Omaha Double Murder #2

[waltzingmatilda]

You know if Tom was messaging or chatting with someone online on a fairly frequent basis, they would know when he would usually be home after school and probably know that his parents were at work. He might not have mentioned the housekeeper for fear they would consider he still had to have a babysitter.

YD, It seems to me that after all this time that LE has certainly investigated computer forensics inside and out. This could just be wishful thinking on my part and I really have no idea how long it takes.

The only conclusion that I can reach is that there is nothing at this point that points to Tom's online activities as a catalyst for murder. However, this is not to say that there could be chats or messages between Tom and someone who would not be a usual suspect which may not raise a red flag.

I am really beginning to suspect someone with connections to the Omaha school system who could have had access to Tom's personal information. Maybe someone who had something to hide that Tom knew about. Or, Like Omaha stated, it could have been something simple that Tom said or did that set someone off.

Recently, in my area, there was a Karate instructor who had an afterschool program and he picked up children after school in his work van. (I used to help load children in his van after school when I worked for the school system.) Anyway, this dude who many parents trusted with their children for after school care, was recently convicted of sex crimes against children!!!!!

YD, you have said all along that you think the perp is an Omaha local and I respect your stance. I am beginning to give a lot of thought and merit to your theory. I am just trying to think outside the box and consider persons local to Omaha who may have motive for these murders. Someone who would have known Tom's schedule..........

MOO

wm

 

[YellowDog]

Who might know Tom's daily schedule?

Family
School Friends
Neighbors
Bus Drivers
Teachers
Coaches (if he participated in any sports)

The main reason I keep going to back to a local is because the crime seems to have been a crime of rage. Someone was very mad over something, but what?????

 

[waltzingmatilda]

YD, I had a very thought provoking response to your post. However, this nasty weather is preventing a signal and I lost it. I'll respond when the weather clears.

 

[ShowerSinger]

I truly don't know, but what about checking on real estate deals, done, or not done....
Also, I am WAY curious to know if either doctor prescribed ANY addictive drug...for whatever reason...
I only say that, as my ex prescribed pain reliever drugs, and we So often got phone calls to "elevate" the prescriptions, and such....And the patient(s) would sometimes go nutsy if it weren't refilled or magnidfied. I do know that we had a DEA number, and I do hope the detectives checked out the patients who had major drugs prescribed, from both doctors.

 

[Snick1946]

Dr Hunter is a Patholoigist. I doubt he would have been prescribing drugs for his patients. . His wife is a Cardiologist. I don't know much about that field, maybe someone can help us out here- would there ever be a case where someone practicing that specialty would be prescribing any pain meds? Of course we would assume OPD checked into that, but we just cannot be sure.

 

[YellowDog]

Snick, I think if the wife did any heart surgery she would definitely be prescribing pain medication post surgery. I don't know whether all cardiologists are surgeons or not.

 

[YellowDog]

www2.fbi.gov/wanted/seekinfo/hunter_t.htm

I was relooking at articles covering these crimes and went back to look at the FBI page.

I found the last line in the article to be interesting.......the part where it says to contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. I wonder if this is normal practice or if they suspect someone from another country of these horrible crimes?

Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Hello YD, Great catch!!!! This makes me think that authorites suspect that the perp could be from a foreign country. Why else would this be included on the FBI site?

wm

 

[YellowDog]

Hello YD, Great catch!!!! This makes me think that authorites suspect that the perp could be from a foreign country. Why else would this be included on the FBI site?

wm

I agree, WM. That does not seem like normal nomenclature that would be found on the cases on their files.

 

[omaha]

www2.fbi.gov/wanted/seekinfo/hunter_t.htm

I was relooking at articles covering these crimes and went back to look at the FBI page.

I found the last line in the article to be interesting.......the part where it says to contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. I wonder if this is normal practice or if they suspect someone from another country of these horrible crimes?

Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

I think this is pretty standard for the FBI lists, if you look around the site. This has been up since for at least the last year. Wonder if they've gotten any tips.

