Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #5

[OrdinaryLife]

Hi all- I just joined, having been a "lurker" for 5 yrs. or so now. This case hits close to home as I used to be a small-town okie girl who took long walks down country roads with her best friend.
I'm familiar with Okfuskee county because I've done fieldwork in the area for several years, so maybe I can help if anyone has questions about the lay of the land.

I thought I'd give y'all a break from thinking about the family tree (it makes my head spin - I personally think Taylor looks like Linda, though) and list some info. about the area that may be relevant:

-there is a 24-hr. casino called the Golden Pony at the Thlopthlocco tribal town (not really a town as we think of it, just an admin. building, the casino, a crafts business, and a parking lot which I believe has surveillence cameras) at the Clearview Rd. exit off I-40 (one of 2 exits which people take to Weleetka). This is no more than 5 miles from where the girls were killed.
-there is a men's prison, the J.H. Lilley, outside of Boley, which is about 20-30 mins. away.
-there's a rodeo outside of Clearview each August, which is generally nice but has been known to bring in a bad element from time to time. This takes place in a field just a few miles from where the girls were killed. This is predominantly an Af.-Am. rodeo, however, so the gangs are mostly crips/bloods and not Hell's Angels/bandidos.
-the County Line Rd. is a country road, but it wouldn't be too hard for someone to find it. It's not completely remote, so I don't necessarily think the POI had to know beforehand that he was going there.
-Okfuskee county is mostly Creek. If the POI is someone who was familiar with the area and who has NA heritage, then I would assume that he is Creek or partly so.
-I don't think anyone would be killed over a roll # or head rights. Most people I know have some roll # somewhere in their family, and many try to get benefits. The tribes are very used to that. It's good to think creatively about these things, though.
-Rural Oklahoma has really changed in the past 10-15 yrs. Meth. has become such a problem and the recent growth of casino culture has created its own issues.

Welcome to WS's, Dalaipardon! Thank you for a great post.

 

[Morag]

If he (GP) had time to tell the mother, and she had time to call her own mother by 5:20, then there must have been nearly half an hour between the finding and the calling.

Regardless of the circumstances, I find it hard to believe that it should/would have taken so long. Most calls to 911 involve traumatic or scary circumstances, but people make them routinely and immediately.

And did GP stand right there with the girls for that half hour? Might not he have gone back to the house because he knew that someone with a gun was around there? I'm wondering if there was a bit of a family 'meeting' before the law was called- GP, GM, and whomever else was at the house?

I don't believe that the family did harm to these children, but they may know more than we have assumed.

 

[Patience]

This article says the grandfather says "Their gone. The girls are dead." to the grandmother of Skyla. He flagged down her car and said that to her.

Where does this fit into the timeline?

http://newsok.com/article/3256335?topten_check=yes

"They're gone,” the man said when she pulled up alongside him. "They're both gone. The girls are dead.”

 

[EnvoyDriver61]

911 call made at 5:41

We don't know specifically that 911 was called at 5:41. I was the one on here claiming that, but it was a potential misunderstanding.

I went back and read the news article and it says authorities were called at 5:41. In context to that article, I then got the impression that it was the time that 911 notified the sheriff's department that a crime had been committed. I assume that not every 911 call results in the sherrif's dept getting notified.

So, we don't really have a good article that states specifically when 911 was called.

But, I admit, if the girls were found at 5:25 and the 911 call wasn't actually until 5:40, what was the wait for?

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Oh I agree with the shock part, I am not sure I would be even able to call 911 if I found a loved one like that. It just jumped out at me because Skylas grandmother said the bodies were covered when she got there, so it was assumed that the paramedics had arrived by the time she got there. If she was called at 5:20 she would of been there before the 911 call was made at 5:40?

If the bodies were covered from the onlookers then the police already had to be on the scene.

I dont think LE would be singing Mr. Placker's praises if he had contaminated the scene with a blanket or sheet and I am sure Mrs. Whitaker didn't either.

The grandmother's statements have been very unclear at times to me.

imoo

 

[Busylady]

Let me make it clear, I am not trying to suggest there is a coverup or they had anything to do with this tragedy. I am just wondering if the times are off and it gives a bigger window of time when this crime was committed. If he could not reach them at 5:08 chances are the crime had already been committed and if they were found a little later than the original time frame, then the chances of them passing a witness or seeng someone leave the scene changes? I know what I am trying to say but I am not sure I am doing a good job of explaining it.

 

[SuziQ]

http://newsok.com/search-for-girls-killer-enters-10th-day/article/3259009/?tm=1213805387

(snip)
Also Wednesday, the state medical examiner's office said full autopsy reports on the girls could be a few weeks away as further tests are conducted.

 

[Patience]

We don't know specifically that 911 was called at 5:41. I was the one on here claiming that, but it was a potential misunderstanding.

I went back and read the news article and it says authorities were called at 5:41. In context to that article, I then got the impression that it was the time that 911 notified the sheriff's department that a crime had been committed. I assume that not every 911 call results in the sherrif's dept getting notified.

So, we don't really have a good article that states specifically when 911 was called.

But, I admit, if the girls were found at 5:25 and the 911 call wasn't actually until 5:40, what was the wait for?

And why won't they release that call? :banghead:

 

[oceanblueeyes]

We don't know specifically that 911 was called at 5:41. I was the one on here claiming that, but it was a potential misunderstanding.

I went back and read the news article and it says authorities were called at 5:41. In context to that article, I then got the impression that it was the time that 911 notified the sheriff's department that a crime had been committed. I assume that not every 911 call results in the sheriff's dept getting notified.

