GUILTY GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 26 June 2011 # 4

[PsychoMom]

Does anyone know what made then search the somewhat empty apartment below Lauren's and take the fridge?

I question that myself, especially since it was repeatedly reported the residents of that apartment were moving items out of the apartment the week she was missing before the body was found. To me, that would indicate yet another person (or more) of interest.

Nowhere, anywhere has it been shown as a fact that those residents had left items in the apartment and scheduled to be away for several days then planning to come back and pick up their stuff. People have guessed that is what the plan was, but it has never one time been stated as an actual reported fact that they were not in and out of that apartment during the week she was already missing.

 

[Sandstorm]

Thinman:
“He even remembers the name of the detective whose car in front of the apts. He has been paying acute attention to all the details of the investigation, more than I think is normal. “
Found Deceased GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 27 June 2011 - #4 - Page 18 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

IMO
Thinman, after reading your post on details, it made me realize the importance of attention to details in regard to what happened to Lauren.
Please remember that what I am posting is merely my opinion of how I see the events unfold from June 26 – 30 at BH Apts.


*****************
McD was a man for acute attention to details.

But then again, you had better pay very close attention to details if you plan to get away with murder.
On top of that, throw in some good luck and near perfect timing for the almost perfect crime.

A careful check on details was necessary in order to cover up this crime and to function with credibility to ensure its authenticity.
McD knew the best way to escape responsibility for this crime was to make Lauren a MISSING PERSON.
No body, no crime.
“… just gone.”

Sat/Sun night, June 25/26, after Lauren had been killed, McD got to work to begin the cover up with the Missing Person plan.
With careful planning, good timing, and some luck, he decided he could pull it off.
After all, what were the choices?
Confess and be charged with murder/homicide after just graduating from law school?
His whole life and career were in front of him.
He made his decision: he chose to hide the crime.

Between Saturday night, June 25, through Wed night, June 29, McD kept very busy.
No one came to the apartment to check on Lauren, and if they called and got no answer, they would assume that she was hunkered down studying for the bar; she did not want to be disturbed.
Bingo! That is precisely what everyone would later say who phoned to try to get in touch with her.

He worked hard all day Sunday - careful to clean up as he went.
Attention to details. Very important.
He was extremely careful to dispose of the body parts – no one saw him come or go with anything unusual in tow.
He was clever with this part of the plan for LE has yet to find the body parts.

Sunday came and went with no ‘red alerts’ for Lauren.
So far so good.

That left only the torso which was too big and cumbersome to carry out and put in his car.
Besides, what if he got stopped for some reason by the police or some of Lauren’s DNA accidentally got on the inside of his car.
No…. transporting the torso was way too risky - not a good option.

The best thing to do, he decided, was to preserve the torso until Thursday morning when he could dispose of it when the trash pickup stopped at BH apartments.

Lucky again: the tenant was in the process of moving out and was no longer living there.
The downstairs apartment was empty, and after all, he did have a master key!
And so, on Sunday or Monday in the late night, he placed the torso in the downstairs refrigerator.

Then comes Wednesday, still no ‘red alerts’ for Lauren.
Not one person has come looking for her.

The plan was going well with only one thing left to do:
Wed night after dark and before the arrival of Lauren's friends, he crept downstairs and removed the last piece of visible evidence from the refrigerator and placed it inside the trash can outside BH apartments.

A sigh of relief.
Evidence almost gone.

Nothing left to do except wait for the trash pick up tomorrow morning.
No one had stopped over for Lauren, no interruptions.
Everything was going smoothly.
Trash truck coming tomorrow morning.
Almost done.
Missing Person.
Almost gone.

He went to bed feeling much better than he had the last four nights.
He was just dozing off when Lauren’s friends came trampling across the balcony around midnight.
Have you seen Lauren? they ask.
No he told them… He had not seen her.
He proceeded to join in and assist with the search for Lauren.
They looked around inside her apartment and at Mercer library.
No Lauren at Mercer.
Nothing amiss in her apartment.
All her things were there: purse, keys, phone
No break in.
Lauren was just missing.

