MD - Phylicia Barnes, 16, Baltimore, 28 Dec 2010 #3

[Cubby]

My guess is those who would be willing to cooperate and take a poly through Mr. Rondeau would also be willing to do so with an LE polygraph adminstrator. I do hope these are rescheduled and done through LE.

JMO

 

[redsky]

My guess is those who would be willing to cooperate and take a poly through Mr. Rondeau would also be willing to do so with an LE polygraph adminstrator. I do hope these are rescheduled and done through LE.

JMO

One would certainly think so. Hoping to hear this happen soon.

 

[Cubby]

“Deena said on the Internet show that the people who had keys to the apartment were her, her ex-boyfriend, who was in the process of moving out, and the ex-boyfriend’s young cousin,” the paper adds of the special edition of Peas in Their Pods, which aired Jan. 18.


http://blog.blogtalkradio.com/commu...g-teen-phylicia-barnes-reports-baltimore-sun/


I would like to know why LBC had keys to the apartment. He was not on the lease as I understand it. If he was a guest of MJ's why would LBC have keys and not PB? What that tells me is PB would have NOT left to go get something to eat because she did not have a key to get back in. Even if she left the apartment door unlocked, which I do not believe she did, she would have no way to get into the main apartment door. So she left willingly or unwillingly but she left WITH someone who had access to and a key to that apartment. She would not have left without a way to get back INTO the apartment. There were only 3 people who had keys to the apartment. DB who was at work, MJ and LBC. MJ and/or LBC have the answers to Phylicia's whereabouts.

JMO

 

[georgiajean]

BPD Presser/Interview 2-2-11
10:54 am
Go to www.ustream.tv to find the video. My computer botches the links for this site so I can't post them. Sorry.

(Journalist)Start us from the beginning.
(Terrance McLarney, BPD Homicide)PB was reported missing by relatives on the evening of Dec. 28. It was a Tuesday, following Christmas. Our missing persons unit went out, and within a couple days, due to the circumstances and the nature of the disappearance, our homicide unit became involved. We worked the case along with missing persons for a few days. Then, on about the fifth day, we took the case over completely.

What is it about the circumstances of this situation that makes you so confident that it is foul play?
None of the things that we normally find are present. Usually we are dealing with family problems, you have runaways, and you are dealing with a 16 year old girl. You have issues with boyfriends perhaps, another runaway situation. Of course there’s always drugs, mental issues. None of that was present with PB’s disappearance.

Is there just that absence that makes you certain it is foul play?
In the beginning, that’s why we got involved. As time goes on, of course, every day just goes more in the direction of foul play. We don’t believe she left of her own volition. We do not think she is with someone else voluntarily. We don’t believe that.

What does that mean?
There is nothing in PB’s background to suggest that she would just up and go to Ca. or NY City that indicates that. There is nothing to suggest that. We have no movement on the things we normally do: phone, cash withdrawals. We have none of that.

Do you have any hope at this point that she is alive?
Sure. We do. We certainly have that hope. The Homicide unit also handles abductions and kidnappings. We have done this before. We have handled kidnappings. We are working it as a kidnapping, at the same time realizing it may have a bad ending, so we are going slow and making certain that we don’t miss anything as we go.

Can you walk us through the different things that you have been able to do?
First, I picked a squad. The best squad we have. Sgt B. Simmons and his 6 detectives. They were assigned to the case. The FBI joined almost immediately. The FBI MD Child exploitation task force. We invited them in and they continue to work the case with us. The homicide unit has over 50 investigators, and at certain times we have had more than half the unit involved.

How many are involved at this point?
I would say at this point a dozen homicide and a handful of FBI agents.

Full time?
The FBI is less than full time. The only ones who are on the case full time every day, it’s Sgt. Simmon’s squad, and a couple of guys on loan from homicide.. But as things come in, we can enlarge that group up to 30 people any time.

So there are 7 to 10 guys who have been working this case every day?
Yes.

And have been for a month.
Yes.

Searched the apartment?
We searched the apartment, we had our own crime lab, we had the FBI crime lab. We removed some items. They went to our lab and the FBI lab. Nothing of evidentiary value was recovered in that search. We have also done search and seizure warrants at several other residences and we’ve searched several vehicles. The forensic work on those searches have yet to come back.

So there are still things out there, possible evidentiary information?
Right. But we don’t have anything that is blinking at us at this point.

