GUILTY NE - Four killed in Omaha crime spree, Nikko Jenkins charged, Aug 2013

[LambChop]

I know there are quite a few newbies on this thread and in case you are not sure of the rules they are linked below:

Rules Etiquette & Information - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


For the rest.......a little refresher course.

 

[HistoryNut]

Hi all,

I'm new here and this forum caught my attention. My heart really breaks for the victim's children and family.

I used to live in Omaha and am familiar with the neighborhood where the carjacking and murder occurred. It's out in the country, so I cannot imagine the killer would have been waiting for a victim there. There's not much traffic, especially at 2:00 in the morning. I think the most likely scenario is the killer got into her car, possibly when she left work or went into a convenience store on her way home. They may have even hid in the car.

Has anyone heard anything new on the case? I've been checking online, but it's been several days since it's received any media coverage. I really hope the police are close to catching the killer.

 

[pooh22]

Hi everyone. I am new to your site and found you merely searching for information regarding Andrea Kruger's murder. I live approximately a half mile between Andrea's murder scene location and her home. Although I certainly was not a close friend of Andreas, I have know her personally for about 9 months as a "regular" in one of west Omaha bars she served. I can agree with all who posted saying Andrea was beloved by all she knew....whether close friends or acquaintances. I attended her funeral two days ago and there is certainly an outcry for justice here. All my emotions stated....

Here are my thoughts on this case which may or may not assist the thread here (I am merely a psychologist in town....not a crime scene investigator). 1. I do not believe for one second this crime was random based upon my own observations, media review and opinions of other professionals, 2. I am almost absolutely certain Andrea stopped at the McDonalds on 168th Street after her shift at the Deja Vu Lounge. Her love of hamburgers was widely known, as was her propensity to stop there after work. 3. Andrea was a tough chick who would never have willingly left her vehicle. She was feisty and smart.....not gullible to random nonsense and a pro at dealing with difficult patrons over her tenure as a bartender. My opinion is she knew whoever did this to her. 4. This woman lived for her children. Although she didn't talk of her husband that frequently, she was never without a story about her children. She loved being a mom. 5. The route from her work location to her home location would have taken her directly through the intersection where her body was found. I drive that same route daily as I take my children to school from my house to their dad's home which is one block from where Andrea worked. This one way commute takes me about 11 minutes in the morning when traffic is insane.

I am likely not sharing anything new from previous posts but feel obligated to contribute here. This murder location is so completely off the Omaha radar.....unheard of....literally bordering on farmland outside of Omaha. Gang issues? Carjacking? I don't think so. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts on this homicide....she is dearly missed.

 

[Snick1946]

Just got off her Facebook page and was stunned to see that she has the same birthday as me! Different years of course but still a coincidence- maybe why I feel so drawn to this story. Her love for her kids and family really comes through on her posts. So sad..

 

[MagnoliaLane]

Hi All - I too am new to the board and came across it searching for updates to the investigation. I could easily see her stopping at McDonald's, Walmart or and Go on the way home. She might of pulled into and Go to pick up a movie from the Redbox on the north end of the bulilding. If so, she would have parked in front of the box outside of the view of the convenience clerk. It takes me back to the reminder from the Sheriff's Dept to park in front of a business door or window whenever possible.

Regardless of where they intercepted her, the three traffic cameras at the intersection of 168th and Sprague would have captured tags entering Walmart on the east side, and Go across the street and the third camera captures traffic heading north and south on 168th.

This does not have the makings of a random crime.

Please continue to pray for Andrea, her family and a successful end to this case.

Thanks.

 

[LotsaLatte]

Welcome locals! Thank you for your input. I have been trying to make sense of this horrible crime and can't explain why, but it just immediately hit me as personal (not random)... Maybe I am wrong but either way, I pray for her loved ones and for swift justice.

 

[mrsu]

Is there any mention of an ex? The oldest son appears to be from a different father. Different last name. Anyone know the story there?

 

[nick12]

don't believe this is against the rules at is a matter of public record, he is currently incarcerated and therefore has been ruled out.

 

[LambChop]

Pooh and MagnoliaLane Welcome to Websleuths

:welcome6::welcome::thewave:

 

[LambChop]

Just a little reminder, folks. We do not sleuth family members.

