GUILTY TX - Alanna Gallagher, 6, Saginaw, 1 July 2013 - #5

[Flutterby80]

I cannot imagine the parents are involved, mainly because Alanna's death and disposal was relatively fast and sloppy. Does anyone really think LE wouldn't have nailed them already if it was the parents? Set however you feel about their lifestyle aside and just think about the way she was found. Parental involvement makes no sense.
Good morning, Sleuthers It's a beautiful day in West Michigan. Hope it is where you are as well.

 

[jjenny]

I cannot imagine the parents are involved, mainly because Alanna's death and disposal was relatively fast and sloppy. Does anyone really think LE wouldn't have nailed them already if it was the parents? Set however you feel about their lifestyle aside and just think about the way she was found. Parental involvement makes no sense.
Good morning, Sleuthers It's a beautiful day in West Michigan. Hope it is where you are as well.

Yes, I don't think LE would have "nailed" them already.
I have followed many cases where everything drags on for a long time before an arrest is made (if ever).
I am not sure why people expect an immediate arrest.

 

[jjenny]

I will say, the resemblance, age and timing is a little scary. 14 years is a long time between. Has any sex offenders recently been released from prison or recently moved back into that area.

That 6 year old age is a pretty common preferential age for pedophiles.

Not that much resemblance, really. Opal was killed by a blow to the head, and the body was dumped in a remote area.
Alanna was killed without obvious signs of trauma (apparently) and body was either dumped or lost in the middle of a street.
So it's not the same MO.

 

[momtective]

https://twitter.com/twoodard8/

Snipped for space

This photo does not look like the area where Alanna's body was found...note what looks like a palm tree. Where could this be? Off to look at maps.

 

[GingerzMomma]

I cannot imagine the parents are involved, mainly because Alanna's death and disposal was relatively fast and sloppy. Does anyone really think LE wouldn't have nailed them already if it was the parents? Set however you feel about their lifestyle aside and just think about the way she was found. Parental involvement makes no sense.
Good morning, Sleuthers It's a beautiful day in West Michigan. Hope it is where you are as well.

I don't either.

a) if death was accident, even if there was neglect, I don't think "most" parents would try to hide that......or they'd try to make it look like a different kind of accident - i.e., I can't imagine many mothers or fathers would stage and discard their daughter in such a heinous way if it was an accident they were trying to cover up

b) LE actions (along w/ the way she was found) imply that, unfortunately, there was sexual abuse involved in her death (interviewing area RSOs, statements about waiting for DNA results, etc)
* if it was sexual abuse in the family, I would think they would try to make it look like an accident (drown, fell/trauma) and get rid of anything that would make LE go down the sex abuse road instead of lead them directly to it
* if there was family involvement, they would have more time than anyone to clean up scene/body, make it look like anything other than what it was.....it's summer so it's not like she was expected at school on Tuesday; I would think a guilty family would take advantage of that instead of leaving so much evidence on body they were transporting

But then again, the problem with my reasoning is thinking that someone who would do this thinks the way that I do, so..............

 

[GingerzMomma]

Re: Opal Jo theory......

I don't agree that a significant lapse of time between events (assuming these are related and there have been no others), or a different MO indicates this could not be the same person. The lapse of time and new MO could actually mean this is same person(s) who have changed their approach over time:

"Serial killers, however, don't kill very often. Really, they don't. Some wait years in between crimes and so when they do cross that line again they may fix something that didn't work last time or didn't feel right last time or didn't give enough of a thrill last time."
"

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/s_k_myths/9.html

 

[jjenny]

Re: Opal Jo theory......

I don't agree that a significant lapse of time between events (assuming these are related and there have been no others), or a different MO indicates this could not be the same person. The lapse of time and new MO could actually mean this is same person(s) who have changed their approach over time:

"Serial killers, however, don't kill very often. Really, they don't. Some wait years in between crimes and so when they do cross that line again they may fix something that didn't work last time or didn't feel right last time or didn't give enough of a thrill last time."
"

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/s_k_myths/9.html

What exactly indicates it could be the same person? Considering that somebody confessed and has been convicted in Opal's case. He is in prison right now. I certainly need more than both victims were six.

 

[Elley Mae]

Snipped for space

This photo does not look like the area where Alanna's body was found...note what looks like a palm tree. Where could this be? Off to look at maps.

Going to that twitter account and reading I read one from july 2nd that reads that neighbors reported seeing Alanna outside playing as late as 2pm. So I take that to mean she was not seen after 2pm. jmo

 

[CluelessWonder]

What exactly indicates it could be the same person? Considering that somebody confessed and has been convicted in Opal's case. He is in prison right now. I certainly need more than both victims were six.

The conviction in the Opal Jennings case was based partly on witness testimony from a young child who was Opal's friend and on an admission of guilt that followed a denial of involvement. Despite admitting to the crime and receiving a life sentence, the individual was not able to tell police where to find Opal's body.

I would need to go through all of the testimony in that case and interview all individuals associated with that case to draw any real conclusions. But, based on what I have learned to this point, it's plausible that someone else killed Opal Jennings. It's certainly worth discussing in light of recent events.

And the similarities are not limited to the age of the victim. Also, the two girls lived about 1 mile apart. 1 mile...

 

[Magdalyn]

Snipped for space

This photo does not look like the area where Alanna's body was found...note what looks like a palm tree. Where could this be? Off to look at maps.

I think that it's not a palm tree. I think it's just leaves of a regular tree hanging/dangling almost overhead of the person taking the picture. :twocents:

 

[GingerzMomma]

What exactly indicates it could be the same person? Considering that somebody confessed and has been convicted in Opal's case. He is in prison right now. I certainly need more than both victims were six.

