TX - Shanna, 36, & Diederik Vandewege, 3 mos, slain, Fort Worth, 15 Dec 2016 *GUILTY*

[Elainera]

OMG how terrible! They look so happy together. What a cute little boy! Absolutely devastating for the husband and families.

Throats cut sounds personal to me too.

Or a home intruder high on drugs?

May they Rest in Peace and justice be served quickly.

 

[Appalonia]

I noticed on her FB page she had a link discussing attacks on medical personnel. She's a nurse. It's possible that a patient could be a suspect. I'm not sure of her medical field, but patients can get aggressive at times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JanetElaine]

All speculation on my part to follow, but I don't like how this immediately makes me think of the Entwistle case. I wonder if they had a lot of debt? If they at some point possibly did fertility treatments, that's quite a bit of money. Also, Colorado is expensive, although I don't know if Fort Worth is any better? Neither of their careers seem the kind usually requiring such a move, so there must be other reasons, I think. Can't wait to hear more details... they need justice. Rest in peace, Shanna and Diederik.

 

[bwt42]

I think we have heard the last of this case. jmo

 

[yllek]

I think we have heard the last of this case. jmo

Why so, bwt42? Just curious.

 

[yllek]

BBM
This is what I was starting to think about. Did they move because they felt threatened by someone and were trying to hide? If it was something personal against the mother, why kill the baby? It would only hurt the father, the one not injured. So, was someone trying to send a message to the husband/father by harming the 2 people he loved most? I can't imagine what kind of grudge someone would carry to do anything so brutal. If the mother alone was killed, I would lean more toward a home invasion as in the case of Amanda Blackburn, or the killing of the mother to steal the infant.

Was the family targeted? Did someone intentionally target the mother and baby when the husband/father was at work? Or, was the intruder desperately looking for a previous resident/something believed to be left behind and it was a tragic coincidence that this young family was now residing there?

BBM

According to this update from yesterday:

Shanna Vandewege and her infant son were both found dead in their beds, according to the medical examiner.

Mark Riddle, Shanna Vandewege’s father, said his daughter worked as a registered nurse at an area hospital but was still on maternity leave.

He said the couple moved from Colorado to Fort Worth this year. He said his son-in-law, Craig Vandewege, who works at Costco, came to Fort Worth first to find a good home for his expectant wife.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article121547272.html#storylink=cpy
--------------------------------

The OP article states that both were found dead in "a" bed. This latest article says that mother and son were found in their "beds". Wonder which is accurate.

It's less likely, to me, that the killings were done by an intruder/stranger if the baby was in a crib instead of in the same bed as his mother. Not impossible, but less likely.

 

[Indy Anna]

BBM

According to this update from yesterday:

Shanna Vandewege and her infant son were both found dead in their beds, according to the medical examiner.

Mark Riddle, Shanna Vandewege’s father, said his daughter worked as a registered nurse at an area hospital but was still on maternity leave.

He said the couple moved from Colorado to Fort Worth this year. He said his son-in-law, Craig Vandewege, who works at Costco, came to Fort Worth first to find a good home for his expectant wife.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article121547272.html#storylink=cpy
--------------------------------

The OP article states that both were found dead in "a" bed. This latest article says that mother and son were found in their "beds". Wonder which is accurate.

It's less likely, to me, that the killings were done by an intruder/stranger if the baby was in a crib instead of in the same bed as his mother. Not impossible, but less likely.

Why could he not find a good home for his wife in CO? Too expensive? Not safe there b/c of a certain connection? If the latter, maybe Shanna's father doesn't know about that but thinks it's for other reasons.

Re the beds: That's why I posted the article mentioning beds (plural); interesting if they were in 2 separate beds, or even separate rooms. It's possible the crib was in the parents' bedroom, but no matter where the baby was located, why slash his throat? The only reason I can think is that
the baby started crying and the intruder quickly silenced him.

That leads me to thinking ... did the intruder enter through the window, disturbing the baby and causing him to cry. If the baby were in another room, the mother likely would have heard the crying and have responded quickly. If in the same room, the intruder may have lunged at the mother as she began to stir after silencing the baby.

Another possibility is that Shanna was killed first and as the intruder was rifling through the house the baby began crying, causing the intruder to fear the cries would draw a neighbor's attention.

:dunno:

I hope this case is solved quickly and there is swift justice for Shanna and Diederik.

 

[wfgodot]

So tragic but so weird -- I can't recall another stranger who entered a home and slit the throats of a mother and her infant in their beds.

 

[yllek]

Well, personally, I'm not convinced that an intruder murdered Shanna and Diederik.

