Omaha double murder

[tapu]

Sherman did NOT work for the Hunters for ten years and most certainly was not a mother-like figure to Thomas, never taking him any where with her, they were not "very close."

Sherman worked for them for no more then 2 and a half years.

It's amazing the mistaken info that can come out, one way and then another. Moonlighter, can you please give the source of your information?

 

[Snick1946]

Moonlighter-

My source on this was the news articles in the Omaha World Herald after the murders. If memory is correct someone was quoted as saying that Ms Sherman was a fixture in that home and had been for years. The WOWT comment boards (admittedly not an unimpeachable source) had comments from people saying how close she had been to the family. Thomas' obituary was on line with an e-guest book for comments and a couple were from people who referred to meeting him through her.
I will be the first to retract this if I am proved wrong but I think it is clear that Ms Sherman was an integral part of that household and that the Hunters entrusted her with many of the hopusehold duties, shopping, etc - doesnt sound like the profile of someone who had been there a couple of years. It may not in fact have been ten years, it was almost certainly from available evidence longer than two.
If you are a friend or family member of Ms Sherman's who may be upset at some of the scenerios mentioned here please understand that we are all trying to get to the truth. Unpleasant ideas and possibilities have to be discussed and aired if we are to be of any aid in the authorities in getting there. No offense to anyone is intended. If in fact you do have knowledge of this matter maybe you can clear up whether the police or the FBI have pulled the computer and phone records of the victims families?

 

[Snick1946]

Paste from the article on the web site of KETV, Omaha that appeared right afterward:

Sherman's family and friends said she was shy at times, but that she was loved by everyone who knew her.

Pam Rahner has lived next door to Sherman for more than 15 years.

"Shirlee was a delight," Rahner said. "She knew everyone in the neighborhood. She was always more than willing to help out with anything you needed."

Rahner said Sherman had worked for the Hunter family for more than a decade. Rahner said Sherman was "like a fixture" at the Hunter home. She said her friend and the 11-year-old victim had a great relationship.

"I had met him, about a year or so ago," Rahner said. "I met him just by visiting with Shirlee

Comments, Moonlighter???

 

[moonlighter]

Paste from the article on the web site of KETV, Omaha that appeared right afterward:

Sherman's family and friends said she was shy at times, but that she was loved by everyone who knew her.

Pam Rahner has lived next door to Sherman for more than 15 years.

"Shirlee was a delight," Rahner said. "She knew everyone in the neighborhood. She was always more than willing to help out with anything you needed."

Rahner said Sherman had worked for the Hunter family for more than a decade. Rahner said Sherman was "like a fixture" at the Hunter home. She said her friend and the 11-year-old victim had a great relationship.

"I had met him, about a year or so ago," Rahner said. "I met him just by visiting with Shirlee

Comments, Moonlighter???

So if it is quoted in the news it is true with out being questioned?

The bolded part is the key part.

Of course anyone is going to say the nicest thing possible about someone they knew in this situation especially at that point, even if it is stretching the truth.

Sherman was hired after their former housekeeper retired due to old age in 2005.

 

[Jesikah1]

Of course anyone is going to say the nicest thing possible about someone they knew in this situation especially at that point, even if it is stretching the truth.

I understand what you are saying about people saying the nicest things possible about a victim, but I'm not sure why extending the length of time that the housekeeper worked for the family or emphasizing a closeness that wasn't there would be the first thing a friend or neighbor would think to say regarding this horrific crime.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what your post was driving at and if so, feel free to clarify. You seem to have information that the general public does not and if you were close to either victim, I am terribly sorry for your loss. Hopefully justice will be served for both.

 

[CaliKid]

I don't get this either. So did the neighbor lie, and if so, why? Or was it just bad reporting?

 

[Snick1946]

No I don't think it was bad reporting- this was just the quickest news article I could find, there were others that mentioned that she had been a fixture at the Hunters'. If Moonlighter wants to continue this I can try to find more.
Yes it is unverified information from a neighbor. Since we don't know who Moonlighter is, how is their word on this worth any more?
I do wish this new poster would share what they seem to know about this with us. I think he/she would have some valuable insight.
I am not sure it is very productive to spend much time on the issue of how long she worked there, etc. Sharing what insight this person may have with us would be better. How about it??

