GUILTY VA - Meghan Landowski, 16, raped & murdered, Portsmouth, 10 April 2008 #2

[jeepgirlva]

The video on Robert's My Space regarding the aftermath of drunk driving (upsetting, watch with caution) secondarily features a young man describing how his life changed from a totally normal one on a football field one day to being behind bars the next day. Besides the obvious warning about how drunk driving can destroy lives and many families, it featured a teen struggling to understand the ramifications of making one bad mistake. The boy in jail in the video had never done anything wrong before.

Good observation I had watched the video and that didn't even cross my mind I wonder if he added the video after 4-10-08.

 

[GoodAim]

Good observation I had watched the video and that didn't even cross my mind I wonder if he added the video after 4-10-08.

jeep girl, i wondered the same thing. His website and his achievements showed him to be an unusually conscientious kid. But IF it turns out that he is involved here, it seems (doesn't it?) that he's trying to work out for himself and maybe to explain to others how one horrible mistake changes everything? (I'm no expert on anything and i don't pretend to be -- just thinking about how long it took me as a teen to understand the ramifications of things I did.) This is all really tragic.

 

[GoodAim]

Interesting. I didn't watch the video and probably wouldn't have picked up on that anyway. Thank you.

So do you think that maybe he wanted people to know, did he feel guilt and that was his way of dealing with it? or as someone else said was he bragging?

I guess I should always add "if" he's guilty since he hasn't been convicted yet.

Lizzy and Jeep Girl,
Your guesses are as good as mine. But IMO he wasn't bragging on My Space. I'm often wrong, but I get the sense that he knew he had done (if proven guilty) one of the most horrendous things possible. So he chose one of the most shocking Drunk Driving videos. The fact that one victim lived (2 died) and the video showed how her life was devastated seems to indicate he was thinking about ruined lives, including his own. For him not to have had "a breakdown" makes me think he tried to compartmentalize what he did just to survive the past months. But yet look at the clues he left on his My Space! Again, i don't think he was bragging. What do you two think? Oh, those "Wanted" posters could be ANYthing. I've photoshopped those with pictures of pets, etc. But, they could also IMO be confessions of not being being who everyone thought he was. Don't know when they were posted on his My Space site, but if it was AFTER the murder and he was involved, seems he was beginning to understand what could happen to him. Enough.

 

[lizzybeth]

I have no idea what he was trying to show on his page. The news that he inserted himself in did seem kind of weird. I mean even joking who wants "rapist" under their name? The drunk driving video makes me think, like you, that he was remorseful for what he did and he realized the pain he had caused and how he had ruined his own life.

Once again, IF he did it.

 

[Bobbisangel]

I have no idea what he was trying to show on his page. The news that he inserted himself in did seem kind of weird. I mean even joking who wants "rapist" under their name? The drunk driving video makes me think, like you, that he was remorseful for what he did and he realized the pain he had caused and how he had ruined his own life.

Once again, IF he did it.

His MySpace is now set to private.

I personally think that it is to easy to read meaning into something that a person has said or something that they did. I don't think that there is always a hidden meaning in the things that we say and do. Sometimes, probably most of the time, when a person of any age says something that is really what they meant....no hidden meaning at all. This kid may have put the "drunken driver" video on his MySpace before any of this happened and he might have put it there so that other teens would see it and really think about drinking and driving. Just might have been that simple. It sounds like a good thing to me. But now that he has been accused of a horrible crime people are going to take everything he says and does and turn it upside down and inside out looking for hidden meanings.

What evidence do LE have...anyone know for fact?

 

[jeepgirlva]

His MySpace is now set to private.

I personally think that it is to easy to read meaning into something that a person has said or something that they did. I don't think that there is always a hidden meaning in the things that we say and do. Sometimes, probably most of the time, when a person of any age says something that is really what they meant....no hidden meaning at all. This kid may have put the "drunken driver" video on his MySpace before any of this happened and he might have put it there so that other teens would see it and really think about drinking and driving. Just might have been that simple. It sounds like a good thing to me. But now that he has been accused of a horrible crime people are going to take everything he says and does and turn it upside down and inside out looking for hidden meanings.

What evidence do LE have...anyone know for fact?

No the Myspace was set up after according to the comments on 4-20-08 he was sent a message" I am the first to comment" ..I know LE found unknown blood at the crime scene It has not been reported if it was his..

 

[GoodAim]

His MySpace is now set to private.

I personally think that it is to easy to read meaning into something that a person has said or something that they did. I don't think that there is always a hidden meaning in the things that we say and do. Sometimes, probably most of the time, when a person of any age says something that is really what they meant....no hidden meaning at all. This kid may have put the "drunken driver" video on his MySpace before any of this happened and he might have put it there so that other teens would see it and really think about drinking and driving. Just might have been that simple. It sounds like a good thing to me. But now that he has been accused of a horrible crime people are going to take everything he says and does and turn it upside down and inside out looking for hidden meanings.

What evidence do LE have...anyone know for fact?

