MA MA - Molly Bish, 16, Warren, 27 Jun 2000

[somequestions]

One thing I remember from being in a small town is that the clock tower would chime on the quarter hour. So at 12:15 it would chime once, 12:30 it would chime twice, 12:45 it would chime three times, and then four times on the hour. I wondered that because Warren, MA looks like an old town and I thought maybe the town has a church tower that does the same thing. Listening is also an important clue sometimes.

I know it is probably a moot point, but did Molly Bish's two way radio work? I know sometimes from my job I will end up talking on the two way and wondering why I do not get a response only to see that the light is not lit when I press the button to speak, usually because no one charged it earlier. I am guessing when Molly Bish picked up the two way radio police did a small run through to make sure it worked before she left. But you never know.

When all is said and done, the white car is the big mystery in this case. It is not like the driver has ever come forward to say he was not involved. So you have to think the driver was Rodney Stanger or his brother. It looks like the white car is where this case starts and ends. I just think you have to examine all the possibilities even that she might have been kidnapped and murdered and body buried all on the same day.

 

[Pettibon Junction]

It looks like the white car is where this case starts and ends.

Agreed. A woman's intuition for danger isn't just fanciful pearl-clutching but rather, a native instinct finely honed in order to survive in a human world that on the whole doesn't value female lives very much. If Magi Bish felt there was something off about the man behind the wheel of her car, I'm inclined to believe her.

 

[Pettibon Junction]

Behind the wheel of that car, I should say.

 

[somequestions]

I saw something interesting in the Dark Minds program when the author gets out of his suv at Commins Pond parking lot. There is a white car parked behind him if you look closely. It made me think about the sighting of the white car and how so many people saw one on the day of Molly Bish's abduction.

I think my theory of the case would be that Molly Bish's mom drops her off at Commins Pond and leaves the parking lot. The murderer had already left before her and was on his way over to the cemetery area. He cannot take Molly Bish out through the Commins Pond parking lot in case her mom is still there. So he quickly walks down to the beach area and kidnaps Molly Bish. He murders her and then dumps her body on Whiskey Hill because he might be familiar with the area or maybe he has gotten large rocks from there like the ones out on Commins Pond beach. He digs a shallow grave and buries her body. Then he returns to either his home or work place, probably north of Whiskey Hill.

I read that when searching searchers usually search downhill since that is where most bodies are found either down hill from a road or river. So maybe it is someone associated with search and rescue. For all anyone knows it could be someone who is not known to the investigation at all. Maybe it is a teacher or classmate who had some type of fascination with Molly Bish?

From an online perspective that is how the Molly Bish case looks to me.

 

[somequestions]

Here is an interesting question: If a murderer decides to bury a body, why pick the side of a hill? If the murder was pre-planned why not pick a level field or something easier. Once the body is underground, it is not visible anyway. Maybe the individual walked down to the spot where Molly Bish's body was found on Whiskey Hill? Where is the closest place a person could park a car at the top of Whiskey Hill and walk down to the spot instead of up? It seems a strange spot if the murder was planned.

The main problem with Molly Bish's case is that without any witnesses you can only make guesses as to who might have been involved. Even questions are guesses like if she had sunscreen with her?

If it was the boyfriend or her work supervisor, the big question is how did they commit the crime with such limited time or where was Molly Bish hidden if they did not murder her in the first two hours?

If it was someone who works at the cemetery or the sand truck driver, how did they get lucky enough to spot the same white car as Molly Bish's mother? I have a feeling both were eliminated as suspects because of their proximity to the crime scene. And they both spotted a white car corroborating Molly Bish's mothers story about it possibly having something to do with the crime.

In a murder case everyone is a suspect. After over 16 years everyone is still a suspect so the answer to the mystery might just be none of the above.

 

[somequestions]

I had another idea as to a profession for the murderer. Maybe it was an umpire or referee? They have unusual work times.

About the only thing you can do in this case is make guesses. When it comes to her boyfriend or work supervisor, there are three things you cannot forget:

1. They knew Molly Bish and before she started working at Commins Pond. It would be easier to coax her closer to a car than kidnap her from the spot.

