All Episodes Discussion

[cooksdelight]

There’s a Kroger in downtown Atlanta that is known as the Murder Kroger. I think it’s been torn down by now. I was visiting a friend and we went there, just to see the place. Police guarding the front doors, so it must have been bad.

[cooksdelight]

Did Dateline do a story on this?

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/38264467/update-tn-woman-convicted-of-1982-murder-denied-parole-during-hearing

[sinycalone]

I don't remember it if they did.

I agree...that woman should never be let out of prison.

[cooksdelight]

Is it just me, or HDTV, but all the women being interviewed on tonight’s show with heavy lipstick have cracked and dried looking lips. I mean... it’s creepy.

[iMonrey]

Mystery on the Mississippi: I don't think he did it. There just didn't seem to be any motive, and that second wife was a real whackadoo. I think it was just an overzealous, ladder-climbing detective trying to make a name for himself. And I think the daughter just resented the fact that her father moved on so quickly after her mother died. Which in itself isn't all that suspicious - there are some men who simply cannot be alone. 

Ultimately, I just think it was a real reach to say he smothered her with a pillow. That's more of a TV trope than a real thing.

[Tabbygirl521]

25 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Mystery on the Mississippi: I don't think he did it. There just didn't seem to be any motive, and that second wife was a real whackadoo. I think it was just an overzealous, ladder-climbing detective trying to make a name for himself. And I think the daughter just resented the fact that her father moved on so quickly after her mother died. Which in itself isn't all that suspicious - there are some men who simply cannot be alone. 

Ultimately, I just think it was a real reach to say he smothered her with a pillow. That's more of a TV trope than a real thing.

I think this is the 3rd time I watched this and I am about 95% feeling he did not do it. I totally discount the wacky 2nd wife. And I trust the kids who were old enough to say they saw their mom alive that morning; they were able to recall it was Valentine’s Day. Not sure why the daughter got her memory scrambled but Fort a long time she also confirmed her mom had been alive that morning  

i think his odd demeanor to his MIL when he delivered the youngest child to her that morning could easily have just been shock. And I know he didn’t call 911, but she was already dead and he was anxious to get his little son out of the way. 

And if he had smothered her with a pillow, wouldn’t there be signs of a struggle? Investigators said there were none. I don’t really put any stock in that abrasion under her nose being from a struggle. I would expect bruising or bigger scrapes or something. 

Edited May 26, 2018 by Tabbygirl521

[missy jo]

11 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Mystery on the Mississippi: I don't think he did it. There just didn't seem to be any motive, and that second wife was a real whackadoo. I think it was just an overzealous, ladder-climbing detective trying to make a name for himself. And I think the daughter just resented the fact that her father moved on so quickly after her mother died. Which in itself isn't all that suspicious - there are some men who simply cannot be alone. 

Ultimately, I just think it was a real reach to say he smothered her with a pillow. That's more of a TV trope than a real thing.

I've seen this case before and I used to think that he did it. But this episode may have changed my mind. 

[missy jo]

"Mystery on Lockheart Road" 

I never thought David Cam did it and I'm glad he was finally vindicated. 

[woodscommaelle]

Second wife was a little nutty. Why wear a disguise if they're going to show your natural self taking the stand? So strange.

[iMonrey]

Quote

i think his odd demeanor to his MIL when he delivered the youngest child to her that morning could easily have just been shock.

I thought the same thing. The whole case rested on people interpreting photographs. "Rigor mortis, she must have been dead at least 12 hours." Except that investigators on the scene said she was still warm to the touch. I give a lot more weight to the people who were actually there than people who are extrapolating theories based on photos. And that's literally all the prosecution had: theories, based on photos. No motive, to witnesses, no weapon. Just theories. 

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, woodscommaelle said:

Second wife was a little nutty. Why wear a disguise if they're going to show your natural self taking the stand? So strange.

They were filmed at different times. The disguise interviews were done around the earlier trial which cameras were not allowed to film, then in the last trial cameras were allowed. I have to say whoever came up with that disguise must have not liked her because she looked ridiculous but was actually quite attractive when she was on the stand though her bedazzled headband and hopefully faux fur collar seemed a weird choice for testifying at a murder trial. 

