OH OH - William 'Bill' Comeans, 14, Columbus, 7 Jan 1980 - #1

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
Little farms edition just outside new rome. Dispatch. I believe it was an evening paper but then went to mornings? That paper route was in the family for years between 3 boys.
 
bob6104 said:
Little farms edition just outside new rome. Dispatch. I believe it was an evening paper but then went to mornings? That paper route was in the family for years between 3 boys.
Click to expand...

Bob, any thoughts on my earlier Q -- as to whether anyone on the route was an unusually heavy tipper? Having done the route yourself, do you think that it's at all odd that Bill was able to buy himself a piano with the money he made? (And that reminds me of another Q -- was he taking lessons?)

I know we are testing your memory here, but now that you've admitted that the timeline (a visual) has helped you recall things, I have to be a pest and reinforce that working on neighborhood maps -- another "visual" -- could have the same effect. Even your incomplete recall of things like houses on the paper route is potentially priceless ... it's info no one but you and your brother can contribute to. They don't have to be perfect, you don't ever have to finish, and you definitely don't have to figure out who lived in all 2500 homes Kat mentioned. Think of them as a memory tool. And that's the last time I'll bother you about them :)
 
bob6104 said:
Little farms edition just outside new rome. Dispatch. I believe it was an evening paper but then went to mornings? That paper route was in the family for years between 3 boys.
Click to expand...

Yes, the Dispatch was an evening newspaper back in 1980.

The Dispatch became a morning newspaper on January 1, 1986 after the Citizen Journal morning newspaper ceased publication on December 31, 1985.

The Dispatch is the only Columbus area newspaper that's published daily.

The Dispatch used to have preteens and teens on the paper route deliver the newspapers and collect the money for newspaper delivery.

I believe it changed during the early 1990's when the Dispatch switched over to having subscribers mail their subscription payment to the Dispatch and the newspaper was delivered on the paper route by adults instead.
 
bob6104 said:
Two males, 17-20, with possibly an older male 25-30, in charge if you will. Students at high school and living in neighborhood, or close by. Something provoked in Bill's first couple weeks of high school that made him a target. Targeting escalated because of perceived weakness of victim and his unwillingness to talk. Very fast start and rapid ending, four months later. Now as adults, unknown males, still in contact locally at functions, but keep their distance from each other. An uneasy truce between them, you tell we both go down, that creates a bonded silence that helps hide their actions. Ties have been broken with the older male, who is no longer in their circle. They are married, have kids, and middle income jobs locally. They may have had some LE contact, DUI, domestic, etc.

Disclaimer:This is just an unproven, ungrounded theory with no specific facts to reinforce ideas. IMO
Click to expand...

Hi all, another WS member here who has been lurking on this thread for a few weeks. My deepest sympathy to Bill's family and thanks for sharing so much helpful information here. You're all coming up with some excellent theories.

As a teen/ young adult in the 70's this case makes me think a lot of the social rituals and habits of teens back then. They didn't have as many places to hang out, parents were more strict. My question for Bill's brother and sister - Were there any younger adults in mid 30's to mid 20's who lived in the area? I'm thinking of someone who lived in their own home, who might have allowed teens and young adults to hang out, listen to music, party, get high?

I keep thinking of similar characters from that era (Dean Corll, etc) who lured teens into their homes by letting them drink beer and get stoned. Could Bill have come across a home or apartment like that on his paper route, saw some drug deals, some people who shouldn't be hanging out there? Could he have been lured there himself a time or two, then backed away from the scene? If he saw deals and people involved in them, it would be enough for someone whose job or reputation was at risk to threaten his life.

Apologies if this has been discussed already. Keep up the good work everyone.
 
I just thought of something here about Bill's Dispatch newspaper route.

Did Bill ever had any problems with any other Dispatch newspaper carriers that also may have been a student at the same school that Bill attended?

Did Bill (or his siblings who had the same paper route) ever had any kind of problems with any particular customer along the paper route?
 
Bob - regarding your post #556....what aspirations did Bill have? Sports? Music? Theatre? Eagle Scout?, like what field was he really, really interested in,etc.

Thanks
 
I can only guess Bill aspired to be in music. I think he took piano lessons. Papers were dropped at house. No interaction with other paper carriers. Buying a piano, Im sure my parents helped pay for some of it too. No particular paper customer stood out as odd. No heavy tippers. There were always one or two older guys around maybe 20-25 who had a following. Like you said cause thats where the party was. Bill was two weeks into high school when this started. He didnt have time to make those contacts though I believe their were students trying to intimidate him, freshman piano player and who knows why.
 
Only 2 weeks into school, yes, but what was the scene all summer??? My (at the time) just-graduated Eighth grader got his first speeding ticket one week after school got out. Who gave him the car keys to their car? A 21 yr. old weirdo I never even knew about.


