Similarities

[SieSie]

From vanceholmes.com - Drowning in Coincidence

"We absolutely believe they are connected. With Interstate 94 there -- they are the same in height, weight, all active on campus, there is something there. We spoke with the parents of the other ones and that's how we found out about all the similarities -- they are high achievers, heights and weights -- they are all very similar."
-- Josh Guimond's father, Brian Guimond

I thought we could have a thread for the similarities of the victims. I'm not familiar enough with the cases so far, so I'm curious to get everyone's input.

 

[SieSie]

From encyclopedia.com

All of the cases were extremely similar, and an obvious pattern emerged; so much so that, with each new death, more and more people were becoming suspicious and alarmed. Although not every single case displayed all of the commonalities listed, they were present in most. Generally, the victims

* Were Caucasian males between the ages of 18 and 27.

* Lived in the extended area surrounding Lake Michigan, most along Interstate 94.

* Were students or recent graduates.

* Were high-achieving.

* Were in good physical condition and/or were athletes.

* Were last seen out drinking with friends or at a party.

* Were under the influence of alcohol.

* Oddly became separated from friends.

* Disappeared between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

* Disappeared between the months of September and April.

* Were given an accidental or undetermined cause of death.

The common area that the deaths took place in and the strange circumstances surrounding the victims' disappearances serve as the fishiest parts of the multiple drownings. The other factors have all been rationalized; judging by statistics and hard evidence alone, there appears to be no phenomenon whatsoever. Consider the following:

* Males make up 80% of drowning victims in the United States.

* Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 have one of the highest drowning rates.

* None of the victims displayed any signs of foul play.

* Drinking greatly increases the odds of drowning.

* On average, nine accidental drowning cases occur in the United States every day.

In addition, as most of the victims were in college towns in the Midwest, they easily fit the profile of young, high-achieving, physically fit, Caucasian males. And since college students are known for their binge drinking, it makes sense that they were drinking with friends between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. during the school semester months (September through April).

Much more at link above.

 

[shadowraiths]

Claims not yet verified:

• Missing cell phones
  
  
• Interaction with LE immediately before disappearance

 

[Peculiar Petunia]

Is there any commonality about whether the victims had fraternity affiliations?

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Not that I am aware of at this time, Petunia.

 

[eve]

Is there any commonality about whether the victims had fraternity affiliations?

IIRC, a few were in fraternities, most were not.

Eve

 

[DeltaDawn]

I am trying to look for any connections between these young men. Here are a couple I found for your consideration.

http://www.vanceholmes.com/court/tri..._students.html​

Joshua Guimond
MISSING SINCE 11/9/02 ​

St. John's University campus in Collegeville, Minnesota​

Where is Josh Guimond? ​

Josh was playing cards at Metten Court
and left to return to his dorm, Maur House.

Bloodhounds​

#1.

A bloodhound found both Josh Guimond and Christopher Jenkins' scent at the
university . On December 31, 2002, authorities were refused entrance to the campus monastery, then, on January 14, 2003 they were granted permission into the abby. Reportedly the dog picked up "definite scent activity with both boys but it was stronger with Josh."​

#2.

Matt Kruziki's mother, Debbie, brother, Chris, and many, many others held out hope and searched, but feared the worst. Matt was the second Arrowhead graduate to go missing near the Mississippi River. For a time, Matt and drowning victim, Jared Dion, were Arrowhead varsity wrestling teammates.

Looks like Matt and Jared went to the same high school, both on the varsity wrestling team before entering college.


#3.

Both Chris Jenkins' and Tommy Booth's bodies were found in a position where the arms were crossed over the chest.

#4.

The graffitti that is found is specific to a geographic region where it is located. There are 13 separate symbols, not all 13 are found in any one area. But the same symbols are repeated within a geographical area. (EX PA, OHIO, NY have the same symbols)

 

[Truthful Lies]

When I read some of the similarities above....one big thing stuck out: killings only between September and April? That's the beginning and end of Fall/Spring semesters... maybe we should be looking at a college student that has transferred many times or...I dunno. Sticks out that the killer takes the summer off...prob at home with his parents.

Added: The reason that sticks out to me...is...in the summer in "college towns" (like Gainesville), prey would be a lot easier! They admit a lot of freshman in the summers...they are much less aware...so it makes sense to think the killer is actually unable to do this due to restrictions in his life.