 

[Snick1946]

I had posted previously one idea that came to me several months ago- will reintroduce it.
If you Google Dr William Hunter you will bring up lots of articles about the crime, you also bring up some technical articles he wrote that are accessable online. These cover medical issues related to Pathology, some of them about blood work, etc. Pretty dull stuff for most of us.
I have wondered if some imbalanced person may have seen something or read something into a comment or research subject in one of those articles? Something that in their mind led them to think perhaps that Dr Hunter was advocating cloning, or some other controversial issue? Maybe someone with a chip on their shoulder about issues related to AIDS or abortion? How difficult would it have been for such a person to access the doctor's home address?
Did OPD ever go back through his postings online to determine this? I wonder if they have checked any files the FBI may have for known crazies on social issues or possibly even enviormental issues.
Such a person could have done the killings, then faded back into the woodwork. Just a thought.

 

[YellowDog]

As a Pathologist, I wonder if Dr. Hunter had ever testified at a murder trial and, if so, was it for the prosecution or the defense and how long ago was it?

I still think though that if one of the doctors had been the intended victim, the killer would have killed them instead of their son and housekeeper.

 

[omaha]

As a Pathologist, I wonder if Dr. Hunter had ever testified at a murder trial and, if so, was it for the prosecution or the defense and how long ago was it?

I still think though that if one of the doctors had been the intended victim, the killer would have killed them instead of their son and housekeeper.

This occurred to me as well. Although I'm sure OPD checked this early on, I would like to see a list of the cases he testified at. It seems more likely than his online activity from what I've been able to scan.

 

[Snick1946]

Just for the record, there was some discussion awhile back about whether the curbsides in the Hunter neighborhood has street numbers painted on them. They don't. I was there this morning and no curbside numbers. I have been wondering if there was any kind of security system at the time of the crime, I sort of doubt it. When there today, I could not, at least from the sidewalk, see any keypad for entry nor any signs indicating a security system is in place.
One possibility I will throw out. There's been a lot of speculation how the perp got in. I wonder sometimes if the answer is simple; he had a key. One furnished him by someone who copied Shirlee's key or supplied him by someone close to the family. Murder may not have been intended in all this, perhaps the intent was to enter the house when no one was home and retreive something incriminating. He didnt count on Shirlee being there on a different day and may have had incorrect information about when Tom would be home. Or, the intent all along was to kill Tom- someone knew Tom would not answer the door when alone and supplied a key.
If I were investigating this thing, I would be taking another look at friends and family on both sides. Something about all the facts suggests that.

 

[YellowDog]

Could the killer have entered through a basement window at the back of the house? If Tom had his computer in the basement, I'm assuming the basement was finished in the house. Maybe he had a friend over who unlocked a basement window when Tom was out of the room for something with the intention of coming back at another time to rob.

 

[YellowDog]

Another thought I've had. Is there any possibility that Shirlee could have left the house to run an errand and was not there when the killer arrived, but returned, walked in through the back and was confronted by the killer?

 

[Snick1946]

My understanding is that crime scene investigation indicted Shirlee was attacked from behind, taken by surprise. In other words, the perp crept up om her while was was cleaning. The perp could well have entered the house while she was out on an errand. Tom was in the basement playing his Xbox. I have seen several pics of Tom wearing ear pods or headphones; my guess is that he may well have been unable to hear anything going on upstairs.
I think there is still indication that the perp targeted that house specifically. He was seen apparently looking for an address.
BTW, when in the area yesterday I concluded that he must have parked just north of the house. Wittnesses later described the POI walking across yards, having parked up the street. There is just one house to the south of the Hunter home. Also there is a sharp bend in the street just to the north, so I think he parked just around that curve.
YD, your idea of someone having unfastened a basement window on a prior visit is credible. That would put this into the area of a botched robbery or break in. Perhaps a friend of Tom's who wanted to come back and steal his video game system? It also would mean the perp was perhaps quite young.

 

[YellowDog]

Yes, I could see where Tom might have brought a school friend home to play video games. Possibly a friend who came from a poor family and was envious of the things Tom had and decided to come back and rob him.

If Shirlee did leave during the day to run an errand, the killer could have entered the house when no one was there and when he heard her come back, he quickly hid in a closet. She might have come back shortly after he entered before he had time to steal anything. She could have opened the closet door to put something away and discovered the killer. Maybe the knife was brought with him to use to gain entrance to the house.

So many possibilities exist.......

 

[geojeffrey]

In regards to the socioeconomic status of the POI, Honda CRVs are not inexpensive. Chances are this individual had money and resources.

 

[YellowDog]

True, but we're not sure the POI was the killer. If it was a schoolmate, he probably wouldn't be old enough to drive.