Thursday morning when the LE converged on the BH apartments McD was still feeling pretty good about his plan.
Everything was still on track.
After all, there was no reason for anyone to suspect foul play since nothing in her apartment had been disturbed and no break in.
And no ‘body’.
Hence, no reason that anyone would go snooping in the trash.
So far so good.

McD’s attention to detail was almost the perfect crime.

However, the Macon Police Department arrived at BH apts. before the trash truck.
The hot Georgia summer weather and the plastic bag worked together to help produce an odor which drew LE attention to the trash can.

An odor?
Yes, it was the odor that blew the lid right off of McD's plan.
That was the one and only detail that had not crossed McD’s mind.
Suddenly, Lauren's status changed from a Missing Person to the victim of a heinous crime.


Prior to McD becoming aware that the body had been discovered his answers were directed at substantiating the premise for Lauren as a Missing Person.

Interview portion:

Michelle:
Do you know if she {Lauren} had any enemies or anyone that would want to hurt her?

McD:
No I…We don’t know where she is, only thing we can think of is that she went out running and someone snatched her. One of her friends had a key …. We went inside her apartment……. Tired to see if anything was amiss….. but she had a door jam… no sign that anyone broke in …… the door was locked when everyone got here…....we just don’t know where she is….

Michelle:
What about the parking lot area…..that is where they recovered the body….

McD:
BODY?
*************************
At which point, he is completely overwhelmed with panic and shock.
He does not ask anything about the ‘body’.
If he were not the perpetrator then he would have at least asked the minimum question:
WHERE? Where did you find a body?
Are you sure it is Lauren?
What happened to her?

He did not need to ask these questions because he already knew all the answers.
He was overwhelmed due to the realization that he had been caught.

Had the trash truck arrived prior to LE finding the body due to an odor, then there would have been no reason for LE to search McD’s apartment, and Lauren would be a classified a “Missing Person”.

Attention to details is extremely important, but you cannot think of them all.

Please remember, this is only my opinion and I wish this had never happened for me to have one.

 

[PsychoMom]

Two possibilities. One, working at the DA's office, maybe he knew some officers. Two, they had all just spent several hours with the detective, so maybe he learned his name during those several hours. Not a solid indication of a criminal mind at work. Maybe someone who has actually met the person and knows his name.

Every little thing a person does is not evidence against them. I want evidence that connects someone to this crime. SM or not. Evidence that connects him to her death, not to life in Macon.

 

[angelanalyzes]

Givesmetheshivers pointed this out to me, and I hadn't thought of it at all, but is there any chance that they would wait for all the evidence they could get to come back from the FBI in order to use as leverage to get McDaniel to confess, cop a plea in exchange for telling them where the rest of the remains are? Any of our kind lawyers want to tell me if that's possible?

 

[midstateMind]

Thinman:
“He even remembers the name of the detective whose car in front of the apts. He has been paying acute attention to all the details of the investigation, more than I think is normal. “
Found Deceased GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 27 June 2011 - #4 - Page 18 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

IMO
Thinman, after reading your post on details, it made me realize the importance of attention to details in regard to what happened to Lauren.
Please remember that what I am posting is merely my opinion of how I see the events unfold from June 26 – 30 at BH Apts.

Attention to details is extremely important, but you cannot think of them all.

Please remember, this is only my opinion and I wish this had never happened for me to have one.

respectfully snipped for brevity

Sandstorm, Thanks for taking the time to make such a well thought out hypothetical scenario/timeline. I want to add a couple of ancillary details that may or may not plant a few more seeds for you...these are just things that I've observed lately from living in Macon and driving by the apartment building within the past week.

1. City of Macon trash has been erratic since a series of bad storms came through starting on April 4, 2011. The overwhelming lot of trees down/debris all over the city has caused a backlog in trash pick up. (I've spoken to the city about this on several occasions.) I have noticed that trash pick-up times have fluctuated: For example, during most of the year, pick up in my neighborhood was around 1-2 pm. Typical summer schedule starts earlier (most likely due to the high heat---keep workers at less risk for heat related illness). BUT, with this backlog of trash, it seems like regular schedules have been thrown off. Re: your line of thinking on depositing the torso in the trashcan, it's possible that someone expected an earlier pick up time than actually occurred. This might throw a kink in one's meticulous attention to detail, if you know what I mean.