I know there has been a lot of speculation…We just heard from JS is very frustrated with the people PB would have been around, those last few days. At this point, where are they on your list?
The term POI is used by LE, but it has a sliding definition. In this case we are calling POI anyone who had a relationship to the apartment, or was an associate of PB, or a close associate of a person who was an associate.. That list is about 12. We have interviewed them we have interviewed them a couple of times. Sort of going outward from them. I would say a dozen people. The nature of the apartment was more like a college dorm than what you would consider to be a normal apartment. A lot of young people coming and going.

Is that problematic?
Yes. That has created some problems for us.

I understand that makes the investigation more difficult, but does that give you more concern for what PB may have been up to?
It makes all the potential things larger.

Are any of those people being looked at more closely than others?
As we go through the dozen or so people, it has gone up to 15, it has gone down to 5 or 6. I would hate to say that there are 1 or 2 people that are being singled out. We don’t want to get to there yet. We are keeping it open.

I understand some of them have hired attorneys.
Yes. Which is not unusual. A lot of people who are being contacted by a homicide unit reach out to attorneys.

Do you think PB was using drinking and drugs?
Whatever was happening in there is not going to be that far off the map for people in their late teens.

A 16 year old?
Right.

.So if there was drugs or drinking going on, it was minor?
There was nothing really bad going on in there. Nothing that would shock, certainly not us,. But it was not off the charts.

Is there a certain point where, as the investigation goes on, that it will change shape?
Because we are such a large unit, I am able to keep Sgt. Simmons and his people on the case. The other guys in the unit are all pitching in with extra shifts to cover incoming cases. Not every day, but we get murders. As long as we can continue to do that, we are not going to scale back, this is not going to go away. But certainly, at some point, as a lot of time goes by, we are sort of fueled by the leads that come in. We have had over 80 come in. We run them all out. Even some that on their face are kind of ridiculous. We still run them out. The effort can get larger or smaller, depending on what we have to work on.

The ones you have run out so far, the well, the shed… Were those at all credible?
Of the three big searches we have done, there are 2, certainly, that I would do again. The third, it was sort of a misunderstanding, but it is a location where people do, on occasion, dump bodies. They also dump trash and other things you would dump…we probably would have done that as well. eventually

I was speaking with the family, and they said they had gone to rougher neighborhoods to search. Is that something that LE would do? Go to drug dens, do blanket searches?
The neighborhood where PB went missing is not a bad neighborhood. we of course, we look at the drug angle. We have, like any major city, we have those problems. But I don’t think there are many people in the city of Bmore that are not aware that PB is missing. The media has done a pretty good job, so that is pretty saturated. Getting word out to different parts of the community that she is missing, we don’t have to do that. I think that’s been done.

Is there anything else that I haven’t talked to you about that I should?
I would like people to concentrate on THAT Tuesday. The 28th of Dec. A lot of people are spotting girls who look like PB. Of course they are not PB, yet. We want people in the Bmore area to concentrate on that Tuesday. They may have seen something that makes no sense, that doesn’t seem significant to them, but in light of THIS, it may have significance to US .

 

[georgiajean]

“Deena said on the Internet show that the people who had keys to the apartment were her, her ex-boyfriend, who was in the process of moving out, and the ex-boyfriend’s young cousin,” the paper adds of the special edition of Peas in Their Pods, which aired Jan. 18.


http://blog.blogtalkradio.com/commu...g-teen-phylicia-barnes-reports-baltimore-sun/


I would like to know why LBC had keys to the apartment. He was not on the lease as I understand it. If he was a guest of MJ's why would LBC have keys and not PB? What that tells me is PB would have NOT left to go get something to eat because she did not have a key to get back in. Even if she left the apartment door unlocked, which I do not believe she did, she would have no way to get into the main apartment door. So she left willingly or unwillingly but she left WITH someone who had access to and a key to that apartment. She would not have left without a way to get back INTO the apartment. There were only 3 people who had keys to the apartment. DB who was at work, MJ and LBC. MJ and/or LBC have the answers to Phylicia's whereabouts.

JMO

BBM
Very good points!
I went back to the Peas interview, because I wanted to make sure I had transcribed what was said, correctly. This is what my transcript has:
Peas So in terms of people that had access to the apartment when you were not there, who had keys to the apartment or who slept there or lived there, it is you, your Ex, and of course PB who was there, and your Ex’s brother, is that it?
DB Cousin
Peas Cousin. I’m sorry. His cousin
DB Right.
Peas Those are the only people who would have slept there the night before?
DB Correct.

