Found Deceased AL - Danniella Vian, 24, Mobile, 17 Jul 2018 #6

Status
Not open for further replies.
Respectfully, while I agree with much of what you've said, I do disagree with some important parts. Mainly, I'm feeling wiggly because IMO only, your stated explanation/argument is begging the question.

Thank you for using begging the question correctly.

So now my thought is perhaps while she was out with friends she was lured via phone to a meeting place by a third party, causing her to discontinue her previous plans. Perhaps she followed the third party willingly and voluntarily to the Saraland boat launch to “talk” and then something happened there.

Where was she right before Shell? I am trying to figure out if getting to the interstate via Government/hwy 90 is the most direct. You can also take the beltway to Airport, but that’s a little trickier than taking Hillcrest to Cottage Hill to Azalea to Government which will get you there, but by going a little more south, just so you can head north.

I am sure there is a reason why this does not fit the facts available. Let me have it.
 
Last edited:
I don’t see why it can’t have been an accident. We have seen countless young adults end up in water after nights out in bars...usually when on foot but being in a vehicle makes it even more likely to me, not less...jmo
 
I don’t see why it can’t have been an accident. We have seen countless young adults end up in water after nights out in bars...usually when on foot but being in a vehicle makes it even more likely to me, not less...jmo
I've seen that happen where the car was found in a body of water along the path that the car was known to have taken, never in some random neighborhood far from where the person was expected to be. So this location doesn't match up and there is still the question of the car's GPS tracking system that stopped working well before it could have made it to the boat launch. The condition of that system is the most important clue in the car and LE hasn't mentioned it yet.
 
I can see a possibility of an accident, of course - although the sheer number of drownings by cars accidentally going in the water doesn't exclude other possibilities or explanations. I am trying to stay clear of Hoyle's Fallacy here...

Saraland, on the other hand, is a world away to someone who lives, works, and goes to school in Mobile (with exceptions, of course). It's not convenient to get to and is a much different drive than just tooling around West Mobile. I really don't think she could be drunk enough not to know the difference yet be sober enough to drive.

Traymar I think you and I think alike on this, maybe being local helps a great deal knowing and understanding the major routes.

To expand on your excellent write up, there are just as many questions as there was when she disappeared, I am afraid if those questions are not answered we will all come up with a different sequence of events. I would have thought we would have a lot more answers after she was found.

Here is the sequence of events that has been put together based on what "Information" we have. Thank you @Vail for putting it together.

July 17 - Purchased car in the afternoon with JDT where she last saw DV drive off.
July 17 - Evening - arrived at Hero's in downtown Mobile where her friend RC was bartending. At some point RC's friend DW arrives with MK(unknown relationship).
July 17 - Before 10pm - DV leaves Hero's with DM and MK to go to Dublin's to wait for RC's shift to end, after which he would meet them.
July 17 - DV, DM and MK arrive at Dublin's
July 17 - 10:45pm RC texts them to meet him at Ollie's. They all leave Dublin's.
July 17 - Approx 11:00 - DV Is reportedly following DW south on I-65 when she flashes her lights to pull over (original story)
July 17 - 11:05PM - Car 1 DW and Car 2 DV on video at Shell Station entering from right (West as camera appears south-facing towards road)
July 17 - around 11PM last GPS ping location at Shell Station, after this there is no further activity. GPS is disabled.
July 17 -11:07PM - Car 1 leaves
July 17 - 11:08PM -Car 3 pulls in and both Car 3 and Car 2 DV stay parked
July 17 - 11:24PM - Car 2 DV and car 3 leave turning left towards interstate/frontage road
July 17 - Approx 11:45pm DW returns to Dublin's to retrieve DV's phone
July 18 - Approx 12am DW Arrives at Ollie's and stays for a few minutes (???)
July 18 - Approx after 12am DW drops rental car off, (Unsure of location)
July 18 - 7:30am JDT receives a call from DW that he has DV's phone. JDT says to drop it off at PF Chang's
July 19 - DV misses work and her date with her daughter.
July 20 - DW calls JDT again about DV's phone. JDT tells him to meet her at the police station.
July 20 - Reported missing by JT and DW together in person. DW gives DV's phone to LE.
July 20 - Police search DV's apartment
July 25 - Confirmed Case given to Mobile Homicide by media

Now for the unanswered questions: MOO

Why or how did DW and Danniella end up at the Shell station when they were supposed to be going to Ollie's?

How or why was the tracking GPS disabled at the Shell station?

Who were in car 1 and 3? were they the same vehicle?

Were there more than just DW and Danniella at the Shell station?

Why would they take I-65 South in the first place? (This is an odd route, when following other major roads would have been faster and shorter)

Who found Danniella's phone at Dublins? Was it DW or was it a waitress?

Did DW ever show up at Ollie's ?

If the damage to Danniella's front driver's side fender car was caused by the removal from the water then why is there no front end damage to the car? (There should have been damage to the car upon entering the water unless the car went in at a low speed)

Sorry for the long post just trying to get all of these thoughts in one place.


