All Episodes Discussion

[walnutqueen]

It is almost always the spouse.

Even I, as a lifelong nudist and depressed person (who would NEVER commit suicide - get Dateline on my case, if that's EVER my alleged demise), would put on a tee to do the deed.  And, if that guilty as fuck lookin' fucker was my spouse, I'd just as soon put the gun to HIS temple.  Just sayin'.

[cooksdelight]

10 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Side note: Interesting that Conrad knows how to pick a lock. Where does one learn that skill? I guess I need to google it, then practice.

I had to learn how as a teen as I kept forgetting my key, get off the bus, crap....

I think he's innocent. He wasn't dramatically fake crying or anything when talking to Josh. 

We don't know much about Heidy due to the only info is coming from her mother and sister. No one wants to admit their loved one would commit suicide. A dear friend is still refusing to believe her daughter not only commited suicide but she shot her 10 yr old son....waited 9 hours....then shot herself. My friend is convinced someone did it. The evidence just wasn't there.

Nor was it here in this case. No gunshot residue on Conrad's hands. A contact head wound. She was naked...which makes me think she wanted Conrad to come to bed, he wasn't in the mood, she pulled out the gun and figuring she'd get his attention put it to her head. Not realizing it was loaded, she pulled the trigger.

[UsernameFatigue]

12 hours ago, Lizzing said:

There's no way that the measurements didn't influence the outcome of the first trial.  But my question is why didn't the first lawyer and/or the defendant notice the discrepancy?  Even if it wasn't until the trial, someone saying it was a 12 foot walk on the stand should have caused Conrad to elbow his lawyer and say, "WTF? There's no way that is right." 

That is what I didn't understand as well - why didn't the defense lawyer or Conrad notice this in the first trail? 

As usual in Dateline episodes, the question I wanted answered didn't even come up. The diagram they showed several times, as well as the police report, showed/said there was blood from the entrance way of the house up the stairs to the kitchen. How could that be if Heidy only went as far as from the bathroom into the kitchen?My hubby thought the blood may have got there from Conrad going down to open the door for the police/EMTs. But it bugs me that it was never talked about. 

Also did Conrad ever say that Heidy was in the tub? Where was she when he picked the lock to go into the bathroom? Because they showed the police report saying there was no indication that she had ever been in the tub, and no water on the floor beside the tub. Also the info they showed regarding the police reports said there were two guns in the kitchen. Why was that never brought up? 

In the end though the gun shot residue and contact wound to her head certainly points to suicide. As creepy as I found Conrad to be and as bizarre as he acted at the scene, with the little info we were given I could not have found him guilty. 

[cooksdelight]

You can be in the bathroom with the door locked, contemplating suicide, without getting in the tub. Police never even broached that possibility.

[UsernameFatigue]

3 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

You can be in the bathroom with the door locked, contemplating suicide, without getting in the tub. Police never even broached that possibility.

Of course. I just thought it was odd that Conrad kept saying she was taking a bath when in fact she did not. The tub had water in it but was undisturbed. There was much in the reports that pointed to Conrad but in the end had they tested the gun residue samples before the first trial and someone for the defense noticed the incorrect measurements there likely would not have been a second trial. 

Edited June 25, 2017 by UsernameFatigue

[cooksdelight]

He probably heard her running the water. Which I've read people will do when setting up for suicide. But WHY do it with him in the house? To hope they blamed him? I wish the girl had talked to someone before, this might have all been averted.

[rwgrab]

From what I understood of the measurements, the discrepancy was writing down, say, 139 inches and then entering that in the diagramming software as 13.9 feet.  Well, 139 inches is something like 11.5 feet, so I can see how he would say that he didn't think it made that much of a difference.  That would be different for various dimensions of course, but dividing inches by a factor of 10 to get feet isn't going to get you all that far off, to be honest.  I could be remembering that wrong, but I don't think the lawyer was alleging that they were off by a factor of 10.  My thought around that is that it's much more likely the software asked for feet, and the person entering the numbers thought there were 10 inches in a foot.   I didn't see anything malicious there; just laziness not wanting to convert all those measurements by dividing by 12.

