Deceased/Not Found Canada - Alvin, 66, & Kathy Liknes, 53, Nathan O'Brien, 5, Calgary, 30 Jun 2014 - #14

[Sillybilly]

I have been following this forum since the beginning but this is my first time posting. This is a such a heartbreaking case and it hits close to home for me. I lost my toddler daughter suddenly and unexpectedly last year, and also have a 5 year old daughter, so opposite of the O family. Although the circumstances are obviously different, my daughter was not the victim of a violent crime, the suddenness and shock and absolute devastation must be similar. I feel so badly for this family and what they are going through. It is a living nightmare that you can never wake up from. There will never be a normal for this family again, or for my own family. Therapists and other parents who have lost children speak of a "new normal" that happens. It sounds cliche but it is true. My husband, daughter and I are somehow living this new normal. It starts by simply getting up, caring for your living child, going to buy groceries, taking a walk to the park, just gradually resuming your daily activities. I hope the memorial service helps the family with their grieving process somehow. I think it's an important step. I think about these families all the time, particularly JO losing her precious little boy. It is unfathomable to me how someone can harm a child. Sorry my post is so long, it must be therapeutic for me.

From someone who knows the pain of losing both my children, my most sincere sympathy and understanding. My heart truly, truly goes out to you calgarymom. If there are times you need another shoulder, I'm here. :hug:

 

[Blue Amethyst]

It is 6:11 AM here in Alberta and dawn is breaking. Sending hugs to calgarymom and sillybilly for the loss of your children. Another day to take a step forward and know we will be thinking of you as you go on without your children. calgarymom, thanks for sharing your story and welcome to WS. I see many of us joined in July/August when this dreadful murder happened and our hearts go out to the O/L families and also the new friends on here who have gone through difficult times. God bless you all.

 

[Krystine]

It is 6:11 AM here in Alberta and dawn is breaking. Sending hugs to calgarymom and sillybilly for the loss of your children. Another day to take a step forward and know we will be thinking of you as you go on without your children. calgarymom, thanks for sharing your story and welcome to WS. I see many of us joined in July/August when this dreadful murder happened and our hearts go out to the O/L families and also the new friends on here who have gone through difficult times. God bless you all.

Beautifully said.

 

[Cherchri]

It is 6:11 AM here in Alberta and dawn is breaking. Sending hugs to calgarymom and sillybilly for the loss of your children. Another day to take a step forward and know we will be thinking of you as you go on without your children. calgarymom, thanks for sharing your story and welcome to WS. I see many of us joined in July/August when this dreadful murder happened and our hearts go out to the O/L families and also the new friends on here who have gone through difficult times. God bless you all.

I echo your sentiments. I cannot begin to imagine the profound pain of such loss and such loss makes me question some of my fundamental values and beliefs. It isn't fair and it isn't right. If I could will or wish that pain away I would.

 

[Krystine]

Thanks so much for sharing something very personal and private here. I'm so sorry about your daughter, I wish children could be protected somehow on this earth.

I hope you or others on here who have lost loved ones/children aren't offended by our comments on here about this subject or analyzing of it in regards to this story. Your family sounds strong and I wish you and your family much healing in your new normal. Thank you for your insight for us outsiders looking in when we truly have no idea how it feels to have this happen.

I can't imagine the pain of losing a child, it must be one of the most traumatic events that could happen in one's lifetime. New normal is a good positive way of saying, life will never be the same, but it does go on...
Even when they are adults, they are still our 'children'... we are never equipped to deal with their loss. The whole topic makes me go soft inside.
(I have a child pushing 40!).

 

[Cherchri]

http://www.albertapolicereport.ca/tag/nathan-obrien/ This Alberta Police report was published 8 hours ago.

 

[Krystine]

The blog remarks were made by Rob Tripp, a crime reporter. He references the University of Tennessee study and links a book and a temperature website. The actual article that he should rely on for his calculations is the article that I linked, which includes the actual formula (linked). The blogger states that the average temp in Calgary in July was 18C, and for the first 24 days of August, the average temp was 17C.

That gives us a working average temp of roughly 17.5 C.

Using the formula, y=1285/x --> y=1285/17.5 --> y=73 days to skeleton. That will happen next week.

The blogger claims that the month of July plus 24 days in August is three times what is necessary for bodies to be reduced to skeleton in Calgary. I have to wonder what formula he used, and how he did his calculations to arrive at that conclusion.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6551567.Rob_Tripp/blog

Perhaps I'm missing something, as I do not understand the bloggers calculations. This is the information from the University of Tennessee:

"Decomposition is a complicated process, but is primarily dependant on temperature and to a lesser extent on moisture. In our studies we have worked out a simple formula, which describes the soft tissue decomposition process for persons lying on the ground. The formula is y=1285/x (where y is the number of days it takes to become skeletonized or mummified and x is the average temperature in Centigrade during the decomposition process). So, if the average temperature is 10 °C, then 1285/10 = 128.5 days for someone to become skeletonized."

http://www.archeo.uw.edu.pl/zalaczniki/upload617.pdf

Perhaps someone can double check the calculations. Given the average temperatures in July, August, and Sept, is total decomposition roughly 75 days, or is it 1/3 of 55 days ~ 18 days (per the crime reporter blogger).

ETA: someone here wanted to discuss math and physics - sorry, don't remember who. Perhaps that person could double check the calculations of the blogger along with my calculations (with the given formula) and voice an opinion.

Most of us are lay people in this field. Not everyone needs to pursue every topic as if we were academics in the field. Insisting that we 'must' makes my head hurt.

 

[Coldpizza]

New thread

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...an-O-Brien-5-Calgary-30-June-2014-*ARREST*-15