2. Some have mentioned that it would be hard to get away with something like this, and that certainly someone would notice comings and goings on GA. Avenue. In driving by last week, I noticed that the building looks different than in most photos. I think this is because photos of the bldg tend to frame it from corner to corner. If you took a picture from across the street, you'd notice that the bldg is framed by many trees---In fact, IMO, it looks remarkably more secluded that most photos that have been published make it seem. Also, I think I posted this in a previous thread, but GA. Ave. is quite a cut through. With the exception of tourists, it's my opinion that nobody flying up and down that street would have any reason to slow down and gawk at a relatively unremarkable building. IMHO, the building is situated in a way that helps rather than hinders the criminal.

3. My experience in apartment management tells me that a lot of times, as tenants are moving out---even if they have a few extra days on their lease, they are a lot less vigilant about locking doors. When they get down to the point where all they have hanging around are cleaning supplies under the sink or a few bags of trash laying around, they don't always lock up. Obvs, that's just my :twocents: based on what I've experienced, but I suppose my point is that maybe someone wouldn't even need a key to get in and stash things in a fridge. Maybe someone would capitalize on the fact that the tenants still had a few days on their lease. After all, anything found there would be found on "their watch" as the lessees.

Anyhoodle, just a few thoughts...

 

[~SuperSleuth~]

Nice write up Sandstorm.

That left only the torso which was too big and cumbersome to carry out and put in his car.
Besides, what if he got stopped for some reason by the police or some of Lauren’s DNA accidentally got on the inside of his car.
No…. transporting the torso was way too risky - not a good option.

The best thing to do, he decided, was to preserve the torso until Thursday morning when he could dispose of it when the trash pickup stopped at BH apartments.

This one point still disturbs me though.
If the dismemberment was only to facilitate disposal, then if you're capable of chopping someone up down to a torso (ugh... turns my stomach),
then why not chop the torso up into smaller pieces too?
I'm afraid we may find out there was a little more to the reason why this was kept until the last minute...
and, it may have something to do with these odd burglary charges. :sick:

 

[angelanalyzes]

respectfully snipped for brevity

Sandstorm, Thanks for taking the time to make such a well thought out hypothetical scenario/timeline. I want to add a couple of ancillary details that may or may not plant a few more seeds for you...these are just things that I've observed lately from living in Macon and driving by the apartment building within the past week.

1. City of Macon trash has been erratic since a series of bad storms came through starting on April 4, 2011. The overwhelming lot of trees down/debris all over the city has caused a backlog in trash pick up. (I've spoken to the city about this on several occasions.) I have noticed that trash pick-up times have fluctuated: For example, during most of the year, pick up in my neighborhood was around 1-2 pm. Typical summer schedule starts earlier (most likely due to the high heat---keep workers at less risk for heat related illness). BUT, with this backlog of trash, it seems like regular schedules have been thrown off. Re: your line of thinking on depositing the torso in the trashcan, it's possible that someone expected an earlier pick up time than actually occurred. This might throw a kink in one's meticulous attention to detail, if you know what I mean.

2. Some have mentioned that it would be hard to get away with something like this, and that certainly someone would notice comings and goings on GA. Avenue. In driving by last week, I noticed that the building looks different than in most photos. I think this is because photos of the bldg tend to frame it from corner to corner. If you took a picture from across the street, you'd notice that the bldg is framed by many trees---In fact, IMO, it looks remarkably more secluded that most photos that have been published make it seem. Also, I think I posted this in a previous thread, but GA. Ave. is quite a cut through. With the exception of tourists, it's my opinion that nobody flying up and down that street would have any reason to slow down and gawk at a relatively unremarkable building. IMHO, the building is situated in a way that helps rather than hinders the criminal.

3. My experience in apartment management tells me that a lot of times, as tenants are moving out---even if they have a few extra days on their lease, they are a lot less vigilant about locking doors. When they get down to the point where all they have hanging around are cleaning supplies under the sink or a few bags of trash laying around, they don't always lock up. Obvs, that's just my :twocents: based on what I've experienced, but I suppose my point is that maybe someone wouldn't even need a key to get in and stash things in a fridge. Maybe someone would capitalize on the fact that the tenants still had a few days on their lease. After all, anything found there would be found on "their watch" as the lessees.

