GUILTY MI - Paul DeWolf, 25, fatally shot in Ann Arbor frat house, 23 July 2013

[OldSteve]

I thought it was stated that the gun was held to his neck? Did I misunderstand that?

I think so - we only know he was shot from behind in the neck and the bullet entry was so small it wasn't realized he had been killed by gunshot...

Now LE would know if there was powder residue on him that would indicate the gun was held up to his neck..

 

[missgulfsouth]

Back to Ockham -
his being very smart, and a high achiever stands out, and that stands out.
Others jealous? Others wanting help with cheating?

I don't think it stands out. There are smart kids on every college campus, how many of them are killed for it? There were certainly smarter kids than Paul......
I just can't buy this theory. But I appreciate that others are tossing it around.

Drugs? Sex? Secrets? Jealousy? Money?
Those are motives for murder almost 100% of the time.

 

[OldSteve]

I don't think it stands out. There are smart kids on every college campus, how many of them are killed for it? There were certainly smarter kids than Paul......
I just can't buy this theory. But I appreciate that others are tossing it around.

Drugs? Sex? Secrets? Jealousy? Money?
Those are motives for murder almost 100% of the time.

He was pretty smart, and a real high achiever... but you know, when you mention "secrets" well, since we have no apparent motive (seems to be a secret), then something secret would be the most Ockham like reason for his murder...if only we knew what that :doorhide: secret might be.

 

[missgulfsouth]

He was pretty smart, and a real high achiever... but you know, when you mention "secrets" well, since we have no apparent motive (seems to be a secret), then something secret would be the most Ockham like reason for his murder...if only we knew what that :doorhide: secret might be.

Someone knows. Maybe someone living in that house.
I forgot to add another motive: REVENGE.

 

[SapphireSteel]

The only problem with Ockham is, it excludes the unusual.

 

[missgulfsouth]

The only problem with Ockham is, it excludes the unusual.

Give me a case in point. Something unusual.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Guys and gals - it appears there is a runaway train on this track!

The only info that has been confirmed officially is that Paul was shot in the neck by a single bullet by another person. Everything else is speculation (side, back, front). The back of the neck (near spine) info came from a comment someone posted under a news article.

Also, asfaik and I'm fairly certain, Paul did not have an official girlfriend. If someone believes he did, please provide the source of that information. From what I've read, Paul had two female friends and there are pictures of him dressed up, along with the two women on separate occasions, looking as if he's taking a date to a formal affair, banquet or the like. One of Paul's close friends commented that Paul liked the ladies - not sure if he used the term 'ladies man' but something close. This info, with links, is within the first few pages of the thread iirc. I saw a pic of Paul with one of his lady friends that looked more casual with nice scenery in the background indicating they did other things together other than just going on fancy dates.

 

[SapphireSteel]

Give me a case in point. Something unusual.

The Otero family.

 

[missgulfsouth]

The Otero family.

As in BTK?

Serial killers are a different breed altogether. The pieces of those cases are never neatly arranged until after the fact. The Otero house was utter carnage. They knew they had a monster on their hands. It took them a lot of years and a lot more carnage before that case was solved.

Do you think that Paul is the victim of a serial killer?

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Give me a case in point. Something unusual.

To me, what's unusual about this case as far as pinning down one or two motives, is that Paul wasn't married or engaged, he was attacked in his own room but not in his home but in a more public type of building. Even more so than an apartment building for instance. He had ties to several organizations such as the Air Force, Medical School and Fraternity/house, the VA hospital, and probably many other friends and family from his premed school days.
Unless he spoke openly to others about his conflicts, if he had any, only he would know what they were. Like if a girlfriend wanted a commitment or if he encountered any troublesome something through his studies or professional pursuits. I wonder, was he a talker (supposedly he was friendly and helpful to everyone). Had he confided in anybody about something that was bothering him? Would that be normal for him or did he tend to handle things by himself?

