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

[Momma2cam]

For folks questioning why a perp would send a text message saying she was in danger instead of she was fine, to me what seems potentially staged is more the idea she was with strangers as well as the idea she was still alive. It's just so wordy and over explains and phrases it weirdly. In my opinion, it is not a text most women would send when they felt uneasy or threatened by the company they are in.

That doesn't necessarily mean the person who received the text was in on it. PH may have left with people she knew and the coworker may not have known that. Likewise, she may have left with people she didn't know but then ended up with people she did know.

I agree with this. Although it is difficult to predict how one may react in a situation that PH may have been in, If I felt in danger and had the ability to still use my phone, I may have texted a family member or closer friend (assuming maybe that coworker wasn't her best friend) and may have included an address or at least guess at location, names, etc. I may not have texted someone closer to me if I was relapsing, though. MOO

 

[bestill]

One thing is for sure, Paighton didn't put herself in the grave, right?
If this is an overdose situation (which, right now, doesn't really sound like it is, but who knows?), it reminds me of that case of 14-year-old Jonathan Minard in Ohio. He died of a fentanyl overdose and was buried in a shallow grave.

Who buried him?

 

[Zella]

I agree with this. Although it is difficult to predict how one may react in a situation that PH may have been in, If I felt in danger and had the ability to still use my phone, I may have texted a family member or closer friend (assuming maybe that coworker wasn't her best friend) and may have included an address or at least guess at location, names, etc. I may not have texted someone closer to me if I was relapsing, though. MOO

Yeah for sure we can never know how things would go down if something actually happens--but just purely from a language standpoint, it seems oddly phrased.

 

[lindaromas]

Also, moving a body, digging the grave, etc., if it was done by an individual female, she would have to be pretty strong, IMO.

Exactly! I just looked up PH's height (5'2") and weight (123 lbs) I have a hard time digging a hole for a bush! I'm guessing it would have to have been at the very least 20-30 inches deep by 5 and a half feet long.

 

[Crimechick27]

last night. That may indicate an effort by family to keep intruders out.

The home owner's family may have discovered disturbed earth at the house and reported it. The location may have intersected with other information related to friends ... [edit: probably not since LE didn't go straight to the house.]
That picture showing all of the mess in the back yard, I wonder when it was taken. I don't see the disturbed earth. Maybe that trash was piled on top of the grave to help hide it.
Also, moving a body, digging the grave, etc., if it was done by an individual female, she would have to be pretty strong, IMO.

Moo...I think at least 2 people worked together to bury her. When our dog passed away, she weighed 75 pounds. My husband and I had to take turns digging her grave and burying her. It was no easy feat, and it was definitely a 2 person job. It took a long time. And this was a canine -not a human. I don’t think I could have done that on my own, and I consider myself a capable, independent person.

I really want to be wrong about this, but this morbid idea that maybe PH died the night she disappeared and that people who were witness to her death freaked out and spent that night burying her keeps running through my head. Again moo...

I am so sad about her outcome. She deserved so much better. And to have overcome so much but to still die so young and so publicly like this is incredibly heartbreaking and unfair.

 

[glynngoble]

If from the jump LE really believed the "two heavy-set black males" were involved, it seems they would be making a huge effort to find them and asking the public's help, releasing whatever descriptions they were given, etc. If not only to find Paighton but to protect the public from the same fate. IMO

 

[CuriousinNY]

(After Heidi Broussard’s case and my gross misjudgment about betting the bank that her SO was the perp based on his “tell” of not answering his cell phone during a media interview, I’m reserving forming opinions in all cases going forward at this time.)

