View Full Version : OSBI Needs Help to Identify Woman Found In Photo
SeriouslySearching
07-03-2007, 02:05 PM
The more I study the unretouched photo, the more I am convinced it is Tara Calico.
People have mentioned we didn't pluck our eyebrows thin back in the 80s/early 90s...but she was from NM and here in OK...we are a bit behind in the fashion scene (or I should say...used to be.) What was going on nationally didn't neccessarily reflect what our culture was doing...so plucked thin eyebrows were more the rule than the exception here about that time worn with a white eyeshadow in a thin line underneath. OR maybe the perp had a thing for the thin eyebrow look. He kept her alive for a period of time and could dictate she change her appearance somewhat during that time. (Tara's captor also allowed her other "luxuries" such as the book of her fav author which no doubt was used to help identify her in the earlier photo with the boy and his purpose for allowing her to have it.)
Tara Calico was allowed to keep up her appearance. (She was allowed to be out on a beach in Florida, as I recall.) I think the attached ear is shown on purpose for identifying her as is the "cowlick" and the reason she was 'posed' in this way. The hair might look like it has been "chunked", but it looks more like natural highlights to me not to mention it could also be bloodsoaked making it look darker in areas.
I believe the mattress was in a travel trailer and that is comforter with a floral pattern...probably with large, hot pink flowers and the two-toned green leaves...again...popular in the late 80s/90s.
The more I see other photos of other missing women, the more I am drawn back to Tara. Her mother's death could be the reason this person left the photo in a remote location...it was his MO all along to keep torturing her mother and father/LE by taking and dropping such photos through the years. His sick "game" could have ended with her death. The perp always left them to be found in the least likely place for him to be seen...old gas stations, a residential construction site, etc. I would say he did this in the middle of the night when the places were empty and no one would see him leave them. (There are many gas stations like this that dot the countryside in NM and in OK still to this day. They have been in business forever and they simply don't make enough money to update or have a need for cameras as robberies in our small communities are quite rare.)
Gut feeling tells me it is Tara Calico and this photo was to prove that on his part. (I bet this ends up being a polaroid like his others.) He WANTS people to know it was her because it has been his way of "bragging" that he was still out there and could taunt the family and LE. I think when they find the perp...he will still have other photos which will progress and match up to the photos he left. They are his "trophies".
Reannan
07-03-2007, 02:21 PM
I totally agree that the picture looks an awful lot like Tara Calico, only the lady in the picture is older. I hate to think he kept her for years, but we know from other cases, that those sort of horrors happen. You would think, that LE would have additional pictures of Tara that they could use to look at the moles, and other identifying characteristics we have discussed. Evidence that points to it being Tara includes the fact that she is dressed in a blue robe/pajama top that is the same color as the shirt in one of the more famous pictures of Tara. In fact, it is the picture of Tara with her hand under her chin.....posed sort of like the picture we are now discussing, only the hand is posed slightly differently. I think the unknown picture is posed, and I think it was left intentionally.
jacobean
07-03-2007, 02:30 PM
Hello! First i just want to say thankyou for welcoming me and that - very cool people.
I just cant get this girl out of my mind! Re the eyebrows - it was the first thing that struck me, and the more i look at her skin tone, Kgeux & niteowl - i think you're right, middle eastern - and i think it could explain the clothes as well..
Kgeux: the lower left section you mentioned, i never noticed it before - so i went back and had a closer look and im really sorry to say it - gross- but my first thought was intestines (so sorry)
kwatson696
07-03-2007, 02:31 PM
http://www.city-data.com/city/Purcell-Oklahoma.html
This is interesting to read, According to our research there were 11 registered sex offenders living in Purcell, Oklahoma (http://www.city-data.com/so/so-Purcell-Oklahoma.html) in early 2007.
The ratio of number of residents in Purcell to the number of sex offenders is 531 to 1.
:eek:
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 02:37 PM
Hello! First i just want to say thankyou for welcoming me and that - very cool people.
I just cant get this girl out of my mind! Re the eyebrows - it was the first thing that struck me, and the more i look at her skin tone, Kgeux & niteowl - i think you're right, middle eastern - and i think it could explain the clothes as well..
Kgeux: the lower left section you mentioned, i never noticed it before - so i went back and had a closer look and im really sorry to say it - gross- but my first thought was intestines (so sorry)
I thought that too but with it looking like the injury is to the head I was thinking more along the lines of brains. Brains do have sections that might look like intestines (or at least they do to me). I wonder if there was another injury to the lower half of her body that isn't shown in the picture?
I'm supposed to be working but I find myself checking this thread often. I hope they're able to find out who this girl is soon. She deserves to have a name; to have her loved ones know and to have the person that did this to her punished.
laini
07-03-2007, 02:55 PM
From the first time I looked at this photo, the item she is lying on reminded me of a 'strawberry shortcake' sleeping bag my daughter had as a young child (she is now 29 yo!) . . . just a thought. In the lower left corner of the 'un-retouched' photo it even looks like it could possibly be a strawberry on the blanket/sleeping bag...what do you think??
I thought so, too! I looked through all the old and new strawberry shortcake bedding and sleeping bags I could find online. I haven't found any that match. The only thing that matches is the colors and that there is a green leaf.
Chica
07-03-2007, 02:56 PM
The more I study the unretouched photo, the more I am convinced it is Tara Calico.
I agree it looks like it could very easily be Tara Calico, with the exception of the eyebrows.
Here is a link to the first photo found that is believed to be Tara and Michael Henley.
http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301684W
Both Tara and Michael's mothers believe it is their respective child in the photo. When I compare the features of the girl in the first photo found with the features of the girl in the most recent photo found, they look like they could very easily be the same girl, save for the eyebrows, which could easily have been reshaped.
Chica
07-03-2007, 03:00 PM
I thought so, too! I looked through all the old and new strawberry shortcake bedding and sleeping bags I could find online. I haven't found any that match. The only thing that matches is the colors and that there is a green leaf.
I've been searching all morning for vintage strawberry shortcake sleeping bags, etc., and I can't find any that match. When I first looked at the pillow or blanket or whatever it is she is lying on, it immediately triggered the memory of my daughter's strawberry sleeping bag, and every time I take another look at it, the same image jumps into my head. I'll keep looking.
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 03:02 PM
Hello! First i just want to say thankyou for welcoming me and that - very cool people.
I just cant get this girl out of my mind! Re the eyebrows - it was the first thing that struck me, and the more i look at her skin tone, Kgeux & niteowl - i think you're right, middle eastern - and i think it could explain the clothes as well..
Kgeux: the lower left section you mentioned, i never noticed it before - so i went back and had a closer look and im really sorry to say it - gross- but my first thought was intestines (so sorry)
That's what I thought, too. But so close to her head, I couldn't imagine how any internal organ from the abdomen would end up there, especially since her robe seems to be intact. But it looks more like intestines than brains, to me.
I thought so, too! I looked through all the old and new strawberry shortcake bedding and sleeping bags I could find online. I haven't found any that match. The only thing that matches is the colors and that there is a green leaf.
All the strawberry shortcake stuff I can find are in more pastel brights, rather than "neon" brights. I have had no luck at all finding anything in the colors on the mattress/cover/sleeping bag, etc. It seems to be nylon, very shiny, in good condition, so if it's from the 70's or 80's the picture must have been taken back then, because I don't see any wear and tear on whatever it is.
Now, the robe: I have found a robe that doesn't match exactly, but is similar. I don't know how to get the picture from "my pictures" to a post on websleuths.....if anyone can help me, I'd appreciate it.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 03:08 PM
Like a few other people have said she could have had them tweezed or threaded. I didn't know a lot about the Tara Calico case but after reading today it seems she had been seen in the company of several adult men. She could have very well tweezed/threaded between the time the first photo was taken and the last one.
http://www.childseeknetwork.com/pics.php?type=photo2&id=117
She looks a lot like the unidentified girl in this black and white photo.
kgeaux: Host the image at ImageShack (link in my signature) then copy the link by the "direct link" lable, and using the "insert image" option (it's on the same line as the "insert link" option, it's yellow, and has mountains and a sun on it) insert the link (make sure not to get an extra http in there) into the pop up box. That will post an image here.
Like a few other people have said she could have had them tweezed or threaded. I didn't know a lot about the Tara Calico case but after reading today it seems she had been seen in the company of several adult men. She could have very well tweezed/threaded between the time the first photo was taken and the last one.
http://www.childseeknetwork.com/pics.php?type=photo2&id=117
She looks a lot like the unidentified girl in this black and white photo.
The nose is way too short on that image. It isn't her.
trixie
07-03-2007, 03:33 PM
The nose is way too short on that image. It isn't her.
Wow I thought I was the only one who didn't see any resemblence. I didn't see it before and I still don't see it. IMO this photo looks nothing like Tara Calico. I think law enforcement has probably already checked this against KNOWN missing persons and didn't find a match so that's why they are turning to the public to help ID this poor girl. We tend to forget the police have vast resources to check on things like this. IMO they've already done thier thing and came up empty so they are as stumped as we are. It's not Tara, IMO.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 03:58 PM
I guess I need to get my glasses changed.
Sorry.
trixie
07-03-2007, 04:06 PM
I guess I need to get my glasses changed.
Sorry.
We all have our own opinion and that's just mine. Please feel free to disagree with me. I think we are all here for the same reason, to try and help someone. Peace.
SeriouslySearching
07-03-2007, 04:08 PM
The nose is way too short on that image. It isn't her.
If you will look back at post #3 which compares photos...you will certainly see the nose is NOT too short. It is the same length with the same characteristics as Tara's. I have to run for now, but when I come back I will try to show you.
If you will look back at post #3 which compares photos...you will certainly see the nose is NOT too short. It is the same length with the same characteristics as Tara's. I have to run for now, but when I come back I will try to show you.
Er, you do realize that the photo linked is of an unidentified woman *NOT* Tara Calico, right? The nose in the image linked in the post I quoted is WRONG. I don't think it looks much like Tara Calico either. Nor do I think the subject of the photo this topic is about resembles her very well.
ETA: Though the black and white image does look like Tara Calico, I don't think either the black and white image, or the other images of Tara Calico look like the subject of the photo this topic was started about. The tip of the nose is very different, the nose is longer. That nose is shorter. The nose in the black and white image especially is *TOO* short!
