GUILTY HI - Carly Joann 'Charli' Scott, 27, pregnant, Makawao, 9 Feb 2014 - #4

[puakenikeni]

It is hard to fathom how it worked out as it did, RDS. I'm very curious to hear the prosecution theory.

I do think he wanted people to run with the serial killer theory if they would, but there was far from good staying in that direction. We have talked about all the ways it doesn't jibe. Even though the evidence was left out there, it wasn't In a spot that was obvious or really staged, and he did not lead the searchers there.

PS figured out the phone ping. Steven led the searchers to a roadside spot well past Keanae and not to Honomanu. Based on how he himself had never been to Nua'ailua Bay before that winter, I think we can conclude that he thought the spot was relatively little known and hard to access. That is not the spot to pick for staging. The evidence was just lying on the ground surrounded by vegetation, not an obvious spot to find but not hidden as well as it could be in that jungle, for sure.

I personally think he meant to go back and did not count on having all these civilian searchers combing the Hana Highway and so immediately.

 

[Napili]

Cherchez la phone...

 

[puakenikeni]

If I were going to try to pin a murder on a serial killer haunting Hana Highway, I would stage some kind of encampment and leave some sinister signs of a twisted mind. Maybe some relics and signs of Satanic worship, lol. On Maui, I would have left a trail to Pauwela lighthouse area maybe, the site of previous infamous crimes and disappearance, and a known area for transients of the unsavory kind. All of which Steven knows well as a Haiku resident.

Or pick a spot where her headlights were "last seen" and stage signs of a struggle and drop her phone there. He did none of that.
I think he wanted to aim for the complete disappearance with no body same as with Mo Monsalves. They would not be able to prove a murder happened. No matter how unlikely, still could be alive.

I do not think anyone was meant to find that key evidence.

 

[puakenikeni]

Was anyone else struck by his physique in those police interview photos? Especially the side profile, he looks almost anorexic. He has a handsome face, but his body had no muscle mass at all. There's no sign that he does anything physical regularly. I still have a hard time believing he could have handled her body alone. I'm not sure he could subdue her without some of the advantages Kapua has theorized.

I know guys here who hunt and all that and they are not scrawny. They are strong and tough. If he did it alone, I think he was way out of his element and no wonder he couldn't complete the task.

 

[puakenikeni]

Still a mystery as to why he ever admitted to seeing her that night. It sounds like they really did not hang out during this period of time, so why place himself anywhere near her? We have asked this repeatedly, still don't know.

Concern that she told a family member she was meeting him? Small likelihood but he could not rule out it was possible. But he would not have needed to tell her of a plan to go out Hana Highway, and could have set it up for a whole other direction, or just somewhere around their local haunts.

It would be so easy to not point them towards Keanae, as the truck story was fake, and probably he never asked her to help him either. He probably just said (on any text or phone call) that he wanted to talk about the baby, not that he wanted to take her out that way.

So what tied him to that road, or her? All I've got is:
1) Nala left out there (but why?). But he obviously didn't plan for Nala to be found in Nahiku, because he had "nothing" to account for it, no prepared theory.

2) the phones -- he somehow forgot that smart phone travel can be tracked until it was over, and then he realized it was something he could not hide?
Maybe so. It seems that both phones were on and pinging.

3) He knew he was seen, but where is that witness? It was not in Rivera's opening statement, and the phones were. I don't think they have any witness who saw Steven out there.

That leaves the phones. Maybe she was not subdued until they got out there, and that's why he could not mess with her phone. He should have thought of the phone at whatever point he had crossed the line into kidnapping or assault. He seems to think of all sorts of details when he talks to the police.

 

[RunDaSurf]

So what tied him to that road, or her? All I've got is:
1) Nala left out there (but why?). But he obviously didn't plan for Nala to be found in Nahiku, because he had "nothing" to account for it, no prepared theory.

That doesn't make sense. He could plan and also say he didn't know.

 

[puakenikeni]

That doesn't make sense. He could plan and also say he didn't know.

He could, but it's the only part of his interview where he doesn't have any suggestion. He tries to address it by saying dogs can run a long way, but then he comes up against how clean she was and not tired or worn paws, and the obvious conclusion that Nala was transported there.

As we and many commenters have noted, a protector dog like Nala would go with Steven but not a stranger. He needs an explanation here badly, and yet he has nothing in spite of all the babbling he's been doing. That's why I think Nala wasn't supposed to be found or at least not in that great condition. Someone here once said that he expected whoever found this valuable dog would just keep it and not notify anyone.

