Deceased/Not Found MI - Bianca Jones, 2, Detroit, 2 Dec 2011 - #1 - *D. Lane guilty*

[not_my_kids]

This is a post that I made in response to another on the Mariha Smith forum. I want to share it here so that those who are unfamiliar with the city will better understand the "lifestyle".

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trident
Detroit is a world unto itself. It is a city destroyed, a place of abandoned, burned out houses, no jobs, but plenty of drugs, and despair.

That said, white culture and black culture are not the same at all. There are many reasons for this, I know because I live in a mixed neighborhood and we talk, but if I said more I'd get a TO. Truth is sometimes not a welcome thing, and I find that sad. My black neighbors and I talk about eveything, and there IS a big difference in the way people go about things, although Detroit is a mystery to some of my black friends.

I could say more, but I like it here.

I concur. I grew up in Detroit but settled in the northern 'burbs after college. DH worked in the city until just a few years ago. We do go downtown for cultural/sports events, and there are some fine downtown eateries. Other than that, most areas of Detroit aren't safe. There are enormous cultural differences among the races and other ethnic groups that live in the city. It's a different lifestyle that many don't understand. Sadly, the Detroit where I lived most of my young years is long gone and will likely never return.

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145563&page=19

I couldn't agree more. I'm going to put this very, very delicately. Living in Flint, we get a lot of the "overflow" from Detroit. People that have been in so much trouble in Detroit that the police know them by sight tend to come here to get away from that stigma, whether it's deserved or not. People that are trying to leave gangs and get their lives turned around, end up coming here. Flint probably has the atmosphere that is closest to that of Detroit, out of all the MI cities, with the exception of Detroit itself.
In some areas, in both cities, there are entire blocks of residential areas where there is just nothing left. The houses that were there were stripped of all valuables, right down to the pipes and the wiring in the walls, and then normally burned on purpose, demoed by the city, or accidentally set afire by someone that was homeless or on drugs. In both cities, the things that other people take for granted are things that residents can't imagine doing, like letting your car warm up in the driveway with the engine running, or letting their kids walk a block to the store by themselves.
It is literally a whole different world. Poor Detroiters, same as poor Flintstones, learn not to do the things that most people consider normal. You don't make eye contact with anyone you don't live with, as that's a challenge. You know that you put your life on the line every time you walk out the door, but here,it's just as easy to get shot in your living room, either by accident or because you asked your neighbor to keep their dog out of your yard. We accept it as normal that our kindergarten students are familiar with school lockdowns and know how to cover their heads and stay on the floor when they hear gunshots. This is not normal life, so a lot of the things that people think they understand, do not apply to either city, especially Detroit. The idea that a carjacking would happen in a residential neighborhood at 10 a.m. might make some people laugh at the absurdity of such an idea, but in Detroit, it's completely believable. That may be why LE has not come out and said that they don't believe the father, because anywhere else on the planet, this would be a fluke occurrence, if it were true. Not so much in this case. The absolutely terrifying thing about this case is that the story as it was reported is possible. Not the most plausible thing I have ever heard, simply because of where the car was found and how fast it was located, but still extremely possible.

 

[JeannaT]

This is a post that I made in response to another on the Mariha Smith forum. I want to share it here so that those who are unfamiliar with the city will better understand the "lifestyle".

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trident
Detroit is a world unto itself. It is a city destroyed, a place of abandoned, burned out houses, no jobs, but plenty of drugs, and despair.

That said, white culture and black culture are not the same at all. There are many reasons for this, I know because I live in a mixed neighborhood and we talk, but if I said more I'd get a TO. Truth is sometimes not a welcome thing, and I find that sad. My black neighbors and I talk about eveything, and there IS a big difference in the way people go about things, although Detroit is a mystery to some of my black friends.

I could say more, but I like it here.