*Edit cleaned up formatting
 
Last edited:
I've seen that happen where the car was found in a body of water along the path that the car was known to have taken, never in some random neighborhood far from where the person was expected to be. So this location doesn't match up and there is still the question of the car's GPS tracking system that stopped working well before it could have made it to the boat launch. The condition of that system is the most important clue in the car and LE hasn't mentioned it yet.
And the phone that was left at the previous bar...
And the CCTV was taken down per LE request...
And the last person seen with her keeps changing his story.
Although I am a local, I’m not that familiar with this area of Saraland. Does any other local know about this neighborhood? Several people on FB keep mentioning this neighborhood being somewhat “shady.” And if you don’t live there, you go there for one reason. Is it drugs or sex?

MOO
While I’ve always had an odd feeling towards DW and him hanging around these younger people, now I wonder if this web involves a much bigger picture. Possibly a distributor? He definitely would have the means with all the travel and access to certain areas around the terminals. He doesn’t strike me as a user, but I could entertain him being a supplier.

That being said, I still think somehow JT fits into this chain of events. Does she have an alibi? Is it odd the grandfather has CT out of town that night during the middle of the week? Did they do this often? I just can’t figure out how they’re connected. Maybe TT?

It’s also important to note that DNV had been back about 6mths prior to this after moving back from her bio mom’s house. I do feel DNV was making huge steps in getting her life together and was well on her way to being the parent she knew she wanted to be.
 
I think it would be more effective to do this drive by at night, it would be better to see the lighting in the area? at day time there is no problem but I imagine driving there at night is a whole different thing.

Yes this was exactly my thinking. It was nice to see it during the day to get a good look around but I would LOVE to see this route at night when DNV would have presumably been driving down these roads alone and lost- according to the accident theory. Google maps street view hasn't been updated in like 8 years so it's hard to look all around to see the lights and who knows which ones are actually working.
 
July 17 - Approx 11:45pm DW returns to Dublin's to retrieve DV's phone
July 18 - Approx 12am DW Arrives at Ollie's and stays for a few minutes (???)
July 18 - Approx after 12am DW drops rental car off, (Unsure of location)
July 18 - 7:30am JDT receives a call from DW that he has DV's phone. JDT says to drop it off at PF Chang's
This part strikes me as odd. Why did DW keep the phone instead of giving it to RC? Why would he call JDT in the morning instead of RC?
 
This part strikes me as odd. Why did DW keep the phone instead of giving it to RC? Why would he call JDT in the morning instead of RC?
Why did he keep the phone period?
Why did he drive back from the Shell station to retrieve the phone?
It’s like he was taking ownership of the phone or something...he was in control of retrieving this phone for some reason no matter how strange it looks since he had just met this girl. Was she so incapacitated that she couldn’t drive back and get it herself? Or was he hellbent on getting the phone because this was part of his planned alibi?

I also wonder if the missed calls from RC to DW and MK are because they turned their phones off? Ironic because of the timing those calls were made, 10:50-10:57? And poof, MK appears at Ollie’s at 11:12pm... If their phones were off they wouldn’t ping, correct? I wonder the same about DNV phone, was it turned off periodically that night?
Does this make sense to y’all? Is there anyway to confirm if phones are powered down with records?
 
A local recorded themselves driving the route from Hwy 43 to the boat launch:
Oh wow it looks like it is straight down a street that looks just like the last several streets the driver was on and passed by. This ramp is SOOO dangerous IMO. It doesn't even look like a park and I didn't even notice a parking lot for boat trailers nearby. There were some streetlights, but they were few and far between towards the end. I'd like to see that drive at night as well, I bet you can't even see the water until you are in it. :( :( :(
 
Respectfully, while I agree with much of what you've said, I do disagree with some important parts. Mainly, I'm feeling wiggly because IMO only, your stated explanation/argument is begging the question.

Practically speaking, your conclusion and any or all parts of your premise may turn out to be accurate. But from a purely logical standpoint I can't go there with you. For example, you state in various parts of your premise that DNV was: lost, freaking out and in total panic mode without her cell phone, driving for the first time in a while, not used to driving, not used to navigating roads, and realized she was lost.

These things you state aren't givens, to my knowledge. In MOO, that's just too many assumptions. But I respect your opinion and respect that you've considered many aspects of this case. If you drop those assumptions, can you see a possibility of foul play?

I can see a possibility of an accident, of course - although the sheer number of drownings by cars accidentally going in the water doesn't exclude other possibilities or explanations. I am trying to stay clear of Hoyle's Fallacy here...

I do really like your idea about her possibly following the wrong car, and this had not crossed my mind in the slightest before. My only hesitation with that is that I wonder why or if she would have been following anyone at that point. I could be wrong, but wasn't she thought to be headed back to Dublin's to retrieve her phone?

Also, as a local, I can tell you that Ollie's, Dublin's, and even that Shell station are on main roads and easy to find - all in West Mobile, and all accessible without getting on the interstate.

Saraland, on the other hand, is a world away to someone who lives, works, and goes to school in Mobile (with exceptions, of course). It's not convenient to get to and is a much different drive than just tooling around West Mobile. I really don't think she could be drunk enough not to know the difference yet be sober enough to drive.

