WA - Mackenzie Cowell, 17, Wenatchee, 9 Feb 2010 - #10

[girlfawkes]

SLM... I know that different LE jurisdictions will use different methods of marking out crime scenes, but I wonder if the feds are more homogenized. I guess I'm asking if we could obtain any kind of key to interpret the different colored flags and letters.

 

[*Intrigued*]

Yes, but didn't he say that he noticed the bag and air mattress were gone, but saw 3 shell casings that were still there? Weren't those in the duck blind and seen after LE had been there?

So, I'm still confused, Del. Sorry.

I could be wrong but the way I understand it the duck blind and the newly found clearing are not in the exact same area. I think the clearing must be further from the shore than the duck blind. Is this correct Del?

 

[del rio]

Until he clarifies, I'm assuming that Del took the photos from the beach (public right of way) and/or from above the property with a good lens.

If this clearing has been there and he just previously didn't have a good line of sight, I would bet that LE cleared it for forensic purposes.

Thanks, girlfawkes. That's exactly what happened.

 

[Liz]

It was enormous, which is why (I think) it was so difficult for me to read. I'm not accustomed to reading letters that big.

They were must bigger than the letter "B" in the duck blind.

Sorry del, you seem to be getting bombarded with questions. But, can you give us a little better insight as to where on the property these enormous letters were sprayed? Was it within the cleared area which IIRC you said was 15' x 20'. Apologies if you already covered this. TIA!

 

[*Intrigued*]

That scenario would be consistent with what I saw. For several weeks, I theorized that the CB property was simply the "dumpt site." Nothing more. I theorized that MC's body was prepped post-mortum prior to being transported to CB.

After seeing the clearing, I changed my #1 scenario to include your post-mortum theory because I can't fathom of any other reason for the perps to have spent any time at the clearing.

There were so many evidence markers in that clearing. Something very significant happened there.

Del, since you are somewhat familiar with the stickery filled brush can you guess how time consuming the clearing of an area that size would have taken? The reason I ask this is if it would be somewhat time consuming can we assume this was done prior to actually taking the body there? Or would it be a 5 minute process (thinking they would have wanted out of there as quickly as possible)? Approx. how tall is this brush?

Also, is it true that you cannot see inside that clearing from the road? So this person could have gone unseen/protected in the middle of the clearing?

 

[girlfawkes]

De, how far would you estimate this clearing to be from the nearest water where her feet could have been submerged?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

So I am surely not a savvy sleuther (only 3rd post) but I am hung-up on the CB thing. How/why would Tacoma guy know that the CB location was vacant and safe from being caught. The CB area was busy with arrivals Friday night for the 3-day weekend/Presidents Day. Do you think she was brought there prior to Friday-if so, what about what this neighbor said?

http://www.king5.com/home/Autopsy-should-confirm-if-body-is-missing-Wenatchee-girl--84479192.html

Excerpts copied from the article:

Neighbors say the riverside property where the girl's body was found has been vacant for months. But they noticed some strange changes to the yard Saturday morning, the same day her body was found.

What made the changes 'strange'? What they were, or when they were?

Gary and Judy O<redacted>s home overlooks the crime scene along the Columbia River.

I thought the nearest home was hundred's of feet away? Perhaps they live on the upper cliff?

"Saturday morning Gary said, 'Look at the brodie marks down there. That's really unusual,'" said Judy Ovenell.

According to del rio those tracks were there since perhaps last fall.

Although the property has been vacant, they say they noticed new tire tracks there Saturday morning.

This leads me to conclude the couple either was aware of existing tire tracks or there were no tracks previous to that Saturday morning.

"There was something I just grabbed onto, focused on it, because it was so strange, 'cause that place, anybody hadn't been to for so long," said Gary Ovenell.

What was that 'something'? I'm betting he saw MC, assuming the couple had the vantage point from the cliff house.

Around noon the same day, a young female's body was found along the shore with her feet in the water. Investigators found evidence of homicide at the scene and inside the vacant home.

del rio's pix of the property revealed that moto-cross-8 was fresh or recently 'renewed'.

Was the driver of that motocycle on a scouting run, to determine if the property would be a good place on which to dispose of a body?

 

[del rio]

Yes, but didn't he say that he noticed the bag and air mattress were gone, but saw 3 shell casings that were still there? Weren't those in the duck blind and seen after LE had been there?

So, I'm still confused, Del. Sorry.

I saw 2 spent shot gun shells, but those were NOT in the duck blind. They were about 2 or 3 feet in front of the duck blind. If the river was at high-water mark, then the shot gun shells would be under water.

I saw the 2 shot gun shells which I believe were mine (though I did not pick them up or otherwise inspect them) about 2 weeks after MC's body was found.

I hope that clarifies things.

I think the reason that so many people get confused is because other posters mistate things I've posted about that stuff. If you read solely what I've posted, you shouldn't get confused.

 

[del rio]

SLM... I know that different LE jurisdictions will use different methods of marking out crime scenes, but I wonder if the feds are more homogenized. I guess I'm asking if we could obtain any kind of key to interpret the different colored flags and letters.

