NV NV - Wellington, WhtMale 574UMNV, 35-50, off Sand Canyon Road, Mar'92 - #1

[wenwe4]

The bones would then most likely all show evidence of animal activity but they were still able to determine he was stabbed (from bone evidence only). If there is evidence of removal of those feet and hands by a human LEO would know. Maybe they are just unable to tell us. There would have to be evidence of cutting the bone - as I doubt they were so artfully removed that couldn't tell. Now Miss Muffet has got me wondering about LEO mentioning that fact.

I wish they could tell us a few more details so we felt a little more helpful.

 

[Miss Muffet]

The clothing items, including the socks, may not be related to the victim. The detectives said they were sending them out to the lab again in hopes modern technology might be able to definitively determine if they were the possessions of the victim or not. Until we know for sure, we can only speculate. But I think shoes that are too small are unlikely the victims, and I can't imagine a murderer leaving his own shoes at a crime scene.

 

[mmarty]

Detectives, Do you want me to keep up the numerical? (I have to keep one minimally at least to keep up with the numbering system for entries submitted) The only reason I have done that is if you are going through the list by the order they are submitted - it might be confusing as to which ones you have already looked at every time the alphabetical one gets updated.

Which ever way is really no problem - just wanting to be the most helpful. I am also trying to include info about dentals or dna (from here on out) on the list just for a quick glance to see which ones you want to rule out right away.

One list works for me. I am working on refining that list with exclusions via DNA. An alpha list is much better than a numeric one for this purpose in my opinion.

 

[Soulmagent]

Unless the callers drove by the locations they or were local they would have no way to know if a body and car had been found or not. So they must have been checking on both the body and the car. So local offenders I would think.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

We've been talking for several pages about the t-shirt and the shoes, the missing feet and hands...but you know what stumps me the most is that dog and the broken dog collar. I'm guessing, though it hasn't been stated, that the collar was made of leather? I'm hoping we can learn a bit more detail about it; was it old and worn in addition to being broken? Was it the leather that was broken or some other part of it? To me, a broken dog collar being found at the scene (IF that dog is related to this at all) seems to imply that the dog was restrained somehow by its collar, and it strained enough against it that the collar finally broke through. Either that or it was simply a stray dog with a very weathered collar that conveniently was at the site of the remains when his collar fell off. (Which seems too randomly bizarre to consider.)

The reported behavior of the dog seems to suggest that it knew the victim, though (with its repeatedly returning to the vicinity of the victim). So, what caused the collar to break? A dog can't gnaw off its own collar, it's not likely it happened to fall off at the scene where the body was found, so it would seem some other force was likely to have been applied to break it.

I've been back and forth about this dog, exploring various scenarios (random stray vs. connected) and am currently leaning toward the idea that it knew the victim, and was a companion to the victim. The idea of a painter/contractor, his truck, and his dog keeps coming back to me. Especially because of the paint-spattered quilt/blanket, and set of spare clothes found at the scene. What if those items were not in a knapsack, but kept in his truck (maybe even along with some tools)--and he was driving his truck, got out with the dog so the dog could take care of business, and then he was killed? Maybe he came upon something he wasn't supposed to see, or maybe he was followed (premeditated) by a person or persons in the older car. Maybe one person held the collar of the dog while the other stabbed the victim to death. Maybe that scare was what caused the dog to break free from an old collar and run off. I'm seeing the possibility (in this scenario) of more than one person being involved in the murder. Maybe the perp(s) then emptied the truck of the spare clothes and old quilt (which may have been used to help hide the body, can't tell at this point), and took the victim's wallet, maybe shoes/boots, and any other valuables that were with the truck. Then, one drove the old car and hid it, the second drove the truck and picked up the other person, and then they both drove off with the truck? They maybe got rid of the old car because it was stolen, or had been implicated somehow in this crime or another--so needed a different vehicle.

The problem is the dog. Why would the dog be at the burial site if the victim was killed somewhere else? Who's going to bring a dead victim's dog along with the body when they go to bury it? But if the dog had been with its owner at the time of their being accosted, and then the owner killed and buried in the desert, the dog would automatically be present at both the stabbing and the attempted burial. And that could explain why its broken collar was also at the scene.

 

[Miss Muffet]

I excluded this guy previously because his hair is black. He would have been 27 at the time the body was found. Since I'm now searching for transients, I thought I should add him. He has a history of living a transient lifestyle. Since it seems he was hiding from LE, he might have changed his hair color with Sun In. I agree with others who say that Sun In can make dark hair a lighter red color.

