Victim: Alexis Murphy, 17, missing from Shipman, VA, 03 August 2013 - #5

[carbuff]

FBI takes over lots of cases where I live (NM) mostly because they have far more resources than most of the towns and cities in NM. Not due to crimes in multiple states, etc. as is often believed about the FBI.

JMO

Yeah, but Virginia has one of the elite law enforcement groups in the country. When we had our serial killer a few years ago here in central MA, one of the groups that was called in to assist was the Virginia State Police serial killers unit.

It's probably nothing and I should quit harping on it :talker::talker::talker::talker: But it really bugs me.

 

[21merc7]

The fact that the FBI is involved doesn't surprise me. It's the fact that they've come in, in force, and taken over the investigation that strikes me as very odd.

Oh, I get it now.

I am not surprised. I do think the I29 cases are the reason, and hoping to finally clear them up. Can't say it will clear them up, but that may be the intention. And the backlash with social media now is enough to prompt local decision makers to get the help in and fast.

 

[forestchilde]

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/a...cle_90be04f8-6a7e-59ae-9ddf-41978b9db582.html

The above link is an interesting story on RAT's lawyer. I hope he gets along with RAT better than this previous client of his.

I saw that one but it said the article wasn't available on my mobile device. Just read it though.

Hallahan told the judge prior to the in-camera meeting with him that he had tried to get Bowles’ help in building a defense, but that Bowles would not answer several questions and provided little aid. He said Bowles told him that Bowles would provide just before trial questions to be asked of witnesses.

I somehow don't think RAT will give him that problem. :banghead:

 

[carbuff]

Is it remotely possible the FBI stepped in BECAUSE local LE has a history with this guy, and of not making charges stick?

It's possible. I would have thought kicking it up to the state level would be enough, though.

 

[Sun48shine]

Police Explain Why No Amber Alert will be Issued in Murphy Search


http://www.nbc29.com/story/23096280/vsp-explain-why-no-amber-alert-will-be-issued-in-murphy-search

 

[fitmix]

Well clearly he knows they have evidence or are going to find evidence of her being in his trailer. So now he has to come up with a story to explain that.

My questions, they said they have some of her hair. Would it actually be her hair? When you buy hair for a weaves, it isn't your hair. It might actually be synthetic or from another person. Or multiple people dyed and mixed together right? I guess it could get pupped out at the root if the weave? Clearly I am showing my ignorance of what it actually means to weave your hair. Can somebody explain this?
__________________

This is from the previous thread so I was't able to quote it properly. This was written by bsublime?-my apologies if I'm incorrect.

There are multiple ways to weave your hair:
Sewn in: Your hair is cornrowed and the wefted/track extensions are sewn to the cornrow using thick thread and a curved needle. The needle goes through the cornrow, not the scalp lol. Usually the majority of your hair is cornrowed with only a small portion of the top, and possibly the edges left out to blend with the extensions for a more natural look.

Glued in: The hair is left free and parted, hair bond is placed on the weft of the extensions and placed on the scalp until dry. Another way is to cornrow the natural hair and bond the extensions to the parts of the exposed scalp between the cornrows. Once again, the top/front and/or the perimeter of the natural hair is left out for blending. There is also a way to bond the extensions by cornrowing all or most of the natural hair, and a stocking cap or 2 is placed over all of the cornrows(to protect the hair) and the wefts are glued down to the cap using hair glue/bond.

Fused/bonded tips: This is the least likely way black women put extensions into our hair, IMO. Small bundles of keratin tipped, loose extension hair is bonded to very small portions of the natural hair at the root using a special heated tool. That is done throughout the hair leaving usually the top and edges free to blend. (A la Britney Spears a couple of years back with the choppy visible extensions)

Based on the pictures of her at Liberty, I would guess her extensions were sewn in, in one of the ways I stated above. According to other pictures of her, she changed her hairstyle pretty often and it would not be worth the 100's of dollars charged just for the fused tips to be put in, not even including the cost of the hair itself. So yes, it is very plausible that the strand of hair is Alexis' and not a strand from her extensions. Yes, weft/track extensions tend to shed, just like natural hair. The fact that at least a portion of her natural hair was left out means that the hair found is from her natural hair. JMO.