Edited May 27, 2018 by biakbiak

[Annber03]

The thing that got me about the investigators' reactions to those photos and the wife's pose in bed-I can see where they might read that as somebody trying to stop someone from smothering them or whatever, yeah, but at the same time...people do sleep in odd and unusual positions sometimes, too, and can have their arms bent all weird when they sleep. It's weird that they never considered that obvious possibility, too. 

[walnutqueen]

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

The thing that got me about the investigators' reactions to those photos and the wife's pose in bed-I can see where they might read that as somebody trying to stop someone from smothering them or whatever, yeah, but at the same time...people do sleep in odd and unusual positions sometimes, too, and can have their arms bent all weird when they sleep. It's weird that they never considered that obvious possibility, too. 

Why didn't the cops ever talk to the paramedic, who specified that the arms were moved into that position in the initial attempt to get vitals/resuscitate?

This smacks of yet another instance of investigators honing in on a suspect/theory early, and hanging on to it to the exclusion of all other evidence or leads.  Tunnel vision and stubborn refusal to admit errors are the bane of many of these cases.  How many times have we seen cops and prosecutors swear they still believe a person exonerated by DNA evidence is guilty?  They just cannot admit they are fallible.

[biakbiak]

I didn’t find the Swept Away story inspiring or romantic. He didn’t speak the language and could have easily made himself another casualty that the authorities would have to deal with. Yes, it worked out for them but it was unnecessary and he just came off as entitled. 

Edited May 28, 2018 by biakbiak

[pigs-in-space]

On 5/21/2018 at 11:54 AM, AnnieHeights said:

I never see the people who kill in a custody battles as good but desperate parents who love their children, I see them as monsters who just want to win.  It also kind of amazes me that the big oaf of a boyfriend and Melissa went on to have 4 more children together but obviously didn't have the financial means to support 6 children.  How on earth would it not raise suspicion when an online 'benefactor' surfaces out of the blue to help them out financially?  Just shocking how they took out an entire family one by one and police didn't check into it until the last one was killed? 

I think these are the same people who see children as property, rather than independent beings. Otherwise they'd want what's best for the kids - which is not killing their other parent, ffs.

The Harrison family seemed like a really nice family. I too was bugged that so much information was withheld until the very end. It would not have been any less interesting of a story to get that info earlier. I also liked Dannie's family too, though (and I liked their lipstick colors, tbh!). I thought their big mistake was letting her, a freshman girl, date a senior boy. That is just icky. I say that as someone who has a sister who just finished her freshman year of HS.

[CelticBlackCat]

On 5/27/2018 at 8:42 PM, biakbiak said:

I didn’t find the Swept Away story inspiring or romantic. He didn’t speak the language and could have easily made himself another casualty that the authorities would have to deal with. Yes, it worked out for them but it was unnecessary and he just came off as entitled. 

Keith Morrison brings us a ... love story?  I was bored with this one as the ending was obviously going to end up happy.  When the third surprising bit of news for Zach's parents was to be revealed, I called that it was Georgia's pregnant.  I wonder why only her cousin was interviewed and not her parents, if they are in NZ.  I may have missed something there.  Thank goodness they didn't stretch this one out into a two-hour segment!

[Calamity Jane]

On 5/21/2018 at 10:47 AM, Annber03 said:

On that note, there was the one lady on here who seemed to think that the idea of somebody killing for insurance policy didn't make much sense, or something to that effect-I always love it when these shows have people who say things like, "Oh, there's no way somebody could kill for x reason! That's just too ridiculous!" Every time I hear that I can't help thinking, "You people clearly do not watch a lot of true crime shows." :p. 

I kind of appreciate that innocence about and faith in humanity, though. 

I may have been the one who said something like that, but actually what puzzles me is that police always seem to leap to insurance money as the motive, as if it's very odd for couples for carry insurance on their lives or to contact the company about payout after the spouse's death.  What else are you supposed to do?  You won't get it if you don't make the call - is there some police-approved amount of time to wait so they won't leap to insurance money as the root of all evil?  There are times when it gets suspicious - policy just bought, call made minutes after the death, etc.  I'm sure it happens, but it has to be relatively rare.  