To me, the way the interviewer phrases it, it leaves it open to interpretation which of the four individuals slept there, lived there, had keys, and/or had access to that apartment. I have seen several articles interpret DB's "correct" to mean those four slept there, had keys, and lived there. But I have no idea. All I know is MJ, DB, and LBC had the most access to PB on Tuesday. And DB was at work, so that leaves the other two. Ugh.

 

[Cubby]

Veddy Veddy interesting presser. Thanks a million for transcribing it GJ'.

From the post above with the transcribed presser.

We have also done search and seizure warrants at several other residences and we’ve searched several vehicles. The forensic work on those searches have yet to come back.

I knew they were most likelystill awaiting the forensic work on the other residences and vehicles. That then does not yet exclude a vehicle as the possible crime scene. I wish LE would discuss the cell phone/electronics. I will bet that is still in forensics too.


Also from the transcribed presser.

I would like people to concentrate on THAT Tuesday. The 28th of Dec. <snip> We want people in the Bmore area to concentrate on that Tuesday. They may have seen something that makes no sense, that doesn&#8217;t seem significant to them, but in light of THIS, it may have significance to US .

Bingo! I know LE needs people to focus on what they may have seen that Tuesday. So very happy LE spelled it out clearly!

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Phylicia&#8217;s case to call the tipline as (855)223-0033.

 

[Cubby]

BBM
Very good points!
I went back to the Peas interview, because I wanted to make sure I had transcribed what was said, correctly. This is what my transcript has:
Peas So in terms of people that had access to the apartment when you were not there, who had keys to the apartment or who slept there or lived there, it is you, your Ex, and of course PB who was there, and your Ex&#8217;s brother, is that it?
DB Cousin
Peas Cousin. I&#8217;m sorry. His cousin
DB Right.
Peas Those are the only people who would have slept there the night before?
DB Correct.

To me, the way the interviewer phrases it, it leaves it open to interpretation which of the four individuals slept there, lived there, had keys, and/or had access to that apartment. I have seen several articles interpret DB's "correct" to mean those four slept there, had keys, and lived there. But I have no idea. All I know is MJ, DB, and LBC had the most access to PB on Tuesday. And DB was at work, so that leaves the other two. Ugh.

Well than for me that narrows it down to 1. PB left that apartment with someone who had a key to let her back in or had a key to let themself back in.

JMO

 

[nothingnew]

“Deena said on the Internet show that the people who had keys to the apartment were her, her ex-boyfriend, who was in the process of moving out, and the ex-boyfriend’s young cousin,” the paper adds of the special edition of Peas in Their Pods, which aired Jan. 18.


http://blog.blogtalkradio.com/commu...g-teen-phylicia-barnes-reports-baltimore-sun/


I would like to know why LBC had keys to the apartment. He was not on the lease as I understand it. If he was a guest of MJ's why would LBC have keys and not PB? What that tells me is PB would have NOT left to go get something to eat because she did not have a key to get back in. Even if she left the apartment door unlocked, which I do not believe she did, she would have no way to get into the main apartment door. So she left willingly or unwillingly but she left WITH someone who had access to and a key to that apartment. She would not have left without a way to get back INTO the apartment. There were only 3 people who had keys to the apartment. DB who was at work, MJ and LBC. MJ and/or LBC have the answers to Phylicia's whereabouts.

JMO

I guess it depends on WHY people have extra keys. My neighbors (nice people but we don't speak the same language so we don't talk much) have a key because they had the extra when I moved in-a family member of theirs lived there before me and when I rented I told the rental agent to ask them to hold onto it-just in case. My bestie has a key because I got a coupon from a hardware store for a free set of keys and they have those nice pretty keys so she got one. There's one at my folks-just in case and then one for me! That is 4 keys and I have never locked the door when I left since I moved in. I don't see how if she unwillingly left the apartment it would have to be with someone with a key. Surely the doors could be opened from the inside without a key? Unless PB had to use a key to open a door when someone was knocking from the outside then I don't see it as including/excluding anyone. Was there a hidden key anywhere? Did PB ever go visit any other apts in the building? Has LE requested polygraphs? The more I read the more I wonder.

 

[redsky]

Since some forensic evidence is not back - I hope they searched MJs new apartment. I wonder if PB would have helped MJ move things out and go to his new place. Just a brief thought.

Thank you SO MUCH for transcribing the presser.