2. They had over a week to kidnap Molly Bish. This gets back to point number 1.

3. Molly Bish left her sandals on the beach. If she was with someone she knew who wanted to show her something or follow them, I think she would have put on her sandals. This also gets back to point number 1. So unless the witness who took over Molly Bish's lifeguard job that day does not remember there being sandals and then there were sandals later that is about the only way it might be suspicious.

But none of these points eliminates anyone. It just makes it a little bit less likely it was one of them or someone she knew. So a suspect like Rodney Stanger is a good one. Then again so is any suspect that might have seen Molly Bish that day.

So about all you can do in the murder case of Molly Bish is make best guesses as to what happened. As for who murdered Molly Bish, that is anyone's guess.

 

[somequestions]

I had one other idea about the Molly Bish case. Her body was found Whiskey Hill in Palmer, MA on June 9, 2003. Maybe the individual knew Whiskey Hill from their childhood? This might be a dumb idea. If you checked out names on home ownership from 1960's on for a few mile radius of Whiskey Hill, maybe you get a name of someone who sounds familiar?

Or you end up with a long list of people who owned homes in the Palmer, Warren, and Ware, MA areas. But at least it is an idea.

 

[somequestions]

According to the story by Magi Bish, Molly's mom, they arrived at the parking lot that day Molly Bish was kidnapped and were mesmerized by a sand truck that was dumping sand. They were waiting for the truck to get out of their way. This made me think the sand truck was in the parking lot and could not be seen from any area on the beach were the kidnapper might have been waiting to abduct Molly Bish. At some point Molly Bish got out of the car because she was tired of waiting and wanted to get to her lifeguard post.

According to the sand truck driver, the white car arrived at the parking lot before Molly Bish and her mom so he had to have seen the sand truck. I guess I have two questions: First, were there two sand trucks dumping sand that day? The reason is because usually when a truck dumps a load it is in one particular place. I guess the statement from the sand truck driver would say the same thing, that the white car was blocked by the sand truck from getting into the parking lot or some place close to where they could park. This is my understanding anyhow.

Second and most important, why did the kidnapper in the white car continue with the kidnapping when he had to know there was a potential witness that might hear Molly Bish scream?

This case does not make a lot of sense. That is my problem. I want things to make sense, but they never make sense.

 

[somequestions]

I decided to summarize Molly Bish's case with a list of the potential suspects and why or why not makes them more or less likely to be involved.

1. The boyfriend- The boyfriends picture made him look like kind of a skinny goth guy. Also, he would have access to Molly Bish more than just seeing her at the pond. He passed away in 2008, but his body frame is not the type of someone who could carry a body up a steep hill.

2. Molly's work supervisor- He had the opportunity but if he was involved he picked the worst possible day since it was a day that mother's were bringing their kids to the pond. I think this was scheduled. So he would have to assume a mother would notice Molly missing rather quick and might call police. Basically he would have to stash Molly Bish somewhere until he is done dealing with police. Also taking Molly Bish out through the parking lot would be more convenient and expected to be seen with her since he is her boss. It is interesting to note that during the first few hours Molly went missing he ran into her brother and did not mention she was not at work.

3. The hunter and ex-police officer- I think their story is rather truthful. The hunter who noticed the bathing suit on Whiskey Hill said that he thought most lifeguard suits are red not blue.

4. The cemetary worker and sand truck worker- Both were probably investigated, but the cemetary worker would know the cemetary and its link to the pond. Molly Bish was said to have been taken up a hill to a car in the cemetary. The sand truck worker is the last person to see her alive other than the killer. He says he saw a white car in the parking lot minutes before the abduction. Police probably looked closely at these two people.

5. The white car and the great unknown suspect- The white car has been connected to numerous felons who may be involved. Her mother saw it the day before lurking in the parking lot watching her daughter. But it could also very well be someone from Molly's lifeguard class or school or a neighbor who visited Commins Pond or a criminal out looking for a victim. The white car, the open first aid kit, and the stalking predator who watched Molly Bish all remain the main story associated with her case.

The only witness in this case is the crime scene and even that is strange to me. I did not understand why with the open first aid kit that the killer chose to approach Molly Bish while she was facing the woods and not the water. What if he had a weapon? I am sure police probably did a run through of the crime. Maybe you cannot see someone from the woods at Commins Pond walking towards you out of the corner of your eye?

Hopefully this synopsis helps others looking at Molly Bish's case.

