AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019 *arrests* #6

[Ontario Mom]

Feel free to bonk me on the head if you guys have already argued this point....but
several of the inmates currently on JEFCO search were eventually "transferred to Birmingham" yet they still remain on the JEFCO database. So he might have been arrested in JEFCO and sent to B'Ham once they decided the event occurred in that jurisdiction?

I might bonk myself on the head before this case is over

As far as I can tell, the Jefferson County inmate roster lists inmates both not currently in custody, and in custody. Those that are in custody, are listed at either Birmingham or Bessemer, and both of those are county jails. The Birmingham City Jail is a completely different location/facility.

 

[bwt42]

I might bonk myself on the head before this case is over

As far as I can tell, the Jefferson County inmate roster lists inmates both not currently in custody, and in custody. Those that are in custody, are listed at either Birmingham or Bessemer, and both of those are county jails. The Birmingham City Jail is a completely different location/facility.

I didn't look at a big sample, but the inmates that were released were also charged with a crime. I don't know if FH was ever charged. Maybe held on suspicion & released

 

[Ontario Mom]

Okay, enough of this debate. What I'm still wondering is why would he be held in the Birmingham city jail. If PH left TR willingly with FH, the kidnapping didn't happen there. Even if it did occur then, I don't believe kidnapping is a municipal crime. Even though LE had some reason to hold FH for kidnapping, they didn't have enough to charge him. They got a 12 hr extension for the hold which suggest they thought with the additional time they would find enough to charge him with something. So, what was LE theory on when & where did the kidnapping occur?

This is really a good question and I have absolutely no idea why he'd be held in city, v. county. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure he was ever actually arrested. Nearly all the articles I've found say he was held on a 48 hour extension (whatever that means). And as you say, they found zero evidence on surveillance that PH left the bar under any kind of force or duress, so where is the kidnapping suspicion coming from? Keeping in mind LE had his name, and had their suspicions about his involvement in her disappearance just a week after she went missing (she went missing on the 20th and he was picked up on the 28th) so... someone there that night (either at the bar or at the house on McClain) had to have known him and turned him in.

 

[MajorHoople]

MOO - They’ve stated that several good tips were provided through Crime Stoppers. I’m thinking there were probably a few tips that came in that had his name tied to them prior to the tips providing the locations.

With his record, they probably interviewed him and weren’t satisfied with whatever alibi he may have provided. Nothing concrete, but enough for suspicion. They held him for 48 hours with the hope that they could either rattle him enough to confess (not likely), get a statement they could disprove, or find enough evidence for a formal arrest on some grounds.
This, of course, is assuming that the hold was in fact for suspicion of kidnapping PH and not someone else.

All MOO

I can't help but wonder how the BPD became suspicious of FH in the first place? Did the BPD see him on a business CCTV? Did someone call him in by name to Crime Stoppers?

 

[margarita25]

I can't help but wonder how the BPD became suspicious of FH in the first place? Did the BPD see him on a business CCTV? Did someone call him in by name to Crime Stoppers?

One guess imo is that someone at the bar called it in, moo (since they mentioned “tips”). If he lived close-by, then perhaps he was a regular and recognized by either regular patrons or staff?

I have some other thoughts as well on this, but this is a main thought, moo.

CCTV is also a strong option, as you mentioned (traffic cams, businesses along the route).

I also wonder if they stopped at any convenience or liquor stores along the way.

 

[bwt42]

One guess imo is that someone at the bar called it in, moo (since they mentioned “tips”). If he lived close-by, then perhaps he was a regular and recognized by either regular patrons or staff?

I have some other thoughts as well on this, but this is a main thought, moo.

CCTV is also a strong option, as you mentioned (traffic cams, businesses along the route).

I also wonder if they stopped at any convenience or liquor stores along the way.

IIRC The term "tips" was used in regards to where PH was buried. I don't remember it being used to describe how FH was identified. IMO, since FH was identified by at least 12/28 if not earlier, my guess would be that LE was looking at places he frequented & surveyed neighbors. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the neighbors questioned by LE did not give out the tip to LE, but waited to call it in for the reward. This has been my theory of the origin of the tip for some time. jmo

 

[Deleted member 110058]

This is really a good question and I have absolutely no idea why he'd be held in city, v. county. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure he was ever actually arrested. Nearly all the articles I've found say he was held on a 48 hour extension (whatever that means). And as you say, they found zero evidence on surveillance that PH left the bar under any kind of force or duress, so where is the kidnapping suspicion coming from? Keeping in mind LE had his name, and had their suspicions about his involvement in her disappearance just a week after she went missing (she went missing on the 20th and he was picked up on the 28th) so... someone there that night (either at the bar or at the house on McClain) had to have known him and turned him in.

BBM
If LE felt that he was the last person to see PH, and given his prior record....that might have been enough to hold him for suspected kidnapping,

 

[FindTheirTruth]

Maybe I missed something but why kidnapping? Do they think she was alive for a while after her disappearance?

 

[jgarris]

I've been guilty of second guessing the urgency of police before..

But, I don't get any sense of urgency on this one.

 

[Topppps]

I've been guilty of second guessing the urgency of police before..

But, I don't get any sense of urgency on this one.

It seems like they've done a really good job actually they found the body fairly fast and it wasn't at an easy location. They also have a person of interest.

 

[true_crime_nerd_79]

Maybe I missed something but why kidnapping? Do they think she was alive for a while after her disappearance?

LE did not know Paighton was deceased on Dec. 28th. They just knew she was missing and had reason to believe that she had been in the company of FH the night of December 20th. Hence the kidnapping suspicion.

 

[What if...]

