GUILTY TX - Sarah Walker, 40, stabbed to death in McKinney model home, 8 July 2006

[Annie]

Even if Randy Tate was in his own driveway talking on the phone at 12:50 he could have called her to make sure she was alone and called someone who was going to do the murder. Wonder how he is so sure of the time. I still suspect he had something to do with it, whether he did it himself or had it done. MOO

 

[Scout]

Even if Randy Tate was in his own driveway talking on the phone at 12:50 he could have called her to make sure she was alone and called someone who was going to do the murder. Wonder how he is so sure of the time. I still suspect he had something to do with it, whether he did it himself or had it done. MOO

At this point, that's still a big IF. We have only Randy Tate's very detailed account of his activities that day. No one else has publicly corroborated it. Not the police, not his alleged golf partners, not his parents.

 

[YellowDog]

I just had a strange thought go through my mind. Who knew she had the Rolex watch and the David Yurman ring besides her ex-husband? How about the person who sold them to her or someone who worked at the place where she bought the jewelry?

This murder was NOT done by someone who loved Sarah. There were apparently no sexual overtones. She was still fully clothed I believe which would rule out sexual advances. This was done by someone that hated her or knew she had just bought some expensive jewelry. It could have been a jilted lover, a jealous girlfriend or wife, a cast aside ex, someone she'd outsmarted or cheated in a real estate deal (believe me real estate is a dog eat dog business!) or someone who knew the true value of the jewelry and how and where to get rid of it for a fast buck.

I don't think it was a random killing or a run of the mill burglary because they didn't take her car or purse.

As far as the talk about her dating younger guys, couldn't she just have told this to her ex to make him jealous since he was engaged to marry a much younger woman?

Yellowdog

 

[curious1]

I don't understand that part of it. We have to maintain our licenses and we are required additional hours, memberships at a great cost,testing at every opportunity and then we sell. How can anyone just babysit? Not in my world.I am in Georgia if anyone forgot. It is tough and tougher. Granted there are housewives that pass the test and jump on for a few months but have no clue to the duration.And only think they will save themselves on a commission.Part time job it is not and if you represent a client you have a fiduciary responsibilty.

This post was to address the hostess post. My God in heaven...I am half beaten to death and workng ungodly hours and I won't take my position as a hostess position. I sell, I maintain the sale and I close the property this is not a hostess.

I also have worked as a hostess at a builders site. It was a great job with good pay for me at the time. I was college. I enjoyed it and got to learn alot about Real Estate, enough to discourage me from going into it.

 

[scandi]

This might have already been said, but am wondering if Sarah bought the Rolex and ring to give to someone special she had met? We don't know if it was bought from a regular jewelry store or a second hand store. They might not have been brand new, but rather used. They would still be cool for a gift, don't you think? And soi I am wondering if this special person was going to meet her at the house since she evidently was wearing them.

What is the significance of that ring. The ring and watch do factor heavily in this case somehow IMHO.

Scandi

 

[close_enough]

Maybe she turned off an alarm in a house or otherwise hit some electronic device that recorded the time. Like swiping a card, or opening an electronic safe or something. So maybe she activated something at 12:50? Just guessing, i have no idea.

good guess though...i hadn't thought of that, but it's sure possible....i just figured LE had phone records, maybe showing how long she was on the phone, OR the person she was talking to told LE they talked to Sarah for about 20 minutes, starting at 12:30....

either way, LE has reason for the window of opportunity they gave....

 

[close_enough]

At this point, that's still a big IF. We have only Randy Tate's very detailed account of his activities that day. No one else has publicly corroborated it. Not the police, not his alleged golf partners, not his parents.

well, to be fair, we have no way of knowing if his story has been corroborated or not by LE...no one has "publicly" corroborated it, but i really wouldn't expect that, since this case isn't, what i'd call, high profile....(no leaks & whatnot)...the only thing i've read, from the beginning, is that Mr Tate is cooperating w/the investigation.....

one would think that there's been plenty of time for his story to be verified, along with the blood testing....