 

[georgiajean]

Well than for me that narrows it down to 1. PB left that apartment with someone who had a key to let her back in or had a key to let themself back in.

JMO

I was going to say "yep" and then I remembered the "friends" who came back to the apartment at 3-ish, finding the door open and the music loud. First, we don't know WHO those "friends" were. Second, were they telling the truth? Or was it staged (the door being open) to take suspicion OFF of the ones who "lived there" or had keys???

 

[georgiajean]

Since some forensic evidence is not back - I hope they searched MJs new apartment. I wonder if PB would have helped MJ move things out and go to his new place. Just a brief thought.

Thank you SO MUCH for transcribing the presser.

Good idea.

And everyone is welcome for the transcriptions. I am just finishing my doctoral dissertation, and I transcribed over 30 hour-long interviews for my data, so it's nice to be able to put my transcribing skills to use. LOL.

 

[Cubby]

I guess it depends on WHY people have extra keys. My neighbors (nice people but we don't speak the same language so we don't talk much) have a key because they had the extra when I moved in-a family member of theirs lived there before me and when I rented I told the rental agent to ask them to hold onto it-just in case. My bestie has a key because I got a coupon from a hardware store for a free set of keys and they have those nice pretty keys so she got one. There's one at my folks-just in case and then one for me! That is 4 keys and I have never locked the door when I left since I moved in. I don't see how if she unwillingly left the apartment it would have to be with someone with a key. Surely the doors could be opened from the inside without a key? Unless PB had to use a key to open a door when someone was knocking from the outside then I don't see it as including/excluding anyone. Was there a hidden key anywhere? Did PB ever go visit any other apts in the building? Has LE requested polygraphs? The more I read the more I wonder.

Let's think about this. In the style apartment building PB was visiting keys are required to get into two doors. The front or back entrance to the hallways and to the apartment unit itself so leaving the unit door unlocked would not allow access back into building through the main entrance doors.

Renters generally have a maintanence man or property manager who have keys to all units for repairs and to let in those who do the monthly(?) bug spraying. This leaves the possibility of having to give a neighbor a spare key very unlikely.

In a complex with hundreds of residents and no yard area of their own, along with hundreds of windows overlooking the common area, hiding a key doesn't seem likely given any number of apartment dwellers could possibly see where it was hidden leaving the owner vulnerable to robbery or worse. Especially in a large city such as Baltimore.

If a seperate key was required for the main entrances to the building those are only issued by the property manager and are almost always stamped do not copy. Replacement cost (20 years ago or so when I was renting) was in the area of 75.00 per key.

In apartment style rental situations the need for an extra key or getting locked out usually falls on either the buildings maintenance person or propetry manager. (I've had to ask both maintenance and the property manager many a time to let me back in when I was renting).

DB said PB had not met nor been introduced to anyone other than family or friends of hers and MJ's. It is unlikely she would have left the door unlocked not having a way to get back into the main entrances.

Early MSM articles indicated LE has put the offer of a polygraph on the table.

hth and jmo


ETA: The units themself did not have sliding glass doors. Early on I had thought if PB wanted to go get lunch and did not have a key, she could have left the sliding glass door unlocked to gain access back to the unit, but these apartments DO NOT have sliding glass door balconies or patios. Thus ruled the possibility out.

 

[investigate1]

Good idea.

And everyone is welcome for the transcriptions. I am just finishing my doctoral dissertation, and I transcribed over 30 hour-long interviews for my data, so it's nice to be able to put my transcribing skills to use. LOL.

Great work!!! Always appreciated :dance:

 

[redsky]

Good idea.

And everyone is welcome for the transcriptions. I am just finishing my doctoral dissertation, and I transcribed over 30 hour-long interviews for my data, so it's nice to be able to put my transcribing skills to use. LOL.

OT - what is your dissertation regarding?