Yes --- you're right. AFTER the fact, it's very easy to try to find meaning in something a person said or posted. I was just pointing out what "hit me" while examining his My Space. Heaven forbid anyone looked at things I (or we) have ever said or done in retrospect! Thanks for the perspective. We have no idea what LE knows.

 

[Bobbisangel]

No the Myspace was set up after according to the comments on 4-20-08 he was sent a message" I am the first to comment" ..I know LE found unknown blood at the crime scene It has not been reported if it was his..

I wonder if the results of the blood has come back yet? Seems like any testing takes forever. I'm just wondering what LE has that makes them so sure this kid is the killer? I'm not saying he didn't do it because I don't know but they must have something in order to make an arrest.

The story about Megan calling this boy and asking him to come over but to come through the window.....I wonder where the window is that he says he was supposed to climb through? Was it at the back of the house where no one would see him climb through? I could believe that part of the story....if Megan liked him or they were just friends but she wasn't supposed to have anyone...especially boys...over after school and before her parents came home. She might tell him to climb through a window where no one would see him going into the house. Teens pull things like that all of the time to keep from getting into trouble. If she was afraid of someone maybe she called this boy and asked him over in order to have someone there with her.

If this is true then who was the person that was already there? Was it an older person or a younger person. Did this boy say he interacted with the person or did he tuck in his tail and run back home? Did he get a look at the other person? If this kid did climb in a window then his fingerprints would be there and if he scuffled with the other person some of his blood might be there too but there should be evidence of another person there too.

I wish we knew if the DNA results are back or not.

 

[colette]

I would think that LE did run some DNA testing, maybe getting a fork or cup at the school cafeteria that Robert used. Of course they will run more with his blood after the arrest, but I bet some has been done already.

 

[Jesikah1]

Lizzy and Jeep Girl,
Your guesses are as good as mine. But IMO he wasn't bragging on My Space. I'm often wrong, but I get the sense that he knew he had done (if proven guilty) one of the most horrendous things possible. So he chose one of the most shocking Drunk Driving videos. The fact that one victim lived (2 died) and the video showed how her life was devastated seems to indicate he was thinking about ruined lives, including his own. For him not to have had "a breakdown" makes me think he tried to compartmentalize what he did just to survive the past months. But yet look at the clues he left on his My Space! Again, i don't think he was bragging. What do you two think? Oh, those "Wanted" posters could be ANYthing. I've photoshopped those with pictures of pets, etc. But, they could also IMO be confessions of not being being who everyone thought he was. Don't know when they were posted on his My Space site, but if it was AFTER the murder and he was involved, seems he was beginning to understand what could happen to him. Enough.

I completely agree with you. Especially about the compartmentalizing of both the crime and perhaps the impulses that compelled him to do this. If I were to hazard a guess, I think he was driven by a compulsion to commit this crime, and that there will be no real motive like robbery etc...In addition, I wonder if some of the pictures and comments traded with some of the girls were also not a way of testing to see if those close to him would ever suspect such a thing of him while also releasing some of his secret in an abstract way.

I feel for those close to this young man, he obviously was full of talent and had a bright future. However, after looking at his MySpace, and especially those interactions with the girls on there, I got the distinct possibility that he might have some deeper issues. Of course, like somebody mentioned earlier, I'm forming my theory after the fact, so I could be looking for things to reinforce a theory. Irregardless, if he did this, he needs to be locked up.

 

[jeepgirlva]

I saw a comment on another website that he had mentioned to one of his friends that he was going to see Meghan that day,and it was posted on facebook. If this is true then I am sure his name was brought up early in this investigation,but LE had to rule out the Navy guy that Meghan had history with.

 

[jeepgirlva]

I completely agree with you. Especially about the compartmentalizing of both the crime and perhaps the impulses that compelled him to do this. If I were to hazard a guess, I think he was driven by a compulsion to commit this crime, and that there will be no real motive like robbery etc...In addition, I wonder if some of the pictures and comments traded with some of the girls were also not a way of testing to see if those close to him would ever suspect such a thing of him while also releasing some of his secret in an abstract way.

I feel for those close to this young man, he obviously was full of talent and had a bright future. However, after looking at his MySpace, and especially those interactions with the girls on there, I got the distinct possibility that he might have some deeper issues. Of course, like somebody mentioned earlier, I'm forming my theory after the fact, so I could be looking for things to reinforce a theory. Irregardless, if he did this, he needs to be locked up.

I think what you and Goodaim have to say is very true...... When you have a young man like Robert Barnes who is intelligent,talented and has a good future in front of him it makes this case that much harder. Someone like Robert you would trust and invite into your home opposed to a kid that quits school hangs on a street corner a ,but that is what makes someone like Robert even more dangerous,your not inclined to put up your guard to protect yourself.

 

[msnmegn]

Someone may be very smart......but you never really know what is going on inside their head. :waitasec:

 

[jeepgirlva]

I wonder if the results of the blood has come back yet? Seems like any testing takes forever. I'm just wondering what LE has that makes them so sure this kid is the killer? I'm not saying he didn't do it because I don't know but they must have something in order to make an arrest.

