Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #6

[OrdinaryLife]

What retaliation? The man who died bled out after being shot in the calf, there was a safe, and drugs involved. 3 men were involved in the death of one. Deals are made all the time in many cases and it was done in this particular case.

What could possibly be the link to the murder of these 2 angels???

 

[strach304]

Are we sure this is Skyla's brother? If so, this is opening a whole OTHER
can of worms.

No. I remember when this crime occurred because I lived so close to Pittsburgh at the time. Even if this does turn out to be Skyla's brother that bunch was nothing but punks. Edward Gordon would be a common name I think. I do wonder why the last names are different? Step-sister and brother maybe?

Good job though Ocean. We should be looking at everything including Skyla's family dynamics. What's the situation of Skyla's home life? Step-dad? Best friends will eventually tell all. If there is a step father or BF to the mother where was he? We know Skyla's mother called her own parents first and they came right away.

 

[SuziQ]

What retaliation? The man who died bled out after being shot in the calf, there was a safe, and drugs involved. 3 men were involved in the death of one. Deals are made all the time in many cases and it was done in this particular case.

What could possibly be the link to the murder of these 2 angels???

And witness retaliation is becoming epidemic. Gordons (Possibly Skyla's brother)pled down in exchange for testimony and one more trial is coming up. So far one has been sentenced to life+. I don't think it's a stretch to think that Gordon would have been sent a message to shut up.

 

[SuziQ]

Any matching relatives or addresses for Gordon on a people search?

 

[FlowerChild]

If I'm understanding correctly, not only did Gordon plead down and sold out his associates, the safe and contents were under his watch when it went missing causing this mess to begin with. This was one nasty crime. A crime by the way which was a brutal retaliation....see the similarities yet? Obviously this group has no problem with paying people back.

This would make sense if Skyla and Taylor had been killed at HER home - but how would the perp - from KS, know where Skyla was that Sunday afternoon, much less that she would be out walking on the road. That would have required Skyla to be in communication with the perp (and it would have to have been online or by cell phone) at the time they left Taylor's house...unless the perp followed her to Taylors and then sat around and waited for 24-48 hours for an opportunity to kill them.

And it would also likely mean the NA POI was NOT part of the murders because his truck had an OK tag and NA Men are not nearly as prevalent in Baxter Springs KS as in OK - especially one with a long pony tail.

And who would have been retaliating? The suspects in the KS case are all in jail and appear to be small time drug dealers (albeit violent ones) - not connected to the type of groups that could arrange or pull off a murder of a half sister of Edward who was living 500 miles away.

Of course it's POSSIBLE, but I am not thinking it's probable.

My Opinion

 

[noZme]

oh my... the hounds have been chasing the wrong fox???????

osbi said the witness has not been able to come forward for the 1st few days.... seemed to be very forgiving of the tardiness... is that because he was tied up in a ks court? i haven't read the whole articles yet, but wouln't all these guys directly related to the richardson murder have been in custody?

we were so darn certain that because the girls were killed on taylor's "turf" & her family fractured, that was the 1st line to search..... so we are now looking for a friend/ relative/coconspirator of skyla's brother?

msholmes we need you!

 

[SuziQ]

This would make sense if Skyla and Taylor had been killed at HER home - but how would the perp - from KS, know where Skyla was that Sunday afternoon, much less that she would be out walking on the road. That would have required Skyla to be in communication with the perp (and it would have to have been online or by cell phone) at the time they left Taylor's house...unless the perp followed her to Taylors and then sat around and waited for 24-48 hours for an opportunity to kill them.

And it would also likely mean the NA POI was NOT part of the murders because his truck had an OK tag and NA Men are not nearly as prevalent in Baxter Springs in KS as in OK - especially one with a long pony tail.

And who would have been retaliating? The suspects in the KS case are all in jail and appear to be small time drug dealers (albeit violent ones) - not connected to the type of groups that could arrange or pull off a murder of a half sister of Edward who was living 500 miles away.

Of course it's POSSIBLE, but I am not thinking it's probable.