It's in the same category as the ever-popular "He/she just didn't act the way I expect someone to."  I encountered a version of it recently when my house was burglarized while I was away visiting my children.  In those situations, I get kind of detached and icy cold, not hysterical and upset.  It's not a choice, it's just my particular make up.  The responding deputy seemed very perplexed that I wasn't more emotional.  Sorry, just not the way I work.  I'll get upset when I'm alone and not dealing with strangers.  I so hope I'm never a suspect in something because I'd probably be convicted on lack of emotional outpouring.  

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, Calamity Jane said:

I may have been the one who said something like that, but actually what puzzles me is that police always seem to leap to insurance money as the motive, as if it's very odd for couples for carry insurance on their lives or to contact the company about payout after the spouse's death.  What else are you supposed to do?  You won't get it if you don't make the call - is there some police-approved amount of time to wait so they won't leap to insurance money as the root of all evil?  There are times when it gets suspicious - policy just bought, call made minutes after the death, etc.  I'm sure it happens, but it has to be relatively rare.  

To back up your point, I saw a story on some show once about a young man (we're talking, like, 19, 20 years old or so here) who liked to ride his motorcycle a lot. Problem was, he was pretty reckless in how he rode, and one day, he wound up paying the price and got in a tragic accident as a result. He was pronounced dead, and the investigators initially looked at his parents with some suspicion, because they'd brought a life insurance policy on him some time before his accident, and the circumstances of his accident seemed odd to them initially. 

Well, turned out, he actually wasn't dead after all-they apparently found that out when he woke up at the morgue, I believe (seriously! One of many reasons I could never work in a morgue, 'cause holy shit, would that scare the bejesus out of me)-and the investigators soon learned that his parents had simply brought the life insurance because of the very fact that he was so reckless (they often tried to insist he wear a helmet when riding and all that good stuff, but he always shrugged off that suggestion). They found no evidence that his parents had anything to do with his accident or presumed death. 

Quote

It's in the same category as the ever-popular "He/she just didn't act the way I expect someone to."  I encountered a version of it recently when my house was burglarized while I was away visiting my children.  In those situations, I get kind of detached and icy cold, not hysterical and upset.  It's not a choice, it's just my particular make up.  The responding deputy seemed very perplexed that I wasn't more emotional.  Sorry, just not the way I work.  I'll get upset when I'm alone and not dealing with strangers.  I so hope I'm never a suspect in something because I'd probably be convicted on lack of emotional outpouring.  

Yep. I've seen criticism of that attitude, too. Certainly there are moments where someone's odd behavior winds up proving they're shady, but yeah. Everyone does react to grief or other horrible events differently, too. 

Sorry about your house being burglarized! Thank goodness, at least, that you or your family weren't home at the time. Hopefully they caught the person(s) who did it? 

[Calamity Jane]

2 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

To back up your point, I saw a story on some show once about a young man (we're talking, like, 19, 20 years old or so here) who liked to ride his motorcycle a lot. Problem was, he was pretty reckless in how he rode, and one day, he wound up paying the price and got in a tragic accident as a result. He was pronounced dead, and the investigators initially looked at his parents with some suspicion, because they'd brought a life insurance policy on him some time before his accident, and the circumstances of his accident seemed odd to them initially. 

Well, turned out, he actually wasn't dead after all-they apparently found that out when he woke up at the morgue, I believe (seriously! One of many reasons I could never work in a morgue, 'cause holy shit, would that scare the bejesus out of me)-and the investigators soon learned that his parents had simply brought the life insurance because of the very fact that he was so reckless (they often tried to insist he wear a helmet when riding and all that good stuff, but he always shrugged off that suggestion). They found no evidence that his parents had anything to do with his accident or presumed death. 

Yep. I've seen criticism of that attitude, too. Certainly there are moments where someone's odd behavior winds up proving they're shady, but yeah. Everyone does react to grief or other horrible events differently, too. 

Sorry about your house being burglarized! Thank goodness, at least, that you or your family weren't home at the time. Hopefully they caught the person(s) who did it? 