I believe Conrad's innocent based on the GSR test and the contact wound.  We'll never know exactly what happened, but it would be difficult for me to look at those two things and say without a doubt that Conrad had actually been the one to fire the gun.

[walnutqueen]

On 6/24/2017 at 4:11 PM, sinycalone said:

I wasn't paying full attention, but wasn't the weapon a revolver not a pistol?  In any case, Heidy shooting herself by accident seems unlikely...she would need to make the decision to take off the safety.   

A revolver IS a pistol.  Hence, there is NO "safety" to remember to turn off an effing revolver (more than 6 assailants, you need to RUN!).   For THAT alternate huzzbin' killer, you need a semi automatic with a spare mag, & hope it doesn't jam after you've found the "safety" and before he's dead and can no longer testify against you.

13 bullets in the clip & you still can't silence him?  You belong in jail. Nevermind appearing to kill yourself with a gun to the forehead.  Lying McLiarface Husband  looked guilty - that's enough tor me to light a torch & wield a pitchfork and give the side-eye to suicide.

Edited June 26, 2017 by walnutqueen

[Lovecat]

16 hours ago, rwgrab said:

From what I understood of the measurements, the discrepancy was writing down, say, 139 inches and then entering that in the diagramming software as 13.9 feet.  Well, 139 inches is something like 11.5 feet, so I can see how he would say that he didn't think it made that much of a difference.  That would be different for various dimensions of course, but dividing inches by a factor of 10 to get feet isn't going to get you all that far off, to be honest.  I could be remembering that wrong, but I don't think the lawyer was alleging that they were off by a factor of 10.  My thought around that is that it's much more likely the software asked for feet, and the person entering the numbers thought there were 10 inches in a foot.   I didn't see anything malicious there; just laziness not wanting to convert all those measurements by dividing by 12.

I believe Conrad's innocent based on the GSR test and the contact wound.  We'll never know exactly what happened, but it would be difficult for me to look at those two things and say without a doubt that Conrad had actually been the one to fire the gun.

My understanding on the math is the same as yours @rwgrab.  If I had been on the jury, it wouldn't have been the measurements that made up my mind--the distance between the bathroom and where Heidy fell was marked on the evidence diagram to be 5.5 feet (66 inches), which we now know was actually measured as 55 inches.  That's a difference of 11 inches--less than one full stride for an adult, I'd wager, so still within the realm of possibility for the scenario that was presented.  What would have swayed me was the presence of GSR on Heidy's hand.  I can also visualize the gun skittering across the kitchen floor after she fell.  I didn't really like Conrad, but I'm not sure there would have been enough evidence to sway me towards his guilt.

[partofme]

GSR on the victim's hand doesn't bother me in the least, the shooter can just rub the gun on her hands after the fact.  I thought he was guilty, don't remember why, it may just have been my gut or my experience watching true crime.

[sinycalone]

6 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

A revolver IS a pistol.  Hence, there is NO "safety" to remember to turn off an effing revolver (more than 6 assailants, you need to RUN!).   For THAT alternate huzzbin' killer, you need a semi automatic with a spare mag, & hope it doesn't jam after you've found the "safety" and before he's dead and can no longer testify against you.

13 bullets in the clip & you still can't silence him?  You belong in jail. Nevermind appearing to kill yourself with a gun to the forehead.  Lying McLiarface Husband  looked guilty - that's enough tor me to light a torch & wield a pitchfork and give the side-eye to suicide.

According to many sources, while both are handguns....a pistal is not a revolver:

 

Quote

In American usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun having one chamber integral with the barrel, making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, the revolver, which has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers.

