Found Deceased MI - Venus Stewart, 32, Colon, 28 April 2010 - # 5 *D. Stewart guilty*

[Marinemom]

I agree, spam. Unless and until LE tells us officially there is no longer reason to believe a missing person is deceased, we should not turn our backs on them, but keep looking, keep trying to figure out what happened, keep sending in those tips and leads, and keep posting and giving out their picture.

I agree. Especially since she IS STILL MISSING! (whether she is deceased or not, she is still not accounted for) It sure seems like they would say something IF they had found a body. :waitasec:

 

[spamelope]

"Remains found by hunter". Indeed, how many times have we read that? It's almost cliche.
I bet the search was on GpaS's farm. Or the Schoolcraft property. Hopefully, they've searched both.

 

[RubyRed]

Do you think the state police and other agencies working on this case are incompetent?

I will say that some LE agencies are incompetent. On this case I do not believe they are. They have not arrested him, yet all evidence is pointing towards him.I was ready to convict Doug until some of this evidence just seems too convenient. Almost unbelievable. I am starting to wonder if he is being framed.
We know LE has the Wal-Mart receipt, I'll also bet they have the video of who was buying the items. Something tells me it was not Doug. Did he hire someone? Is he being framed? Hence my post where I said I am sitting on the fence right now. Just my opinion.

 

[Marinemom]

There are lots of things that are possible. What we need to do in these cases is to pay attention to what LE is telling us, because they have far more information than we do. Then we need to collect and study the known facts of the case, and study them using logic and reason, to determine what is probable.

It is possible that missing persons have been sucked up into UFOs by extra-terrestrials, but it is not probable, and not helpful to the victim. While time is wasted on theories based on fantasy, fabrication, and political agendas, a victim awaits rescue and/or justice.

I'm a fact-and-probability-luvin' kinda gal, whose #1 goal is always to find out what happened to a victim, and try to tell their story.

Oh I absolutely agree - (especially since I am a crime victim myself. My child was murdered) I was just throwing out some ideas that I maybe chose not to see in the beginning...that's all.

 

[BeanE]

I will say that some LE agencies are incompetent. On this case I do not believe they are. They have not arrested him, yet all evidence is pointing towards him.I was ready to convict Doug until some of this evidence just seems too convenient. Almost unbelievable. I am starting to wonder if he is being framed.
We know LE has the Wal-Mart receipt, I'll also bet they have the video of who was buying the items. Something tells me it was not Doug. Did he hire someone? Is he being framed? Hence my post where I said I am sitting on the fence right now. Just my opinion.

Or did it just happen to be a stranger abduction?

Possibility vs probability. Occam's Razor. Good stuff.

 

[RubyRed]

Oh I absolutely agree - (especially since I am a crime victim myself. My child was murdered) I was just throwing out some ideas that I maybe chose not to see in the beginning...that's all.

(((((hugs))))) Marinemom.

 

[maggieo]

"What if" the tarp rapper is just that - a tarp wrapper? And it blew into their yard overnight from another neighbor or like someone else mentioned - a garbage truck? I know her dad said it wasn't his and there was 'no wind' that morning, but what about the night before? It was, after all early morning that someone discovered it? I have seen HUNDREDS of places that have tarps on sale right now, they are quite common.:

respectfully snipped

I agree with you about most of these tiny "clues," but I think the tarp wrapper is significant. I live in an area similar to VS's parents' neighborhood -- "ruralurbia" with lots of woods -- and I would find it very weird to find a stray tarp wrapper in my driveway. Technically it could happen... but I can't think of ever finding anyone's garbage there (a few McDonald's bags in the woods, though, for sure).

Since there was a tarp mentioned on the receipt, I find it very ominous. It would be quite a coincidence if they're unrelated.

 

[spamelope]

My deepest sympathies, Marinemom. How horrible for you! I can't even imagine. I hope there was justice in the case. Virtual hugs to you.

 

[BeanE]

Oh I absolutely agree - (especially since I am a crime victim myself. My child was murdered) I was just throwing out some ideas that I maybe chose not to see in the beginning...that's all.

I'm so terribly sorry about your child, Marinemom. Bless you.

Hugs,
BeanE

 

[spamelope]

Or did it just happen to be a stranger abduction?

Possibility vs probability. Occam's Razor. Good stuff.

