UK - Gaia Pope, 19, found deceased, Swanage, Dorset, 7 Nov 2017 #2

[Tortoise]

RIP Gaia. We will have to see what the post mortem says, though hypothermia is difficult to "diagnose".

I expect decomposition might make the autopsy challenging. If this was foul play and there are no obvious assault wounds, there should be other clues such as body position, whether she was or had been wrapped in anything, fibres on her, how long she had been exposed to the elements.

 

[johnsmith99]

Anyone local know if a lot of these houses are holiday homes/second homes? Or if they are mostly occupied by locals? I know Cornwall has had a real problem with this. Just wondered how many of the homes she passed were actually unoccupied with it being out of season.

In that part of town I don’t think there are that many holiday homes. The houses up cow lane are quite a way back from the road so as it was getting dark and raining it would be easy to miss anyone walking up the road.

 

[johnsmith99]

I expect decomposition might make the autopsy challenging. If this was foul play and there are no obvious assault wounds, there should be other clues such as body position, whether she was or had been wrapped in anything, fibres on her, how long she had been exposed to the elements.

There are a lot of foxes and badgers in that area which would complicate things even more. Especially if she has been there since last Tuesday.

 

[Squamous]

The police threw a huge curveball making those murder arrests, which they will be in big bother for if the Elseys are completely innocent. If it weren't for that I think most people would have assumed suicide / misadventure.

RSBM

If they aren’t innocent then this would definitely be the effect the murderer was going for. Hopefully the post mortem forensics will show up with some clarity how her last hours panned out.

 

[Tiny]

Simply heartbreaking. RIP Gaia.

 

[PaulR]

RSBM

If they aren’t innocent then this would definitely be the effect the murderer was going for. Hopefully the post mortem forensics will show up with some clarity how her last hours panned out.

Have there been murders where the murderer relied on getting arrested and then being let go as part of their plan?

 

[Insp.Dots]

are those suggesting hypothermia assuming she was suffering while trying to take her jacket off with RD? how far is RDs from where she was found?

how would she be suffering hypothermia before reaching RDs when the temperature was probably around 2-6•C or even higher? she was dressed sufficiently eg. jacket, trousers.

unless she was in a mental decline at RDs and thats why she took her jacket off, then ran off into fields and developed hypothermia, which makes more sense i guess.

She was suffering from severe epilepsy and was without medication. This can cause a sudden decline in Oxygen, Body Temperature & stress on the heart, without medication and having already been suffering daily fits, sudden death can occur on as little as 12 hours post medication!
It really is heartbreaking for the Family. Thinking also of Gaia's Twin Sister! RIP Gaia Pope, rest easy beautiful girl. Thoughts with all Family & Friends and people of Swanage:heartbeat:

 

[Stumpyaura]

I'm still thinking foul play, to make those arrests of RD/NE so quickly and then go after a 3rd member of the family, makes me think they must have had some evidence beyond just being the last people to see GP alive. I still think there was something suspicious in the accounts of RD/NE that implicated them and PE was involved too. Once you've gone after two members of a family and had to release them it's going to be a well considered decision arresting a 3rd in a case with so much public interest. Just my gut feeling

 

[Elainera]

So what was this all about?

A family friend told The Times: ... snip ...

'We also know from what people have told us that they have been knocking on doors asking people if they have seen a couple, a man with heavy tattoos and a woman with lots of jewellery, acting suspiciously.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ia-Pope-murder-goes-hiding.html#ixzz4yp6bsqSq

 

[TheTruthWillOut]

BBM.
Wow, that's awesome.

:tyou:

The most impressive Police work I've seen was the murder of Sadie Hartley. An embedded ITV documentary team followed that case from start to finish and the whole case was basically wrapped up in 4 days.

Finding the perps, phone records, DNA/LAB results, finding the car used etc all completed in that time. I believe from murder to conviction in court it was 8 months.

 

[johnsmith99]

So what was this all about?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ia-Pope-murder-goes-hiding.html#ixzz4yp6bsqSq

Last Tuesday there were a couple of dodgy looking people in my street going door to door trying to sell car shammy and other cheap crap. They gave my mum a load of hassle when she wouldn’t buy anything. That could be who the daily mail are talking about.

 

[Elainera]

Last Tuesday there were a couple of dodgy looking people in my street going door to door trying to sell car shammy and other cheap crap. They gave my mum a load of hassle when she wouldn’t buy anything. That could be who the daily mail are talking about.

So you think not related to this case? The quoted family friend seemed to imply it was. But maybe he was just assuming.

 

[johnsmith99]

So you think not related to this case? The quoted family friend seemed to imply it was. But maybe he was just assuming.

At the moment it is all speculation but they may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[evans242]

Exactly! Epilepsy is a very worrying life threatening illness even when you are in the care and company of others, AND on meds.
You can still have the break
throughs fits which can bring you down into a state of unconsciousness. She may have banged her head during the fall if there was one. Or she may have died during it.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Last Tuesday there were a couple of dodgy looking people in my street going door to door trying to sell car shammy and other cheap crap. They gave my mum a load of hassle when she wouldn’t buy anything. That could be who the daily mail are talking about.

The people selling cleaning equipment are known as 'Nottingham Knockers' and are doing the rounds all over the country atm (do an internet search). They are mostly always angry. Guess they hope intimidation will work - either that or frustration when people refuse to buy. Not sure though in this instance the police were looking for such folks though?

 

[Officer Dibble]

I'm still thinking foul play, to make those arrests of RD/NE so quickly and then go after a 3rd member of the family, makes me think they must have had some evidence beyond just being the last people to see GP alive. I still think there was something suspicious in the accounts of RD/NE that implicated them and PE was involved too. Once you've gone after two members of a family and had to release them it's going to be a well considered decision arresting a 3rd in a case with so much public interest. Just my gut feeling

Unless they all lied to cover up something embarrasing (as suggested earlier in the previous thread - forget by who?) and all gave differing accounts which made the police think it was something bigger than it actually was? So many possibilities to this and its all very sad.

 

[LucyRocket]

The statistics of dying in this manner due to an epileptic episode are very slim, especially given the information surrounding state of mind in the hours before her disappearance

 

[Squamous]

The most impressive Police work I've seen was the murder of Sadie Hartley. An embedded ITV documentary team followed that case from start to finish and the whole case was basically wrapped up in 4 days.

Finding the perps, phone records, DNA/LAB results, finding the car used etc all completed in that time. I believe from murder to conviction in court it was 8 months.

Yes, that was incredible - although helped by the murderers being complete tools. Watching police documentaries, it always surprises me how much concrete evidence they need to have in order to be allowed to charge. I think it’s probably a good thing but it’s always more than I expect.

Still very sad about Gaia - I did think she was probably gone but the confirmation and extinguishing of hope is hard. I looked back through her Instagram to when she was feeling more level and the tragedy hit again - photos of her with the cousin who has now had to make that heart-rending statement etc. What a loss.

 

[johnsmith99]

The statistics of dying in this manner due to an epileptic episode are very slim, especially given the information surrounding state of mind in the hours before her disappearance

What about if you add in hypothermia, exposure and if it is where I think it is dropping down a steep slope onto rocky ground in the dark while it is raining.

 

[LucyRocket]

What about if you add in hypothermia, exposure and if it is where I think it is dropping down a steep slope onto rocky ground in the dark while it is raining.

I'd like to give an educated answer to this John, but due to the rarity of these circumstances occurring, I'd be speculating. None of these factors have ever occurred in my risk assessments of people managing epilepsy, but that doesn't mean that they are not a risk. Just means that they are unlikely to occur