Donald Denninger
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/10472/6/
Last Seen: Largo, Florida
Last Date Seen: October 29, 1990
Age Last Seen: 25
Gender: Male
Race: White
Hair: Black
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 72
Weight: 180
Circumstances: Denninger was last seen by his girlfriend at home. He was reported missing by family members from out of state after the police checked on his whereabouts for a pending court case. He was reportedly depressed and suicidal when last seen. Denninger lived a transient lifestyle in 1990.

 

[Miss Muffet]

Maybe one person held the collar of the dog while the other stabbed the victim to death.

That would be one ballsy person to hold a dog by the collar while the dog's owner is being killed. I'd think the dog would be killed in the process since it would likely bite the person holding the collar in that situation.

The problem is the dog. Why would the dog be at the burial site if the victim was killed somewhere else? Who's going to bring a dead victim's dog along with the body when they go to bury it?

Maybe the dog wasn't the victim's. Maybe the dog was the killer's dog. The dog got loose while burying the body and the killer left without the dog. Or perhaps the dog found the body on its own. Dogs do amazing things like that. My father's childhood dog got lost in Washington, DC, and found the family in Reading, PA, over a year later. Or perhaps it was just a stray and it kept heading off into the direction of the body because it was one of the animals that was eating the body.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

That would be one ballsy person to hold a dog by the collar while the dog's owner is being killed. I'd think the dog would be killed in the process since it would likely bite the person holding the collar in that situation.

True enough. Unless maybe the dog was already familiar with the killer? There's another possibility in my following post.

Maybe the dog wasn't the victim's. Maybe the dog was the killer's dog. The dog got loose while burying the body and the killer left without the dog. Or perhaps the dog found the body on its own. Dogs do amazing things like that. My father's childhood dog got lost in Washington, DC, and found the family in Reading, PA, over a year later. Or perhaps it was just a stray and it kept heading off into the direction of the body because it was one of the animals that was eating the body.

There doesn't seem anything at all to suggest that the dog was the killer's, though. Your last sentence is something I'd considered...except, for it to repeatedly return to the area after the woman fed it doesn't appear to make much sense (to me).

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

This link shows the approximate area where the victim was said to have been found (off of SR-338 in the Sand Canyon area): http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XAD001-035

According to the description "the area can be quite sandy, and the vegetation also grows quite close to the road. The numerous pinyon and juniper trees shade the surrounding landscape, making for many good backcountry campsites along the route."

The topo map (click button and zoom in) also shows some popular off-road 4-wheel drive (4WD) trails in the vicinity, which may account for hikers, campers, or 4WDers finally coming upon the remains of the victim. I'm wondering if the detectives have completely ruled out that the victim may have been camping out there with the dog? If the dog was tied up at the 'makeshift campsite' when the killer(s) approached, it could be noone had to hold it and it broke free on its own from the collar. Though then it seems there'd be a leash (leather or cloth or chain) or at least a rope to have to account for...

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Interesting case. Stabbing is so up close and personal. An argument? Drunken brawl? Did the victim have cash to rent a place and robbery was the motive?

The car and newspaper seem to be good clues. With the owner having relocated to Colorado from OK, the victim could be from either place. The car had not been transferred if it had been sold, but doesn't mean much. Some people don't bother to change the title until the tags are overdue. What else was found inside the car? Cigarette butts? Trash? Maps? Anything in the glove box or trunk? Was the driver's seat pushed back to accommodate a man of 6' to 6'2"? Rear view mirror and side mirrors checked for height of driver?

The real estate section for Sparks, NV is a logical place to have started the search. If places were circled, he could have already called the owners/agents to set up appointments and exchanged information. At least, this would have given a timeline when he was in Sparks. What was the date on the newspaper? Sparks, if I recall correctly, is largely a blue-collar town. I could see him being a blue-collar type without dental insurance. Transients don't usually go house hunting. What type of dwelling was he researching? Unless he was looking for fully furnished housing, he would have something with him. Was it in a storage facility? A trailer pulled behind the car? He didn't have a suitcase or anything found with him or the car so it could indicate he had a place to stay.

I found a multi-colored moving pad/blanket which could have been purchased at Walmart:
http://www.lulusoso.com/upload/20120403/multi_color_moving_pads.jpg
Is this close to the pad/blanket found at the scene? What else was on the pad/blanket besides paint? Were there spots of blood to coincide with the tool markings found on the skeletal remains? Other bodily fluids? Did it appear he was first buried inside the pad/blanket? He was not wearing the jeans, but I find it strange they were inside the pad/blanket. (If he was only wearing underwear and a t-shirt, a jealous husband comes to mind.)