In their limited statements on the case, I've only heard LE state that there didn't appear to be forced entry and they have not eliminated anybody as a suspect. I have not heard LE warning the public to be on guard for murderous intruders. (I could have missed it if they've said anything more.)

The manner of deaths seem more personal than random, to me. It could be someone very close to the mother and son who did not need to intrude in order to kill them.

But, if it was an intruder, hopefully the Vandeweges or some of their new neighbors had active surveillance cameras which picked up something of value for LE.

Shanna's dad said the Craig moved away first, meaning he left his pregnant wife behind in another state. I don't know if that's unusual or not, it just caught my eye.

 

[JanetElaine]

Deaths of woman, baby caused by cuts to neck


FORT WORTH -- Police carried out evidence and wrapped police tape around the home where the 36-year-old Shanna Vandewege and her infant son Diederik were found dead Thursday night.

Police confirmed they were investigating the deaths as homicides. According to Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, both died from an "incised wound" to the neck.
http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/mom-baby-found-dead-in-fort-worth-home/371770213

If the address listed for them in this article is correct, it seems to me to be a strange location for a random attack. Quiet residential street with houses all around, no way to see who's home and who isn't. Fenced in back yard (6 ft fence). No alley, just the small back yards of the homes on the street backing them up. HOA. Pics on Zillow, but not enough to get an actual layout of the home.

Last sold July 2016, but the owner's name is not Vandewege, so they may be renting it? Zillow's rent estimate is $1450, is that normal for a 3 bed/2 bath in Ft Worth?

Assuming they moved in after the last sold date, this, with the move included, seems close to the baby's birth date. Has anyone read anywhere if Shanna worked in TX before Diederik was born? If not, that would basically rule out what someone mentioned earlier, that it could have been one of her patients.

What does Craig do at Costco?

 

[Elainera]

I might have missed this - at what time did the attack approximately occur? Were they (mother and baby) lying down for an afternoon nap, or was it night time, with Craig working night shift? A night time intruder would be more likely than a daytime burglary-gone-wrong, right?

 

[yllek]

I might have missed this - at what time did the attack approximately occur? Were they (mother and baby) lying down for an afternoon nap, or was it night time, with Craig working night shift? A night time intruder would be more likely than a daytime burglary-gone-wrong, right?

Haven't seen anything related to time of death released yet.

All that I've seen in terms of timeline is that Craig Vandewege called 911 at about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday 12/15 when he reportedly got home from work and found his wife and son dead and the house in disorder.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/fort...ead-bed-far-north-fort-worth-house-police-say
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mom-3-month-old-baby-162900706.html


(Correction to my last post upthread: I see in the Yahoo article that police have so far refused to confirm whether there were signs of forced entry or not.)

 

[JanetElaine]

If the address listed for them in this article is correct, it seems to me to be a strange location for a random attack. Quiet residential street with houses all around, no way to see who's home and who isn't. Fenced in back yard (6 ft fence). No alley, just the small back yards of the homes on the street backing them up. HOA. Pics on Zillow, but not enough to get an actual layout of the home.

Last sold July 2016, but the owner's name is not Vandewege, so they may be renting it? Zillow's rent estimate is $1450, is that normal for a 3 bed/2 bath in Ft Worth?

Assuming they moved in after the last sold date, this, with the move included, seems close to the baby's birth date. Has anyone read anywhere if Shanna worked in TX before Diederik was born? If not, that would basically rule out what someone mentioned earlier, that it could have been one of her patients.

What does Craig do at Costco?

Quoting myself, as the address does not appear to be correct. Right street, wrong house number. Trying to find the correct one.

ETA: found it, but am hesitant to put the address here since it hasn't been in the MSM and Craig still has to live there... I mean, potentially, if he chooses to... But what I did see is it is a corner lot and even though it has a privacy fence it looks a heck of a lot more accessible for a nefarious type than the home I mentioned earlier. They bought it in May, so Shanna may have still worked before her maternity leave. Bedrooms are upstairs.

 

[Elainera]

Haven't seen anything related to time of death released yet.

All that I've seen in terms of timeline is that Craig Vandewege called 911 at about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday 12/15 when he reportedly got home from work and found his wife and son dead and the house in disorder.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/fort...ead-bed-far-north-fort-worth-house-police-say
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mom-3-month-old-baby-162900706.html


(Correction to my last post upthread: I see in the Yahoo article that police have so far refused to confirm whether there were signs of forced entry or not.)

Thank you yllek! So the attack probably happened in the afternoon or early evening as they were lying down for a nap. Hopefully someone saw something, or a camera picked up whoever approached the house.

