The Murder of Janet Abaroa #1

[golfmom]

http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-603813.html

Knives seized at scene of slaying



BY ERIC OLSON : The Herald-Sun
eolson@heraldsun.com
May 3, 2005 : 9:07 pm ET

DURHAM -- Durham police made public Tuesday an affidavit with a search warrant in last week's stabbing death of a woman in her home.

Investigators seized numerous items .....................

The affidavit indicates police originally responded to a gunshot wound call to the house around 11:58 p.m. When the first officer arrived, Raven Abaroa, the victim's husband, told him that his wife was upstairs and was hurt.

The officer found Janet Abaroa lying on her back in an upstairs bedroom with a stab wound to her chest, according to the affidavit.

Police said there was a large amount of blood near her body, as well as blood stains on the walls of the bedroom and near the side entrance to the house, the affidavit states.

Investigators seized a block of knives from the house, as well as a bear claw knife with a case and a Dodge Durango parked outside.

They also confiscated trace evidence from 25-year-old Janet Abaroa's hands as well as the clothing her husband was wearing at the time, the affidavit states.

Police took soil samples from the SUV's undercarriage and fender wells and trace evidence from the driver's seat and floorboard.

On Monday, police said they have not uncovered any evidence that the murder was a random act.

Raven Abaroa has been unavailable for comment, and his attorney, Julian Mack, declined to comment when reached by The Herald-Sun on Monday.

.........................

 

[golfmom]

http://www.wral.com/news/4443707/detail.html

........
Investigators stayed on the scene nearly 24 hours collecting evidence. Some of the items seized include a block of knives, financial items, including a checkbook and loan papers and a cell phone. Police searched the couple's Dodge Durango, where they found a knife and a pawn shop ticket.

Authorities also collected soil samples from the SUV and took swabbings from various locations in the house. They also took the clothes Abaroa's husband had been wearing.
............

 

[misterallgood]

More musing out loud . . .

1. What do we know of Raven's background? Is it possible someone murdered his wife in retaliation for something? Why would the baby be left unharmed?

I don't presume to know the answers to the questions you pose, but I've got some ideas;

* Here's Raven's resume, for some background -- Raven's Resume --
* The embezzling charges might lend credence to a retaliation theory -- "you take my money, I take your wife" -- As to the baby...well.

2. Was it common for him to go to soccer games? Was he alone or with friends? Why didn't Janet & baby go with him? I would think that would be a fun family type activity.

* Exactly. Janet was an all-star soccer player. It was their common passion.

3. Is there anything in Janet's background that would raise red flags . . . psycho ex-boyfriends?

* Big unknown right now... but the Abaroas were both 25, were married in 2000, and they met when they were in their teens. How long ago would that ex had to have been an ex? That's my question, anyway.

4. Any evidence Janet might have fought back?

* She was an athlete, too. But it's not known if she fought back. He originally reported her as being gunshot. That's an interesting thing, though I'm not sure how to express why.

5. Police are searching Raven's truck for the 2nd time. I would assume he took his truck to the game ... LE searching the truck is a big flag.

* I agree.

6. Why would anyone who has as much financial problems as this couple did have a truck like that?

* Looking at his site, it strikes me that he was a bit obsessed with cars & money.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

6. Why would anyone who has as much financial problems as this couple did have a truck like that?

* Looking at his site, it strikes me that he was a bit obsessed with cars & money.

This was my thought as well. If they couldn't afford rent for their home, how was that truck paid for?

Janet Abaroa was a well respected soccor player for SVU. An athelete. Didn't the initial report state that blood was found outside the house near the back door and on the walls of her bedroom? Why would there blood outside, unless Janet was outside, attacked and ran into the house to getaway?? Stand outside to meet a stranger does not make sense. Anyway, I would think if that's the case, she will have defense wounds on her hands, perhaps DNA??

Also, if this was a stranger who began attacking her outside, I do not believe she would have led this person upstairs to where her son was! A Mother who loves their child wants them *out* of harms way, not in the middle of it.

More tossing of thoughts....

 

[golfmom]

1. What do we know of Raven's background? Is it possible someone murdered his wife in retaliation for something? Why would the baby be left unharmed?

I don't presume to know the answers to the questions you pose, but I've got some ideas;

* Here's Raven's resume, for some background -- Raven's Resume --
* The embezzling charges might lend credence to a retaliation theory -- "you take my money, I take your wife" -- As to the baby...well.

2. Was it common for him to go to soccer games? Was he alone or with friends? Why didn't Janet & baby go with him? I would think that would be a fun family type activity.

* Exactly. Janet was an all-star soccer player. It was their common passion.

3. Is there anything in Janet's background that would raise red flags . . . psycho ex-boyfriends?

* Big unknown right now... but the Abaroas were both 25, were married in 2000, and they met when they were in their teens. How long ago would that ex had to have been an ex? That's my question, anyway.