Thanks for your response!  Sadly, very little effort went into even recording the details of the burglary.  The thieves took my TV and AppleTV with remotes, turned over furniture, dumped clothes everywhere, pulled mattresses off beds, etc., and what really chapped my hide was they left the refrigerator and freezer doors open.  But carefully closed the doors and turned all the lights out (I had left a couple on) when they left.  I just chalked it up as a bad experience and moved on, grateful they didn't take my mom's rings or my silver.  I have next to nothing anyone would want, apart from the TV, so I expect they were pretty disappointed.  It was a 43" that cost all of $350 from Costco, big whoop.  At 68, I think I'm lucky it's the first time I've been the victim of a crime, and I do thank goodness I wasn't home.  My son immediately wanted me to sell up and move, but I think it was done by kids on spring break, I had been careless about locking the back door - it's such an out of the way neighborhood, nothing like this has ever happened before - and I am taking my licks, being more careful when I leave, and living my life.  

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, Calamity Jane said:

The thieves took my TV and AppleTV with remotes, turned over furniture, dumped clothes everywhere, pulled mattresses off beds, etc., and what really chapped my hide was they left the refrigerator and freezer doors open.  But carefully closed the doors and turned all the lights out (I had left a couple on) when they left.

That's...weird. Go figure criminals sometimes, huh?

That really sucks. Good they didn't get your mom's stuff, though, yeah. I can totally understand your attitude about not wanting to move, and being trusting enough with the door in the past. Lots of people are like that-we shouldn't have to worry about things like that to begin with. But eh, live and learn, right? May you stay safe. 

[JudyObscure]

8 hours ago, Calamity Jane said:

 In those situations, I get kind of detached and icy cold, not hysterical and upset.  It's not a choice, it's just my particular make up.  The responding deputy seemed very perplexed that I wasn't more emotional.  Sorry, just not the way I work.  I'll get upset when I'm alone and not dealing with strangers.  I so hope I'm never a suspect in something because I'd probably be convicted on lack of emotional outpouring.  

That's exactly how I am.  Nothing freezes my tear ducts faster than people around  me expecting me to cry. I prefer to wait till everyone's gone and cry into my dog's fur.

So sorry you were burglarized.

[KittyMom4]

On 5/29/2018 at 10:06 PM, Calamity Jane said:

It's in the same category as the ever-popular "He/she just didn't act the way I expect someone to."  I encountered a version of it recently when my house was burglarized while I was away visiting my children.  In those situations, I get kind of detached and icy cold, not hysterical and upset.  It's not a choice, it's just my particular make up.  The responding deputy seemed very perplexed that I wasn't more emotional.  Sorry, just not the way I work.  I'll get upset when I'm alone and not dealing with strangers.  I so hope I'm never a suspect in something because I'd probably be convicted on lack of emotional outpouring.

Yes to this 1,000 times, I do not cry in front of others, I will get quiet and you'll notice my eyes wander away from your face, not because I'm not upset but because I am processing it the only way I can. I am not cold, uncaring or unemotional, I am just not able to tear up and wail and cry in front of others. And god forbid if my children are present or someone else who I care about because I will be more worried about their emotions and withhold my own so as not to upset them. 

On 5/29/2018 at 10:29 PM, Calamity Jane said:

 The thieves took my TV and AppleTV with remotes, turned over furniture, dumped clothes everywhere, pulled mattresses off beds, etc., and what really chapped my hide was they left the refrigerator and freezer doors open.  But carefully closed the doors and turned all the lights out (I had left a couple on) when they left.  I just chalked it up as a bad experience and moved on, grateful they didn't take my mom's rings or my silver.  I have next to nothing anyone would want, apart from the TV, so I expect they were pretty disappointed.  It was a 43" that cost all of $350 from Costco, big whoop.  At 68, I think I'm lucky it's the first time I've been the victim of a crime, and I do thank goodness I wasn't home.  

Ugh, you poor thing, I'm glad it wasn't worse! When I was newly divorced and my daughters were in their early teens, my youngest was terrified that someone would break in to steal our stuff. I would chuckle to myself since nothing I owned was worth much, at the time I had a 20 year old TV (the old large, heavy ones) and a desktop computer that was not easily carried.  I wouldn't have been surprised if the burglar left me a bill for his efforts to break in only to find there was nothing of value. 