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 04:24 PM
Maybe you guys are right. I don't see a cleft in Tara's chin in that photo either.
I think once you start comparing all these pictures you start thinking you see similarities in everyone.
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 04:27 PM
kgeaux: Host the image at ImageShack (link in my signature) then copy the link by the "direct link" lable, and using the "insert image" option (it's on the same line as the "insert link" option, it's yellow, and has mountains and a sun on it) insert the link (make sure not to get an extra http in there) into the pop up box. That will post an image here.
THANK YOU, KatK! Let's see if an old kgeaux can learn a new trick!
<a href="http://img69.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beautifullyembroideredaez0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/9034/beautifullyembroideredaez0.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>
This is a silk velvet Middle Eastern robe. I just wanted to see if ya'll see any similarities in the swirls in the designs, the material, the way the pattern repeats on the arm, etc.
I don't know why I'm feeling she could be middle eastern, but it's something I'm "exploring" today.
EDIT: Crud. I guess you can't teach an old kgeaux a new trick. I'll have to try again!
http://img441.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beautifullyembroideredaud3.jpg
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 04:30 PM
Er, you do realize that the photo linked is of an unidentified woman *NOT* Tara Calico, right? The nose in the image linked in the post I quoted is WRONG. I don't think it looks much like Tara Calico either. Nor do I think the subject of the photo this topic is about resembles her very well.
ETA: Though the black and white image does look like Tara Calico, I don't think either the black and white image, or the other images of Tara Calico look like the subject of the photo this topic was started about. The tip of the nose is very different, the nose is longer. That nose is shorter. The nose in the black and white image especially is *TOO* short!
KatK are you talking about the photo that I linked? I know that one came off the childseek website and as far as I know was a pic of Tara Calico.
No, not the message board link, the "direct link" link. ;) You can rehost it if you need to. (S'ok, it varies with sites what link will work.)
NewMom2003
07-03-2007, 04:31 PM
Here is a larger picture of Tara Calico. I see some similiarities, but I don't know. :confused:
http://www.someoneismissing.net/index.php/Tara_Calico
KatK are you talking about the photo that I linked? I know that one came off the childseek website and as far as I know was a pic of Tara Calico.
Go back to my post number 262, yes I was responding to your post. But you said "She looks a lot like the unidentified girl in this black and white photo." which I took to be in reference to the image this topic is trying to indentify, not Tara Calico. Ok, so the image you posted they don't know who she is, and you think she looks like Tara Calico? I agree. I don't agree that the subject in the velour robe with the red clumps in her hair looks like the black and white image, nor do I think she resembles Tara Calico. The tip of the nose, the nostrils are wrong. There are other things too, but I don't wanna bring up the un-retouched image again to be able to "verbalize" them.
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 04:35 PM
trying to get the actual photo in here:
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1736/beautifullyembroideredaud3.jpg
This is a silk velvet Middle Eastern robe. (Actually, I think they called it a "throbe" or something like that.)
I am interested in hearing your comments on the similarities or lack thereof in the style of the robe with the one worn by the girl in the photo.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 04:37 PM
My mistake. That IS a picture of Tara (the black and white one). I meant to say this black and white picture looks a lot like the pic of the unidentified girl.
Or it does to me.
I guess that's what I get for trying to post while I should be working.
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 04:38 PM
No, not the message board link, the "direct link" link. ;) You can rehost it if you need to. (S'ok, it varies with sites what link will work.)
Thanks, sweetie! I think I finally got it.....you just have to type s l o w and repeat yourself sometimes before it clicks with me!
Now, back on topic:
I don't think our unidentified girl looks much like Tara. I think Tara's jawline looks stronger, and Tara's nose doesn't match our girls either, IMO. Out of all the photos of "possibles" that we've linked here, Tara is probably the closest, but I don't think she is a match.
trying to get the actual photo in here:
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1736/beautifullyembroideredaud3.jpg
Bingo!
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 04:38 PM
Wow kgeaux, that does look a lot like the robe in the picture. Where did you find it?
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 04:42 PM
Here is a larger picture of Tara Calico. I see some similiarities, but I don't know. :confused:
http://www.someoneismissing.net/index.php/Tara_Calico
Tara's chin seems longer, has no cleft, and Tara's nose seems to have a slight upturn which our unidentified girl does not have. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's close but not a match.
Here is a larger picture of Tara Calico. I see some similiarities, but I don't know. :confused:
http://www.someoneismissing.net/index.php/Tara_Calico
The chin is wrong too. The person in the terrible photograph has a weaker chin. Tara Calico's is pointier. The lips of the person in the image are also fuller, (the top lip especially is fuller than Tara's) and Tara has got more forehead. (Look at how much space from brow up to the hairline there is on Tara, compared to the person in that photo. Tara had a higher forehead.) They aren't the same person. ETA: I just did a side by side comparison of the image we are discussing, and the image linked in the post I quoted to point these things out.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 04:48 PM
If the unidentified girl was shot in the head (it does appear to be some type of wound on the side) and her lip looks like it may have been busted (at some point) how much of her features can we depend on? There could be some swelling.
I know that's all we have but I was thinking about the lips and how they could be swollen.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 04:50 PM
Oh well, time to go home. I don't seem to be adding too much to this discussion anyway.
kgeaux, again, that was a great find on the robe.
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 04:50 PM
Wow kgeaux, that does look a lot like the robe in the picture. Where did you find it?
On a websight which caters to Islamic women. I believe it was Al Hannah Islamic clothing......I started thinking that those eyebrows did look threaded, which made me think that jacobean could be correct, that she was of Middle Eastern decent. That led me to remember some robes my sister brought back from Abu Dhabi, and that made me do a search!
I really think the style and appearance of the embroidery is similar, and it is re-enforcing my belief that she may be of Middle Eastern decent, but I wanted to throw it out there for others to comment on, because I've been wrong before!
Oh well, time to go home. I don't seem to be adding too much to this discussion anyway.
kgeaux, again, that was a great find on the robe.
Bah, who says I'm not the "Watson" here? ;)
If the unidentified girl was shot in the head (it does appear to be some type of wound on the side) and her lip looks like it may have been busted (at some point) how much of her features can we depend on? There could be some swelling.
I know that's all we have but I was thinking about the lips and how they could be swollen.
The nose doesn't appear to be injured though, and that is a big difference in facial features.
NewMom2003
07-03-2007, 04:56 PM
If the unidentified girl was shot in the head (it does appear to be some type of wound on the side) and her lip looks like it may have been busted (at some point) how much of her features can we depend on? There could be some swelling.
I know that's all we have but I was thinking about the lips and how they could be swollen.
I was thinking along those lines also. Facial features seem to be distorted in death.
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 04:56 PM
If the unidentified girl was shot in the head (it does appear to be some type of wound on the side) and her lip looks like it may have been busted (at some point) how much of her features can we depend on? There could be some swelling.
I know that's all we have but I was thinking about the lips and how they could be swollen.
She does look like she was hit in the mouth, the top lip is swollen.
The "fly" on her lip, when I zoom in it looks more like a series of horizontal lines, maybe like stitches? The photo doesn't hold its resolution very well when I zoom in, so it's really hard to tell.
NewMom2003
07-03-2007, 04:58 PM
She does look like she was hit in the mouth, the top lip is swollen.
The "fly" on her lip, when I zoom in it looks more like a series of horizontal lines, maybe like stitches? The photo doesn't hold its resolution very well when I zoom in, so it's really hard to tell.
When I first saw it I thought it was either stitches or a glob of dried blood. :(
ETA - If it is stitches, I think it may be home-made stitches, not done by a doctor, YKWIM?
NewMom2003
07-03-2007, 05:02 PM
The top you posted kgeaux is a great find. It definitely resembles what this woman is wearing. There is just something about this photo that makes me think she's wearing a cheaper garment than that though.
Maybe it's an old favorite robe, or a secondhand, "hand-me-down" robe? ETA: Though it also looked more like a chain store robe to me at first too.
jacobean
07-03-2007, 05:13 PM
trying to get the actual photo in here:
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1736/beautifullyembroideredaud3.jpg
This is a silk velvet Middle Eastern robe. (Actually, I think they called it a "throbe" or something like that.)
I am interested in hearing your comments on the similarities or lack thereof in the style of the robe with the one worn by the girl in the photo.
Now we're talking :clap:
teonspaleprincess
07-03-2007, 05:47 PM
Like a few other people have said she could have had them tweezed or threaded. I didn't know a lot about the Tara Calico case but after reading today it seems she had been seen in the company of several adult men. She could have very well tweezed/threaded between the time the first photo was taken and the last one.
http://www.childseeknetwork.com/pics.php?type=photo2&id=117
She looks a lot like the unidentified girl in this black and white photo.
I don't know...I think there is a real resemblance. You can see a slight cleft in the chin in that pic also. I was never convinced that the first pic they found was Tara. To me the girl in that pic looked a lot younger.
docwho3
07-03-2007, 06:30 PM
I suspect the robe is a sort of distraction. According to the impressions on her skin, at the arm (as they appear when the image is enlarged and slightly edited for contrast and gamma corrections), the robe was not what she was wearing just before the pic was taken. I think the "robe" was a late addition, perhaps added for the pic.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 06:58 PM
Okay, here I go with another stupid idea. I guess I'll just throw it out there and you guys can tear it apart. LOL.
What if this woman is IN the Middle East. Maybe this picture was taken there. That could be why someone with her description (at least as far as we know) hasn't been reported missing. Maybe a military person dropped this. The other idea was that possibly the person who had the pic was of Middle Eastern descent and that was a robe that he had (that belonged to a female friend or family member).
Okay, I'm ready.
lizzybeth
07-03-2007, 07:01 PM
The top you posted kgeaux is a great find. It definitely resembles what this woman is wearing. There is just something about this photo that makes me think she's wearing a cheaper garment than that though.
Everything always has a cheaper version/knock off.
teonspaleprincess
07-03-2007, 07:05 PM
Okay, here I go with another stupid idea. I guess I'll just throw it out there and you guys can tear it apart. LOL.
What if this woman is IN the Middle East. Maybe this picture was taken there. That could be why someone with her description (at least as far as we know) hasn't been reported missing. Maybe a military person dropped this. The other idea was that possibly the person who had the pic was of Middle Eastern descent and that was a robe that he had (that belonged to a female friend or family member).
