Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #11

[Trino]

I think that the crime scene is that matter of fact...I do not think solving this case is.

No motive, no witnesses to the killings, doubtful POI, and IMO the killer is not local. Statistics for 2004 indicate around 6,035 people (37%) got away with murder in the US. Maybe Oklahoma has a better rate.

 

[EnvoyDriver61]

There are a lot of people that are scared to talk to law enforcement down there so they have to start doing that," Brown said. "It is going to be solved by law enforcement but law enforcement is going to have to have help from the public. Because it was such a remote area, everyone knows each other in that area. A person who would drive on this particular road would have to know how to get there. You or I wouldn't be able to get there. I have been there once but I guarantee you I couldn't get there again.

This kind of concerns me. It appears they are placing all their eggs in the basket that it's a local person (kids probably as many Ws posters have surmised), and someone will just have to snitch on them. Yet, they say they've taken the search national (i.e., the not local kids angle). It seems they're just waiting for the right clue to come in.

Also, in this day and age of Google and Mapquest, etc. I'm convinced I, as well as several other posters, could drive right to that road and see where they were killed without asking anyone about it.

LE is so frustrating in this case with what they know, what they've released, and then still expecting someone from the public to release as yet unknown information. They sure aren't helping us help them.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I guess that is where we differ, I cannot imagine those two resorting to such tactics. I think they did exactly as they were told when someone held a gun to them. I think also that it was a surprise. I do not have a doubt they were shot at close range, like OSBI intimated they were. I will believe the grandmother's recollection of the bullets since she saw them right after they happened. This would preclude anything we might come up with or what LE says. Everyone keeps trying to tell me that she didn't see what she saw...and I think that is rubbish. She saw what she reported to the media.

I do believe what the grandmother said she saw. I am just not sure of when she saw it.

I read a link that none of the families were allowed to see the victims until they were sent to the funeral home. Of course there, if the families wanted to see either body before it was prepared, the Director would bring them in and show them.

Now that excludes Pete Placker because he was the unfortunate family member who found Skyla and Taylor but I bet even he was not allowed by LE to come back close to the bodies while they lay at the crime scene.

imoo

 

[Mysterylover]

I'm discouraged that no one has been caught for this heinous crime yet.
2 innocent young lives taken away in a second..and the killer seems to have just vaporized.....

What I don't understand is the "overkill" and the fact the girls were found in less than 30 minutes, possibly a couple of minutes, after the murders.
How far could the killer have gotten, in less than 30 minutes?...imo

 

[Mysterylover]

You don't target shoot right upon a person or people and you wouldn't use such guns to do so either.

When teens talk about target shooting...they are talking rifles and shotguns as a rule.
LE cleared the known people at the bridge with weapons.

A .22 rifle takes the SAME bullets as a .22 pistol...
What IF LE did not find or see ALL the weapons the teens had that Sunday.

I have never "fell for the story" that 5 teens in a truck, go to the bridge just to shoot 1 shotgun, no, too many guns in families to have only 1 shotgun, between the 5...imo
A shotgun blast spreads-out and is for rabbits or ducks.

To shoot rocks, frogs, fish, targets etc., from off the top of the bridge, or from a distance, someone would be using a .22 rifle or .22 pistol, which travels up to a mile in a straight line...imo

 

[oceanblueeyes]

What I don't understand is the "overkill" and the fact the girls were found in less than 30 minutes, possibly a couple of minutes, after the murders.
How far could the killer have gotten, in less than 30 minutes?...imo

Unfortunately with the killers we have today one cannot say with any certainty that if the murder was an overkill it was done by someone known to them. Heinous overkill crimes are happening and the perp was a stranger to the victim or victims.

We have seen so many killers that overkill their victims. Maybe it is their own personal inner rage that makes them do so.

Imo they were dead when the call was made to Taylor's cell phone which would make it around 5:10 pm and Peter Placker found them around 5:25 pm.

