MI - Updates On Stanley Case-2008

[Chicogirl36]

BB- Thanks for the update- Please let James know that he has some supporters on his side- at least speculative ones :waitasec: I do not think they were arguing that evening or the Stanleys would take the opportunity they had at pre-trial/bond hearing and tell the court that they were arguing- Instead, they told everyone that there was no tension in the house-

That statement may very well be the key to unlocking James' cell door. That is what puts the most reasonable doubt into my head. IMO, it shows what type of people they are- Honest, caring, people that just lost their two grown babies and are left with the gift of baby Alexis. If they wanted to, they could have painted a false story of the two of them fighting/arguing that evening, and that would probably be bought by most jurors- The bruising around her neck is troubling to me-

 

[miss_vegemite]

HAWG

Got a letter yesterday. I think he is holding up reasonably well considering the situation. He is still in isolation at his own request. He said he did not want any trouble to find him before his pretrial and trial. I think he is for the most part looking forward to getting this over with so he can get on with his life. I get the impression that he feels that the mishandling of his case will help his position a great deal. For now I think that's all should say.

Take Care

bumblebug, thank you for the update. I think we will all be glad when this gets to trial. I also wonder if the mishandling of this case with be a big player in the outcome!!

 

[the bumblebug]

Ms. Vegemite & Chicogirl36
My biggest problem with this case is motive. If James was angry with someone, I would think it would have been with Erin's parents and not Erin. Strangling Erin in the room with Alexis just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. My second is the police's assumption that Erin was strangled in the bedroom. I think that is as likely that she was strangled in the hall or elsewhere in the house and was able to get back to her bed. I also find it interesting that the State Police that investigated Kelly death found nothing that suggested James was involved. I believe they he had an air tight alibi for Kelly's death. I would have thought if Kelly believe James did it she would have shared that with the police. I also think if Kelly believed her parents thought James
did it she would have shared that with the police. The lead investigator told the judge in the bond hearing that he never documented any conversations with Kelly. That raises the obvious question of Why was this conversation. You have to ask the questions was it not documented because Kelly didn't think James had a role inErin's death. That's all for now- have a good day.

 

[MCDRAW]

Ms. Vegemite & Chicogirl36
My biggest problem with this case is motive. If James was angry with someone, I would think it would have been with Erin's parents and not Erin. Strangling Erin in the room with Alexis just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. My second is the police's assumption that Erin was strangled in the bedroom. I think that is as likely that she was strangled in the hall or elsewhere in the house and was able to get back to her bed. I also find it interesting that the State Police that investigated Kelly death found nothing that suggested James was involved. I believe they he had an air tight alibi for Kelly's death. I would have thought if Kelly believe James did it she would have shared that with the police. I also think if Kelly believed her parents thought James
did it she would have shared that with the police. The lead investigator told the judge in the bond hearing that he never documented any conversations with Kelly. That raises the obvious question of Why was this conversation. You have to ask the questions was it not documented because Kelly didn't think James had a role inErin's death. That's all for now- have a good day.

Maybe she was strangled elsewhere in the house and made it back to the bed to get James to help her. What I don't understand is at first they thought both sisters died the same way. Then changed it.

 

[the bumblebug]

McDraw
Your thoughts seem right on. I suspect James was arrested because other possibilities didn't fit the the police's crime scenario. I also suspect that Kelly's cause of death turned out the way it did because to say otherwise would fit the the crime scenario. I too remember the early police comments that both girls deaths seemed to be similar...whatever that is suppose to mean. I think it is important to understand that Erin's dad slept in the room directly across the hall from the bedroom where Erin, James and the baby were sleeping. If I recall Mrs. Stanley that evening (and possibly at other times) slept down the hall in the living area.

 

[miss_vegemite]

McDraw
Your thoughts seem right on. I suspect James was arrested because other possibilities didn't fit the the police's crime scenario. I also suspect that Kelly's cause of death turned out the way it did because to say otherwise would fit the the crime scenario. I too remember the early police comments that both girls deaths seemed to be similar...whatever that is suppose to mean. I think it is important to understand that Erin's dad slept in the room directly across the hall from the bedroom where Erin, James and the baby were sleeping. If I recall Mrs. Stanley that evening (and possibly at other times) slept down the hall in the living area.

Bumblebug, thanks for your thoughts.

Like you, I just want answers that make some sense. Initially we all lumped together Erin and Kelly's death. Then the autopsy report on Kelly was relased!! I must admit I fully expected to see that she had also died from strangulation, from their prior statements about the similarities of both girls. LE/Coroner seemed to have really mucked us around on this.

Me, well I still think James had something to do with Erin's death. I have thought of the other theories, but I just keep coming back to James. I really hope I'm wrong.