I on the other hand, believed the boyfriend in the Heidi Broussard case. So I am convinced I have super sleuth powers lol

 

[Crimechick27]

Updated Jan 04, 10:36 AM;Posted Jan 03, 9:43 AM
“[SBM]

Houston’s mother, Charlaine Houston, posted this on Facebook: ‘Our family didn’t get the news we had hoped for but I am very grateful that Paighton is coming home. We don’t have to go through the torture of not knowing what was happening to her and where she could be. God answered our prayers, he brought her home to us. I prayed that if she was already in heaven, I just had to know so my heart could put closure to the missing nightmare. Paighton is eternally home with Jesus. Our family appreciates all the prayers, love and support from the Trussville community and around the world for Paighton. She touched the hearts of many in our efforts to bring her home and my heart is touched by everyone’s love for our family. God will be our strength in the hard days ahead as we go through finding out what happened and life without Paighton. Continue to pray for our family. We are so thankful to you all!’

[SBM]

Jefferson County sheriff’s Chief Deputy David Agee said the sheriff’s office is taking over as the lead investigative agency on the discovery of the remains. He emphasized that this is a death investigation that has not yet been deemed a homicide. ‘Right now we have a lot more questions than answers,’ Agee said, ‘but we hope to have those answers real soon. We’re gonna work hard and we’re going to find out what happened.’

[SBM]”
Body found in shallow grave in Hueytown yard identified as Paighton Houston

Moo...The Houston family has shown themselves to be so classy while weathering this hellacious storm. They have kept their heads about them and shown kindness in the midst of everything. So much respect from me for them....

 

[evilwise]

the reason I asked is you said, “look for connections between the property and persons of interest” in previous post.

You can be interested in whoever you want to be interested in you just can't "sleuth" someone who hasn't been officially named. The property info has been officially released so I presume it's within the rules to "sleuth" it. I don't personally think it will, but if it DID lead back to someone who personally knows Paighton, that would be good investigation and I assume within the community rules. Starting at the other end and "sleuthing" people solely because they are connected to the subject isn't reasonable public discourse and its easy to see why its not allowed.

It is a description, but not a very detailed one. It seems it should have been fairly easy to say what kind of clothes they were wearing or any other notable descriptor on their physical appearances.

It's almost like they might have had a reason to keep a low profile, right?

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Angola as in the country?
These cases of people being killed by "friends" are making me paranoid, Jesus what a nightmare.

Angola, the notorious prison in Louisiana.

 

[ajaylee]

Random thoughts:

PH went to the bar after work, apparently carpooling with a friend who is also a co-worker (?). If the group met up at the bar shortly after work, I can understand why someone might have a few drinks and go home and crash pretty quickly. I can understand how PH's friend might have slept through the text. Long day at work, a few drinks, and it's sleepy time.

For those who would never leave a friend alone at a bar: I agree, but we don't know how many were in PH's group and we don't know how many were 'friends' and how many were co-workers. My friends would keep an eye on me, but not all of my co-workers are 'friends' who automatically take on that responsibility if we go out after work.

I'm skeptical about the 'two big black guys', and I don't know why. It sounds too stereotypical, too fabricated.

The wording of the text is odd, for sure, although without seeing PH's other texts, we don't know for sure if that was her 'normal' texting style. I try to imagine myself trying to covertly text that message to someone. Just very odd wording. Then again, I don't believe we have any evidence yet as to PH's state of mind - had she been drinking? enough to affect her judgment or speech?

It is possible PH left with someone she knew (or thought she knew and could trust) and ended up being dumped somewhere amongst strangers. I've gone to a party of strangers with a so-called 'friend' and realized partway through the evening that the 'friend' had taken off and I was surrounded by strangers and not even sure exactly where the house was. I certainly didn't know the address.

 

[Momof4RN]

“idk who im with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble,”

‘I feel in trouble’: Missing Alabama woman sends alarming text to friend after leaving with two strangers

Not too long ago a young coworker of mine was headed to a party after work. She was a little uncomfortable going because although she knew her date she knew she wouldn’t know the crowd there. As a mommy figure to her, she asked me if she could enable her find your friend feature so that I would know where she was in the event something went wrong.
So I can see where PH sends an alert to a friend saying i’m Around people I don’t know and if I call answer. What bothers me about this message is she appears to be beyond the warning as she states she already feels in trouble. In that case I think my coworker and most other women would have called right then and there and not send a text saying I may be calling. Certainly the only thing past trouble is grave danger and then it’s too late to call. IMO

 

[Zella]

What bothers me about this message is she appears to be beyond the warning as she states she already feels in trouble. In that case I think my coworker and most other women would have called right then and there and not send a text saying I may be calling. Certainly the only thing past trouble is grave danger and then it’s too late to call. IMO

I also found that weird.