[Calamity Jane]

9 hours ago, GoodieGirl said:

 Ugh, you poor thing, I'm glad it wasn't worse! When I was newly divorced and my daughters were in their early teens, my youngest was terrified that someone would break in to steal our stuff. I would chuckle to myself since nothing I owned was worth much, at the time I had a 20 year old TV (the old large, heavy ones) and a desktop computer that was not easily carried.  I wouldn't have been surprised if the burglar left me a bill for his efforts to break in only to find there was nothing of value. 

Honestly, I never thought anyone would even try for that reason - I have very little, none of it shows, my house is very plain, there's just nothing that says, "Come in, there's a lot to take here."  I used to feel much the same way about locking my husband's '71 Pinto - I pity the person who's dumb enough to steal this car!  

[sinycalone]

I gather tonight's episode, "Scorned," was a repeat....but I had never seen it.  What a convoluted story...but fascinating in a strange way.

[cooksdelight]

That woman, Lisa, was batshit crazy. The guy wasn’t much better, having some serious issues regarding commitment. Imagine have that for a father.

[JudyObscure]

It was my second time for "Scorned," and once again, I fell for the mislead and thought the  Bipolar victim was the "crazy " one for the first hour and a half.  Her poor mother and son! 

All the time it was the  not mentally ill Liz who did it. She was just plain evil.  Imagine killing your own pets for the fun of pointing blame on someone else -- someone you had already stabbed to death.  I had no sympathy for the car mechanic, leading on that little blonde through twelve years and two children.  He also talked to Liz everyday for three years while he thought they were both victims and never heard a clue or a slip of the tongue.  He's  dumb as well as a cad.  May he never get another date.

[walnutqueen]

8 hours ago, sinycalone said:

I gather tonight's episode, "Scorned," was a repeat....but I had never seen it.  What a convoluted story...but fascinating in a strange way.

Yes, I watched it again because it was such a bizarre story (and because I love Keith Morrison's voice!).  That Shanna "Liz" Golyar is a real piece of shit.  Not only did she murder Cari Farver, impersonate her and Dave's other ex, Amy Flora, send tens of thousands of fake texts and emails, and shoot herself in the leg; she killed all her family pets in a horrible way by setting her house on fire.  Burn in hell, bitch; burn in hell.

[SunnyBeBe]

wrong thread.

Edited June 3, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[sinycalone]

I still don't understand why Liz (Shanna) wrote that check and tried to get Cari's mother to cash it, etc.  I realize that she was trying to continue the illusion that Cari was still alive -- but why send it to the mother at all?  To me, that was the first real inkling I had that Liz was not just some innocent bystander.

Killing her pets - murdering Cari - and allowing the mother and son to have false hope that Cari was alive all those years - truly evil.  I hope there is an isolation cell with her name on it in that prison...for the rest of her life.

[LGGirl]

4 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Yes, I watched it again because it was such a bizarre story (and because I love Keith Morrison's voice!).  That Shanna "Liz" Golyar is a real piece of shit.  Not only did she murder Cari Farver, impersonate her and Dave's other ex, Amy Flora, send tens of thousands of fake texts and emails, and shoot herself in the leg; she killed all her family pets in a horrible way by setting her house on fire.  Burn in hell, bitch; burn in hell.

Yup.   And all for a guy that is nothing special.    

I felt for Cari’s son.    Poor kid hoping his mom might show up one day, yet on some level knowing she’s dead.   

[cooksdelight]

Seeing that photo of him alone at graduation made me cry. 

[LittleIggy]

Fraternities just need to go.

[woodscommaelle]

That hazing episode was heart breaking. I know I'm stating the obvious but my god.

[JudyObscure]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 12:52 AM, LittleIggy said:

Fraternities just need to go.

Yes! I was amazed that so many of the parents thought they only needed more rules.  They already have rules, they just don't abide by them.  They bring nothing to the table that even begins to offset the negative.  Let the students live in supervised, non-alcoholic dorms.  Most of them just aren't mature enough to hang out in packs, drink without limit and still make good decisions.  Even at best, the Greek thing encourages elitism and conformity while excluding those who don't have much money.

[tobeannounced]

I've never understood the frat and sorority thing, but I would never have been accepted even if I had wanted to be. I couldn't help but think there's probably an even larger group of parents of girls who have been sexually assaulted by drunken frat rats who could have their own support group.