 

[RunDaSurf]

By then he had heard others saying that because of Nala's condition, it was obvious Nala had been transported there. He may have had story before that and coudn't use it anymore.

 

[RunDaSurf]

Possible he thought Stoner Ohana would recognize Nala first thing in the morning.

22:20
[video=youtube;niqy3piL8mk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqy3piL8mk[/video]

"They weren't even the ones who found the dog."

See how quick their names come out his mouth instantly when the question is if Charli knew anyone in the Hana Nahikua area. And how hard to hide contempt at loss a control because it was being handled by her family when they started keeping him in the dark.

 

[Kapua]

I, too, am very curious to hear the prosecution’s theory.

Regarding SC’s ability to move Charli’s body, he had adrenaline on his side, but dead weight is hard to manage even for a larger, stronger man. The clumps of hair indicate to me that he might have dragged her around by the hair.
In terms of why he left the body at Nua’ailua Bay, my guess is that he liked the area because it was remote and you need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to safely navigate the road. So it was a place where it was highly unlikely that he would encounter anyone else.

And I don’t think he meant for any of the evidence to be found. But I think he left the dog at Nahiku, the car at Peahi, and led the family to MM 18 so that just in case they were found, authorities would be stumped. (And he could walk home from Peahi.) I think it’s quite remarkable that so much was recovered in just one week, especially in an area so lush with vegetation.

He most certainly did not plan on the cell phone invalidating his alibi. As another poster said some time ago, if his ridiculous story was true, Charli would have to have been abducted within 10 minutes of the time SC last saw her and then driven back in the opposite direction of where she was when he “lost sight of her headlights”. And SC claimed that Nala was with Charli at the time.

The defense claims that SC lied “to protect Charli”. Riiiiiight. Dave Rasmussen testified that SC showed no concern for Charli or their child. That’s going to be a hard sell for the defense team.

As to why SC admitted to seeing Charli that night, and why he took the family to MM 18, I think that he thought he was seen. Nevertheless, it was a huge mistake.

I keep thinking about how Brooke said that the family knew if something was wrong, it would have to do with SC. I hope she gets to say that in the courtroom.

 

[RunDaSurf]

If he never meant for any evidence to be found - if he had confidence in the place he would hide the body - why cut off the other parts and have them separate at all?

 

[RunDaSurf]

I think he hoped Stoner Ohana would spot Nala first thing in the morning and call him or Charlis family. Maybe that would give him an excuse for driving back out there. And they would have called if they found her first. He wasn't counting on Police finding her or Charli's family lying to him about the circumstances. I think he wanted Nala found fast and turned in because I think he wanted to then keep Nala himself after.

 

[Kapua]

If he never meant for any evidence to be found - if he had confidence in the place he would hide the body - why cut off the other parts and have them separate at all?

I basically think that he was desperate to get rid of his problem and did not think his plan through very thoroughly. What he had going for him was the lush, rugged terrain of East Maui. He clearly did not consider that the cell phones would tell the tale, he didn't consider that family, friends, and the community would assist the police in tirelessly searching for Charli, and he didn't consider that no stranger would have killed Charli and not killed her dog as well. A stranger would have killed Nala first to get to Charli. And I don't know what he was thinking, but if he deliberately left parts of Charli to be found by the police or her family, then he is one extremely sick and dangerous individual. It was bad enough that her teenage sister found the bloody clothes.

 

[PeterTosh]

I think he hoped Stoner Ohana would spot Nala first thing in the morning and call him or Charlis family. Maybe that would give him an excuse for driving back out there. And they would have called if they found her first. He wasn't counting on Police finding her or Charli's family lying to him about the circumstances. I think he wanted Nala found fast and turned in because I think he wanted to then keep Nala himself after.

As I was reading the thread the question in my head was..."Why drive all the way to Naihiku on slow going Road to Hana...after doing whatever he did to Charli? Why not just head back? The I got to your post RDS and I find it intersting.

 

[Kapua]

If his grandfather is telling the truth, and SC really did arrive home at 11, then he must have torched Charli's vehicle later that night/early the next morning, or the next day. That's a pretty tight time frame. And granted, I have only driven Hana Hwy in the daytime, and there's probably likely a lot less traffic at night, but you can only go so fast on that road and he was driving on a suspended license and could not take any chances of getting pulled over. I wonder if grandfather noticed him wearing different clothes when he came home.