 

[lindaromas]

Moo...I think at least 2 people worked together to bury her. When our dog passed away, she weighed 75 pounds. My husband and I had to take turns digging her grave and burying her. It was no easy feat, and it was definitely a 2 person job. It took a long time. And this was a canine -not a human. I don’t think I could have done that on my own, and I consider myself a capable, independent person.

I really want to be wrong about this, but this morbid idea that maybe PH died the night she disappeared and that people who were witness to her death freaked out and spent that night burying her keeps running through my head. Again moo...

I am so sad about her outcome. She deserved so much better. And to have overcome so much but to still die so young and so publicly like this is incredibly heartbreaking and unfair.

I'm hoping they find footprints, but after all that rain probably not.

 

[margarita25]

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but if in trouble, wouldn’t you give a location of some sort? Or a first name? Or vehicle description? This is something I’ve done in the past when I’ve had car trouble and wasn’t sure my car would make it, etc. At least a street name, or some sort of identifiable factor? If it was her who sent the text, why did she leave out other information if she really thought she could be in trouble? I know that I have sent info about my uber drivers, etc. if I felt uncomfortable.

ETA: I see @Momma2cam just mentioned something similar.

 

[gitana1]

I don't quite get the thought process of burying a person that overdosed. Why? For what? It's not like the family suffered any less. They didn't know where Paighton was, if she was alive or not since December 20. They spent the holidays not knowing where their daughter was and why she wasn't coming home. How does that make it any better or easier? Unfortunately, drug overdoses happen every single day. What was the worse that could have happened to the people that were with her? I don't know, it doesn't make sense if it was just an accidental overdose.

Did she have a drug history? Why would she have texted she was in trouble if this was about overdosing?

 

[bhammom]

Isn't it possible that the "tip" LE received was from a neighbor of the house ? Considering that the police said this had been the third location they looked at to find the body means they weren't getting exact information. The house was not occupied and the surrounding neighbors would know this. Wouldn't it be suspicious to see a strange car in the driveway, random people and possibly flashlights in the middle of the night? I would think any concerned neighbor could call this in, even as an anonymous tip. It sounds like it wasn't an "abandoned" building, just one where the older gentleman moved out not that long ago and the daughter was stopping by to check on it and pick up mail.

 

[Beth11311]

Did she have a drug history? Why would she have texted she was in trouble if this was about overdosing?

She was a recovering heroin addict.

 

[ajaylee]

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but if in trouble, wouldn’t you give a location of some sort? Or a first name? Or vehicle description? This is something I’ve done in the past when I’ve had car trouble and wasn’t sure my car would make it, etc. At least a street name, or some sort of identifiable factor? If it was her who sent the text, why did she leave out other information? I know that above sent info about my uber drivers, etc. if I felt uncomfortable.

There is the possibility that whoever was making her uncomfortable saw her texting and took her phone, ending any further communication. I think there's also the very real likelihood that she not only didn't know who she was with, she didn't know where she was.

My best guess at this point is that she felt uneasy enough to call a friend but she hoped to ride the situation out safely (or to find out her fears were unfounded) without having to inconvenience her friend.

 

[margarita25]

As far as friends keeping an eye on each other at bars, some people do, some people don’t. I think a lot of people are in their own worlds, more so these days. If others were drinking, this only makes it worse. I’ve been left at bars when friends were trashed or whatever. Sometimes the goal of going out may be to indeed talk to strangers, socialize, so friends may not consider this hinky. Hard to explain my thought atm.