 

[somequestions]

When you consider that Molly Bish's mother sat with her out on the beach for a while on June 26th, the day before the abduction, I always thought it was strange the kidnapper planned the kidnapping in two days. When a person takes a body up or down a hill, that requires extra effort. The ex-police officer described the person as mission oriented and I think that is a good description. I would also think the person has some upper body strength. I have only seen pictures of the ex-police officer and boyfriend.

My opinion is that if this case really was a planned abduction, then based on the individual, it would probably require more than one day of planning. Looking at people who had the entire week off leading up to the abduction would probably be better than just the day of. Most abductions though tend to happen rather quickly and are not usually very well planned. The person sees an opportunity and they take it. So that is how I tend to look at the case from a simple perspective.

 

[somequestions]

The white car with the man smoking a cigarette the day before Molly Bish's abduction will always be central to this case. Any suspect in this case is hard to say when you do not know their alibis for the time period of the day Molly Bish was abducted and what they were doing after 10 am on June 27, 2000.

One question I wondered about was whether the brand of cigarettes the man seen in the car had matched any found on Whiskey Hill in June 2003 when Molly Bish's body was found?

If a kidnapper takes a victim up a hill and then possibly carries the body up Whiskey Hill in Palmer, MA and then stays around to dig a hole or cover one up I thought they might have a good set of lungs. It just seems like a lot of physical activity. But even I know there are some people that will actually work out and then smoke. So I guess it makes a little sense if it does not make a lot of sense.

 

[somequestions]

In the Dark Minds program about Molly Bish's case they show a lifeguard chair. If it is the same one as in June 2000 who knows or maybe it is a prop that the tv program used. But if you look closely there is a symbol on the chair that looks like the symbol for the New Orleans Saints. That symbol is actually a Catholic symbol called the Fleur de Lis.

Based on this I thought maybe the Commins Pond property was at one time owned by the Catholic church. Or at least they donated the lifeguard chair. That is IF it is actually the same lifeguard chair from June 2000.

 

[somequestions]

The case of Molly Bish is such a tough case to solve. I think I might be the only one still looking at it. Even Molly 's boyfriend with his scratches on his face you could make an argument that he might be the killer. There really is no way to narrow down a suspect because everyone is a suspect. The police were on the case right away so there is not much you could say they did wrong. It took 3 hours so maybe the killer did not eat lunch that day? But that does not prove anything.

I came up with a theory regarding the white car being seen at Commins Pond the day of the abduction. It arrived early according to the sand truck driver. Maybe the white car arrived early because the driver thought that the Bish car would be there at a certain time? So for example if the person stalked Molly Bish knew it takes however long to get from whatever street the family lives on to the pond. But on that day Molly and her mom stopped to get water and her police radio so that is why the person arrived early at the pond parking lot? They assumed but did not follow on the day of the abduction.

Then again police ordered a search of white cars in the area and I am sure a white car that was on the same street as where the family lived would have raised suspicion.

The other aspect that would be important would be the person watching the family knowing they are at the right house. For example, if they used the phone book there might be more than one Bish listed if there was extended family in the area. This theory goes even beyond that of Molly Bish being watched at the pond, but before she ever arrives there.

In terms of tough cases to solve, this one ranks right up there as one of the toughest.

 

[somequestions]

Since everyone is a suspect in this case and you can only really come up with theories based on known individuals I came up with one more regarding Molly Bish's open first aid kit.

I know that when a truck delivers something they usually need someone to sign off a delivery ticket showing it was delivered. If they cannot find the main person usually they will settle for anyone that works there.

I know the sand truck driver left according to Molly Bish's mom, but maybe he forgot a signature? This seems like too easy of a theory that was probably thought of over such a long time.

In Molly Bish's backpack, did she have a pen?

 

[somequestions]

I thought I would share some information about Molly Bish's case from an email I received from her mother probably 4 years ago. It might have been longer, I cannot remember.

I had watched a Haunting Evidence show about Molly Bish's case and wondered why Molly Bish did not blow her whistle on the day of her abduction. So I wrote Molly Bish's mom asking about this clue. I also theorized that the person that may have kidnapped and murdered Molly Bish might have been in her lifeguarding class. I cannot remember why I thought that. I think it was because in my own lifeguarding class I remember there were more than just students, but also a few coaches from various teams associated with the university. You get more than just lifeguard certification. You get CPR and defibulator certification as well as some others I cannot even remember. So it benefits coaches and others to take this class even if they do not lifeguard.