But just because something is more probable, doesn't make it so. There are things that defy the odds every day. Bizarre things DO happen at times.
My chain of thought has changed so many times on this case it's not even funny. My knee jerk reaction when this was first reported was "That B@$t@rd DS!" Then, "oh, my maybe he hired a hit man or something." To "Hm, this is too pat, I wonder if he's being framed?" Possible too is that he has laid out all these clues to cause reasonable doubt ie, " but would I be that stupid to leave all that evidence that points to me?" It could even be the thing that came from the swamp for all we know. We just don't know.

 

[believe09]

John H. Slank wrote: "During this investigation we felt it would not benefit the investigation to post Venus on the Missing Person page, due to the amount of information investigators already have regarding the circumstances surrounding her disappearance."

Clearly Venus is MISSING! We have the tarp cover, the scuffle evidence in the gravel by the cement walk, the slipper print on the side of the propane tank, the suspicious truck in the field across from Venus's residence, the Walmart receipt for a shovel, tarp, gloves and cap along with the fact she is MISSING!

To me, if all this, along with the fact she filed for and was granted a protective order and temporary custody of her children in which she reportedly declared she was afraid her husband Doug would kill her, it is clear she is MISSING and just didn't run off on a cruise with her secret lover!

To me he was saying, "We don't need to feature her on the page because of the evidence. We know she's missing but we don't need anyone looking for her because we have every reason to believe she is dead!"

UNLESS VENUS IS IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY WITH THE SECRET WITNESS PROGRAM!​

Hmmm-I do not believe that there would be kind of hue and cry for someone who is in a federal or state WPP...she would have been taken in with the kids and disappeared from there. She would not relocate and disappear from her parents home while her possible ex is hung out to dry for her disappearance. That is a little too conspiracy for me.

 

[spamelope]

To me, it would be a logical assumption to think that VS could have been thrown in the river. (Sorry, that sounds so cold.) So much easier than having to dig a grave when time is of the essence. And the St Joseph river is literally right there. Far less likelihood of her ever being found. Here's some info on the river.
MCBA LOGO Always look for the Michigan Charter Boat Association
logo when choosing your Lake MICHIGAN Fishing
Charter Captain from ST. JOSEPH RIVER, Michigan

Thousands-upon-thousands of steelhead enter the St. Joseph river every year. The "St. Joe" River is a very large river with intense flow. At times the river can't be waded so Charter Boat fishing is most popular. Through-out the river system you will find large deep runs and pools which hold schools of spawning skamania steelhead and chinook salmon. The St. Joseph also has a much better catch ratio than other Michigan waters. According to the Michigan DNR between 14,000 and 19,000 steelhead are caught each year on the St. Joseph and another 8,000 to 17,000 caught and released," The River originates in Michigan and gains its fast moving currents from many of the tributaries along the way. It passes the town of Three Rivers and then dips southwest towards Indiana. Once across the Indiana border the river flows past Elkhart, Mishawaka, South Bend while turning northwest back towards Michigan. Back across the Michigan border the St. Joseph River passes Berrien Springs before making its way to the town of St. Joseph on the southeast shore of Lake Michigan.
http://www.michigancharterboats.com/page.php?lake=MICHIGAN&port=ST. JOSEPH RIVER

At at least one point, the river is 20 ft deep.

 

[Natal]

Response from a Michigan State Police Officer - Why Venus's photo isn't featured on their Missing Persons Page​

from John H. Slenk <[email protected]>
to [email protected]
date Mon, May 17, 2010 at 10:26 AM
subject Ref Venus Rose Stewart
mailed-by michigan.gov

You asked a good and appropriate question about the State Police not featuring Venus Stewart on our Missing Person's page.

Criminal investigators constantly evaluate the progress of an investigation and the direction it is taking. There are times when we use certain investigative tools and not others dependant on the information available to us.

During this investigation we felt it would not benefit the investigation to post Venus on the Missing Person page, due to the amount of information investigators already have regarding the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

I trust this will help answer your question. Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely D/F/Lt. John Slenk
Michigan State Police

Note: I replaced my e-mail prefix with XXXXXXXXX

I think basically what they are saying is that they have enough information to actively pursue investigations, whereas the folk on that page are essentially "cold cases" where they don't have anything else to go on. Sadly, for those people the investigation is essentially that webpage and not much more.

 

[Natal]

Hi, marinemom...

