child and abducts primarily newborns and infants). [7] Sexua lly motivated abductions represent the most common type of nonfamily abduction and classically pose the highest risk of victim mortality. [8] Long-term, nonfamily child abduction cases shock the public conscience and, because of their potentially lethal nature, law enforcement must conduct expeditious ex·pe·di·tious
adj.
Acting or done with speed and efficiency. See Synonyms at fast1.


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ex , informed, and well-managed investigations.

FALSE REPORTS

Investigators also encounter cases involving false allegations of abduction. Typically, a parent or primary caregiver perpetrates these cases. They report a child as missing or abducted to hide their involvement in the child's death or conceal their knowledge of the child's location. Such was the case of Susan Smith for the Playboy playmate see Susan Smith

Susan Smith (born September 24, 1971 as Susan Leigh Vaughan), of Union, South Carolina, was convicted July 22, 1995, of murdering her two sons, 3-year-old Michael Daniel Smith, born October 10, 1991, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler , who fastened her two sons into their car seats and watched the car coast into a lake. Subsequently, Smith told police that an armed carjacker had taken both her car and her children. A timely and thorough investigation conducted by experienced law enforcement personnel ultimately proved the fallacy fallacy, in logic, a term used to characterize an invalid argument. Strictly speaking, it refers only to the transition from a set of premises to a conclusion, and is distinguished from falsity, a value attributed to a single statement. of this allegation. In another case, a mother reported her teenage daughter missing and claimed to have received a telephone ransom demand. An intensive 3-day investigation located the daughter at a friend's house where she had been staying with her mother's knowledge and approval. An overwhelming need for attention appeared to motivate the mother's false report.

INACCURATE REPORTS

Most long-term abductions are reported to the police, not as abductions, but as missing children. The majority of the 450,000 children reported to police as missing each year are lost or have run away. [9] Most of these children are found quickly and law enforcement resolves their cases with minimal investigative effort. Consequently, determining whether someone has legitimately abducted a child, particularly if the missing child is a teenager, often is not obvious or easy. In short, because most missing children are not abducted and most abducted children are not missing, investigative complacency becomes a statistically understandable response. The investigation of a missing child who possibly was abducted, however, constitutes the most serious and perplexing per·plex
tr.v. per·plexed, per·plex·ing, per·plex·es
1. To confuse or trouble with uncertainty or doubt. See Synonyms at puzzle.

2. To make confusedly intricate; complicate. challenge facing law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). . It can rapidly overwhelm and exhaust all available resources (e.g. financial, personnel, logistical) and impose heavy personal and professional burden on investigators, support personnel, and management. Becau se nonfamily abductions are comparatively rare, law enforcement agencies often find themselves unprepared for such demanding and emotionally taxing investigations. [10]

 

[NSC]

Initial contact site
The initial contact site is where the killer makes contact with the victim. This site can be quite close to the last known location and enhances the reasons for a thorough canvass and search. This is the one location where the suspect has to expose himself to the potential of being seen by others. It may be momentary but it is the one location the suspect has no control over. As the victim is often one of opportunity for the suspect, he has no control over where he will make contact with the victim. This location provides the potential for those unknowing witnesses, who may have a description of the suspect and/or his vehicle. This site is usually within ¼ mile or three city blocks of the victim's last known location and a third of the time within a quarter mile of the suspect's residence. Hence the importance of determining the victim's last known location and then canvassing and searching out in a minimum of ½ mile radius for the location the suspect and victim came into contact with each other.

Hence, Kyle admitting to seeing Somer ---

 

[ChickenPants]

I would be interested in any comments about how you feel Somer fits into this description of an at-risk child. :

Children living without their biological fathers
Are more likely to live in poverty and deprivation

Children living in lone-parent households are twice as likely to be in the bottom 40% of household income distribution compared with children living in two-parent households (75% versus 40%).39
Even after controlling for low incomes, children growing up with never-married lone mothers are especially disadvantaged according to standard scales of deprivation.40
After controlling for other demographic factors, children in lone-parent households are still 2.8 times as likely to forego family outings.41
Are more likely to have emotional or mental problems

After controlling for other demographic factors, children in lone-parent households are 2.5 times as likely to be sometimes or often unhappy. They are 3.3 times as likely to score poorly on measures of self-esteem.42
Among children aged five to fifteen years in Great Britain, those from lone-parent families were twice as likely to have a mental health problem as those from intact two-parent families (16% versus 8%).43
A major longitudinal study of 1,400 American families found that 20%–25% of children of divorce showed lasting signs of depression, impulsivity (risk-taking), irresponsibility, or antisocial behaviour compared with 10% of children in intact two-parent families.44
Have more trouble in school

