CA CA - Amber Swartz-Garcia, 7, Pinole, 3 June 1988

[Leprikawn]

Bump!

 

[amber1]

Thinking of Amber, and all the missing bay area children<3

 

[Leprikawn]

With the bone found in the well in Linden, I wonder if some of these girls in the bay area were taken by the SFK's.

If water was hitting me in the head and Curtis Dean Anderson told me it was raining, I wouldnt believe him! For some reason I just dont buy this death bed confession. And I wont until she is found.

With todays technology SOME evidence should be able to be found on that Ranch, if her body was indeed dumped there.

 

[amber1]

I don't believe so either! I have thought of the SFK or Timoty Bindner as one. I dont suspect Bindner in all the Bay area abductions, but I especially do in Amber's case because she reminds me so much of Angela Bugay, who Bindner was not responsible for taking, but was obsessed with nonetheless.
I know Amber's case is closed because of Curtis' confession, but I still dont believe he did it. I hope they keep Amber in mind while they identify these remains.

 

[LinasK]

With the bone found in the well in Linden, I wonder if some of these girls in the bay area were taken by the SFK's.

If water was hitting me in the head and Curtis Dean Anderson told me it was raining, I wouldnt believe him! For some reason I just dont buy this death bed confession. And I wont until she is found.

With todays technology SOME evidence should be able to be found on that Ranch, if her body was indeed dumped there.

Yeah, but Anderson tended to operate much further north, except for Midsi Sanchez. Xiana Fairchild was taken from Vallejo which is much closer to Pinole, so that would be more likely his stomping grounds.vs. Herzog/Shermantine, who were operating further South than that. Castro Valley is very close to Hayward, just over the freeway.

 

[tmamaa515]

I often wonder about this case as well. On Charleys project website(I believe it is) it says a witness saw a man roughly forcing a girl about Amber's age and description into a car in a nearby park around the same time she disappeared. Anderson said he grabbed her in front of her home. Amber's mom said she let her play out in the front yard because neighbors would be arriving home and be outside around that time. The park story makes more sense since people are coming home from work between 4 and 5 and someone would likely witness something around that time. Maybe she accidentally wandered off and this horrible kidnapping happened. I am not quite convinced Anderson kidnapped her. Another thing, its very strange that both Amber and Nikki Campbell's scents were traced to Angela Bugay's grave by dogs? That probably wasn't a coincidence. Prayers to Amber's family for having to go through this awful ordeal.

 

[Leprikawn]

The scariest statement I ever heard came from Tim Binder when he said that The kidnapper probably put the victims in a freshly dug grave, and then the next day a person was buried on top of them.

then the scents were located at a grave.

 

[amber1]

Leprikawn-
I remember getting chills when I read that part in the book. I also don't think it's a coincidence that Amanda and Amber's scents were tracked to Angela's grave. I have always suspected Bindner of taking Amber and Amanda after his obsession with Angela Bugay. However, I never thought he was involved with Michaela or Ilene disappearance, or any other in the Bay Area.
Doe anyone know if that was ever looked into-if the grave above a grave theory?

 

[hoshizora]

I find it really creepy that both scents were traced to Angela's grave, but I don't know if Bindner is capable of being a murderer. He is a creep though, that's for sure. I think he's just a mad pedophile, honestly. He might be connected to criminals in that area of California though and know who is doing it.

If the SFK have a possible connection to Michaela Garecht, they should be looked into as suspects in both these cases. I don't believe they had anything to do with them myself, but they should be looked into. You never know, they might have snatched them up. Same time period and same area, and they are believed to have murdered 50-70 people. They are capable of murdering a child because there were child remains found. The remains suspected to be Michaelas might even belong to one of these girls! I believe Amber's case is related to Amanda's and its the same person in both.

They should look into the SFK as potential suspects and also look at Angela's grave. If their scent stops there, it's very possible they are buried with Angela or underneath or something, which I find absolutely creepy but they should check to make sure.

 

[Leprikawn]

I think its Binder in Amanda and Amber's cases! I think he enjoyed toying with people (actually the way he answers questions is a lot like Wesley Shermantine....They both speak in riddles)

But I also think he is smart enough that when the spotlight hit him, he stopped his game, for the game of playing with peoples heads. If one more kid went missing with any ties to him, and maybe the police were watching closely, he would have been caught! So he stopped!