My Opinion

I don't know if it's possible either. But you'd have to wonder how desperate someone would be pending a trial that could end up with a Life plus sentence. Witness relatiation is a big problem. Selling you out for a lesser sentence and he gets ten years while you get life is worthy of retaliation. They killed for a measley 5000.00. Facing life plus is more valuable than that. I think the possibility of a connection has to be entertained. If this Gordon is the same as Skyla's brother that is.

 

[SuziQ]

oh my... the hounds have been chasing the wrong fox???????

osbi said the witness has not been able to come forward for the 1st few days.... seemed to be very forgiving of the tardiness... is that because he was tied up in a ks court? i haven't read the whole articles yet, but wouln't all these guys directly related to the richardson murder have been in custody?

we were so darn certain that because the girls were killed on taylor's "turf" & her family fractured, that was the 1st line to search..... so we are now looking for a friend/ relative/coconspirator of skyla's brother?

msholmes we need you!

Good point about the tardiness. I'm thinking if this is connected, it would be whoever had an ax to grind against Gordon. And it appears he most likely pissed a few people off.

 

[strach304]

That bunch was small time weed dealer wannabees that would have escalated to bigger drug deals later on down the road. 2 Have already been prosecuted, one had all charges dropped and Gordon got 10 years. The only way I see this fitting is a hit on Gordon's family. Like another poster said they would have had to have watched Skyla, etc.

 

[SuziQ]

Also it may not be retaliation so much as intimidation. Although as you said FC, the location is so close to Taylor's house I'm still thinking that is the more likely connection.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

And witness retaliation is becoming epidemic. Gordons (Possibly Skyla's brother)pled down in exchange for testimony and one more trial is coming up. So far one has been sentenced to life+. I don't think it's a stretch to think that Gordon would have been sent a message to shut up.

In *some* cases, but it is not the norm. I do think it is a huge stretch since there is not even a hint of proof that this guy is even possibly Skyla's brother.

I feel we should be very, very careful the way the pursuit of family is being handled. All the work and discussion is a major guess with absolutely nothing that has lent it's hand to it regarding this tragedy.

IMVVHO

 

[tamfish]

I agree with FlowerChild. If someone wanted retaliation against Gordon, it seems to me they could have found someone closer to him. And I don't just mean physical distance -- given the age difference between Gordon and Skyla (if he is her half-brother) I doubt they had much to do with each other.

 

[evelyn24]

What leaped out at me is Gordon is to testify against his co-defendents and Graham's trial is to start in July, just one month after the girls were killed almost execution style. The first main co-defendant received life plus 68 years and the second co-defendent, Graham was up for his case next.

Thanks for finding this OBE. If anything, out of all the family criminal activity, this makes the most sense. It's something to think about..that's for sure.

 

[strach304]

I'm sticking with my first intuition. The NA was a lookout for a body being dumped or killed in those woods. That looks like an off the road beaten path they thought was secluded. The NA isn't coming forward because he is just as guilty. Perhaps the explanation for both girls being shot with both guns was to insure that both were guilty of the crime or at least have the lookout guy included in the murder part so he couldn't go to LE.

The girls probably were just walking that road at the wrong time. Seeing the pick-up was enough to get them killed. Probably noticed nothing else amiss or anything which explains them not running.

 

[Busylady]

This is a different obit for Skyla that I had not seen yet

http://www.legacy.com/joplinglobe/Obituaries.asp?Page=SearchResults&DateRange=Today&Product=0


Skyla Jade (Getman) Whitaker, 11, rural Henryetta, Okla., died June 8, 2008. She was born April 5, 1997, in Joplin, Mo. Skyla attended Lincoln and Central schools in Baxter Springs, Kan., and Graham School in rural Henryetta, where she participated in basketball, cheerleading, 4-H and S.W.A.T. Survived by her parents, William and Rose (Farrow) Whitaker, of the home; birth father, Kim Getman, of Baxter Springs; four sisters, Rosita Gordon, of Tulsa, Okla., Jennifer Spaulding, of Joplin, Mo., Christine Whitaker, of Popular Bluff, Mo., and Jayme Whitaker, of the home; a brother, Edward, of Columbus, Kan.; maternal grandparents, Jim and Claudia Farrow, of rural Henryetta; adoptive grandparents, Bill and Sharon Whitaker, of Baxter Springs, and Linda Pritchard, of Henryetta

 

[SuziQ]

Data, Google witness retaliation and you'll find over a million results. It is a problem and it is epidemic. You are correct though and we need to verify that Gordon is the same as Skyla's brother.