Children from lone-parent families are more likely to score poorly on tests of reading, mathematics, and thinking skills.45
After controlling for other demographic factors, children from lone-parent households were
3.3 times more likely to report problems with their academic work, and
50% more likely to report difficulties with teachers.46
Tend to have more trouble getting along with others

After controlling for other demographic factors, children from lone-parent households are three times as likely to report problems with friendships.47
Children from lone-parent households are more likely to have behaviour problems or engage in antisocial behaviour.48
Boys from lone-parent households are more likely to show hostility to adults and other children, and be destructive of belongings.49
Have higher risk of health problems

It has been estimated that parental divorce increases children’s risk of developing health problems by 50%.50
In England and Wales during 2000, the sudden infant death rate for babies jointly registered by unmarried parents living at different addresses was over three times greater than for babies born to a married mother and father (0.66 per 1,000 live births as compared with 0.18). Where the birth was registered in the sole name of the mother, the rate of sudden infant death was seven times greater than for those born within marriage (1.27 per 1,000 live births as compared with 0.18).51
After controlling for other demographic factors, children living in lone-parent households were 1.8 times as likely to have psychosomatic health symptoms and illness such as pains, headaches, stomach aches, and feeling sick.52
Are at greater risk of suffering physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.

According to data from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), young people are five times more likely to have experienced physical abuse and emotional maltreatment if they grew up in a lone-parent family, compared with children in two-birth-parent families.53
All studies of child-abuse victims which look at family type identify the step-family as representing the highest risk to children54 – with the risk of fatal abuse being 100 times higher than in twobiological- parent families according to international from 1976.55 However, the use of the term step-father has become problematic, as, whilst it used to refer to men who were married to women with children by other men, it is now used to describe any man in the household, whether married to the mother or not. An NSPCC study of 1988 which separated married step-fathers from unmarried cohabiting men found that married step-fathers were less likely to abuse: ‘for nonnatal fathers marriage appears to be associated with a greater commitment to the father role’.56
Analysis of 35 cases of fatal abuse which were the subject of public inquiries between 1968 and 1987 showed a risk for children living with their mother and an unrelated man which was over 70 times higher than it would have been for a child with two married biological parents.57
Are more likely to run away from home

Children from lone-parent families are twice as likely to run away from home as those from two-birth-parent families (14% compared to 7%).58

 

[ChickenPants]

As far as people in the neighborhood watching the Thompson's kids.................. I am only thinking of myself here, and I am a conscientious person.

I doubt , except for noticing that Somer ran wild, that anyone was paying any particular attention to what Somer was up to. Neighbors have their own lives and own issues.

Maybe someone at first might have been concerned and keeping track. But then they see that DT works and she has -------

( I am only giving some ideas of what people in the neighborhood might get resentful over because they had to provide FREE babysitting. NO ONE is that saintly, I don't think to not get resentful).

Anyway- parties, cars, she lives in her parents house, her kids have fancy clothes- I don't know. These are just some ideas of things that might make other people mad and not pay attention to the T kids.

But someone who really "cares" about children would be in the catbird seat to take advantage of a situation like this. They would know exactly what the kids are up to and where they are.

So, it could be a neighbor, neighbor friend or acqaintance, friend or acquanitance of the family, or DT or PC or SP or Kyle or RSO, or GCV. So many choices!

Agree...I'm more thinking of adults in proximity of her when school let out. If they knew she ran off, or was usually nearby her brother and sister, and someone else appeared on scene, it might have momentarily struck them as unusual but they might not have really "noticed" it. There may have been parents there who were thinking, "there she goes again, I wonder why nobody is watching her," etc., but again the mob of kids was probably so large and they were so used to seeing her doing her thing it was just another day to them. And then there is always that pause..."it's not my business, I have my own problems to take care of..." That would be the person LE was talking about, IMO who they meant "somebody out there knows something and needs to come forward," as well as people who have strong suspicions are are unwilling for whatever reason to take a risk of say, being identified as a witness or being hauled into court to testify.