He comes off as a master manipulator in the vein of Shermantine, Bundy, Gacy and the rest.

Binder is someone you would like to get a free 30 minutes in a closed room, with a bucket of salt water, and a car battery and find out exactly what he knows!

 

[amber1]

Leprikawn-
This is exactly what I thought after reading Stalemate. Bindner is not dumb at all-if anything, he is a genius. He loves the riddles, he loves toying with police and families. I remember in the book he visited Sharon, Michaela's mom, and often kept in touch with Amber's mother. I believe Amber's mother has always believed deep down Bindner, did it, that is why she kept corresponding to his letters. The way he wrote to her was more than a concerned citizen trying to help or play detective. There was something more there...kinda like a "haha, I have the power and know what happened" type of deal.
I also do not believe he would be able to committ another crime, because he was in hot water and under constant survaillence-he did not have the option anymore to do so.
With how obsessed he was about Angela Bugay's murder, I believe if he took Amanda and Amber, he would have put them in a vicinity meaningul to him such as an area by Angela's grave, which would also match up with the dogs tracing BOTH the girls scents to the grave.
I just feel for Amber's mother because with Anderson's confession and him being deceased, I do not believe her case is being actively investigated. The only way I would ever believe he did it is if Amber was found where he said he put her, which she has yet to be found.
I feel in my heart Bindner knows what happened, and I think Amber's mother still feels the same. I feel for her because all she wanted was to put her daughter to rest. And now she is stuck with a possible false confession, no Amber, a possible suspect, whom she thought did from the beginning, out and free, and a case that is at a Stalemate.

I have all the admiration in the world for Amber's mother, i don't believe she will ever stop searching, no matter what the possible outcome could be.

 

[tmamaa515]

Why did they never check into the grave above a grave theory? It is so logical. The scents of the two missing girls would not be in the graveyard Bindner worked in for no reason, knowing he was so obsessed with the girls' kidnappings. I'm guessing they thought it would be too expensive to dig up the graves. I was also curious if this case is officially closed. If the Linden well bone does not turn out to be Michaela's, it matches the same age category of Amber. I'm wondering if they will test it against Amber's DNA just to rule out the SFK in this case?

 

[Leprikawn]

I would think......do not know for sure.....but it would probably take many court orders and the families to consent before a grave was dug up. And my feeling is it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack and all the time Binder would be laughing!

I have not read stalemate. Maybe one day when I get some time I will get a copy.

My feeling is that he would have put the girls close by, a place that would satisfy him and a place he could see and inwardly feel strength and power. I think he cherishes the possession of them and the thought that he has power over their families......Just like Shermantine!

I sure hope the authorities are keeping an eye on him because I think as time passes he will want to start his games again, and then no child is safe!

 

[amber1]

Leprikawn-
Stalemate is a very informational book. If you are interested in the missing San Fran Bay area kids, this will interest you

I also think the court to search those graves was an obstacle, along with the fact Bindner loved toying with LE and families. It amused him.

Amber's age progression posted on Charley Project gave me chills-she looks just like her mom! According to Amber's profile on Charley Project, Anderson claimed he was responsible for many missing kids in the Bay area, but he also loved the recognition he got for claiming this, as well as manipulating families and LE. Kinda like Henry Lee Lucas. I think he is one of those that enjoys making false confession to make themselves look "notorious". I just dont believe he took Amber.
I remember reading Bindner worked at a social security place, and he would have access to people's information, like address and phone number. He would take young girls' addresses and write them notes and send them money. He also matches the description of a man throwing a young blonde child in the back of a car at a park. It must have been frustrating for LE, because they could never rule him out, but never find solid proof he did it. He even Successfully sued Fairfield, CA LE for "defamation". This guy is very smart.

And yes, Amber's case is considered closed because of Anderson's confession, so I am not sure if they would look at her for SFK victim, but in my opinion, if we don't have Amber's remains, Anderson, Bindner and the SFK can't be ruled out as suspects.

 

[Leprikawn]

Yeah I do need to read that book,I'm in the process of pre production for recording a new album, so once I am finished with this project, I will get my hands on this book.

Curtis dean Anderson was an animal. I am sure he killed more than we will ever know, but I dont think he took Amber. I actually saw him sitting in the back of the police car when he was arrested. I worked down the street from where he was arrested, and just happened to leave late that day, after he was caught. He looked both pathetic and menacing. Of course i didnt know at the time what was going on.