 

[the bumblebug]

miss vegemite
Until James tells me different I have to go along with his side of the story. Here is my reason. Let's say her death was an accident or rough sex or whatever. I would think the charge would be manslaughter and not murder. If it were manslaughter he would probably be sentenced to perhaps as few as two years which would mean he could walk after one year which by the time of the trial he has already served. Why then would he not offer to take that kind of a deal. It doesn't fit into the scheme of things. I think McDraw's comments were indeed right on. Let's not forget Mr. Stanley who was just across the hall was the person who was apparently angry and had been drinking the night before. I'll feel a whole lot better when wee get back the evidence from the bed sheet testing and from a deposition of the pathologist. I want to know why a LE officer, a coroner and a pathologist chose not to take scrapings fro under Erin's finger nails, come the body for DNA evidence like hair, fibers etc and not run a sexual assult to see if at least Erin had sex that night and with whom. When those questions are answered I might be persuaded to go down a different path.

 

[the bumblebug]

I understand that the defense will depose the pathologist sometime in August. I think it's pretty obvious what the first few questions should be?
1. Can you tell us why you didn't think it important to take scrapings from underneath Erin fingernails since it was believed that she may have been strangled?
2. Can you tell us why you didn't come the body for DNA evidence like hair, fibers or other materials that might contain DNA evidence?
3. Can you tell us why a sexual assault (rape) kit was not run on Erin...after all she was a 19 year old female and it was believe that she had been strangled? Also had you considered that running the kit might tell you if she and James had had sex the evening before her death.
4. Where you asked by someone to not the collect the evidence mentioned above?
If so, by whom and did they explain why they did not want you to collect the evidence.
5. Have you ever had formal training as a forensic pathologist? If so, where? If so was it not part of the training to try to anticipate the needs of the investigators when performing this type of autopsy?

Bottom Line. Why were these things not done and were you asked to not collect the evidence?

 

[miss_vegemite]

I understand that the defense will depose the pathologist sometime in August. I think it's pretty obvious what the first few questions should be?
1. Can you tell us why you didn't think it important to take scrapings from underneath Erin fingernails since it was believed that she may have been strangled?
2. Can you tell us why you didn't come the body for DNA evidence like hair, fibers or other materials that might contain DNA evidence?
3. Can you tell us why a sexual assault (rape) kit was not run on Erin...after all she was a 19 year old female and it was believe that she had been strangled? Also had you considered that running the kit might tell you if she and James had had sex the evening before her death.
4. Where you asked by someone to not the collect the evidence mentioned above?
If so, by whom and did they explain why they did not want you to collect the evidence.
5. Have you ever had formal training as a forensic pathologist? If so, where? If so was it not part of the training to try to anticipate the needs of the investigators when performing this type of autopsy?

Bottom Line. Why were these things not done and were you asked to not collect the evidence?

I am looking forward to some answers here.

Bumblebug, theoritically, had James and Erin had sex that night, how might that change things?

 

[FormerRichmondRes]

I haven't been here in a while, so I was catching up on reading . . . Bumblebug - there is one thing that is troubling me. I believe I've seen 2 different instances now where James said, "I didn't kill THAT GIRL." This was the girl he was sleeping with, who he had a daughter with and obviously cared enough about to stay with . . . why would he call her THAT GIRL?? And has he ever said anything about how he felt about her??? That is the part that bothers me most. Was he upset that she was gone?

I'm not saying he did it - it's just the words "that girl" rub me completely the wrong way.

 

[the bumblebug]

FormerRichmondRes
I believe the "that girl" response initially came from a question that a reporter asked him before he was arrested. It certainly isn't unusual for a phrase to stick with us when we are talking about the same subject.

James was devastated after Erin's death and I think some of the best evidence supporting his claims is that he chose to stay in the jurisdiction. He certainly had places to go a long way from Wayne county.

I actually have photos of he and Erin and he and Alexis that were taken just a few months before Erin's death. She appeared very happy and had her head resting on James' shoulder. The photo of James and Alexis shows James laying down on a couch with Alexis laying on his chest. Unfortunately these types of photos will never find their way into the local newspaper.

I think there is one other thing we tend to forget about this case. After Kelly's death, James was extensively interviewed and checked for scratches or bruises on his body. I wonder if anyone else in the house was checked for bruises or scratches. One last thing, at the bond hearing I didn't here the Stanleys say anything that suggested James had even so much as raised his voice the night of Erin's death.
Hopefully the pretrial will go on as scheduled in September and the trial will be over with no later than the third week in October.

 

[the bumblebug]

I talked with James briefly a few days ago and he seems in reasonably good spirits. I believe he will have an opportunity to sit in on a deposition of the pathologist later this month. I certainly know that I would have a lot of questions for him if I were doing the questioning. As far as I know the pretrial is still set for the middle of September and the trial is set for the 13th of October. I do hope the local paper has enough sense to publish all the facts regardless of whom they favor. Up to now they certainly have been one sided. Take care and if anyone has heard anything please post for the rest of us. Thanks in advance.

 

[MCDRAW]

bumblebug,

Do

 

[MCDRAW]

bumblebug,

Do you know if James has a good attorney? I'm sorry for that earlier post I must have hit the wrong key.