 

[Snick1946]

Here's another news quote- this one from the Omaha World Herald right after the killings (The entire article is linked to in my inital

Sherman had worked as a self-employed housecleaner for a number of years, said her mother, Joanne Banks. Clients included a church in her neighborhood and "a lot of doctors' houses," Banks said.

This was Shirlee's mom- I would think this would be definitive. If you want to split hairs on the number of years, go ahead- I still fail to see where Moonlighter is going.

 

[Snick1946]

If Moonlighter is still out there, I hope we didn't scare you off. Your input is welcome, we are all trying to get to the truth. If you are a friend or family member of the victims, please accept our condolences.
Given the chaotic state of the Omaha Police Department homicide division just now, it would not be at all surprising to learn that the phone/computer records of the victims had never been accessed. If you have any input on that please let us know. If you are close to either family, someone needs to start raising hell here. These guys are never going to catch this until they get pressured into getting it off the back burner.
We have now had over 40 murders this year in Omaha- many if not most unsolved.

 

[YellowDog]

Could it possibly be retribution from a family member of someone who died during or after surgery?

The information about the car tag being unusual definitely suggests either a stolen car, a rental car or someone from out of state.

Could it be a hardcore drug addict who thought he could find narcotics there? He could
have picked any doctor from the telephone book.

It's very strange that it has been kept so quiet.

 

[YellowDog]

If Moonlighter is still out there, I hope we didn't scare you off. Your input is welcome, we are all trying to get to the truth. If you are a friend or family member of the victims, please accept our condolences.
Given the chaotic state of the Omaha Police Department homicide division just now, it would not be at all surprising to learn that the phone/computer records of the victims had never been accessed. If you have any input on that please let us know. If you are close to either family, someone needs to start raising hell here. These guys are never going to catch this until they get pressured into getting it off the back burner.
We have now had over 40 murders this year in Omaha- many if not most unsolved.

There are so many unsolved murders in this country that the numbers would be overwhelming if we knew about all of them. Not just in Omaha, but everywhere. It's a scary world out there. Unfortunately, I don't think this will change until violent movies, tv programs, music and video games are changed. People see so much violence they become callous. They need to reprogram people by giving them happy, loving and caring programs to watch.

I hope I haven't offended too many people by saying that, but I do feel like it might help things by softening people up. I get so sad reading about all of the horrible murders out there.

And, hey, I'm really a very broad minded individual and not easily shocked.

 

[Snick1946]

This may not amount to anything, but- the Omaha World Herald this morning had an editorial about the cascading crime rate in Omaha and especially in the Dundee area. Interstingly, they led off with a paragraph about these murders and their still being unsolved. This is the first mention of them in the newspaper since May. I do not have the paper at hand but it was oddly worded with the impression that there are suspects but they are not prepared to name them (him) yet.
May mean nothing but after watching this case unfold for months I felt it extremely suggestive, there may be some hope here.

 

[gaia227]

It is hard to believe that every single article and source I have read has said that Sherman worked for the family for a decade and was very close to the family. Moonlighter is saying that she only worked for the family since 2005 and was not close. Those are very contradictory statements and I cannot understand why everyone talking to the media would say she had been there for years longer than she really had been. That doesn't make a lot of sense.

Moonlighter - I think that we all be much more willing to take the things you are saying into consideration if you would tell us where you are getting this information and what your connection to this case is. What you say is indicating that you are close to family members, friends or police as you are providing 'inside' information.

 

[Snick1946]

Gala- I like your cat avatar- nice to have a fellow cat lover in this discussion.
Moonlighter joined on 10-30 and made just two posts- both on this thread. Yes, I think he/she is someone close to the investigation or a family member or friend of one of the victims. I did send them a private message telling them they are welcome to re-join the discussion. I know that LE sometimes scans these discussionboards so this may be someone involved in that end.
In that case they cannot comment much of course. Intriguing- guess we'll see.

