MS - Jessica Chambers, 19, found burned near her car, Panola County, 6 Dec 2014 - #8

[imkeylime]

*First time poster, long time reader*
With the abundance of pages on the Jessica Chambers, and only started exploring them a few days ago, this may have been brought up already. I apologize in advance, if that's the case.
I just wanted to "piggyback" the discussions about her phone, and ask: Is the battery in an obvious spot? In other words, if someone has always been an iPhone user (such as myself), would I easily find where the battery is and how to remove it? Is a special tool needed?
Why I ask: If the battery placement and/or removal method is unique, it'd COULD imply the suspect(s) having experience with that model. With so many different phones out there, to narrow down those who have phones like JC. I get the impression that a majority of the population is extremely loyal to a particular smart phone brand, even buying the same model over and over. I am fairly comfortable on most computer devices, PC and MAC, but find if difficult to navigate through an non iPhone phone, even anything external action like plugging into charge.

That's an interesting thought ... that the perp was familiar with that model phone (or even HER phone) and could thus remove the battery. Since I-phone batteries don't come out, I don't think it's an I-phone. I agree that the corners are too square for a Samsung Galaxy. I'm thinking it could possibly be a Motorola Razr M Droid in black with some kind of case. ??? Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-XT907-Verizon-Unlocked-Android/dp/B00CTAMMTG

If that's the case, I don't think the battery would have been easy to remove, either (my son has this phone). I personally think that either the phone was thrown HARD or someone knew how to remove the battery (which is kind of hard to believe, but what else is new). ???

 

[imkeylime]

The Clarion Ledger was not far behind...

Anyone offering authorities information that leads to the capture and conviction of the person responsible for the burning death of Courtland teen Jessica Chambers could now receive more than $50,000 in reward money.

On Thursday evening, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms put out a release announcing the addition of $10,000 to the $43,000 currently offered. That includes money from U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Mississippi State Fire Marshal's Office, CrimeStoppers, and private donations.

"We all have a vested interest in arresting and bringing to justice the person(s) responsible for this heinous crime," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Phillip Durham. "Arson is a crime of violence leaving physical and emotional scars that last a lifetime. Only those victims who have survived understand the sheer terror of being attacked by fire. Unfortunately, Jessica Chambers' life was cut short, as she did not survive."

<modsnip>

Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF at (662) 513-2140 or use the ATF Hotline at 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473). Callers can remain anonymous.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...ica-chambers-killer-now-up-to-53000/22190929/.

Thank God they have not forgotten or given up Also, it is reassuring to me, somehow, that they are finally naming somebody who is working on this case besides Darby & the DA. :cow:

The quote by Special Agent Durham pretty much substantiates that the ATF believes this to be murder by arson, IMO. Also, $53,000 isn't a shabby amount. Maybe someone will talk?

 

[monster]

I know they said it was her phone, but is there any way that this could of been someone else's phone?

 

[SteveP]

I would think any phone that isn't an iPhone would probably get the battery dislodged if thrown, as opposed to just being dropped. One thing I have never heard, and would be interested in knowing, when the phone was found, without the battery, was the back still on the phone, or was it separated from the phone? If the back was still on the phone, that would be very telling that the battery was intentionally removed. JMO

 

[SteveP]

I know they said it was her phone, but is there any way that this could of been someone else's phone?

Once the phone was inspected, I would think it would be easy to determine if it was hers or not. Pics, texts, call lists, etc

 

[Yvettea]

Prime Suspect: The person whom law enforcement officers believe most probably committed a crime being investigated.

http://www.nolo.com/dictionary/prime-suspect-term.html

 

[monster]

Once the phone was inspected, I would think it would be easy to determine if it was hers or not. Pics, texts, call lists, etc

I was thinking (with a grain of salt mind ya) that maybe, just maybe that was one of those purposeful misinformation things.

 

[Yvettea]

Hitting the phone against a door handle or mirror might break the back and dislodge the battery not that I do this to my phone!

 

[4senthia]

Yes it seems if they got back any DNA they do not have it on record and honestly with the in and out of jail/prison of some of those named publicly with felony records their DNA would be on file.
Hate to be the fly in the ointment again, but I'm not entirely onboard with the theory that Jessica's murder involved jealousy or deep personal animosity. I'm still not sure this wasn't a random act of evil that ended with the fire to cover DNA/prints/physical evidence left on the victim. There are obviously more videos LE have from after the MandM stop. I'm still thinking maybe she got on the highway and went north to the next exit and possibly decided to get something different than Sonic and went to the McDonalds inside the Love's. I know we are all aware that even the safest truck stops are often frequented by these types of killers, and many of them are serial killers. It's definitely not an easy thought to entertain but the longer this goes on and the more the reward increases I lean more that way. IOW these federal officials have come up empty-handed and they are the ones who track serial offenders. I hope this is not the case because the killer would not be local and therefore wouldn't be known to them.:thinking:
As always :moo:

 

[SteveP]

Hitting the phone against a door handle or mirror might break the back and dislodge the battery not that I do this to my phone!

OT...exactly why I own an Otterbox. While not cheap, they are cheaper than phone replacement insurance.

 

[BirdycatNY]

The quote by Special Agent Durham pretty much substantiates that the ATF believes this to be murder by arson, IMO. Also, $53,000 isn't a shabby amount. Maybe someone will talk?

Increasing the amount again is a smart move imo and will likely get witnesses to start talking or even tempt co-conspirators if more than 1 person is responsible for crime. Jmo

 

[monster]

Hitting the phone against a door handle or mirror might break the back and dislodge the battery not that I do this to my phone!

