GUILTY PA - Jessica Padgett, 32, Northampton County, 21 November 2014

[JaimeSommers]

I hope they're going through his computer and smartphone (if he has one). God knows what he might have on there in terms of photos and Web- browsing history, know what I mean? They may be able to add a few more charges to the list.

 

[heartgoesout]

Although being on here and looking up some of this stuff related to cases, my browser history would be questionable. lol lol lol
I'd have some splainin' to do! lol lol lol

 

[SurfieTX]

All MOO, IMO, etc....

I'll eat my hat if this is not premeditated. First, he lures her with the fax (while her mom/his wife is conveniently out of town), and promptly shoots her in the head. Right after that, he sends the fax as "proof" that she was there and the task was completed. Then he concocts some story for LE when they arrive to question him about the fax about how he was not there when she arrived, that he was out doing another estimate, but oops!, the homeowners weren't there, so he just does a brief rundown and takes a few notes while he is there (no surveillance cameras at the house either, just like the dollar store parking lot). He has a "pat" alibi, he thinks, and performs it perfectly for LE. He isn't acting "quite right," but LE knows people act weird in stressful situations.

Over the weekend, LE interviews more friends, family and acquaintances. It's still too soon to move the body as LE activity is at a peak. On Monday is when LE pulls the surveillance (see page 1 or 2 of this thread for the MSM reference). And, well, whadda you know? There he is dropping off his truck near a mechanic's shop right by the dollar store! Funny, he never mentioned that trip or occurrence that day. So, LE goes back and re-interviews him giving him the chance to own up to it voluntarily, except he doesn't. So, they pull that little gem out of their hat and he knows that they are on to him. He then gives the bogus story about his truck needing repairs (quick CYA). LE calls the mechanic and nope, he didn't talk to the shop about his truck. His alibi starts to crumble. LE goes out and talks to his neighbors who may or may not have reported seeing him during times he was allegedly gone from the house. It's then that they have enough evidence to get the search warrant.

I don't think he has talked much to LE. It sounds to me that LE is inferring it was sexual in nature due to the evidence (and some not reported right now), not anything he said directly.

 

[heartgoesout]

^ well written.
He did say that this did not happen because she was fighting off an assault. But murderers lie.

 

[JaimeSommers]

Although being on here and looking up some of this stuff related to cases, my browser history would be questionable. lol lol lol
I'd have some splainin' to do! lol lol lol

True. I was thinking more of things that I would hope no one here would ever watch or download regardless of how badly we want to help. There are lines I won't cross in sleuthing, that's for sure.

 

[JaimeSommers]

All MOO, IMO, etc....

I'll eat my hat if this is not premeditated. First, he lures her with the fax (while her mom/his wife is conveniently out of town), and promptly shoots her in the head. Right after that, he sends the fax as "proof" that she was there and the task was completed. Then he concocts some story for LE when they arrive to question him about the fax about how he was not there when she arrived, that he was out doing another estimate, but oops!, the homeowners weren't there, so he just does a brief rundown and takes a few notes while he is there (no surveillance cameras at the house either, just like the dollar store parking lot). He has a "pat" alibi, he thinks, and performs it perfectly for LE. He isn't acting "quite right," but LE knows people act weird in stressful situations.

Over the weekend, LE interviews more friends, family and acquaintances. It's still too soon to move the body as LE activity is at a peak. On Monday is when LE pulls the surveillance (see page 1 or 2 of this thread for the MSM reference). And, well, whadda you know? There he is dropping off his truck near a mechanic's shop right by the dollar store! Funny, he never mentioned that trip or occurrence that day. So, LE goes back and re-interviews him giving him the chance to own up to it voluntarily, except he doesn't. So, they pull that little gem out of their hat and he knows that they are on to him. He then gives the bogus story about his truck needing repairs (quick CYA). LE calls the mechanic and nope, he didn't talk to the shop about his truck. His alibi starts to crumble. LE goes out and talks to his neighbors who may or may not have reported seeing him during times he was allegedly gone from the house. It's then that they have enough evidence to get the search warrant.

I don't think he has talked much to LE. It sounds to me that LE is inferring it was sexual in nature due to the evidence (and some not reported right now), not anything he said directly.

Great post. I'm back to premeditation and thinking there's more here that's going to come out once locals and family start talking. I'm trying not to project too much of my own family's dysfunction onto this case, but I won't be surprised if we end up hearing about things that people chose to ignore or deny either because of money, fear, or entrenched behavior that inexplicably went unchallenged for other reasons. I will never believe this violence was TRULY (key word) uncharacteristic of him. It may have been ignored or excused, but the signs were all there, IMO, even without his hunting.

