"Tape Recorder Man"

[SharetheLight]

You & Richard have it correct. It was a simple move by TRM, & a lucky one too. Why turn this into something complex?

I don't think anything about this case was/is simple.

 

[Richard]

...I just find it curious that nobody in the mall on 3/25/75 except "jimmy" reported seeing TRM in the mall on 3/25/75. At least not according to the accounts which are held to be reliable posted here in this forum.

Actually "Jimmy" was with another 13-year-old boy that day and both boys were interviewed separately by police. The second boy confirmed everything "Jimmy" told police, except that "Jimmy" had heard TRM ask a question: "Are any of you two involved in sports?" The other boy had not heard any of the conversation, but did see the girls talking with TRM.

That question might have been asked in a bit louder voice to attract the girls' attention. Perhaps it was this same question which got "Jimmy's" attention. The two boys were walking past TRM and "Jimmy" turned to look at the scene of TRM talking to the girls with his tape recorder. "Jimmy" stated that he then said to his friend, "Look at the reporter. Maybe he will interview us too."

So two witnesses actually saw this strange guy that day AS the Tape Recorder Man. I add the emphasis because up to that point, he was just a guy in a plain brown suit sitting amongst the bushes. He blended into the background until he became TRM. It was a busy spot and people were not noticing him because they were talking, eating pizza, etc. He left immediately after talking to Sheila and Kate. The only catch to his little scheme was that "Jimmy" and his friend happened to witness his interaction with Sheila and Kate.

The fact that so few people saw him with his tape recorder and doing his interview leads one to believe that he put on the act just to speak with the girls. He did not want to risk being recognized later by interviewing any other kids. Remember, this case was huge and all kids heard about it - yet no other child ever came forward to say that TRM had interviewed them that day.

If this guy was just a pervert who wanted to interview kids that day, why wasn't he seen doing that with a lot of kids by a lot of people?

 

[SharetheLight]

Actually "Jimmy" was with another 13-year-old boy that day and both boys were interviewed separately by police. The second boy confirmed everything "Jimmy" told police, except that "Jimmy" had heard TRM ask a question: "Are any of you two involved in sports?" The other boy had not heard any of the conversation, but did see the girls talking with TRM.

That question might have been asked in a bit louder voice to attract the girls' attention. Perhaps it was this same question which got "Jimmy's" attention. The two boys were walking past TRM and "Jimmy" turned to look at the scene of TRM talking to the girls with his tape recorder. "Jimmy" stated that he then said to his friend, "Look at the reporter. Maybe he will interview us too."

So two witnesses actually saw this strange guy that day AS the Tape Recorder Man. I add the emphasis because up to that point, he was just a guy in a plain brown suit sitting amongst the bushes. He blended into the background until he became TRM. It was a busy spot and people were not noticing him because they were talking, eating pizza, etc. He left immediately after talking to Sheila and Kate. The only catch to his little scheme was that "Jimmy" and his friend happened to witness his interaction with Sheila and Kate.

The fact that so few people saw him with his tape recorder and doing his interview leads one to believe that he put on the act just to speak with the girls. He did not want to risk being recognized later by interviewing any other kids. Remember, this case was huge and all kids heard about it - yet no other child ever came forward to say that TRM had interviewed them that day.

If this guy was just a pervert who wanted to interview kids that day, why wasn't he seen doing that with a lot of kids by a lot of people?

If this were the case, then TRM put all his eggs in one basket and targeted solely the Lyon sisters.
I question whether that would actually happen.

To clarify, when i mention "jimmy" I know he had a friend with him who gave the same story. I view it as one account because the boys were together and had a shared TRM experience.

 

[Jeb]

The TRM was not splitting atoms here. It cost him no money, very little time, some risk, & all he needed to " pull this off" was a little patience, a tape recorder, a vehicle, a ruse, and a little luck. This looks simple to me. The complex part is proving it. There were no witnesses, no victims ever found, and I sometimes believe, no suspect.

 

[Motherof5]

Actually "Jimmy" was with another 13-year-old boy that day and both boys were interviewed separately by police. The second boy confirmed everything "Jimmy" told police, except that "Jimmy" had heard TRM ask a question: "Are any of you two involved in sports?" The other boy had not heard any of the conversation, but did see the girls talking with TRM.