 

[close_enough]

Even if Randy Tate was in his own driveway talking on the phone at 12:50 he could have called her to make sure she was alone and called someone who was going to do the murder. Wonder how he is so sure of the time. I still suspect he had something to do with it, whether he did it himself or had it done. MOO

it's possible, but i would think that LE's already verified the conversation that Mr Tate was having, while sitting in his driveway...

seems to me, if his 'alibi' wasn't set in stone, LE would have already taken him in for further questioning, making him a POI, person of interest.....

i just have a feeling that whoever did this, is someone that none of Sarah's friends/co-workers/family knew about...someone she met/corresponding with online, on one of those dating sites...on one of the sites, it was said that she had personal info on her profile...her real name, that she made $200,000 a year, her picture, etc...that would have made it very easy, imo, for someone to find her actual location, especially her listing this info on 'dating' sites.....who knows, she might have been corresponding with several guys off these sites.....maybe one or two of them had just recently started getting to know her, therefore, none of her close friends/relatives would know about them.....

 

[CrimeHater]

Typically,the models are open during the hours that i posted. Which means , yes, people driving by can go in and walk around. That is how models work, around here anyway. There are set hours. However, people usually set an appointment if they are going to write a contract, or maybe ask some specific questions of the agent because they have been there before and are coming close to purchasing.Sometimes people set an appointment to tour a production home with the agent.
This was on a Saturday, which is usually a busier day too.

This is true for this area as well. The models are busier on the weekend, but I beleive she was in close out or close to it whre she was located. Probably not having as much traffic. Maybe this person knew that. Who ever came in could have easily locked the door behind him/herself done the crime, and then snuck out.
All in all, I don't think they took their time. I think there was a major stuggle and then they got out of there as soon as they could.

 

[JBean]

This is true for this area as well. The models are busier on the weekend, but I beleive she was in close out or close to it whre she was located. Probably not having as much traffic. Maybe this person knew that. Who ever came in could have easily locked the door behind him/herself done the crime, and then snuck out.
All in all, I don't think they took their time. I think there was a major stuggle and then they got out of there as soon as they could.

Sometimes around here when we are in close out, we do not stay open as often, put them in the MLS and so maybe she was there by appointment only.

 

[LillyRush]

Could someone explain close out? Does that mean that everything else was sold except for that one house she was showing?

 

[scandi]

Hi Lily Rush,

As a past Realtor, I think it would be when there were no more lots to get build jobs on, which is a main reason developers hold open houses in a development like this. They spend a lot of money on the model and don't really try to sell it, but rather get jobs off of it.

When that is no longer possible, then there is probably a more effective way of marketing the model which would be to have a bunch of Realtors working on selling it - not just one agent sitting in the house.

 

[LillyRush]

Oh, ok, I was just wondering if that meant the other houses were sold and wondered why the new owners weren't living there yet if they were sold. Thanks..

So, based on that link, pretty much anyone could go to her employer's website and find out when she was working. Could someone call up anonymously and ask for an appt? Or do people have to provide photo id and other verificaton before getting an appt? I'm just thinking could someone have called an office assistant or her directly (maybe even from a payphone) and asked for an appt that day w/o her even knowing who they were?

 

[JBean]

Oh, ok, I was just wondering if that meant the other houses were sold and wondered why the new owners weren't living there yet if they were sold. Thanks..

So, based on that link, pretty much anyone could go to her employer's website and find out when she was working. Could someone call up anonymously and ask for an appt? Or do people have to provide photo id and other verificaton before getting an appt? I'm just thinking could someone have called an office assistant or her directly (maybe even from a payphone) and asked for an appt that day w/o her even knowing who they were?

