Skyla Whitaker, 11, & Taylor Placker 13 - Found Murdered - #1 - Page 5

Beyond Belief · #**101** 06-10-2008, 08:53 PM

I would like them to get those bullets identified and check every gun in the area to see if they had been fired lately. I keep thinking they came upon a kid using "dad's' gun. He panicked afraid they would tell on him, so their dead.
Unless of course theres gang activity inthat area which I don't think there is.

bluestarzz · #**102** 06-10-2008, 09:11 PM

I think that the girls knew their killer. Otherwise, why bother? unless they got in
the perps faces about what they were doing.
bluestarzz

SuziQ · #**103** 06-10-2008, 09:27 PM

This case is now the lead story on CNN.Com. Not sure why yet, but I find the info that the bridge is a popular "gathering spot" interesting. In the presser it was stated that people shoot from the bridge. I'm pretty sure OSBI had suspects in sight. Why the backpedal?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/10/...ths/index.html

(snips)
Residents of a small Oklahoma town were warned Tuesday that the shooting deaths of two schoolgirls may be the work of someone who lives in the area.

"If it were me, I wouldn't let my kids out walking unless there were other people around that you knew," Okfuskee County Sheriff Jack Choate said Tuesday. "We don't know what the threat is."

The two left Taylor's home about 5 p.m. Sunday and headed north on the rural county road where Taylor lived, toward a bridge that is a popular gathering spot, Ross said.

A few minutes later, Taylor's grandfather and guardian called her cell phone to tell the girls to return home. When she didn't answer, he went out to look for them, according to Rosser.

Residents of a small Oklahoma town were warned Tuesday that the shooting deaths of two schoolgirls may be the work of someone who lives in the area.

englishleigh · #**104** 06-10-2008, 09:35 PM

I think these two little girls innocently walked up on a drug deal, and I have a feeling in the end we will possibly find out it was someone they knew.

believe09 · #**105** 06-10-2008, 09:38 PM

(ducking) are we sure the perp was not the grandfather who found them?

philamena · #**106** 06-10-2008, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuziQ

IMO, LE thought wrongly that they had the right people and now are back to square one.

It sounds like LE has back peddled. First there was a POI, then more than one and now none.

I hope the girls murderer(s) will be caught asap.

michelle · #**107** 06-10-2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by believe09

(ducking) are we sure the perp was not the grandfather who found them?

Hey anything is possible, we know how these things turn out sometime. I dont think its him but who knows.

Snowlover77 · #**108** 06-10-2008, 09:47 PM

It's awful to say this but in this day and age it is the ones closest to the victim(s) that are first suspected and investigated for murder. Thje grandfather I am sure has been interviewed and is also being investigated. I wonder what is behind the grandparents having legal custody of the one girl. Does that have anything to do with the murders? It is too early to know anything concrete..other than they were shot and killed 300 yards from one of their homes.
It has the ring of drugs though because of the method of killing them......nothing suprises me anymore. I will follow this story daily.

philamena · #**109** 06-10-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beyond Belief

I would like them to get those bullets identified and check every gun in the area to see if they had been fired lately. I keep thinking they came upon a kid using "dad's' gun. He panicked afraid they would tell on him, so their dead.
Unless of course theres gang activity inthat area which I don't think there is.

I agree BeyondB.
Surely there is an adequet forensic investigation going on. That worries me in one sense because one newspaper stated that these murders were the first in the county in 5 years.

Can they handle a double murder?

The bridge is a popular gathering spot.

..as in a place where the teens gather and a place that the preteens want to be part of?

SeriouslySearching · #**110** 06-10-2008, 09:56 PM

Because they are a small LE office, the OSBI is there to assist and will take care of the analysis of the bullets or other evidence.

Who thinks gangs are not yet in the smaller towns in Oklahoma? This was in our news today.

Gang Activity Threatens Small Towns

Posted: June 10, 2008 06:48 AM CDT

Updated: June 10, 2008 06:52 AM CDT

Law enforcement agencies from around the state are in Oklahoma City all week to deal with the growing threat of gang violence.

News On 6 reporter Charles Bassett reports it is a threat even small rural areas are now facing.

Authorities say gangs are moving into these smaller communities for a variety of reasons, but mainly members know the resources aren't always there to fight them and they can operate at will.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8456170

absinthe · #**111** 06-10-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEADFAST

It reminded me of "Ode to Billy Joe."

Me too!!!

SeriouslySearching · #**112** 06-10-2008, 10:03 PM

Every small town around here has a place like that which is usually around water. Where I grew up, we had beautiful waterfalls and another place called the low water bridge with enormous rocks we could drive right out on that had a low waterfall. No one drowned and a good time was had by most for the majority of our teen years.

I think the first reports of the boys on the ATV might be the 3 they thought were solid leads or someone that was seen there around the time. They did say part of the problem with witnesses was that no one wore watches or paid much attention to the time.

SeriouslySearching · #**113** 06-10-2008, 10:12 PM

It is coming up next on Greta and she says there are new developments. (I don't hold out much hope for that tho.)

SeriouslySearching · #**114** 06-10-2008, 10:25 PM

Nothing new so far. A guy from the Tulsa World Newspaper was interviewed and all he brought to the table was a description of the scene. He did confirm they found bullet casings, but said they could be from hunters in the area.