Marc Klass said someone can leave the scene and go one mile per minute so that would put the killer way out of the surrounding scene some 15 miles away and continuing to travel further and further away.

imoo

 

[Mysterylover]

Correct me if I'm wrong.

For a year, Taylor had made the quarter-mile walk down the road to the bridge daily as exercise, Placker told FOXNews.com.
"She hardly ever does it at the same time every day," he said.
"Sometimes she'll do it in the morning, sometimes she'll do it in the afternoon, sometimes she'll do it about an hour or two before dark."

Skylar's grandmother, from a Nancy Grace interview:
"Well, Sunday afternoon. My daughter was the second person to arrive on the scene.
And the daddy of Taylor wouldn't let her near Skyla. And she called us at our home,
and we flew over there to see about her because we knew something was drastically wrong. So it was Sunday afternoon, probably 5:20."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/12/nancy.grace/


It's been reported 2 different times when the girls left the house that Sunday, 4:30 and 5:00pm..I haven' heard which was correct

Taylor's grandfather, found the girls clothed in T-shirts and shorts just 20 to 25 minutes after they had left Taylor's house.

GP made the 911 call at 5:41 pm..

all the cell phone call times will give a good time-line, if LE will only give us that info...imo

 

[GetSmart]

Letsthink: "all the cell phone call times will give a good time-line, if LE will only give us that info...imo "

Like we have said before there is so much that is being kept under wraps.
Then they want public help! I really hope for those girls sake they have a GOOD reason. Like Lets said how in regards to the cell phone time lines. I don't know how that would hurt anything to let that info out. I am beginning to wonder when they say they are not releasing this or that info at this time is it because they do not have the answers. I am so frustrated.

 

[frogjustfrog]

I understood that Mr Placker found the kids about 5:30 and immediately called the LE. Where does this 5:41 come in? I believe the answer to that is, it was 5:41 when Okfuskee County Sheriff's office was called. This was NOT the first call to LE. The first call went to Okmulgee County Sheriff office, as that is where the nearest tower took his 911 call.

A note on this face down thing. My husand said that when a killer know's a victim, they usually cover their face with something. I'm wondering if this is why the girls were on their face. Maybe he rolled them over with his foot, because he didnt have anything to cover their face with.
I was also told, by someone who was there investigation the story, to report, that she understood that when the Okmulgee County Sheriff's office arrived, they covered the bodies first. She isnt sure it is true, but believes she heard it that way. I guess they take a lightweight material, so that it will not disturb the crime scene, and lay it over them. Apparently the Mother and grandmother of Skyla were there fairly fast. So this crime scene (sounds too cold, doesnt it, for 2 little girls) had a number of family members there before even Okmulgee County had time to arrive. Which could have left lots of footprints, etc. I am not sure how close the first county deputy or the sheriff was to know how fast they arrived, but Okmulgee is about a 20 min drive at a pretty good high speed, to get there.
Claudia Farrow. She is a pretty strong woman,. She's tough, and I am sure she got there fast to protect and comfort her daughter, the mother of Skyla. I know it didnt take her long. That came from someone I know who knows her.

 

[FlowerChild]

I understood that Mr Placker found the kids about 5:30 and immediately called the LE. Where does this 5:41 come in? I believe the answer to that is, it was 5:41 when Okfuskee County Sheriff's office was called. This was NOT the first call to LE. The first call went to Okmulgee County Sheriff office, as that is where the nearest tower took his 911 call.

A note on this face down thing. My husand said that when a killer know's a victim, they usually cover their face with something. I'm wondering if this is why the girls were on their face. Maybe he rolled them over with his foot, because he didnt have anything to cover their face with.
I was also told, by someone who was there investigation the story, to report, that she understood that when the Okmulgee County Sheriff's office arrived, they covered the bodies first. She isnt sure it is true, but believes she heard it that way. I guess they take a lightweight material, so that it will not disturb the crime scene, and lay it over them. Apparently the Mother and grandmother of Skyla were there fairly fast. So this crime scene (sounds too cold, doesnt it, for 2 little girls) had a number of family members there before even Okmulgee County had time to arrive. Which could have left lots of footprints, etc. I am not sure how close the first county deputy or the sheriff was to know how fast they arrived, but Okmulgee is about a 20 min drive at a pretty good high speed, to get there.
Claudia Farrow. She is a pretty strong woman,. She's tough, and I am sure she got there fast to protect and comfort her daughter, the mother of Skyla. I know it didnt take her long. That came from someone I know who knows her.