So, we don't really have a good article that states specifically when 911 was called.

But, I admit, if the girls were found at 5:25 and the 911 call wasn't actually until 5:40, what was the wait for?

The wait imo was there because two people lives were crashing down around them. Two people so overwrought with grief and one trying to console a mother who had just lost her child. He knew the children were dead, he knew he wasn't going to allow anyone to approach them but he had to get some sanity back into his thoughts after being so shocked by a horror I am sure he could never have imagined.

I understand it fully.

imoo

 

[noZme]

welcome aboard dalaipardon...happy you have decided to throw in your thoughts.... i suppose a casino being that nearby could open a whole new can of worms.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

Let me make it clear, I am not trying to suggest there is a coverup or they had anything to do with this tragedy. I am just wondering if the times are off and it gives a bigger window of time when this crime was committed. If he could not reach them at 5:08 chances are the crime had already been committed and if they were found a little later than the original time frame, then the chances of them passing a witness or seeng someone leave the scene changes? I know what I am trying to say but I am not sure I am doing a good job of explaining it.

Nah, it never came across wrong!

 

[EnvoyDriver61]

If he could not reach them at 5:08 chances are the crime had already been committed and if they were found a little later than the original time frame

5:08 is when Skyla's mother calls to say she is coming to get Skyla.

We may assume that Taylor's grandmother and her might have chit-chatted a bit (did the girls have fun, oh yes, they always do, they're out walking right now. that's good) So, the call may have lasted a couple of minutes. It's 5:11-5:13 before they call the cell phone at the earliest, IMO.

 

[christine2448]

How did Peter know the girls were dead and so was in no hurry to call for an ambulance? With this timeline the girls should have still been warm to the touch. You can't trust finding a pulse. And people can have some pretty nasty injuries and still be alive.

Have you ever seen someone be shot in the face, mulitple times? I bet he could tell they were deceased.

 

[RoseRed]

Oh I agree with the shock part, I am not sure I would be even able to call 911 if I found a loved one like that. It just jumped out at me because Skylas grandmother said the bodies were covered when she got there, so it was assumed that the paramedics had arrived by the time she got there. If she was called at 5:20 she would of been there before the 911 call was made at 5:40?

The times are just estimates and not written in stone not really something to be concerned over just yet. I am sure none of them actually looked at a clock for exact time but something that will be more confirmed by phone records if needed.

 

[Annie]

I don't think there can be an exact timeline for everything that happened. The time of the phone calls can be documented, but most people don't look at a clock every time they do something. I could give you the general time frame of when I got up this morning and when I ate breakfast, but the times might be off because I did not look at my clock or watch. If I had set an alarm it would have been different, but in a regular day where there are no deadlines that I must be somewhere at a certain time, I couldn't be exact on when I did anything.

 

[Garnan]

And why won't they release that call? :banghead:

I can't remember where I saw it, but someone from LE said they had no intention of releasing the call because there was nothing in the call that would further the investigation as far as the public was concerned.

I tend to think it's very emotional and they are trying to be respectful to the families.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

And why won't they release that call? :banghead:

People think that is unusual but it really isn't. I have seen many cases where the 911 call isn't released right away.

Heck in the Scott Dyleski case.........it was never released not even in the criminal trial even though the DA wanted it in. The Judge said that it would prejudice SD and his right to a fair trial because it was so emotional. Even the Judge commented that she could hardly stand to listen to it herself so she felt the jury could hold it against the defendant.

The 911 call can be sealed by the Judge until such time he deems it available to the public. That is usually after an arrest has been made of the suspect.

I am sure Agent Brown doesn't want to be accused of trying to taint the potential jury pool in case the perp is found and brought to trial.


imoo

 

[christine2448]

I don't think there can be an exact timeline for everything that happened. The time of the phone calls can be documented, but most people don't look at a clock every time they do something. I could give you the general time frame of when I got up this morning and when I ate breakfast, but the times might be off because I did not look at my clock or watch. If I had set an alarm it would have been different, but in a regular day where there are no deadlines that I must be somewhere at a certain time, I couldn't be exact on when I did anything.

I agree. However, I think that LE can really lock in on timeline because it can all be verified by tele records. Time mom called GP, time GP tried to call Taylor, ect ect. Yes?

 

[Busylady]

Good point, but if Skylas grandmother received a call at 5:20 that something was terribly wrong then the grandfather had to head out pretty quickly after 5:08 to have found the girls and stop Skylas mom from approaching.

5:08 is when Skyla's mother calls to say she is coming to get Skyla.

We may assume that Taylor's grandmother and her might have chit-chatted a bit (did the girls have fun, oh yes, they always do, they're out walking right now. that's good) So, the call may have lasted a couple of minutes. It's 5:11-5:13 before they call the cell phone at the earliest, IMO.

 

[EnvoyDriver61]

I've done a chart with various timeline's based solely on distance and time.

If GP Peter finds the girls at 5:25 (as Rosser stated in the video), then he takes 4-6 minutes to walk the 900 yards to the girls, leaving the house between 5:19 and 5:21.

Since he doesn't report seeing anything on the road going that way and he doesn't hear the gunshots (he doesn't take take the car or consider anything other than walking to find the girls, thus expediency isn't that high on his priorities), we'd have to give a minimum of 3 minutes before he takes off for the road to clear and sounds to not have been heard.

The latest the killings could have taken place then are 5:16 - 5:18.

The earliest, based on what we know is 5:08 - 5:13, or so, when they didn't answer their cellphone (assumption they are dead is the reason they don't answer)