MO MO - Melissa Peskey, 40, shot and killed, Boonville, 13 Dec 2018

[McFluffy]

margarita, Boonville is about 2 to 2.5 hrs from KC. It takes about 4-5 hrs to drive Hwy 70 across the state. Boonville is very close to the middle. So depending on traffic, how you drive, stopping, that's about right on.

There is KC to the west, then Columbia (U of Missouri) in the middle and then STL on the east.

Boonville is part of greater Columbia (sort of) but there are wide open spaces between Boonville and KC. Even the spaces from Boonville to Columbia are pretty desolate and very little growth near the highway.

Whiteman Airforce Base is about halfway between KC and Boonville.

Even though Boonville is just barely on the KC side of the state, the chasm between them is super rural. STL is creeping west to Columbia at a much faster pace.

 

[margarita25]

“It happened along Interstate 70 in central Missouri. Authorities aren't releasing many details, only that it happened near Boonville.”

Authorities In Missouri Following More Than 60 Leads In Melissa Peskey Homicide Investigation

-Well, we do know “The location of the accident was on I-70 Eastbound near mile marker 96”.

Great post, cpeacock1!

I'm thinking he'd have had plenty of time to do the round trip from their home in Hartford, SD to Boonville, MO (Western Cooper County). The location of the accident was on I-70 Eastbound near mile marker 96. A rough estimate on google maps showed that the trip (one-way) was approximately 522 miles (estimated travel time 7 hours and 42 min.).

Yeah, the sleeping pill. We had reports from patients who "sleep drove" under the influence of Ambien, so that ain't getting him a pass with me!

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Thank you @Darling136 for modifying the thread title.

 

[margarita25]

IF this is random, we can expert a pattern to emerge either recently prior or shortly thereafter, moo.

IF this is a random shooter, chances are high IMO we can expect another victim(s)/shooting, and soon. MOO.

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Any reports of window shatterings?
:lookingitup:

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Some more notes as I come across them for reference:

Who’s throwing, rolling bowling balls at cars?
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

(Ugh)

“ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Two bizarre incidents were reported by motorists in south St. Louis County. Two motorists, in different locations and different months, said their vehicles were struck by bowling balls as they were driving. And police said there could be a third victim.

The most recent case involved a woman who was driving home from her brother’s house Friday night.“
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The above is an example that shows how a woman, driving at night, can be a victim of a random crime on the highway.

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Alright this should have incident reports / we want to look at the days/weeks preceding to start, moo:

MoDOT Central Dist (@MoDOT_Central) on Twitter

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Mar 15, 2018
Infant cut by broken glass after shots are fired on I-70, St. Louis police say


Also from the same article, “East bound on I-70”:

“A man and woman, both 21, told police they were driving east on I-70 when the Dodge Avenger approached at high speed and tried to run them off the road. A man and a woman were in the Avenger. The man had a gun.

The victims said they tried to flee, and heard gunshots and saw broken glass as they approached Grand Avenue, according to police.“

Compare quote re: MP and EBI70

“The location of the accident was on I-70 Eastbound near mile marker 96.“

What mile marker was the above incident in March? Road rage vs random shooting I wonder...

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Ok so there’s a start IF LE indicates that this could be random.

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(ETA: note to self, ok this is potentially interesting:

Columbia
27 min (25.3 mi)
via I-70

So, Boonville to Columbia:
“...Turn left to merge onto I-70 E toward Columbia”

Note to pick up here IF this turns out to be possibly random.)

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“He said he had nothing to do with Melissa's death. He said he's working to get his wife's body and his children returned to South Dakota.”

Mother killed while driving to NC with her children
December 20, 2018

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“Investigators have received more than 65 leads in connection with the mysterious shooting, White told Oxygen.com. Even though nobody is in custody, "there is not any evidence, nor any indication that the public is in danger" at this point, White told Oxygen.com.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is asking for help tracking down Peskey's killer.

In a tweet, they wrote, "Help us find who killed Melissa. Report tips to (573) 751-1000."

