UNSOLVED AL - Russell Co, (Ghost?) Child, >10, Bones Found in Mobile Home Floor, Oct'04

[KarlK]

I'd say consulting a zoologist might be helpful in solidly identifying what kind of animal would drag large bones into its den.

Bones from a small child could not have been that large, apart from the skull I can't imagine any of those bones, even a femur, weighing more than a few ounces. Any rodent larger than a squirrel would be able to transport them. But you're right in implying that even if they could it's not just any large rodent that would have a use for bones as gnawing material, so to speak. Among the larger rodents (beaver, rabbit, marmot, nutria, etc) I looked up the only one that is known to gnaw on bones is the marmot, which also happens to be the only large wild rodent that readily dwells in or around human habitations, even in urban settings.

Also, if animals are responsible, the bones could've come from an old grave.

Indeed. None of the large rodents is a scavenger, they would not take bones from a fresh kill. They need dry, hardened bones. I wonder if teeth marks on the bones could ID the species? Knowing which animal brought the bones there could perhaps help in pinpointing the general area where they came from.

 

[smile22]

maybe the girl could go under hypnosis to see if she remembers anything more of the ghost i do believe in ghosts. maybe she can remember a name or something

 

[serveitup]

What about a cat? I have a friend who lives in an older mobile home and she called me asking about something she could use to get rid of the scent of a dead mouse. I didn't know of anything short of finding it. Two weeks later I happened to stop by her place and was nearly knocked down by an awful strong odor. I told her she had to do something. Had it been a mouse the smell surely would have dried up. Finally, her son removed enough insulation until he uncovered and pulled out a huge deceased cat. So stray cats like to get into places like that.

 

[KarlK]

What about a cat? I have a friend who lives in an older mobile home and she called me asking about something she could use to get rid of the scent of a dead mouse. I didn't know of anything short of finding it. Two weeks later I happened to stop by her place and was nearly knocked down by an awful strong odor. I told her she had to do something. Had it been a mouse the smell surely would have dried up. Finally, her son removed enough insulation until he uncovered and pulled out a huge deceased cat. So stray cats like to get into places like that.

I don't know enough about cats to tell if they would bring old bones to their lair, but suppose it's possible. We're looking for an animal that would do that AND be known to live in close proximity with humans, but not necessarily a pet. Apart from cats, another "friendly" flesh eater that comes to mind is the raccoon but it would have to have been a small one.

 

[Sleuthster]

Another possibility is that they are from a victim already found (but missing pelvic and leg). Since it's not a complete skeleton or no skull found atleast I would have to wonder. Especially since they said there was dirt and plants so it could have been dug up before found and placed in the floor from underneath (rats do nest sometimes under mobile homes in the insulation). Just a thought.

 

[mysticrose]

I would think that the MH would be fairly easy to track down of who purchased it when and where it was moved each time. MH are typically registered with the motor vehicle department and issued a title, or at least they are supposed to be.

If they can do that they can at least find out what area the MH was at in each state and what county.

 

[serveitup]

I would think that the MH would be fairly easy to track down of who purchased it when and where it was moved each time. MH are typically registered with the motor vehicle department and issued a title, or at least they are supposed to be.

If they can do that they can at least find out what area the MH was at in each state and what county.

In this State, if a Mobile home is attached to land it becomes real property rather than personal and the state takes up (away) the title. This way an owner is taxed as having a building on land rather than paying both land tax and having to buy a tag as people who own trailer/mobiles homes on rented spaces do. Had there been numbers on it I feel like they would have tired to run them. Most likely they were removed at some earlier point and it was sold with a bill of sale (cheap) rather than a title.
I live in Alabama and never heard about this case until I read it on here last night. But I missed a lot working two jobs to raise my kids.

If we can believe the bones they found are that of a child and why else the tape over that area?, then I feel like there are more bones through out that insulation. Why would anyone go to the trouble to put a portion of a body/skeleton there? More likely he/she put all the remains there and rodents have strewed bones over the structure and still there just in a different place than put.
Makes me wish I had money because how much money can this old trailer be worth? After they get a certain age they don't allow them in trailer parks; so betcha it's on private owned land. I guess they just have to deal with it, but if it were me I'd pitch a tent and take that trailer apart piece by piece until satisfied I'd gotten all that was there.

 

[serveitup]

I don't know enough about cats to tell if they would bring old bones to their lair, but suppose it's possible. We're looking for an animal that would do that AND be known to live in close proximity with humans, but not necessarily a pet. Apart from cats, another "friendly" flesh eater that comes to mind is the raccoon but it would have to have been a small one.

Cats tend to "play" with things and move them around. I don't know if a wild animal such as a raccoon would do that but I believe they like to "wash" what they eat. I'm staying with the cat theory because I know of at least one trailer park which has a huge colony and they fight under the mobile homes and tear out insulation all the time. People have complained but there has not been a solution.