I concur. I grew up in Detroit but settled in the northern 'burbs after college. DH worked in the city until just a few years ago. We do go downtown for cultural/sports events, and there are some fine downtown eateries. Other than that, most areas of Detroit aren't safe. There are enormous cultural differences among the races and other ethnic groups that live in the city. It's a different lifestyle that many don't understand. Sadly, the Detroit where I lived most of my young years is long gone and will likely never return.

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145563&page=19

I get a sense it's kind of like New Orleans, before AND after Katrina. Hopelessness.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I get a sense it's kind of like New Orleans, before AND after Katrina. Hopelessness.

O/T:
New Orleans is not hopeless!

 

[not_my_kids]

I'll even supply some videos:
I am watching these with low sound, so I apologize if there is profanity. Don't watch with kids around, just in case.

Do you believe a broad daylight carjacking could happen here: A Tour Of Detroit's Ghetto - YouTube

Could you imagine walking this street to get to your bus stop every morning:
Detroit: Entire Neighborhood Abandoned. White Lady Remains. - YouTube

Could you ever accept waking up here every morning:
Detroit warzone properties ((Don't buy here)) Nasty Neighborhood - YouTube

This is simply to help people understand the atmosphere. The area that Bianca disappeared from was not necessarily as bad as the ones shown here, but it's not necessarily any better either.

 

[LindaG]

I'm trying not to jump the gun here. But if he isn't the father and has been feeling pressure to financially support a child that isn't his.....well, this changes everything.

I'm not seeing his kids' names on Facebook - ???

I just had a thought. Maybe he was on a work release program from prison and got to leave each day to come and go to his job. That would have left him some time with the ladies - not much , but enough.

 

[JeannaT]

I'll even supply some videos:
I am watching these with low sound, so I apologize if there is profanity. Don't watch with kids around, just in case.

Do you believe a broad daylight carjacking could happen here: A Tour Of Detroit's Ghetto - YouTube

Could you imagine walking this street to get to your bus stop every morning:
Detroit: Entire Neighborhood Abandoned. White Lady Remains. - YouTube

Could you ever accept waking up here every morning:
Detroit warzone properties ((Don't buy here)) Nasty Neighborhood - YouTube

This is simply to help people understand the atmosphere. The area that Bianca disappeared from was not necessarily as bad as the ones shown here, but it's not necessarily any better either.

So sad. It doesn't take much imagination to see that that was a really sweet neighborhood in the 50's or so - a lot of really cute homes - you can imagine bicycles and jump ropes. What a mess, and a waste.

 

[rosepetal1065]

..

OMGoodness, Cubby - he just made a composite piccie of himself!!

Yikes, now that's scary.

 

[LindaG]

Does the witness get a chance to okay the final product (composite) before it is distributed?

I have seen such cases as well, Jeanna. I am wondering how the dad could look at this picture and not see the resemblance to some of his own characteristics. The eyebrows - or their expression - stood out to me in particular. I just think that if an artist showed me a composite and it looked just like me, I'd be all..."Great job! You drew a lovely sketch of ME. Can we work on the unkown person now?!"

I also agree with whomever said about the aliases not being a big deal in and of themselves. Imagine my surprise when I found out I had aliases...Jane Doe, Jane Q. Doe, and Jane Q. Dod (courtesy of a misspelling on a credit card that expired almost 7 years ago).

The witness DOES get a chance to review the finished product and direct any changes that need to be made. Maybe the 'witness' was subconsciously confessing to the crime.

 

[not_my_kids]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2011/12/04/detroit-missing-girl-carjacked.html
Canada has picked up the story now, too. Bianca is international news.