I believe you are correct, the call was made closer to 5:30 and by the time the Okfuskee County Sheriff got the call and officers were dispatched it was 5:41 - that's just 11 minutes (or less) - makes total sense since the call came from a cell phone and it had to be determined where the caller was - can't pull it up on the 911 screen mapping - has to be done manually. Who knows how long that took with Peter Placker in shock?

Peter Placker said (and the Sheriff confirmed) that he kept everyone away from the scene until LE arrived. I think Skyla's GMa saw Skyla at a distance and then once the ME had finished - I think the ME might have placed gauze over the worst of the facial wounds to spare her family the sight of them (before the funeral home "fixed" them) and Skyla's GMa moved the gauze and looked at Skyla's face. I don't think LE or the CS Techs or the ME allowed GMa to run thru the crime scene and touch the body and it was obvious that the girls were gone - I don't think paramedics did anything with the bodies at the scene except maybe cover them with a sterile, clean plastic blanket to preserve evidence. Why would paramedics be putting gauze over the wounds? Doesn't make sense, but the ME doing it to spare her family does.

And whoever said the girls were already dead at 5:10, I agree. Taylor would have answered the call from her dad if she could have. If the girls left at 4:30 and made it to the bridge, by 5:10 they would have been headed home - might have even BEEN home by 5:10. I think they were killed shortly after 5PM at the spot they would have reached on their "walk" by that time. Which also means they did not have time for talking to someone or doing "stuff" at the bridge.

And I believe the 5 boys in the truck who were shooting were NOT at the Bad Creek bridge when the girls were killed, but elsewhere - about 3 miles further away if I remember correctly. I don't think there was ANYONE shooting at the bridge at the time the girls were killed. LE just said people did target shoot and hang-out there, not that people were there that day at the time the girls were killed. LE isn't stupid - I am sure they checked the boys out and know they had only one shotgun (and no other guns) with them. They didn't say the ages, but I would believe it would be hard for 5 boys to ALL keep the secret under questioning from LE - somebody would have cracked if they had killed the girls.

My Opinion

 

[Albert18]

The time line only makes sense if people were being notified by horseback or if the event being reported was something insignificant like a drunk passed out in the middle of the road.

As I asked before, if you hear two children have been attacked, why is it the automatic assumption that they are dead. It isn't. You would automatically assume they can be helped and you rush to help, whether they are your children or not.

 

[Mysterylover]

I understood that Mr Placker found the kids about 5:30 and immediately called the LE.
Where does this 5:41 come in?
I believe the answer to that is, it was 5:41 when Okfuskee County Sheriff's office was called.
This was NOT the first call to LE. The first call went to Okmulgee County Sheriff office, as that is where the nearest tower took his 911 call...(QUOTE)


This is where I read the 5:40 pm..

http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/06/oklahoma-invest.html

 

[raeann]

I have been trying to remember and find info. on a similar case to this from ten years ago or so...my memory is not great, but I am sure those of you with more experience at these cases will remember this. I believe it was in either Texas or Arizona, a mother drove into their neighborhood after running errands. The little girl decided to get out at the entrance to either jog or ride a scooter towards the mailboxes while the mother went the other direction towards their home. When the mom and other kids had unloaded the car, groceries etc. about 15 minutes later and the girl had not arrived yet, they got back into the car to go pick her up. She was found dead on the side of the road with no other cars or people observed anywhere in the area during the 15 minutes she was alone. I also recall that her father worked or had worked for some rock band (possible Bon Jovi or Van Halen) and that the band put up a large reward for information about the case. I just can NOT remember the names involved to look up any information. Does anyone remember this case or what was ever found out about it at the time?