 

[wfgodot]

So -- hands on this: Can we expect an arrest soon? Or will this stay a mystery for awhile?

 

[yllek]

I don't think there's any way to determine a time frame for the killings based on the few facts we have at this time, Elainera.

We don't know who last saw Shanna and Diederik alive nor when they were last seen alive. And, if the ME has determined an approximate time of death, I haven't seen that revealed.

We only know that CV reported finding SV and little DV dead at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.

 

[Elainera]

I don't think there's any way to determine a time frame for the killings based on the few facts we have at this time, Elainera.

We don't know who last saw Shanna and Diederik alive nor when they were last seen alive. And, if the ME has determined an approximate time of death, I haven't seen that revealed.

We only know that CV reported finding SV and little DV dead at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.

You're right. I was making the assumption that Craig might have left for work some time before lunch (and that he is innocent in this terrible crime). He might have left much earlier, or even been away overnight, we really don't know.

 

[al66pine]

Q1.
Quote below suggests (or mis-states?) that the "caller" was not same person as "man" who "came home" and found them. Yes? No? Article does not say caller says "he" called. Am I misinterpreting? Was it poss'ly 2 diff persons? Anyone, clearer elsewhere? TIA.

"Fort Worth police went to the house in the 8500 block of Cactus Flower Drive in north Fort Worth after receiving a call from Saginaw police around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The caller said a man had come home and found a woman and child dead, said Officer Daniel Segura, a Fort Worth police spokesman."

^ bbm
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article121547272.html#storylink=cpy

Q2.
Was call made to 911? Or to non-emrg'y #?
{ETA: Q3.
Does that 911 cover PDs of both Ft W & Saginaw?*
ETA: Q4
Is that 8500 block of CF Dr, specifically the fam's home or apt, actually in FtW or in Saginaw?}

Thx in adv.

* "Saginaw ... is a small city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a Inner suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,806..." in 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saginaw,_Texas​

 

[JanetElaine]

Q1.
Quote below suggests (or mis-states?) that the "caller" was not same person as "man" who "came home" and found them. Yes? No? Article does not say caller says "he" called. Am I misinterpreting? Was it poss'ly 2 diff persons? Anyone, clearer elsewhere? TIA.

"Fort Worth police went to the house in the 8500 block of Cactus Flower Drive in north Fort Worth after receiving a call from Saginaw police around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The caller said a man had come home and found a woman and child dead, said Officer Daniel Segura, a Fort Worth police spokesman."

^ bbm
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article121547272.html#storylink=cpy

Q2.
Was call made to 911? Or to non-emrg'y #?
{ETA: Q3.
Does that 911 cover PDs of both Ft W & Saginaw?*
ETA: Q4
Is that 8500 block of CF Dr, specifically the fam's home or apt, actually in FtW or in Saginaw?}

Thx in adv.

* "Saginaw ... is a small city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a Inner suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,806..." in 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saginaw,_Texas​

It appears to actually be Fort Worth. It's NE of Saginaw. Neighborhood is called Chisholm Ridge. Assigned high school is Saginaw though. So it seems a bit of a borderline case? Where people might think it is Saginaw?

Re. Q1 I have the same questions as you.

 

[yllek]

Q1.
Quote below suggests (or mis-states?) that the "caller" was not same person as "man" who "came home" and found them. Yes? No? Article does not say caller says "he" called. Am I misinterpreting? Was it poss'ly 2 diff persons? Anyone, clearer elsewhere? TIA.

"Fort Worth police went to the house in the 8500 block of Cactus Flower Drive in north Fort Worth after receiving a call from Saginaw police around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The caller said a man had come home and found a woman and child dead, said Officer Daniel Segura, a Fort Worth police spokesman."

^ bbm
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article121547272.html#storylink=cpy

Q2.
Was call made to 911? Or to non-emrg'y #?
{ETA: Q3.
Does that 911 cover PDs of both Ft W & Saginaw?*
ETA: Q4
Is that 8500 block of CF Dr, specifically the fam's home or apt, actually in FtW or in Saginaw?}

Thx in adv.

* "Saginaw ... is a small city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a Inner suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,806..." in 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saginaw,_Texas​

It's confusing alright.

IMO, it's most likely that CV called 911 himself and the information was relayed to a nearby police department for investigation.

From the Dallas News: Fort Worth police said a man called 911 about 9:30 p.m after he arrived home in the 8500 block of Cactus Flower Drive and found his wife and child dead. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/fort...ead-bed-far-north-fort-worth-house-police-say