Sometimes people who are the most outwardly helpful types, ironically try never to burden anybody else with their own personal struggles. Plus Paul was so busy and had important transitions on the horizon, he may not have had time to deal with any pressing personal issues.

 

[SapphireSteel]

As in BTK?

Serial killers are a different breed altogether. The pieces of those cases are never neatly arranged until after the fact. The Otero house was utter carnage. They knew they had a monster on their hands. It took them a lot of years and a lot more carnage before that case was solved.

Do you think that Paul is the victim of a serial killer?

Exactly. Serial Killers are the "Unusual" that Occams razor excludes.

I have floated that theory here before.

I have wondered if Paul is connected in some way to Julie Niswender.

:dunno:

No other reason, apart from the similarities, eg, young successful white attractive no motive no suspects no breakin same county.

Also there is another shooting of a student, same thing, one shot, never solved, same county but a few years ago.

As an Australian I find it statistically incredible that two young students are murdered by unknown hands in the same county, without any motive, suspects, or robbery etc. Add in a third student and I'm :waitasec:




:cow:

 

[Woe.be.gone]

He was pretty smart, and a real high achiever... but you know, when you mention "secrets" well, since we have no apparent motive (seems to be a secret), then something secret would be the most Ockham like reason for his murder...if only we knew what that :doorhide: secret might be.

It took me a minute to process this idea - good one!

 

[missgulfsouth]

To me, what's unusual about this case as far as pinning down one or two motives, is that Paul wasn't married or engaged, he was attacked in his own room but not in his home but in a more public type of building. Even more so than an apartment building for instance. He had ties to several organizations such as the Air Force, Medical School and Fraternity/house, the VA hospital, and probably many other friends and family from his premed school days.
Unless he spoke openly to others about his conflicts, if he had any, only he would know what they were. Like if a girlfriend wanted a commitment or if he encountered any troublesome something through his studies or professional pursuits. I wonder, was he a talker (supposedly he was friendly and helpful to everyone). Had he confided in anybody about something that was bothering him? Would that be normal for him or did he tend to handle things by himself?

Sometimes people who are the most outwardly helpful types, ironically try never to burden anybody else with their own personal struggles. Plus Paul was so busy and had important transitions on the horizon, he may not have had time to deal with any pressing personal issues.

The motive in 99% of your typical murder case will be one of those that I listed.

Sex
Drugs
Money
Secrets
Jealousy
Revenge

The other 1% is going to be the serial killer/madman. Those who kill for the thrill of it. Many of them kill for sex and power (Gary Ridgeway), power and revenge (Ted Bundy), money (Aileen Wuornos)........so you see, even SK kill for just a handful of reasons.

And just because you apply Occam's Razor, doesn't mean a case is easy to solve. You begin at the innermost circle and work your way out. LE may have a suspect and a motive, but unable to arrest for a variety of reasons.
*As in the Kathy Jones case, featured cold case here at WS.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Exactly. Serial Killers are the "Unusual" that Occams razor excludes.

I have floated that theory here before.

I have wondered if Paul is connected in some way to Julie Niswender.

:dunno:

No other reason, apart from the similarities, eg, young successful white attractive no motive no suspects no breakin same county.

Also there is another shooting of a student, same thing, one shot, never solved, same county but a few years ago.

As an Australian I find it statistically incredible that two young students are murdered by unknown hands in the same county, without any motive, suspects, or robbery etc.




:cow:

Julia Niswender is a very sad and tragic case. Drowning in her case. Also the recent deaths at CMU. I am very much aware of the possibility of a serial killer stalking campuses in Michigan. I interviewed the Co-Ed killer John Norman Collins. I'm sure LE agencies will be working very closely with one another if they believe that to be a possibility. But at this point, I see no similarities, other than college kids dying tragically.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

I have floated that theory here before.

I have wondered if Paul is connected in some way to Julie Niswender.