That question might have been asked in a bit louder voice to attract the girls' attention. Perhaps it was this same question which got "Jimmy's" attention. The two boys were walking past TRM and "Jimmy" turned to look at the scene of TRM talking to the girls with his tape recorder. "Jimmy" stated that he then said to his friend, "Look at the reporter. Maybe he will interview us too."

So two witnesses actually saw this strange guy that day AS the Tape Recorder Man. I add the emphasis because up to that point, he was just a guy in a plain brown suit sitting amongst the bushes. He blended into the background until he became TRM. It was a busy spot and people were not noticing him because they were talking, eating pizza, etc. He left immediately after talking to Sheila and Kate. The only catch to his little scheme was that "Jimmy" and his friend happened to witness his interaction with Sheila and Kate.

The fact that so few people saw him with his tape recorder and doing his interview leads one to believe that he put on the act just to speak with the girls. He did not want to risk being recognized later by interviewing any other kids. Remember, this case was huge and all kids heard about it - yet no other child ever came forward to say that TRM had interviewed them that day.

If this guy was just a pervert who wanted to interview kids that day, why wasn't he seen doing that with a lot of kids by a lot of people?

:banghead:

 

[SharetheLight]

:banghead:

:blowkiss:

 

[Motherof5]

Jimmy's interview snipped by me-

He smiled when he told how he and his friend had joked about going over to the man and asking him to interview them so they could get on television.

"I said to my friend, 'Hey, look over there. I wonder what's going on. It looks like a reporter.' We thought he was some kind of a reporter," Jimmy explained. "We were joking around that maybe we should go over there and get him to interview us."

"The man was holding a microphone in his hand between the girls, and asking questions. He had a tan briefcase on the ground. It was one of those hard ones that sat up." the boy said, adding that the tape recorder was sitting next to the man, out of the briefcase.

The man was sitting on the ledge next to an island of (illegible word - bushes?) in the middle of the plaza, Jimmy said. People sit on the ledge to rest during their shopping sprees or to eat a snack or pizza from the carryout.

As Jimmy explained,that was a busy ledge that TRM was sitting on,I can't believe that no one else sitting there or walking by saw this man. Also,I just can't believe that Jimmy would tell his parents that he saw them that day,but leave out the TRM part until days later. He thought this TRM was a reporter and he said that he wanted to be interviewed. If the girls were right there being interviewed,why didn't he go over and get interviewed? The fact that only Jimmy and his friend saw this interview take place in a very busy spot,he tells his parents that he saw the girls,then days later says he saw them with TRM seems too unreal to me. But the TRM story did get him that interview that he wanted,didn't it?

 

[SharetheLight]

The TRM was not splitting atoms here. It cost him no money, very little time, some risk, & all he needed to " pull this off" was a little patience, a tape recorder, a vehicle, a ruse, and a little luck. This looks simple to me. The complex part is proving it. There were no witnesses, no victims ever found, and I sometimes believe, no suspect.

Okay call me crazy, but I think he risked much, maybe he didn't value these things but he definitely took a huge risk with oh, his freedom for starters.
And considering Maryland is a death penalty state, he gambled with his life to "pull this off".
And the cost of it all, the lives of two young girls, and a lifetime of grief for their family.
Nothing simple about that.

 

[SharetheLight]

. But the TRM story did get him that interview that he wanted,didn't it?

Whoa, I never thought of that!!!!
It's interesting how the reporter included the fact that Jimmy smiled as he recounted the incident. The incident being the last time he saw girls he knew who were later abducted.
Good theory. I've tried to think all along what benefit could Jimmy and friend receive by embellishing their story.

 

[Motherof5]

Whoa, I never thought of that!!!!
It's interesting how the reporter included the fact that Jimmy smiled as he recounted the incident. The incident being the last time he saw girls he knew who were later abducted.
Good theory. I've tried to think all along what benefit could Jimmy and friend receive by embellishing their story.