If the crime scene is not the dump site, he had a reason to move and hide the body because it could somehow give him away. The dump site is in quite a remote location except for the small "community" north of the road leading to the body. Unless someone had help or lived nearby, he would have found it difficult to dump the car. Sparks, NV is nearly 2 hours away and Lake Tahoe appears to be over an hour. It is reasonable to think the victim had been to both places. But if he was killed in either place, there are closer places to hide bodies and cars.

The phone calls are intriguing. Why go to all the trouble of hiding the car and body only to call and give them up later? The killer would have no reason to do so. Either people came across them randomly and didn't want to get involved or perhaps a 2nd person was involved in dumping the body and car.

The dog does seem to have been associated with the victim. It is in a dog's nature to stay close to the master's body. Some dogs refuse to leave, but others will try to alert people and travel back. The collar could actually have been torn by the dog in an effort to get away from a tie out (but where was the rope or leash? And why tie up the dog there anyway?). Dogs will rub against things or they will sometimes find a way to stretch out the collar to get it in their mouth to chew apart. Why take the dog out to the dump site if the victim was killed someplace else? Makes no sense why the dog was there. Could the man have been killed close to the dump site so the dog just found him by scent? (The little "community" nearby becomes even more interesting.)

 

[Skully]

Because we don't know if the person was killed at the site of discovery, he could have been killed somewhere else and taken to that location. If that were the case, perhaps the killer just scattered the cloths, threw them out of the car and then dumped the car if it is related to this case. If he was killed somewhere else, maybe the person wasn't strong enough to carry the victim, so the blanket was used to drag or help lift them into a car to transport him. The killer may have been a woman and unable to dig a deep grave, so it was shallow. If killed at a different location the feet and hands could have been removed and left at the first crime scene, just a thought if animals are not to blame here. As for motive, who knows, could have been a jealous husband and the wife was forced to help get rid of the body. As for the phone tip on where to locate him, well most killers tell at least one person, I would bet he did and that person made the call. I am thinking a wife because of maybe guilt. Hubby may have even stolen the car just to transport the body. Maybe that is why it was dumped.

 

[Skully]

I found this eagle rendering, sort of looks like the bird on the t shirt too.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

This "Campsite" was not a campsite at all. It was originally described as such, but it doesn't appear from what was recovered that it was actually a campsite at all. It is our theory that what was once thought to be a campsite might possibly be a blanket that was used to carry/conceal/wrap our subject in and other "typical desert trash" that is common in the area.

I find it helpful to click on a person's name and select view forum posts. It is easier to stay updated.

This answers the question about it being a campsite.

 

[Miss Muffet]

This link shows the approximate area where the victim was said to have been found (off of SR-338 in the Sand Canyon area): http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XAD001-035

Thank you for this. That's not where I imagined the location at all. I thought it was somewhere along 208. Sand Canyon and Garden Canyon Spring don't come up on google map searches. I can't find roads that look like that along 338. I'm not doubting they are there, but I like to know locations in relation to other areas on a larger map.

 

[Miss Muffet]

I found it. It's closer to the NV/CA border than Wellington. If anyone is looking for the location of the area on google maps, it's National Forest Develop Road 031 Trail, Yerington, NV 89447, for the entrance off of 338. I have no idea how far back into Sand Canyon it was. You'll have to zoom in to see the NF road.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Na...ede2c7e2ecd80!2m2!1d-119.2511792!2d38.6185573

 

[Miss Muffet]

Does anyone have the historical weather info? Was it warm enough to be hiking?

 

[Miss Muffet]

So, the end of the road in Sand Canyon is only .4 miles from the main road.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38....9,-119.2528132,363m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0

 

[Steleheart]

Yes, as you described it, it looks like a quilted moving blanket of multi-colors. There is paint "over-spray" and paint drops on one side of the blanket.

Quilted, multicolored moving blankets. Many kinds.
While I am familiar with many kinds, colors and designs of commercial / industrial moving blankets there is no reason there could not be a market for colored designs.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/quilted-moving-blankets.html

 

[Miss Muffet]

Quilted, multicolored moving blankets. Many kinds.
While I am familiar with many kinds, colors and designs of commercial / industrial moving blankets there is no reason there could not be a market for colored designs.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/quilted-moving-blankets.html

It does seem odd that it's a multi color though. Perhaps it was purchased at a cheap store to be used as a bed blanket and was later allocated for painting. I have a bunch of old bed blankets in my attic I use for moving furniture and painting and such.

 

[Miss Muffet]

I found these multi colored moving blankets.

The block pattern makes more sense than envisioning a multi color design.