Found Deceased WA - Cheryl DeBoer, 54, Mountlake Terrace, 8 February 2016 #5

[Eileen730]

I just can't comprehend why there would be animal blood inside the car. Why would it only be on the floorboard? If an animal was injured and bleeding, I don't think it would hold still while losing blood in the confines of an automobile. Seems like it would be moving around.

Far fetched, but what if someone opened the door and an animal jumped in and attacked. Cheryl cut the animal in defense, and accidentally cut her fingers at the same time.






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Where is her cat?

 

[Kittybunny]

Hi all, first post in this forum, but I have been reading every post.

First of all, my heart goes out to Stryker57 and his family for the loss of his beloved mother and the very public and confusing investigation that is ongoing.

Second, please forgive me for the following because I can't imagine what it's like to try to read here when it's your loved one, but I was very much believing this was a homicide until the last few days with the following pieces of information:

1. The lack of evidence that anyone else was involved - scuffle at the culvert (footprints?), parking lot, etc. - absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but most homicides are somewhat messy when done in close quarters - the other leaves something of them behind. Of course, if all that evidence is still being tested that is still a possibility.

2. That the takeout bag was from Cheryl's favorite restaurant. I guess we would need to know whether those could've been in her car or home - someone said they could be common, but then again they might not be. This suggests she had it or brought it.

3. The razor blade. If indeed it was a homicide, why not (I'm so sorry) just slit Cheryl's throat with the razor blade rather than go through the much lengthier process of waiting for her to asphyxiate and struggle with the bag, that she could fight back? I know a lot of things don't make sense but that is just the last one. You can argue that the attacker wouldn't know that she has a razor blade in her pocket, but that begs the question, why does she? In general, those are associated with suicide, sorry.

This is a possible scenario I can envision (there are so many things I can't explain, I concede), thought I'm not convinced by any means. Maybe Cheryl's original plan was to use the razor blade to slit her wrists. Contemplating this, she decides to maybe do a test run or maybe she really did want to try to confuse the scene. She cuts her fingers quick, leaving the blood behind, but finds that it is a lot more painful than she imagined, and decides that she can't go through with that method after all. Looking around her car, she spots the takeout/plastic bag and decides that it would be less painless to just use that instead. No, I have NO theory about the animal blood at all.

I am by no means convinced one way or the other, but based on what has been released so far, it seems more likely suicide to me, however bizarre and unlikely. I pray that there is definitive and conclusive evidence to support one theory over another in the near future, and that should it be homicide, the MLT LE will pursue it with vigor to bring those responsible to justice.

 

[TTF14]

I don't understand why she would cut her fingers in the first place. She is a smart woman, she would know the cuts wouldn't kill her.

It's so weird! WHY would she do that? Why not her wrists?

Why go through the trouble of effectively hiding all of her belongings (wallet, keys, phone) to disguise her suicide, but leave the razor blade in her pocket?

And the animal blood on the floor board? Why is the information about this so mysterious and coming out in dribs and drabs? First it was blood, then it was animal blood, then it was on the floor. If it has nothing to do with her disappearance and death why does nobody know what it's from? If I ended up with animal blood in my car for any reason, I'm sure someone in my family or friends group would know about it because it would be an occurrence so out of the ordinary it would come up in conversation!

If she was planning a suicide why use a takeout food bag that was probably just laying around her car? And why would they release information that it was a fast food bag and not specify from where?? Was the bag even the type that could be tied?

Cheryl's husband has stated there is information that has not been released? Why not???? There's no gag order, right?!

 

[alreetlike]

The Leanne Bearden case shocked me the most and I found this forum because of it. But it later was revealed that she had battled depression in the past. I cannot recall reading about any case of suicide where the person had no previous health issues, no recent arguments or life events that upset them so badly. I am sure there are examples but would think it unusual.

The recent case of Sally Allan in the UK was an example of this. There was no indication that she had any previous difficulties but she walked 10+ miles from her home to the river and was found weeks later, having drowned. Open verdict, but her family have accepted that she committed suicide.

I've been leaning towards agreeing with the suicide theory for the last few days, but I think I'm fully there now. The razor blade in the pocket has pretty much sealed it for me. Perhaps Cheryl intended to slit her wrists but after some "test" cuts to her fingers decided to use a different method instead.