 

[hoshizora]

Yeah I'm not convinced Anderson had anything to do with Amber's disappearance. I'm so surprised the LE actually closed the case over it. They didn't find Amber's remains where Anderson said they were, that's enough reason to keep it open!

Bindner is an interesting character. As I said, I think he's just a crazy pedophile and he's like Garrido and wouldn't kill a child (but capable of other crimes). There isn't enough evidence to connect him to these crimes, and I believe the LE made a good choice to not pursue him but keep an eye on him. He just likes to mess with victims families. (In the Jay Cook/Tanya van Cuylenborg case, an unrelated person with a mental problem kept writing to the victims families, so it does happen) I do believe he knows something though, because he predicted the next child to be abducted would be 9 and then Michaela was kidnapped (unless he was making up stuff and he guessed right, which I don't think). Maybe he was sent out by the real abductors to look suspicious so the attention would be off them? I don't know, but if Michaela is being considered a victim of the SFK, then I find it hard to believe that Bindner had anything to do with these cases, as they were all thought to be related. I wonder if Bindner had a relationship with Shermantine and Herzog? It's obvious he was apart of something bigger. Maybe he helped the perpetrators bury the bodies, but I believe that would be where his involvement peaks and ends, if he even did that. Remember he was obsessed with Angela Burgay and he wasn't the perpetrator?

I also looked up about the witness seeing a girl being pushed into a car, but it says the man had a beard and Bindner did not at the time. And Bindner drives a white van, this was a tan coloured car. So I do not believe this person was Bindner and it also does not match the description.

 

[Leprikawn]

They thought Michaela and Jaycee were connected too. assumptions come and go but Binder is guilty of something in my opinion! If at the time they had swabbed his vehicle down for DNA like they would today.......I think ol Tim would be in big trouble! The scents of two missing girls were found in his car if I remember right, as well as the grave site.

 

[hoshizora]

He's guilty of being a creep and interfering with the cases, and I'm willing to also say he might be guilty of other crimes against children like molestation and possibly rape, but I just don't think he killed these girls. He has been cleared, hasn't he? I can understand how people can make the link, but I think he's just a pedophile who prays on young girls and has nothing to do with cases except a possible connection to the killers and he might know where their remains are. He is no doubt a creep. He visited Angela's grave 80x a year! Who does that who has no relation to the child? Even the parents wouldn't visit that much! I think if he had done anything to Amanda or Amber, the evidence would be a lot clearer and it would be overwhelming. He was investigated for a while to my understanding, and there was nothing suspicious found in his home. I'm sure something would've surfaced in all the years he was investigated. The police still should keep an eye on him, but I think they should focus on other people because I don't think he was their abductor or their killer. Angela just proves he's obsessed with girls who he didn't kill.

 

[tmamaa515]

I would not be surprised if the SFK and Bindner were connected somehow and in cahoots together. The car at the park that the man was forcing the girl(possibly Amber) into was a tan sedan, wasn't the car the Michaela was thrown into this same description almost? Bindner reached out to both girls families. Bindner was in Hayward the day Michaela disappeared, as well as in the area that Amber disappeared on that day. Did the guy at the park fit either Herzog or Shermantine's descriptions? So unfortunate they just took Anderson's word for it before he died when nothing matched up with his story and they could not find the body. It is a mystery how Bindner fits into these cases.

 

[amber1]

I agree that it is interesting to see how Bindner fits in. We must remember that people who take kids for sick reasons and murder them, all start out as pedophiles. And the more they do it without any punishment, the more the level of crime escalates. They evolve within time, and if they aren't going to get in trouble the first time, they just get more bold.
I think Bindner's obsession for Angela's murder could have been a trigger for him to abduct girls. If he was responsible, I don't think he took these girls with the intent to kill them, but over time I believe that is what it came to. Pedophiles don't stay just pedophiles forever, without punishment, they escalate. It's like a drug. You start out with a little taste, and then you keep needing more and more to get your fix.
I also remember in Stalemate, they mentioned Bindner had a beard around that time, but later trimmed it (I will have to dig the book out and get the page #s), but they were never even sure to begin with if that scenario was related to Amber's case.
All in all, there is no solid proof for either of these three, I just know Amber's mother has always thought in her heart Bindner did it. And being a mother myself, I understand how strong a mother's instinct and connection with her child is.
Until we find Amber, this whodoneit will remain unsolved.