 

[serveitup]

Another possibility is that they are from a victim already found (but missing pelvic and leg). Since it's not a complete skeleton or no skull found atleast I would have to wonder. Especially since they said there was dirt and plants so it could have been dug up before found and placed in the floor from underneath (rats do nest sometimes under mobile homes in the insulation). Just a thought.

Yes, that's possible but I don't think so because dirt could have been brought in by animals and dust settles and with a little humidity some form of vegetation with spring forth. I was shocked last fall when I remodeled my bathroom to find something growing where the toilet was removed that I feared would become a tree. I divided a large bottle of Roundup between that hole and where the tub connects. My house is 32 years old and I'm on septic tank.

 

[KarlK]

I would think that the MH would be fairly easy to track down of who purchased it when and where it was moved each time. MH are typically registered with the motor vehicle department and issued a title, or at least they are supposed to be.

AFAIK a mobile home is issued a temporary tag called a transit permit only when it has to be towed on a public road. Otherwise it's like serveitup wrote it is considered a house. I don't know if DMV's keep records of transit permits they issue for any length of time. Nevertheless, property titles should be easy to track.

But in this case it does not seem likely that the crime -assuming there was one- has a direct link with the mobile home because the bones were likely transported to it by an animal. I guess the next step is to determine where the trailer was when this occurred. That is why I believe it is important to determine which animal is involved and then look at all places the MH was located over the years to see which one of those locations was more likely to attract this animal to the home. For the sake of discussion let's say a muskrat was found to have been the "culprit", then you would look for a location near a body of water.

 

[mysticrose]

Hi Karl, you are right about the temporary permit to move them, but I know in Colorado they are also issued a title thru the motor vehicle department when sold to the new owner to show ownership of the MH.
That is what I had to do when I had bought a mobile home years ago it could be completely different in GA and AL...
I also know here you can keep your mobile home title seperate from the property it sits on, unless you choose to do a title purge with the land.

As far as an animal moving the bones to that location it is feasible, it is also feasible for someone to have had the body buried, then relocated the remains at some point to the underside of the trailer, if it was buried prior, animals could have gotten to it there as well.
Some of the remains could have fallen out from underneath the MH during transit, could explain why only some of the remains were located in the MH.....

So many questions :waitasec: I am very curious now as to what type of animals around AL and GA might carry off bones ond hide them in a "nest" so to speak.
I am also curious if the did any tests on the duct tape to figure out how old it may have been...

 

[KarlK]

Since it's not a complete skeleton or no skull found atleast I would have to wonder. Especially since they said there was dirt and plants so it could have been dug up before found and placed in the floor from underneath (rats do nest sometimes under mobile homes in the insulation). Just a thought.

I also think the bones were put where they were found from underneath, and later someone used duct tape to fix damage inflicted by an animal burrowing into the insulation. The person who used the tape probably did not notice the bones. I suspect this occurred when the trailer was moved because then the underside would have been carefully inspected by the towing company to try and spot stuff that might fall off during transport and secure it, more often than not using duct tape.

This must be an older mobile home because newer ones have metal mesh securing the insulation and no animal larger than a field mouse or vole would be able get across.

 

[KarlK]

Hi Karl, you are right about the temporary permit to move them, but I know in Colorado they are also issued a title thru the motor vehicle department when sold to the new owner to show ownership of the MH.
That is what I had to do when I had bought a mobile home years ago it could be completely different in GA and AL...
I also know here you can keep your mobile home title seperate from the property it sits on, unless you choose to do a title purge with the land.

That makes sense, especially if the mobile home is to be located in a trailer park with leased lots.

As far as an animal moving the bones to that location it is feasible, it is also feasible for someone to have had the body buried, then relaocated the remains at some point to the underside of the trailer, if it was buried prior, animals could have gotten to it there as well.
Some of the remains could have fallen out from underneath the MH during transit, could explain why only some of the remains were located in the MH.....

That is also a possibility but I can't imagine anyone not noticing the smell of a body left to rot in such a place.

So many questions :waitasec: I am very curious now as to what type of animals around AL and GA might carry off bones ond hide them in a "nest" so to speak.

Skunks! But I doubt anyone could have a skunk living underneath their floor and not notice it :yuck:

I think it is most likely to be a rodent, the sort of animal that would use old bones to keep teeth growth in check rather than as a source of food. I am not familiar with local species of that area but there are a few viable "suspects" among animals that live in every state. Aforementioned marmot (ground hog), gray squirrel and chipmunk are but a few that readily build dens out of structural materials. Unlike carnivores such as racoons and skunks wild rodents tend to be quiet and not noticeable so much. Like someone wrote above a stray cat is also a possibility, could be that they use bones as claw sharpeners.