Of course, there are still strange aspects, like the animal blood and how she was able to walk from her car to the culvert without being seen, but the investigation isn't over yet, so perhaps further details will come to light which may make sense of these issues.

 

[rotary_dial]

We know Cheryl had done work as a chemist analyzing samples according to stryker57:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12426553

I know suicidal people don't make logical choices, but I personally think she would utilize her biology/chemist background to commit suicide. I think using the helium/inert gas exit bag method is off the table.

I dont know how it could be accomplished without leaving evidence at the scene, but she could still have access to lab grade chemicals. Here are two possibilities I could think of using lab chems.

Asphyxiation by using ether and a bag:
http://www.jmir.org/2002/3/e18/

"Detergent Suicide":
https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/chemicalsuicide.htm

I have no idea how much you would need to mix if using pure lab supplies, but it seems you could mix it in a cup if dealing with pure chems and not diluted cleaning products.

I hate to keep focusing on the suicide aspect, but without any visible trauma, my mind keeps jumping back to it.

edit: the amount of ether in the above example was probably around 12oz. It would be easy to put that in a coke bottle and transport it.

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[Sweetgrits]

Do insurance policies still have clauses that the beneficiaries won't receive the payout if the cause of death is listed as suicide? If they do that might explain cutting her fingers to leave blood in the car so her disappearance would appear to be a kidnapping. Having the plastic bag over her head would appear, at first glance, consistent with a homicide.

JMO

 

[cluciano63]

Do insurance policies still have clauses that the beneficiaries won't receive the payout if the cause of death is listed as suicide? If they do that might explain cutting her fingers to leave blood in the car so her disappearance would appear to be a kidnapping. Having the plastic bag over her head would appear, at first glance, consistent with a homicide.

JMO

Most will pay out as long as the policy has been in effect for a minimum period of time, usually one or two years.

 

[Pseudonymph]

I have two things to offer the conversation:

1) Last summer my cat was hit by a car. I scooped him up and put him in our front seat and rushed him to the emergency vet. He was not moving at all and he turned out to be already dead. But there was a lot of blood in my car afterward. I say that only to point out that the bleeding animal (if any) was not necessarily just wounded.

2) it occurs to me having read websleuths for a long time that the messiest, most disorganized, most random crimes seem to be the ones that no one can ever figure out. JonBenet Ramsey for instance--there are a lot of strange factors that collectively don't make any one scenario make sense. This one seems to have the same type of thing going on. It just makes no sense.

To me, the only thing that would tie it all together is a victim (suicide) or a criminal (homicide) with extreme irrationality or mental illness, or someone on drugs.

 

[Eileen730]

All she would have to do is take some sleeping tablets to fall asleep the bag over her head make s it she gets no fresh air and inhales carbon dioxide and dies but i think she lost consciousness and fell over in the water and drowned..

Lostallhope.com
Interestig site

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I would think if CD hit an animal on the way to work there would be blood on the front bumper or tires.....some evidence of it. Maybe hurting an animal was too much to bear? IDK. I am so baffled, and the razor blade.....maybe she did carry one usually. I have no idea what happened here.

 

[dizzychick]

Do insurance policies still have clauses that the beneficiaries won't receive the payout if the cause of death is listed as suicide? If they do that might explain cutting her fingers to leave blood in the car so her disappearance would appear to be a kidnapping. Having the plastic bag over her head would appear, at first glance, consistent with a homicide.

JMO

my hubbys policy at his job pays 5 times his salary cause he bought up that much, there is a clause that says it will NOT pay for suicide. Some policies do pay with a 2 year waiting period. The insurers claim if you plan on committing suicide you would do it well before the 2 year waiting period. I think those are mostly after market private policies not the ones a job offers.

 

[dizzychick]

I would think if CD hit an animal on the way to work there would be blood on the front bumper or tires.....some evidence of it. Maybe hurting an animal was too much to bear? IDK. I am so baffled, and the razor blade.....maybe she did carry one usually. I have no idea what happened here.

I think that is exactly what the killer wants us all to think.

 

[Stripehaven]

"A razor blade was found in DeBoer’s pocket."
http://mltnews.com/mlt-police-chief-shares-some-details-of-cheryl-deboer-investigation/

It's interesting that this article says the culvert is pretty inaccessible from the east, due to vegetation. I wonder if the growth was much less a month ago, though; this time of year, brushy type growth just explodes in the PNW. But if not, it sounds like her entering the culvert to the east, then drifting west, isn't so likely.