Okay, I'm ready.
Lizzybeth, please don't knock your ideas. I think you have had a lot to add to this discussion and that all of your ideas have merit! it is always good to have lots of different perspectives.
trixie
07-03-2007, 07:43 PM
Lizzybeth ditto on that. We are all just putting our heads together on this and nobodys idea is any better than anybody elses. I had that same thought as you about whether or not this woman was even in the country. I think the reason is because of when it first came up she looked middle eastern I thought well I know they shoot women over there pretty regularly for some pretty mundane things. Okay, I have to go now and stop my cat from eating a rubberband. Bye!
kgeaux
07-03-2007, 09:10 PM
When I first saw it I thought it was either stitches or a glob of dried blood. :(
ETA - If it is stitches, I think it may be home-made stitches, not done by a doctor, YKWIM?
I know what you mean, but I'm hoping it's "real" stitches, because that is a great identifier. A young woman, plucked/threaded eyebrows, tiny mole on the chin line and center neck, who had recently gotten stitches on the upper lip, and who is now missing or deceased-----that's got to be a short list. If they were homemade, it's possible no one beside the person who killed her and she knew about them. If they are homemade, they might actually work against her identification: I can just picture someone saying she sure looks like my child, but my girl didn't have stitches! And who knows, it could be clumped blood or a fly.....the photo just doesn't have the resolution to see the detail well enough for me to determine.
The top you posted kgeaux is a great find. It definitely resembles what this woman is wearing. There is just something about this photo that makes me think she's wearing a cheaper garment than that though.
That particular thobe costs $42.99, so it's not terribly expensive. I'm not convinced that her robe absolutely is Middle Eastern, but I'm about 80% there.
Okay, here I go with another stupid idea. I guess I'll just throw it out there and you guys can tear it apart. LOL.
What if this woman is IN the Middle East. Maybe this picture was taken there. That could be why someone with her description (at least as far as we know) hasn't been reported missing. Maybe a military person dropped this. The other idea was that possibly the person who had the pic was of Middle Eastern descent and that was a robe that he had (that belonged to a female friend or family member).
Okay, I'm ready.
There are places in the usa to have your eyebrows threaded, particularly at spas which have a Middle Eastern theme, or near large Islamic areas. And of course you can purchase clothing catering to Middle Eastern women in any large city in USA or over the internet. BUT probably the most prolific threading is done in the Middle East itself, and the area you will find the most thobes is also the Middle East, so I've thought EXACTLY what you are thinking, Lizzy. I don't know how valid the thought is, but it warrents discussion.
Lizzybeth ditto on that. We are all just putting our heads together on this and nobodys idea is any better than anybody elses. I had that same thought as you about whether or not this woman was even in the country. I think the reason is because of when it first came up she looked middle eastern I thought well I know they shoot women over there pretty regularly for some pretty mundane things. Okay, I have to go now and stop my cat from eating a rubberband. Bye!
Gee, trixie, I hope your kitty is OK! And you are so right about nobody's ideas being more valuable than anyone else's. I am a firm follower of the saying "Iron sharpens Iron" Your thinking, Kat's, Lizzies, Jacobeans, ALL of ya'lls ideas make me stop and analyze. It makes me refine my thoughts. And hopefully my ideas will have the same effect. The end product should be some sharply refined ideas!
As an aside: Has anyone here actually communicated with the McClain county sheriff's office? Are they privy to our sleuthing attempts? I think we've had some very good ideas---even the ones I don't see, like Tara. LE needs to know that some people see a strong resemblance, that way they can rule her in or out....
czechmate7
07-03-2007, 09:16 PM
There are places in the usa to have your eyebrows threaded, particularly at spas which have a Middle Eastern theme, or near large Islamic areas. And of course you can purchase clothing catering to Middle Eastern women in any large city in USA or over the internet. BUT probably the most prolific threading is done in the Middle East itself, and the area you will find the most thobes is also the Middle East, so I've thought EXACTLY what you are thinking, Lizzy. I don't know how valid the thought is, but it warrents discussion.
..
There was an article in our newspaper a month or so ago about a couple of women in town who offer this service (eyebrow threading)...this is in Pensacola Fl...not a big Middle Eastern population here...
concernedperson
07-03-2007, 09:26 PM
All I can say is the girl in the photo is dead. It looks staged to me that the killer was doing his own memorial service with the robe and her position.I can see defensive posturing on her arms and her lip is busted from what is a blow by the perp IMO.This is an after death photo for his memorabilia. He may have passed this on to other pervs and one of them dropped it. He may be incarcerated or dead. But the network is in place. This could be early snuff filming that has been in place for years. I don't think she looks middle eastern I think her garb is part of the ritual.
No, the bags under her eyes, and her hair hold a sort of like a "sick day" look to me. I think her husband or SO killed her, and that it's very possible he has married and murdered other women as well. If the robe were put on her after death, there'd be blood staining/smears on it. I think she was wearing it when she died, and she died in her own home, or in a place where she felt comfortable with the idea of being in a robe.
SeriouslySearching
07-03-2007, 09:32 PM
I think there is a better chance the girl is more local. She doesn't look middle eastern to me at all.
Those particular types of robes were very common back in the 80s/90s. My grandmother had a lot of them which looked similar. Yes, it does seem to be 'flocked' and the pattern on it seems to be like an applique with stitching around it or possibly embroidered. (She bought a lot of her clothes at Sears, J.C.Penny's, etc. instead of Walmart. However, many of her robes were gifts from family who spent more on them.) You would have been able to find them in garage or estate sales in steady supply tho.
I am not seeing a cleft in her chin. I keep looking, but not seeing it yet.
If it is Tara C., I don't know there will be any way to verify it is her unless they send the photo to the lab in NM who did the original work on the other photos they thought to be Tara. With both her parents gone, I don't know how they will identify her and this photo could linger on forever unless they either find the perp or her body. (In all the reports I have read there wasn't a mention of other family members either.) Sad to say. They also need to send the photo to Polaroid (if it is a polaroid instant cam shot) to identify the year the paper was used etc.
It is difficult to tell what the OSBI here will do to find out who she is. I don't hold much hope out they are that interested being it was only on one tv station and finally in the local paper in Purcell, Oklahoma where the photo was found.
If you are talking about the black and white photo of the girl killed by Franklin Lloyd...I don't think it resembles her at all. I wish I had my photo editing capabilities I had on my other computer so I could show you about the nose etc and the similarities with the living pictures of Tara C. They are spot on.
LionRun
07-03-2007, 09:50 PM
I think there is a better chance the girl is more local. She doesn't look middle eastern to me at all. That robe was pretty common back in the late 80s/early 90s. My grandmother had a lot of them which looked similar. Yes, it does seem to be 'flocked' and the pattern on it does seem to be like an
I agree with you SS. It is more likely, too. And, if she is dead as it seems from the photo she might be, I doubt her bf or husband killed her. It is not uncommon for serial killers to photo their victims just before or after the murder them and keep them as souvenirs and to relive their act for twisted pleasure. And, I think this is more likely. In any case I hope and pray that this case is solved, the perp faces justice, and she can be given back to her family.
Lion
concernedperson
07-03-2007, 10:25 PM
I agree with you SS. It is more likely, too. And, if she is dead as it seems from the photo she might be, I doubt her bf or husband killed her. It is not uncommon for serial killers to photo their victims just before or after the murder them and keep them as souvenirs and to relive their act for twisted pleasure. And, I think this is more likely. In any case I hope and pray that this case is solved, the perp faces justice, and she can be given back to her family.
Lion
Totally agree with this being a serial. Just like Dennis Radar.
Reannan
07-03-2007, 10:41 PM
Great find on the robe picture kgeaux! I think we are getting closer, but I think the design on the robe is more Greek than Middle Eastern. It appears to be something like the Acanthus Leaf pattern used in a lot of Greek and Italian designs, whether the item is furniture or clothing.
I am curious about what Docwho3 meant in his comment:
"I suspect the robe is a sort of distraction. According to the impressions on her skin, at the arm (as they appear when the image is enlarged and slightly edited for contrast and gamma corrections), the robe was not what she was wearing just before the pic was taken. I think the "robe" was a late addition, perhaps added for the pic."
What impressions on her arm are you seeing? I have said in an earlier post that I am surprised she is clothed at all. The clothing is obviously staged, and I have to assume that there is significance to the choice of clothing.
LionRun
07-03-2007, 10:48 PM
Totally agree with this being a serial. Just like Dennis Radar.
Hey there concernedperson:blowkiss:. I hope all is well with you.
Lion
snarkymalarkey
07-03-2007, 11:27 PM
http://www.mcclaincountysheriff.com/index.asp?content=25
They removed the picture
trixie
07-03-2007, 11:35 PM
OMG! Do you think they have ID'd her?.......or maybe someone objected to the picture of the dead girl on their website! They tried to pass her off as injured.....! (ok, that sounded brash..anyway, if they want help identifying her they need to show the picture. Maybe, hopefully, they know who she is now.)
snarkymalarkey
07-03-2007, 11:45 PM
I'm sure they never meant to put that picture on there. I think the retouched photo was supposed to be publically available, not the original.
Did anybody save it?
Did anybody run into this article?
http://www.purcellregister.com/article-display.asp?idnum=1048
It references one unidentified of possible indian decent. I don't know if that means native american or middle eastern...
laini
07-03-2007, 11:50 PM
I have it saved under my favorites and it comes up as a .jpg. It still works for me. So I can't copy and paste, right? I thought anything listed under favorites was just a link to a website. So I am confused why I have the photo under my favorites still if it is no longer on their site. Anybody know?
philamena
07-03-2007, 11:51 PM
Wow I thought I was the only one who didn't see any resemblence. I didn't see it before and I still don't see it. IMO this photo looks nothing like Tara Calico. I think law enforcement has probably already checked this against KNOWN missing persons and didn't find a match so that's why they are turning to the public to help ID this poor girl. We tend to forget the police have vast resources to check on things like this. IMO they've already done thier thing and came up empty so they are as stumped as we are. It's not Tara, IMO.
I don't see a resemblance either. I do however think this janedoe looks alot like Jennifer Kesse with dark hair. Anyone else think they look similar?
docwho3
07-03-2007, 11:52 PM
I'm sure they never meant to put that picture on there. I think the retouched photo was supposed to be publically available, not the original.