 

[MNlady]

I also think the bones were put where they were found from underneath, and later someone used duct tape to fix damage inflicted by an animal burrowing into the insulation. The person who used the tape probably did not notice the bones. I suspect this occurred when the trailer was moved because then the underside would have been carefully inspected by the towing company to try and spot stuff that might fall off during transport and secure it, more often than not using duct tape.

This must be an older mobile home because newer ones have metal mesh securing the insulation and no animal larger than a field mouse or vole would be able get across.

Post #9 says this is a 1986 model mobile home. Mine was considered personal property for tax purposes but 2 years ago became an addition to real estate taxes as a permanent structure.

 

[smm31822]

In this State, if a Mobile home is attached to land it becomes real property rather than personal and the state takes up (away) the title. This way an owner is taxed as having a building on land rather than paying both land tax and having to buy a tag as people who own trailer/mobiles homes on rented spaces do. Had there been numbers on it I feel like they would have tired to run them. Most likely they were removed at some earlier point and it was sold with a bill of sale (cheap) rather than a title.

I lived in a mobile home in Alabama a few years back as did my husband's parents. A tax sticker had to be purchased for these trailers each year. They were kind of like stickers that go on car tags. Both of these trailers were on private property. There should be a way to trace the tax stickers for this trailer.

 

[serveitup]

In this State, if a Mobile home is attached to land it becomes real property rather than personal and the state takes up (away) the title. This way an owner is taxed as having a building on land rather than paying both land tax and having to buy a tag as people who own trailer/mobiles homes on rented spaces do. Had there been numbers on it I feel like they would have tired to run them. Most likely they were removed at some earlier point and it was sold with a bill of sale (cheap) rather than a title.

I lived in a mobile home in Alabama a few years back as did my husband's parents. A tax sticker had to be purchased for these trailers each year. They were kind of like stickers that go on car tags. Both of these trailers were on private property. There should be a way to trace the tax stickers for this trailer.

If you own the land and the trailer then you pay tax on a building on the land (property tax). If you own land and have a mobile home financed and attached to that land and get behind on payments then they take the land as well as the mobile home because it is now real property, not personal property anymore. If you rent or have a mobile on someone else property then a sticker is required (like a tag). You are not suppose to do both but you'd be surprised to learn how many people in the business do not know this including attorney's who look for titles when there is none. I've seen people loose a lot of acreage maybe gifted by family because they moved in a trailer and attached it to the whole acreage. They could have had a small section (like a lot) divided off and not lost the family land had they known. If I owned land outright I would buy something I could pay cash for rather than finance a trailer/mobile home on. Save expense of having to divide up the property because I too could come up with a brain tumor and not be able to make those payments.

 

[serveitup]

I found an article I can't post that gives the girls name, school and a lot more info. A 1986 model mobile home (owned since '98) which she lived in and was 10 when the story broke in 2004. Another article said she had offers of interviews on shows but her father said no. I'm thinking it's years later and she will soon be 18. Perhaps we will hear from her one day soon. It would be very interesting and the one question I would ask the young lady is what is your friends name?
The bones were found when they were taking up a living room floor. I assumed the tape was found underneath the boards not underneath the house as in patching back insulation. I would think that would be real important as to weather they were brought in by animals or placed there and covered and taped. Just my thoughts.

 

[Skully]

I thought of a reason to dig up the bones and put them in the floorboards. If they were having any kind of utility company doing work, like digging a well, running an electric line or some sort of construction close by, they may have had to get the bones out of the yard or where they put them in the first place. Also, the person who owned the mobil home, may not have lived there, they could have rented it out, the renters often pay cash. If they lost a child, for what ever reason, she may have gotten lost in the system if they moved. Maybe no one was looking for her, is she went from one state, to another. New town, new people, they wouldn't realize a child wasn't with them. I remember a case of a foster child that went missing, but no one realized it for 10 years.

 

[serveitup]

Sure wish they could have traced the history of that mobile home back. Someone may have died taking the answer with them.

 

[sayd]

I would think that the MH would be fairly easy to track down of who purchased it when and where it was moved each time. MH are typically registered with the motor vehicle department and issued a title, or at least they are supposed to be.

If they can do that they can at least find out what area the MH was at in each state and what county.

I was just thinking the same thing. Since we know this MH has been moved, we know it should have been registered with the MVD. (To make it into real property would require a permanent foundation and permanent attachment, and approval by the County Assessor, and this does not sound like the case.) It seems the thing to do would be to track the location(s) of the MH with the MVD and see if there was anyone missing from those areas. There should be transfers of the Title and Bills of Sale along the way. This probably would have been done, otherwise the grandparents wouldn't legally own it, and they could not have transported it on the highway when they purchased it. But surely the police know this!