Thanks

 

[citizen]

Another new local here. All crime is horrible but when its both physically close to home and unexplained, it can really be unnerving.

A couple things that I'll add. I buy the McDonald theory the most as the reason for the longer gap in time from leaving work to the crime scene. One thing that has me bothered here is that I did the exact same thing at nearly the exact same time, traveling through the exact same intersection of the crime (but opposite direction) about a week and a half earlier. If anyone has a propensity for fast food, that seems like a high likelihood.

Additionally, I don't think she was exactly followed all the way from the bar. There is nobody out and about almost the whole path, so she would have been tipped off to a car tailing her fairly quickly. If she was creeped out at all she probably wouldn't have made a stop.

Here is a theory: This was a pre-planned hit job. Somebody might have watched for her departure from the bar at a distance. One suspicion I have is they then quickly got themselves where they wanted to be. I think this could be the 20-car "park" parking lot between the crime scene and the intersection a mile south with all these stores (walmart, mcdonalds, taco bell, gas station). You can see it on google maps - I wonder about what is going on there often. No lights, extra small amount of traffic along this segment of road past Dodge and Maple, etc. It would even be easy to get their out of the path of surveillance video if they were to have come from the North (opposite the direction Andrea went that night). They could have just waited to pull out when a/the vehicle came. From there I think the pulled around her and stopped or something like that.

That twitter picture is interesting. It makes me think the crime scene is larger than right beside her car. Look at all the (non-road?) cones to the west/right in the picture, and the second photographer and LE facing away from the apparent scene.

May justice be served.

 

[Roadrage00]

I just saw on the midday news that the gangs-targeting-women-in-SUVs e-mail has been confirmed a hoax.

Yup.. the OPD posted it as a hoax on their Facebook site earlier this week as well. Sorry that I copied & pasted it.. but at the time, I wanted to share any info regarding the case.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Welcome, Citizen! Great first post!

 

[pooh22]

Have thought of the "park" parking lot as well Citizen. It is essentially a vacant lot about a half mile south of the crime scene with zero lighting and nothing but vacant land all around it. Good post and agreed, may justice be served.

 

[MagnoliaLane]

Saw the 'park' parking lot on Google Earth. Good insight Citizen. Would have been an opportune vantage point. I didn't know the family, but cannot fathom why someone would want to kill her. The intent was murder and in such a professional manner. Why??????

 

[colette]

I didn't know the family, but cannot fathom why someone would want to kill her. The intent was murder and in such a professional manner. Why??????

I really don't think she was murdered in a professional manner. It really seems as if she was trying to escape the car. A professional hit might kill her as she gets home, while she is walking to the house. A professional might do a drive-by, this murder seems kind of sloppy to me.

 

[shimmer29]

Does anyone know if the 2012 Chevy Traverse has automatic door locks? I mean, I know some cars (like my husband's) have doors that lock automatically when you start driving, and then you have to manually push the button to unlock them when you want to get out. You know what I mean?

I looked at the online owner's manual for that vehicle, and it looks like maybe it's an option but that not all of them have it. Anyone know?

 

[shimmer29]

Colette -- sloppy? So far, it has turned out to be the perfect crime. Apparently no suspects, no arrests, nothing. Just a lame statement nearly a week ago that "we are investigating this as a random act." C'mon, really?

(sarcasm there -- absolutely not directed at Collette or LE or anyone else -- just can't stand not knowing more and wanting an end to this horrible crime so badly).

Edited for a typo.

 

[MagnoliaLane]

Colette - I too, thought at first that she was shot trying to escape the car. If I were in her situation I would have attempted to escape especially by that intersection, knowing that anything beyond that was country and probably the 'point of no return'. I don't believe assault was the intent. I believe she was fully subdued at the place she was shot.

 

[MagnoliaLane]

Regarding the question on auto lock features of the Chevy Traverse, it appears GM enforces this safety feature on all users. The auto lock can be set to engage when in transmission or at 15mph. This feature cannot be turned off entirely though. The car also gives the user the ability to set the car to auto unlock when in Park and the option to turn Unlocking off, (thus leaving them locked all the time.

This concludes this session of 'Car Talk' on NPR!