Mom Found Dead At Crash Scene With Her Two Kids Safe In The Car Was Mysteriously Shot, Cops Say

 

[margarita25]

Looking to see if and where DOT/weather might have cameras on I-70 near Boonville. Will update if I find anything.

ETA:
MoDOT Traffic Cameras


Bingo:

Interstate 70, Mile Marker 91, Central District, near Blackwater
Interstate 70, Mile Marker 91, Central District, near Blackwater
Interstate 70, Mile Marker 93.45, Central District, near Pilot Grove
Interstate 70, Mile Marker 93.45, Central District, near Pilot Grove
Interstate 70, Mile Marker 101.9, Central District, near Boonville
Interstate 70, Mile Marker 112.44, Central District, near Rocheport

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Interstate 70 in Missouri - Wikipedia

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Home Page | Missouri Department of Transportation

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So bringing this forward again as I try to wrap my head around all of this:

“At approximately 10:30 p.m. on December 13, 2018, troopers responded to a traffic crash on Interstate 70, near the 96-mile marker, in Cooper County. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of 40-year-old Melissa A. Peskey, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, deceased in the driver’s seat,” the Missouri Highway Patrol said in a press release.

The Highway Patrol said Peskey, 40, died from the gunshot wound, which came from outside the SUV.

The patrol tweeted this week asking for the public’s help figuring out what happened. “Someone knows something,” it said on Twitter.“

Mom was driving her kids to North Carolina when she was shot on I-70 in Missouri

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MSHPTrooperF
Twitter
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Twitter page...(snip)
Jefferson City, MO
Troop F Home
Joined December 2015
95 Following
2,811 Followers
Tweets
·
3h
#DriveSober #NewYearsEve

Dec 30
Our thoughts are with Melissa’s family & friends today.

We continue to pursue her killer. Report tips to (573) 751-1000.

Photo:
Twitter

(link: Obituary for Melissa Ann Peskey - SIOUX FALLS, SD)

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MSHP News Release

“MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Troop F Headquarters - 2920 North Shamrock Road - Jefferson City, MO 65102

NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Sergeant Scott White
(573) 751-1000
F181202
December 19, 2018

EMPHASIS: Troop F: Homicide Investigation In Cooper County

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on December 13, 2018, troopers responded to a traffic crash on Interstate 70, near the 96-mile marker, in Cooper County. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of 40-year-old Melissa A. Peskey, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, deceased in the driver’s seat.

On December 17, 2018, an autopsy was performed on the victim at the Boone County Medical Examiner's Office in Columbia, Missouri. Preliminary results of the investigation at the scene and autopsy indicate that the victim died of a gunshot wound, from a weapon fired from outside the vehicle.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 573-751-1000.“

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“Troop F is located on US-50 at Shamrock Road on the east edge of Jefferson City. Troop F was originally called "Headquarters Troop" when it was established in 1931 as one of the six original troops and had its name changed to Troop F in 1935. Troop F is served by 119 uniformed officers, 47 uniformed civilians, and 9 civilian employees.
Troop F serves the following 13 counties in Central Missouri: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, and Osage.“

Troop F Home

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“The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office in South Dakota is assisting in the investigation.”

South Dakota woman found dead after crash on I-70 in Missouri had been shot

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So it’s Western Cooper County:

“Melissa A. Peskey, 40, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was traveling with her two children, ages 5 and 11, when her car crashed in western Cooper County near the 96-mile marker.“

Crash victim died of gunshot wound, patrol says

 

[margarita25]

Cooper County, Missouri / Map of Cooper County, MO / Where is Cooper County?

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Data.gov

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Seems there’s a rest stop near there fwiw—cameras?

I-70 Boonville Rest Stop (Westbound) - Rest Area

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Speed cameras may soon snap speeders on I-70
May 27, 2011

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The only camera weatherbug has is Blue Springs
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Anything in the vicinity here?