 

[not_my_kids]

Some family members have said they doubt Lane's story, because he called his girlfriend about the alleged carjacking before calling the police, according to WXYZ-TV.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/year-girl-missing-armed-carjacking-detroit/story?id=15083624#.TtvP8rI6D_w

Is that old news?
ETA: And do they mean the girlfriend he lives with? Another girlfriend? I know, none of us know how we might react in a situation like that, until it happens, and I know it might be harder to call the police if you knew it might lead to you losing your own freedom even if you didn't harm your child, but I can't see having any other thought than to call the police first, and everyone else later. I can see maybe if he had called Bianca's mother, but he didn't.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

So sad. It doesn't take much imagination to see that that was a really sweet neighborhood in the 50's or so - a lot of really cute homes - you can imagine bicycles and jump ropes. What a mess, and a waste.

Yes, in the '50s and '60s when I lived in the city, every neighborhood in Detroit had its own character and charm. Some neighborhoods were occupied by wealthy, professional people, while others were home to middle-class, working folks. The downturn seemed to come with the Detroit riots during the summer of 1967. While the city has attempted a "renaissance" several times, Detroit doesn't seem able re-emerge or re-energize from those dark days in the summer of 1967.

A look at neighborhoods that still reflect the grandeur of yester-years in the Motor City:

http://experiencedetroit.com/historicneighborhoods.htm#_Maps_&_Directions_1

 

[lauriej]

Some family members have said they doubt Lane's story, because he called his girlfriend about the alleged carjacking before calling the police, according to WXYZ-TV.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/year-girl-missing-armed-carjacking-detroit/story?id=15083624#.TtvP8rI6D_w

Is that old news?

--from above article:

"Thirty minutes later, his gray Grand Marquis was found just six blocks away, in an alley with the door open and the engine running, but no child".

---from what's been posted about the crime rate in detroit, i'm shocked the car wasn't stolen in that 1/2 hour!

 

[lynnb]

I'm not seeing his kids' names on Facebook - ???

I just had a thought. Maybe he was on a work release program from prison and got to leave each day to come and go to his job. That would have left him some time with the ladies - not much , but enough.

scroll down his fb until you see a post that says Father to Sons....click on it and you'll read an open letter he wrote to his children where he names them all.

 

[Etilema]

I couldn't agree more. I'm going to put this very, very delicately. Living in Flint, we get a lot of the "overflow" from Detroit. People that have been in so much trouble in Detroit that the police know them by sight tend to come here to get away from that stigma, whether it's deserved or not. People that are trying to leave gangs and get their lives turned around, end up coming here. Flint probably has the atmosphere that is closest to that of Detroit, out of all the MI cities, with the exception of Detroit itself.
In some areas, in both cities, there are entire blocks of residential areas where there is just nothing left. The houses that were there were stripped of all valuables, right down to the pipes and the wiring in the walls, and then normally burned on purpose, demoed by the city, or accidentally set afire by someone that was homeless or on drugs. In both cities, the things that other people take for granted are things that residents can't imagine doing, like letting your car warm up in the driveway with the engine running, or letting their kids walk a block to the store by themselves.
It is literally a whole different world. Poor Detroiters, same as poor Flintstones, learn not to do the things that most people consider normal. You don't make eye contact with anyone you don't live with, as that's a challenge. You know that you put your life on the line every time you walk out the door, but here,it's just as easy to get shot in your living room, either by accident or because you asked your neighbor to keep their dog out of your yard. We accept it as normal that our kindergarten students are familiar with school lockdowns and know how to cover their heads and stay on the floor when they hear gunshots. This is not normal life, so a lot of the things that people think they understand, do not apply to either city, especially Detroit. The idea that a carjacking would happen in a residential neighborhood at 10 a.m. might make some people laugh at the absurdity of such an idea, but in Detroit, it's completely believable. That may be why LE has not come out and said that they don't believe the father, because anywhere else on the planet, this would be a fluke occurrence, if it were true. Not so much in this case. The absolutely terrifying thing about this case is that the story as it was reported is possible. Not the most plausible thing I have ever heard, simply because of where the car was found and how fast it was located, but still extremely possible.