Her response to my questions was the following:

1. Molly did have a whistle with her on the day of her abduction, but had never got the chance to put it on. When one of the mothers arrived at the pond, this woman went into Molly Bish's backpack and grabbed the whistle so she could use it while watching over the kids. As for the show Disappeared assertion that the whistle was wound around the chair that could be that the woman might have wound the whistle around the chair later while watching the kids. That is my guess.

2. My suspicion about it being one of Molly Bish's lifeguard classmates had some validity, but had mostly been checked out by police. Her mother said that Molly had actually given another man a ride home a few times. She had given police this info back when Molly went missing. I think this is what she wrote me, that Molly drove the man although I cannot be sure if it was the other way around. If the guy does not have a car that makes it kind of difficult for him to kidnap someone.

And that was it. She thanked me for being a lifeguard and asking my questions. I emailed her a few more times asking various things I cannot remember, but never got a response back. It was probably more theories based on no evidence. Often times victims families get asked the same things over and over and over again and what they are really looking for are answers that will actually help solve the case. So I understand. I no longer contact family members on any sort of case.

One thing you have to remember when looking at Molly Bish's case is that the portrayals on tv always have her in her bathing suit. In reality, she was wearing flannel shorts and maybe even a top. It makes sense to me because it would be very hot getting into a car to drive the beach sitting on a hot seat. That could also be why there was a towel draped over the chair on the beach where her stuff was found. In the sequence of events it makes me think she was about ready to sit down and take off her shorts so the towel might make the chair more comfortable. Before she is able to do that the suspect approaches.

I think I did come up with some new information on my own. I came across an article about a parade inside the cemetery next to Commins Pond. It turns out that the cemetery is used as a staging ground for parades and that sometimes the parade might go through the cemetery. So the cemetery was probably used and accessed by many people.

As for any questions I have left, I always wondered whether Molly Bish had opened her water bottle and whether any water was missing. The reason is that I read the bottle was outside her bag yet the bottle would have been cold since they just bought it from the store. It just seemed strange to leave it sitting on the hot sand if she was not going to drink it. Then again maybe she was about to open it up when the suspect approached. She never got the chance. Or she removed it from her backpack while looking for something else, like a pen(hence my pen theory). Or she actually did drink from it and then put it back on the ground because she was using it. Then my question means nothing at all.

This kidnapping murder case I have liked looking at a little more than others because of getting lifeguard certification myself so many years ago. The main suspect in the case looks like a good suspect especially since there does not seem to have been any other crimes like this since so the idea the suspect moved to Florida makes sense. Maybe this year will be the year Molly Bish's case is solved.

 

[thenotebook]

What happened with that prime suspect guy, Rodney Stanger? He's a dead ringer for the sketch.

I think it was probably the simplest scenario. I think the man faked an injury and needed a bandaid. Molly went to the first aid kit, which explains why it was open, and was bringing him the first aid item and he took her.

 

[UnderSea]

"Investigators plan on using ground-penetrating radar to look for a car spotted near where a Massachusetts lifeguard disappeared 17 years ago."

http://www.westernmassnews.com/story/35651077/search-on-for-car-possibly-connected-to-2000-disappearance

 

[HRP]

"Investigators plan on using ground-penetrating radar to look for a car spotted near where a Massachusetts lifeguard disappeared 17 years ago."

http://www.westernmassnews.com/story/35651077/search-on-for-car-possibly-connected-to-2000-disappearance

More:

http://www.necn.com/news/new-englan...round-Penetrating-Radar-Search-428661453.html

Investigators say they have found "compelling" information in the disappearance of a Massachusetts teen lifeguard who was last seen 17 years ago.

"We did find some compelling information at the campground that will lead us back there in the next several subsequent days," said Dr. Sarah Stein, a private investigator for the Bish family.

Sixteen-year-old Molly Bish vanished from Comins Pond in Warren in June 2000. Her remains were found three years later about five miles away in the woods of Palmer.

 

[thenotebook]

Are they back at the site this week?

 

[Betty P]

I really hope they find what they're looking for. If true, how was someone able to bury and entire car at a campground without anyone noticing?