Also, only "Jimmy" claimed to hear the question asked by TRM. Maybe he forgot to tell his friend that part of the story? Jimmy's friend didn't get interviewed by the paper, just Jimmy with that smile as he recounted the incident. Hmmmmmmmmmmm:waitasec:

 

[Motherof5]

Ok we know that the girls were seen in different stores by merchants when they got to the mall.
Then..........
From the Washington Star article on 4/6/75-

Sheila's and Kate's oldest brother, Jay, a ninth grader at Montgomery Hills said he saw his sisters over by the big Easter bunny display in the center of the plaza at about 1 p.m. "I walked past them. They kind of looked like they were waiting there," he said. "I think they saw me but they didn't make any signs."

Moments later, another 13-year-old boy saw the girls. Sheila, he said, was sitting on one of the Easter bunny's arms listening to the little children come up and tell the Easter bunny what they wanted for Easter.

Brother Jay and another child see them at about 1:00pm with the Easter Bunny.
Then brother Jay saw them again..From Richard's case summary-

The girls were seen in The Orange Bowl Restaurant about 2:00 PM by their own brother, Jay LYON age 14, who said that they were eating pizza together at the time. The girls had less than $4 between them when they left home, and after eating lunch, would have had only some change left in their pockets.

Jay sees them eating at about 2:00,then "Jimmy" says-

"It was about 1 or 2 o'clock." Jimmy related. "I was out with a friend. We were down near ... um ... Peoples (Drug Store) and the Orange Bowl (pizza carryout) and we saw the two girls talking to a man with a tape recorder."

I think they were accounted for by brother Jay during the time Jimmy says they were with TRM.

The Washington Post 4/1/75 article said-
After the sketch was published, there were some store clerks who stated that they had seen the man at Wheaton Plaza on Monday, 24 March the day prior to the girls disappearance.

So, I believe that there is a TRM,just one,not two. I think he is the PG TRM.I think he was the one seen at Wheaton Plaza on 3/24/75 which was also the first day of easter vacation,as per the Washington Star article on 4/6/75.I think maybe "Jimmy" was riding his bike at the mall on 3/24/75,the first day of his break, and saw the PGTRM doing his thing just as others reported seeing on that day.I think Jimmy went back to the mall on 3/25/75 with his friend and DID NOT see TRM talking to the girls because TRM was not there, he was in a car accident that day and had an alibi.I think when Jimmy heard that the girls were missing,he told his parents that he had seen them at the mall when he was there on 3/25/75,and he probably did.He probably saw them at the display like Jay and the other kid did. But after a few days he came up with his TRM story because,like he said,he wanted to be interviewed.The others that saw PGTRM,saw him talking to females.I think Jimmy saw him before and saw him talking to females.He wasn't going to talk to Jimmy. So,not only did Jimmy get his interview,he got them to come to his house just to hear what he had to say.

From Washington article 4/6/75-

Next door, at the Orange Bowl pizza carryout, business was booming. Between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., that Tuesday, The Orange Bowl almost doubled its normal hourly business and by the end of the day had sold 2,400 slices of pizza.

That's alot of pizza and alot of people,yet only Jimmy and his friend were able to see this guy???????????? I'm going with Jay's accounts and they don't mesh with Jimmy's.

 

[SharetheLight]

While I don't think Jay accounts contradict "Jimmy"'s account, this scenerio makes perfect sense. It has bothered me that only Jimmy and friend saw TRM at the Plaza on such a busy day.
Jimmy's sightging was 1 or 2pm it could have been sometime between the two times that he saw them. If Jay saw the girls at 1pm, and then again at 2pm (which I'm sure are estimates, what are the chances he'd see them right on the hour of each hour) Jimmy could have seen the girls in between the times Jay saw them.
So while I think both could have happened, I think Jimmy saw the girls around the time he mentioned I just don't think he saw them talking to TRM.

 

[Jeb]

I'll say it again, the abduction by TRM was a series of simple moves on his part. Why come up with all of these complex scenarios?

 

[Motherof5]

I'll say it again, the abduction by TRM was a series of simple moves on his part. Why come up with all of these complex scenarios?

I didn't mean to make it sound so complex, I will try again.

The girls were not taken by TRM, he was injured in a car accident on 3/25/75 and had an alibi for that day.