The razor blade is disturbing. So is the animal blood. A Subaru sedan seems an odd choice for a hunting trip, so I tend to discount that as a source of animal blood.

 

[Treelights]

not sure if this has been posted i just saw it i feel like they been reading our comments here a lot nothing new i dont think other than all the agencies that they state are working on the case .........http://mltnews.com/mlt-police-chief-shares-some-details-of-cheryl-deboer-investigation/........MLT police chief shares more details regarding Cheryl DeBoer investigation
March 22, 2016 21 0

The Mountlake Terrace Police Department on Tuesday shared additional details regarding their investigation into the death of a Mountlake Terrace woman.....................However, a larger amount of blood on the floorboard of the car is animal. What type of animal blood and how it got there is yet to be determined.

DeBoer’s body was found lying face down in a culvert near the intersection of Cedar Way and 244th Street Southwest with a bag loosely secured over her head. It was a take-out bag from a fast food restaurant she frequented, Wilson said.

Her clothing was on and was intact and orderly. It was not disheveled or torn. There was no sign that she had been tied up, handcuffed or contained in any way..

Thank you for the new info!

 

[Treelights]

"A razor blade was found in DeBoer’s pocket."
http://mltnews.com/mlt-police-chief-shares-some-details-of-cheryl-deboer-investigation/

A razor blade?

Cocaine? Imoo.
Suicide? Imoo.
Why would she carry a razor blade???

The more I hear, the more bizarre it becomes and the more I can see how it is Undetermined.

Very very strange.

I thought it was personal and someone did this to Cheryl.

It is personal. As bizarre as it is, could Cheryl have committed suicide?

Wow. Just wow.

IMOO.

 

[Stripehaven]

I think it's important to remember that LE has not put forth a hypothesis about what happened; they are saying they do not have sufficient evidence to make a conclusion at this time. They are still investigating.

Regarding suicide: those who end up up cutting wrists often make test cuts first. IF Cheryl's were test cuts, they no doubt hurt terribly, as fingertips are so sensitive. IF she did this to herself (I am having trouble accepting suicide), she may have then decided on another method. Spur of the moment, she made have grabbed an empty sack that was handy.

Granted, I don't understand how effective a loosely worn plastic bag would be, even if she also went into water. Article referenced about said water was 2-3 ft deep.

But I am beginning to feel extra stumped, given that she showed no signs of having been restrained or of struggling. I don't think a razor blade would be an effective threat from a perp. And would a random perp care about making it look like suicide by putting it in her pocket? Plus, she would either have been alive and struggling, or passed away and wet (since there was water in her lungs, she would have been in the water). Getting a razor blade into a wet pocket would be very difficult, and the perp could have ended up with cut fingers, possibly leaving DNA.

 

[Treelights]

I am sorry but I just cannot see Cheryl's death as a homicide. It would be far too bizarre for a typical morning on the way to be work, to be waylaid and killed in this manner, unless she was a spy or had a very specific, evil, enemy. Or somene with something to gain by her death looking like a suicide. And if so, that would likely have been discovered or already known. Jmo

I have to say, it, to me, looks more and more like a suicide.

I really thought it was personal in the beginning, and someone did this to Cheryl.

If it is murder then someone wanted it to look like suicide.

IMOO.

 

[DatelineFan]

This slow trickle of information is RIDICULOUS! I really tried to support MLT PD, but what the hell are they doing?

 

[ANZAC]

Okay, Gee i didnt know you could place a plastic bag over your head and lie down face first in cold shallow water and continue to do so till you die ? I would think the natural instinct to breathe would take over and prevent this from happening just like you cannot hold your breath till you die, just saying

Apparently there have been asphyxiation suicides with just a bag, no gas, no drugs, just tied around the neck. I think the with the bag and even being under a small amount of water it would seal over your mouth and nose. People in a suicidal despondent state are sometimes capable of things you wouldn't imagine.

 

[Yvettea]

Apparently there have been asphyxiation suicides with just a bag, no gas, no drugs, just tied around the neck. I think the with the bag and even being under a small amount of water it would seal over your mouth and nose. People in a suicidal despondent state are sometimes capable of things you wouldn't imagine.

The news articles said "wrapped around the head" not tied in any way.