My apologies for the lengthy lesson on weaved hair. If I wasn't clear on how it works I'm more than happy to clarify!

 

[forestchilde]

I'm sure this has been posted but it does mention LE requesting the FBI's and VSP's help:

With a missing minor, law enforcement can act quickly, and the Nelson County Sheriff's Department promptly requested investigative assistance from both the FBI and the Virginia State Police, who joined the search on August 5.

http://www.readthehook.com/109994/where-are-they-two-missing-girls-one-suspect

 

[margarita25]

Playing catch up as usual here; these threads are THICK with substance; you guys are rockin here! :rockon:

I just want to link some posts I am trying to bring forward from other threads in order to respond to; one can not quote directly from prior threads, unfortunately. Last time I lost all 20 posts I was trying to reply to, so I'm going to try this approach since I'm drowning in windows and likely to lose everything again. Also, the forum seems to be running slow for me, having trouble posting / thanking.)

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9758676&postcount=1005"]http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9758676&postcount=1005[/ame]


<edit: crap, lost all the posts again, sigh. So much for that approach, lol.>


*note to self to research this incident further:
http://www.wsls.com/story/20821156/news@wsls.com

 

[redmeli]

I somehow don't think RAT will give him that problem. :banghead:

LOL! So true. But this statement (below) by the judge in that case is one I'm still wondering about...not sure if he was questioning the attorney's ability or not...

“I’m going to try and get competent counsel working and get this to trial as soon as possible, but this is a murder case. It may take time.”

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/a...cle_90be04f8-6a7e-59ae-9ddf-41978b9db582.html

 

[killarney rose]

The fact that the FBI is involved doesn't surprise me. It's the fact that they've come in, in force, and taken over the investigation that strikes me as very odd.

Some years back when a Judge Vance was killed with a mail bomb, the FBI descended on my town. They were sure they had their man, Wayne O'Ferrell. Turned this mans business, life and home upside down. National news media were camped out with their satellite equipment in front of city hall.

They were cocky and arrogant . But at the end of the day, they had nothing on the man and it turned out that the real killer was Walter
Leroy Moody. Moody's wife got in her car and drove to no particular destination just to buy a used typewriter for her husband to use in his crimes. Unfortunately she bought it at O'Ferrell's junk store. O'Ferrell had lost a case before Judge Moody and wrote him a letter complaining about it on the same typewriter that Moody used to type the address label on the bomb.

The FBI is supposed to be the good guys but that time they came off looking bad. I hope they are the good guys this time.

 

[margarita25]

Police Explain Why No Amber Alert will be Issued in Murphy Search


http://www.nbc29.com/story/23096280/vsp-explain-why-no-amber-alert-will-be-issued-in-murphy-search

From this link:

"A police spokesperson says that since Murphy's car was located in Albemarle, the case no longer fits the criteria for an Amber Alert."

Interesting...

 

[tootsiepop]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the only confirmation that we have that LE found 1 or more of Alexis hairs coming from RAT via his attorney? If there is a news article where LE released this info, could someone please point me to it cause I sure missed it. TIA!

 

[Ghostwheel]

Okay. I'll ask this again.

Why is this an FBI case?

There is absolutely nothing that has been made public that gives any hint of extending outside the state of Virginia. Even if he's guilty of every single murder and missing person in the Colonial Parkway, James River, and Rt. 29 murders, nothing extends out of the state or involves a Federal crime. Yes, they get involved for minors and kidnapping. But the FBI does not normally come in and take over an investigation. Even when they're heavily involved, as in the recent Allana Gallagher case, they usually let local LE front the public and take the lead.

This strikes me as very very odd. I'm taking that remark that suggested RAT wasn't working alone a lot more seriously all of a sudden.

Here is some info that might help:

"It’s a fearsome thought: a child snatched by a stranger. Who investigates these crimes? We do. It’s our job to handle cases of child abductions, often working closely with state and local law enforcement."
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/cac/non-family-abductions

 

[margarita25]

This is from the previous thread so I was't able to quote it properly. This was written by bsublime?-my apologies if I'm incorrect.

