Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #1

[Torsade]

Originally Posted by STEADFAST

LE has been saying that they're thinking locals committed the murders because of the isolated location. But I think the map backs up SS's theory that the murderers could well be outsiders. All you have to do to get to the site is turn off of HWY 75 and then turn down the first street.

...or exit I40 and drive 5 miles...no turns....

[XcomSquaddie]

Not sure if this was posted yet:

http://www.newsok.com/article/3256335/

Authorities talk about the two weapons, saying one was "high-powered" and one was "low-powered". They also said a news station showed footage of the shell casings on the ground.

Kicked out shell casings mean semi-automatic pistols, as opposed to revolvers. Semi-autos are also easier to shoot, and to shoot quickly, than revolvers.

My speculation:
High powered could mean .45ACP or .40S&W. Conceivably it could even be 9mm, but that's a stretch. Low powered sounds like a .22 or similar small round.

[christine2448]

The reporters and LE also are insistant that it local because of where it is. NG last night was saying also outsiders could have easily done this because of how close the hwy is..the reporter was adamant that the road is not noticable, it's not easy for outsiders to come upon. Traveled by locals, but not outsiders.

Now, they could be wrong. But they live there and understand more the actual layout.

Do we have any sleuthers in this area?

[XcomSquaddie]

Originally Posted by christine2448

The reporters and LE also are insistant that it local because of where it is. NG last night was saying also outsiders could have easily done this because of how close the hwy is..the reporter was adamant that the road is not noticable, it's not easy for outsiders to come upon. Traveled by locals, but not outsiders.

Now, they could be wrong. But they live there and understand more the actual layout.

It could go either way. If the region is a center of drug activity, outsiders could be coming in delivering or picking up shipments. Outsiders could have learned a lot just by coming in to pick up their meth shipment.

I'm not sure I buy the drug deal scenario. Selling drugs is one thing. A double-murder, especially of two young girls, is in an entirely different league.

Not to mention the fact, that if the drug runners were outsiders, the girls wouldn't have recognized them anyway. Why kill them when you can just deny it? Young kids on a rural road at dusk?

And if this bridge was a hotspot of local activity, why do a drug deal there?

Four days and still too many questions.

[Clearly Confused]

I can't imagine what kind of threat these little girls could have been to someone that they had to shoot them. Whoever did this has no soul.

[SuziQ]

At yesterdays presser, the spokesman stated that while they are considering all possibilities, they feel this is a local crime. The spokesman said (paraphraising) that getting to the location required alot of directions and was not easy to find even in daylight. Not that easily accesable by the nearest highway.

IMO, the girls came across someone they knew commiting a crime. An unknown person could have cared less and would have gone on about their way.

[SuziQ]

Also, IIRC, the spokesman also said that OSBI has not been able to contact and interview everyone they needed to and that reason could be summertime, people on vacation, etc.

[STEADFAST]

Originally Posted by christine2448

The reporters and LE also are insistant that it local because of where it is. NG last night was saying also outsiders could have easily done this because of how close the hwy is..the reporter was adamant that the road is not noticable, it's not easy for outsiders to come upon. Traveled by locals, but not outsiders.

Now, they could be wrong. But they live there and understand more the actual layout.

Do we have any sleuthers in this area?

I don't live anywhere near there, but looking at the scene on an aerial map, there are very dense woods on the west side of the street and a strip of woods on the east. If there was a local connection in the area for drug sales (which there certainly is) that bridge could be a convenient meeting place for getting supply from someone from Tulsa -- much less obvious than having a gang member visit your home! Maybe the girls recognized the local connection and maybe the gang members didn't want to take a chance they'd mention what they saw.
It's hard for me to believe that anyone who had never killed before could shoot little girls in the face.

[Busylady]

Not sure if this info was already posted if so sorry for the duplicate information.

Linda Kaye PlackerDate of Birth:13 Apr 1981Gender:Female Birth County:Harris Father's Name:Peter Steven PlackerMother's Name:Vickie Ann Paschal Roll Number:1981_0015


I am assuming that Peter and Vickie are the grandparents.

[EnvoyDriver61]

I think they need to reinterrogate the boys in the pickup with the shotgun that were just out shooting "just like they always do." I wouldn't be surprised if the weapons are in that Bad Creek near where everyone throws things off the bridge.

This sounds to me like a 17-21 year old male showing off to his buddies.

They are drinking and have been shooting for a while. One starts bragging about his skills. They other denies anyone can out shoot him.

"The next thing we see we shoot as quick as we can."

Hey, look someone's walking down the road. They are the next thing we see. Come on, you chicken.

[kahskye]

Can't they check the tire print to the type of tires the boys in the pickup have?

[Clearly Confused]

Originally Posted by kahskye

Can't they check the tire print to the type of tires the boys in the pickup have?

I am sure they will if they already didn't do it.

[SuziQ]

http://newsok.com/for-slain-weleetka...?tm=1213280045

(snips and alot of info at the above link)
Rose Whitaker took one look at the man waving at her in the road Sunday and knew something was terribly wrong.

"They're gone,” the man said when she pulled up alongside him. "They're both gone. The girls are dead.” Whitaker's daughter, Skyla Jade, 11, and Skyla's best friend, Taylor Dawn Paschal-Placker, 13, lay lifeless in a nearby ditch. Each had been shot multiple times in the chest and head.