4. Any evidence Janet might have fought back?

* She was an athlete, too. But it's not known if she fought back. He originally reported her as being gunshot. That's an interesting thing, though I'm not sure how to express why.

5. Police are searching Raven's truck for the 2nd time. I would assume he took his truck to the game ... LE searching the truck is a big flag.

* I agree.

6. Why would anyone who has as much financial problems as this couple did have a truck like that?

* Looking at his site, it strikes me that he was a bit obsessed with cars & money.

Well, I've finally found the perfect companion for my ADD brain! Thank you so much for considering these points. I knew Janet was an college athlete, but was Raven? Did they have 2 SUVs? It sounds like it.
One of the articles mentioned blood outside the house at a side entrance and the landlord said something about the house being back and private. There is so much to consider in this case that I feel a whole new set of musings coming on . . . hmmmmm

 

[golfmom]

This was my thought as well. If they couldn't afford rent for their home, how was that truck paid for?

Janet Abaroa was a well respected soccor player for SVU. An athelete. Didn't the initial report state that blood was found outside the house near the back door and on the walls of her bedroom? Why would there blood outside, unless Janet was outside, attacked and ran into the house to getaway?? Stand outside to meet a stranger does not make sense. Anyway, I would think if that's the case, she will have defense wounds on her hands, perhaps DNA??

Also, if this was a stranger who began attacking her outside, I do not believe she would have led this person upstairs to where her son was! A Mother who loves their child wants them *out* of harms way, not in the middle of it.

More tossing of thoughts....

What if as the murder was leaving he leaned against the outside wall? Has there been any mention of a timeline? Time of soccer game? What time did he return? what time for the 911 call? time the police arrived?

If he is the murderer reporting that she was gun shot is actually kindof smart when you stop to think about it.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

What if as the murder was leaving he leaned against the outside wall? Has there been any mention of a timeline? Time of soccer game? What time did he return? what time for the 911 call? time the police arrived?

If he is the murderer reporting that she was gun shot is actually kindof smart when you stop to think about it.

Hmm, good point, GM. Murderer could have very well their own bloody marks. I haven't seen any timeline as far as RA's soccer game and when it ended. I believe RA stated he found his wife upstairs when he returned home around 11 p.m. However, the reports are the police responded to a 911 call around 11:58 that night for a gunshot wound report. Nearly an hour from returning home to phone call. Might mean RA came home, believed his wife was in bed for the night and watched the tube before heading to bed himself. No biggie, my husband does that.

It would be great to have RA's timeline of his day and evening to work with. I haven't seen one as well.

 

[Rachael]

Might mean RA came home, believed his wife was in bed for the night and watched the tube before heading to bed himself. No biggie, my husband does that.

My husband does that also. Sometimes he even falls asleep on the couch in our family room and stays there all night. In that case he may not have notice anything until the morning if something had happened to me. Scary. Maybe she didn't go to the soccer game b/c of the baby. It happens. My husband goes out and does things without me and I stay home with the kids. Even things that I like to do. It is hard to drag a baby all over the place especially a little one. Not trying to justify his actions because I have no idea if he did it or not.

 

[golfmom]

My husband does that also. Sometimes he even falls asleep on the couch in our family room and stays there all night. In that case he may not have notice anything until the morning if something had happened to me. Scary. Maybe she didn't go to the soccer game b/c of the baby. It happens. My husband goes out and does things without me and I stay home with the kids. Even things that I like to do. It is hard to drag a baby all over the place especially a little one. Not trying to justify his actions because I have no idea if he did it or not.

I agree with the whole might not have noticed anything possibility.

But, it just doesn't ring right to me that Janet wouldn't have gone to the game with the baby. At least with my first child, I went anywhere and everywhere with her, it wasn't until I was hauling around multiple babies did it put a damper on my activities. If she wasn't a soccer buff herself, I'd shrug my shoulders and say no biggie, but because the sport was her passion as well it makes me go hmmmmmmmm . . . .

 

[DebC]

Mr A, I read RA's blog, and one of the phrases that jumped out at me was on his "Show Me The Money" page:

"It's amazing how the choices I've made have been through tunnel vision! I haven't always made smart decisions in my life and due to some bad business decisions I am starting over"

Another "I" and not "we". I don't know exactly when he wrote this, but it sounds very much like a "I lost my wife" sort of statement.
Plus, "bad business decisions" is the new name for embezzlement?

 

[Rachael]

I agree with the whole might not have noticed anything possibility.

But, it just doesn't ring right to me that Janet wouldn't have gone to the game with the baby. At least with my first child, I went anywhere and everywhere with her, it wasn't until I was hauling around multiple babies did it put a damper on my activities. If she wasn't a soccer buff herself, I'd shrug my shoulders and say no biggie, but because the sport was her passion as well it makes me go hmmmmmmmm . . . .