Did anybody save it?...
I saved it (as I suspect others also did) on my hard drive and I have been working on various copies of it, looking for details less easily seen.
trixie
07-03-2007, 11:53 PM
I saved it to my pictures and I still have it. Don't ask me why, btw don't ask me anything at all about computers cuz I dunno!! I think it is actually in this thread a few pages back. If anyone wants me to put it here let me know.
SewingDeb
07-03-2007, 11:58 PM
I have it in my picture files if it is ok to post it here.
trixie
07-04-2007, 12:01 AM
I'm sure they never meant to put that picture on there. I think the retouched photo was supposed to be publically available, not the original.
Did anybody save it?
Did anybody run into this article?
http://www.purcellregister.com/article-display.asp?idnum=1048
It references one unidentified of possible indian decent. I don't know if that means native american or middle eastern...
Thanks for the article. I hadn't seen it It is dated 3-4-2004. It said "American Indian" and she had red or reddish brown hair. No clothes, no jewely no ID. Kinda sounds like our girl. But I'm sure they've already checked to see if that picture matches THAT body. Wouldn't you think?
philamena
07-04-2007, 12:21 AM
I still think the 'robe' is one from either WalMart or Kmart. And I also remember seeing the pattern of whatever it is that she's laying on -----but for the life of me I can't remember what it is. I remember the pink and the green and a floral pattern of some type. I'm thinking this pattern was on material 10 or more years ago.
cdt0283
07-04-2007, 01:41 AM
Well the Sheriff's Dept removed the picture from that page but not their server. So if you find the direct URL in a previous post the untouched picture is still available...for now.
I'm sure they never meant to put that picture on there. I think the retouched photo was supposed to be publically available, not the original.
Did anybody save it?
Did anybody run into this article?
http://www.purcellregister.com/article-display.asp?idnum=1048
It references one unidentified of possible indian decent. I don't know if that means native american or middle eastern...
cdt0283
07-04-2007, 01:46 AM
Very poor quality picture here but does anyone see an resemblance to Kelly Tilley, wanted by the McClain SO.
http://www.mcclaincountysheriff.com/index.asp?content=7
txsvicki
07-04-2007, 02:51 AM
I still think the 'robe' is one from either WalMart or Kmart. And I also remember seeing the pattern of whatever it is that she's laying on -----but for the life of me I can't remember what it is. I remember the pink and the green and a floral pattern of some type. I'm thinking this pattern was on material 10 or more years ago.
I've seen that type robe and comforter too, or something similar, and remember thinking that it would look too Summery for me to enjoy year round for a few years.
Another observation about the photo (link on page 7). If the girl is laying on a smaller bed, she's not on it straight and her legs may be hanging over the side since she's at an angle. I also think that someone swept her hair back at the top and fixed the tendril hanging down in front of her ear. If she is dead, and that is a fly, someone had to clean her up some, and put her there.
jacobean
07-04-2007, 05:05 AM
Okay, here I go with another stupid idea. I guess I'll just throw it out there and you guys can tear it apart. LOL.
What if this woman is IN the Middle East. Maybe this picture was taken there. That could be why someone with her description (at least as far as we know) hasn't been reported missing. Maybe a military person dropped this. The other idea was that possibly the person who had the pic was of Middle Eastern descent and that was a robe that he had (that belonged to a female friend or family member).
Okay, I'm ready.
I dont think its stupid. Just because the picture was dropped/ left in the US, doesnt mean thats where it was taken. The army comment is also interesting - Im an army brat and we had these mattresses when my family were posted to cyprus in the early 80's. Its not something that the forces would provide but my mum would have bought them probably in the naafi, i wonder if the stores on bases round the world stock the same stuff.....sorry, i know its really out there....but was just a thought....
SeriouslySearching
07-04-2007, 06:12 AM
OK...I have looked this over very carefully and have come up with a couple of things for you to take a look at. (I can't get the pics to load up here either or I would do that.)
In the black and white known photo of Tara...get the magnifier out and check out her left ear. (Unless it is reversed and it is actually the right one.) It attaches like the one in the unrevised pic. Also notice the little opening coming down between the lobe and the piece the ear above. (It is also easier to compare if you will vertically reverse the black n white photo.)
Then on the other known photo of Tara looking towards her left (colored photo) there appears to be a small freckle/mole on the right side of her chin which you can see clearly on the unrevised, but note she is wearing makeup in her colored photo which would naturally cover it a bit. Also there looks to be a freckle/mole in the same place on her neck as the unrevised pic.
I do notice a slight cleft on both photos.
I did this same comparison to Jennifer Kesse and others that were posted here. I didn't see any postive identifying marks (at least that I could figure out).
Reannan
07-04-2007, 09:41 AM
I noticed the same comparisons of the ear and the possible mole/freckle on her neck as SeriouslySearching. I cropped the pictures to focus in on those spots, and then enlarged them till the pixel differentiation was horrible, but I am fairly certain that there is a mole in the same location on the unidentified girl's neck as there is on the picture of Tara. I don't have to enlarge the pictures to see that the ears are very close comparisons. Besides the ear lobes, the ears are also placed generally the same distance between crown of head and chin in both pictures. I just keep going back to the apparent posed nature of the crime scene photo. I don't believe the bed she is laying on is where she was shot....I think we would see more blood splatter on the headboard and mattress....and on her robe. She could have been shot on a corner of the bed which is out of the picture, but I believe she was killed, cleaned up a bit, dressed in that robe (which also doesn't have any blood splatter on it), and then placed in that position for the photograph. The scary thing is, I don't belileve this would have been done by an angry husband, boyfriend, SO, or anyone else who was just pizzed off about something. This was done by a sadistic egocentric individual who was proud of his work. Now, we have to wonder why WE are seeing the picture NOW. I don't believe it was an accident. I hope he isn't getting all psyched up to add a new lady to his collection.
SeriouslySearching
07-04-2007, 10:31 AM
I think the reason the photo surfaced now is because it is the end game piece to LE after he found he can't terrorize her family with her parents both deceased. They don't have him and he had them all the way through. He IS a sick, demented person.
He will hopefully be caught in some other way without hurting anyone else. Would be nice to think a traffic violation or an eviction notice would turn up other evidence somewhere. Or even better...someone knows or suspects him enough to turn him in!
jacobean
07-04-2007, 10:45 AM
I noticed the same comparisons of the ear and the possible mole/freckle on her neck as SeriouslySearching. I cropped the pictures to focus in on those spots, and then enlarged them till the pixel differentiation was horrible, but I am fairly certain that there is a mole in the same location on the unidentified girl's neck as there is on the picture of Tara. I don't have to enlarge the pictures to see that the ears are very close comparisons. Besides the ear lobes, the ears are also placed generally the same distance between crown of head and chin in both pictures. I just keep going back to the apparent posed nature of the crime scene photo. I don't believe the bed she is laying on is where she was shot....I think we would see more blood splatter on the headboard and mattress....and on her robe. She could have been shot on a corner of the bed which is out of the picture, but I believe she was killed, cleaned up a bit, dressed in that robe (which also doesn't have any blood splatter on it), and then placed in that position for the photograph. The scary thing is, I don't belileve this would have been done by an angry husband, boyfriend, SO, or anyone else who was just pizzed off about something. This was done by a sadistic egocentric individual who was proud of his work. Now, we have to wonder why WE are seeing the picture NOW. I don't believe it was an accident. I hope he isn't getting all psyched up to add a new lady to his collection.
I also wondered about the blood spatter - there doesnt seem to be any on the wood part of the bed (or whatever it is...) so i think you're absolutely right. I've seen some awful things that people who supposedly love each other can do to one another and it pains me to think that a husband or bf could do this to someone, but then i see stuff about (just for example) honour killings and think if parents/ siblings can do things like ive seen to a female family member, im not convinced it couldnt be a significant other, but considering the pic exists i also lean more towards a sadistic serial.....
daphnec
07-04-2007, 12:03 PM
I've seen that type robe and comforter too, or something similar, and remember thinking that it would look too Summery for me to enjoy year round for a few years.
To me, the comforter looks like one of the ones you see in really cheap hotels or the ones that you can buy at Dollar General for just a few bucks that are as rough as sand paper and not very heavy. JMO
kgeaux
07-04-2007, 12:27 PM
There was an article in our newspaper a month or so ago about a couple of women in town who offer this service (eyebrow threading)...this is in Pensacola Fl...not a big Middle Eastern population here...
Thank you, czech! You've proven that threading is widely available in USA. I was thinking it had to be only in larger markets, but Pensacola is more suburban than that......I think we can say "widely available."
If the robe were put on her after death, there'd be blood staining/smears on it. I think she was wearing it when she died, and she died in her own home, or in a place where she felt comfortable with the idea of being in a robe.
I totally agree with you here. I know posing a victim is common, especially with serial killers, but this poor girl has catastrophic injuries that caused her brains to literally be blown out. (sorry) That robe would surely be a mess if someone dressed her in that after her injuries.
I think there is a better chance the girl is more local. She doesn't look middle eastern to me at all.
.
I agree, Searching, that there is a better chance she is more local, and that the robe is of more local origination. However, Reannan has spent countless hours over several days looking for a similar garment in local markets, and had no luck. That's not to say it's not there! But I figured it was worth a shot to widen our research....and (how old is your gramma?? :blowkiss: ) I have a very similar robe from 1981---the year my oldest son was born--it's velour, it's got a little collar, it zips up, it's got embroidery on the chest area, BUT there is no embroidery on the arm. That is the one thing I've not seen in local (USA) market. And while velour robes are from an ancient market here, silk velvet thobes are popular NOW.
I am praying someone can come up with an exact match---wouldn't that be wonderful to narrow down the time line?
As to your comments about identifying her as Tara, I don't quite remember how it was done, but I've seen one of those forensics shows where they took a known x-ray of a victim and superimposed the x-ray of an unknown victim over it to make a match. If they can do that, maybe they could use an x-ray of Tara and superimpose this photo over to see if eye-sockets, jaw joint, etc. match up?
Great find on the robe picture kgeaux! I think we are getting closer, but I think the design on the robe is more Greek than Middle Eastern. It appears to be something like the Acanthus Leaf pattern used in a lot of Greek and Italian designs, whether the item is furniture or clothing.