Nothing outside of geography, age, and fact that both "disappeared" from their own neighborhood in broad daylight. But that's exactly my point with the link & example of BTK (and other examples in linked article): just because there isn't an exact match in MO does not mean that it can't be same person.

Remember that the person who confessed never could tell them where her body was. It was stumbled upon by two people in a field outside of FW three years after he was convicted (following a mistrial). And without her body the conviction wasn't based on much more than that and circumstantial evidence. There are a lot of people in the area who have wondered if Opal's killer actually wasn't Franks (and not just since Alanna).

 

[jjenny]

Nothing outside of geography, age, and fact that both "disappeared" from their own neighborhood in broad daylight. But that's exactly my point with the link & example of BTK (and other examples in linked article): just because there isn't an exact match in MO does not mean that it can't be same person.

Remember that the person who confessed never could tell them where her body was. It was stumbled upon by two people in a field outside of FW three years after he was convicted (following a mistrial). And without her body the conviction wasn't based on much more than that and circumstantial evidence. There are a lot of people in the area who have wondered if Opal's killer actually wasn't Franks (and not just since Alanna).

There are many differences, like I already pointed out.
One killed by blow to the head. In other cause of death doesn't even appear to be obvious. One body found in remote location. No evidence that a tarp, tape, or belt were used.
Other body in the middle of the street, with tarp, belt, tape, bag over head.
Yes, serial killer can change MO, but this is a whole lot of change with 14 years apart.

 

[GingerzMomma]

Actually, not.I think their last name is a whole new name for both of them.

I do not know, but I am guessing the bio father does not work.

So to get health insurance, I think that the other father who does work would claim her, Otherwise, no health insurance

That's what I was thinking - that I saw a different maiden name for her somewhere. Don't know where Gallagher comes from?

 

[GingerzMomma]

There are many differences, like I already pointed out.
One killed by blow to the head. In other cause of death doesn't even appear to be obvious. One body found in remote location. No evidence that a tarp, tape, or belt were used.
Other body in the middle of the street, with tarp, belt, tape, bag over head.
Yes, serial killer can change MO, but this is a whole lot of change with 14 years apart.

Agreed, but escalation in intensity of the crime is often observed in serial criminals. Ultimately, I don't think the differences (or a confession) rule out this possibility.......

 

[Mitsana]

There are many differences, like I already pointed out.
One killed by blow to the head. In other cause of death doesn't even appear to be obvious. One body found in remote location. No evidence that a tarp, tape, or belt were used.
Other body in the middle of the street, with tarp, belt, tape, bag over head.
Yes, serial killer can change MO, but this is a whole lot of change with 14 years apart.

The body in the street instead of a remote location could be the result of an accident during transport.

Possibly most of the trappings (tarp/bags/belt/etc) were intended just for discrete transport (and if the body were lost accidentally, they wouldn't be removed). Unlikely, but possibly the perp intended to remove the bindings too.

But 14 years seems like a long time to me. If there were a serial child killer on the loose, it seems likely there would be others in between.

 

[Flutterby80]

I am not saying that parental involvement is not possible. I am just saying that the short period of time that elapsed and the way that she was found don't fit IMO. If the parents were responsible, why be in such a hurry to dispose of the body? The only scenerio I can wrap my head around in that case would be if one or two parents were involved and trying to hide it from the third. Of course that possiblity has crossed my mind, but even if that were true, the location and manner in which Alanna was found doesn't fit IMO.
I am still on the fence where anything is possible, but some things seem more probable than others. Neighborhood or area perp still seems probable to me.

I just hope someone is arrested soon. This community needs answers and Alanna deserves justice.

 

[Brightbird]

I still have the question why LE was looking for anything that could be used to restrain.

So aside from the tape, there is indication on her that she was restrained,

How they know that, who knows.

Interesting. The search warrant includes "any material that could be used to bound hands or feet". Does this mean she was bound but they don't know what with? The only thing I can come up with is that there were marks consistent with binding but whatever was used was not with the body. Gosh this case is awful.

 

[Kat]

The conviction in the Opal Jennings case was based partly on witness testimony from a young child who was Opal's friend and on an admission of guilt that followed a denial of involvement. Despite admitting to the crime and receiving a life sentence, the individual was not able to tell police where to find Opal's body.
I would need to go through all of the testimony in that case and interview all individuals associated with that case to draw any real conclusions. But, based on what I have learned to this point, it's plausible that someone else killed Opal Jennings. It's certainly worth discussing in light of recent events.

And the similarities are not limited to the age of the victim. Also, the two girls lived about 1 mile apart. 1 mile...

Respectfully bolded by me,

Or he didn't (doesn't) want to tell where her body is located. JMHO.

 

[cypress]

Interesting. The search warrant includes "any material that could be used to bound hands or feet". Does this mean she was bound but they don't know what with? The only thing I can come up with is that there were marks consistent with binding but whatever was used was not with the body. Gosh this case is awful.

I know there has been some debate about her being taped, and I think tape was probably found with her, but I think there must be marks on her that are indicative of restraint but are not consistent with wherever/however the tape was placed, and this explains the wording of the search warrant executed at the home as well as the items taken.

 

[ahintexas]

Going to that twitter account and reading I read one from july 2nd that reads that neighbors reported seeing Alanna outside playing as late as 2pm. So I take that to mean she was not seen after 2pm. jmo

If 2pm is somewhat accurate, 7 hrs went by before anyone checked on this child. Smh I just don't get it.