Here's a transcription:

People v. Bauder
269 Mich App 174; 712 NW2d 506
(2005), lv den 476 Mich ___
(#130407, 8/29/06)
The defendant
forfeits his
Confrontation Right
by killing the victim,
no proof of intent to
make the witness
unavailable required
under “equitable
forfeiture.”

In Bauder, the defendant was charged with first degree murder. He stalked and then raped and killed his ex-girlfriend. He admitted to the killing but denied the premeditation. The prosecutor offered several statements of the victim under various exceptions of the hearsay rule. In response to the Confrontation Clause objection, the prosecutor argued that past acts of domestic violence proved that the defendant intended, at least in part, to make the victim unavailable to testify or otherwise disclose the abuse she suffered at his hand. In the alternative, the prosecutor argued that the defendant forfeited his right to confront the victim on equitable grounds. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and adopted the concept of equitable forfeiture.

The Court of Appeals relied in part on the 6th Circuit case of United States v. Garcia-Meza (2005) in which the 6th Circuit said: "The Supreme Court's recent affirmation of the "essentially equitable grounds" for the rule of forfeiture strongly suggests that the rule's applicability does not hing on the wrongdoer's motive. The Defendant, regardless of whether he intended to prevent the witness from testifying against him or not, would benefit through his own wrongdoing if such a witness's statement could not be used against him, which the rule of forfeiture, based on principles of equity, does not permit."

Here's the link:

http://www.michiganprosecutor.org/Downloads/Webinars/forfeiture.pdf

Edit to add: The defendant's name was Steven Leroy Bauder. And I'm almost POSITIVE that this case was tried in St. Joseph County. Wow.

http://coa.courts.michigan.gov/resources/asp/ViewDocket.asp?casenumber=256186&yr=0&inqtype=public

,

That wouldn't be applicable in this case because the attacks on DS and motivations discussed by the co-worker you cited relate to cases which had allready appeared before the court. Consequently the judge would give precedence to that evidence over any hearsay from this co-worker. VS would allready have been provided the opportunity to testify when she was alive, and she either waived that right or was found not to be credible. So the prosecution can't come in later and say "oh, ignore those earlier court proceedings and let us take this hearsay evidence instead".

 

[Marinemom]

That wouldn't be applicable in this case because the attacks on DS and motivations discussed by the co-worker you cited relate to cases which had allready appeared before the court. Consequently the judge would give precedence to that evidence over any hearsay from this co-worker. VS would allready have been provided the opportunity to testify when she was alive, and she either waived that right or was found not to be credible. So the prosecution can't come in later and say "oh, ignore those earlier court proceedings and let us take this hearsay evidence instead".

I was only asking Puf for a link to that case. Not that it meant anything in this one, but I know of some Bauders in MI and just was curious. That's all...

 

[blackdog]

I wonder what time the mail man passed by each day. Seven seems early to put the mail out.

 

[thinkaboutthis]

Or did it just happen to be a stranger abduction?

Possibility vs probability. Occam's Razor. Good stuff.

You cannot just Occam's Razor everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_science

Among the many difficulties that arise in trying to apply Ockham's razor is the problem of formalizing and quantifying the "measure of simplicity" that is implied by the task of deciding which of several theories is the simplest. Although various measures of simplicity have been brought forward as potential candidates from time to time, it is generally recognized that there is no such thing as a theory-independent measure of simplicity. In other words, there appear to be as many different measures of simplicity as there are theories themselves, and the task of choosing between measures of simplicity appears to be every bit as problematic as the job of choosing between theories. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to identify the hypotheses or theories that have "comparable explanatory power", though it may be readily possible to rule out some of the extremes. Ockham's razor also does not say that the simplest account is to be preferred regardless of its capacity to explain outliers, exceptions, or other phenomena in question.

 

[spamelope]

I wonder what time the mail man passed by each day. Seven seems early to put the mail out.

Welcome to ws, blackdog!

I meant to call the PO in Colon today to see what time the mail is delivered, and I spaced it. Maybe if I immortalize this in a post, I will remember tomorrow.

 

[blackdog]

Thank you, I keep wondering if it was a planed meeting. Id like to see the phone records.

 

[Natal]

I wonder what time the mail man passed by each day. Seven seems early to put the mail out.

That may just be a convenient time for her. It's not like the mail will be going anywhere before the mailman shows up