I don't think people consider a carjacking at 10 in the morning in a residential neighborhood in Detroit an absurd thought. I think they think a resident of such an area not being on guard against such an occurrence is absurd. Based on your description, residents would not expect well-intentioned neighbors to stop and offer to help them with minor car dysfunctions. Right?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police question dad's story in case of missing Detroit girl

Police are questioning whether the father of missing 2-year-old Bianca Jones told investigators the truth about being carjacked Friday morning with the toddler still inside the vehicle.

[snip]

"In the interest of allaying some of the fears of the public regarding the apparent randomness of Bianca's disappearance, the authenticity and credibility of the original version of events is under intense scrutiny by our investigative team," Godbee said in a written statement released Sunday morning.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111204/METRO/112040322/Police-question-dad’s-story-in-case-of-missing-Detroit-girl#ixzz1fbF8jmAP
​

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

Police question dad's story in case of missing Detroit girl

Police are questioning whether the father of missing 2-year-old Bianca Jones told investigators the truth about being carjacked Friday morning with the toddler still inside the vehicle.

[snip]

"In the interest of allaying some of the fears of the public regarding the apparent randomness of Bianca's disappearance, the authenticity and credibility of the original version of events is under intense scrutiny by our investigative team," Godbee said in a written statement released Sunday morning.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111204/METRO/112040322/Police-question-dad’s-story-in-case-of-missing-Detroit-girl#ixzz1fbF8jmAP
​

IMO: bolder part = politest way ever to say that you think someone's full of it.

 

[LindaG]

Some family members have said they doubt Lane's story, because he called his girlfriend about the alleged carjacking before calling the police, according to WXYZ-TV.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/year-girl-missing-armed-carjacking-detroit/story?id=15083624#.TtvP8rI6D_w

Is that old news?
ETA: And do they mean the girlfriend he lives with? Another girlfriend? I know, none of us know how we might react in a situation like that, until it happens, and I know it might be harder to call the police if you knew it might lead to you losing your own freedom even if you didn't harm your child, but I can't see having any other thought than to call the police first, and everyone else later. I can see maybe if he had called Bianca's mother, but he didn't.

I admit the order of calls is odd. If he had called Bianca's mother, I could understand it. Calling his current girlfriend could be a secret sign that the deed has been done. She can always say 'I don't know where Bianca is, all I know is that he called and told me he was car-jacked'. Why else call her, what more could she do? moo

 

[not_my_kids]

I don't think people consider a carjacking at 10 in the morning in a residential neighborhood in Detroit an absurd thought. I think they think a resident of such an area not being on guard against such an occurrence is absurd. Based on your description, residents would not expect well-intentioned neighbors to stop and offer to help them with minor car dysfunctions. Right?

But, if you have a warrant for your arrest, which DL did, and someone told you about a minor malfunction with your vehicle, you'd check, just because you don't want to end up getting pulled over and sent to jail for something as simple as a taillight. I found it odd that he would be that trusting too, but after I found out that he had other warrants and was being held on those, it made that part of the story a little more plausible to me.

Not that I believe DL's story. Still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there are a lot of things I just don't believe.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

I admit the order of calls is odd. If he had called Bianca's mother, I could understand it. Calling his current girlfriend could be a secret sign that the deed has been done. She can always say 'I don't know where Bianca is, all I know is that he called and told me he was car-jacked'. Why else call her, what more could she do? moo

Was the car in question registered to him?

 

[LindaG]

But, if you have a warrant for your arrest, which DL did, and someone told you about a minor malfunction with your vehicle, you'd check, just because you don't want to end up getting pulled over and sent to jail for something as simple as a taillight. I found it odd that he would be that trusting too, but after I found out that he had other warrants and was being held on those, it made that part of the story a little more plausible to me.

Not that I believe DL's story. Still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there are a lot of things I just don't believe.

He could have waved them on with a 'thanks' and then, when they were gone, gotten out and looked. He does not strike me as naive.