GUILTY GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 26 June 2011 # 2

[SouthernKate]

http://www.macon.com/2011/07/21/1638361/mcdaniel-apartment-searched-for.html

Here's an updated article about today's search.

 

[PsychoMom]

This is the only statement from LE I have seen on the Walmart Purchases. I don't think they would ever announce a list of the items he purchased, but I may be wrong. I did spend a fair amount of time scanning articles though.

It was very, very early in the investigation, maybe even in the first week. I only remember it because some of the items could have been damning except it was followed up with they were not related because they were found unopened in his apartment. I don't like saying what I remember being listed, but it was items I could see being used innocently for camping or moving, or heinously in helping clean up a crime. Since the article did state the items were found unused, I figured it didn't matter. I have to wonder, now, if more items were purchased or what.

 

[Indy Anna]

I was also glad to finally see some new articles regarding the case, as I hadn't seen any updates for several days. Hopefully, this is a sign that LE is hot on the trail...

http://www.macon.com/2011/07/21/1638361/mcdaniel-apartment-searched-for.html

Four officers entered the 25-year-old’s upstairs apartment, No. 4, about 2:10 p.m. Wednesday. They carried several brown paper bags with them and later took a large brown plastic container inside. About 6 p.m., they came out with four large paper bags and the plastic container.

Regarding McD's Wal-Mart purchases (PsychoMom):

Regarding the Walmart purchases, I remember reading VERY early on in this case a few particularly interesting articles were purchased. Items which could have been of interest in this case, but the article stated LE had decided the purchases had no value since those exact items were found intact and unused in SM's apartment. They were items he had purchased for some upcoming event. Seems like they mentioned a camping trip. I did not save the article because it did not appear to hold anything of relevance. If anyone else happens to run across that article, please share it. I will try to locate it as well.

I couldn't find his purchases listed anywhere, but if someone can find it, that would be of great interest, especially if his purchases consisted of camping supplies (still unused). Was McD planning to go on the same camping trip LG and friends were going on? If so, was he invited, or might this have been another event attended by Lauren (besides the graduation party) that McD intended to "crash?"

 

[PsychoMom]

I do wonder if he was invited. It would be interesting if it was the same trip and he was not invited, but planned to attend. Also, do we know for sure he wasn't invited to the other party? I ask because I thought the article said it 'seemed' he wasn't invited. I can't help but wonder if someone said, "If you get a chance, you ought to drop by" whether they meant it or not.

 

[bessie]

It was very, very early in the investigation, maybe even in the first week. I only remember it because some of the items could have been damning except it was followed up with they were not related because they were found unopened in his apartment. I don't like saying what I remember being listed, but it was items I could see being used innocently for camping or moving, or heinously in helping clean up a crime. Since the article did state the items were found unused, I figured it didn't matter. I have to wonder, now, if more items were purchased or what.

I've checked all of the articles I have bookmarked since June 30th, and it's quite a few. I've looked at google cached versions of articles, and all the early posts in the first thread. Nothing mentions items found in his apartment, or receipts for items he purchased, except the most recent articles. I'm going to look a little more, though, because you sound so sure, and I'm just plain curious.

 

[bessie]

Forgot to mention his computer, that is what I'm curious about.

Oh, I'm very curious about the computer! That search would require advanced forensics. I was pointing out items that could provide clues at a glance.

 

[Indy Anna]

My first guess would be that it's an indication of how focused they are on McD. Hypothetically, they could've already got pretty conclusive evidence from Lauren's apartment - meaning that they have a very good picture of what occurred there. Someone has mentioned the Door-Jam (security device), noting that if properly used, it would not allow the door to be opened by force or by unlocking (whether the lock was picked or a key was used). Perhaps this plus some other [unknown, at least to me] evidence rules out the possibility that someone entered by force and committed the crime there.

In the link posted by MaconMom, it says that the Do Not Enter sign was removed, btw.

Remember, earlier we also discussed the possibility that the perp was already inside LG's apartment when she returned with her food. We know that McD had a Master key to all of the apartments, so he had access. If he entered LG's apartment while she was out, the door-jam would not have been set.