[ChristmasJones]

This one with Conrad was a tough one for me... the GSR on her hand and head would make me think she did it... but its just so hard to get my mind around a woman who is naked shooting herself while her husband was in the room, just a few feet away.  One scenario I can imagine is they are fighting and she grabs the gun and threatens to kill herself, puts the gun to her head, and accidentally pulls the trigger. But if that was the case, I think he would have told the cops.

I dunno - I would probably have to vote him not guilty based on reasonable doubt.

[bubbls]

On 6/24/2017 at 6:11 PM, sinycalone said:

I wasn't paying full attention, but wasn't the weapon a revolver not a pistol?  In any case, Heidy shooting herself by accident seems unlikely...she would need to make the decision to take off the safety.   

 

Not every handgun has a safety. And if it had one it could've been left Off. You can mistake an On safety for an Off safety as well. I shoot my gun so little I have to relearn the correct safety position every time I handle it. 

Edited June 27, 2017 by bubbls

[LittleIggy]

What bothered me was Conrad demanding that the cops check his hands for GSR right there at the scene. Who does that? Maybe he wore gloves when he shot her then got rid of them before the cops showed up. 

[cooksdelight]

6 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

What bothered me was Conrad demanding that the cops check his hands for GSR right there at the scene. Who does that? Maybe he wore gloves when he shot her then got rid of them before the cops showed up. 

He probably knew the husband is the first suspect. Always. 

[psychoticstate]

On 6/26/2017 at 8:46 AM, Lovecat said:

My understanding on the math is the same as yours @rwgrab.  If I had been on the jury, it wouldn't have been the measurements that made up my mind--the distance between the bathroom and where Heidy fell was marked on the evidence diagram to be 5.5 feet (66 inches), which we now know was actually measured as 55 inches.  That's a difference of 11 inches--less than one full stride for an adult, I'd wager, so still within the realm of possibility for the scenario that was presented.  What would have swayed me was the presence of GSR on Heidy's hand.  I can also visualize the gun skittering across the kitchen floor after she fell.  I didn't really like Conrad, but I'm not sure there would have been enough evidence to sway me towards his guilt.

The measurements were a major clusterfuck.  How that wasn't noticed by anyone investigating or during the first trial blows my mind.  That's a HUGE difference and it certainly can change things around a lot.

I could not have convicted based on what was presented.  Not enough evidence to say one way or the other and I'd rather a guilty person walk than convict ten innocent persons (or so the saying goes.)  

The measurement discrepancy would have factored in my decision.  The GSR on Heidy's hand weighed  a lot.  The big thing for me was the fact that it was a contact wound.  Did the prosecutors allege that Conrad walked up to Heidy and put the gun to her temple?  Because that's what he would have to do.  Seems to me that if he wanted to kill her and did so while she was standing naked in the hall (indicating to me that it would be spur of the moment and not planned out), he would shoot from a distance and not up close.

The gun definitely could have slid across the floor.  If Heidy had it in her hand, she could have spasmed and the jerking might have caused the gun to fly out of her hand and across the floor. 

Heidy's family saying she wouldn't kill herself has no weight for me.  I feel horribly sorry for them but oftentimes the family either doesn't know or doesn't want to accept that their loved one would do that. 

It's possible that Heidy didn't intend to kill herself.  Maybe she was being overly dramatic.  Maybe she was emotional because she had been drinking.  I don't know.  

I do believe that if Conrad did it and planned it, he would not have done it in the hallway and he would have done it when his wife was clothed.

16 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

What bothered me was Conrad demanding that the cops check his hands for GSR right there at the scene. Who does that? Maybe he wore gloves when he shot her then got rid of them before the cops showed up. 

Hmmmm, I suppose I could write that off as someone who was upset and agitated.  Sometimes people say things that seem extraordinary or not to make a lot of sense under stressful situations.

If he did do it and did wear gloves, what did he do with them?  Did the cops check the trash?  Check the pipes in case they were flushed?  