[The Closer]

Personally, I think there is a big difference between social fraternities and those that are professional, academic, or service oriented in nature. That's why I think the parents not taking a stand to ban all fraternities incredibly smart from a strategic perspective because if they did that, the conversation would then become about whether or not fraternities have value. That's not a debate that can ever be won and is pointless to have. Instead, they're keeping the conversation focused on holding the fraternities accountable and requiring the universities to be transparent regarding sanctions. Doing that, along with telling very specific details & showing video of the last moments, is how you will get it shut down. I have little hope that these fraternities will just have a "come to Jesus" moment on their own. However, what these parents are doing is effectively telling other parents they need to be afraid of their kid pledging. You do that, you'll start getting some parents directing their kid to not pledge a fraternity if they want to stay in college. They're also changing the way kids growing up today will come to see fraternities. (It's not a show on MTV. It's not Animal House. It's people losing control of their bowels and dying while other people take photos.) When Greek life becomes afraid for their own survival, that's when you'll start seeing real change. Just watching this show leads to a pretty natural response of "they should just get rid of fraternities" which shows how powerful these stories are. I'm sure it must be hard as hell for the parents to tell them, but I truly do think they're saving lives by doing so.

[Lizzing]

Re: The Watcher....While I was glad we got a Keith Morrison episode, I was bummed that he went into detail how Lauren was always seen around with her little dog at the start of the episode, yet we never got a word as to what happened to the dog in the end.  Was he murdered? Found in the apartment? Been living with someone else while she studied for the bar?

The other thing I couldn't understand was why Lauren emailed that older boyfriend of hers that she thought someone was trying to break into her apartment.  Why wouldn't she call the cops?  Or text her BF or anyone for more immediate response?  I really expected to find that the killer sent that email to throw suspicion on local "thugs" (I think that was the word used) rather than his crazy ass.  

[Annber03]

I thought about the poor dog, too :(. I hope he is okay and safe somewhere else now. 

As for Lauren's suspicions about the break-in, maybe she was going to call the cops as well, and never got the chance? Or maybe she was afraid she was just being paranoid or something, or wanted to see if she could get some definitive proof first? I dunno. But yeah, shame she never got the chance to do that. 

I said to my mom when they were talking about the officers finding Lauren's body parts in the bags and whatnot, "Whatever they pay these people for finding and retrieving these bodies like this, it isn't enough." I cannot even imagine, ye gods. The bit with the officer talking about how he gently tried to explain to Lauren's father why it would be a very bad idea for him to see his daughter's body was heartwrenching. 

Edited June 9, 2018 by Annber03

[missy jo]

Jesus, "The Watcher" was so creepy. 

[applecrisp]

5 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I thought about the poor dog, too :(. I hope he is okay and safe somewhere else now. 

As for Lauren's suspicions about the break-in, maybe she was going to call the cops as well, and never got the chance? Or maybe she was afraid she was just being paranoid or something, or wanted to see if she could get some definitive proof first? I dunno. But yeah, shame she never got the chance to do that. 

I said to my mom when they were talking about the officers finding Lauren's body parts in the bags and whatnot, "Whatever they pay these people for finding and retrieving these bodies like this, it isn't enough." I cannot even imagine, ye gods. The bit with the officer talking about how he gently tried to explain to Lauren's father why it would be a very bad idea for him to see his daughter's body was heartwrenching. 

Very well said and true.

[sempervivum]

So the murderer of Lauren was basically a thrill-killer who thought he could get away with it? I realize dude was crazy and evil, but seriously- was this whole 'perfect murder' hinging on the garbage truck removing the evidence/body BEFORE the cops came? Because that seems kind of risky and sloppy. He was almost out of law school, so he couldn't have been stupid, and presumably was familiar with some police procedures; how could he not know about Luminol? Even without a body, I would think the state could have made a good case against him. 

I had to roll my eyes, though, at the sheriff/top cop saying that they tried to keep the investigation 'low profile', by concealing the scene of the crime with what looked like bright orange sheets.

[cooksdelight]

The police cars blocking the entrance for the garbage truck saved this entire case. You’d think Stephen would have taken the bagged body parts somewhere else where trash is emptied daily. Then again, with cameras everywhere...