It sounds like LE collected all the evidence from LG's apartment they felt was relevant to the crime, and now they are collecting evidence from McD's apartment establishing a connection between the two apartments as crime scenes. Could LE have carried machetes and knives out of McD's apartment in that large plastic bin?

 

[Sandstorm]

We have seen this countless times, in countless cases, with respect to reading verbatim into the news articles, semantics, and the way things are reported.

Has LE actually said this, the the apartment was where Lauren was murdered, or have I been sleeping?

The article actually states MAY:
Macon police returned to search again at the apartment complex where investigators say Lauren Giddings may have been murdered last month.
http://m.13wmaz.com/topstory/article?a=136405&f=924

However, IMO, LE knows where the dismemberment took place. The focal point venue for LE continued and repeated searches and investigations is Barristers Hall apartments.

If you have not already read the forensic study of 23 dismembered homicides I previously uploaded upstream, here is a clip that is pertinent to the homicide location and dismemberment:

3.2. Place of homicide, dismemberment, and corpse
concealment
In all instances where the perpetrator was identified, the
corpses were dismembered in the place of homicide. In
three cases, the perpetrators were not intent on concealing
the homicide and left the bodies in the place of crime
(Cases 10, 17, and 22). In the majority of cases, the corpses,
after having been dismembered, were subsequently taken
away from the site and concealed or discarded – this happened
in 13 instances. In five cases, the perpetrator was
planning to conceal the dismembered corpse, but he had
no time to do so (Cases 3, 5, 7, 8, and 19). In three homicides,
following dismemberment, the corpses were concealed
in the house where the crime had been committed;
all the three perpetrators attempted at incinerating the
bodies (Cases 1, 10, and 21). In three cases, fragments of
the corpses were scattered in various places (Cases 2, 11,
and 23), in one, the body was carried away and hidden in
a secluded spot (Case 14), in another, the corpse was buried
(Case 20) and in yet another, it was dropped into a vat containing
molten slag in a steelworks (Case 4). In one
instance, the perpetrator cut the corpse into small fragments
and flushed at least some of them into a sewage system
(Case 9).

Quote source:
Corpse dismemberment in the material collected by the Department
of Forensic Medicine, Cracow, Poland
Tomasz Konopka, Marcin Strona *, Filip Bolechała, Jerzy Kunz

I will upload the report again in case you missed it. Once I started reading this, I could not stop.

 

[bessie]

Remember, earlier we also discussed the possibility that the perp was already inside LG's apartment when she returned with her food. We know that McD had a Master key to all of the apartments, so he had access. If he entered LG's apartment while she was out, the door-jam would not have been set.

It sounds like LE collected all the evidence from LG's apartment they felt was relevant to the crime, and now they are collecting evidence from McD's apartment establishing a connection between the two apartments as crime scenes. Could LE have carried machetes and knives out of McD's apartment in that large plastic bin?

It's possible. When they searched his apartment last week, I thought the tall brown bag seen at :45 in this video might contain a weapon of some sort.
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/ar...partment?odyssey=mod|newswell|img|FRONTPAGE|p

 

[Sandstorm]

"We want to get the right person and we want to do it in the right way to make sure this case is absolutely air tight," says Gaudet.
(Public Information Office Jami Gaudet, Macon Police Department)

In other words: LE is working hard and being careful not to reveal their hand in order to get a solid case so that when they do decide to show their cards, the evidence will all line up to be a Royal Flush.

http://www.newscentralga.com/news/l...iels-bound-for-FBI-125922229.html?skipthumb=Y

~ Remembering Lauren and her family ~
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.

 

[SouthernKate]

Throughout this investigation, I can say that I have wavered on McD's guilt. Living here in the community, with his burglary charges so soon after the discovery of Lauren's remains, he was the culprit in everyone's eyes. As time progressed with little answers, I think some doubt arose. People started wondering why there hadn't been an arrest? Why no results from the FBI?