Mark F. is now on (woohoo!). He said you want to know how close they were to the victims. How close was the gun? He said he would start at the local "hang out place" and work backwards to the murder scene.

He said they have identified this as a MAJOR drug trafficing route.

Greta says it could be a thrill killing. Mark agrees that it could be...he says it seems like an urgency there like they wanted to be certain they were dead. He thinks that it is likely that the shooters were never planning to come back to that particular place. (He is leaning towards the drug trafficers) He wants to know which shots came first and the weapons used. He believes it is more than one person.

Reannan · #**115** 06-10-2008, 10:40 PM

This crime is my worst nightmare. It is horrifying on all sorts of levels. Of course, the family that finds the victims HAS to be suspect number one. Then, we have the information that the victims were in "a known drug area". Layer all of this on the statements about the killer "really wanting the victims dead". In my opinion, it is either an elaborate staged murder by a family member, or a spontaneous murder by some idiot who was caught up in the moment of spree killing and over did it. Right now....I put my money on the second scenario. Perhaps some drugged out looser from school who didn't like the girls???

gardenmom · #**116** 06-10-2008, 10:42 PM

It was very brutal. They were shot in the face and chest according to one of the articles I read.

SeriouslySearching · #**117** 06-10-2008, 10:50 PM

I am going to go with my intial impression and say drug runners from out of the area. They didn't take time to talk to the girls. It wasn't sexual. It was more like a hit or a drive-by shooting, imo. It was all too quick. I think had it been someone local, there would have been some hesitation or bargaining if you will. Knowing the victims would have made it more difficult (I would hope).

I don't suspect the grandfather from what we have learned so far.

CarpeDiem · #**118** 06-10-2008, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by believe09

(ducking) are we sure the perp was not the grandfather who found them?

That wouldn't surprise me a bit.

They "went for a walk", why?? Why did they walk the road, why not the field(s) they liked to play in.

STEADFAST · #**119** 06-10-2008, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reannan

This crime is my worst nightmare. It is horrifying on all sorts of levels. Of course, the family that finds the victims HAS to be suspect number one. Then, we have the information that the victims were in "a known drug area". Layer all of this on the statements about the killer "really wanting the victims dead". In my opinion, it is either an elaborate staged murder by a family member, or a spontaneous murder by some idiot who was caught up in the moment of spree killing and over did it. Right now....I put my money on the second scenario. Perhaps some drugged out looser from school who didn't like the girls???

I just want to point out that Mark Furman said that I-40 was listed as a major drug route not that Weleetka area is a known drug area. I-40 stretches all the way across the country, from California to North Carolina, so it's not surprising that it is a route for drugs. He also said that Weleetka hasn't had a murder since 1985.

I do agree at this point with your "drugged out loser from school" theory. I just don't see how gang members from other towns would know about or seek out this locally-popular bridge on a dirt road. Too risky.

absinthe · #**120** 06-10-2008, 10:57 PM

I don't know much about guns, but has the bullet caliber, etc been released?

SeriouslySearching · #**121** 06-10-2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarpeDiem

That wouldn't surprise me a bit.

They "went for a walk", why?? Why did they walk the road, why not the field(s) they liked to play in.

The grandfather said Taylor had walked the road daily for a year for exercise and this was her regular routine.

SeriouslySearching · #**122** 06-10-2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by absinthe

I don't know much about guns, but has the bullet caliber, etc been released?

No, not to my knowledge.

absinthe · #**123** 06-10-2008, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeriouslySearching

No, not to my knowledge.

Maybe that would help determine if it was a crime of opportunity (deranged hunters?) versus sophisticated drug operators.

SeriouslySearching · #**124** 06-10-2008, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEADFAST

I just want to point out that Mark Furman said that I-40 was listed as a major drug route not that Weleetka area is a known drug area. I-40 stretches all the way across the country, from California to North Carolina, so it's not surprising that it is a route for drugs. He also said that Weleetka hasn't had a murder since 1985.

I do agree at this point with your "drugged out loser from school" theory. I just don't see how gang members from other towns would know about or seek out this locally-popular bridge on a dirt road. Too risky.

I guess I missed him saying it was I-40. However, that isn't far either. I don't know that they would neccessarily seek out the hang out bridge, but they might have met someone local on that road to make a drug deal. It isn't far from Tulsa to make a run on up. Backroads in Oklahoma will take you just about anywhere you want to go. Most are County line roads and you can travel all day crossing main highways only occassionally. I don't think it is risky at all.

STEADFAST · #**125** 06-10-2008, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarpeDiem

That wouldn't surprise me a bit.

They "went for a walk", why?? Why did they walk the road, why not the field(s) they liked to play in.

For some reason, I don't get the guilty vibe from the grandfather -- and I'm usually a huge family suspecter. Also, if the grandfather was out killing them a quarter of a mile away, he couldn't have gotten the call from Skylar's mother about coming to pick them up. He didn't have a cell phone -- he used one of the girls' cell phone to call the police after he found them. Also, he seems genuinely devastated.

I do wonder why Taylor's grandparents were her guardians.