IL - Krystal Tobias, 9, & Laura Hobbs, 8, found dead in Zion park, 8 May 2005 - #1

[Pocono Sleuther]

Ok, was anyone else in tears when they saw the slideshow that included the girls empty school desks with their little name tags on the front? And their artwork on the wall? And did anyone else cringe at imagining someone stab you with a vegetable peeler??!!! OMG!

 

[Marine Mom]

http://www.completelymodern.com/itemid/4131/item.aspx could also be this type of knife as well.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[Pocono Sleuther]

If they are standing up for Hobbs, can you imagine what the Tobias's are feeling? I'd want to rip them apart. Poor family. All so sad.

Exactly Jules ! I would be a wreck to have lost a child, but it would be ENRAGED even more to hear the other family was standing by her murderer! It's all so damn sick.

 

[golfmom]

Prosecutor described the potato knife at the press conference as being a small knife 4-5" in length. He specifically said that the term "potato knife" was slang. I'm assuming maybe prison slang and not referring to a particular knife.

 

[PolkSaladAnnie]

What's a potato knife?

Hi Marine Mom .... I've always believed it to be a small, flat, vegetable knife with an angular end, as opposed to a rounded or curved end. But that's what we call 'em where I'm originally from, lol (S Africa)

ETA: The handle & blade are both fairly short, meaning when you grip the potato (or veg) it 'peels' easily.

 

[Jules]

On one of the links posted on this thread I read that they never married and that they had a total of 3 children. It also said that at the time he assaulted the mother, she was living with another man. Sounds like a strange situation all around. Wonder how old the other kids are? I get the feeling that they have an on-again off-again relationship. The article also said the mother had a restraining order against him at the time she was assaulted.

As I said earlier, I think he's had two years in prison to get back at the mother for sending him there. What better way than to accomplish this on mother's day.

 

[lady-eowyn]

Wasn't the term "potato knife" originally used by Hobbs and not the police...I think it's just something he pulled out of his a**....first term that came to mind....we don't know that it was the weapon, although it could be likely

 

[ThoughtFox]

Down south, we sometimes call a paring knife a "potato knife." I never saw anyone use a potato peeler till I was a grown up. Sometimes these little knives can be very sharp, too, unfortunately.

 

[richandfamous]

That's what I was thinking.

They said a 4" blade so this is what my 4" pairing knife looks like.
Short blade and very sharp on one side with a point to round out eyes (of potatoes that is, forgive me) omg......

 

[PolkSaladAnnie]

yep ... that's it ... here's another one:

http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/B30300032.htm

A potato knife was also used/referred to in JBRamsey case ...

 

[richandfamous]

On one of the links posted on this thread I read that they never married and that they had a total of 3 children. It also said that at the time he assaulted the mother, she was living with another man. Sounds like a strange situation all around. Wonder how old the other kids are? I get the feeling that they have an on-again off-again relationship. The article also said the mother had a restraining order against him at the time she was assaulted.

As I said earlier, I think he's had two years in prison to get back at the mother for sending him there. What better way than to accomplish this on mother's day.

I read One was a 13yr old girl from a previous relationship and the other were Hobb's kids. I think one is a little boy. not sure..will look.

 

[SauerKraut]

I hope to Gott this woman comes to grips with what he did. She can't remain in denial with this, for the sake of her other children! This is all too sick, I think they will be very angry once this all sets in and the mother realizes she shouldn't have let him back in their lives. She has ONE LETTER? She sounds dumb, sorry to say. Not just in denial. Get the other kids out of there if this is what they're being raised by. Some people should just not procreate.

 

[richandfamous]

warning.,.graphic words here:

stabbing the girls more than 30 times, prosecutors said Wednesday

that's just sick..........

Laura was stabbed 20 times in the neck and abdomen and once in each eye

he only stabbed Laura in the eyes...sounds like she has seen something that he didn't want anyone to know about...jmo

 

[PolkSaladAnnie]

And, FWIW, I don't ... for a solitary second, believe Krystal had a potato knife with her! It's so small ... Hobbs already left the house to look for her in a foul mood ... and his rage was in motion by then. I speculate he grabbed that knife on reflex, as he strode off in fierce search of his daughter (having no idea Krstal was with her).