However, with the two searches of his apt recently, I don't think they are looking for evidence because they don't have anything. I think they are solidifying their case. Rumors have been flying (which I've tried to ignore bc some were really out of hand). I think that's really why everything is so hush hush. With his hearing on Friday, I'm really looking to see what news/statements from the MPD come out in the next day.

 

[AgentFrankLundy]

I recall that as well PsychoMom, that the items of interest were intact , it was early on

 

[GeorgiaSunshine]

~ Remembering Lauren and her family ~
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.

(snipped for content)

Please let's all have a moment of silence or say a prayer for Laurens family. IMO, they might have a little more info than the public does, but I feel as though they are just as much in the dark about who committed this horrible crime and took their firstborn.

 

[PsychoMom]

I say a little prayer for her family and friends every time I look at this page, and anytime someone mentions the name "Lauren."

 

[AgentFrankLundy]

I have a question, was the torso ever sent to Quantico? Early reports said it was sent to the GBI crime lab ( in Atlanta I presume) and I read recently it is still there. If these 74 items are at Quantico it seems to me they might want the torso as well. I feel certain they could at least tell how body was dismembered. Sexual molestation evidence. Bite marks (this was reported earlier) Don't mean to be gruesome, but it does come with this territory

 

[Wondergirl]

(snipped for content)

Please let's all have a moment of silence or say a prayer for Laurens family. IMO, they might have a little more info than the public does, but I feel as though they are just as much in the dark about who committed this horrible crime and took their firstborn.

Thank-you, Justiceforlauren.

Rest in Peace, Lauren, you are not forgotten.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/07/08/law.school.jpg​

 

[Wondergirl]

"It's really a general search," Public Information Officer Jami Gaudet said. As our police chief Mike Burns has said many times and has said repeatedly to the press, repeatedly to the public and repeatedly to the department, they will be exhausting every possible clue."

http://www.41nbc.com/news/local-new...search-for-evidence-in-lauren-giddings-murder

 

[bessie]

I have a question, was the torso ever sent to Quantico? Early reports said it was sent to the GBI crime lab ( in Atlanta I presume) and I read recently it is still there. If these 74 items are at Quantico it seems to me they might want the torso as well. I feel certain they could at least tell how body was dismembered. Sexual molestation evidence.

It sounds that way from this article, but I'm not certain if the remains, or tissue samples from the remains, were sent to Quantico.

In order to identify Giddings body, DNA evidence gathered from her parents and her hair brush was sent to Quantico and a positive identification was made in a couple of days.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/article/135540/153/FBI-Agent-Discusses-Involvement-in-Local-Cases

 

[Wondergirl]

I am reviewing all the old articles.

This is interesting. The wording in this article, suggests that LE found the stolen items (condoms), in the search of SM's apartment, and then he admitted it.

I am going to speculate here, and suggest that the condoms (and whatever else) must have been stored/displayed in such a manner as to indicate that they were not his, or there was something else of a suspicious nature to suggest they were stolen, kwim?

Also, what was the basis for obtaining the search warrant, if LE did that PRIOR to finding evidence of the theft, and PRIOR to having him confess?

Police arrested him early this morning on unrelated burglary charges after he admitted going into one of his neighbor's apartments and removing property without that resident's knowledge. He made that admission after police executed a search overnight. The burglary happened between December 26, 2008 and January 31, 2009.

http://www.41nbc.com/news/local-news/5632-mcdaniel-named-person-of-interest-in-homicide

 

[bessie]

I am reviewing all the old articles.

This is interesting. The wording in this article, suggests that LE found the stolen items (condoms), in the search of SM's apartment, and then he admitted it.

I am going to speculate here, and suggest that the condoms (and whatever else) must have been stored/displayed in such a manner as to indicate that they were not his, or there was something else of a suspicious nature to suggest they were stolen, kwim?

Also, what was the basis for obtaining the search warrant, if LE did that PRIOR to finding evidence of the theft, and PRIOR to having him confess?

We've already speculated that the condoms might've been labelled or displayed. IIRC, the pass key was also found in the intial search. My guess is the stolen condoms, burglary confession, and pass key provided probable cause to obtain a search warrant for items specific to Lauren's murder.