Found Deceased AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019

[bwt42]

I have wondered since the first

Yes. Apparently no men matching that description were spotted on video.

So they either were there and somehow managed to avoid being spotted on camera, or they don’t exist in the first place.

I’m leaning towards the latter, but that’s without knowledge of the surveillance setup at the bar.

From what we know right now, either scenario is possible.

I'm leaning that they exist. See no reason for the friend to lie. If I was to make up a story, I wouldn't have identified 2 people no one else could possibly be able to describe.

 

[KCmetwo]

I put in the the “Tin Roof” to “Trussville”.
Maybe just putting in “Birmingham” put you on the other side of the city, and maybe you searched at rush hour?
I’m just taking a wild guess how that could happen.

It's possible I'm not sure. I just put Trussville and Birmingham. I don't know what time of day though. Guess before we can do anything with the friends timeline we need to know where she went after the bar and also how far she lives from it as well as, like someone else suggested, her phone activity. That would rule her out as a POI in the disappearance.
<modsnip: removed internet rumor>

 

[carbuff]

Calls to mind the Charles Stuart case in Boston, except I can't figure out any reason the friend would invent something like that.

 

[Knox]

MSM from today saying police unable to find the two heavy set men in surveillance video. Do they not exist and something else is going on?
B’ham Police: Surveillance video in Paighton Houston case does not show 2 men she reportedly left with

ETA the way it’s stated, there are no heavyset black men in the surveillance video from that night. Is that how you all read it?

That's what I'm getting, no one that meets that description was seen on video. But now I'm questioning whether PH ever made it to the Tin Roof that night. I'd like to see a direct quote on that from Sgt. Williams.

 

[KCmetwo]

They could be strangers to the workmate but known to PH, though.

Even after this text that was sent? "If I call answer, I don't know these people and I feel in trouble," the text reads, according to her mother.

Should we say ALLEGED text? Do we know if the Mother has physically SEEN the text?
and this article DOES correct my time of how long it takes to get to Birmingham from where PH lives. My apologies for that incorrect information earlier.
Missing Alabama woman texts 'I feel in trouble' before disappearing, mother says

 

[MassGuy]

Calls to mind the Charles Stuart case in Boston, except I can't figure out any reason the friend would invent something like that.

Yup, that crossed my mind too, and I reached the same conclusion.

It sounds to me like a lie, but I can’t figure out why this friend would do that.

 

[MassGuy]

That's what I'm getting, no one that meets that description was seen on video. But now I'm questioning whether PH ever made it to the Tin Roof that night. I'd like to see a direct quote on that from Sgt. Williams.

Exactly. I think most of us have assumed that the narrative of her being at the bar, and leaving with two strange men, was true.

But we don’t have a firm statement from law enforcement that this in fact occurred, and we could be operating off of erroneous information.

Nothing is solid yet.

 

[carbuff]

could "I don't know these people and I feel in trouble" mean that she didn't know the people she was at the bar with and was feeling "in trouble" in the sense of wanting to fall off the wagon?

 

[everybodhi]

I'm leaning that they exist. See no reason for the friend to lie. If I was to make up a story, I wouldn't have identified 2 people no one else could possibly be able to describe.

Maybe there were two big black men there but they are known by the police, maybe they were undercover cops and their every move is known, so investigators know she didn’t leave with them. There’s so many possibilities.
We know from the family that there were leads that were unsubstantiated but we don’t know what those leads were, maybe they were not about the big black guys but something else we don’t know about.
Not seeing these men with her on the video does bring some doubt, though. Unsubstantiated.
If there weren’t any pairs of big black men at all on video, they will be able to corroborate from other witnesses at the bar the presence of two large black men that aren’t on surveillance video, someone must have waited on them and according to the Tin Roof Facebook site, off duty police officers were working security that night. Police tend to notice people, they’re trained for it.
Her friend saw them, she couldn’t have been the only one.
I trust the police know things we don’t know and will not divulge anything to hamper their investigation, or give anyone involved a heads up as to where their investigation is heading.
As far as thinking the friend has no reason to lie, I have no information to know if I should believe that. She’s brought suspicion on herself, for many reasons already discussed here.
People often get involved in cases where they have some guilt, like giving false information to mislead an investigation, they even do TV interviews and join search parties. They do it to cover for themselves and they do it to cover for other people.
Saying you believe the friend because you have no reason not to, disregards so many cases we’ve seen here on websleuths, where the person closest is involved.
There’s a reason cops always look at family and friends first. And the last known person with them.
JMO

 

[Beth11311]

I think the only thing we know for certain right now is the PH is missing. LE said verbatim that this was a ‘strange’ case.

I concur.

 

[Seattle1]

Yup, that crossed my mind too, and I reached the same conclusion.

