Ransom Note and Calls to the Boss

[Mountain_Kat]

How do we know it was "in her handwriting"? We know she said she wrote it, but do we know that she didn't try to disguise her hand writing? What I'm trying to say is, do we know for a fact that they knew it was her handwriting and confronted her with that, or did she just own up to writing the note?

Well, I could swear I've seen the original copy of the ransom note, way back in the begining of this case. I recall making special note of the blocky type letters with odd flourishes, odd for writing so blocky. But I've never been able to go back and find any trace of that original copy, so I can't say with 100% certainty that I'm not confusing the RN with something else. And I don't think anyone else here should go by my fuzzy recollections either.

So...I have to say, no , I don't think any of us can say with certainty whether it was written in EB's handwriting, or whether we can say whether she tried to disguise her handwriting. I think all we can safely say is that she admitted to writing the note. How she admitted to that, or why she admitted to it, we can only speculate at this point.

Excellent point, Teh.

MOO

ETA: The police report DOES say that the ransom note was handwritten. No idea if she tried to disguise her handwriting, though.

 

[Clue Hopper]

I'm going to speculate here and say that firefighters found the note. Told AB about it and asked for information about Mr. Coffey. I think Mr. Coffey was contacted and showed up on the scene the same time officers arrived. I don't think he was there before that as speculated before.

Okay I'm going to go wayyyyy out here and stretch it. What if the fire wasn't set by AB or EB. What if someone knew something happened. They didn't know what, but they seen that note. They didn't want to become involved with police. So they set it up to be found. The person that did it had no idea exactly what they had done to ZB. No neighbors seen ZB. No one had asked about ZB. Nothing had happened or been of suspicion until that fire. Now EB is in a panic. They have to explain ZB's disappearance, but how. AB comes up with the kidnapping all on his own from the note. Not realizing that EB is tied to that note. So now everything has to be winged from that point on. None of the stories add up. That note screwed everything up for them. I'm just typing as I'm thinking here. Feel free to chip the speculation up and add or what not. Just trying to think in a manner where something might make sense to someone. This note is the one piece that throws everything off.

 

[Clue Hopper]

Here is a video from WRAL in the beginning of the case. This is before EB admitted to writing the note.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/8436533/#/vid8436533

 

[vjlaw]

Well, I could swear I've seen the original copy of the ransom note, way back in the begining of this case. I recall making special note of the blocky type letters with odd flourishes, odd for writing so blocky. But I've never been able to go back and find any trace of that original copy, so I can't say with 100% certainty that I'm not confusing the RN with something else. And I don't think anyone else here should go by my fuzzy recollections either.

So...I have to say, no , I don't think any of us can say with certainty whether it was written in EB's handwriting, or whether we can say whether she tried to disguise her handwriting. I think all we can safely say is that she admitted to writing the note. How she admitted to that, or why she admitted to it, we can only speculate at this point.

Excellent point, Teh.

MOO

ETA: The police report DOES say that the ransom note was handwritten. No idea if she tried to disguise her handwriting, though.

I thought there was something about the envelope that was addressed to the boss to mail the ransom note was in a different handwriting. Maybe that was in the letters EB wrote from jail.

 

[Belinda]

The whole ransom note deal is bizarre. EB says that nothing has gone as planned. I think that would be an understatement as far as the ransom note is concerned.

 

[tlcya]

I wish E would say what WAS planned rather than just it didn't go as planned.

 

[Belinda]

I am hoping EB gave them more information in her last visit to the police station. One can only hope that someone is going to shed some light on this. Zahra must have justice!

 

[tlcya]

I think that last visit might just mean deal talk has finally started in earnest. Lets just hope the result is the 100% genuine truth about what happened, who did what when and why.

 

[SherlockHomey]

I believe the fire and the ransom note were what "did not go as planned".

 

[tlcya]

I know homey, but what exactly was the plan? That is what is driving me crazy. If things went awry ( and I guess we can all agree on that!) then how exactly were things supposed to go??

 

[SherlockHomey]

I know homey, but what exactly was the plan? That is what is driving me crazy. If things went awry ( and I guess we can all agree on that!) then how exactly were things supposed to go??

That's a good question that I am sure we all wished we knew.

I believe the fire set everything in motion earlier than they had planned.

Take the fire and the ransom note out of the entire equation - they/EB were/was trying to figure out how to cover up Z's disappearance. The ransom note was a "practice" writing and was not meant to be found. The fire was unplanned completely unless EB was trying to burn the evidence after she had already disposed of Z. It has been extremely dry here and the fire got out of hand.....

Mooo of course.

 

[Clue Hopper]

I read the one letter again. At the bottom she says

So many missing kids, but Z isn't missing the cops know where she is and what he has done. That's right what he has done. If I hadn't admitted to the stupid note I be out in 3 weeks but no they kept pushing an he did that too.

She sounds as though to her, the note was not important, they (not her) made it important. Or is that just me thinking that?

 

[Clue Hopper]

I know the 911 call of Zahra missing was AFTER the fire. :snooty: Their story is based around the ransom note.

I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know it was after. I'm sorry. I was trying to say AB used the note after the fire. That it wasn't really meant to be part of the plan.

 

[Kamille]

These are my thoughts on that whole ransom note/fire scenario.