Given that Heidy was still alive when the cops showed up, I don't think he could have waited long after the gunshot to call for help.

[Ohmo]

13 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

He probably knew the husband is the first suspect. Always. 

Agreed.  In this day and age, if you've watched Dateline, or heck, your local news, it is common knowledge that the husband, wife, partner, or significant other of anyone who dies under suspicious circumstances is the first and immediate suspect.  He had blood all over him, so I can totally understand why he wanted a GSR test then and there.  He wanted to get out in front of the situation ASAP.

I'm in the "there's something atypical about him, but I don't think he did it" camp.  His demeanor came across to me as sincere.  I wondered if he might be somewhere on the high end of the autism spectrum.  If I had been on the jury, I would have gone with "not guilty" based on my impression of him and the presence of reasonable doubt that his wife could have committed suicide.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Ohmo

[Ohmo]

On 6/24/2017 at 11:40 AM, saber5055 said:

And trust me, I speak from experience on that topic.

Those who read this forum regularly know that I have several family members who are dealing with mental illness. Last year, during a medication change, one of my relatives became suicidal within hours of taking the new meds and threatened to run out into traffic.  (Thankfully, that did not happen.)  So, yes, I completely agree that someone can exhibit suicidal behaviors that seem to come out of the blue.  That's why I believe the possibility exists that Heidi could have killed herself.

[cooksdelight]

13 hours ago, Ohmo said:

I'm in the "there's something atypical about him, but I don't think he did it" camp.  His demeanor came across to me as sincere.  I wondered if he might be somewhere on the high end of the autism spectrum.  If I had been on the jury, I would have gone with "not guilty" based on my impression of him and the presence of reasonable doubt that his wife could have committed suicide.

I totally agree with all of this. I couldn't convict the guy based on police bungling the measurements. That made every statement they made after that, or before that, suspect. If they screwed that up... what else?

[bubbls]

On 6/23/2017 at 11:07 PM, rhys said:

 

Did mom have 7 kids & Heidy (gah!) didn't know who her dad was? Odd

I'm perplexed by that as well. The only thing that makes sense to me was if the mom was raped by a stranger who was never caught. Otherwise it seems cruel to keep it a secret. Even if mom was having lots of sex with lots of men you'd think she'd have a pretty good idea on the father's identity. Heidi was quite distinctive looking. 

[saber5055]

Conrad did say he heard the "pop," then turned and saw Heidi. He thought someone shot her through the window. I don't think it strange he wanted a GSR test immediately, nor that he was freaking while his wife was dying on the floor in front of him. And I can see him being p*ssed that the cops were staring at his naked wife. For some of those guys, for all we know, Heidi was the first naked woman they had ever seen. (Besides on their computer screen.) Because Conrad is a bit strange doesn't make him a murderer. I totally vote NOT guilty. But what was said at the very end, does anyone remember, something like Conrad would be having a tough future ahead of him? I thought it an unusual comment to make.

[teebax]

This is one of those cases where I read one person's comment and say to myself, "I agree with them. He's totally guilty." Then I read someone else's comment and say to myself, "I agree with them. He's totally not guilty." 

That amount of doubt leads me to my own conclusion that he may be guilty, but the prosecutors couldn't prove it.

[CelticBlackCat]

I never thought Conrad was guilty.  Just because statistics are that when someone is murdered, it is likely it could be the spouse, or domestic partner, does not mean every wife who is killed is murdered by her husband.  I think Heidy either intended to kill herself or accidentally shot herself in the head.  If Conrad had wanted her dead, he would have waited for her to die before calling the police.  He readily admitted that they had an argument; if he wanted to cover up a murder, he wouldn't have said that.  Again, the GSR and point blank range to the temple indicate to me Heidy pulled the trigger.

