Found Deceased MT - Rita Maze, 47, Wolf Creek, 6 Sept 2016 #1

[Inthedetails]

We are a victim friendly site. Rita is a victim, even if it was at her own hands. Her family members are victims and are suffering the loss of someone they love.

Just my opinion

 

[Inthedetails]

But for what purpose - why would someone want to drive hundreds of miles across multiple states when she could have just as well killed herself in Helena? It's not like she was driving to a beautiful destination, but instead ended in the trunk of a car in an industrial area, so she could have done something similar in Helena where LE would find her quickly.

I think trying to make sense of the thoughts of someone who is suicidal might be impossible.

jmo

 

[Gardener1850]

But for what purpose - why would someone want to drive hundreds of miles across multiple states when she could have just as well killed herself in Helena? It's not like she was driving to a beautiful destination, but instead ended in the trunk of a car in an industrial area, so she could have done something similar in Helena where LE would find her quickly.

To die where nobody who knew her would find her body. She might have known local LE in her area. She posted several police POI photos and missing person cases for her area. She followed the local Montana PD on her facebook. Many, many suicidal people go where a loved one will not have to find their body.

 

[bluesneakers]

But for what purpose - why would someone want to drive hundreds of miles across multiple states when she could have just as well killed herself in Helena? It's not like she was driving to a beautiful destination, but instead ended in the trunk of a car in an industrial area, so she could have done something similar in Helena where LE would find her quickly.

Who knows why. People do strange things when they're suicidal and they don't always make sense to anyone else.

 

[DatelineFan]

IF this was a suicide

If, all of this was a ruse to her loved ones, what a messed up person Rita was.

Not just messed up, but coniving to the utmost.

<mod snip>

If true.

<mod snip> If she committed suicide, she was most likely extremely depressed and not thinking clearly. <mod snip> People do very strange things when they're hurting. We have no idea what was really going on in her life. I am so sorry for her family, but I don't think it's okay to bash this woman.

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[Tillicum]

JMO but I think it's possible that she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She might've been prepared to commit suicide but was having second thoughts, driving around and trying to get her head together or trying to work up the courage to follow through with her plan.

 

[trigger]

Come down to Parking Lot (scanner thread). We cannot discuss anything we hear on the scanner thread and post it here.its against TOS rules. Its members only.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...KING-NEWS!!!-Current-Scanner-Alerts-7/page868

 

[Gardener1850]

Come down to Parking Lot (scanner thread). We cannot discuss anything we hear on the scanner thread and post it here.its against TOS rules. Its members only.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...KING-NEWS!!!-Current-Scanner-Alerts-7/page868

Thank you, trigger!

 

[jpo74]

I wouldn't go as far as to say fraud with regard to the account, but my personal opinion is that if this turns out to be suicide, using the money for anything other than funeral expenses would be in EXTREMELY poor taste. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Donate the money to an organization like NAMI. My opinion.

i agree. especialy if partially used in the "dream wedding" of her daughter's.

 

[stryker57]

A case like this could take many months. My mom went missing in February and was found 6 days later in a culvert by a search party of family and friends only about 1.5 miles from home. Not one of us suspected suicide, all of us initially suspected homicide. The medical examiner / police made a final determination of suicide August 1st. The forensic testing takes along time. Many labs etc.. are backlogged. If they don't have anything obvious it could be months before a final determination is made.

\Whether it is homicide or suicide, I hope the family can find peace.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Hi Stryker - hope you are doing well. Glad to have you here with us on Rita's behalf. I think of you and your mom often.

 

[DatelineFan]

A case like this could take many months. My mom went missing in February and was found 6 days later in a culvert by a search party of family and friends only about 1.5 miles from home. Not one of us suspected suicide, all of us initially suspected homicide. The medical examiner / police made a final determination of suicide August 1st. The forensic testing takes along time. Many labs etc.. are backlogged. If they don't have anything obvious it could be months before a final determination is made.

\Whether it is homicide or suicide, I hope the family can find peace.

Off topic, but Stryker, I think of you and your family often. I don't think I'm alone in the group of internet strangers who became endeared to your mom during the investigation. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened, and I hope you're able to find peace as well.

 

[wantjustice]

JMO but I think it's possible that she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She might've been prepared to commit suicide but was having second thoughts, driving around and trying to get her head together or trying to work up the courage to follow through with her plan.

I have to wonder if this is why there was the bizarre almost impromptu trip to Ritzville from Post Falls. WSP loves to gives tickets as do the cops in that area. Speeding and getting to Ritzville so fast may have been a cry for help. I wonder if she was trying to get pulled over. Makes me sad .

 

[Doghairrules]

A case like this could take many months. My mom went missing in February and was found 6 days later in a culvert by a search party of family and friends only about 1.5 miles from home. Not one of us suspected suicide, all of us initially suspected homicide. The medical examiner / police made a final determination of suicide August 1st. The forensic testing takes along time. Many labs etc.. are backlogged. If they don't have anything obvious it could be months before a final determination is made.

\Whether it is homicide or suicide, I hope the family can find peace.

Hugs to you and your family. I'm so sorry.


