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

  • #101
Suppose that this was a premeditated murder and that the victim was shot in the neck deliberately. Although it is possible that a shot is notheard by the other residents, it would be a risk that a killer would not want to make. So the killer would use some kind of silencer, perhaps a blanket or a pillow. This still leaves various questions.

1.Why shoot only once? there is a chance that the victim survives one bullet, and might recognize or describe the killer.

2. Why shoot in the neck?
 
  • #102
True, and good point. Still, - I'm trying to recall any cases in which a deliberate kill shot was to the neck, and just a single shot at that. In a rage multiple shots are fired... In a deliberate hit, two shots are the rule... more if a mob hit...
Still could be a case where someone is not quite sure what they want to do, and gun goes off..
Also, seems like small caliber, perhaps a 22, since wound wasn't easily seen, which makes less sense in terms of killing someone with a neck shot.
(I'll spare gory details of why a 22 to the head works).

ETA: If it was a small cal, hope they really looked around to see if any bullets are in the walls.

The body was found in a pool of blood with a visible injury, but the cause of death was not immediately determined
by the police. Perhaps there was too much blood to see what exactly caused the injury. The medical examiner, after
cleaning the wound could see what caused the injury. So I do not think that it was necessarily a small caliber.
 
  • #103
A close shot would leave stippling which would indicate a gunshot wound so the shooter may not have been that close. jmo
 
  • #104
Suppose that this was a premeditated murder and that the victim was shot in the neck deliberately. Although it is possible that a shot is notheard by the other residents, it would be a risk that a killer would not want to make. So the killer would use some kind of silencer, perhaps a blanket or a pillow. This still leaves various questions.

1.Why shoot only once? there is a chance that the victim survives one bullet, and might recognize or describe the killer.

2. Why shoot in the neck?

If this was a planned murder, the perp could have checked afterwards if the victim was dead. Or the perp was an attempted burglar and run off after shooting the victim. Shot in the neck might not necessarily deliberate if the perp just shot at the direction of the victim.
Regarding nobody hearing the shot, the house might have been empty except for the victim.
 
  • #105
  • #106
If a robber fires a shot in the direction of the victim to scare him off and he kills him, it is still murder. Maybe he didn't intend to kill anyone, it was an accident but it is still a murder.
 
  • #107
If this was a planned murder, the perp could have checked afterwards if the victim was dead. Or the perp was an attempted burglar and run off after shooting the victim. Shot in the neck might not necessarily deliberate if the perp just shot at the direction of the victim.
Regarding nobody hearing the shot, the house might have been empty except for the victim.

There were other people at home at the time of death:
"He lived alone in a basement room in the Phi Rho Sigma house, where he had lived for almost three years, and other residents were home at the time of his death. The room did not appear out of order and nothing of value appeared to be stolen."
Source:
http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime/air-force-and-u-m-police-to-assist-aapd-in-investigation-into-medical-students-death/

There are about 26 people living in the building. The chance that no-one
else was in the building is very small, especially in the evening/early morning. I think it is likely that the killer knew that other people
were in the house.
 
  • #108
Paul had a basement apartment/room, perhaps this muffled the sound. Maybe everyone else was upstairs. We had a finished family room in the basement. With all the drywall and insulation, I could play music rather loudly in the middle of the night and my sleeping family never heard it.
 
  • #109
Going off in another direction - sadly suicide? Don't think I've ever heard of one side-swiping a neck artery with a gunshot to opt-out, but...

ETA, I know, no gun, read my next post...
 
  • #110
Suppose that this was a premeditated murder and that the victim was shot in the neck deliberately. Although it is possible that a shot is notheard by the other residents, it would be a risk that a killer would not want to make. So the killer would use some kind of silencer, perhaps a blanket or a pillow. This still leaves various questions.

1.Why shoot only once? there is a chance that the victim survives one bullet, and might recognize or describe the killer.

2. Why shoot in the neck?

Yes, the very question I was asking back a couple of posts...

Guess we can go round-and-round about that...
Has me wondering what could the motive be to do this? I just mention self inflected, but of course then where the gun? Would someone not involve who came into his room, take the gun? Don't think so, but there's always a chance...
 
  • #111
Paul had a basement apartment/room, perhaps this muffled the sound. Maybe everyone else was upstairs. We had a finished family room in the basement. With all the drywall and insulation, I could play music rather loudly in the middle of the night and my sleeping family never heard it.

Below is a detailed description of the house. It was posted as a comment
by "Goldenghost" on annarbor.com. Here is a link:
http://http://annarbor.com/news/crime/records-u-m-medical-student-died-of-gunshot-wound-to-neck-fired-by-another-peson/

"Having lived in the basement of Phi Rho Sigma (and on the second and third floor) many years ago this story sends an absolute chill down my spine. My condolences to Mr. DeWolf's family.