 

[NSC]

Regarding Gano House:

it could be the REAL last seen location. Remember, the press reported this as a crime scene for AWHILE until it changed later -maybe this is just one of the crime scenes- more than one network reported this, remember the chaos. According to this article, they would have to cover this regardless if the murder took place here or not. My guess this really is last place Somer was accounted for after LE finished interviweing withnesses etc... -and has potential to be the murder scene as well-- this a clue from LE as far as I am concerned. After reading this report - They would not spend all this time here if Somer was accounted for somewhere else at a later time without getting further confirmation that she was seen at this house at a later time - guessing. UNLESS, they are able to confirm that V guy was there that day and it is all on a technicality due to RSO status- but even so - do you think they had crime scene people out at all the RSO homes, taking fibers etc etc.. Prob not, they did searches - It makes me wonder if she did have intial contact with her killer at the gano house or if she was killed inside I am thinking she was dumped closeby in a desolate area into a contractor garbage bag--this could have thrown off the dogs initially -- if her scent was picked up on at Gano and taken by car -- they lost the scent -- only to possible regain it later at the dump site where they either found her body, some sort of evidence or an empty dumpster---

IMPORTANT SITES
Child abduction murders are different in general from most murder investigations in that there are a number of important sites and crime scenes associated with them. In the majority of murder cases all events occur in one location, the victim and suspect come into contact with each other, there is an assault causing death and the victim's body is left where it falls. This is not true in child abduction cases. A number of different sites have to be located for those unknowing witnesses and evidence linking the suspect to the victim. Each site is a potential crime scene and needs to be treated as such. The area needs to be sealed off and protected until it can be processed as a crime scene for evidence.

Last seen or known location
The last seen or known location site is where the victim was last known to be or seen. It is typically not their residence however most were last seen within a ¼ mile of their front door. Keep in mind the younger the victim the closer to home this location will be.

Initial contact site
The initial contact site is where the killer makes contact with the victim. This site can be quite close to the last known location and enhances the reasons for a thorough canvass and search. This is the one location where the suspect has to expose himself to the potential of being seen by others. It may be momentary but it is the one location the suspect has no control over. As the victim is often one of opportunity for the suspect, he has no control over where he will make contact with the victim. This location provides the potential for those unknowing witnesses, who may have a description of the suspect and/or his vehicle. This site is usually within ¼ mile or three city blocks of the victim's last known location and a third of the time within a quarter mile of the suspect's residence. Hence the importance of determining the victim's last known location and then canvassing and searching out in a minimum of ½ mile radius for the location the suspect and victim came into contact with each other.

Murder site
The location where the suspect kills the victim, often under their control, however not always as circumstances may dictate. Due to their size children are least able to withstand physical assault and control by adults. The importance in finding this site is that it is second only to the body recovery site in yielding physical evidence, which links the suspect to the victim. As the majority of child victims are killed within 200 feet of the body recovery site it is important to initially tape off an area at least 200 feet out from the victim's body. You can always make a crime scene smaller, however it is almost impossible to enlarge one.

 

[ChickenPants]

This gives a window of insight into how the initial investigation of Somer's body took place at that landfill:

Examining the body
A CSI might collect evidence from the body at the crime scene or he might wait until the body arrives at the morgue. In either case, the CSI does at least a visual examination of the body and surrounding area at the scene, taking pictures and detailed notes.

Before moving the body, the CSI makes note of details including:

Are there any stains or marks on the clothing?
Is the clothing bunched up in particular direction? If so, this could indicate dragging.
Are there any bruises, cuts or marks on body? Any defense wounds? Any injuries indicating, consistent with or inconsistent with the preliminary cause of death?
Is there anything obviously missing? Is there a tan mark where a watch or ring should be?
If blood is present in large amounts, does the direction of flow follow the laws of gravity? If not, the body may have been moved.
If no blood is present in the area surrounding the body, is this consistent with the preliminary cause of death? If not, the body may have been moved.
Are there any bodily fluids present beside blood?
Is there any insect activity on the body? If so, the CSI may call in a forensic entomologist to analyze the activity for clues as to how long the person has been dead.
After moving the body, he performs the same examination of the other side of the victim. At this point, he may also take the body temperature and the ambient room temperature to assist in determining an estimated time of death (although most forensic scientists say that time of death determinations are extremely unreliable -- the human body is unpredictable and there are too many variables involved). He will also take fingerprints of the deceased either at the scene or at the ME's office.
Once the CSI is done documenting the conditions of body and the immediately surrounding area, technicians wrap the body in a white cloth and put paper bags over the hands and feet for transportation to the morgue for an autopsy. These precautions are for the purpose of preserving any trace evidence on the victim. A CSI will usually attend the autopsy and take additional *pictures or video footage and collect additional evidence, especially tissue samples from major organs, for analysis at the crime lab.