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[cady]

Rita is listed as Rita Hamlin, also. Lots of siblings. I wonder if she was saying goodbyes......or intended to. I think one at least may live in Spokane. JMO

 

[Vail]

A few things to consider:

1. She could have been killed by someone known to her who was with her or followed her. There is ample motive when it comes to family matters, for example.
2. She could have been placed in the trunk facing inwards and was unable to turn over to get to a release latch. Hindered movement may have also contributed to how long it took to get her phone into a position where she could use it. She was not a petite woman.
3. It takes more than gun residue on the hands to determine suicide.
4. For all we know, a possible perp made a mistake in not thinking about her having a phone on her person, or may not have been able to detect it if he hurriedly patted her down. Mistakes are how they get caught, after all.
5. The police calling her phone may actually have been what alerted him and made him pull over and shoot her to death. I find that to be an incredibly risky move by LE. Not wanting to be ID'd would be of utmost importance to a perp like this if it was random. Why didn't he kill her earlier? Perhaps he planned to ransom her, was instructed to deliver her alive, or felt like raping her once he reached his destination, wherever that was.

 

[eucalyptuz]

A few things to consider:

1. She could have been killed by someone known to her who was with her or followed her. There is ample motive when it comes to family matters, for example.
2. She could have been placed in the trunk facing inwards and was unable to turn over to get to a release latch. Hindered movement may have also contributed to how long it took to get her phone into a position where she could use it. She was not a petite woman.
3. It takes more than gun residue on the hands to determine suicide.
4. For all we know, a possible perp made a mistake in not thinking about her having a phone on her person, or may not have been able to detect it if he hurriedly patted her down. Mistakes are how they get caught, after all.
5. The police calling her phone may actually have been what alerted him and made him pull over and shoot her to death. I find that to be an incredibly risky move by LE. Not wanting to be ID'd would be of utmost importance to a perp like this if it was random. Why didn't he kill her earlier? Perhaps he planned to ransom her, was instructed to deliver her alive, or felt like raping her once he reached his destination, wherever that was.

And these would be all worth considering if the police were actively still trying to find a bad guy. The sad fact is that despite 12 hours on the road and two stops at locations that are usually well-equipped with cameras, we have no appeal from LE to help track this person or warnings to the public about a criminal that kidnaps and then kills a random woman for no reason.

In the past I have been a fence-sitter in cases that have little evidence or facts/situations that could be interpreted in a range of ways...but in this case the absence of facts and evidence that supports a theory of "an attacker" suggests that something different took place, resulting in the sad death of Rita, without anyone else implicated.

 

[ninij9]

Why in the world would she shoot herself in the stomach in order to commit suicide? Gunshot wounds to the abdomen area aren't immediately fatal. She would be suffering immensely in pain until she died.

Tilli, I missed this part but would you explain why two bullet casings were found in the trunk but she only had one shot to the abdomen? I also am trying to make sense on why blood would be found on the outside of the vehicle if she climbed into the trunk and that is where she shot herself. Still puzzled by that.

Also why would she drop a $20 outside of her vehicle yet leave $50 in her purse? I wonder if the money was hidden in her purse and I also wonder if her family knows how much cash she had with her.

Lets just say for argument sake this is a homicide. Maybe the guy had no vehicle and wanted a way to get to the area in Washington where her vehicle was located. Meaning the vehicle was the sole purpose for hijacking her vehicle so he could get to a destination he couldn't get to without hijacking a vehicle. Once there he left everything like it was when he no longer needed the vehicle.

As I read about Rita this gets more and more puzzling. Not one word about being depressed. Everyone that knew her says she was a wonderful woman and was so excited about being able to have precious time with the two children of her son's. She seems to be very close with her daughter and husband as well.

I don't think her mom is gravely ill. I didn't see that said anywhere.

IMO

Why would she go all the way to Washington to murder herself when she could have done in somewhere along the route in MT?

I'm wondering if the plan was that she would shoot her way out of the trunk and save herself. Become a celebrity of sorts. Make $$$$. Perhaps there will be forensics as showing ricochet damage and the bullet hit her. I'm behind again so if this case has been resolved just ignore this post. I'm running as fast as I can.

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[Vail]

And these would be all worth considering if the police were actively still trying to find a bad guy. The sad fact is that despite 12 hours on the road and two stops at locations that are usually well-equipped with cameras, we have no appeal from LE to help track this person or warnings to the public about a criminal that kidnaps and then kills a random woman for no reason.

In the past I have been a fence-sitter in cases that have little evidence or facts/situations that could be interpreted in a range of ways...but in this case the absence of facts and evidence that supports a theory of "an attacker" suggests that something different took place, resulting in the sad death of Rita, without anyone else implicated.

We actually have no idea what they are investigating or if they are actively pursuing a suspect as there has been no statement. I personally don't believe there is a crazed killer kidnapping random women. If she was murdered, it was by someone she knew, hence the red herrings and silence. With the FBI involved there won't be much more released to the public until there is a conclusion or solid narrative - the media's incomplete quote from LE makes it sound like they have her on surveillance video at a gas station, but that could have been LE responding to a leading question. Until someone is on camera making complete statements, we should all just chill on verdicts and approach this logically and with method - LE currently needs to eliminate any possibility she was not alone before they can definitively say she killed herself, especially if important key indicators are pointing to foul play (like no residue on her hands, or having a head injury consistent with her story).

 

[eucalyptuz]

I'm wondering if the plan was that she would shoot her way out of the trunk and save herself. Become a celebrity of sorts. Make $$$$. Perhaps there will be forensics as showing ricochet damage and the bullet hit her. I'm behind again so if this case has been resolved just ignore this post. I'm running as fast as I can.

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She mentioned to her husband on the phone (while apparently locked in the trunk) that she was frightened because her gun was inside the car and so the guy had access...