The story about Megan calling this boy and asking him to come over but to come through the window.....I wonder where the window is that he says he was supposed to climb through? Was it at the back of the house where no one would see him climb through? I could believe that part of the story....if Megan liked him or they were just friends but she wasn't supposed to have anyone...especially boys...over after school and before her parents came home. She might tell him to climb through a window where no one would see him going into the house. Teens pull things like that all of the time to keep from getting into trouble. If she was afraid of someone maybe she called this boy and asked him over in order to have someone there with her.

If this is true then who was the person that was already there? Was it an older person or a younger person. Did this boy say he interacted with the person or did he tuck in his tail and run back home? Did he get a look at the other person? If this kid did climb in a window then his fingerprints would be there and if he scuffled with the other person some of his blood might be there too but there should be evidence of another person there too.

I wish we knew if the DNA results are back or not.

No media reports that unknown DNA found at the scene was Robert Barnes or that fingerprints were his...if someone else was at the scene makes sense to me that there should be three sets of footprints
.....

 

[colette]

In a way there were media reports that DNA or some blood was found at the scene because LE was searching for someone who had cut themselves. They were looking for someone who had sought medical treatment around the time of this murder. They were getting medical records from hospitals/ER and urgent care centers. It is very common for stabbers to cut themselves with the knives and leave blood at the scene.

 

[Bobbisangel]

In a way there were media reports that DNA or some blood was found at the scene because LE was searching for someone who had cut themselves. They were looking for someone who had sought medical treatment around the time of this murder. They were getting medical records from hospitals/ER and urgent care centers. It is very common for stabbers to cut themselves with the knives and leave blood at the scene.

I totally forgot that someone had cut themself. I wonder if the results of the blood has come back yet? So this boy must have told LE that he fought with the person with the knife in order to have an alibi for getting cut. Did he have cuts somewhere? So if that is his story then he should be able to identify the killer if he was that close to him...right? I wonder how he says he got away from the killer and why he didn't call 911 as soon as he was safely home? If he fought with the killer then he must have seen Megan and known that she needed help. She was his friend and he would have wanted to get the cops there as soon as possible. There is the possibility that the killer might have still been there too. I wonder what his reasoning was for not making that call. If the killer ran out of the house while the boy was still there then he would have used the house phone to call 911 and stayed there until the cops arrived so he could tell them what happened as far as he knew.
If your innocent why run off? I probably wouldn't even think of the cops blaming me if I was the only one there. I would just want to help all that I could. Even at 16 or 17 yrs I don't believe I would have run unless I was unsure of where the killer went and I was afraid he would come back. I would still have called 911 after I got home and told me parents what happened.

I hope we get some more info about this case. I'm on the fence...still

 

[colette]

My guess is he probabaly told LE several different stories on the way to the latest one. That never looks good, besides that story seems farfetched. I'm sure there is no evidence to back that story up, and maybe his blood was found on her body and in the room.

 

[GoodAim]

I posted earlier that when looking at Robert's My Space site (in retrospect) I could see elements of a young man trying to come to terms with the repercussions of one horrible act (thru his video of drunk driving aftermath, photoshopped pics, etc). This profile could be a young man coping with a terrible act, or it could be a young man just experimenting with different personae. I believe the killer must be found and punished, but I do hope that it's not this intelligent and talented young man with such a bright future. Who doesn't hope that? If Robert is not responsible we have to hope the arrest has not ruined his life. I don't know what to make of the fliers that were posted. I don't know how other POIs were elilminated. I guess I just feel bad analyzing his My Space site before there has been a conviction. Most of all I'm just so sorry this sad and unspeakable crime occurred. Guess all we can do is wait.

 

[msnmegn]

I posted earlier that when looking at Robert's My Space site (in retrospect) I could see elements of a young man trying to come to terms with the repercussions of one horrible act (thru his video of drunk driving aftermath, photoshopped pics, etc). This profile could be a young man coping with a terrible act, or it could be a young man just experimenting with different personae. I believe the killer must be found and punished, but I do hope that it's not this intelligent and talented young man with such a bright future. Who doesn't hope that? If Robert is not responsible we have to hope the arrest has not ruined his life. I don't know what to make of the fliers that were posted. I don't know how other POIs were elilminated. I guess I just feel bad analyzing his My Space site before there has been a conviction. Most of all I'm just so sorry this sad and unspeakable crime occurred. Guess all we can do is wait.

Waiting is the hard part.....all of the details will come out...eventually

 

[MeoW333]

The only motive i can think of is a disturbed obsession of Meghan on Robert's part. He could have developed and fed a sick obsession of her for months or even years. Perhaps he at first intended upon raping her; yet realized he couldn't get it up while at the scene. Then he just killed her. I don't see robbery as any of the motives; there are so many easier ways teens can get money; legal or not without all the concerns of being seen by witnesses.
My guess would be LE have a lot of evidence online of their interactions. Robert would have been stalking her online as well; even attempting to gain her friendship on there.
His own myspace profile; from what was described on it, sounds as if he was leaving his own subliminals; either since he realized he'd get caught and how he was feeling. A smart young man; i wish we knew more about his background.