Found Deceased TX - Leanne Bearden, 33, Garden Ridge, 17 Jan 2014 #11

I'm confused here. Are there folks that believe this was not a suicide? Why? IMO, it's really not so unbelievable.
It's not, but it is hard to believe she was hanging in that tree for all that time and the homeowners and neighbors didn't smell anything or see anything, that the dogs didn't pick up on her scent, that searches didn't locate her, that kind of thing. I think a lot of people, myself included, would feel more comfortable as long as we know that ALL possibilities were investigated fully, not just that LE found her hanging there and said "Yep, suicide. Close the case." I am not saying that happened at all, once the facts come out, though, everyone can rest easy that every avenue was actually looked into. JMO.
 
I'm confused here. Are there folks that believe this was not a suicide? Why? IMO, it's really not so unbelievable.

Now that LE has declared it a suicide, I don't think too many are doubting it. But yesterday, before the autopsy, all we had were anonymous sources revealing that she was hanging in a tree. So some of us felt that LE should keep an open mind and investigate as if it could be a homicide. That avoids overlooking evidence at the scene if the autopsy later shows homicide.

We really had such confusing information during the past few weeks that to me abduction seemed more likely than Leanne running away. Suicide hadn't really been on many people's radar and yesterday we were still coming to grips with that possibility. Personally, I didn't want homicide to be ruled out too quickly. I'd hate for someone to get away with killing her. But I think they must have had good reasons for reaching the suicide conclusion so quickly. So I'm inclined to believe it unless other evidence comes out.
 
I doubt LE or the ME overlooked evidence. The ME decides manner/cause of death. Also, I do not believe it is ever easy for LE to have to say suicide. Most, or many won't believe them. I don't think they would say it, if not certain. JMO
 
Good evening, Fairy1, in answer to your question as to whether some folks are still pondering the suicide, yes, they are. No, suicide is not so unbelievable - it is something that is always a possibility in the mix of such disappearances. But it is always shocking in its horror nonetheless.

Too, the old cliché comes to mind: "the devil is in the details." Some are still mulling over things that don't sit right nor feel right - and those things may never sit right, and that's just how it may be. Something eats at you, a phrase, a behavior, circumstances -- it can keep a person up at night.

One looks at Leanne and feels a need to protect her and stand up for her. It doesn't matter that we are not her family or that we have not met her. On some level, some of us felt her pain and saw her grappling with something much bigger than herself. What is the big backdrop to it all. The final chapter to the book may be shut, but the peculiarity of the events contained therein lingers and haunts some, myself included. And I imagine it will for a very long time.
 
Forensically speaking it's really hard to stage a suicide by asphyxia and it's a very particular and specific MO that just wouldn't make any sense for anyone involved. I understand wanting a thorough investigation but combined with whatever LE knows about her mental health and state of mind you'd have to be an evil mastermind to fake a scene like that. Your ligature marks would have to match exactly and a swinging noise leaves pretty telltale marks even compared to strangulation with the same rope because a swinging noose has so much give. and there'd be signs of a struggle or something in her tox screen and the very least. There's probably evidence she climbed the tree in some manner and then the origin of the rope would be a giveaway. We have no idea of there was a note either. Never say never, but it would be pretty crazy if someone could fool LE on so many levels. It's definitely not a crime of opportunity.
 
I have been reading comments following MSM articles posted by ppl whose locale is right in or very nearby Garden Ridge. I realize I cannot verify if they are telling the truth about where they live.

But here goes: they are saying at this time of year, the foliage of the trees "is not thick" and that temps have been around 50 degrees with the occasional cold snap down to 40 (which is cold relative to their area, I would love a few 40 degree days up here). They also said that buzzards (turkey vultures maybe) are prevalent there and swarm right near deer carcasses and such.

the subject area was covered by LE aerial search. LE did not search the subject area by foot after having been told the family had. Both these statements were found in news reports.

Begging everyone's pardon if being too graphic (I am new to this thread and don't know what's been discussed) but at 50 degrees F over any number of days in a 3 week area, a corpse rots. Decomposition is evident and the accompanying smells are too. It is hard to believe dogs (hired by the family until LE asked them to cease) or searchers could not smell the sad evidence, even if they did not see it. The police chief said in her most recent interview that she and members of her force would go on their own time when they saw turkey buzzards overhead.
 