Traffic Cameras

 

[NanZDrew]

margarita, Boonville is about 2 to 2.5 hrs from KC. It takes about 4-5 hrs to drive Hwy 70 across the state. Boonville is very close to the middle. So depending on traffic, how you drive, stopping, that's about right on.

There is KC to the west, then Columbia (U of Missouri) in the middle and then STL on the east.

Boonville is part of greater Columbia (sort of) but there are wide open spaces between Boonville and KC. Even the spaces from Boonville to Columbia are pretty desolate and very little growth near the highway.

Whiteman Airforce Base is about halfway between KC and Boonville.

Even though Boonville is just barely on the KC side of the state, the chasm between them is super rural. STL is creeping west to Columbia at a much faster pace.

So random road rage usually happens with jammed up traffic. Someone cuts you off. Sounds like those stressors were missing here.

 

[margarita25]

So random road rage usually happens with jammed up traffic. Someone cuts you off. Sounds like those stressors were missing here.

This is a good point. I was just thinking about IF this was not targeted, well then how likely is it that this was a random shooting over a road rage incident.

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margarita, Boonville is about 2 to 2.5 hrs from KC. It takes about 4-5 hrs to drive Hwy 70 across the state. Boonville is very close to the middle. So depending on traffic, how you drive, stopping, that's about right on.

There is KC to the west, then Columbia (U of Missouri) in the middle and then STL on the east.

Boonville is part of greater Columbia (sort of) but there are wide open spaces between Boonville and KC. Even the spaces from Boonville to Columbia are pretty desolate and very little growth near the highway.

Whiteman Airforce Base is about halfway between KC and Boonville.

Even though Boonville is just barely on the KC side of the state, the chasm between them is super rural. STL is creeping west to Columbia at a much faster pace.

While researching shootings in the area, it seems nearby Columbia has had an increasing problem with shootings. The distance/proximity, East bound route on I-70, and increased problem with gun violence makes this area stand out as an area of interest when and if considering the possibility of a random shooter, moo. There have been several shootings within the city, as well as KC and STL it seems, so it would it would not be a leap IMO that a perp from the city could extend into the outskirts to commit a crime, as I have seen in other cases. Sometimes criminals like this travel just out of the city for such purposes, moo.

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I wonder if Melissa made any stops along her trip, and if so, where?

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IMO, until and unless LE can prove some sort of premeditation by any individuals known to Melissa, my suspicion is that this will turn out to be a random shooting case, and if so this will not be easy to solve imo, for many reasons (unless ballistics can get a hit/match, and even then they still might not be able to ID the perp (s) and might/could even find a link to another unsolved/random shooting(s), moo.

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Another thought, could we have a Mohammed Whitaker copycat ?
Reference:
Mohammed Whitaker pleads guilty to 2014 Kansas City area highway shootings, will serve 30 years

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Often with random highway shootings, one challenge that occurs is the recovery of the bullet on failed attempts. In other words, if a vehicle is fired upon from a distance, and the shot is missed, then nobody knows that this even occurred.

In the NOCO treads there was much discussion on snipers, long range rifles such as .22’s, etc, but often IMO vehicle shootings occur from the originating point of another vehicle, moo. But of course we can not forget the Beltway Sniper case.

—- Again, for the husband to have arranged this would be quite a gamble, imo. Arranging a shot from another vehicle would not be a guaranteed way to ensure she would die, as chances are high the shot could be missed (unless from close range). Also, again, as I mentioned, unless this father also wanted to risk harm to his children (which again we all know from the Watts case is not out of the realm of possibility), I doubt this would be the method of execution he would employ. Moo.

Again, this is with the very limited information we have, and again, I missed the GH video and know nothing about the personal circumstances re: the victim or her husband, but IMO by all outward appearances, this has the markings of a random or road rage based highway shooting.

(I’m sure RP’s Defense Attorney is salivating if he’s reading my posts, lol.)

At this moment, with the limited sourced information we have, what is there to indicate that this was NOT a random shooting?