I can provide some information about the house. July is a month when Phi Rho Sigma (known to us as Phi Rho) is much quieter than normal. During much of the year there are about 32 medical students living in the house, most medical students (occasionally the house had to rent a room to a graduate student when it couldn't fill up with medical students) and roughly 50-50 male-female. However, during July and early August the house is much, much quieter. Most of the first year medical students are away on vacation and the new first year medical students have yet to arrive. So basically, you have mostly upper classmen in the house who are extremely busy doing clinical rotations, many of them pulling 24 hours shifts in the hospital and returning to the house exhausted.

The house has a cook, but if memory serves me, the cook is usually gone in the summer.

When I lived in Phi Rho, the front and back door security was not always super great. There is a parking lot at the back of the Tudor house and there is a back door that grants easy access to the first and basement levels. There are also ground level windows to most of the basement rooms. There is of course a front door as well and when I lived in the house in the late 90s the doors were unlocked during the day much. Most of the time someone ensured that the doors were shut and locked at night, but there were occasions, once in a blue moon, when a door was left open."

"More about the basement (I had to use an addendum as there is a character limit to the posts) : the basement level has 4 rooms if I recall, 3 singles and one double. The rooms are quite small. The basement also houses the study area which has multiple study areas and a computer. There is also a furnace, the laundry room and a storage area in the basement. There is also a very small library of medical texts. There is not a lot of value in the basement with the exception of the computer and of course, whatever people have in their rooms. The study area in the basement was used frequently (of course, we're medical students). Another thing about the basement at Phi Rho: it is a dark place...even during the day, the lighting is generally poor and the hallways are dark with the exception being the study room if people are in there using it.Anyway, this is all I can write right now. This is just awful. The feeling that "this could have been me" is an icky, awful feeling and I hope the police solve this tragedy. Again, my deepest condolences to the family."

"Actually, I think I am mistaken...there are only 2 single rooms and 1 double in the basement. One single room faces the back parking lot and the other single and the double face Catherine Street. The single basement room that faces the back parking lot has a window that looks out into the sunken cement stairs that lead down from the parking lot to the back door. When you open the back door you can go up a few stairs to the main foyer on the first floor or down a few stairs to the basement. Forgive me, it's been 13 years since I lived there."
 
  • #112
Going off in another direction - sadly suicide? Don't think I've ever heard of one side-swiping a neck artery with a gunshot to opt-out, but...

ETA, I know, no gun, read my next post...

Early in the thread someone mentioned the possibility of suicide. I don't know anything about guns but wouldn't there be a spent casing somewhere... meaning someone removed both the weapon and casing? 'Having no knowledge of guns this may not be the case... :dunno:

I don't believe this is the case but I am wondering about the gun/casing.
 
  • #113
Early in the thread someone mentioned the possibility of suicide. I don't know anything about guns but wouldn't there be a spent casing somewhere... meaning someone removed both the weapon and casing? 'Having no knowledge of guns this may not be the case... :dunno:

I don't believe this is the case but I am wondering about the gun/casing.

If a revolver the casing would remain with the gun, if a semi-automatic the shell case would have been ejected...
 
  • #114
After reading about the house ^^ I'm wondering if his shooting was simply something random and senseless - a thief entering with a gun, thinking the place is empty and surprised by Paul fires a shot and flees before taking anything...
 
  • #115
If a revolver the casing would remain with the gun, if a semi-automatic the shell case would have been ejected...

Thanks!

Sure wish we had a few more details on this case.
 
  • #116
After reading about the house ^^ I'm wondering if his shooting was simply something random and senseless - a thief entering with a gun, thinking the place is empty and surprised by Paul fires a shot and flees before taking anything...

There are usually several cars parked in the private parking lot
belonging to the house. I don't think a thief would have thought that
the place is empty.
 
  • #117
I've just come from Julie Niswender's thread.

I hadn't realised this was the same university.

Two unexplained deaths, two white, successful, popular students.

Same uni, both in student housing.

No sexual assault, no robbery as far as anyone can tell.

I don't like coincidence.
 
  • #118
I've just come from Julie Niswender's thread.

I hadn't realised this was the same university.

Two unexplained deaths, two white, successful, popular students.

Same uni, both in student housing.

No sexual assault, no robbery as far as anyone can tell.

I don't like coincidence.

Hi there! :) This is NOT the same University...University of Michigan is in Ann Arbor and Eastern Michigan University is in Ypsilanti. About 15 minutes away from one another. Still...close proximity.
 
  • #119
Also, Julia was living in off campus non-student housing (although, many EMU students reside there). Mr. Dewolf lived in a fraternity house with other U of M medical students.
 
  • #120
Hi there! :) This is NOT the same University...University of Michigan is in Ann Arbor and Eastern Michigan University is in Ypsilanti. About 15 minutes away from one another. Still...close proximity.

Oh ok. Thanks :D

Still, far too coincidental to me.

The fact that LE has come up with zero evidence wise, tells me these murders were neither random, accidental, or spur of the moment, or even burglaries gone wrong.

Both kids were found dead. No weapons, no explanation, no other evidence. LE are stumped....which means LE can't find a motive.

No motive = no suspect.

Random kills by a psycho with a grudge against students in Ann Arbor?

Whoever has done this planned it. :cow:
 

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