TX TX - Julie Moseley, 9, Mary Trlica, 17, Lisa Wilson, 14, Fort Worth, 23 Dec 1974 #7

[beubeubeu]

So were they paying back taxes on the business at Arlington? Or did they owe from the shop in Fort Worth that closed? Or both?

I doubt anyone was ever stating it in such a detail.

 

[T rex]

But she was mentioning two men - so five people. Five in front seat of a pickup?

Ahh yea, five people can fit in a old pickup truck.
I guess this would be at least a third hand account to us anyway so not sure how likely it is but you never know.
It's strange how all the mall sightings in the parking lot we have are either late or can't be verified first hand. Or maybe it's not all that strange if the intent is to misdirect and confuse.

 

[Valiant]

But she was mentioning two men - so five people. Five in front seat of a pickup?
I'm not good with cars but I tried to find pickups with two rows of seats.

1968 International Crew Cab Pickup

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1973 International 1210 Travelette Crew Cab​

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International Harvester 1970 1200D Travelette 4x4

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1964 International Travelette Pickup​

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Four door pickups were extremely rare in the early 1970s. So rare, someone would have probably mentioned it when describing a truck. The occasional fleet bought them, but few private owners did back then.

 

[Valiant]

So were they paying back taxes on the business at Arlington? Or did they owe from the shop in Fort Worth that closed? Or both?

You don't pay business taxes based on a location. So a location closing would not affect back taxes owed.
The tax is levied either on the individual or the corporation no matter how many or few locations they operate out of.

 

[Valiant]

THAT exactly.
Looks like not one person from those concerned about the disappearance, discussing things and sharing their memories from the time:
a) was a client of Arnold's Transmission,
b) was aware that someone they knew was a client there,
c) even heard from someone who heard from someone who claimed that they were fixing their car.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If not that (possibly) hearsay mention about alleged workers mentioning something to someone about the money, there would be also no mention of those factory trained technicians either.

Few weeks ago Brightchaser wanted to know what I mean by saying that CA's business was shady, and I scrolled and scrolled, and scrolled through WS, yt comments, even blogpost comments trying to find anyone who provides some sort of memory about their workshops... haven't found anything.
Just that FA kept paying CA's business debts till 1985.

Not many people go around in public discussing who worked on their cars. The only expectation might be if someone has a problem and asks "Have you ever had such and such happen? Where did you take your car?"
I certainly don't know where any of my neighbors take their cars for service.
I don't think those statements, as absolute as they appear, can be used to judge the success, or lack of success, of the business.

 

[Brightchaser47]

You don't pay business taxes based on a location. So a location closing would not affect back taxes owed.
The tax is levied either on the individual or the corporation no matter how many or few locations they operate out of.

I wondered about that...

 

[Chypre]

The idea of a "love triangle" involving TT, DA, and Rachel has been debated on here (another DJ, P.I. invention, I feel), but what about one involving TT, Rachel, and ST? Could ST have been jealous of Rachel?

May be just a matter of convenience. She was so young marrying T that she had basically no other legal documments, maybe apart from drivers licence. Then she basically grew up with that surname, and at the point when she had an excuse to change her surname (ie. new husband) it could be a great inconvenience for her. It's a matter of personal prefference for SAHM if she wants to change it or not, but for working women it's sometimes equal to losing all their reputation (cause for example all their clients know them by this one specific surname, and are recommending them to others... change of that surname can bring significant loss in some jobs).
Maybe she just liked the sound of it, maybe she still liked TT... or maybe she disliked her earlier surname more, or with some reasons had to keep it. T's surname is pretty rare and there are some pros to not having to explain which of 15 Jane Smiths in the neighbourhood you are.

I think especially in the 70s, many mothers chose to keep the last name they share with their children.

 

[Chypre]

IMO, you can fit an amazing amount of slim hipped girls on a truck bench seat. I recollect half a school team in a Dodge.

 

[Brightchaser47]

I think especially in the 70s, many mothers chose to keep the last name they share with their children.

Some still do. I know for some kids, it helps them feel more "legitimate" and wanted, when Mom divorces/remarries.

 

[Brightchaser47]

IMO, you can fit an amazing amount of slim hipped girls on a truck bench seat. I recollect half a school team in a Dodge.

Right?! Bench seats were awesome. Truck cabs in general were quite roomy, compared to today's. Fitting three teen girls in one would've been easy.
Having said that, I'm inclined to think Bill Hutchins was full of ****. Even after reading up on JMB, I have a hard time believing Hutchins' story. It just seems preposterous. Sorry.