I am curious about what Docwho3 meant in his comment:
"I suspect the robe is a sort of distraction. According to the impressions on her skin, at the arm (as they appear when the image is enlarged and slightly edited for contrast and gamma corrections), the robe was not what she was wearing just before the pic was taken. I think the "robe" was a late addition, perhaps added for the pic."
What impressions on her arm are you seeing? I have said in an earlier post that I am surprised she is clothed at all. The clothing is obviously staged, and I have to assume that there is significance to the choice of clothing.
Reannan, you are the one who got me started! All your research inspired me. Your comments about the greek aspect to the design is intriguing. I'll have to look up that pattern. I feel we are getting closer....at least I hope so. The thobe I found is actually "ARABIC." So I'll see what I get with greek!
I can't answer for doc, but I see a slight impression on her forearm.....it begins right at the smear of blood and continues down toward the lower right of the photo. It could conceivable have been made by the armband of another garment, OR it could be that her robe has elasticized wrists , OR it could be markings from a restraint. But doc's observation is valid, if she was dressed after death, then the robe is a distraction. It would serve to make us think she was in her home or a comfortable location, when the exact opposite could be true.
Thinking outside the box now, and trying to go with doc and concerned and others who have mentioned staging: Is the thought process something along the lines that the robe itself may have great significance to the killer? Maybe it was worn by his first victim? And now, as he kills others, he dresses them in death in the robe as a way or re-enacting the first murder?\\
I absolutely hate that I am trying to think like a murderer! I wish we had a profiler as a member of this board, because I betcha we could REALLY benefit.
I remember on another forum, during the Louisiana Serial Killer time, we had a professor of genetics and DNA who would post, and what a wealth of info she shared with us! We need some experts here!
kgeaux
07-04-2007, 12:36 PM
I have it in my picture files if it is ok to post it here.
It's so graphic, Deb. I've got it saved, too. But I'd check with Tricia first before posting it.
Thanks for the article. I hadn't seen it It is dated 3-4-2004. It said "American Indian" and she had red or reddish brown hair. No clothes, no jewely no ID. Kinda sounds like our girl. But I'm sure they've already checked to see if that picture matches THAT body. Wouldn't you think?
It also said she died of possible strangulation, which would mean no damage to the skull. Our girl will have a massive head wound.
I still think the 'robe' is one from either WalMart or Kmart. And I also remember seeing the pattern of whatever it is that she's laying on -----but for the life of me I can't remember what it is. I remember the pink and the green and a floral pattern of some type. I'm thinking this pattern was on material 10 or more years ago.
philamena, I was right where you are yesterday. Those colors! They have to be from the past, right? Then my 16 year old son's girlfriend passed by my computer and saw a cropped (thank God) area of the photo: just depicting the area of the comforter *?* underneath the arm and above the robe----and she blurted out "COOL! Retro! Old School!" so I did a search using those terms and guess what? Those colors ARE POPULAR TODAY. Just when I decide it has to be an old photo, I learn maybe not so much.
I have not found an exact match, but those colors are out there and there are even SHINY NYLON comforters with those colors!
kgeaux
07-04-2007, 12:39 PM
OK...I have looked this over very carefully and have come up with a couple of things for you to take a look at. (I can't get the pics to load up here either or I would do that.)
In the black and white known photo of Tara...get the magnifier out and check out her left ear. (Unless it is reversed and it is actually the right one.) It attaches like the one in the unrevised pic. Also notice the little opening coming down between the lobe and the piece the ear above. (It is also easier to compare if you will vertically reverse the black n white photo.)
Then on the other known photo of Tara looking towards her left (colored photo) there appears to be a small freckle/mole on the right side of her chin which you can see clearly on the unrevised, but note she is wearing makeup in her colored photo which would naturally cover it a bit. Also there looks to be a freckle/mole in the same place on her neck as the unrevised pic.
I do notice a slight cleft on both photos.
I did this same comparison to Jennifer Kesse and others that were posted here. I didn't see any postive identifying marks (at least that I could figure out).
There are many similarities. Tara also has a small freckle, or tiny mole in the center of her neck, as does our girl. The ear, definite similarities. The tiny cleft, I can see it in both.
Definitely worth checking out.
I personally see differences in the nose, and in the forehead, but Searching, I have been wrong before and it is completely within the realm of possibilities that I am wrong this time.
Good catches. Good catches.
SewingDeb
07-04-2007, 12:55 PM
I feel funny even having the picture saved on my computer. That poor woman. I hope this can be solved and there will be justice for her.
kgeaux
07-04-2007, 01:04 PM
I feel funny even having the picture saved on my computer. That poor woman. I hope this can be solved and there will be justice for her.
I know. It feels like such an invasion of her privacy, doesn't it? The only thing that makes it "okay" for me is that I know she is crying out for justice. She wants whoever did this to be held accountable. I look at her expression---to me it is of hopeless resignation---and I know she wanted to live, but had that desire beaten out of her. Someone HAS to pay.
Reannan WOW! That acanthus leaf pattern you mentioned....I've got to admit it had never crossed my mind--you are on target, girl.
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7892/acanthusqh7.jpg
I haven't found it on a robe, but the pattern really makes me stop and think.
How popular would that design have been on robes in USA? Would it appear on more expensive or cheaper clothing? Anybody know?
I agree with you SS. It is more likely, too. And, if she is dead as it seems from the photo she might be, I doubt her bf or husband killed her. It is not uncommon for serial killers to photo their victims just before or after the murder them and keep them as souvenirs and to relive their act for twisted pleasure. And, I think this is more likely. In any case I hope and pray that this case is solved, the perp faces justice, and she can be given back to her family.
Lion
Why can't the serial killer be a male black widow type? I saved the image to my hard drive as well. Ask here in the topic if you want a copy and I'll e-mail it to you. ETA: It's too graphic to post here, I can't look at it much at all, I have to get up my courage to open it. ETA2: I'm thinking of the notorious murderer who married his victim, robbed her blind, then mercilessly killed her after finding his next victim to marry then murder. I can't recall his name, but one family out there sought justice for over a decade. (I am not sure if they ever did get justice for their daughter either.)
SewingDeb
07-04-2007, 02:55 PM
Ironically, acananthus leaves symbolize long life according to some reading I have done while googling acanthus leaf robe.
trixie
07-04-2007, 03:05 PM
I think she was naked and this robe was placed on her after she was killed, and I still think it's a mans robe. If not a mans then at least it's something from the 80's. Just my opinion, of course.
SewingDeb
07-04-2007, 03:06 PM
I've found that blue is the color of trancendence. Stained glass windows show Christ with the Father in heaven and both are wearing blue robes.
More on Acanthus symbolism:
TOMBSTONE SYMBOLS
by Shiloh Museum
Acanthus leaf Gardens of Heaven
http://www.rootsweb.com/~arwcags/TomstoneSymbols.htm
This is assuming the robe was added as part of the staging of the scene in the photo.
SewingDeb
07-04-2007, 03:07 PM
From this link:
http://www.hedgehoghandworks.com/catalog/BKNW5061.shtml
Did you know that the acanthus leaf symbolizes overcoming life's trials?
trixie
07-04-2007, 03:13 PM
In all honesty I think we may be reading too much into some things than we need to. The robe is probably just a robe, and maybe HIS robe at that. She looks to me like she maybe had been in bed sleeping or at least been in bed for awhile when this happened. Her hair has that "scooted around on the pillow" during sleep look and it doesn't look like it had been brushed for this picture. Of course everyone has their own thoughts about all of this and theses are just mine. One thing I try to remember is the "kiss" principle. Most murders are exactly what they seem.
docwho3
07-04-2007, 03:13 PM
. . .doc and concerned and others who have mentioned staging: Is the thought process something along the lines that the robe itself may have great significance to the killer? . . .
I don't know that he would or would not have any special reason for using the garment other than it may be convenient to get that garment on and off a victim body and might make his picture taking easier.
The blue color may(or may not) have some significance if the victim is one of those missing persons recently spoken of who had a missing person pic that showed her wearing a blue top (although not the exact same top as we see in our own pic of the unknown victim.) And also there are possible "artistic" reasons as I pointed out before (I hate to use the term "artistic" in connection with a murder but could not think of a better description for the time being.) Mostly though I think it was just easier to put a loose garment of that type on a body. There are some dried fluid stains showing on the face so I think he may have waited until the fluids dried to add the blue garment but, on the other hand, he could have easly put the garment on her just prior to killing her. It is hard to tell if there is any blood on the garment because of the limited angle and limited scope of the pic.
In all honesty I think we may be reading too much into some things than we need to. The robe is probably just a robe, and maybe HIS robe at that. She looks to me like she maybe had been in bed sleeping or at least been in bed for awhile when this happened. Her hair has that "scooted around on the pillow" during sleep look and it doesn't look like it had been brushed for this picture. Of course everyone has their own thoughts about all of this and theses are just mine. One thing I try to remember is the "kiss" principle. Most murders are exactly what they seem.
I agree.
SewingDeb
07-04-2007, 03:21 PM
You all are probably right that the robe is just a robe that was handy or she was wearing it when she died. Just exploring some possibilties of the design and color having meaning to the killer and the robe representing something in his mind.
trixie
07-04-2007, 03:24 PM
I agree.
Whew! Thank goodness! I thought everybody would be mad at me. lol!
SewingDeb
07-04-2007, 03:28 PM
Nah! LOL.
philamena
07-04-2007, 05:26 PM
I've seen that type robe and comforter too, or something similar, and remember thinking that it would look too Summery for me to enjoy year round for a few years.
Another observation about the photo (link on page 7). If the girl is laying on a smaller bed, she's not on it straight and her legs may be hanging over the side since she's at an angle. I also think that someone swept her hair back at the top and fixed the tendril hanging down in front of her ear. If she is dead, and that is a fly, someone had to clean her up some, and put her there.
Yes, txvicki,
You and I are seeing things the same way.
Good idea about her laying on a smaller type bed.
cdt0283
07-04-2007, 06:06 PM
Anyone ?
Very poor quality picture here but does anyone see an resemblance to Kelly Tilley, wanted by the McClain SO.
http://www.mcclaincountysheriff.com/index.asp?content=7
concernedperson
07-04-2007, 06:34 PM
Anyone ?