 

[Richard]

I didn't mean to make it sound so complex, I will try again.

The girls were not taken by TRM, he was injured in a car accident on 3/25/75 and had an alibi for that day.

I feel that there was only one TRM and that the guy who "confessed" to police that he was the TRM BUT that he ONLY worked in Prince Georges County and NOT Montgomery County was a nut case who was trying to get into the act. Much like John Carr of the Jon Benet Ramsey case.

This clown may well have been in an accident that day (25 March) which gave him a solid alibi to come forward and play games by claiming to be a "second TRM".

Sheila and Kate were very likely abducted from somewhere in or near Wheaton Plaza that day. The fact that two witnesses saw them talking to the TRM shortly before they disappeared makes him the prime suspect.

 

[Motherof5]

I feel that there was only one TRM and that the guy who "confessed" to police that he was the TRM BUT that he ONLY worked in Prince Georges County and NOT Montgomery County was a nut case who was trying to get into the act. Much like John Carr of the Jon Benet Ramsey case.

This clown may well have been in an accident that day (25 March) which gave him a solid alibi to come forward and play games by claiming to be a "second TRM".

Sheila and Kate were very likely abducted from somewhere in or near Wheaton Plaza that day. The fact that two witnesses saw them talking to the TRM shortly before they disappeared makes him the prime suspect.

I too feel that there was only one TRM,that would be the PGTRM. He was doing exactly what Jimmy said he was doing,he just wasn't doing it with anyone on 3/25/75.He came forward to LE because he wanted to make sure that they had his alibi and would not consider him a suspect,as they don't.I believe Jimmy and his friend saw TRM and I believe they saw the Lyon sisters,they just didn't see TRM WITH the Lyon sisters on 3/25/75 and nobody else did either.

 

[Jeb]

There is 1 major problem with this theory. LE told me that the PGTRM, came forward on his own, was in a car crash 25Mar75(the day the girls vanished), only did his "TRM thing" in PG County, & had never been to Wheaton Plaza in his life. Now he has the aliby for 25Mar75, so why would he lie about only being a TRM in PG County, & more interesting, why would he tell LE he had never been to Wheaton Plaza in his life.

 

[Motherof5]

There is 1 major problem with this theory. LE told me that the PGTRM, came forward on his own, was in a car crash 25Mar75(the day the girls vanished), only did his "TRM thing" in PG County, & had never been to Wheaton Plaza in his life. Now he has the aliby for 25Mar75, so why would he lie about only being a TRM in PG County, & more interesting, why would he tell LE he had never been to Wheaton Plaza in his life.

He came forward with his alibi and confession and lied to LE about never having been to Wheaton Plaza because 2 girls were missing and he didn't want to be a suspect. TRM was seen at Wheaton Plaza on 3/24/75,and the next day he was in an accident.I have talked to LE too and my posts are a reflection of that.

Look,what it comes down to is,do you believe Jimmy's story? I can see that you do as does Richard and that's ok,but I don't believe it. We are all here because we care about these girls and this case and we are all entitled to are own opinions and theories.So,why don't we just agree to disagree?

 

[Jeb]

The PGTRM had an alibi for 25Mar75 so he would never have been a suspect, he was in a car crash accident involving a diplomat, & LE told me it checked-out. So why would he have to lie about never having been to Wheaton Plaza.

 

[Motherof5]

When he came forward with his alibi, that absolutely checked out I don't dispute that fact,he was saying,"I had nothing to do with the missing girls." His alibi means one thing and one thing only,that he wasn't at Wheaton Plaza on 3/25/75. So he said he was NEVER there,so what? That doesn't mean he wasn't.The ONLY day that we know for CERTAIN that he WAS NOT there,was 3/25/75.

I think you're confused about where I'm going with this.I believe that PGTRM was the ONLY TRM. I do not believe that there was a TRM of ANY kind at Wheaton Plaza on 3/25/75. I believe the girls were taken as they were walking home by someone OTHER than TRM.

I don't believe that PGTRM was a nut with a false confession,I believe he was a total perv that had nothing to do with the girls being taken. I also believe that "Jimmy" was a kid looking for his 15 minutes of fame and his friend went along with it.