 

[Peculiar Petunia]

When I read some of the similarities above....one big thing stuck out: killings only between September and April? That's the beginning and end of Fall/Spring semesters... maybe we should be looking at a college student that has transferred many times or...I dunno. Sticks out that the killer takes the summer off...prob at home with his parents.

Added: The reason that sticks out to me...is...in the summer in "college towns" (like Gainesville), prey would be a lot easier! They admit a lot of freshman in the summers...they are much less aware...so it makes sense to think the killer is actually unable to do this due to restrictions in his life.

Or maybe a "professional student?"
Another related thought to the "easy prey" in summer...it may naive of me to say this, but doesn't it take a few months or so for a 17 or 18 y/o to make the connections to get a fake ID to go into a bar?

 

[DeltaDawn]

Or maybe a "professional student?"
Another related thought to the "easy prey" in summer...it may naive of me to say this, but doesn't it take a few months or so for a 17 or 18 y/o to make the connections to get a fake ID to go into a bar?

Depending on where you live ..it can take only a few days or less to get a fake ID. Even when I was in college, the late 60's early 70's, in a matter of just a few hours, with the right connections..fake ID's were plentiful.

 

[Truthful Lies]

You don't even need them here. I know they try to be strict....but there's just too many students and bars here....no one I know even had to use a fake ID...myself included when I was that age..I still go out here...still see it happening every time.

The MOST dangerous events are when a frat/sorority rent out a club and the alcohol flows freely...even if they say they're carding. UF became a dry campus a couple of years ago, so they must do these activities downtown and mingle with locals/other students. Perhaps other colleges have similar policies.

I don't think the environment here is unique...I think colleges in bigger towns prob. don't have the same rate of underage drinking that smaller ones do.

Just some thoughts...I like the one about the professional student, too.

 

[DeltaDawn]

3 were DJ's on radio stations..that would make them somewhat high profile

 

[Peculiar Petunia]

You don't even need them here. I know they try to be strict....but there's just too many students and bars here....no one I know even had to use a fake ID...myself included when I was that age..I still go out here...still see it happening every time.

The MOST dangerous events are when a frat/sorority rent out a club and the alcohol flows freely...even if they say they're carding. UF became a dry campus a couple of years ago, so they must do these activities downtown and mingle with locals/other students. Perhaps other colleges have similar policies.

I don't think the environment here is unique...I think colleges in bigger towns prob. don't have the same rate of underage drinking that smaller ones do.

Just some thoughts...I like the one about the professional student, too.

I think the first time I was carded was sometime in my 30s. So I guess I'm hopelessly naive.

In the professional student/graffiti vein, I attended two large midwestern universities, several years apart. The first thing I noticed at the second school was the same doodle (of a phallus that looked like a cowboy hat) in the elevators in a specialized building that I'd seen in a similar elevator, in a similar building, at the first school. About a week later, I ran into another student who'd gone to school with me at the first school!

Good thing he weighed about 85# soaking wet, or I'd be going , with regards to these cases! (I still am with regards to the elevators.)

 

[SeriouslySearching]

3 were DJ's on radio stations..that would make them somewhat high profile

I find that very interesting. I know about Nick Garza. Who else?

 

[DeltaDawn]

I find that very interesting. I know about Nick Garza. Who else?

Nick Garza, Josh Szostak and I can't find the third name....many posts on other blogs list 3..but only those two names. And some people feel more of them might have at one time been DJ's at college radio stations.

 

[Tenneguy]