:dunno:

No other reason, apart from the similarities, eg, young successful white attractive no motive no suspects no breakin same county.

:cow:

I haven't spent much time reading about Julie's case - she drowned in her bathtub, right?
But I noticed when perusing articles about Paul, one of the articles had side-by-side pictures of Julie and Paul. Does anybody else think they look like they could have been brother and sister? I'm not suggesting they were but they look alike imo. Just found that a little bit odd.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I haven't spent much time reading about Julie's case - she drowned in her bathtub, right?
But I noticed when perusing articles about Paul, one of the articles had side-by-side pictures of Julie and Paul. Does anybody else think they look like they could have been brother and sister? I'm not suggesting they were but they look alike imo. Just found that a little bit odd.

The article you are talking of is jarring.

I think the reporter is wondering "serial" too. I believe he's implying it, merely by publishing that article with those pictures.

Yes I agree, they both look like exactly what they were - successful, wealthy, white, gifted, every parent's dream child and yes, they could have been brother and sister.

This is what I don't like - the similarities. They both had extremely low risk lifestyles, both straight arrows so to speak. Their profiles match, essentially.

Easy to look at both of them and feel resentful at all the apparent success, I would imagine - if you were that sort of person.

:cow:

 

[missgulfsouth]

The article you are talking of is jarring.

I think the reporter is wondering "serial" too. I believe he's implying it, merely by publishing that article with those pictures.

Yes I agree, they both look like exactly what they were - successful, wealthy, white, gifted, every parent's dream child and yes, they could have been brother and sister.

This is what I don't like - the similarities. They both had extremely low risk lifestyles, both straight arrows so to speak. Their profiles match, essentially.

Easy to look at both of them and feel resentful at all the apparent success, I would imagine - if you were that sort of person.

:cow:[/QUOTE

IF, and it is a very big IF, this were the work of a serial killer, he/she would have to spend quite a lot of time jaunting back and forth between colleges, stalking, observing, following every detail of the lives of these kids, enough to form resentment at their success. She worked at Walmart. Is someone going to kill her for being successful? Yes, Paul was a high achiever. Aren't there students on campus who are more so? Good looking? Yes. Are there those who are better looking? Yes.

How many serial killers do you know who killed because they were jealous of the success of their victims? Serial killers kill for the same handful of reasons previously stated.

 

[SapphireSteel]

Yeah I've heard that "Julie wasn't that successful" thing before.

My point is, to 99% of the rest of the world's population, she was. She was clearly healthy, happy, at college, well loved, well fed, had a lifestyle that could only be dreamed of by most.

IF the serial comes from Detroit or somewhere really disadvantaged, he could indulge in "hunting trips" of white, bright college kids.

Israel Keyes has pretty much upended all the traditional sort of SK knowledge in regards to motive. He just killed cause he liked it and he went to a great deal of effort to go undiscovered - in fact, no one will ever know the totality of his crimes.

:dunno:

 

[missgulfsouth]

Yeah I've heard that "Julie wasn't that successful" thing before.

My point is, to 99% of the rest of the world's population, she was. She was clearly healthy, happy, at college, well loved, well fed, had a lifestyle that could only be dreamed of by most.

IF the serial comes from Detroit or somewhere really disadvantaged, he could indulge in "hunting trips" of white, bright college kids.

Israel Keyes has pretty much upended all the traditional sort of SK knowledge in regards to motive. He just killed cause he liked it and he went to a great deal of effort to go undiscovered - in fact, no one will ever know the totality of his crimes.

:dunno:

Nearly all serial killers kill because they like it!
Israel Keyes was just another SK.

My life:
Happy - check.
Healthy - check.
Well loved - check.
Well fed - too much check.
Nice lifestyle - check.

History will show that SK don't kill because someone is successful.
They kill because they like it and the prey is easy.

Julia was easier prey, being female.
Paul was not easy prey. This was personal.

 

[missgulfsouth]

And I think someone in that house is afraid to tell what they know.