This is a very odd situation for the investigative team to be in. Trying to prove someone did NOT commit suicide would be like trying to prove someone was NOT raped.
So if someone falsely claims they were raped and to bolster their story they claim at the same time YOU were raped... how do you prove you were not raped?
If you think about it that way all of our investigative and forensic tools are geared towards proving something DID happen. We don't have tools for proving that something did NOT happen.
Who do you call to prove it did NOT happen? It's extremely challenging. It's nearly impossible to prove a rape didn't happen even with a live person testifying. I'm not sure how on earth you prove a suicide didn't happen when you don't even have a live person to assert that.
Morning MsF,and all!
I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean, but there have been other cases where the living person or persons said the victim committed suicide. The evidence proved otherwise, and the ME, and LEs investigation also showed it was a homicide.
There are many ways forensic experts to know the difference in someone hanging themselves, vs. at the hands of another.
Those aren't negatives, but provable evidence we see in all cases, and trials. Even powerful CE are facts jurors weigh each, and every day in courtrooms.
The victims who have been raped are seen as evidence testimony. It's up to the jury to weigh their credibility along with the other evidence entered to render their verdict.
I dont see it as proving a negative. Its proving through supporting evidence the deaths weren't as the living person is claiming.
If it was an unprovable negative then those like Phil Spector or others who have hung their victims claiming the victim hung themselves committing suicide on their own would all getaway with homicide which does not happen.
Someone self hanging themselves leaves different evidence on the necks themselves. Also did they have brusings on their bodies not consistent with hanging?
MEs, and forensic pathologists have long been able to discern the two differences because of identifying the differences between suicide, and homicide. If they cant do either they will determine the deaths 'undetermined'which means the cases remain wide open for LE to gather more evidence. Many cases where the deaths were once listed undetermined or accidental or even suicide at one time have resulted in them later being changed to homicides.
I do believe it will take months for the ME to determine what really happened to these two children.
Its evident they are closely investigating this case, which means, imo, at this time they are not buying the only living witness's claim.
Imo, they would only do so if the evidence they have amassed thus far does not line up with the mom's claims who conveniently was the only living person in the home when it all occured.
It would take many steps to complete this plan by a very young child, and carry it all out to completion, yet supposedly she didnt see or hear any of it? Imo, that defies all logic, and common sense. Especially when she claimed he had already told her he was going to do it! Are there any documented records where she immediately sought help for her son? If true, she would be on high alert making sure she knew where he was at all times, and what he was doing as any caring parent would do.
Are there documented records where she went to the school about her little boy being unmercifially bullied to the point he wanted to supposedly take his own life?? I really highly doubt it. Jmo.
I dont believe this 8 year old child was some crafty stealthy mastermind who did all of this from beginning to end without ever once making a sound nor did his little sister while knowing he was going to murder her.
Imo, once it began to happen she would become afraid, and at least cry out. No little child her age really wants to die. Even if she first thought it was a pretend game it wouldn't take her, but mere seconds to know it was very real. Imo, she would begin to cry, telling him to stop.
From minute one none of this supposedly elaborate plan has made any sense, and it didn't make sense to the investigators nor the ME either. Hence they have opened up a thorough ongoing investigation.
If it was a cut, and dried case the ME would have ruled it murder suicide when he did the autopsies of both.
That did not happen, and he had valid reasons for delaying it, and so do the investigators who always works closely with MEs.
Jmho