 

[Mysterylover]

Letsthink: "all the cell phone call times will give a good time-line, if LE will only give us that info...imo "

Like we have said before there is so much that is being kept under wraps.
Then they want public help! I really hope for those girls sake they have a GOOD reason.
Like Lets said how in regards to the cell phone time lines. I don't know how that would hurt anything to let that info out.
I am beginning to wonder when they say they are not releasing this or that info at this time is it because they do not have the answers. I am so frustrated.....

Get.... why hasn't the 911 tape been released?
I have heard 911 tapes of people dying in car wrecks, in fires and being shot. So why not this tape...could it be "what someone was saying during the call"?....jmo

Here's a good picture of the location of the murders.

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/...46af82e9986bedb6d63d.girls_killed_okso104.jpg

 

[sheza]

I understood that Mr Placker found the kids about 5:30 and immediately called the LE. Where does this 5:41 come in? I believe the answer to that is, it was 5:41 when Okfuskee County Sheriff's office was called. This was NOT the first call to LE. The first call went to Okmulgee County Sheriff office, as that is where the nearest tower took his 911 call.

A note on this face down thing. My husand said that when a killer know's a victim, they usually cover their face with something. I'm wondering if this is why the girls were on their face. Maybe he rolled them over with his foot, because he didnt have anything to cover their face with.
I was also told, by someone who was there investigation the story, to report, that she understood that when the Okmulgee County Sheriff's office arrived, they covered the bodies first. She isnt sure it is true, but believes she heard it that way. I guess they take a lightweight material, so that it will not disturb the crime scene, and lay it over them. Apparently the Mother and grandmother of Skyla were there fairly fast. So this crime scene (sounds too cold, doesnt it, for 2 little girls) had a number of family members there before even Okmulgee County had time to arrive. Which could have left lots of footprints, etc. I am not sure how close the first county deputy or the sheriff was to know how fast they arrived, but Okmulgee is about a 20 min drive at a pretty good high speed, to get there.
Claudia Farrow. She is a pretty strong woman,. She's tough, and I am sure she got there fast to protect and comfort her daughter, the mother of Skyla. I know it didnt take her long. That came from someone I know who knows her.

Okfuskee Co. deputy lives close to the crime scene, Weleetka responded, Henryetta Ambulance, the scene was taped off, before Okmulgee got there.
Claudia stood at the crime scene tape.

 

[sheza]

I have been trying to remember and find info. on a similar case to this from ten years ago or so...my memory is not great, but I am sure those of you with more experience at these cases will remember this. I believe it was in either Texas or Arizona, a mother drove into their neighborhood after running errands. The little girl decided to get out at the entrance to either jog or ride a scooter towards the mailboxes while the mother went the other direction towards their home. When the mom and other kids had unloaded the car, groceries etc. about 15 minutes later and the girl had not arrived yet, they got back into the car to go pick her up. She was found dead on the side of the road with no other cars or people observed anywhere in the area during the 15 minutes she was alone. I also recall that her father worked or had worked for some rock band (possible Bon Jovi or Van Halen) and that the band put up a large reward for information about the case. I just can NOT remember the names involved to look up any information. Does anyone remember this case or what was ever found out about it at the time?

Have you looked at the Laura Hobbs & Krystal Tobais murder case?

 

[GetSmart]

I found an update in The Joplin Globe Published July 11, 2008 09:13 pm - GIRARD, Kan. — Aaron Graham will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison after pleading guilty Friday to first-degree murder in the Jan. 30, 2007, shooting death of Jamey Richardson in Baxter Springs.