Anyhoodle, just a few thoughts...

Great work, both you and Sandstorm.
I noticed the same thing about the apartments when I was there, I missed it twice as I was going up and down the street the first time I tried to find it because it was obscured by trees and it's kind of THERE and GONE when you drive by it, it's small. I had GPS and going the speed limit that complex just seemed to pop up on me and I was actively looking for it, not just driving idly by. There are all these other remarkable buildings around, that complex isn't eye catching. It is shrouded with tree limbs, only once in the parking lot is everything in the front visible.

 

[Knox]

I question that myself, especially since it was repeatedly reported the residents of that apartment were moving items out of the apartment the week she was missing before the body was found. To me, that would indicate yet another person (or more) of interest.

Nowhere, anywhere has it been shown as a fact that those residents had left items in the apartment and scheduled to be away for several days then planning to come back and pick up their stuff. People have guessed that is what the plan was, but it has never one time been stated as an actual reported fact that they were not in and out of that apartment during the week she was already missing.

As has apartment No. 1 a floor below, beneath where Giddings lived. That apartment’s refrigerator was hauled away by detectives on July 13, apparently bound for a forensic lab, and it will need to be replaced for a new resident, Bush said, because the one taken by police isn’t expected to be returned for six to nine months.

The last person who lived there, a law school classmate of Giddings and McDaniel from Dublin, had moved out by the time the refrigerator was taken. Bush said the resident had left and carried off most of his stuff before Giddings was killed.

But on the day he went back for a final clean out, he was so shaken by what may have transpired there that he asked Bush to stay with him while he picked up.

“He was,” she said, “pretty creeped out.”

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/31/1649731/giddings-case-apartments-gradually.html#ixzz1TnGxs79j
​

 

[PsychoMom]

As has apartment No. 1 a floor below, beneath where Giddings lived. That apartment’s refrigerator was hauled away by detectives on July 13, apparently bound for a forensic lab, and it will need to be replaced for a new resident, Bush said, because the one taken by police isn’t expected to be returned for six to nine months.

The last person who lived there, a law school classmate of Giddings and McDaniel from Dublin, had moved out by the time the refrigerator was taken. Bush said the resident had left and carried off most of his stuff before Giddings was killed.

But on the day he went back for a final clean out, he was so shaken by what may have transpired there that he asked Bush to stay with him while he picked up.

“He was,” she said, “pretty creeped out.”

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/07/31/1649731/giddings-case-apartments-gradually.html#ixzz1TnGxs79j
​

My point exactly. This is just one of the stories that mentions they still had items IN that apartment. And several mention that the resident was moving items out the week she was missing.

Why would this person NOT be a POI? And being "creeped out" be faking it? Simply because we have not been provided a face or a name to that person? We know several POIs have been in the mind of LE, so why wouldn't this person be included? After all, if they took HIS refrigerator and he was still moving out while she was missing, shouldn't that make him automatically one?

 

[Jessicaleanne1992]

if sm did it then where is the rest of the body? where would he have put it, and why not in the garbage with the rest??? why would he take them to another location? i wonder if he has an alibi for the days up until the torso was discovered.

i just have no idea about him.

 

[Knox]

My point exactly. This is just one of the stories that mentions they still had items IN that apartment. And several mention that the resident was moving items out the week she was missing.

Why would this person NOT be a POI? And being "creeped out" be faking it? Simply because we have not been provided a face or a name to that person? We know several POIs have been in the mind of LE, so why wouldn't this person be included? After all, if they took HIS refrigerator and he was still moving out while she was missing, shouldn't that make him automatically one?

We don't know this person is not a POI, LE has not named anyone but McD.

 

[JeannieC]

I would like to think that if he "came to the law school", that there is video of this.
I don't know how extensive Mercer's campus surveillance is, but I would at least expect that
all lobbies and building entrances are covered.

I'm sure you are right but the next question is how soon do they tape over the videos?