I haven't seen a battery come dislodged by dropping or throwing in a long time, only when the battery is the back is the back. Phones these days don't come apart or break to easily, ran over an s3 with a 17000 lbs (Kenworth) and only the glass shattered nothing got dislodge or anything. I think some one took that battery out but, that's just me.

 

[monster]

OT...exactly why I own an Otterbox. While not cheap, they are cheaper than phone replacement insurance.

Yep better 50-60$ than 100-250 and few days wait. I love my otter box.

 

[flatfootjoe]

The quote by Special Agent Durham pretty much substantiates that the ATF believes this to be murder by arson, IMO. Also, $53,000 isn't a shabby amount. Maybe someone will talk?

I feel really good about that amount of money. It's definitely a sizable sum. If there was more than one culprit, I bet they're getting uneasy now. Fifty thousand dollars, even if you're used to easy money, it's a number that gets your attention. Part of the problem in this case, is that if in fact any of the perpetrators or "witnesses" are connected to drug money, 20 or 30 grand just isn't that enticing. It's similar in principle to the behavior that kept Bin Laden free for so long. To get anyone to talk about anything, you have to make the reward sizable enough to entice people. Chances are the people in this case have absolutely nothing to do with OPEC millions, but I'd venture to guess they may have money in meth or heroin futures.

You're gonna have to forgive me WSer's I just can't get my mind to wrap around the fact that a typical average Joe or Janet could do something like this to another person. I'm firmly in the camp that this crime was likely perpetrated by recidivist criminal(s) :moo::moo::moo:

 

[Yvettea]

OT...exactly why I own an Otterbox. While not cheap, they are cheaper than phone replacement insurance.

Good point. Most people use a case preventing the battery from coming out.

 

[monster]

FFJ awesome post 100% agree!

 

[MSCJgrad]

I agree, not shabby at all, but still not enough to move your whole family and everyone you love to a far away place with complete anonymity in order to not be retaliated against. Seriously tho, I wonder what exactly the 'magic number' will be? How much money is a person wanting to gain by helping with the investigation? It is clearly not about doing the right thing, or they would have BEEN spoken up by now. I also am aware that in human nature, time does start to eat away at some people, and their conscience will catch up with them, and they will either break under pressure and say something, or perhaps get drunk/high/whatever and slip up somehow. Who knows... JMO

The quote by Special Agent Durham pretty much substantiates that the ATF believes this to be murder by arson, IMO. Also, $53,000 isn't a shabby amount. Maybe someone will talk?

 

[tlcya]

I don't use a case. But that is just me. I was too cheap to pay what the AT&T store wanted for cases for my phone. I was going to grab one at Walmart or somewhere. But turns out I never see one for my brand and I don;t take mine into the bathroom or kitchen or talk with it on my shoulder, or other activities that encourage dropping and breaking, etc.

 

[MSCJgrad]

I feel really good about that amount of money. It's definitely a sizable sum. If there was more than one culprit, I bet they're getting uneasy now. Fifty thousand dollars, even if you're used to easy money, it's a number that gets your attention. Part of the problem in this case, is that if in fact any of the perpetrators or "witnesses" are connected to drug money, 20 or 30 grand just isn't that enticing. It's similar in principle to the behavior that kept Bin Laden free for so long. To get anyone to talk about anything, you have to make the reward sizable enough to entice people. Chances are the people in this case have absolutely nothing to do with OPEC millions, but I'd venture to guess they may have money in meth or heroin futures.

You're gonna have to forgive me WSer's I just can't get my mind to wrap around the fact that a typical average Joe or Janet could do something like this to another person. I'm firmly in the camp that this crime was likely perpetrated by recidivist criminal(s) :moo::moo::moo:

Amen, Amen, and AMEN. My only input to add to this dead-on post of yours, is something that I have mentioned before... I would hope that, publicly, authorities would state in some fashion, that they are willing to protect any witnesses. I could be wrong, but I have not seen that anywhere thus far. Whether or not they could in fact provide this protection is another topic completely, but I feel that if someone involved were to see that they could be protected and get over 50 grand, they might be more inclined to speak up. $53,000 is a great deal of money, but is it enough to relocate an entire family? An extended family? We all know by now that Panola County is small and intertwined, with families having multiple generations still present in the area. Yes, I could take the $53,000 and run, but what about my grandma? My cousins? Aunts? Somebody will be retaliated against, I have no doubt about that. I feel that this is the reason why nobody has spoken up thus far. MOO/IMO/all that. Great post, ffj.

 

[SteveP]

I agree, not shabby at all, but still not enough to move your whole family and everyone you love to a far away place with complete anonymity in order to not be retaliated against. Seriously tho, I wonder what exactly the 'magic number' will be? How much money is a person wanting to gain by helping with the investigation? It is clearly not about doing the right thing, or they would have BEEN spoken up by now. I also am aware that in human nature, time does start to eat away at some people, and their conscience will catch up with them, and they will either break under pressure and say something, or perhaps get drunk/high/whatever and slip up somehow. Who knows... JMO

BBM..That is where it starts to get hairy. As you very astutely pointed out, if they have information and were interested in doing the right thing, they would already have shared it. But if money will drive someone to speak, they already see that different LE agencies and others have upped the ante a couple of times, so they may well continue to sit on their info to see if it will climb further. I think at some point LE should say, "This is it...reward is not going to go any higher". JMO