 

[heartgoesout]

ok, so let's speculate the assault was staged...That hypothetically answers question #1 of the strange sexual element.
Why then, did he premeditatedly kill her?
I'm not understanding a premeditated murder for the purpose of covering up a planned assault for a seemingly 12 year trusting relationship. No normal person wakes up with a thought process I'll rape and kill my step daughter without major warning signs. There's something else?

 

[heartgoesout]

True. I was thinking more of things that I would hope no one here would ever watch or download regardless of how badly we want to help. There are lines I won't cross in sleuthing, that's for sure.

I know what you mean. I would bet money they're going to find that. (for myself I meant more crime scene investigation!!!)

 

[Sparky]

I wonder if "he" had a life insurance policy on Jessica. And I wonder how well his business was doing. (Fencing is very expensive, we had an estimate for privacy fence for 1 acre and it was 16,000. No lie!) if his business wasn't doing well and he was building a house in FL, maybe he was running out of money? The pics of his house in FL, I saw on his FB, it wasn't done yet. So, did he need money to finish it?

Just throwing things out there.

 

[heartgoesout]

^ could be. This is exactly what I'm talking about. Why did he really plan to kill her? Just for a one time assault? Not buying that.

 

[SurfieTX]

ok, so let's speculate the assault was staged...That hypothetically answers question #1 of the strange sexual element.
Why then, did he premeditatedly kill her?
I'm not understanding a premeditated murder for the purpose of covering up a planned assault for a seemingly 12 year trusting relationship. No normal person wakes up with a thought process I'll rape and kill my step daughater without major warning signs. There's something else?

One of my first inner questions was how long she had been "working" with/for them. If he gave her carte blanche access to the computers and "books," no telling what she might have knowingly or unknowingly uncovered. And honestly, I think that is the crux here...not "sexual." I'm sure he was inappropriate with her many times with gestures and words but never crossed the official line, so to speak. As many have pointed out, there just wasn't the time for any real physical contact between when she arrived at the house and when LE reported the estimated time of the murder.

**I think that the text and FB comment were done while she was sitting in the driveway of their home. Most restaurants, daycares, etc will not allow an employee to carry a phone on person. She was probably in a hurry to get there to send the fax and took those few minutes to check her messages/FB and respond. I do believe she told SOMEONE about going there, because otherwise how would her sister have known when her sister lives in another state? It was one of the very first facts reported (see pages 1 and 2 of the thread)**

 

[HBOKim]

^ could be. This is exactly what I'm talking about. Why did he really plan to kill her? Just for a one time assault? Not buying that.

Maybe the sexual motive was not sexual assault on Jessica. Maybe she knew he sexually assaulted someone else or feared for her children and was going to tell someone and/or go to the police.

 

[TTF14]

All MOO, IMO, etc....

I'll eat my hat if this is not premeditated. First, he lures her with the fax (while her mom/his wife is conveniently out of town), and promptly shoots her in the head. Right after that, he sends the fax as "proof" that she was there and the task was completed. Then he concocts some story for LE when they arrive to question him about the fax about how he was not there when she arrived, that he was out doing another estimate, but oops!, the homeowners weren't there, so he just does a brief rundown and takes a few notes while he is there (no surveillance cameras at the house either, just like the dollar store parking lot). He has a "pat" alibi, he thinks, and performs it perfectly for LE. He isn't acting "quite right," but LE knows people act weird in stressful situations.

Over the weekend, LE interviews more friends, family and acquaintances. It's still too soon to move the body as LE activity is at a peak. On Monday is when LE pulls the surveillance (see page 1 or 2 of this thread for the MSM reference). And, well, whadda you know? There he is dropping off his truck near a mechanic's shop right by the dollar store! Funny, he never mentioned that trip or occurrence that day. So, LE goes back and re-interviews him giving him the chance to own up to it voluntarily, except he doesn't. So, they pull that little gem out of their hat and he knows that they are on to him. He then gives the bogus story about his truck needing repairs (quick CYA). LE calls the mechanic and nope, he didn't talk to the shop about his truck. His alibi starts to crumble. LE goes out and talks to his neighbors who may or may not have reported seeing him during times he was allegedly gone from the house. It's then that they have enough evidence to get the search warrant.

I don't think he has talked much to LE. It sounds to me that LE is inferring it was sexual in nature due to the evidence (and some not reported right now), not anything he said directly.

I agree with this, except I'm not sure the fax was ever sent since it really wouldn't hurt his story to say she never was there to send the fax and must have stopped at the Dollar Store first for some unknown reason and disappeared from there.

I also don't think the fax necessarily had to have been in her car. I think maybe she was supposed to go to the home office, prepare some kind of form (maybe even print it from the computer/printer there) and then fax it. Just because she was sending a fax doesn't mean she had the physical piece of paper with her.