 

[nothingnew]

Thanks for reply Cubby. I didn't know the apt complex was so large and didn't consider the perimeter doors. I still don't see how it can be ruled out that she just opened the apartment door to someone knocking-could be a stranger, aquaintance, neighbor or someone claiming to be a friend of MJ, DB, the "house" etc.
Just how many people live currently in that complex and how many lived there since the locks for the outer doors have been changed? For example: if I moved out of the apt building in Feb 2010 then would there be ANY way for me to still access the apts? Can you make duplicate keys for the outer doors? I keep coming back to the building itself, not the apartment.
I also don't think she would go get lunch on her own-otherwise would you post that on FB or would you just go get some food? I think she was killing time until KB got off work and picked her up-just being bored. (I mean IF it was her posting)

 

[Cubby]

Thanks for reply Cubby. I didn't know the apt complex was so large and didn't consider the perimeter doors. I still don't see how it can be ruled out that she just opened the apartment door to someone knocking-could be a stranger, aquaintance, neighbor or someone claiming to be a friend of MJ, DB, the "house" etc.
Just how many people live currently in that complex and how many lived there since the locks for the outer doors have been changed? For example: if I moved out of the apt building in Feb 2010 then would there be ANY way for me to still access the apts? Can you make duplicate keys for the outer doors? I keep coming back to the building itself, not the apartment.
I also don't think she would go get lunch on her own-otherwise would you post that on FB or would you just go get some food? I think she was killing time until KB got off work and picked her up-just being bored. (I mean IF it was her posting)

My experience with perimeter or entrance door keys is they are issued seperately from unit keys, so that management can possibly rekey or the tenants can rekey the unit doors when they move in. (I'll guess management may do this for the tenant for a fee so management has a copy of the key for maintenance and pest spraying).

Something I forgot to consider, many larger apartment entrance doors are now equiped with key pads for keyless entry (in addition to the main key). If these units have these key pads for keyless entry it is possible PB knew the code to get into the building. My sons godmothers unit has one of these keypads and I know the code so we can let ourselves in, go straight to her unit and knock on the door. Her door does have the usual peep hole so they are able to see who is at the door.

The codes in my sons godmothers building are tied to the individual owner (each owner has their own code). All entrances are equiped with the keypads.

Now I am wondering if this apartment unit has the key pads and if PB knew the code, or if any of the regular visitors had the code so they could let themselves in and knock on the door.

If they do, I am going to surmise the following. Who would know who was alone there when PB was supposed to have been picked up by KB. Very few would know PB was NOT with KB that afternoon, so this still had to be someone who knew PB was there alone and had access to a key or the key code IF the apartment complex is equiped with Keypads.

If LBC left in the morning as MJ had said, it is unlikely he would know PB had not made her plans with KB. Only MJ as far as we know knew PB was there alone outside of her two half sisters who were at work. LE could easily verify when both DB and KB arrived and left work.

Hmmmm and thank you for more thought provoking questions and comments nothingnew.


ETA: I wonder if these units do have keypads are there any security measures which record the date time and unit owner. We know they did not havee survellience video at the apartments but what about some recorded info on entering the building for security purposes. (presuming each have individual codes which is most likely as they would have to recode for every tenant each time one moved. Much easier to cancel one individual code and assign any new tenants their own code......)

 

[cluciano63]

The PC is kind of sad to me...35 or so days later and still kind of just hoping someone will talk, I think. Unless they get lucky with forensics...or somehow, a new witness surfaces.

 

[Cubby]

Does anyone know if the complex DB resides in has the keyless entry keypads to gain access to the buildings?

tia

 

[redsky]

Why did LBC leave the apartment? Did he have somewhere to be, maybe a job?
Have we established that LBC did live there full time? Why did he have a key.. I would think he could borrow MJs if he needed to get into the apartment.

Do we have a picture of the apartment complex?

 

[Cubby]

Why did LBC leave the apartment? Did he have somewhere to be, maybe a job?
Have we established that LBC did live there full time? Why did he have a key.. I would think he could borrow MJs if he needed to get into the apartment.

Do we have a picture of the apartment complex?

According to MJ's posts (since removed) from the find PB FB page he arrived at the apartment at 9am to pick up and drive LBC to another family members home and returned to the apartment alone about 10am. DB confirmed via the Pea's in their Pods interview both PB and LBC were there in the apartment when she left for work around 8:45am.

It has not been established LBC lived there full time. I do not believe he did, but was just staying there Monday night because it got late and when MJ had to go to work it was decided he pick LBC in the morning after work and bring him (home) to another family members. - Odd how MJ aluded to LBC living there, why wouldn't he say take him home? :loser:

It has not been confirmed LBC had a key. See above post #490 about possibility of having a key pad for keyless entry into the apartment and possibly knowing the code.


There are pictures of the apartment complex buried somewhere in one of these threads for PB and the apartment complex name (starts with an R I think) has been posted but the name escapes me. Hopefully when GJ logs back in she can help or someone else who recalls the name and where the pictures are can help.

hth (jmo)