I, too, wondered about her dog. Keith really let us down by not mentioning who has the dog, is he OK, etc.

Here’s the latest:

http://www.macon.com/news/local/crime/article209814454.html

Edited June 9, 2018 by cooksdelight

[JudyObscure]

5 hours ago, sempervivum said:

So the murderer of Lauren was basically a thrill-killer who thought he could get away with it? I realize dude was crazy and evil, but seriously- was this whole 'perfect murder' hinging on the garbage truck removing the evidence/body BEFORE the cops came? Because that seems kind of risky and sloppy. He was almost out of law school, so he couldn't have been stupid, and presumably was familiar with some police procedures; how could he not know about Luminol? Even without a body, I would think the state could have made a good case against him. 

 

Gosh yes, he's dumber than some of the low IQ, drop-out, drug addicts we've seen! The garbage truck came on Thursdays and he killed her on Saturday night -- there was every reason to think the police would have been called before then.  I was really surprised the friends and family waited so long to sound the alarm. He left the wrapper for the murder weapon and a pair of Lauren's underwear in his apartment. He had a key to her apartment on his desk!  He did a careless half-way job of cleaning the saw and failed to bleach down her bathroom. Most idiotic thing of all was filming himself looking through her window. He may have some sort of photographic memory that makes him a good law student, but on another level Stephen is very stupid and really evil, I hope he never talks any parole board into letting him out.

[missy jo]

I had seen this murder on another show. Another sad aspect of it is that she had a "burglar bar" device running from her doorknob to the floor. They're guaranteed, but they clearly don't work. You can see it in the video he takes through her window. Unless there was evidence he went through the window instead of the door? 

Edited June 10, 2018 by missy jo
Never mind, he went through the door. He had a master key to her apartment, they said. The burglar bar failed.

[UsernameFatigue]

Wow, The Watcher was quite the case. When they said that Lauren had sent an email to her boyfriend saying she was being watched, I really thought he had killed her (for sleeping with her ex) and sent the email to himself to divert suspicion. Kind of sad though that she was so accomplished and beautiful, yet was moving in with someone whom she had such a rocky relationship, not to mention did bother to check in with her for several days. 

Scary to think the guy who was a fellow student and neighbour was a psychopath who could kill her, let alone dispose of her body in such a manor. As others have said, he wasn't all that bright as it turns out, and disposes of her body both at their building, and the law school? I don't know why he was so surprised that they found the body - it is a wonder that after that many days the bag wasn't discovered anyway due to the smell alone. 

Like others, I am so disappointed that they never mentioned what happened to the dog. Did she still have it at that point in her life? I thought for sure the poor puppy was going to be found dead in the apartment when the friend went to check on Lauren. That is something that Dateline is very bad at - someone producing the show should be bright enough to know that viewers would be wondering about the dog's fate. 

Edited June 9, 2018 by UsernameFatigue

[cooksdelight]

I don’t know how long it was from graduation until she started studying for the bar, but the dog could have passed away if it was an older dog, and there was a good deal of time between the two events. If he had harmed the dog, I would hope we’d have been told....or someone in her circle of friends and family would have mentioned it.

[biakbiak]

8 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I don’t know how long it was from graduation until she started studying for the bar, but the dog could have passed away if it was an older dog, and there was a good deal of time between the two events. If he had harmed the dog, I would hope we’d have been told....or someone in her circle of friends and family would have mentioned it.

It was a little over a month. She graduated mid-May and was murdered late June.

etb: Dog alive and well a year after the murder with her mom and sister.

Edited June 10, 2018 by biakbiak

[cooksdelight]

Whew, thank you for that!! :)

[LakeGal]

I was also worrying about the dog. I expected the dog to be mentioned because they talked about him so much.

I did not think the guy next door was guilty because of his reaction on camera. I thought it was a normal reaction when told a body of your friend has been found. We often hear people don't react enough. He looked stunned. I now think he is the killer. But his reaction was not the reason I feel that way.

[Koalagirl]

As a dog lover myself it does my heart good that so many of you were concerned about the dog.  I thought maybe the dog ran away when he entered the apartment and I appreciate knowing he is doing ok.