PaulR
Verified Software and Computer Tech
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2010
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You can't choose who a witness might be. Could be someone comfortable speaking or not. I think scrutinizing a witness statement publicly could be a reason for someone NOT to want to speak up. I'd hate to become a suspect just because I thought I saw someone.
That's a problem for many cases. Maybe the witness becomes the "last person to see her alive" - guess who the new POI is. If I was in the position of this witness, I'd probably go through a lawyer to tell the police what I knew, and try to do it anonymously, because otherwise I'd be "sleuthed" or worse have some locals think they are going to crack the case by acting like a vigilante.
Another thought......maybe she came a cross some criminal activity and the criminals didn't want her to tell. I don't think that's what happened but we just do not know anything about why she is missing.
Isn't this rare though? Criminals usually want to keep low profiles, kidnapping and murdering people is a good way to get the better detectives, state police, and FBI all looking for you.
Have there been many cases where a witness is murdered and the crime they were witnessing wasn't either murder or some other crime with significant jail time?