Third defendant in slaying case pleads guilty


GIRARD, Kan. — Aaron Graham will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison after pleading guilty Friday to first-degree murder in the Jan. 30, 2007, shooting death of Jamey Richardson in Baxter Springs.
Graham, 23, of Pittsburg, would be eligible for parole after 20 years. His sentencing is set for Sept. 23. Other felony charges against Graham, including kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated assault, were dismissed in return for the guilty plea on the murder charge.
The crime to which Graham pleaded guilty was not premeditated murder, but rather murder while in the commission of another dangerous felony, specifically, kidnapping.
Richardson, a former Pittsburg State University basketball player, was 26 when he was found dead in a car in Baxter Springs. He died of a single gunshot wound to his left calf. Authorities said he bled to death.
Graham’s trial was to begin next week in Columbus. He will have a bond revocation hearing Monday in Columbus.
Graham is the third defendant to be convicted in relation to Richardson’s death.
A Cherokee County jury in January found Samuel Becker, 23, of Pittsburg, guilty of first-degree murder and 10 other felonies. He was sentenced in March to life plus 5 1/2 years in prison. He must serve at least 25 years before he’s eligible for parole.
Edward Gordon, 20, of Baxter Springs, was found guilty of second-degree murder after pleading “no contest” to the charge as part of a plea agreement. The agreement calls for a 10-year prison sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for July 29, but Veronica Dersch, a Kansas assistant attorney general, on Friday said Gordon’s sentencing might be rescheduled to Sept. 23 to coincide with Graham’s sentencing.
Previous court testimony revealed that the case centered on the theft of a safe from Gordon’s house in Baxter Springs containing money and marijuana for which Gordon owed Graham repayment. Witnesses testified that the three traveled from house to house, threatening Gordon’s friends with a gun and attacking them in an attempt to obtain information about the missing safe. They returned to Gordon’s house, where some witnesses testified they were not allowed to leave. It was outside the house where Richardson was shot.
http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_193211359.html

 

[Mysterylover]

The fact the case appears dead and LE isn't commenting, is a big story. A front page story in my opinion. I think a good reporter could come up with a very nice story that would have LE running to a press conference.

LE needs to understand this crime doesn't belong to them and us civilians aren't mushrooms.

9/11 taught the authorities that the public is not the enemy. The general public in fact is a very important line of defense. Apparently that memo hasn't reached everybody....

Good point!

IF the girls left the house at 5:00 pm, does anyone believe the girls could have walked to the bridge and back, which by Yahoo maps estimates is 3/4 mile away, which puts a 1.5 mile trip within 20-25 minutes ?....

Now, If they left at 4:30 pm they could have been walking closer to the murder location, and the time line would still be tight, in my opinion...

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Good point!

IF the girls left the house at 5:00 pm, does anyone believe the girls could have walked to the bridge and back, which by Yahoo maps estimates is 3/4 mile away, which puts a 1.5 mile trip within 20-25 minutes ?....

Now, If they left at 4:30 pm they could have been walking closer to the murder location, and the time line would still be tight, in my opinion...

Agent Rosser with OSBI said the girls left around 4:30pm. I think he said it when he was at the scene with Greta.

imoo

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I have been trying to remember and find info. on a similar case to this from ten years ago or so...my memory is not great, but I am sure those of you with more experience at these cases will remember this. I believe it was in either Texas or Arizona, a mother drove into their neighborhood after running errands. The little girl decided to get out at the entrance to either jog or ride a scooter towards the mailboxes while the mother went the other direction towards their home. When the mom and other kids had unloaded the car, groceries etc. about 15 minutes later and the girl had not arrived yet, they got back into the car to go pick her up. She was found dead on the side of the road with no other cars or people observed anywhere in the area during the 15 minutes she was alone. I also recall that her father worked or had worked for some rock band (possible Bon Jovi or Van Halen) and that the band put up a large reward for information about the case. I just can NOT remember the names involved to look up any information. Does anyone remember this case or what was ever found out about it at the time?

I vaguely recall that one. I can't remember the name either, but it seems more recent than 10 years ago. Let me do some checking.

Welcome to WS, Raeann!