The OP said;
"I believe she was found in the trunk of the car, so someone
with a key to the trunk must have placed her there."
This is incorrect,
using the articles the OP cited, the
vehicle was a Honda Pilot, an SUV, NOT a sedan type
vehicle and therefore that deceased being found in the
rear of the vehicle does not require 'someone with a key
to the trunk'.
The articles the OP cited specify the vehicle was found
"ablaze in the wooded backyard" (of the deceaseds
residence) on Saturday, June 17, 2017, the fire being
noticed allegedly "around 8:30 a.m.".
The location of the 56 year old deceased in the rear of
the vehicle is consistent with the deceased having
retreated inside to the inside rear of the vehicle if the
fire or smoke had initially manifested more at the front
of the vehicle (when penetrating to its interior) and if
that deceased had been unable or unwilling to exit the
vehicle.
The deceased in the vehicle is recorded by the "Office
of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore" as having
died of "smoke inhalation and thermal burns". So note,
no suggestion of violent trauma to the body, no
suggestion of incapacitating agents found in the body
(i.e. no evidence of drugging or unconsciousness).
Therefore if it is wished to 'move this forward', I suggest
confirming the make, model and ascertaining the year
and interior electrical fitout of that particular vehicle.
Did it have (electrical) central locking? Were the windows
electrically operated? Did the vehicle ECU record the
vehicle as having then being in a start or running cycle?
Did the Montgomery County Police or the Montgomery
County Fire Marshal’s Office in fact bother to attempt to
check the vehicle ECU/Sensing and Diagnostic Module/
Airbag Module, and if so, which officer or expert actioned
this, using what software and what device, when?
Was the vehicle starting key/remote found on the body
or found about in the front of the vehicle (i.e. therefore,
possibly left/discarded in the front by the deceased as
she retreated to the rear?). Was the vehicle in 'Park',
'Neutral' or in (a drive) Gear? Was the ground the vehicle
was found on level or a slight slope, did the fire burn
along the ground beyond the vehicle or only under the
vehicle (indicating possibly, the vehicle was driven a
short distance and/or fuel leaked onto the ground where
the vehicle had been driven and/
or leaked from the
fuel tank as far as to the (underneath) front of a
stationary vehicle)? Did the investigation ascertain if
the ground surrounding the vehicle was badly burnt or
burnt such that the ground surrounding the vehicle
may have been saturated with fuel (thereby even if the
doors could have been opened, perhaps the deceased
encounted such flames about the vehicle that the
deceased found exit from the vehicle as being too
painful or impossible)? Was the ground surrounding
the vehicle in the "wooded backyard" covered with
dry grass/foilage that could have fed and exacerbated
the vehicle fire and smoke? Did anybody attempt to
obtain a copy of the 'police report' that it is alleged
that "ABC7 obtained from law enforcement sources".
Posit or disprove this theory:
The deceased found in the vehicle woke early that morning
and left the residence alone to drive and do, whatever, visit
parents for 'Fathers Day' weekend, shopping, etc. and a
fire thereafter occurred because;
The vehicle, a Honda Pilot, is noted for certain of its'
year builds having a Recall Fault, due to catching fire,
"'engine compartment fires" being cited, faults with a
"battery sensor" being cited. Certain of its' year builds
are also subject to Recall Faults, due to "fuel tanks that
may leak", e.g.;
Honda recalls 2.1 million vehicles worldwide over fire risk
https://www.cars.com/research/honda-pilot-2016/recalls/
An engine compartment fire, that quickly affected the
battery and/or electrical relays therein, could cause the
relays to melt (with possible activation) and/or fail to work
(if door locking activated, then) posssibly not allowing
the door to be openable. Ditto for any electrical windows.
And/Or maybe fuel from a leaking fuel tank ignited and
caused the fire/smoke to simply quickly surround the
vehicle to the extent the deceased could have opened
doors but judged or found that that only allowed fire or
smoke to bloom into the vehicle.
From the OP's cited articles, it was reported;
"Investigators determined that a non-accidental incendiary
fire was the cause of the vehicle fire." (These 'Investigators'
were not specifically identified).
What is known, from page 4 or thereabouts of;
Code:
https://mdsp.maryland.gov/firemarshal/Documents/Fire Deaths - 2017.pdf
is that the 'Office Of The Maryland State Fire Marshal'
records this about this 56 year olds death in Montgomery
County, Maryland;
"Investigators revealed the fire
most likely was
intentionally set."
To speak bluntly, they were in fact
not certain what the
cause of the fire was, and at this late date, now probably
never will know certainly what the cause of the fire was.
IMO, the family should consider engaging a lawyer, or
move on from the matter, assuming the family wants it
pursued at all. Well meaning friends of the deceaseds
family should ascertain if the family in fact, want this
matter to be raised here at all. Innuendos against
John Hawvermale (the deceaseds husband), named by
the OP, not identified as a POI by police, should be
disregarded, given there is no evidence against him and
there is some evidence as to an accidental cause for the
fire, as I have suggested above.
That's how I see it.
Code:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf1MIGh5Zz8
