GUILTY TX - Alanna Gallagher, 6, Saginaw, 1 July 2013 - #7

[kkdj]

How weird is that?..

That has never happened before in any case I've ever followed. I can't even find transcripts of the 911 calls from a page I had saved.

Silence is golden?

 

[Linda7NJ]

Hello Websleuth community,

Apologies for the long, long, post...

I'm an acquaintance/friend of Alanna's family. I know her non-biological father best (an incredibly sweet guy), and once spent a really fun afternoon playing board games with the whole family. They're all wonderful people, and I have vivid memories of a 4 ½ year old Alanna giving me lots of hugs and demanding to be picked up and swung around. She was so beautiful and full of love, my heart just breaks for all of them.

As a mom, these cases are always really tough on me, but this one hit so very close to home... I want justice for Alanna and some measure of peace for her family, and I'm posting this because something has been bothering me increasingly over these last weeks – especially after hearing that LE are at a standstill. I'd like your opinions on something that happened at our home, less than 48 hours before Alanna was murdered.

On the night of June 29th, we had a friend in from out of town. We had taken our daughter (an occasional playmate of Alanna's older sister) to see Peter Pan in Fort Worth that day. By the time we left the theater, it was nearly 11:00, and our friend wanted us to meet him for drinks before he had to go home. Since the bar was in Fort Worth and we only had the one car, I dropped my husband off there before taking my daughter home and dropping her off with my son (almost 18). By the time I met back up with the guys, it was midnight. We stayed a little past 2:00 AM, and by the time we arrived back home it was nearly 3:00.

Being the driver, I was completely sober of course, and my husband had also been drinking conservatively – he was not drunk in any way. As we approached our home we saw a strange man emerging from the immediate vicinity of our house. Our memories of the event differ slightly, but it definitely raised our hackles. I thought the man came from the very dark area between our house and the neighbors', while my husband (who didn't have to watch the road) said he came from the front porch. Either way, he was definitely on our property in the middle of the night.

The man saw our headlights approaching, and quickly walked down our driveway and across the street. By the time I parked he was on the other side of the street, a couple of houses down, and increasing his pace. My husband told me to check on the kids, and took off after him. I was torn for a moment, not wanting him to get hurt, but the kids took priority so I raced inside to make sure they were okay. I was met by our dogs as usual, and they didn't seem particularly agitated, but then again, Mom was home. I pounded upstairs to find two sleeping kids, and then back outside to check on my husband.

He was walking back toward me. He said that the man had apparently gone into a house four houses down from ours, on the other side of the street. I asked him later if he actually saw the door open and he said he hadn't, and couldn't be sure if he'd even heard it open and close. He took photos of the house and the cars in the driveway, in case anything at home was wrong, and headed back. We checked all the doors and found no sign that anyone had attempted to force them.

We didn't call the police. I wish now that we had, but I'm too willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt. My husband was upset and wanted to call them, or knock on the door of the house and demand to know what was going on, but I argued that nothing looked out of place, everyone was fine, and that the guy might have been drunk and looking for a dark place to pee (the house directly across the street from where he seems to have gone has young people in it, and they sometimes have raucous parties), or chasing Marshmallow - a neighborhood stray cat. (I was still convinced he'd come from the side of the house, and when I went to check back there, Marshmallow was there as she often is.) I also didn't want a confrontation with a possibly drunk neighbor at 3:00 in the morning, and in the end I convinced my husband to let it go. Thirty-seven and a half hours later, Alanna's body was found.

When I heard that a child's body had been found in Saginaw Monday evening, I called my husband, distraught. His first thought was the creeper guy from two nights ago, and so I called the tip line and told them about the incident, including a description of the man. I gave them my information, and they said they'd call if they had any more questions. Wednesday morning I heard the identity of the child, and went into hysterics. No one has contacted us about the incident.


I know I'm an idiot for not wanting to call the police, when we had an apparent prowler while our kids were home alone. I also know there's a good chance it's completely unrelated. But it's driving me crazy hearing that LE have no leads, while no one has followed up on this. For a while I was hoping that they weren't calling us because they had a description that didn't match ours, but that hope is fading with each desperate call for information. Monday I called the tip line again, having heard that they were looking for two dark SUVs – there's a dark SUV in the driveway of that house at night. But they said they were only looking for a red truck, and that investigators were going through all tips carefully.

Other relevant information:

We have an eleven year old daughter.

We live about 2 ½ miles away from Alanna's home, and the place where her body was found is about halfway between her house and ours.

A couple of days ago on this site, there was discussion about a swimming pool, and a map to the nearest one. That pool is in our sub-development, my kids walk there all the time.

I have not mentioned this to the family. It's tenuous at best, and while I consider them friends, I don't feel I know them well enough to intrude on their grief for any less-than-concrete reason.



I've been following the discussion here for several days, and there are some very smart people here. I guess I just needed to get this off my chest, and see what others think. I'd like to think that we haven't been called because LE is following other, better, leads. But the complete lack of information is wearing on everyone, especially residents of this haunted little town. I was hoping that at least you guys might be able to make something of the fact that we haven't been contacted.


If you've made it all the way through this enormously long post, thanks for your time.
- A

I certainly understand your being upset...I had something similar happen to me one night coming home alone late one night. I actually drove past my house about 5 houses away and turned off the car lights. I watched him in my rear view mirror. After walking around my house a bit he settled on a spot under my sleeping sons window. ( I was already on the phone to 911) He dropped his pants... And pooped! He was still pooping when police arrived!