I doubt LE or the ME overlooked evidence. The ME decides manner/cause of death. Also, I do not believe it is ever easy for LE to have to say suicide. Most, or many won't believe them. I don't think they would say it, if not certain. JMO

There's an article I read last night that made me concerned about there being a thorough investigation. It's called "The Seven Major Mistakes in Suicide Investigation" by a homicide and forensic consultant named Vernon Geberth. I didn't post it because there are a few slightly graphic pictures of a staged hanging.

The author claims that LE first responders sometimes make assumptions and miss important clues because they are expecting a suicide based on the initial report. He says that a homicide detective should be called to the scene immediately.

I honestly think that GR LE was privy to info all these weeks that led them to expect this outcome. But I expect that they still did a thorough investigation at the scene anyway. This is a high profile case so LE needs to make sure it has its ducks lined up in a row.
 
I have been reading comments following MSM articles posted by ppl whose locale is right in or very nearby Garden Ridge. I realize I cannot verify if they are telling the truth about where they live.

But here goes: they are saying at this time of year, the foliage of the trees "is not thick" and that temps have been around 50 degrees with the occasional cold snap down to 40 (which is cold relative to their area, I would love a few 40 degree days up here). They also said that buzzards (turkey vultures maybe) are prevalent there and swarm right near deer carcasses and such.

the subject area was covered by LE aerial search. LE did not search the subject area by foot after having been told the family had. Both these statements were found in news reports.

Begging everyone's pardon if being too graphic (I am new to this thread and don't know what's been discussed) but at 50 degrees F over any number of days in a 3 week area, a corpse rots. Decomposition is evident and the accompanying smells are too. It is hard to believe dogs (hired by the family until LE asked them to cease) or searchers could not smell the sad evidence, even if they did not see it. The police chief said in her most recent interview that she and members of her force would go on their own time when they saw turkey buzzards overhead.
Great post-and to answer some of your questions-there are a lot of evergreens in the area-cedar trees-they provide cover and can mask scent.
 
Again, please remember that Websleuths is victim-friendly. That not only includes Leanne but her family. As they prepare to bury her, it is not appropriate at all to judge her as selfish because YOU wouldn't do that. This is absolutely not victim-friendly.

Additionally, unless LE or MSM tells us otherwise, the gentleman who found her did her family a great service in finally venturing into his extremely large backyard. Speculating on his motives is distasteful.
 
As far as the perceived lateness of the neighbor inspecting his own property, yes, I agree in that I wish he had sooner. But I also realize, I probably didn't go in my back yard the entire month of January either. It was really cold for a lot of it to me and probably most that live here. Rarely go all the way to the farthest treed area except when I'm the lawn person. I go out the side to travel and out the front for company, mail, delivery, walks, etc. Haven't mowed in months. I have a huge brush pile as well. Central TX has been under off/on burn bans for half a decade minimum. The neighbor's 2.4 acres is much larger and it might be reasonable to believe 80 year old residents behave similarly. I'm not quite there yet.
Wasn't there a sentence in one of the articles that said the family had came to his door and searched the area? He has to be as sad knowing searchers were that close and didn't see her.
JMO.
 
One of our members asked me to share this article. I mentioned this case yesterday. The author hopes it helps us as we grasp some kind of understanding of suicide. I felt Part 4 was extremely helpful to me.

I've linked each part so you can find them easily.

Part 1: http://www.correctionsone.com/corre...e-Life-after-the-suicide-of-a-loved-one-pt-1/

Part 2: http://www.correctionsone.com/corre...Life-after-the-suicide-of-a-loved-one-part-2/

Part 3: http://www.correctionsone.com/corre...e-Life-after-the-suicide-of-a-loved-one-pt-3/

Part 4: http://www.correctionsone.com/corre...e-Life-after-the-suicide-of-a-loved-one-pt-4/
 
This has been a sad and heavy day. I sure was hoping Leanne would be found alive. What a special person. And I feel so bad for her family. They really put themselves out there and put up with a lot of judgment-especially her husband. I'm sure he feels so much self inflicted hurt to worry much about what a bunch of strangers say, but he's a victim here too. His life will never be the same. And I'm going to say a big prayer for Leanne's mother.
 
I am thinking a lot of Leanne's parents. My own parents lost two adult children, both dying in terrible ways, and they were never the same again, both dying within a few months of each other, not much later. It does not matter how old they are, if you lose a child.
 

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