 

[TTF14]

ok, so let's speculate the assault was staged...That hypothetically answers question #1 of the strange sexual element.
Why then, did he premeditatedly kill her?
I'm not understanding a premeditated murder for the purpose of covering up a planned assault for a seemingly 12 year trusting relationship. No normal person wakes up with a thought process I'll rape and kill my step daughter without major warning signs. There's something else?

I think it was actually more like a 20 year relationship, wasn't it? I think she was 12 when he became her step-dad. I don't have a link for that, so consider it my opinion until I find one! But, like you said, and I was thinking the same exact thing.....a man just doesn't decide out of the blue one day that it might be nice to rape and murder his 33 year old step daughter, mother of his grandchildren. Not buying it at all.

ETA: This man reminds me so much of my FIL. Even looks slightly like him, same age, weathered appearance, die hard hunter and fisherman. Based on his FB photos, he's living my FIL's dream life/hunting experiences, etc. Maybe I'm having such a hard time believing this actually had a sexual element because it's the absolute last thing I could ever imagine my FIL doing. And, if he did do it, the only explanation would be something like a brain tumor! Of course I know people do things all the time that are out of character, but still....

 

[SurfieTX]

I agree with this, except I'm not sure the fax was ever sent since it really wouldn't hurt his story to say she never was there to send the fax and must have stopped at the Dollar Store first for some unknown reason and disappeared from there.

I also don't think the fax necessarily had to have been in her car. I think maybe she was supposed to go to the home office, prepare some kind of form (maybe even print it from the computer/printer there) and then fax it. Just because she was sending a fax doesn't mean she had the physical piece of paper with her.

It would depend on her phone. IIRC, it was left in her car, so pings and GPS from texts/FB would show that she was close or nearby the home, which LE may or may not have shared in the initial interview with him. One must be on top of his "digital game" to plan to murder someone with a cell phone these days (if he/she hopes to make that person "disappear.")

 

[TTF14]

It would depend on her phone. IIRC, it was left in her car, so pings and GPS from texts/FB would show that she was close or nearby the home, which LE may or may not have shared in the initial interview with him. One must be on top of his "digital game" to plan to murder someone with a cell phone these days (if he/she hopes to make that person "disappear.")

Good point.

 

[terracotta]

Excellent point. I'm hung up on the wording of the DA ...sexual element. and still determining... Like they are not quite sure what the heck he did.

While doing errands I kept thinking about Jessica....why, why ...why? Sometimes it just seems like there is a piece of the puzzle missing. Sometimes we get to learn the whole story...other times we do not. It is truly heartbreaking thinking of all the family and friends that have to deal with not only the loss of Jessica...but how she was taken away. Ugh

I do believe that he shot her when she entered the home, and that she never knew he was there. So what was so critical that he gets JP out of the picture? Jealousy, maybe if he couldn't have her than no one could? Does she know something that could maybe put himself and others in the family in jeopardy if she tells? Maybe he likes to dress up like a woman? Maybe he has been gay? I'm hoping the family has some inklings as to this man's motive. It is all just so very sad for them.

There is just some piece that would make this man, premeditate her murder, and it most definitely was premeditated. And to kill her so quickly. Of course he could have tied her up and come back, but I feel as though it was planned and he would know that LE would come to his house to question him since it was the last place she was suppose to be. Maybe he did take pictures of her after she was deceased....ugh. It is just so vague the words from the DA.....sexual angle. Doesn't really mean..rape...assault...hhhhmmmm or maybe it does.

 

[Dion]

LE found marijuana on his property, and not just for personal use, so it appears that there was some drug dealing going on. Possibly this was a factor in Jessica's murder.

Also in the same article, it mentioned that Graf had been married to Jessica's mother since 1997. I know some here had been curious how long they had been married.

The marijuana is "another issue that needs to be developed by police," said Morganelli, saying it was an amount that would be used for distribution, and not personal consumption.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/nor...rder-stepfather-marijuana-20141128-story.html

 

[Ontario Mom]

I believe 100% this was premeditated, that she never had a clue he was there, and the reason for it might be something so stupid, or so horrendous we'll be going WHAT?! when we learn more. The possible SA or "element" I just can't explain. Unless he just decided to please himself with her after the fact. Wicked and unthinkable, but we all know it happens.

 

[LonelyChild]

I was thinking..I really do not believe Jessica would've gone near the house with her mom not being there if she thought Greg was there, I think not seeing his truck led her to believe he wasn't home and thats the only reason she even went in the house that day..I think Greg knew this as well and thats why he purposely hid his truck before hand. Although it might seem "normal" to hunters and some people it's not normal to take away any living beings life and that being said if he has it in him to shoot innocent animals like he did and kill them without blinking an eye he could easily do it to a human being and looking through his FB he seems to get alittle too much of enjoyment out of killing these poor animals so it wouldn't surprise me if it was a sick fantasy of his for a while to kill a person and Jessica just was in the wrong spot at the wrong time