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Here is the great spreadsheet by @Forager created for the NOCO thread, incidents are noted with vehicle direction, which side of car was shot, etc etc, there’s even a section for national incidents, etc. Again I don’t think this has been updated in a few years but it certainly shows how often this can occur.

I thiiink this is recent draft, there may be a newer link:
CO shootings

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One challenge that occurred in NOCO was that there were sooooo many other incidents we didn’t know about, that were not reported in the press, or they were simply noted simply as an accident.

 

[zecats]

So random road rage usually happens with jammed up traffic. Someone cuts you off. Sounds like those stressors were missing here.

Not in this case. Preplanned and random.

DC Area Sniper Fast Facts - CNN

 

[margarita25]

I had a long post but lost it when my battery died. I’ll try again.

IF this was a random vehicle shooting, and if done from another vehicle at fairly close range where the victims could clearly be seen, then this speaks volumes about the brazenness and evil about someone firing into a car with a woman and children, and imo shows a high probably to likely reoffend. I really hope this is not the beginning of another NOCO.
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It seems from the preliminary research above that there are a fair amount of cameras imo that hopefully will provide some insight/leads for LE.

If considering a longer range sniper style attack, then potential vantage points need to be considered.

Street view of the mile marker 96 area in progress
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Another challenge that can occur when investigating random vehicle shootings is it can really be a needle in a haystack trying to differentiate between:

A) Random vs road rage
B) Random vs targeted gang/drug etc violence.

As regards to B, say we are monitoring shootings, as in the case of NOVO, and say a shooting is gang or drug related, this will not necessarily be stated in msm, it will just say for instance “police responded to so and so location after a shooting” and there is no way to tell if it was a drug deal gone bad, domestic, or actually really random. The only way we know that a shooting is ever really “random” is pretty much when LE comes out and says it, and one of the only ways they are going to come out and say that is if they may make a ballistic match to another similar incident, as in the case of Cori Romero and John Jacoby, again still unsolved or if they can’t find a single inkling of why someone might possibly want to hurt/kill that person, moo.

(Who killed John Jacoby? Who shot Cori Romero in the neck??

I’m going to go ahead and link these threads for easy reference in case it turns out that these are random. These 4 threads are almost 4 years of my/our work and efforts and hope that they can be of use here, should the need arise:


1.CO - Possible Serial Shooter Has Colorado Drivers on Edge #1
2.CO - Possible Serial Shooter Has Colorado Drivers on Edge #2
3.CO - Possible Serial Shooter Has Colorado Drivers on Edge #3
4.CO - Possible Serial Shooter Has Colorado Drivers on Edge #4 )

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Again, at this point LE has said they do not know if this was targeted or if this was random.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Oceanblueeyes, you asked how far had Melissa Peskey traveled when her trip was cut short by the accident and her death. I believe that her home was in Hartford, South Dakota. According to google maps, the distance from Hartford SD to Boonville, Missouri (where the accident occurred), is 522 miles (travel time: 7 hr. 21 min.). I'm sure she would have made some stops along the way, especially traveling with children, so that travel time would most likely be longer than 7 hr. 21 min.

According to Gray Hughes, RP (husband) has an attorney now. I am not so sure how much interviewing will be taking place, if any.

Oceanblueeyes, you asked how far had Melissa Peskey traveled when her trip was cut short by the accident and her death. I believe that her home was in Hartford, South Dakota. According to google maps, the distance from Hartford SD to Boonville, Missouri (where the accident occurred), is 522 miles (travel time: 7 hr. 21 min.). I'm sure she would have made some stops along the way, especially traveling with children, so that travel time would most likely be longer than 7 hr. 21 min.

According to Gray Hughes, RP (husband) has an attorney now. I am not so sure how much interviewing will be taking place, if any.

Thank you Alex. You are so kind to always answer my questions.

Maybe they had time to talk with the children before he lawyered up.

I have been thinking some more about the miles she had traveled before being shot. Why would he follow her this far to shoot her? I'm sure there were other areas he could have done so after dark.