All the letters which I saw were the same color: yellow.

All flags which I saw were the same color: fluorescent red.

The long line from the driveway to the old "fire pit" was fluorescent red.

 

[ajfa]

SLM... I know that different LE jurisdictions will use different methods of marking out crime scenes, but I wonder if the feds are more homogenized. I guess I'm asking if we could obtain any kind of key to interpret the different colored flags and letters.

This article Who Says You Can't Do That?: Marking Evidence at Crime Scenes: Developing a System does seem to indicate that LE uses different systems of marking evidence. The article does have some interesting information about multiple crime scenes and marking evidence. I never knew there was a "Forensics Magazine" website, which might be an interesting place to poke around.

Still looking to see if there is a standardized system for the feds.

 

[del rio]

Sorry del, you seem to be getting bombarded with questions. But, can you give us a little better insight as to where on the property these enormous letters were sprayed? Was it within the cleared area which IIRC you said was 15' x 20'. Apologies if you already covered this. TIA!

The yellow letters were located between the driveway and the trail head, i.e.,g about 3 feet from othe trail head. So, definitely not in the clearing.

If you followed end of the long, fluorescent red line straight to the edge of the bushy-area, that's where the big yellow letters are.

After Friday, I'm fairly confident that the perps walked along the long, fluorescent red line straight to the trail head, and then down the trail to the duck blind.

The long, fluorescent red line, the big yellow letters, the trail head, the trail, the clearing, and the duck blind are all basically linked up with each other in a semi-straight line.

 

[del rio]

I could be wrong but the way I understand it the duck blind and the newly found clearing are not in the exact same area. I think the clearing must be further from the shore than the duck blind. Is this correct Del?

Yes, the clearing is about 40 or 50 feet up the hill from the duck blind.

 

[*Intrigued*]

I came across this info when I googled SLM. See page 3 of the link:

www.bvda.com/EN/download/EN_4_9.pdf

 

[girlfawkes]

I came across this info when I googled SLM. See page 3 of the link:

www.bvda.com/EN/download/EN_4_9.pdf

Hmmm. If this relates, maybe they sprayed this casting agent in that spot to lift shoe/tire/whatever prints? Then sprayed SLM very large to indicate that area was done already?

Good find!

 

[*Intrigued*]

Hmmm. If this relates, maybe they sprayed this casting agent in that spot to lift shoe/tire/whatever prints? Then sprayed SLM very large to indicate that area was done already?

Good find!

Maybe... it could mean nothing but the fact that it related to crime scenes kinda caught my eye a bit.

 

[del rio]

Del, since you are somewhat familiar with the stickery filled brush can you guess how time consuming the clearing of an area that size would have taken? The reason I ask this is if it would be somewhat time consuming can we assume this was done prior to actually taking the body there? Or would it be a 5 minute process (thinking they would have wanted out of there as quickly as possible)? Approx. how tall is this brush?

Also, is it true that you cannot see inside that clearing from the road? So this person could have gone unseen/protected in the middle of the clearing?

I don't remember it being necessarily time consuming (but it was very labor intensive). I would estimate less than 30 minutes--depending on what tool they used.

That said, my experience in cutting the trail would have been very different from who ever made the clearing. I was cutting a narrow trail through brush that was 3 or 4 feet high with a machette that was too long for such purposes.

There is absolutely no way to see that clearing from the roadway, let alone see inside of it. That clearing was the last thing I was expecting to see when I checked on my trail. So, yes, a person or persons inside that clearing would have complete privacy.

In fact, a person couldn't see inside the clearing from anywhere on the property except for at the trail head or on the trail. That clearing is so completely private and hidden that it really makes my mind race as to what all was done there.

 

[No More]

Hey del welcome back! Sorry you are getting so many questions but I have to ask. You mentioned that the fluorescent red line starts at the old fire pit. I didn't know there was a fire pit there. I wonder if something of significance happened at that fire pit. What do you think?

 

[del rio]

De, how far would you estimate this clearing to be from the nearest water where her feet could have been submerged?

That's a really good question. I didn't even think about that!

 

[*Intrigued*]

I don't remember it being necessarily time consuming (but it was very labor intensive). I would estimate less than 30 minutes--depending on what tool they used.

That said, my experience in cutting the trail would have been very different from who ever made the clearing. I was cutting a narrow trail through brush that was 3 or 4 feet high with a machette that was too long for such purposes.

There is absolutely no way to see that clearing from the roadway, let alone see inside of it. That clearing was the last thing I was expecting to see when I checked on my trail. So, yes, a person or persons inside that clearing would have complete privacy.

In fact, a person couldn't see inside the clearing from anywhere on the property except for at the trail head or on the trail. That clearing is so completely private and hidden that it really makes my mind race as to what all was done there.

Wow... that just gives me the chills. I am really starting to think some really horrific things happened there. Most likely post-mortem. I really hope they were able to find something there.

 

[del rio]

I mean, the clearing is so concealed and private the perps could have done whatever they did during the day.