[psychoticstate]

On 6/29/2017 at 8:49 AM, saber5055 said:

Conrad did say he heard the "pop," then turned and saw Heidi. He thought someone shot her through the window. I don't think it strange he wanted a GSR test immediately, nor that he was freaking while his wife was dying on the floor in front of him. And I can see him being p*ssed that the cops were staring at his naked wife. For some of those guys, for all we know, Heidi was the first naked woman they had ever seen. (Besides on their computer screen.) Because Conrad is a bit strange doesn't make him a murderer. I totally vote NOT guilty. But what was said at the very end, does anyone remember, something like Conrad would be having a tough future ahead of him? I thought it an unusual comment to make.

 

1 hour ago, CelticBlackCat said:

I never thought Conrad was guilty.  Just because statistics are that when someone is murdered, it is likely it could be the spouse, or domestic partner, does not mean every wife who is killed is murdered by her husband.  I think Heidy either intended to kill herself or accidentally shot herself in the head.  If Conrad had wanted her dead, he would have waited for her to die before calling the police.  He readily admitted that they had an argument; if he wanted to cover up a murder, he wouldn't have said that.  Again, the GSR and point blank range to the temple indicate to me Heidy pulled the trigger.

Both these posts made me think on something else.  If Conrad had killed Heidy and wanted it to look like suicide, would he really suggest to investigators another theory?  He said he thought someone shot her through the window.  Why would he say that?  If he killed her and wanted it to look like suicide, wouldn't he tell authorities that she had been depressed or had threatened to kill herself?  

I also don't think it was strange he wanted a GSR test.  He said that the cops were telling him to go ahead and wash his hands and I understand that he wouldn't want to destroy evidence, especially since he was the only one there other than Heidy. 

[saber5055]

Did anyone watch last night's episode about the two teen girls who were captured, taped and raped, then shot in the head and left for dead in the local park? One girl lived and recovered enough that she can walk and talk now. I had seen that story before, although my listing said "New." (Dateline does that a lot, says reruns are new.) But I missed the ending, only saw up until they were going to test cigarette butts and a drink can for DNA. Did they catch the killer and that was the "new" update? It was such a tragic story, something that could happen to anyone, anywhere.

[rhys]

I watched & wondered if it was a rerun since no one was chatting about it. Get the NBC app & watch what you missed on your phone.

There was something odd at the end about how a cop had mentioned something about the case to a person who wasn't privy to the case. I'm curious about that even tho it didn't affect the outcome.

Dateline dropped the ball on a lot of stuff WRT the real murderer. Height, motive, etc.

[cooksdelight]

The killer was convicted, and his appeal denied:

https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2016/12/12/judge-denies-new-trial-for-man-who-assaulted-lesbian-couple-killed-one

Here's a quote from the article that I don't remember them mentioning. At least, not that he broke in and threatened the guy's girlfriend:

Quote

In the months before his arrest, Strickland was charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault after he entered the house of a former roommate in Layton, Texas and stole two handguns and a rifle and threatened the roommate’s girlfriend with a weapon.

[walnutqueen]

19 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

The killer was convicted, and his appeal denied:

https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2016/12/12/judge-denies-new-trial-for-man-who-assaulted-lesbian-couple-killed-one

Here's a quote from the article that I don't remember them mentioning. At least, not that he broke in and threatened the guy's girlfriend:

Yes, they mentioned that and also said it was significant that "they" (no accomplice was mentioned) referred to each other as 1 and 2, whereas in the rape/murder, the perp referred to the girls as 1 and 2.

This was a case with red herrings and Dateline didn't tell the story well.

[sinycalone]

Also, reading articles on the case, I found out that one policeman had spoken to a writer who was going to publish a book...so the cop was discharged, I believe.  Chavez, one article reported, was taken off the case by a Chief of Police (or similar ranking) for Orem, Utah.  Didn't quite understand how he had the power to remove a cop from Texas from a case.  I laughed when I heard that the first major suspect was 6 ft 8 in -- and the victim described him as about a foot shorter.  However, what wasn't stressed in last night's show....since the killer approached them from ground level while they were standing on that platform, that was about 11 or 12 inches difference.  Like Chavez, I would have kept pressing the case against the first man -- who lied so much,, even after they told him his DNA was on the cigarette butts, etc.  He actually confessed at one point, I believe. 