 

[YellowDog]

It looks like nothing new in this case. Has there been any more information about the license plate of the person who went to the house the day of the murders? They said it was a pastel color. This should narrow it down to a few states.

 

[Snick1946]

Yellowdog- at the time the information re the license plate was publicized I did a check on license plates - the states that would fit the description would be Florida, New Jersey or maybe Louisiana. I still think it's bizzare really that this guy just drove up, parked and did this then walked out and slowly drove away. It's what made me think he may have been a nut case. Actually he had to have been!
This week the Omaha World Herald mentioned this case in an editorial about all the unsolved crimes, especially in the Dundee area. They had a comment that was a bit suggestive: they mentioned the crime then referred to it as 'having no suspect that the police are now willing to name.'
To me this speaks volumes, something may be going on. Sounds like they have someone but are not able to make the arrest as yet. Let's hope so.
The police did solve a violent murder of a convenience store clerk that occured less than a mile from this crime scene, arrest made this week. It was a 15 year old Hispanic kid, sound like he and other young punks have been breaking into homes and doing robberies. Wouldn't be at all surprised to read that this leads to an arrest in this one.

 

[gaia227]

Yellowdog- at the time the information re the license plate was publicized I did a check on license plates - the states that would fit the description would be Florida, New Jersey or maybe Louisiana. I still think it's bizzare really that this guy just drove up, parked and did this then walked out and slowly drove away. It's what made me think he may have been a nut case. Actually he had to have been!
This week the Omaha World Herald mentioned this case in an editorial about all the unsolved crimes, especially in the Dundee area. They had a comment that was a bit suggestive: they mentioned the crime then referred to it as 'having no suspect that the police are now willing to name.'
To me this speaks volumes, something may be going on. Sounds like they have someone but are not able to make the arrest as yet. Let's hope so.
The police did solve a violent murder of a convenience store clerk that occured less than a mile from this crime scene, arrest made this week. It was a 15 year old Hispanic kid, sound like he and other young punks have been breaking into homes and doing robberies. Wouldn't be at all surprised to read that this leads to an arrest in this one.

Hi Snick! It is always nice to meet fellow cat/animal lovers. I am definitely a cat person - I live in a one bedroom apt with my three furbabies. There is nothing I like more than waking up in the morning and having all three of them cuddled up with me.

Anyway - back to the topic. The killer was either extremely brazen and confident or extremely dumb. If it was a hired hit kind of situation the calmness of the killer makes a little more sense. Perhaps the killer thought it would be much less suspicious if they just acted totally normal instead of sneaking around trying to break in, etc.
I don't know but it is definitely bizarre. LE has the license plate number, right? Surely the car was a rental, the plates were stolen, etc. No one is THAT arrogant or that dumb. The car has never been found (as far as we know) so I wonder if the plates were simply switched out or if the car was dumped somewhere.

 

[YellowDog]

Gaia, is the Dundee area a nice area or is it marginal?

 

[Snick1946]

Gaia- I have two cats, one 'JJ' is the cat in my avatar, got her from the humane society at age three, owners surrendered her. Why I can't imagine. Sweetest cat I have ever known. My other cat "Snick" (Thus my ID) is a four year old tortie, grumpy as hell but I still love her. They don't get along.
Anyway back to business- no one ever got a license number. The police arent saying but I get the feeling that they may have used hypnosis or something to try to get the neighbors to recall, the color is the best they could do.
Dundee is where Warren Buffett lives if that tells you anything. It is a VERY upscale area- lots of doctors and lawyers. It is now an island of affluence in a sea of deteriorating neighborhoods. If anyone is interested, 'True Crime Diary' ebsite has a good article about this titled 'The man with the briefcase'.

 

[Snick1946]

I wanted to give this thread a bump as I have mentioned it on a local news talk board and want others to be able not to have to search for it too hard.
The poor families involved cannot be having a very happy holiday season. Someone who I think was a young friend of Tom Hunter's posted on the local board saying he/she checks the net daily to see if any progress has been made and they are very sad there has not. I posted a reply to them asking them to keep their faith in humanity even when faced with difficulty like this.

I send holiday greetings to all who I have met online via this thread, you are a wonderful bunch of people who truly care.