However, if she thought she was - or if in fact she was - following another car somewhere, then it is possible she knew she wasn't in West Mobile and it was nevertheless her intention to follow the (hypothetical) other car.

In fact, possibly she WAS following another car - not the "wrong" one. Maybe someone (Car #3?) who enticed her to follow but had ill intent?

Anyway, thanks for your post. You made me look at this from some new angles - and that is always helpful. I'd be interested to hear if you can see any possibility of foul play (however low the probability).

All MOO, as always.
Oh yes, I absolutely don’t think foul play is impossible. There were plenty of issues/potential drama in her life underlying everything and the circumstances are sketchy at best. My “most likely” opinion is an accident but I would not close the door to other possibilities at all.

I do think LE knows more, and I truly hope they explore all avenues. If there is any evidence of foul play I really, really hope it’s explored and ultimately exposed if it can’t be ruled out 100% by LE and other experts.
 
Oh wow it looks like it is straight down a street that looks just like the last several streets the driver was on and passed by. This ramp is SOOO dangerous IMO. It doesn't even look like a park and I didn't even notice a parking lot for boat trailers nearby. There were some streetlights, but they were few and far between towards the end. I'd like to see that drive at night as well, I bet you can't even see the water until you are in it. :( :( :(
A local stated that the light at the ramp is out, so the ramp is pitch black at night, and when coming upon it, the houses across the water look like just another part of the neighborhood.

So, here's where my mind is at currently, JMO, on it being an accident: on-board black box/recorder might show that she maintained a steady speed through the neighborhood and straight into the water, and since only she was inside, I'd say that'd be a good indicator that she was alone and acted alone, and it was an accident. Just a theory.
 
A local stated that the light at the ramp is out, so the ramp is pitch black at night, and when coming upon it, the houses across the water look like just another part of the neighborhood.

So, here's where my mind is at currently, JMO, on it being an accident: on-board black box/recorder might show that she maintained a steady speed through the neighborhood and straight into the water, and since only she was inside, I'd say that'd be a good indicator that she was alone and acted alone, and it was an accident. Just a theory.

My thoughts exactly if it was an accident then it should be able to be proved easily ... I believe the black boxes record 5 to 10 seconds before an impact ... So hopefully that is something that is being looked into and considered.
 
So just out of curiosity I did a bit of research on the Black Boxes ... Typically the minimum time it records is 5 seconds before impact up to 10+ seconds depending on the type and model.

Some quick calculations ..

If Danniella's is driving her car at 20mph (typical neighborhood speed) she would travel 150 feet in 5 seconds. More than enough time to tell if she was at a steady speed or was gaining speed when there was impact.

If she was driving 35 it would record a minimum of 256 feet.

So why I was at it I went ahead and calculated the amount of impact there would be.

Chevy Cruz is an average of ~3,000lbs depending on which model.

3000lbs at 20 mph equates to 223.52 Newtons or 50.25 lbs of force per square inch.

With these numbers I would expect to see some deformation to the front bumper and wrinkling of the hood which we don't see at all. The damage we do see in the image on the front drivers side fender was attributed to have been caused by the removal of the vehicle from the water. So unless she entered the water at a slow speed while lost, which would not cause any damage, then this doesn't add up. If she entered at slow speed as the evidence suggests then how was she not able to get out of the vehicle? Keep in mind a newer vehicle will float for some time before sinking. This is all MOO.

D5qnC7SWwAAnP0C.jpg
 
So just out of curiosity I did a bit of research on the Black Boxes ... Typically the minimum time it records is 5 seconds before impact up to 10+ seconds depending on the type and model.

Some quick calculations ..

If Danniella's is driving her car at 20mph (typical neighborhood speed) she would travel 150 feet in 5 seconds. More than enough time to tell if she was at a steady speed or was gaining speed when there was impact.

If she was driving 35 it would record a minimum of 256 feet.

So why I was at it I went ahead and calculated the amount of impact there would be.

Chevy Cruz is an average of ~3,000lbs depending on which model.

3000lbs at 20 mph equates to 223.52 Newtons or 50.25 lbs of force per square inch.

With these numbers I would expect to see some deformation to the front bumper and wrinkling of the hood which we don't see at all. The damage we do see in the image on the front drivers side fender was attributed to have been caused by the removal of the vehicle from the water. So unless she entered the water at a slow speed while lost, which would not cause any damage, then this doesn't add up. If she entered at slow speed as the evidence suggests then how was she not able to get out of the vehicle? Keep in mind a newer vehicle will float for some time before sinking. This is all MOO.

D5qnC7SWwAAnP0C.jpg
There is a Mythbusters episode about getting out of sinking vehicles that may be of interest. I think the possibility of a delayed reaction time due to intoxication may also need to be factored in. She might have driven in and tried to put the car in reverse before even thinking about getting out, giving the water time to get high enough to make it impossible to open the door until pressure inside and outside were equal.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
145
Guests online
2,558
Total visitors
2,703

Forum statistics

Threads
590,028
Messages
17,929,184
Members
228,043
Latest member
Biff
Back
Top