He met the weirdo in auto-shop. The school allowed outside "customers" to get minor repairs done on their cars, while the students got to learn.
 
Summer was unremarkable with maybe a family vacation and Bill probably seeing some middle school friends.
 
Bob, I don't know if I ever knew if you were an older or younger brother of Bill's. If you are older, how much older? (Were you a Senior when Bill was a freshman?)

If younger, by how many grades?
 
bob6104 said:
I can only guess Bill aspired to be in music. I think he took piano lessons. Papers were dropped at house. No interaction with other paper carriers. Buying a piano, Im sure my parents helped pay for some of it too. No particular paper customer stood out as odd. No heavy tippers. There were always one or two older guys around maybe 20-25 who had a following. Like you said cause thats where the party was. Bill was two weeks into high school when this started. He didnt have time to make those contacts though I believe their were students trying to intimidate him, freshman piano player and who knows why.
Click to expand...

Bbm - I think LE should should examine the transcripts of upper class at the high school. I wonder how they would blend back into school after committing murder. Were there private schools nearby?
 
zoomom said:
Only 2 weeks into school, yes, but what was the scene all summer??? My (at the time) just-graduated Eighth grader got his first speeding ticket one week after school got out. Who gave him the car keys to their car? A 21 yr. old weirdo I never even knew about.


He met the weirdo in auto-shop. The school allowed outside "customers" to get minor repairs done on their cars, while the students got to learn.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to quote myself, but I thought further about this......The weirdo gave my son his phone number (and this was before cell phones) and told my son he would "teach" him and allow him to drive his car. The weirdo started meeting and waiting for my son in the parking lot at the school!!! I was clueless! I knew nothing until there was a CHP Officer knocking at my door!

Needless to say all heck broke loose at our house that summer!
 
Bill was third son. Two older brothers had already graduated from same high school.
 
I know this is hard, Bob. I'm very sorry.
 
Bob, was there any one particular girl, that had an interest in Bill , or vise versa, that was relater to LE or a teacher? I feel like I'm treading on toes, so I will apologize in advance. My heart is breaking over this case. Maybe it's because I lost my baby brother to murder, I'm not sure. I just know that this case keeps me up at night.
 
Bill dated girls at different times. He was well liked in middle school.No know relation to LE or teachers. Tulessa I'm sorry for your loss.
 
RE: People on Bill's paper route being big tippers - For me, this doesn't equate and has no bearing on the case. I remember when my brother was young and had his paper route. He used to rake in the tips! The little old ladies LOVED him and they tipped big! Sorry, just not seeing that as being suspicious at all.

I don't really see the situation as being Bill knowing about a few older people getting high and taking some drugs. That's pretty common - I'm sure it was in 1980 too. I just don't see how that could possibly be a motive for scare tactics or murder. It just doesn't fit to me. All MOO.
 
bob6104 said:
Bill dated girls at different times. He was well liked in middle school.No know relation to LE or teachers. Tulessa I'm sorry for your loss.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I've read every article I could find about Bill. Is it possible that he was approached , in a sexual manner by the same sex? Again, I hate even typing that, but I feel we must cover every aspect. :(
 
SisterWolf said:
RE: People on Bill's paper route being big tippers - For me, this doesn't equate and has no bearing on the case. I remember when my brother was young and had his paper route. He used to rake in the tips! The little old ladies LOVED him and they tipped big! Sorry, just not seeing that as being suspicious at all.

I don't really see the situation as being Bill knowing about a few older people getting high and taking some drugs. That's pretty common - I'm sure it was in 1980 too. I just don't see how that could possibly be a motive for scare tactics or murder. It just doesn't fit to me. All MOO.
Click to expand...

I would say in "normal" life and circumstances, you are correct, and it wouldn't matter.
However, this entire case, and all it's players, are spun in a web of FAR from normal. I know of several cases of this type of "monetary rewards" being a key factor. Many times (in criminal/sexually orientated cases) the victim is enticed or rewarded in early stages (or throughout entire time) for many various reasons. I believe your viewpoint is just a bit limited (absolutely no disrespect intended) for this particular specific point, as you are lucky enough to have never seen this connection. Normally, I would agree with you SisterWolf, but not on this very UNnormal murder case.

ETA: Clarification: In investigating this area (big tippers) does not mean a big tipper is surely connected with evildoing.
It is merely a specific "point of interest" that needs to be looked into and each eliminated from the large field of "potential ppl of interest".
 
Bedtime for me. That's when I do my best thinking. Bill, know that we are working hard to bring you justice. Even though you are in a better place than we are, your family misses you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 115 more.
Total: 3,785 (members: 116, guests: 3,669)

Online statistics

Members online
116
Guests online
3,669
Total visitors
3,785
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
591,674
Messages
17,957,350
Members
228,584
Latest member
Vjeanine
Back
Top