 

[angelanalyzes]

Nice write up Sandstorm.



This one point still disturbs me though.
If the dismemberment was only to facilitate disposal, then if you're capable of chopping someone up down to a torso (ugh... turns my stomach),
then why not chop the torso up into smaller pieces too?
I'm afraid we may find out there was a little more to the reason why this was kept until the last minute...
and, it may have something to do with these odd burglary charges. :sick:

Cosign.
If anything, I'd want to get rid of something as obvious as a torso ASAP if possible, and if the dismemberment occurred directly following the murder, like within a day, it wouldn't be too late to venture out with it in tow before anyone really realized she was missing and dump it somewhere clever like he apparently did with the rest. I hate to be graphic but the torso would not be of prohibitive weight to cleverly conceal and travel with, and it would be no more dangerous to do so than to carry a human leg or arm...but I may be overlooking something, I am on toddler birthday party duty today ;/

 

[Knox]

Nine photo's of the interior of Lauren's apartment. BB wasn't exaggerating about the amount of fingerprint dust.

http://www.macon.com/2011/07/30/1649794_a1649727/barristers-hall-getting-ready.html

 

[PsychoMom]

http://www.macon.com/2011/07/14/1630766/refrigerator-removed-from-apartment.html

Its tenant was in the process of moving during the time Giddings was missing, Bush said. Most of the furnishings had been removed before Giddings’ body was found, and the tenant has since finished moving out.

I think they may be POIs, but people seem to dismiss it as a possibility.

 

[~SuperSleuth~]

Givesmetheshivers pointed this out to me, and I hadn't thought of it at all, but is there any chance that they would wait for all the evidence they could get to come back from the FBI in order to use as leverage to get McDaniel to confess, cop a plea in exchange for telling them where the rest of the remains are? Any of our kind lawyers want to tell me if that's possible?

Interesting thought.
Also, they know it will take time to process all the evidence.
And, I'm sure that once they actually charge him, this will "start" a particular legal process.
I think someone mentioned a "request for speedy trial"?
Since he's locked up now, they may simply be buying all the time they can.
In fact, they may even wait until he bonds out, then arrest and charge him at that time.

 

[McMunn]

~snipped for space

Thinman:
“He even remembers the name of the detective whose car in front of the apts. He has been paying acute attention to all the details of the investigation, more than I think is normal. “
Found Deceased GA - Lauren Giddings, 27, Macon, 27 June 2011 - #4 - Page 18 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

IMO
Thinman, after reading your post on details, it made me realize the importance of attention to details in regard to what happened to Lauren.
Please remember that what I am posting is merely my opinion of how I see the events unfold from June 26 – 30 at BH Apts.


*****************
McD was a man for acute attention to details.

But then again, you had better pay very close attention to details if you plan to get away with murder.
On top of that, throw in some good luck and near perfect timing for the almost perfect crime.
[/I]

Outstanding, Sandstorm! :rocker: The only part that I'm having a hard time with, is the fridge in the apartment below LG. How on earth would SM know for sure that the Landlord would not be coming in to clean up for the next tenant during that time? The only people, IMO, who would know that it was safe to put a body in that fridge, would be the owners of the apartment complex, OR the previous tenant.

 

[Knox]

~snipped for space

Outstanding, Sandstorm! :rocker: The only part that I'm having a hard time with, is the fridge in the apartment below LG. How on earth would SM know for sure that the Landlord would not be coming in to clean up for the next tenant during that time? The only people, IMO, who would know that it was safe to put a body in that fridge, would be the owners of the apartment complex, OR the previous tenant.

It's a sticking point for me too. Just seems so risky to store a body when you don't know when or if the tenant will be back. Even if McD had specific knowledge that this person was not going to be back for a week, plans change. The guy could pop in at any moment, not to mention BB. She entered Lauren's apartment, odds are she could enter that one as well.