There are multiple ways to weave your hair:
Sewn in: Your hair is cornrowed and the wefted/track extensions are sewn to the cornrow using thick thread and a curved needle. The needle goes through the cornrow, not the scalp lol. Usually the majority of your hair is cornrowed with only a small portion of the top, and possibly the edges left out to blend with the extensions for a more natural look.

Glued in: The hair is left free and parted, hair bond is placed on the weft of the extensions and placed on the scalp until dry. Another way is to cornrow the natural hair and bond the extensions to the parts of the exposed scalp between the cornrows. Once again, the top/front and/or the perimeter of the natural hair is left out for blending. There is also a way to bond the extensions by cornrowing all or most of the natural hair, and a stocking cap or 2 is placed over all of the cornrows(to protect the hair) and the wefts are glued down to the cap using hair glue/bond.

Fused/bonded tips: This is the least likely way black women put extensions into our hair, IMO. Small bundles of keratin tipped, loose extension hair is bonded to very small portions of the natural hair at the root using a special heated tool. That is done throughout the hair leaving usually the top and edges free to blend. (A la Britney Spears a couple of years back with the choppy visible extensions)

Based on the pictures of her at Liberty, I would guess her extensions were sewn in, in one of the ways I stated above. According to other pictures of her, she changed her hairstyle pretty often and it would not be worth the 100's of dollars charged just for the fused tips to be put in, not even including the cost of the hair itself. So yes, it is very plausible that the strand of hair is Alexis' and not a strand from her extensions. Yes, weft/track extensions tend to shed, just like natural hair. The fact that at least a portion of her natural hair was left out means that the hair found is from her natural hair. JMO.

My apologies for the lengthy lesson on weaved hair. If I wasn't clear on how it works I'm more than happy to clarify!

<To all the guys on this thread reading his, you are not allowed to divulge any beauty secrets learned here on WS. What happens in the salon, stays in the salon. :smile: >

Thank you for posting this. It will come into play in the courtroom, I'm sure.

 

[brighidin]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the only confirmation that we have that LE found 1 or more of Alexis hairs coming from RAT via his attorney? If there is a news article where LE released this info, could someone please point me to it cause I sure missed it. TIA!

That is the only place I have seen it referenced.

 

[forestchilde]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the only confirmation that we have that LE found 1 or more of Alexis hairs coming from RAT via his attorney? If there is a news article where LE released this info, could someone please point me to it cause I sure missed it. TIA!

Yes, that is the only place I have seen it as well. There is a lot we don't know.

 

[tootsiepop]

Alexis Murphy t-shirt

The family of missing Nelson County teenager Alexis Murphy is selling these t-shirt to raise money. The proceeds go to Alexis' mother and father, who are not working right now.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/-/20128466/21482820/-/mf7sm1/-/index.html

 

[ktgirl]

When I checked this thread today, I was really hoping to see the Alexis has been found.
Where are you, Alexis?

 

[floridamomma]

I'm trying to ignore real life and stay caught up here, but it isn't working out too well for me. So, excuse me if my thoughts have already been addressed...

In the previous thread there was some speculation as to why she was in his camper, with most replies fully agreeing that she would not just go hang out with him. I agree. However, for the sake of argument, let's say she was there, perhaps to buy a bit of weed... could his son have introduced the two? No, they aren't a likely pair to just hang out, but when my kids were younger I used to hear about how so&so has "cool parents" that don't care if they smoke. /eyeroll/

Ive seen that his son is 8, but also a teen, im not sure if yall hsve established the real age.

 

[prospektor]

When a SW is issued a receipt is returned and attached to the warrant that shows everything that was found. jmo

Of course; sorry, I probably didn't make this clear enough, it was just to address the speculation that the simple fact that a search warrant was issued would mean there's much more evidence than we know of.

AFTER executing the warrant there's quite a chance, especially considering RAT's lawyer's comment about hair.

Which brings me to another question: If AM had hair extensions, could it be possible that LE found some hair, but if it's only extensions, it would not contain AM's DNA? There seem to be various methods to apply extensions, would it be possible to lose only those, without some of the own hair?

ETA: Question about the extensions has been answered just above and earlier, d'oh.