So I'm back to having two possible type of suspects.

One...her husband of course or he had someone do it for him.

But I do think it is a possibilty the suspect is unknown to Melissa and this was someone who saw an opportunity to shoot someone.... either a road rager..or some sicko sniper who wanted to shoot someone in a moving vehicle for the sick thrill.

I wouldnt believe this if it had not happened before to totally innocent people who were just driving minding their own business.

We live in a very scary world and there have been so many shootings on highways now.

So for now those are my two options.

Of course its subject to change when more evidence becomes known.

Ocean

 

[Timekeeper65]

Call me jaded. I am. She quit her job that morning. The children would still be in school - yet she took them out of school for this trip. She was running. From him. What are the chances this is random?

 

[margarita25]

Call me jaded. I am. She quit her job that morning. The children would still be in school - yet she took them out of school for this trip. She was running. From him. What are the chances this is random?

See I’m almost glad I didn’t get to see the GH video, because otherwise I might have been jaded too and wouldn’t have been able to lay the groundwork as I did for an alternate random scenario; my mind wouldn’t have been able to go where it went (MDOT, terrain maps, etc).

Lately it seems that LE has really been able to hone into the husband if he is the perp, for example KB, CW, etc. I know these are totally different types of cases (or are they?), but what I’m saying is we usually get some sort of vibe from LE imo (again, not always). Here it seems they have gone out of their way (SO FAR) to say “he is not a suspect”, however we ARE still in the fairly early stages of the investigation still. I wish we had msm sources on the status and nature of their relationship because right now I do not know any of this. All I see is woman and kids shot on freeway.

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Frr I too unfortunately know what it’s like to be a victim of domestic violence and trying to get away (hugs @oceanblueeyes) . I’ve talked about it before, will pass. So IF this guy planned to harm her, of course I would want nothing more than to see him get put away for it AND trying to kill his kids which that is pretty much what this comes down to, meaning:

IF one were to say that this man caused the death of his wife, then this means that he was also trying to kill his kids. Or that he didn’t mind however they may he injured. That is the logic because the kids were in the car too. So if one believes he killed his wife, then that means he wanted his kids dead or injured too. Which is a huuuuge leap, unless again, he is of the Family Annhilator type. Moo. So the case then that we are discussing is not only premeditated murder, but also the premeditated murder of 2 children. These crimes can not exist without each other logically.

It’s obvious that the possibly could exist that the kids would survive, or have horrific injuries—-that doesn’t sound like a “sure thing” for someone who is putting a hit out, or wanting a specific job done, or people “gone”.

This scenario implies he wouldn’t have minded if they were injured severely. Because again unless killing them directly, alternate outcomes exist with this type of attempted execution method. For example, if the kids ended up in a coma, etc he’d be “stuck” with them, caring for their injuries (hmmmmm..Mancheusan? JK!).

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Call me jaded. I am. She quit her job that morning. The children would still be in school - yet she took them out of school for this trip. She was running. From him. What are the chances this is random?

I do have to admit that deep down I totally agree with you cpeacock.

I know the chances of this being random is almost nil. It's just mostly wishful thinking on my part hoping it's not him for the children's sake.

 

[margarita25]

I do have to admit and totally agree with you cpeacock.

I know the chances of this being random is almost nil. It's just mostly wishful thinking on my part hoping it's not him for the children's sake.

If it’s him, then this means he wanted his children hurt or injured too. Unless say a hit man didn’t follow proper instructions.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Call me jaded. I am. She quit her job that morning. The children would still be in school - yet she took them out of school for this trip. She was running. From him. What are the chances this is random?

This ^^^^

 

[margarita25]

Call me jaded. I am. She quit her job that morning. The children would still be in school - yet she took them out of school for this trip. She was running. From him. What are the chances this is random?

I do have to admit that deep down I totally agree with you cpeacock.

I know the chances of this being random is almost nil. It's just mostly wishful thinking on my part hoping it's not him for the children's sake.