Was killing Jameson in Clarksville in 2006 a killers way of saying they killed Albert Campbell in 2005? It would not just be Albert Campbell though. The same day Albert Campbell disappeared in Potsdam,NY,Alfredo Gonzalez disappeared in Bellflower California.As I have said before .Albert Campbell was a student at Clarkson and last seen at the address of 11. Jameson was a FT Campbell soldier with the 101st and missing from a Clarksville,Tennessee bar….but there is more. Jameson the FT Campbell soldier is from Bellingham, Washington. 5 days after Jessiah Jameson is missing, Jesse Warren Ross is missing at the address of 301 .Could killers have left Jameson’s belongings, or another victims belongings at the statue or possibly at the address of 201,or even at the Taco Bell in a flower pot with a cactus in it? Campbell was last seen at the Cactus Grill .The statue in Riverside park ,where there was graffiti ,has a statue of the person Clarksville is best known for,Wilma Rudolph.A smiley face and Boo was left in Riverside Park in Clarksville,Tennessee.Wilma Rudolph was the first woman to win 3 gold medals for running in the olympics.The best known black man for running would be Jesse Owens. Josh Snells belongings were found in Owen Park. He told someone on the phone someone was after him and he was hiding and scared. Jesse’s murder would tie it all together. Jesse had the same first name as Owens and the initials of his middle and last name are WR…the same as Wilma Rudolph whose statue is in Riverside park in Clarksville Tennessee. Next to the plaza at the bar Jameson was last seen at is a Taco Bell. He was reported to be taking a cab to the Quality Inn.There is a Quality Inn at the address of 201.Jameson sisters are twins and one month after his disappearance on the same day of the month a young man disappeared in the ST Paul area,which is also known as the Twin Cities.Albert Campells initials were left in Iowa .JesseRoss worked for a radio station called the Vibe and Luke Homan disappeared less than 2 months before Jesse ,after he was last seen at the Vibe Bar in LaCrosse Wisconsin.Is someone making fun of Jesse by calling him a ham? Nathan Kapfer was also a DJ and his belongings were found neatly arranged by a statue in LaCrosse Wisconsin. Nathan’s body was later recovered in the Mississippi River. Were belongings of some of the victims found somewhere we are not being told about, that would prove the serial killers exist? How many more similarities are there we don’t know about? The young man that went missing less than one month after Jameson disappeared is Nick Rossini.Wade Steffy went missing less than one month after Rossini and he was found dead in Owen Hall.A clown holding a sign that says Boo was on Gerald Smith’s Twitter page. Who put it there? Is it also a coincidence that 2 young men in New York were last seen at the address of 11 and one New York victim lived at that address?

The word sane was left on the bridge at Riverside Park in Clarksville Tennessee.

NEMEC:

NEW LONDON, MN – Daniel Lee Newville, 18 (08-01-2002)
EAU CLAIRE, WI – Craig Burrows, 23 (09-29-2002)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Chris Jenkins, 21 (10-31-2002)
EAU CLAIRE, WI – Michael Noll, 22 (11-06-2002)
COLLEGEVILLE, MN – Joshua Cheney Guimond, 21 (11-09-2002)

The most famous person with this name is actor Corin Nemec. In 1989, he played the roll of Steven Stayner in the movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. The movie was based on the true story of an abducted child. In real life Steven’s brother (Cary Stayner) became a serial killer.The Stayners were mormon,which means they followed the teaching of their prophet Joseph Smith. Jamesons body was found near the Smith Branch Road. Was he abducted and then dumped in the water near there on purpose later on?

Here are just a few of the many Cary Stayner newspaper headlines from around the time of the NEMEC word deaths:

Death Penalty Recommendation
New York Times October 10, 2002

Jury Finds Killer Is Sane
New York Times September 17, 2002

YOSEMITE KILLER SANE, JURY SAYS
St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) September 17, 2002

 

[future criminologist]

Claims not yet verified:

• Missing cell phones

• 
  
  Also, intentionally tampered with/smashed cell phones were found in these cases:
  
  Greg Hart - RI
  William Hurley - MA
  
  I am looking into more cases to see if there are any others with this similarity.

 

[twinkiesmom]

There are at least three missing men who had mothers with breast cancer:

Kyle Fleischmann (SC)
Brian Shaffer (OH)
Ken Christiansen (MN)

 

[future criminologist]

There are at least three missing men who had mothers with breast cancer:

Kyle Fleischmann (SC)
Brian Shaffer (OH)
Ken Christiansen (MN)

I wonder if that's more of a reflection of how common breast cancer is than a similarity in the victims - if you have a group of 15 to 20 college-aged men who have mothers in their 40s and 50s, chances are at least one or two of them is going to be afflicted with breast cancer in her lifetime, because the rate for breast cancer is 1 in 8 women, staggeringly.

 

[macrauchenia]

When I read some of the similarities above....one big thing stuck out: killings only between September and April? That's the beginning and end of Fall/Spring semesters... maybe we should be looking at a college student that has transferred many times or...I dunno. Sticks out that the killer takes the summer off...prob at home with his parents.

Between September and April, the water in these cities is cold enough to bring on hypothermia VERY QUICKLY. I think that is the most important factor here.
People who fall into WARM water (whether in Minnesota in July or in Florida year-round) find it far easier to get themselves out, they survive.