Let's say the gym's low ambient light that day kept KJ from seeing items in openings in vertically stored mats (although I did not search weather data, or google maps to look for skylights in school's old gym).
LE's investigation reports stated that KJ's phone was found in his pocket or w him in the mat and was held for researching incoming and outgoing calls, etc.
My Unscientific Experiment
W. my ancient cell lacking a light app, I stepped into a walkin closet, closed the door, held phone in hand over my head at 7+ feet, simply flipped it open (as if to dial) and it threw enough light that I could distinguish one pair of sneakers from another.
Possible Sequence for KJ?
Video showed KJ walking into the old gym.
Can anyone see at that point if his shoes are unlaced or partially unlaced as many teens wear them?
All IMO:
1. He walked to top of 3-row (IIRC) bleacher set, stepped onto some of ~20 vertically stored, closeby IIRC, mats.
2. He used phone to light mat openings, then ID'ed his shoe, then returned cell to his pocket, then laid atop mats.
3. Lying atop mats, he reached down into opening,
4. Where shoe was, in mat.
(A) Partway down mat opening
Is it possible a shoe would get stuck in ~13-14" wide opening by simply being crossways in the opening?
Possibly shoe snagged on mat button, or shoe eyelet caught on a loose mat string.
If shoe was stuck only partway-down, it's understandable that he would reach down.
Or possibly his reaching to partway-down shoe dislodged it, knocking it to floor.
(B) On gym floor
Possiblywhen he first saw it, shoe was on gym floor.
Some have posted they can't imagine anyone trying reach that far.
I imagine a narrow-build, 3-sport teen athlete like KJ, esp. with a youthful, impetuous mindset, would reach for it.
(Teens like this would reach for it? Oh yes. Me? My better half? Anyone I know in RL? Fuggiddaboutit.)
5. Initially he put only his upper body into opening, then continued reaching, then lost his hold and fell.
6. In trying to break his fall, he broke some left hand or right hand fingernails on the mat. Or broke right hand fingernails on landing on floor (IIRC his rigor mortis made it appear he had been reaching down into mat w his right arm, while his left arm was against his torso, w. hand down ~hip level).
6. In falling all the way into opening, his head hit the floor.
7. He tried to propel himself back up or otherwise escape the mat and - .
(A) In moving hands and arms against mat, perhaps even against his pants, he may have broken (more) fingernails.
(B) IIRC, LE rpt said cell was found in his pants pocket. If cellwas found with him but not actually in pocket, his fall into an inverted position accounts for cell not in pocket.
(C) He kicked his legs around, causing his (possibly partially or entirely unlaced?) shoes to come off his feet and socks to slip down, w sock toes looking floppy like they were in process of being removed.
8. Since his mouth was then at bottom of narrow opening with his body above mufflling any sounds he may have made and that mat being muffled by the other mats around it, students arriving in the gym after him did not hear any sounds he may have made.
9. Within a short time (~10 min?) after fall, he was rendered unconscious so made no cries for help or of pain.
To me, the above sequence
answers several questions raised over and over -
- how he got on vertically stored mats,
- how he saw into openings, either ambient light or cell phone light,
- his reaching for shoe, whether only partway down or on floor,
- shoes he was wearing being found off his feet, but still in mat
- socks he was wearing being loose or floppy on his feet,
- people not reporting that they heard any sounds from him,
- short fingernails, if in fact, he had not clipped them himself,
- location of cell when found, whether in pocket on w him,
and
explains it plausibly as an accident, not a murder covered up by a vast conspiracy involving students, students' families, school staff, county sheriff personnel, county coroner, city PD personnel, state LE, state ME, etc.
JM2cts, JMO, IMO, MOO, and I may be wrong. :seeya:
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