Yeah but if it was a nighttime soccer game it may have lasted way past the baby's bedtime. I doubt daddy would have approved of the baby being up past his bedtime. I am just not that passionate about anything so I don't know. I am not trying to say that he didn't do it. He could very easily have killed his wife before the game or even left during the game and killed her and then went back. Didn't the neighbors see anything?

 

[golfmom]

Yeah but if it was a nighttime soccer game it may have lasted way past the baby's bedtime. I doubt daddy would have approved of the baby being up past his bedtime. I am just not that passionate about anything so I don't know. I am not trying to say that he didn't do it. He could very easily have killed his wife before the game or even left during the game and killed her and then went back. Didn't the neighbors see anything?

I'm just speculating too Rachael. Lots of questions and little answers at this point.
Of course you're right about a new parent might not want the baby out and about late. I just jammed my dd in to one of the belly snugglies and was off and running. <sigh> those were the good ole days when I always knew were she was. arrrgghhh teens . . .

 

[golfmom]

Mr A, I read RA's blog, and one of the phrases that jumped out at me was on his "Show Me The Money" page:

"It's amazing how the choices I've made have been through tunnel vision! I haven't always made smart decisions in my life and due to some bad business decisions I am starting over"

Another "I" and not "we". I don't know exactly when he wrote this, but it sounds very much like a "I lost my wife" sort of statement.
Plus, "bad business decisions" is the new name for embezzlement?

Deb, I think she lost her job over this, but he was the one charged. At least I hope he was taking responsibility for his actions on this count and not blaming his wife. Well now that strikes me as an interesting possibility .... what if as a motive he could now pin those "bad decisions" i.e. embezzlement on his dead wife? She's not around now to say she wasn't the one who took the money.

 

[Celestrill II]

Its amazing ...

AAAACCCCKKK!!!

There's that word, again!!

That's gotta be the narcissists' favorite word. (Personal experience with big-time "N's" included in that observation.)

I'm not afraid to point the finger at him.

 

[kato]

Its amazing ...

AAAACCCCKKK!!!

There's that word, again!!

That's gotta be the narcissists' favorite word. (Personal experience with big-time "N's" included in that observation.)

I'm not afraid to point the finger at him.

LOL Go for it. It's a free country. Kinda leaning that way myself.

Sad commentary on todays society though.

 

[Celestrill II]

LOL Go for it. It's a free country. Kinda leaning that way myself.

Sad commentary on todays society though.

You are so right. I think so many in the Y Generation (kids between 20-30 right now) seem to swing to one extreme or the other - they are either very dedicated, rigidly moral and committed to their futures, or they are complete whack jobs with no morals, no belief system, dedicated to gothic or ghoulish fetishes and anti-social behavior.

It's a generalization, of course. This Raven dude is a real head case, IMO.

 

[kato]

You are so right. I think so many in the Y Generation (kids between 20-30 right now) seem to swing to one extreme or the other - they are either very dedicated, rigidly moral and committed to their futures, or they are complete whack jobs with no morals, no belief system, dedicated to gothic or ghoulish fetishes and anti-social behavior.

It's a generalization, of course. This Raven dude is a real head case, IMO.

Even IF he isn't involved in his wife's death someone needs to knock him down a peg or two.

Kinda OT but what the heck kind of name is Raven? Oh, I forgot maybe they named him that because of his Indian heritage.

 

[misterallgood]

I am starting over

If I were a cop reading that, it would bug the hell out of me, esp. considering the timing of when he wrote it.

Anyone else think the angle of these folks being devout mormons is interesting? I don't know a lot about mormonism, except that they have dietary rules that are interesting and that every mormon I've ever known in person had fantastic teeth.

 

[kato]

If I were a cop reading that, it would bug the hell out of me, esp. considering the timing of when he wrote it.

Anyone else think the angle of these folks being devout mormons is interesting? I don't know a lot about mormonism, except that they have dietary rules that are interesting and that every mormon I've ever known in person had fantastic teeth.

Sorry, me no comment on the Mormon issue. There have been some heated discussions about it in regards to other cases.

 

[golfmom]

If I were a cop reading that, it would bug the hell out of me, esp. considering the timing of when he wrote it.

Anyone else think the angle of these folks being devout mormons is interesting? I don't know a lot about mormonism, except that they have dietary rules that are interesting and that every mormon I've ever known in person had fantastic teeth.

Do you have a link to the info for devout mormonism? I saw that Raven went to a Mormon college, and I figured he was one, but wasn't sure. I've been wrapping up reading Under The Banner of Heavan which is a history and analysis of crimes involving Mormons. If you're interested there is a thread somewhere around here with quite an extensive discussion of the book.