It sounds to me like a lie, but I can’t figure out why this friend would do that.

While I'm not expecting to hear from the actual workmate that allegedly witnessed PH leaving the bar and received the text message - I'm finding it a bit odd that there's been no chatter (that I'm aware of) from any other workmates in the group if only to say something like "I only stayed for one drink and left before the band started."

While very sophomoric behavior, I'm wondering if the workmate was suppose to act as "cover" for her 29 year old friend that understandably for her own benefit seemed to be under a heavy parental thumb. In other words, maybe PH never intended to stay at the bar and had other plans-- if she was ever there at all. And was this work outing actually a group of only two?

I'm recalling a statement her dad made on TV on how PH's plan was to have a night out with a group from work spending time together and to listen to live music....

Looking back, it almost sounded like something he was told (i.e., a convincing, safe outing for somebody working a program).

Just thinking out of the box -- not making any allegations here.

Where are you Paighton?

ETA: Corrected dad's statement -- he didn't say drinks.

 

[ItsSoInteresting]

I feel like there’s way more going on then the public realizes as far as being a random act. LE just doesn’t seem so pressed asking for the public’s help with info, searches etc. I wonder if they already have this narrowed down to her inner circle; whether it be a friend, coworker, friend of a coworker etc.

 

[chi123]

I feel like there’s way more going on then the public realizes as far as being a random act. LE just doesn’t seem so pressed asking for the public’s help with info, searches etc. I wonder if they already have this narrowed down to her inner circle; whether it be a friend, coworker, friend of a coworker etc.

I’m hoping this is the case too, and they’re just focusing on building a case against that Friend/co-worker etc.

That’s the only way any of this makes sense honestly, we can’t even get a straight answer on whether or not she was seen at the bar or seen leaving with anyone. Everything we know has come from the friend, according to statements by the family. The whole thing is bizarre.

 

[Seattle1]

Paighton’s parents send message to their missing daughter

Dec 24, 2019

Paighton Houston, 29, was last seen Friday night leaving Tin Roof, a bar on the Southside of Birmingham. She was there with friends from work, enjoying live music and spending time together.

[..]

Her husband, Douglas, added, "There are some people out there who knows something and either they're too scared to say or maybe just protecting somebody they know." [bbm]


ETA: I really think Paighton's dad is talking to someone -- he knows who he's targeting with this message.

MOO

 

[Tricia]

Please continue the discussion RIGHT HERE!

 

[Seasleuth]

I thought from the beginning when LE refused to release any details about the two black men PH reportedly left with, it was because they were easily and quickly cleared and not relevant.

Also LE saying "It's a strange case" to me suggests the info reported by the friend, as well as what they actually knew, didn't reconcile.

On Inside Edition's video report, at 12 Seconds in the reporter says "PH was having drinks at this bar with a co-worker when she left with two men..."

Wasn't she recovering from substance abuse? Meth or Heroin? I've never been down that road, maybe someone can tell me how this might relate to someone's current well being in regards to a previous addiction.

Her mom went on during the interview to mention how often PH calls her, I understand being close with a parent, but does anyone find this excessive checking in?

Wonder if she was possibly suicidal.

Been following since the beginning, first post.

 

[MassGuy]

I thought from the beginning when LE refused to release any details about the two black men PH reportedly left with, it was because they were easily and quickly cleared and not relevant.

Also LE saying "It's a strange case" to me suggests the info reported by the friend, as well as what they actually knew, didn't reconcile.

On Inside Edition's video report, at 12 Seconds in the reporter says "PH was having drinks at this bar with a co-worker when she left with two men..."

Wasn't she recovering from substance abuse? Meth or Heroin? I've never been down that road, maybe someone can tell me how this might relate to someone's current well being in regards to a previous addiction.

Her mom went on during the interview to mention how often PH calls her, I understand being close with a parent, but does anyone find this excessive checking in?

Wonder if she was possibly suicidal.

Been following since the beginning, first post.

Normally, I’d find this excessive checking in to be incredibly odd. In the context of her past addiction (heroin) and health problems, I guess it makes sense.

I’m not a fan of suicide, as this would be a strange way to go about it. The friend of hers would have to be in on that (the one who provided the description of those two men), and I absolutely don’t think that’s what’s going on.

I don’t think her running off makes a lot of sense either, for the same reason. I suppose that’s a little more likely than suicide though.

Personally, I’m down to three theories:

She ran off on a binge (not a huge fan of that one).

She did go off with two men, and this turned into foul play (not a huge fan of this either, with the lack of video).

She was never at the bar in the first place, and this was foul play from the beginning (I’m seriously considering this one).

With the dearth of verified information thus far, I suppose anything is possible though.