Actually there is a resemblance. Kelly seems to have a slighter fuller face and a shorter nose but it is difficult to discern features in that photo.
kgeaux
07-04-2007, 07:08 PM
Anyone ?
I can't make out enough detail to see if Kelly fits or not. Generally speaking, Kelly is a dark haired, young white woman, so I guess to that degree she fits. The photo of her is so washed out regarding her nose and chin that I can't really make a comparison.
It is interesting to note, that with Kelly being on the lam, so to speak, that would make her "disappearance" something nobody would really notice. She could be dead and people would just assume she'd taken off to elude the law. So maybe she fits in that aspect too.
laini
07-04-2007, 07:13 PM
The scary thing is, I don't belileve this would have been done by an angry husband, boyfriend, SO, or anyone else who was just pizzed off about something. This was done by a sadistic egocentric individual who was proud of his work. .
This is what I believe, too, Reannan.
trixie
07-04-2007, 07:15 PM
I think I see a resemblence as far as a long nose, thin lips and thin plucked eyebrows but we'd need a clearer picture I think to be any more sure. I do think however this girl is a closer match than Tara Calico.
Indy Gal
07-04-2007, 07:59 PM
Ok guys first post here, but I have read everything.
First as much as I want to agree with you SS, I just cant. For me the main thing is the hair. Taras seemed thicker than this girls. The girls in the photo looks much thinner IMO.
Also, If you look right under her ear in the untouched photo, IMO the is some kind of hole or wound there. If you like I can circle it and PM it to whomever wants me too.
I can not for the life of me figure out what that is in the bottom left, that her head is on. It looks strange IMO.
You guys are awesome by the way!!!
cdt0283
07-04-2007, 08:00 PM
Yeah. It looks like a drivers license photo and the quality is horrible. I still do see some similaries but its difficult because you can only see the profile of the unidentified woman.
Actually there is a resemblance. Kelly seems to have a slighter fuller face and a shorter nose but it is difficult to discern features in that photo.
SeriouslySearching
07-04-2007, 08:18 PM
Yeah. It looks like a drivers license photo and the quality is horrible. I still do see some similaries but its difficult because you can only see the profile of the unidentified woman.
There is some resemblance with the eyebrow and chin, but the hair is just all wrong for me. You can't tell about the nose because of the pic quality. Too bad they don't have a better photo of her.
T-Rex
07-04-2007, 10:06 PM
Funny you guys all mentioned Eighties, because I was thinking those sheets looked very Miami Vice-period, which was around 1985.
trixie
07-04-2007, 11:16 PM
Ok guys first post here, but I have read everything.
First as much as I want to agree with you SS, I just cant. For me the main thing is the hair. Taras seemed thicker than this girls. The girls in the photo looks much thinner IMO.
Also, If you look right under her ear in the untouched photo, IMO the is some kind of hole or wound there. If you like I can circle it and PM it to whomever wants me too.
I can not for the life of me figure out what that is in the bottom left, that her head is on. It looks strange IMO.
You guys are awesome by the way!!!
Hi Indygal! What do you mean by what her head is lying on?All I see is the comforter type thing. Oh and yes I see the hole or wound you are talking about. Are we sure that's not just some hair? I dunno.
Whoops just went and looked again and actually it looks like the blood/brain matter that is up in her hair.
trixie
07-04-2007, 11:29 PM
Concerning the robe: does anyone see how the design is in gold which looks kind of filled in or colored in with gold? Well does anyone else see the one design that is only partially filled in or colored in? It looks like this design may have been a pattern she or someone drew on or something and they were filling it in with the gold color and it didn't get finished. Was that about as clear as mud?! lol! I really noticed it when I turned the pic upside down and looked at it. Anybody else see what I see? Maybe the reason we can't find this robe is because it is actually from a home-made pattern?
philamena
07-04-2007, 11:34 PM
trixie,
I see it. Do you think someone, maybe the victim, was filling in the design with ink? Or could the missing portion of the design have simply washed off?
trixie
07-04-2007, 11:47 PM
I'm so glad somebody else sees it! Sometimes when you turn the pic upside down you can see new things. To me it looks unfinished.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 12:29 AM
You guys are amazing. I have been busy with entertaining guest for a Fourth of July party, and all I really wanted to do was get back to the computer and search for that robe or bedspread (or whatever it is). You have all come up with some great ideas. I had not noticed the incomplete coloring on the robe before....it is odd. There seems to be some dissent regarding whether or not she was wearing the robe when she was killed. I am betting she was not. I just think any injury that would cause brain matter to be visible would result in a large amount of blood, and I just don't see it on the robe or bedspread. Therefore....take a mental journey with me into the mind of a serial killer...... if you have just murdered someone, and you need a picture to remind you of them, do you just grab the camera and start taking photographs? Maybe.....but this guy apparently moved her to a clean location, and posed her with her hand in that position after putting her in a robe. WHY? Why would he go through the trouble of dressing her? Maybe the robe belonged to his Mother, or to someone else of significance. I just can't get past the idea that this is a posed picture, and one that was done with a lot of thought. The staging included making sure the victim was in a relatively clean environment and dressed. It had to mean something to him.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 12:42 AM
Someone, a few posts back (sorry I can't remember who) said she had that "sick day" hair look. I think this poor lady had been held captive for a while, and that is why she had that "sick day" hair look, and why she has dark circles under her eye. It explains the electrical tie or piece of braided robe that you can see in the picture. I think her hands were tied when she was shot, and they were untied when she was dressed and posed for the picture. It does feel strange and even creepy having the picture on your hard drive, but I am glad that all of you are out there to care for her. She deserves someone to care, and she deserves justice.
trixie
07-05-2007, 01:06 AM
I'm not sure about the serial killer angle. It still seems to me to be the work of a boyfriend or husband and I think she had been in bed maybe asleep prior to........:( You know maybe somone came home late and drunk and well...!
I also think it looks like she has a black eye. If you blow up the pic right on that area it looks like an uneven smattering of darkness below the eye. Not really like its just dark circles under her eye.
Also, if we really want to think outside the box what about a hitman? Don't they take a picture of the victim to prove they are dead?And don't professionals shoot in the head? I thought that was a common tell-tale sign of a hitmans work. And that is really the only person I could understand having and saving a picture like this. To show the job has been done.
I don't think the robe has any significance, just MO. I still say it looks like one she may have made herself. It does look too large for her though and that's why I was thinking it may be a mans. That and the pattern to me looks kinda masculine. I agree with you that it looks to have been put on her after the fact and her head was posed to lean the opposite way for the picture if we look at the trickle of blood coming from her mouth to get a refernce for where the blood ran to before.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 01:11 AM
You guys are amazing. I have been busy with entertaining guest for a Fourth of July party, and all I really wanted to do was get back to the computer and search for that robe or bedspread (or whatever it is). You have all come up with some great ideas. I had not noticed the incomplete coloring on the robe before....it is odd. There seems to be some dissent regarding whether or not she was wearing the robe when she was killed. I am betting she was not. I just think any injury that would cause brain matter to be visible would result in a large amount of blood, and I just don't see it on the robe or bedspread. Therefore....take a mental journey with me into the mind of a serial killer...... if you have just murdered someone, and you need a picture to remind you of them, do you just grab the camera and start taking photographs? Maybe.....but this guy apparently moved her to a clean location, and posed her with her hand in that position after putting her in a robe. WHY? Why would he go through the trouble of dressing her? Maybe the robe belonged to his Mother, or to someone else of significance. I just can't get past the idea that this is a posed picture, and one that was done with a lot of thought. The staging included making sure the victim was in a relatively clean environment and dressed. It had to mean something to him.
I think it's a trophy picture, and I do believe this woman was posed. The hand is at an unnatural angle; maybe rigor had set in and that's the way it ended up being laid out. ??? I am wondering if LE cropped more from this photo and the public is only privy to what is being put out there. I'm really glad that the original untouched version of the pic was found. It really puts a whole new light on this case.
trixie
07-05-2007, 01:20 AM
I know the photo is cropped and thats frustrating. I feel like we would be able to see more of what she is laying on if we could see the whole picture. I wonder what they didn't want us to see?
txsvicki
07-05-2007, 02:34 AM
Concerning the robe: does anyone see how the design is in gold which looks kind of filled in or colored in with gold? Well does anyone else see the one design that is only partially filled in or colored in? It looks like this design may have been a pattern she or someone drew on or something and they were filling it in with the gold color and it didn't get finished. Was that about as clear as mud?! lol! I really noticed it when I turned the pic upside down and looked at it. Anybody else see what I see? Maybe the reason we can't find this robe is because it is actually from a home-made pattern?
Is the design gold? I had thought it was green and thought that was odd, but when I saved the pic to favorites and opened it, I could see some gold. Also, are the leaves Acanthus as one poster mentioned? I thought the unfilled in design was some sort of flower outlined in the white with the leaves around it. I'd like to know what it is and if it's a unisex robe or female.
docwho3
07-05-2007, 03:18 AM
. . .I am curious about what Docwho3 meant in his comment:
"I suspect the robe is a sort of distraction. According to the impressions on her skin, at the arm (as they appear when the image is enlarged and slightly edited for contrast and gamma corrections), the robe was not what she was wearing just before the pic was taken. I think the "robe" was a late addition, perhaps added for the pic."
What impressions on her arm are you seeing? I have said in an earlier post that I am surprised she is clothed at all. The clothing is obviously staged, and I have to assume that there is significance to the choice of clothing. Sorry for not answering more clearly and sooner.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e232/docwho3/Doezz/armbig2b.jpg
There are also a few other details that I see in the pic but I do not want to post those yet as I think L.E. should have the chance to make use of the info (I figure they have software or other ways to enlarge a pic at least as good and probably better than mine and probably see details even better than I.)
Also: This image is somewhat similar (although not exactly the same) in blue color and pose of subject and hair style to the one OSBI found although I do not know if that just means that I noticed what seems like posing going on or if the resemblance was intentional. (I do not have a favorite theory yet since there is too little info available.)
http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/34978-10312.jpg
SeriouslySearching
07-05-2007, 04:43 AM
Let's try to find some common ground to start with now and work our way out from there.
*I don't think there is anything, but a common female's robe/housecoat there for us to dwell on, IMO. It isn't rare or unusual in the design or the materials used to make it.