 

The only thing that drew the investigation away from him...the letter to the victim's father.

[cooksdelight]

Several facts nailed the coffin for Strickland:

1) He had the gun that ballistics matched to the gun casings at the scene

2) Fragments of the letter he sent which gave details about the crime

3) Originally confessing, as if he thought that his joking manner would not convict him

4) The Under Armor gloves

 

One pubic hair on the dead girl will most likely come back to the girlfriend, if anyone.

I think the kid who was smoking there just happened to be in the wrong place. He could have been there long before or long after the crime was committed.

Edited July 2, 2017 by cooksdelight

[A.Ham]

I love dumb criminals. Had it not been for that "revenge" letter, I don't think they would have made any connection to David Strickland. And he was so smug about it too. What an ass.

[Diana Berry]

I certainly hope they had a guard on the girl while she was recuperating in the hospital ( not just after the note was sent) since she gave a description of the perp.  Very scary case too bad his smugness wasn't charged with a hate crime,too.

[bubbls]

On 6/30/2017 at 1:36 PM, teebax said:

This is one of those cases where I read one person's comment and say to myself, "I agree with them. He's totally guilty." Then I read someone else's comment and say to myself, "I agree with them. He's totally not guilty." 

That amount of doubt leads me to my own conclusion that he may be guilty, but the prosecutors couldn't prove it.

Exactly how I feel. I'm glad I wasn't on that jury. 

[Ohmo]

Tara, the poor young girl who was killed in Florida

Raise your hand if you're now scared crapless to let workmen into your house!

I thought Tara's mom seemed like a cool lady, and I'm sorry that she and Tara's mom's fiance/her stepdad split.  They seemed like a nice couple.

I also thought that neighbor who saw the van was very lucky.  Those guys could have taken her and murdered her as well.

I hope Barr and McManus rot.  Too bad they didn't get the death penalty.  Florida has no problem making sure that actually happens.

Loved the detective who said he got bored with retirement.  Yay for him and his colleagues.

Edited July 8, 2017 by Ohmo

[sinycalone]

The police had been suspicious of Barr pretty much from the start....but the link was tenuous:  the word of a more or less career criminal who said he got the jewelry from Barr.  With very little to use as evidence, the prosecutor was right not to try to bring a case against him.  However, if they had spoken to the friend of the neighbor way back at the start -- they would have learned that Barr and his pal had backed the pick-up up to the door.  On the other hand, why didn't the friend go to the police with her story on her own?

My hand is raised..  While I'm always hesitant about letting service people into my home who don't really need to be there, this story now convinced me:  never allow any workman or service person into your home if you are alone!

[cooksdelight]

7 hours ago, Ohmo said:

Raise your hand if you're now scared crapless to let workmen into your house!

YES!!! It's the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning, as I have been having problems with our dishwasher and the guy has been here 3 times. Still leaking and he says he'll come back when he has the right parts. I think I'll sit on the porch where my neighbors can see me when that time comes.

 

7 hours ago, sinycalone said:

On the other hand, why didn't the friend go to the police with her story on her own?

That was my question also. She had to have seen all the police, knew something happened. Unless she was an out-of-towner visiting.... but they had her name on a single piece of paper in that file folder and no one had followed up, it seems.

[sinycalone]

4 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

YES!!! It's the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning, as I have been having problems with our dishwasher and the guy has been here 3 times. Still leaking and he says he'll come back when he has the right parts. I think I'll sit on the porch where my neighbors can see me when that time comes.

 

That was my question also. She had to have seen all the police, knew something happened. Unless she was an out-of-towner visiting.... but they had her name on a single piece of paper in that file folder and no one had followed up, it seems.