In a news conference Wednesday, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Ben Rosser said investigators are trying to find children who talked to the girls often and knew their habits. "We're talking to young people because the victims were young,” Rosser said. "We've got leads, and we're talking to their friends, but a lot of people are harder to find than others.”

"They said there was a high-powered weapon and a low-powered weapon,” Jimmy Farrow said. "One of the TV stations showed shell casings piled up in the road where it happened.”

Investigators think killers were familiar with area
Officials think the slayings may have been committed by people from the local area or who are familiar with the rural Okfuskee County roads.
"That's my gut feeling,” Rosser said. "It's an isolated area. We don't know if this is some kind of random thrill killing or an attempted abduction or a case of mistaken identity. It's possible they may have interrupted something at the bridge.”

ETA: I find the above bolded quote interesting.

[Lucy's mom]

[quote=XcomSquaddie;2290413]
Not to mention the fact, that if the drug runners were outsiders, the girls wouldn't have recognized them anyway. Why kill them when you can just deny it? Young kids on a rural road at dusk?

I hope I'm replying with the quote correctly! XcomSquaddie makes a very good point. If it was an outsider, why kill the girls becasue the girls reconzing them is slim to none. I'm banking that it is a local. Someone that the girls might even know and would definitely be able to identify.

[kahskye]

I'm thinking it's someone the girls knew and maybe possibly threatened to tell on them and they freaked.

[oceanblueeyes]

[quote=Lucy's mom;2290531]

Originally Posted by XcomSquaddie

Not to mention the fact, that if the drug runners were outsiders, the girls wouldn't have recognized them anyway. Why kill them when you can just deny it? Young kids on a rural road at dusk?

I hope I'm replying with the quote correctly! XcomSquaddie makes a very good point. If it was an outsider, why kill the girls because the girls recognizing them is slim to none. I'm banking that it is a local. Someone that the girls might even know and would definitely be able to identify.

I definitely think it is two locals up to no good.

If the shell casings were found in the road then I think they approached them in their vehicle and the girls doing like most do, moved off to the side of the road when a vehicle passes, which LE is calling the ditch and when they got very close to them one most likely fired by putting the weapon out the open window and the other one may have stepped out of the vehicle and fired. Both would still be shot at close range.

It will be interesting to know if the frontal shots were done at an angle showing the direction where the shots were fired from. I think once murdering these poor girls they swung their vehicle around and headed the opposite way from where they had come from. Within minutes imo, they were back home as nothing had ever happened.

imo

[Taximom]

I think they are two locals (at least shooters) that have already been to jail/prison and don't want to go back.

[absinthe]

Originally Posted by kahskye

I'm thinking it's someone the girls knew and maybe possibly threatened to tell on them and they freaked.

That's the theory my young guy friend has, too. He thinks that the killers are boys in their classes that got sucked into an adolescent mob mentality.

[SailorMoon]

How confusing and so many questions. I could these whole thing happening more easily if it were near dark or dusk. But it wasn't. It was almost right at 5pm. It doesn't get dark at my house til near 9. So many questions and no answers. It takes somebody real freaking cold hearted to say the least to kill someone, let alone, shoot young girls in the face.

[XcomSquaddie]

Originally Posted by oceanblueeyes

I definitely think it is two locals up to no good.

Don't forget, there were likely two shooters. Could have been others there who just watched.

Hell, all they said was that two guns were used. There could have been other shooters too. Not likely, but possible.

The more people involved the better, because someone WILL screw up and talk or get guilty. Plus, once the heat comes down, everyone will start rolling over and pointing fingers.

[oceanblueeyes]

[quote=Lucy's mom;2290531]

Originally Posted by XcomSquaddie

Not to mention the fact, that if the drug runners were outsiders, the girls wouldn't have recognized them anyway. Why kill them when you can just deny it? Young kids on a rural road at dusk?

I hope I'm replying with the quote correctly! XcomSquaddie makes a very good point. If it was an outsider, why kill the girls because the girls recognizing them is slim to none. I'm banking that it is a local. Someone that the girls might even know and would definitely be able to identify.

I agree......an outsider doing this is just not logical. They are locals, imo.

This tragic case seems to be someone hell bent and determined to use two precious innocent children as target practice.

I hope and pray they can find the monsters who did this. My heart just breaks for Taylor and Skyla's families and for that community too. They hadn't even had a murder, much less double homicide, since in the 80s. They all have to be shattered knowing this happened there. Those two children had every right to walk the country road around Taylor's home without feeling uneasy or alarmed.

imoo

[XcomSquaddie]

Originally Posted by Taximom

I think they are two locals (at least shooters) that have already been to jail/prison and don't want to go back.

That's more plausible than the "Outsider Drug Runner" theory.

[oceanblueeyes]

Originally Posted by XcomSquaddie

Don't forget, there were likely two shooters. Could have been others there who just watched.

Hell, all they said was that two guns were used. There could have been other shooters too. Not likely, but possible.

The more people involved the better, because someone WILL screw up and talk or get guilty. Plus, once the heat comes down, everyone will start rolling over and pointing fingers.

I think you are right Xcom.

There may have been an observer or observers. I hope they feel the pressure and start singing like a canary to someone.

imoo

[absinthe]

The only thing that sticks out about the "locals" theory is that they were shot in the head and chest. That sounds like a cartel-style execution to me.

[EnvoyDriver61]

Does anyone know when the local schools had let out of school and graduation (high school) had occurred?

I wonder if there was a graduation party in the area.