This ^^^^

Well I trust everyone’s instincts here so ftr the record the groundwork for the alternate “random” scenario has been set. No need to go further with that at this point I don’t think as it seems I’ve obviously missed some important aspects as re: their relationship. But again, imo if this was an act or directive on his part, then logic implies he wanted his children injured or killed.

Waiting for more information we can legally discuss here!

Have you guys looked for any DV reports? I’m sure you have...What about CPS calls? Is there a mistress? Going to be read again to see if I missed anything.
In the Watts case we learned how true/valuable all of Shanann’s friends’ insights and information was. It seems as though you guys assessed the person in the video as being genuine and credible so I’ll take your word for it at this point.

If Melissa was fleeing from an abusive relationship, and then became the victim of a random shooter, well what a tragic coincidence/irony that would be.

If he was abusive and she threatened to leave him and take the kids, then maybe he did want them all dead. Seems like an “iffy” way to do it, but if really hated them, maybe part of the potential “injury/maiming” would be part of the thrill? This would indicate a very very sick and dangerous individual.

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So I haven’t even even really taken a close look at this individual. I’m going to go take a peek but what I’ve learned is outward appearances can be very deceiving (Chris Watts). If CW could do what he did, then I suppose anyone can do anything.

 

[Timekeeper65]

Margarita25 you found some interesting info regarding other possibilities in this case.

There is almost nil out there to find to help us with the murder of MP.

I too wish it’s not the “usual suspect”. Time will tell...it always does.

Thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going. We need more info.

 

[margarita25]

Margarita25 you found some interesting info regarding other possibilities in this case.

There is almost nil out there to find to help us with the murder of MP.

I too wish it’s not the “usual suspect”. Time will tell...it always does.

Thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going. We need more info.

I really do think it’s worth a deeper dig into other recent freeway incidents nearby. I know I just said I’ll let it rest, but your post has inspired me otherwise. I’m going to keep digging.

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This is how the Kansas City Shooter did it:

“The gunman drives next to a random car on the highway and opens fire with a handgun before veering off a highway exit.“

Kansas City police investigate 13 highway shootings, some connected
APRIL 7, 2014,

 

[zencompass]

Call me jaded. I am. She quit her job that morning. The children would still be in school - yet she took them out of school for this trip. She was running. From him. What are the chances this is random?

Dear cpeacock1,

Great insight, as usual.

I believe that the police would have interviewed Melissa's fellow workers to determine if she had been receiving harassing phone calls there. Perhaps they discovered she had been.

Her phone and computer data would be checked as well as her husband's phone. The police likely would do this as standard procedure. I'm not certain but I think that they do.

 

[margarita25]

Another thing, unless the shooter was very very meticulous to ensure that there was no chance of another car being in the area, the possibility exists for others in the road to be injured/killed as well, either by gunfire or in a crash.

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Considering the location and MO of this murder, LE is going to be extrachallenged in proving its case against the husband, should he be the one responsible for this incident.

We will soon see if an alibi can be confirmed or not (which of course does not rule out the possibility of a hitman).

I wonder if we will soon get a statement on if LE can positively rule out the husband or not. Right now that is the glaring elephant in the room as related to this case, and I think LE will feel the pressure to address this with all this “person of interest” business.

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If I’ve ever seen a case that has the potential of random shooter written all over it, it is this one. It may turn out not to be the case, but as one who has studied random vehicle shootings for almost 4 years, this definitely has the potential flavor of one, imo. And again IF this is the case, then we are dealing with a very nasty one (not that there is such a thing as a not-nasty one but ykwim). And IF this is case, again I suspect he/they will strike again, and very soon. MOO. Again, these are all big “IFs”.

Everything is JMO.

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(ETA: I’ve alerted @Hatfield and dyyying to know what he thinks about all this. Hoping he joins us soon. He said he’d get to it within the next day or so and I said “Noooooo, nooooowwwww, huuuury uuuupp” Lol )