The models are examples of what you can buy. The idea is for people to purchase their own units before they are even built. No builder wants to have "standing inventory" (built ,unsold houses) because that costs money to carry. As I recall, the original article said the houses were sold, but not closed, which is why there was that little dispute about her commissions. I think there were inventory units available, so she probably wasn't selling the model yet. IIRC,If you go to the website, it says there are units available for immediate close, which means they are complete, but not sold yet.Sounds as though these units are very close to being occupied.
Yes, anyone can go by to the models any time they are open and yes they can make an appointment anonymously, or just go there without an appointment at all. Having an appointment will not stop other people from coming by the models to look around.

 

[JBean]

Hi Lily Rush,

As a past Realtor, I think it would be when there were no more lots to get build jobs on, which is a main reason developers hold open houses in a development like this. They spend a lot of money on the model and don't really try to sell it, but rather get jobs off of it.

When that is no longer possible, then there is probably a more effective way of marketing the model which would be to have a bunch of Realtors working on selling it - not just one agent sitting in the house.

sometimes we even put standing inventory into the MLS and let other agents take a whack at it too Scandi.This used to never be done, but I started doing it in the 90's and have been doing it ever since. It has become failry common to cooperate with brokers.
But i think there were some future phases in this development, so they may still need the models.
Sometimes we sell the models and then lease them from the new owner for the duration of the project.

 

[LillyRush]

The models are examples of what you can buy. The idea is for people to purchase their own units before they are even built. No builder wants to have "standing inventory" (built ,unsold houses) because that costs money to carry. As I recall, the original article said the houses were sold, but not closed, which is why there was that little dispute about her commissions. I think there were inventory units available, so she probably wasn't selling the model yet. IIRC,If you go to the website, it says there are units available for immediate close, which means they are complete, but not sold yet.Sounds as though these units are very close to being occupied.
Yes, anyone can go by to the models any time they are open and yes they can make an appointment anonymously, or just go there without an appointment at all. Having an appointment will not stop other people from coming by the models to look around.

Thanks for the explanation. I thought this was more of a situation where she was showing home sites where the buyers were actually going to, eventually, live. I didn't realize they were just models. That makes sense then. Thanks.

 

[concernedperson]

sometimes we even put standing inventory into the MLS and let other agents take a whack at it too Scandi.This used to never be done, but I started doing it in the 90's and have been doing it ever since. It has become failry common to cooperate with brokers.
But i think there were some future phases in this development, so they may still need the models.
Sometimes we sell the models and then lease them from the new owner for the duration of the project.

This is exactly what we are doing J. To a tee. Across the country and that is the same practice.

 

[JBean]

Thanks for the explanation. I thought this was more of a situation where she was showing home sites where the buyers were actually going to, eventually, live. I didn't realize they were just models. That makes sense then. Thanks.

Well, she is doing both things.
The model gives them an idea of what they will purchase. But at some point, the agent will take the potential buyers to the actual unit or lot they are considering purchasing. This is where an appointment would come in handy.
So, this project seemed to be close to completion and I would guess she was walking the actual site with buyers on a regular basis, which would take her out and away from the model. But if she were writing the contract to purchase, that would be done in the model and again this is where an appointment would be the norm.

 

[JBean]

This is exactly what we are doing J. To a tee. Across the country and that is the same practice.

It didn't used to be that way eh CP? I kind of like to think I started that trend in my area years ago. Everyone thought it was such a radical idea at the time, but I was cooperating long before it was the norm.

 

[concernedperson]

It didn't used to be that way eh CP? I kind of like to think I started that trend in my area years ago. Everyone thought it was such a radical idea at the time, but I was cooperating long before it was the norm.

Most of my sales are cooperating brokers now. Not saying the client didn't find the property first but they enlist help, which is their right. However, I wouldn't mind some that didn't have a broker.

But, I am real glad to have a lot of contractor's on site lately.Some are working weekends. This helps in the safety factor. For a few months there was no one but me.

The vulnerabilty is extreme in on site sales. We have to do it. Sara was subject to every whacko with a reason or with no reason She was a sitting duck. We just have to decipher the whys and wherefores. This case could go either way