 

[~SuperSleuth~]

On a different note... I've seen it commented several places that no matter how this turns out,
that McD's life/career will be destroyed. I don't think this is true.
In fact, if he should be found innocent of this, I suspect the burglary charges would be dropped.
I would think they would have a hard time convicting him, based on what we know of those charges.
And the publicity he has received from this could certainly work in his favor, with the proper guidance.
... just a thought

 

[Sandstorm]

respectfully snipped for brevity

Sandstorm, Thanks for taking the time to make such a well thought out hypothetical scenario/timeline. I want to add a couple of ancillary details that may or may not plant a few more seeds for you...these are just things that I've observed lately from living in Macon and driving by the apartment building within the past week.

1. City of Macon trash has been erratic since a series of bad storms came through starting on April 4, 2011. The overwhelming lot of trees down/debris all over the city has caused a backlog in trash pick up. (I've spoken to the city about this on several occasions.) I have noticed that trash pick-up times have fluctuated: For example, during most of the year, pick up in my neighborhood was around 1-2 pm. Typical summer schedule starts earlier (most likely due to the high heat---keep workers at less risk for heat related illness). BUT, with this backlog of trash, it seems like regular schedules have been thrown off. Re: your line of thinking on depositing the torso in the trashcan, it's possible that someone expected an earlier pick up time than actually occurred. This might throw a kink in one's meticulous attention to detail, if you know what I mean.

2. Some have mentioned that it would be hard to get away with something like this, and that certainly someone would notice comings and goings on GA. Avenue. In driving by last week, I noticed that the building looks different than in most photos. I think this is because photos of the bldg tend to frame it from corner to corner. If you took a picture from across the street, you'd notice that the bldg is framed by many trees---In fact, IMO, it looks remarkably more secluded that most photos that have been published make it seem. Also, I think I posted this in a previous thread, but GA. Ave. is quite a cut through. With the exception of tourists, it's my opinion that nobody flying up and down that street would have any reason to slow down and gawk at a relatively unremarkable building. IMHO, the building is situated in a way that helps rather than hinders the criminal.

3. My experience in apartment management tells me that a lot of times, as tenants are moving out---even if they have a few extra days on their lease, they are a lot less vigilant about locking doors. When they get down to the point where all they have hanging around are cleaning supplies under the sink or a few bags of trash laying around, they don't always lock up. Obvs, that's just my :twocents: based on what I've experienced, but I suppose my point is that maybe someone wouldn't even need a key to get in and stash things in a fridge. Maybe someone would capitalize on the fact that the tenants still had a few days on their lease. After all, anything found there would be found on "their watch" as the lessees.

Anyhoodle, just a few thoughts...

Thanks Midstatemind for your thoughtful points.
Point 1
Rethinking my post on the time of moving the torso from the frig to the trashcan- rather than late Wed night -
You are suggesting it could have been Mon or Tues night?
Couple of facts come to mind: the coroner stated something like the body appeared to not have been dead very long. Which indicates to me that Lauren was killed later OR the torso was in the frig and not outside for very long.
So I was going on the latest possible hour that McD could have removed the body from the frig, put it in the trash, and it still develop a smell. I figured the heat and plastic contributed to the odor. However, due to the trash pick up irregularity he could have put the torso in the trash much earlier. Mon or Tues? So when did he use the frig? Sunday? Or maybe he kept the body parts in the frig before disposing of them?


Point 2
I have not been to Macon since this happened. I will be there at the end of this month. I will drive by and see the BH apts. Not that I am looking forward to it at all. But I do want to say a prayer for Lauren and her family. Without even seeing that apartment building, AngelAnalyze described it in one of her posts when she visited, and I knew then it was a well shaded, darkened area. A place that would be easy conducive for covert activities. Thanks for your confirmation of that description.

Point 3
As for the downstairs apt being open - that is certainly possible. However, it would not have mattered since he did have a master key. I tend to think it was locked since the ex tenant did return to remove his last bits and pieces and was spooked to be in there by himself. He had BB stay with him while he was inside. But, like you said, it could have been unlock,however, you can bet it was locked after McD exited that apt.


Thought:
The theory I posted was based on murder 2 or homicide, as opposed to Murder 1.
(I hope am using those terms correctly. I am not an Att. )

My point being - IF this crime was Murder 1 then that changes everything because the perpetrator was very well prepared which would make evidence much more difficult to find.

IMO - always - IMO
awaiting forensics