Here is an example of witness retaliation and in this case the hit was arranged from behind bars after the defendant had been sentenced to life in prison:

http://www.nj.com/southjersey/index.ssf/2008/05/mother_of_trenton_girl_who_die.html

A woman's testimony against the drug dealer next door helped put him away for life. Now a fire has consumed her home and killed her 10-year-old girl, and police say the convicted man's associates may have set it.
Investigators found evidence suggesting arson in the blaze that killed Qua-Daishia Hopkins on Sunday, and Trenton Police Director Joseph Santiago said the case was being investigated as possible witness retaliation homicide. If that proves true, it would be the third such death in the city this year.

 

[FlowerChild]

I don't know if it's possible either. But you'd have to wonder how desperate someone would be pending a trial that could end up with a Life plus sentence. Witness relatiation is a big problem. Selling you out for a lesser sentence and he gets ten years while you get life is worthy of retaliation. They killed for a measley 5000.00. Facing life plus is more valuable than that. I think the possibility of a connection has to be entertained. If this Gordon is the same as Skyla's brother that is.

But why would they choose Skyla when other (more closely related) family members are right there - or nearby? And did somebody drive from KS to kill Skyla as a message, and then do it at her friend's house and also kill her unrelated friend? Not much of a message in that? And Skyla did have a younger sister who was at HOME, probably all weekend - why not kill HER? At least THAT would make sense as a clear message. As this stands, I don't think Skyla's parents OR more importantly, Edward, would even get that Skyla's murder was a message from Edward's co-defendants. The way this went down, there isn't any connection at all to Skyla, Edward or anyone in Skyla's family.

And finally OSBI said they have more than ONE witness - if these folks saw the POI and saw Skyla and Taylor walking then why didn't they see an out of state vehicle driving slowly on the same road?

Yep, these guys were bad news, but not very smart and certainly not rich. I don't get the idea that they were smart enough or rich enough to put out a hit (especially one on a child that lived so far away) - and I doubt their family members or friends did it for them either. Killing Skyla this way didn't send a message to ANYONE, least of all, her (possible) brother in Prison (in KS).

It always pays to check out EVERY POSSIBILITY but I think this one will be a quick dead end.
My Opinion

 

[SuziQ]

This is a different obit for Skyla that I had not seen yet

http://www.legacy.com/joplinglobe/Obituaries.asp?Page=SearchResults&DateRange=Today&Product=0


Skyla Jade (Getman) Whitaker, 11, rural Henryetta, Okla., died June 8, 2008. She was born April 5, 1997, in Joplin, Mo. Skyla attended Lincoln and Central schools in Baxter Springs, Kan., and Graham School in rural Henryetta, where she participated in basketball, cheerleading, 4-H and S.W.A.T. Survived by her parents, William and Rose (Farrow) Whitaker, of the home; birth father, Kim Getman, of Baxter Springs; four sisters, Rosita Gordon, of Tulsa, Okla., Jennifer Spaulding, of Joplin, Mo., Christine Whitaker, of Popular Bluff, Mo., and Jayme Whitaker, of the home; a brother, Edward, of Columbus, Kan.; maternal grandparents, Jim and Claudia Farrow, of rural Henryetta; adoptive grandparents, Bill and Sharon Whitaker, of Baxter Springs, and Linda Pritchard, of Henryetta

Well, that's where the trials are. Columbus, Kansas.

 

[Leila]

Welcome GideonsTrumpet!

 

[SuziQ]

FC, it's not anymore of a stretch to think this could be connected than to think some criminal element on Taylor's side of the family could be connected. For one I'd like to find out more about the Gordon connection and rule it in or out than to sit here and debate all day why it should or shouldn't be considered. To me that would be fruitless and a dead end.