<modsnip>

My heart goes out to you and your entire community.

 

[bessie]

Welcome to Websleuths, Fringedomina! My heart was in my throat while reading your post. I'm so grateful it turned out well.

Don't blame yourself for not calling LE. Many people would've refrained from calling for all of the reasons you mentioned. At this time in my life, I would call in a heartbeat, but there certainly was an earlier time when I would have been one of them.

:welcome5:
​

 

[Linda7NJ]

Silence is golden?

I hope so!

 

[Pensfan]

If the red truck is truly significant, the police should ask everyone with a red truck near Fort Worth, that was loaned it to a friend/family member or moved if they were on vacation on July 1st, to come forward.

 

[kkdj]

Welcome to Websleuths, Fringedomina! Thank you for sharing the information that the police were only interested in the red truck. In my worthless opinion, the police know exactly what happened to Alanna, but now they must find the truck that dumped her body by the side of the road for a "slam dunk" against the monster. The truck's owner may not have been involved in Alanna's death and may not have any idea that his truck was used in a crime.

None of us caring sleuthers have worthless opinions.
Everything else you said I agree with.
Imo

 

[kkdj]

I hope so!

I truly believe so!
Jmo

 

[Linda7NJ]

Can we discuss what neighbors have said in the MSM as far as the "time line" info?

 

[kkdj]

I certainly understand your being upset...I had something similar happen to me one night coming home alone late one night. I actually drove past my house about 5 houses away and turned off the car lights. I watched him in my rear view mirror. After walking around my house a bit he settled on a spot under my sleeping sons window. ( I was already on the phone to 911) He dropped his pants... And pooped! He was still pooping when police arrived!

<modsnip>

My heart goes out to you and your entire community.

What a great story!
At 2:00 a.m one night I told my bro in law to drive to a different convenience store, because I was uncomfortable in that neighborhood.
So in the neighborhood he went to per my insistence, as I was inside, he was sitting in his car watching the place getting robbed with me inside!

 

[Pensfan]

(If the red truck is significant) Perhaps someone, who mistakenly believes he/she is clever, rented a red truck to dump Alanna's body. All the rental records are likely being reviewed and cross-checked against any relationship with Alanna. It seems unlikely that a red truck would have been rented for this purpose (not discreet), but some people have no common sense.

 

[bessie]

Can we discuss what neighbors have said in the MSM as far as the "time line" info?

Yes, if it was in MSM.

 

[kkdj]

I havent caught up with all the postings tonight. Ive been out with the fam for hubbys bday. I'm reading from the latest backwords. Forgive me if some of my posts seem uniformed as of yet.

 

[Linda7NJ]

What a great story!
At 2:00 a.m one night I told my bro in law to drive to a different convenience store, because I was uncomfortable in that neighborhood.
So in the neighborhood he went to per my insistence, as I was inside, he was sitting in his car watching the place getting robbed with me inside!

The world is chock full of nuts!

 

[greenpalm]

I think it's worth noting that the most recent news story says she was found "by the side of the road." I heard that twice in the video, so, that should lay to rest any confusion about whether she was ever "in the middle" of the road.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Images-in-Saginaw-Slaying-Case-May-Be-Released-216101751.html

It's in the video at this link at both :23 and 1:18

That's one question answered.

 

[kkdj]

(If the red truck is significant) Perhaps someone, who mistakenly believes he/she is clever, rented a red truck to dump Alanna's body. All the rental records are likely being reviewed and cross-checked against any relationship with Alanna. It seems unlikely that a red truck would have been rented for this purpose (not discreet), but some people have no common sense.

Well, we rent cars often. Quite often we get a vehicle we wouldn't normally choose to rent.
last month was a red truck....didnt need nor want a truck.....its all they had.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Yes, if it was in MSM.

http://katenews2day.com/2013/07/04/...-bound-naked-body-on-the-street-under-a-tarp/

There are huge discrepancies in the timeline. Its all over the place!

Tarp reportedly seen as early as noon and as late as 7pm.

Neighbors report parents searching much later and conflicts with parents accounts.

 

[kkdj]

The world is chock full of nuts!

I've met lots! Stay tuned!!!

 

[greenpalm]

Text of note on mailbox in video at this link: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Images-in-Saginaw-Slaying-Case-May-Be-Released-216101751.html

Dear Saginaw Neighbors,

We wish to express our shared grief at the recent death of Alanna Gallagher. This terrible tragedy became even more horrific as it unfolded before us on the very corner where our own children live and play.

Along with the rest of the community, we wish to keep Alanna's memory alive. The items that were placed here were removed by the city. The items were either ruined with the recent rain, or were taken to her parents. In the future, instead of placing items on our street, we respectfully ask that you make your donation in Alanna's name to a children's charity or to her family.

Thank you,

The Citizens of Cindy Lane & Roundrock Dr.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I really wish I could find the entire video interview with the teens and parents that discovered her.

Something else has been nagging at me because of something the boy & a man (maybe his dad) said... Led me to believe she was in rigor when they first found her. If that's true ... It throws the timeline off yet again. Rigor takes 3-4 hours to set in.

 

[Kaliste]

FringeDomina, I just want to give you a HUGE Internet hug.