It seems like they've done a really good job actually they found the body fairly fast and it wasn't at an easy location. They also have a person of interest.

I totally agree. The deafening silence from LE at this time tells me that THEY already have answers for most of the questions we’re still asking. And as a few posters have already mentioned, the families recent silence would indicate they have most of the answers they had been searching for.
Personally, I believe there will be more charges against FH when he is located, and I would not be surprised if additional arrests also occur.
I imagine LE is in the process of putting all of the pieces in place so they can hand over a rock solid case to the DA.
For the sake of my own curiosity, I hope the final outcome is made public in the near future, but it appears to me that the “sleuthing” on this case is nearing its end.
As long as the family has some sense of closure and PH can Rest In Peace, then that’s all that really matters. A terrible outcome, but at least they were able to bring PH home - and that is better IMO, than to be left wondering....

MOO

 

[Deleted member 110058]

It seems like they've done a really good job actually they found the body fairly fast and it wasn't at an easy location. They also have a person of interest.

I agree.
And when managing a police force there are so many moving parts.
Cases are prioritized based upon the tips, workload, staffing, and politics.
A case can be given priority but then a tip comes for a different case and suddenly...it all shifts.
As much as we might wish solving a case follows an A-Z process....it's actually a very fluid.

 

[Beth11311]

This is really a good question and I have absolutely no idea why he'd be held in city, v. county. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure he was ever actually arrested. Nearly all the articles I've found say he was held on a 48 hour extension (whatever that means). And as you say, they found zero evidence on surveillance that PH left the bar under any kind of force or duress, so where is the kidnapping suspicion coming from? Keeping in mind LE had his name, and had their suspicions about his involvement in her disappearance just a week after she went missing (she went missing on the 20th and he was picked up on the 28th) so... someone there that night (either at the bar or at the house on McClain) had to have known him and turned him in.

You make a good point, he was held and in questioning, but never arrested. I think that makes the most sense.

A suspect can only be held for questioning for a specific period of time before LE has to either arrest or release them. They must have been able to get an extension granted due to the circumstances. This would suggest that he was never arrested, and therefore explains why he was not in the DB. They didn’t have enough to charge him, and had to release him.

 

[jgarris]

It seems like they've done a really good job actually they found the body fairly fast and it wasn't at an easy location. They also have a person of interest.

I should have clarified. I meant in the search for FH. Obviously, their tight-lipped style worked really well and they were always steps ahead of us. They seem to know exactly what happened and who was involved.

 

[Ontario Mom]

You make a good point, he was held and in questioning, but never arrested. I think that makes the most sense.

A suspect can only be held for questioning for a specific period of time before LE has to either arrest or release them. They must have been able to get an extension granted due to the circumstances. This would suggest that he was never arrested, and therefore explains why he was not in the DB. They didn’t have enough to charge him, and had to release him.

I really don't want to beat a dead horse but... he was never in the database for county because he was never there to begin with. Not only does the record not list his name, ever, whether in custody or released, all of the MSM articles tell us where he was held and released from and it was not the county jail, it was the city jail.

Okay, that horse is now well done.

 

[rickcross]

I should have clarified. I meant in the search for FH. Obviously, their tight-lipped style worked really well and they were always steps ahead of us. They seem to know exactly what happened and who was involved.

I agree. When this all began, it was a simple missing persons case. I never saw any of the usual procedures for that scenario being followed. There were no detailed descriptions of the persons involved, no security images, no sketches, no searches and no pleas to the public. Eight days in and they had FH in custody.

As I look back on this, the only conclusion I can come up with is that LE never fully believed what P's co-workers were telling them, or they simply couldn't verify that information. I suspect that there are a number of people that know every detail of what happened. Somebody called the tip about the location of the body to crime stoppers. To me that suggests that someone involved in this, and I don't know to what extent, told someone else, and that person called the tip. I think it is quite improbable that FH acted alone and blabbed about it. Had to be someone else, someone that felt they were not connected to this at all.

 

[rickcross]

I really don't want to beat a dead horse but... he was never in the database for county because he was never there to begin with. Not only does the record not list his name, ever, whether in custody or released, all of the MSM articles tell us where he was held and released from and it was not the county jail, it was the city jail.

Okay, that horse is now well done.

I think a lot of where he was being held related to the facilities available. I'd think that they were interviewing him almost constantly. The location may simply have had better interrogation rooms and video monitoring. Just speculating.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I think a lot of where he was being held related to the facilities available. I'd think that they were interviewing him almost constantly. The location may simply have had better interrogation rooms and video monitoring. Just speculating.

I've thought about it more than I really wanted to, and I think you may be correct about this. Another consideration is the likelihood that he was never arrested at all, so simply detaining him for questioning happens at city jail, v. county (where folks go who are arrested, charged and awaiting trial).

All of that aside, I do agree with you as well about how it didn't really play out in the beginning like your typical missing person's case. Without coming right out and accusing anyone of anything, I do think it's possible that LE weren't convinced about the stories being told about what really happened that night, from those who were there.

moo

 

[rickcross]

I've thought about it more than I really wanted to, and I think you may be correct about this. Another consideration is the likelihood that he was never arrested at all, so simply detaining him for questioning happens at city jail, v. county (where folks go who are arrested, charged and awaiting trial).

All of that aside, I do agree with you as well about how it didn't really play out in the beginning like your typical missing person's case. Without coming right out and accusing anyone of anything, I do think it's possible that LE weren't convinced about the stories being told about what really happened that night, from those who were there.

moo

I've seen this happen locally when Adam Strong was arrested for the murder of Rori Hache. They held him for a while in downtown Oshawa before sending him off to Lindsey. Just made for easier access for investigators.