I'd further speculate that RATHER than Krystal reaching for the knife ... she tried to run away and this ... this ... this monster swung around and caught her. If he 'said' and 'wrote' in his statements to police that Krystal brought out the knife, I certainly do not believe him. And I'll never believe him UNLESS Krystal's family confirm she had a knife on her.

Rage, rage, rage. Uncontrollable rage by a demented monster. A coward who brutally attacks children, women and old people (as proved by the attack on his spouse's mother... the chainsaw incident.) Ugh!

 

[PolkSaladAnnie]

golfmom ... thank you so much for all the updates and reports earlier during the live conference. W/S is my only source of reference ... and the 'Net only posts the reports later. Appreciated.

And thanks all for the other links, too...

 

[golfmom]

I'd further speculate that RATHER than Krystal reaching for the knife ... she tried to run away and this ... this ... this monster swung around and caught her. If he 'said' and 'wrote' in his statements to police that Krystal brought out the knife, I certainly do not believe him. And I'll never believe him UNLESS Krystal's family confirm she had a knife on her.
!

I wonder if he regularly carried a knife. Really, where was Krystal supposed to be carrying this sharp knife around with her all day?

But, honestly, something rings true to me about Krystal trying to defend or protect Laura.

 

[golfmom]

golfmom ... thank you so much for all the updates and reports earlier during the live conference. W/S is my only source of reference ... and the 'Net only posts the reports later. Appreciated.

And thanks all for the other links, too...

Hugs back at ya. Quite frankly I was caught by surprise when the news cut away to the White House. I know how frustrated I've been before trying to follow cases from afar and not getting news timely. So, I tried to jump in and keep up all up to date on the conference.

 

[Jules]

golfmom ... thank you so much for all the updates and reports earlier during the live conference. W/S is my only source of reference ... and the 'Net only posts the reports later. Appreciated.

And thanks all for the other links, too...

I second this! Thanks so much for all your posts today! :blowkiss:

 

[SauerKraut]

And, FWIW, I don't ... for a solitary second, believe Krystal had a potato knife with her! It's so small ... Hobbs already left the house to look for her in a foul mood ... and his rage was in motion by then. I speculate he grabbed that knife on reflex, as he strode off in fierce search of his daughter (having no idea Krstal was with her).

I'd further speculate that RATHER than Krystal reaching for the knife ... she tried to run away and this ... this ... this monster swung around and caught her. If he 'said' and 'wrote' in his statements to police that Krystal brought out the knife, I certainly do not believe him. And I'll never believe him UNLESS Krystal's family confirm she had a knife on her.

Rage, rage, rage. Uncontrollable rage by a demented monster. A coward who brutally attacks children, women and old people (as proved by the attack on his spouse's mother... the chainsaw incident.) Ugh!

I think this too, that she simply tried to get away and she was just a witness that had to be done away with. How enraged he must have been to get both of them at the same time. Where was the other girl while he was stabbing Laura? Was he holding one down while stabbing her? How did she not escape? How was he able to stab them in a certain spot (neck) while fighting off the other one? He had to have been just going crazy! This makes me sick thinking of it all. He must have made them take their shoes off, or they had them off and they couldn't run. Sick sick sick. This mother had to have known this guy was nuts. I find it hard to believe this was a happy home until now. Take her other kids away from her, the dumb*ss!

As far as the knife, it will come out whether a knife is missing, or if not, which family owned the knife that was the murder weapon. I think we will find out if Krystal took a knife that day, probably not.

Stab HIM in his eyes and let him rot in prison blind! Make sure he makes some friends while he's there too. Sick . People like this have no place in this society or on this earth. :behindbar

 

[PolkSaladAnnie]

I wonder if he regularly carried a knife. Really, where was Krystal supposed to be carrying this sharp knife around with her all day?

But, honestly, something rings true to me about Krystal trying to defend or protect Laura.

Oh yes, I totally believe that. I can quite easily see this little ike having 'a go' at him and trying to pull him off. But I DO believe she tried to run away and he caught her.

Laura and Krystal were bike-sharing, on handlebars, pedalling and playing. They wouldn't have handbags, just pockets ... sweeties, perhaps and some coins, stickers, hair braids ... girlie things. NOT knives!