 

[Brightchaser47]

What does this case look like, if we assume the A family (CA,FA,DA, CA's brother, etc) is innocent of actually harming the girls? If we assume the worst they've done is "muddy the water" through the years? If we disregard the JS and DJ circus? What are we left with?
1. A note that most people believe TT wrote
2. The Olds parked/locked in the "back 40" at SS Mall
3. LE stating publicly they have DNA, witnesses (including 20 new ones), and that the suspects are "fewer than 5"

 

[Chypre]

Right?! Bench seats were awesome. Truck cabs in general were quite roomy, compared to today's. Fitting three teen girls in one would've been easy.
Having said that, I'm inclined to think Bill Hutchins was full of ****. Even after reading up on JMB, I have a hard time believing Hutchins' story. It just seems preposterous. Sorry.

Bench seats WERE awesome

 

[Chypre]

What does this case look like, if we assume the A family (CA,FA,DA, CA's brother, etc) is innocent of actually harming the girls? If we assume the worst they've done is "muddy the water" through the years? If we disregard the JS and DJ circus? What are we left with?
1. A note that most people believe TT wrote
2. The Olds parked/locked in the "back 40" at SS Mall
3. LE stating publicly they have DNA, witnesses (including 20 new ones), and that the suspects are "fewer than 5"

LE has DNA?

 

[Brightchaser47]

LE has DNA?

Quoting from that 2001 press conference discussed earlier:"...combined with DNA evidence and the way DNA is collected and processed since this case was originally investigated, makes for a better outcome", Boetcher told reporters, declining to elaborate on the DNA evidence."
I interpret that to mean that either
A. They have DNA, and at some point, have had it tested (and possibly retested) Or
B. They were running a  huge bluff, hoping to get a "bite"

 

[tilomagnet]

Im with B. LE maybe has a good idea what happened, but has no meaningful evidence. And without a body discovery, thry likely never will in the lifetime of the suspects.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Borrowing from others' ideas, I offer the following scenario (it's not foolproof, I'm just thinking out loud):

On the evening of the 23rd, DA picks up TT from bowling, and they go to the house to pick up the spare car keys, etc. The police have said they'll be out to the mall at 11:00pm, after it closes. I don't know what occurs next in that time frame, but I'm going to assume maybe it takes TT a minute to find the spare keys to the Olds, and he has to make arrangements for ST to pick up Shawn from the bowling alley.Then maybe TT and DA sit and talk, to pass the time. DA is worried, because it's not like Rachel to do this sort of thing. Maybe she's reluctant to face the other families because it's her sister who was "in charge" of this outing and now they're all missing. TT is remembering the fight at the bowling alley the previous night, maybe thinking of other guys he's seen or heard of Rachel flirting with. Maybe Rachel  has run off, or met up with someone else. Maybe he's questioning the whole "marriage thing".

At any rate, he and DA show up at SS at around 11:00pm. The other families are there, and are understandably upset, panicked. The car's been found, locked up, with absolutely no sign of the girls.
TT's got the spare keys, and they search the car. There are police radios and dialogue between officers/dispatch. TT needs his car back, and needs to calm the families (including the A family). He and DA are dismissed by LE to go home and wait by the phone. He and DA head back to Minot. Later that morning, TT writes or finishes/edits the note, puts in his pocket, then proceeds to go out to the mailbox. He comes back with the note, shows it to DA. They take it to her folks, police are called, come collect the note, and ask about the envelope (oops). Sometime later that day, he's told he can come claim his car. So DA takes him to pick it up. On the way home, he stops at the SS mail kiosk and picks up a postmarked envelope, addresses it, seals and tears off the flap (thus making it appear to have been mailed containing a note), before it is delivered to LE.

I know this was a long read, but it's the only scenario (involving TT) that really makes any sense to me. If this doesn't work, I'm going to suggest maybe TT didn't do it. Feel free to correct any inaccuracies.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Im with B. LE maybe has a good idea what happened, but has no meaningful evidence. And without a body discovery, thry likely never will in the lifetime of the suspects.

The DNA evidence they're referring to could simply be that they know TT "manufactured the evidence" of the letter/envelope. That doesn't mean he's responsible for the girls' disappearance.

 

[T rex]

The DNA evidence they're referring to could simply be that they know TT "manufactured the evidence" of the letter/envelope. That doesn't mean he's responsible for the girls' disappearance.

Out of all the possibilities I've heard regarding the envelope, including the ones I've suggested, my favorite one is that someone mailed it empty just in order to have options. This would allow all night to decide how to proceed. It could be a runaway note, a ransom note, or the envelope could just be discarded. It never hurts to have options.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Out of all the possibilities I've heard regarding the envelope, including the ones I've suggested, my favorite one is that someone mailed it empty just in order to have options. This would allow all night to decide how to proceed. It could be a runaway note, a ransom note, or the envelope could just be discarded. It never hurts to have options.

That's possible, too...

 

[tilomagnet]

The DNA evidence they're referring to could simply be that they know TT "manufactured the evidence" of the letter/envelope. That doesn't mean he's responsible for the girls' disappearance.

I agree. It could be envelope DNA. But this is by far not enough for a murder conviction.