Even if she was from out of town....that story was well covered by the media at the time...and not just in that area of Florida.  Plus, wouldn't the neighbor who she was visiting have discussed it with her at some point.?  The only reason I can see for both the police not following up:   the neighbor might have strongly suggested that no one would have been able to see around that fence.

[cooksdelight]

I'd still think they would have at least talked to the woman. It seems someone dropped the ball.

[Diana Berry]

23 hours ago, Ohmo said:

Tara, the poor young girl who was killed in Florida

Raise your hand if you're now scared crapless to let workmen into your house!

I thought Tara's mom seemed like a cool lady, and I'm sorry that she and Tara's mom's fiance/her stepdad split.  They seemed like a nice couple.

I also thought that neighbor who saw the van was very lucky.  Those guys could have taken her and murdered her as well.

I hope Barr and McManus rot.  Too bad they didn't get the death penalty.  Florida has no problem making sure that actually happens.

Loved the detective who said he got bored with retirement.  Yay for him and his colleagues.

Yes!!!! Hand raised

 

Brings this to mind.  Recently, I had to have some work done on my carpet ( not being done by the maintenance men that live on site).  It was 4pm , he still hadn't shown up.  I called the leasing office and was told he would be by later tonite.  I told them No, I want him coming out while you are still in the office.  Leasing staff member said " But he's a real nice guy".  That's fine but I don't know him and if he's not here before 6pm, he will need to be rescheduled.  He came by at 530. 

You can Never be too careful these days.

[Guest]

I agree totally with what everyone has said about last night's case.  Sorry to hear that her mom and future stepdad split. 

One thing I will add to this discussion.  Several large companies (whose workers enter your home or apartment) hire people straight out of prison.  Select inmates are given an opportunity to learn electrical and plumbing work so when they re-enter society they will have a skill.  Larger companies jump at the chance to hire these individuals so that their employee stats meet certain criteria for government contracts.

Most people assume that those entering your home are bonded.  Don't assume anything.  Cooksdelight has a good idea of sitting on the porch but the flip side of that is that while you're safe on your porch he/she could be robbing you blind.  Much better than being killed but certainly not something anyone desires.

I do think interest in these news shows and ID network has made me much more aware of my surroundings.  I really thank Unsolved Mysteries though for lessons learned.  I think it's a shame though that we learn these things through the expense of others. 

[cooksdelight]

10 hours ago, PsychoKlown said:

flip side of that is that while you're safe on your porch he/she could be robbing you blind

HA, the only things of value are big (TV, etc) and I keep my loud, barking dog shut up in the bedroom when someone comes to work on the house. They won't be likely to open that door, where jewelry is. I've also got security/alarm stickers on every window, cameras outside and inside. They are fake cameras, that you can buy at Staples, but they do deter thieves. My sister has had a problem with a house down the street having a lot of people coming and going, likely drug activity. We installed one of those cameras on her porch, along with a warning sign. The activity dropped dramatically, and the few guys who walked by were going out of their way to hide their faces.

Something to think about purchasing if you want to feel a little safer. The cameras look real, move, with a blinking red light. 

In fact, they fooled a guy who came to work on something in the kitchen several years ago. The guy sort of gave me the creeps, and I asked that he not come back to my home again....after doing a search online and finding out he was an ex-prisoner who'd been convicted of child molestation. He thought the cameras were real.

[JudyObscure]

2 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Something to think about purchasing if you want to feel a little safer. The cameras look real, move, with a blinking red light. 

Good idea.  We leave the little back door to our garage cracked open so our cat (and his many stray friends) can go in and out.  Of course thieves could, too.  A faux camera over that door might be just the thing.

I just watched Tara's story online because you all were talking about it.  Now I'm scared, too.  Even if you set on the porch, there are always times when the workmen call you in to ask you about something or show you how to work the new thermostat or whatever.