The Tahoe was in the driveway, with passenger doors (plural) open. Photos of the Tahoe show that it is a four door vehicle. There were 2 gas cans taken in the search warrant. They were likely found in the Tahoe because they would be used for AB's work to fill the cutting equipment. Someone might have used gas to accelerate the fire. The car might not have been doused at all, someone might have spilled the gas when removing or putting it back into the vehicle. Full gas cans are heavy, and if one was used, the spout was either already on (very unsafe) or maybe it was put on in the vehicle. When you do that and then try to lift it down out of the hatch, it can tip very easily and pour out. It's never been said exactly where in the vehicle the gas was "doused".

The mulch piles in the back of the house are quite some distance from the driveway. I don't think it was ever intended for the Tahoe to catch on fire because it was the tie in to Coffey and the whole kidnapping/ransom note plot. If someone used the gas to accelerate the fire, they may have tracked some "burnt items" back to the vehicle when returning the gas can. Or the burnt samples were taken from the mulch pile. Because both doors were open, the car was not set on fire or it would have burned out of control with the oxygen and the gas inside.

The fire was called a “small grass fire” and the whole incident with both the fire department and the police department was over in just over an hour. They both left the scene at 6:41am. So it didn’t take much to put out the fire. Mulch piles do not typically burn very well because the mulch is usually always wet below the top layer. But if there was an accelerant used to start the fire, it would have appeared to have been a large fire at first until that accelerant and the top layer of dry mulch burned off. AB would likely have known this and would not have placed a call to the FD on a fire like this. He probably could have put it out with a garden hose. But he didn’t call them. Although I am troubled by his response in his 911 call about how he was alerted to the fire.

I don’t believe that the note was in EB's "handwriting" per say. She probably tried to disguise her writing using printed letters. It was on a power bill envelope but it was not clarified if the bill, which was also seized, was in the envelope or if it had been removed from the envelope and found elsewhere, perhaps the Camry or even the house. I’d have to believe that the ransom note, which was written on the envelope was taken by the officer who responded to the first call and the bill was seized after the second call so it’s likely they were not together. The post mark on the envelope would indicate what date the bill was mailed so it was probably pretty easy to tie it to the bill. Pens were also seized in the search warrant. One of them was likely the one used to write the note but again it does not state where they were found. If they were also in the Camry, it just makes no sense for a kidnapper to look around in the other vehicle for paper and pen to write a ransom note for a planned kidnapping. If the Camry was locked then the concept is ridiculous. They also found a couple of lighters. I wonder if one of them smelled like gas.

It couldn’t have been more obviously staged IMO and I am very surprised that the investigating officer who was called in by the FD did not take it very seriously and investigate further. Like I mentioned, he was only there for about an hour. He should have been the one who investigated and seized the bill, the pens etc. But I do think it was all set up to get the police on scene and discover Zahra missing. Just never happened that way and either EB alone or the two of them had to go on to plan B. You’d think if it was the two of them involved they would have done that much earlier on Saturday though. It took them a long time from 6:41am until 1:58pm to make that decision. Because if they were both involved, you can bet that no one went back to bed.


MOO

 

[Mountain_Kat]

That's a good question that I am sure we all wished we knew.

I believe the fire set everything in motion earlier than they had planned.

Take the fire and the ransom note out of the entire equation - they/EB were/was trying to figure out how to cover up Z's disappearance. The ransom note was a "practice" writing and was not meant to be found. The fire was unplanned completely unless EB was trying to burn the evidence after she had already disposed of Z. It has been extremely dry here and the fire got out of hand.....

Mooo of course.

BBM

What makes you think it was EB who set the fire, and not AB?

Not challenging you at all, I'd just like to hear your thoughts on why you think she was the one who set the fire.

 

[Clue Hopper]

Let's see if I can say this and make sense with it too. I'm trying to only stay on topic. There is much more that goes with this. So bear with me for this part of it.

I think I may know why the note was written to begin with, not why it was there.

If AB's boss was helping him begin to stand on his own two feet via job and home. That means that EB is no longer in full control. If AB is working long hours and not around her, he has other influences. Those influences did not think to highly of EB. (The elevator doesn't go all the way up etc.) Therefore the note saying...You think you're in control, who is in control now.

The entire note shows resentment towards the boss in my eyes.

 

[Belinda]

Clue Hopper - I find your supposition highly interesting. It makes sense.

 

[tlcya]

TY hopper, that is my assesment as well. I posted this a few days back but nobody seemed to think I was on to something.

The note referencing being in control, IMO shows it was written and concieved of by someone who deeply resented a loss of control or a challenge to control.

Now from ALL appearances and according to most folks impressions here - AB was rather passive and not once has been described as controlling. EB on the other hand, was described as such by the boss, and by many close associates and family members.

This tells me, she alone authored that note, and was NOT put up to it by AB as she implies in her poor me missives to "damien".

I am glad to know I am not the only one who sees it this way.

 

[Clue Hopper]

TY hopper, that is my assesment as well. I posted this a few days back but nobody seemed to think I was on to something.

The note referencing being in control, IMO shows it was written and concieved of by someone who deeply resented a loss of control or a challenge to control.

Now from ALL appearances and according to most folks impressions here - AB was rather passive and not once has been described as controlling. EB on the other hand, was described as such by the boss, and by many close associates and family members.

This tells me, she alone authored that note, and was NOT put up to it by AB as she implies in her poor me missives to "damien".

I am glad to know I am not the only one who sees it this way.

I also think the boss may have been helping him keep his work visa. Which leads me to other parts of all of this.

If they had the house with the intentions of fixing it up in return for rent or a portion of it. That would also leave EB stuck doing the work in the home while he was working outside the home. Something she would resent also.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

It's interesting to note that, while EB has been charged with obstruction of justice, she hasn't been charged with arson.

JMO