*The lack of blood stain or matter could be simple...she was in the robe, but was covered up with a blanket or something...so he just removed it. Or it was stained on the back of the robe and since we aren't seeing the site of the wound or exit, if there is one, and cannot conclusively say if it is matter or coagulation mixed within the hair. (I just watched Dr. Lee's re-inactment on testing his own blood for timed coagulation and it looks very similiar.) She could have been knocked in the head or anything. We don't know. Another thing is with the color of the robe in this photo, blood could have absorbed into the velour and not changed it dramatically from a poor quality photo standpoint. It is possible he redressed her or dressed her, but this would have disturbed the blood more, wouldn't it? So here we have our first set of unknowns, but we can agree she is deceased by some unknown cause. (Also meaning the OSBI intentionally mislead the public and the McClaine County Sheriff's Dept. didn't get the memo. Great detective work, KatK!)
*However, I haven't found a single drop on the bedding or the wood. has anyone else seen any indication of that? (I believe the bright pink on the left bottom corner is a pink flower with small petals such as a hydrangia or similar. It seems to have flecks of white mixed in to resemble such so would be part of the overall piece of the pattern on the cloth and not splatter.) So to think she was put there afterward would be a logical assumption meaning staged.
*Docwho3 might have a good point about it being somewhat artistic, but I am not sure we could begin to apply that to such a photo or a profile of this perp. He is a sick, demented person to do this and photograph it in the first place. I do think it is a trophy of some kind in his warped mind and I think maybe we could agree on this point. It could be a "hit photo" for proof, but the ones I have heard about are taken with the gore intact and not staged afterward. (Still, this all really gives me cold chills about this poor girl and how coldblooded, methodical, and really evil he is.)
*Other things point to staging as she must have been turned or posed to this position because of the blood flow towards the right side of the face then turning towards the chin area. He at least moved her head facing the other way, but could have been smeared toward the chin and the smears on her arm also indicate he moved her, IMO. I still see a considerable bruise/discoloration on her arm from the elbow up towards the hand and coming around the muscle area. It looks like it could be from someone grabbing her with lots of pressure from the front, but it could be the result of blood pooling in the area if the arm were in a down position for a time after her death. (If I have listened to Dr. Lee's, Dr. Perper's and other forensic explanations carefully.)
*I noticed the white cord like or plastic long piece in the first revised photo because it was out of place in her hair. It would make sense it once restrained her where we once figured it was used to strangle her and now we have the other photo which seems to negate that. I am not seeing where there are any visible ligature marks either on her wrist or her neck area tho, so is it possible it was around her ankles at some point? Then it would be reasonable for us to agree she wasn't with him of her own free will and was being restrained indicating an abduction at some point.
*The photo does look "incomplete" like LE cropped it or the perp did.
**These I think are all points we can agree on, yes? (OK, I know some won't agree about the robe or even the possible timing *80s/90s. <shrugs> so we won't include those for now.)
Female.
Reddish/Auburn hair.
Late teens/mid 20s.
Unknown cause of death.
Unknown crime scene.
Staged/posed/cropped scene.
Photo for trophy.
Abducted.
Photo found outside a remote gas station near Purcell, OK. 4 + miles from Interstate 35.
These points can give a direction towards known perps with similiar MOs to research.
Franklin D. Lloyd serving currently on death row so could not have been at the scene where photo was found during the time frame. Was known to take photos then place them between the gas tank and frame of car underneath tho.
Tara Calico's abductor: Unknown. Left various photos to be found: One of girl and boy in duct tape and bound. Other photos which I don't think were ever released, but LE has recovered from a gas station and residential construction site and are believed to be Tara. (Were there other sites and photos released?)
Do we know of any more cases similiar to this?
jacobean
07-05-2007, 05:28 AM
ive been having a long look at mattresses to try to find something similar -
The one at this link is a bunk bed mattress with a rocket design - im looking to find something similar with a tropical design....could this be the sort of thing shes lying on....?
http://www.simplybunkbeds.com/mattresses/twin-mattresses/products.cfm?action=view&key=WCM067
txsvicki
07-05-2007, 05:52 AM
I agree with your description of the girl's age and everything except I believe the design on the robe is fairly unique. If the robe and comforter could be found, then we'd know a possible time frame. What do you make of the wound on the thumb area and do you believe the area around the mouth is blood and not a wound? I can't make out what the paler area is that is going down the cheek. If it's an abrasion or blood drops, it's not very red. It's very faint. I wondered if it could be a mild abrasion that never had a chance to get redder or inflamed since the girl was deceased. I thought that the thumb/hand area was a wound and that it could have been caused from the victim herself clenching her fists so hard that her nails caused injury. Perhaps due to severe pain. Let's try to find some common ground to start with now and work our way out from there.
*I don't think there is anything, but a common female's robe/housecoat there for us to dwell on, IMO. It isn't rare or unusual in the design or the materials used to make it.
*The lack of blood stain or matter could be simple...she was in the robe, but was covered up with a blanket or something...so he just removed it. Or it was stained on the back of the robe and since we aren't seeing the site of the wound or exit, if there is one, and cannot conclusively say if it is matter or coagulation mixed within the hair. (I just watched Dr. Lee's re-inactment on testing his own blood for timed coagulation and it looks very similiar.) She could have been knocked in the head or anything. We don't know. Another thing is with the color of the robe in this photo, blood could have absorbed into the velour and not changed it dramatically from a poor quality photo standpoint. It is possible he redressed her or dressed her, but this would have disturbed the blood more, wouldn't it? So here we have our first set of unknowns, but we can agree she is deceased by some unknown cause. (Also meaning the OSBI intentionally mislead the public and the McClaine County Sheriff's Dept. didn't get the memo. Great detective work, KatK!)
*However, I haven't found a single drop on the bedding or the wood. has anyone else seen any indication of that? (I believe the bright pink on the left bottom corner is a pink flower with small petals such as a hydrangia or similar. It seems to have flecks of white mixed in to resemble such so would be part of the overall piece of the pattern on the cloth and not splatter.) So to think she was put there afterward would be a logical assumption meaning staged.
*Docwho3 might have a good point about it being somewhat artistic, but I am not sure we could begin to apply that to such a photo or a profile of this perp. He is a sick, demented person to do this and photograph it in the first place. I do think it is a trophy of some kind in his warped mind and I think maybe we could agree on this point. It could be a "hit photo" for proof, but the ones I have heard about are taken with the gore intact and not staged afterward. (Still, this all really gives me cold chills about this poor girl and how coldblooded, methodical, and really evil he is.)
*Other things point to staging as she must have been turned or posed to this position because of the blood flow towards the right side of the face then turning towards the chin area. He at least moved her head facing the other way, but could have been smeared toward the chin and the smears on her arm also indicate he moved her, IMO. I still see a considerable bruise/discoloration on her arm from the elbow up towards the hand and coming around the muscle area. It looks like it could be from someone grabbing her with lots of pressure from the front, but it could be the result of blood pooling in the area if the arm were in a down position for a time after her death. (If I have listened to Dr. Lee's, Dr. Perper's and other forensic explanations carefully.)
*I noticed the white cord like or plastic long piece in the first revised photo because it was out of place in her hair. It would make sense it once restrained her where we once figured it was used to strangle her and now we have the other photo which seems to negate that. I am not seeing where there are any visible ligature marks either on her wrist or her neck area tho, so is it possible it was around her ankles at some point? Then it would be reasonable for us to agree she wasn't with him of her own free will and was being restrained indicating an abduction at some point.
*The photo does look "incomplete" like LE cropped it or the perp did.
**These I think are all points we can agree on, yes? (OK, I know some won't agree about the robe or even the possible timing *80s/90s. <shrugs> so we won't include those for now.)
Female.
Reddish/Auburn hair.
Late teens/mid 20s.
Unknown cause of death.
Unknown crime scene.
Staged/posed/cropped scene.
Photo for trophy.
Abducted.
Photo found outside a remote gas station near Purcell, OK. 4 + miles from Interstate 35.
These points can give a direction towards known perps with similiar MOs to research.
Franklin D. Lloyd serving currently on death row so could not have been at the scene where photo was found during the time frame. Was known to take photos then place them between the gas tank and frame of car underneath tho.
Tara Calico's abductor: Unknown. Left various photos to be found: One of girl and boy in duct tape and bound. Other photos which I don't think were ever released, but LE has recovered from a gas station and residential construction site and are believed to be Tara. (Were there other sites and photos released?)
Do we know of any more cases similiar to this?
SeriouslySearching
07-05-2007, 06:51 AM
I personally believe the blood coming from the mouth area could be attributed to what happens after certain types of death (Dr. Perper went through this in ANS's autopsy interviews), not the cause of death. The same with the blood near or on the hand area. It can be reasonably assumed that neither of those could cause death so it was from a mortal wound or other cause we cannot see.
I agree about the comforter and the robe, but I can almost guarantee the time period on both and just how common they were then. People aren't going to agree on this until we can find the exact or near enough to show them tho...and trust me...I have been researching it daily. In our area of the country, both were very common in the 80s-early 90s
Someone mentioned the comforter and it being around the Miami Vice era which would fit. The comforter colors and pattern lend itself to that time period.
txsvicki
07-05-2007, 07:19 AM
http://www.razadesigns.com/gallery/details.asp?CA=34&id=666
this link shows a caftan robe. I believe the robe in the pic would be considered a caftan since the color can be worn down to show the emblem under the collar and it appears to zip up the front and have loose sleeves.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 07:39 AM
On the original link with the picture, what was it listed under at McClaine County Sheriff's Dept? UID? Just wondering what details were given with the photo and I can't seem to find anything on their website with the picture or the details of it.
SeriouslySearching
07-05-2007, 07:40 AM
Along that line, yes, but would have been much cheaper made and not full length.
docwho3
07-05-2007, 07:42 AM
. . .*Docwho3 might have a good point about it being somewhat artistic, but I am not sure we could begin to apply that to such a photo or a profile of this perp. . .
I agree that it is too soon to adopt my "impressions" as theory. I mention the impressions as only possibilities for now. They were only first impressions and may well have been incorrect in some ways.
I am in the process of revamping some of my earlier thoughts on this case due to the fact that I think I have ID'd some relatively innocent part of the picture that at first seemed sinister to me.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 07:44 AM
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/3738/1183635735489fs1.th.png (http://img353.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1183635735489fs1.png)
Just went to the Sheriff's site and picture has been removed. Interesting.