I'm allergic to nickel so my entire jewelry collection is worth about twenty dollars, but that doesn't mean some crack head wouldn't kill me for it.  I don't imagine the jewelry Tara was killed for was worth a fortune either.  What a tragic, pointless loss.

[rhys]

Sad story. I found it a bit odd that there was no mention of Tara's brother with the exception of a family background piece at the beginning of the show. So my mind went to...."omg the little brother did it?!!!"

I watch way too many if these shows.

[cooksdelight]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

A faux camera over that door might be just the thing.

Add a motion-activated light and you'll never worry. You can find a battery-operated one for around $10.

I wondered about the brother also. Where was he? Did he fall in with the wrong crowd and get alienated from the family?

[teebax]

23 hours ago, PsychoKlown said:

I do think interest in these news shows and ID network has made me much more aware of my surroundings.  I really thank Unsolved Mysteries though for lessons learned.  I think it's a shame though that we learn these things through the expense of others. 

First of all, I'm raising my hand, although I have always been leery of repair folks coming to my house. I usually try to have someone over here with me for safety in numbers, but it's not always possible. 

Your post made me think of something that happened a few months ago when I was at Costco with my girlfriend. She'd gone to put the cart away while I started up the car. She didn't come back for a while, and when I looked I couldn't see her. So, naturally, I assumed she'd been abducted. I was just getting ready to get out of my car and look for her when she reappeared. She thinks I watch way too much true crime. (It turns out she has the attention span of a squirrel and saw something shiny, which she then went to look at.)

I could also mention the many times she's come into a room and made me jump 10 feet out of my chair because she walks so quietly. I may put Tic Tacs in her pocket ala Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, teebax said:

I could also mention the many times she's come into a room and made me jump 10 feet out of my chair because she walks so quietly. I may put Tic Tacs in her pocket ala Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.

Ahhh....she's a sidler.

[Ohmo]

18 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Add a motion-activated light and you'll never worry. You can find a battery-operated one for around $10.

We have one of those bad boys mounted on our garage...turns night into day.

[ButterQueen]

On 7/8/2017 at 9:27 PM, PsychoKlown said:

I agree totally with what everyone has said about last night's case.  Sorry to hear that her mom and future stepdad split. 

One thing I will add to this discussion.  Several large companies (whose workers enter your home or apartment) hire people straight out of prison.  Select inmates are given an opportunity to learn electrical and plumbing work so when they re-enter society they will have a skill.  Larger companies jump at the chance to hire these individuals so that their employee stats meet certain criteria for government contracts.

Most people assume that those entering your home are bonded.  Don't assume anything.  Cooksdelight has a good idea of sitting on the porch but the flip side of that is that while you're safe on your porch he/she could be robbing you blind.  Much better than being killed but certainly not something anyone desires.

I do think interest in these news shows and ID network has made me much more aware of my surroundings.  I really thank Unsolved Mysteries though for lessons learned.  I think it's a shame though that we learn these things through the expense of others. 

Last year, we hired painters for inside our home.  A few days before they were to do the work, the supervisor informed me that the men he hired that had been to prison had only drug convictions.  He said he usually had those men work on empty homes, but one in particular would work in mine.  Oh hell no!!  I told him that while I appreciated him giving second chances, I wasn't comfortable being there with them.  Nope!!!

[ButterQueen]

2 hours ago, Ohmo said:

We have one of those bad boys mounted on our garage...turns night into day.

We have one on the back of our house.  It is motion activated, and lights up part of the back yard and our deck.  You can't come near the french doors on the deck without setting it off.  Of course, we would sleep through it, but hopefully it's a deterrent.  I refuse to ever have a sliding door.  

[ButterQueen]

On 7/1/2017 at 2:38 PM, A.Ham said:

I love dumb criminals. Had it not been for that "revenge" letter, I don't think they would have made any connection to David Strickland. And he was so smug about it too. What an ass.

......and how grateful am I for cell phones.  So many murderers caught by cell phone records.