 

[Mamamerced]

Good points, Kapua. I don't think the evidence was left to be found. I believe something unexpected scared him off, like Nala ceaselessly barking, headlights approaching, voices heard, etc. But, I still believe he is sick, demented, twisted...where did his mind go while he mutilated her? Killing can happen in an instant, with regrets often surfacing immediately, but dismemberment takes time.
I would think Charli's gorgeous red hair would be an identifiable part. So, was she scalped, as a poster thought a while back to hide her identity, or were the clumps of hair pulled out as he dragged her as Kapua theorizes?
Was blood found on the blanket as well as maggots? I wonder if he, and/or accomplice, used the blanket to drag her under the guardrail?
Do you guys think he killed her closer to Haiku and then headed up Hana Hwy to dispose of the pieces and dog, or did he kill her at/near Paraquats and then head back towards Haiku to scatter the pieces? Were the jeans, drag marks, etc. found on only one side of the hwy?

 

[Kapua]

Good points, Kapua. I don't think the evidence was left to be found. I believe something unexpected scared him off, like Nala ceaselessly barking, headlights approaching, voices heard, etc. But, I still believe he is sick, demented, twisted...where did his mind go while he mutilated her? Killing can happen in an instant, with regrets often surfacing immediately, but dismemberment takes time.
I would think Charli's gorgeous red hair would be an identifiable part. So, was she scalped, as a poster thought a while back to hide her identity, or were the clumps of hair pulled out as he dragged her as Kapua theorizes?
Was blood found on the blanket as well as maggots? I wonder if he, and/or accomplice, used the blanket to drag her under the guardrail?
Do you guys think he killed her closer to Haiku and then headed up Hana Hwy to dispose of the pieces and dog, or did he kill her at/near Paraquats and then head back towards Haiku to scatter the pieces? Were the jeans, drag marks, etc. found on only one side of the hwy?

Hair, if the root is present, can be DNA tested, so it is definitely an identifiable part. Some people think that the clothes were deliberately placed, and we now know that they were in a different location than the jeans and the body parts. (Before the trial, I had thought that the location where the clothes were found was very near to the place where the jawbone, etc. was found.) A lot of murderers attempt to hide or destroy the body, so that is really my only basis for theorizing that he didn't intend for any part of Charli to be found, at least, not right away. I could easily be wrong; this is such a bizarre case.

I don't think she was killed near Haiku. Otherwise, he could have dropped Nala off in Haiku or Makawao, which actually would have supported his alibi much better.

I do hope that those drag marks indicate where the rest of Charli and Joshua may be. If they are stuck in the vegetation, maybe the rains/growth will one day wash them to the valley floor. The side of the highway on which they were found (makai side?) might indicate the direction in which he was driving (back to Haiku?) when he disposed of the body and jeans.

I haven't watched the gory parts of the video. I just cannot.

 

[PeterTosh]

If his grandfather is telling the truth, and SC really did arrive home at 11, then he must have torched Charli's vehicle later that night/early the next morning, or the next day. That's a pretty tight time frame. And granted, I have only driven Hana Hwy in the daytime, and there's probably likely a lot less traffic at night, but you can only go so fast on that road and he was driving on a suspended license and could not take any chances of getting pulled over. I wonder if grandfather noticed him wearing different clothes when he came home.

I wonder if Grandfathers story will change when he feels the weight of the Oath upon him.

 

[PeterTosh]

Hair, if the root is present, can be DNA tested, so it is definitely an identifiable part. Some people think that the clothes were deliberately placed, and we now know that they were in a different location than the jeans and the body parts. (Before the trial, I had thought that the location where the clothes were found was very near to the place where the jawbone, etc. was found.) A lot of murderers attempt to hide or destroy the body, so that is really my only basis for theorizing that he didn't intend for any part of Charli to be found, at least, not right away. I could easily be wrong; this is such a bizarre case.

I don't think she was killed near Haiku. Otherwise, he could have dropped Nala off in Haiku or Makawao, which actually would have supported his alibi much better.

I do hope that those drag marks indicate where the rest of Charli and Joshua may be. If they are stuck in the vegetation, maybe the rains/growth will one day wash them to the valley floor. The side of the highway on which they were found (makai side?) might indicate the direction in which he was driving (back to Haiku?) when he disposed of the body and jeans.

I haven't watched the gory parts of the video. I just cannot.

Good point about the dog being in Makawao or thereabouts supporting better alibi

 

[Mamamerced]

Interesting thinking about leaving Nala in Makawao, Kapua. I can't imagine Charli being alive at the point he went to Nahiku, so where did he kill her? If she were already deceased when he dropped off Nala in Nahiku then would he have been backtracking? (Longer time on hwy). Or had he gone closer to Hana or beyond to kill her? I doubt we'll never know the whole truth.