SeriouslySearching
07-05-2007, 07:44 AM
On the original link with the picture, what was it listed under at McClaine County Sheriff's Dept? UID? Just wondering what details were given with the photo and I can't seem to find anything on their website with the picture or the details of it.
You would have to ask KatK. I never saw it on their site, just the link she posted to here. Someone said it had been removed. I found it originally on the tv station site locally and they got their photo off the OSBI website where it is still posted as far as I know, but only the retouched photo was ever posted with either one of them. It is on page one post one.
docwho3
07-05-2007, 07:53 AM
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/3738/1183635735489fs1.th.png (http://img353.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1183635735489fs1.png)
Just went to the Sheriff's site and picture has been removed. Interesting. Last time I looked (a very little bit ago) the original pic was still on the server but you had to already know its address to see it because it is no longer part of any webpage we are allowed to see. I do not know about others but I am not posting the original entire pic anywhere until I know why L.E. removed their pic from the viewable webpage. I would not want to mess up any later court case against the bad guy when he is found.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 07:53 AM
http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/8139092.html Found another article about it.
MCCLAIN COUNTY, Okla. -- Oklahoma (http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/8139092.html#) state investigators are asking for your help in identifying a woman they believe is injured.
This photograph was found earlier this week just outside of Purcell in McClain County.
Authorities say the picture was lying beside a gas pump at a service station.
if Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation forensic artists touched-up the image for public release.
If you have any information, you're asked to call authorities. They have used a smaller version of the retouched photo.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 07:55 AM
Last time I looked (a very little bit ago) the original pic was still on the server but you had to already know its address to see it because it is no longer part of any webpage we are allowed to see. I do not know about others but I am not posting the original entire pic anywhere until I know why L.E. removed their pic from the viewable webpage. I would not want to mess up any later court case against the bad guy when he is found.
I found the original pic on their server. I wonder why they pulled the photo? Was there an article on their site about the picture at all?
Yes, the article on the Sheriff's site re-iterated what was said in the first post here. The unretouched photo was there as well. I saved it, with the idea that it might be taken down at some point. (For all the webmaster knows, is morbid gawkers are looking at the image again and again, and getting a sick kick out of it.)
Jaded
07-05-2007, 08:24 AM
Yes, the article on the Sheriff's site re-iterated what was said in the first post here. The unretouched photo was there as well. I saved it, with the idea that it might be taken down at some point. (For all the webmaster knows, is morbid gawkers are looking at the image again and again, and getting a sick kick out of it.)
I emailed the Sheriff to ask if the case had been solved and if that's why the photo was taken down. *shrugs*
LionRun
07-05-2007, 08:33 AM
I emailed the Sheriff to ask if the case had been solved and if that's why the photo was taken down. *shrugs*
Thank you Jaded:). Please keep us posted.
Lion
Jaded
07-05-2007, 08:38 AM
Thank you Jaded:). Please keep us posted.
Lion
I will. I'm hoping that they have identified her. If I hear anything, I'll post right away. I'm off for the next few days. yippee!!! :dance:
SeriouslySearching
07-05-2007, 08:50 AM
Thanks, Jaded! Good idea! I guess we could have just asked.
I have spent two hours tonite trying to find a robe like that. I am telling you they were so common no one saved them (or so comfy...wore them out!), but my Aunt or Mom might know where they used to buy them for their moms!
Jaded
07-05-2007, 09:04 AM
I also provided a link to this thread - just in case they are still seeking clues. There is a lot of good information here, even if speculation. I'll keep ya' posted.
MsRusty
07-05-2007, 09:45 AM
I've been studying the photo since the begining, and most of my observations have already been mentioned. I keep wondering about the photo itself. Who would carry around this picture and why?? I understand serial killers and such would take a pic like this, but would they actually carry it around with them? I would think they'd have their private stash somewhere and revisit it. Maybe the picture wasn't actually dropped there but placed. And if this woman was the victim of such a killer, wouldn't she already have been found (assuming she was killed in her home?) She may be long buried. Also I don't think the bed was actually the place she was shot/killed, as has been mentioned, the area (what we can actually see) looks too clean. I'm thinking she was picked up from the floor and placed on the bed since she's lying at an angle. One last question--have we discussed what the two marks on her arms might be and how they got there? I at first assumed finger marks from somebody that moved the body, now I'm not so sure.
One of the things that has puzzled me about this is a contradiction I see between some of her injuries. Her head injury looks very real to me. Even in the touched up picture I was fairly sure she had a bullet wound in the head and there was brain matter evident. However, the blood from her mouth and on her hand almost looks placed as if done by a makeup artist. Does anyone think there is a possiblity this is a posed photo of somesort. I think her pale lips, head position look very real to me yet I keep going back to those to bloody areas.
mjak
lizzybeth
07-05-2007, 10:25 AM
Two things came to my mind when looking at the picture (I don't have access to it anymore). One was that the bloody prints on her arm were from whoever killed her. Maybe when they placed her hand in that position they had blood (hers or theirs) on their hand. Maybe someone that has been able to enlarge it can see whether it could or couldn't be that. The other thing is an abrasion. Either from some type of rope or binding. Is there anyway they might be defensive wounds?
Since the place where the picture was left was sort of out of the way that maybe someone traveling left it. A truck driver, salesman, etc. The other possibility would be someone that lives in that town.
I really wish LE would give some more information (that is if they have any).
Posting the retouched image here. Let me know in this topic (my PM box is nearly full) if you want a copy of the un-retouched image. (Found in the article linked in the first post to this topic.)
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/6535/unidentifiedwoman0607ep3.jpg
lizzybeth
07-05-2007, 10:49 AM
Thank you KatK. Yes, I would like you to pm a pic of the other photo.
Thanks.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 11:00 AM
I wish we had access to the real photograph. Both images we see are cropped. If you look at the wood in the retouched photo, you can see a lot more of it than you can in the unretouched photo. I wish the sheriff's office website would at least put some sort of explanation on the site as to why they have removed the picture. I think the marks on her arm are abrasions rather than finger marks. I think they occurred during the same event that caused the bruising on her forearm.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 11:03 AM
I wish we had access to the real photograph. Both images we see are cropped. If you look at the wood in the retouched photo, you can see a lot more of it than you can in the unretouched photo. I wish the sheriff's office website would at least put some sort of explanation on the site as to why they have removed the picture. I think the marks on her arm are abrasions rather than finger marks. I think they occurred during the same event that caused the bruising on her forearm.
I did get a reply - as soon as I hear back from the Sheriff again, I will post what I can. I wanted to make sure that I could share the info.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 11:23 AM
Thanks Jaded! I hope they understand that this case has become an obsession for some of us. We ultimately just want justice, and are willing to help in anyway possible. The last thing we would want to do is jeopardize the case or cause problems. I would be so happy to hear that someone came forward and identified this lady.
christine2448
07-05-2007, 11:40 AM
You all are awesome, but I didn't need to say that did I?
OK, I am going to throw this out here...what makes everyone so sure what is drapped over her is a robe? What if it is NOT a robe, and a top sheet? Couldn't it be?
What she is lying on is familair to me, like other posters. I belive it maybe a childs comforter.
I can't wait to find out what Jaded learns!
Reannan
07-05-2007, 11:44 AM
Yea, Jaded......I hope they at least let you tell us if we can stop looking, or if we can continue.....even if we are on the right track.
Jaded
07-05-2007, 12:03 PM
Yea, Jaded......I hope they at least let you tell us if we can stop looking, or if we can continue.....even if we are on the right track.
She is not from the US, so she will not be in any database here. She is Iraqi and she was a victim of homicide. I'll fill you in on the rest as soon as I hear back from the Sheriff. I'm really not sure why the news site posted the photo as they did -- seeking info on her, but I have posed this question, as well.
:waitasec: Surely they'd have immigration records on her? Perhaps even a passport photo on file? The problem would be knowing where to look, you'd have to know what city she entered the country from to start.
Saavy
07-05-2007, 12:25 PM
FYI
Post #151 on page 7 has the link to the original photo. The link still worked as of a few minutes ago.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 12:26 PM
Well kudo's to everyone that had already decided Middle Eastern heritage! I just hope she wasn't the victim of homicide by someone who is in the US military, and they had the photo, but accidentally dropped it. That would be really tragic and sad for all sorts of reasons.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 12:28 PM
I wasn't very clear on my last post.....I meant to say, I hope she wasn't killed in Iraq by someone in our military who kept the photo.
czechmate7
07-05-2007, 12:32 PM
When I traveled to Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm they had many stores where you could purchase photos of deceased individuals....most of them were of combat fatalities but it was like no big deal for people to be selling them. Perhaps that is case here...
lizzybeth
07-05-2007, 12:44 PM
I wonder if anyone that lives in that town is in the military? I also wonder how they were able to determine that she was Iraqi? There obviously are some things about the picture and in the picture that we aren't privy to. Maybe the type of film that was used? Or maybe somewhere there is writing on the picture.
I know we mentioned someone in the military before and I hate to think that someone in our forces murdered this girl but it has happened. Remember the fourteen yr. old girl that was raped, murdered along with some of her family members?
Since she's Iraqi I'm not sure how much help we can be of now.
I'm thinking she died in this country.
lizzybeth
07-05-2007, 01:06 PM
This probably has nothing to do with this case as most of these women end up in other Middle Eastern countries. I just thought it was interesting.
http://www.irinnews.org/reporttest.aspx?ReportId=61903
czechmate7
07-05-2007, 01:10 PM
This probably has nothing to do with this case as most of these women end up in other Middle Eastern countries. I just thought it was interesting.
http://www.irinnews.org/reporttest.aspx?ReportId=61903
Wow...how sad; but the way I saw women treated in the Middle East I can't say this is shocking to me.
Reannan
07-05-2007, 01:14 PM
I don't want this to turn into a political discussion, but I think you can judge a society by the way women, children, and animals are treated by the members of the society. That is one of the things that scares me about our society here in the US.....some of the things I read about here at WS and over at Huff's place make you fear for the thin fabric that seems to be holding our civilization together.
lizzybeth
07-05-2007, 01:57 PM
I didn't see anything political about that statement and I agree with you 100% percent.