 

[the bumblebug]

James' attorney is a former prosecutor and held that position in Wayne county which is where the trial is to be held. As I understand it, the judge in this case formerly worked for James' attorney ( I assume when he worked in the Prosecutor's office). I really don't know if they parted on good terms or remained friends. From my own observations, the judge seemed more than fair in handling the bond hearing. I think James' attorney is probably competent to handle his case but I do not know how much time he and his associate have had to work on his case. I understand that he took the case without a fee. I would not be surprised if this is one of those cases that a lawyer might take to demonstrate that he would like to do more of this kind of work. Regarding the case, I really have not talked with his attorneys hardly at all.
I simply see my role in this thing as seeing James is treated fairly by those involved in this case (especially the press). I think it has already been shown that the local press has already compromised any notion that they are going to cover this case in a manner that is fair to all parties. I would like to see that change. I do hope that someone insures the Indianapolis and Dayton media cover the pretrial and trial so that some professionalism will be shown in the trials coverage.

 

[commongrackle]

Okay...what do we know? Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, and James and Erin and Alexis were in the house that night, and Kelly was not, right?

It has been determined that Erin was strangled, right?

And, from what I recall, James was asleep in bed at the time Erin was strangled?

If this is correct...who came into James and Erin's room and strangled Erin while James was lying in bed right next to her? Unless I am missing something...but I thought that was his original story.

 

[miss_vegemite]

Okay...what do we know? Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, and James and Erin and Alexis were in the house that night, and Kelly was not, right?

It has been determined that Erin was strangled, right?

And, from what I recall, James was asleep in bed at the time Erin was strangled?

If this is correct...who came into James and Erin's room and strangled Erin while James was lying in bed right next to her? Unless I am missing something...but I thought that was his original story.

Hi commongrackle What you say is pretty spot on!!

I have a feeling that the defence will use 'reasonable doubt', regarding the parent (s) involvement!! The fact that DNA was not taken from the bed sheet will also be another factor in Jame's trial.

In my opinion, I believe James is guilty of strangling Erin.

 

[the bumblebug]

Commongrackle & Miss Vegimite

I think what is missing revolves arround the assumption that Erin was strangled inside the bedroom. I know that Lead Investigators was asked during the bond hearing if he had ever considered that Erin could have been in the hall or elsewhere in the house and he testified that he had not given that possibility any consideration.
I think it is just as likely that Erin got up (perhaps to go into the bathroom or whatever) and was confronted in the hallway as to why she brought James back with her from Ohio. I think at that point Erin was strangled by someone else. It is also important to understand that both parents had been drinking substantially at a local pub the evening before. Lastly I cannot imagine anyone waiting in a bed with someone (after strangling her) until she soiled her clothes before asking her parents to call 9-1-1. I know that I could never do that. Personally, I am more concerned about all the evidence that was not collected and the quick cremation of both Erin and Kelly. I believe next week James attorney will be deposing the pathologist who did the autopsy. I still want to know why fingernail scrapings were not collected as well as a rape kit run. I also want to know why the pathologist did not comb the body for fibers or hair or any other evidence that contains DNA. Perhaps a better question to ask is who told you not the collect that evidence. I believe the pathologist, the coroner and the lead investigator were present when the autopsy was conducted. I was not in the home when Erin or Kelly died and I don't know what happened but I do know that no one should be convicted or a crime like this without evidence. I recall quite well what the lead investigator said in the bond hearing when asked what prompted him to arrest James. He said it was just common sense. He said nothing about evidence. I hopes this better lets you understand my concern about this case.

 

[the bumblebug]

Commongrackle and Miss Vegimite

I should have added this to the last post. For those convinced that Erin was strangled in her bedroom I believe it also possible that James was out of the room and the time and return not understanding that Erin had been strangled. I recall only too well when my children were that age that often had to get up and either feed them or change them elsewhere in the house depending on where the formula or diapers were. One other thought. James seems, for whatever reason, to want this case played out. If James had told the police this was a case of lets say rough sex gone bad I suspect he would have been charged with manslaughter in which case by this time he might have been let go with a little more than time served. If I had been in his shoes I would would think long and hard about that option if I had been guilty. The only reason I can think of for him to let this case go this far is that he believe he is innocent. Not long ago I read in the paper that James' attorney said this case is somewhat generic. That suggests to me that he believes it lacks details. With so much of the evidence not collected I think both side should feel nervous. I continue to ask for all to pray for Alexis. She is the one that will have to go on without so much of her family to include her mother and aunt. Thanks for your prayers.

 

[the bumblebug]

Just a quick thought for everyone. The doctor at the emergency room said that when he checked Erin's breathing tube he did not see anything particularly unusual with respect to any marks on her throat. I'm still trying to figure out how the attending physician at the hospital was able to reset the breathing tube without noticing the "reported" crushed haoid bone in Erin's throat. I really look forward seeing what happens in the pretrial...this could get interesting.