First-Hand Impressions / WS Meetup

SleuthyGal said:

First, a heartfelt THANK YOU to Reddress58 for helping to spearhead our get together this morning. She also provided valuable guidance and a tour of the area. I took pictures, which I'll link to when I get them together.

We saw the dump site and it's a very different 'feel' than what pictures can show you. First of all it's small back there. Everything seems so much larger when you look at pics. The dump area is right off the side of the cul de sac turnaround...maybe 10 ft away, and there's a tiny embankment, and if you were walking nearby you might not immediately notice a body since it would be hidden by the embankment. However a dog would easily be attracted to a body there.

Beyond and all around the runoff pond there is *very heavy* tree coverage/brush. My immediate impression is THAT would have been the place to put a body if you wanted to hide your victim cause it is thick and heavily overgrown and I don't think anyone would be found for a long time. My feeling is that this was a quick 'dump' and run. Plus at night/early morning (prior to 6am) it would be pitch black back there--there are no lights so whoever did this likely dumped during that time and they would not have seen the heavy brush beyond, which would have been a more logical place to 'hide' a body.

We drove down Holly Springs Road and there is no way someone would ever choose to go jogging down that road. It is busy/heavily traveled, with no sidewalks at all, and only a few inches to separate you and cars on either side. We did see a few bikers out.

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SleuthyGal said:

First, a heartfelt THANK YOU to Reddress58 for helping to spearhead our get together this morning. She also provided valuable guidance and a tour of the area. I took pictures, which I'll link to when I get them together.

We saw the dump site and it's a very different 'feel' than what pictures can show you. First of all it's small back there. Everything seems so much larger when you look at pics. The dump area is right off the side of the cul de sac turnaround...maybe 10 ft away, and there's a tiny embankment, and if you were walking nearby you might not immediately notice a body since it would be hidden by the embankment. However a dog would easily be attracted to a body there.

Beyond and all around the runoff pond there is *very heavy* tree coverage/brush. My immediate impression is THAT would have been the place to put a body if you wanted to hide your victim cause it is thick and heavily overgrown and I don't think anyone would be found for a long time. My feeling is that this was a quick 'dump' and run. Plus at night/early morning (prior to 6am) it would be pitch black back there--there are no lights so whoever did this likely dumped during that time and they would not have seen the heavy brush beyond, which would have been a more logical place to 'hide' a body.

We drove down Holly Springs Road and there is no way someone would ever choose to go jogging down that road. It is busy/heavily traveled, with no sidewalks at all, and only a few inches to separate you and cars on either side. We did see a few bikers out.

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wirehair said:

Sorry I couldn't make it. The dog threw up all night and we had to go to the vet this morning. Hope to see you next time.

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Bob&Bob said:

For those of you who were there I have a question.

On the Photos:No discussion thread, Post 2, which side
was the body on? The far side by the white stuff? Or the near
side by the black fencing kind of thing?

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Bob&Bob said:

What's all the white stuff on the other side?

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reddress58 said:

It has nothing to do with the crime. Some kind of plastic tarp, but it can be found on all the drainage berms in that area of the neighborhood.

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Bob&Bob said:

Thanks.

Back to that Photo thread Post 2.

In relation to the guy with his back toward us with the
tan hat, where was the body?

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Bob&Bob said:

Thanks.

Back to that Photo thread Post 2.

In relation to the guy with his back toward us with the
tan hat, where was the body?

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jumpstreet said:

I think the presumed exact spot is not inside the frame of that photo you reference (on the Photos thread). I think it's off to the left.

There are more photos (posted by JTF) [ref NC Thread #11, post #73] where an outline is drawn (by JTF) on one of the photos of the exact (presumed) spot. [ Might be nice to get these copied to the photos thread I suppose for completeness ]

I think think basis for presuming this is the spot is: (a) there were some flowers left at that spot, and (b) sheriff has said that the location was "just off the road".

So - I don't know if it's 100% certain that the spot marked in the photo is the "exact" spot, but it's probably a reasonable conclusion.

For those that were able to go to today (thanks for the info) - did anyone notice any other tributes (notes / flowers / etc) left there (at that same spot, or others?)

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raisincharlie said:

Let me ask - because there are floral arrangements at a location, the assumption is that was the location of the body ? How would the person placing the arrangement know that ? Unless it was LE or the man who found the body or the killer- I doubt anyone else knows the spot where Nancy's body came to a rest to be honest. The man in the 911 call says she was in the pond, but then again he saw vultures, which might have been huge crows , or turkey buzzards.

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jumpstreet said:

It's a good point - my recollection is that the location of the flowers is the primary basis for where JTF outlined the (presumed) exact location in that photo. But yeah, that does assume that someone who left those flowers knew the exact spot.

The location of those flowers is curious in that it isn't just by the road, they do seem to have been left at an intentional spot (but perhaps whoever left them just "guessed"). As you mentioned, it could have been the person who made the discovery - I imagine it was pretty traumatic, and perhaps this was intended to be helpful gesture for some closure - but who knows.

[ It's somewhat why I was asking if there were any other tributes noticed there by those that went today (in the same location, other locations) - just curious ].

Finally, regarding the water, I think we've speculated that the current water level is much lower than what it was at the time of the find. [ Perhaps they drained it some when looking for evidence, perhaps it was higher after some rains ]. So, the exact spot could possibly have been in (or nearly in) the water at the time of discovery, but that spot is dry now.

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jumpstreet said:

It's a good point - my recollection is that the location of the flowers is the primary basis for where JTF outlined the (presumed) exact location in that photo. But yeah, that does assume that someone who left those flowers knew the exact spot.

The location of those flowers is curious in that it isn't just by the road, they do seem to have been left at an intentional spot (but perhaps whoever left them just "guessed"). As you mentioned, it could have been the person who made the discovery - I imagine it was pretty traumatic, and perhaps this was intended to be helpful gesture for some closure - but who knows.

[ It's somewhat why I was asking if there were any other tributes noticed there by those that went today (in the same location, other locations) - just curious ].

Finally, regarding the water, I think we've speculated that the current water level is much lower than what it was at the time of the find. [ Perhaps they drained it some when looking for evidence, perhaps it was higher after some rains ]. So, the exact spot could possibly have been in (or nearly in) the water at the time of discovery, but that spot is dry now.

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reddress58 said:

The dead roses are over the embankment and on the ground with many footprints surrounded it. Those footprints had to be made when the ground was wet and soft. They are hardened now. No other areas had vegetation that was trampled...thus our conclusion.

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reddress58 said:

Also remember, white roses were Nancy's favorite flowers. Whoever put them there possibly knew that. Wouldn't it be reasonable to expect LE to show her parents/Brad where her body was found after they were finished with their crime scene work? Or do they keep that secret also?

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