The trip to the store

[curiositycat]

The only facts that I know regarding the store is what Griff Jenkins from Fox reported on GVS Friday evening. IIRC he said "We have talked to employees at the store who told us that police were there. These employees had no idea what they were looking for or why they were there."

 

[Aimee729]

In addition to the security camera at the store- every grocery store receipt has the date, time, check-out terminal as well as the cashier ID.# printed on the receipt. I have never been a check-out clerk- but I would "assume" that all of that information is recorded on the stores log as well. That would make the cashier an eye witness to identify BC and what he purchased. The sales log would confirm the purchase and the time. B-I-N-G-O!!! I have occassionally been in 24 hr. HTs before- and it is not a bustling place. How many people bought detergent or detergent with bleach or bleach on July 12 at "X" Harris Teeter at 4 am???

 

[mahmoo]

Perhaps he actually made two trips to the store if, in fact there is any truth to the story that is circulating, one at 4am and another at 6am. If he did indeed purchase a cleaning item(s) at 4am he may have realized later on that he needed an alibi for being at that store in the wee hours of the morning and returned again at 6am to purchase the milk and bread (supposedly). The video would indeed show him at the store purchasing the milk and bread at 6am but it didn't occur to him that LE would rewind the tape to even earlier than 6am and that's when they realized he had already been there at 4am..........just food for thought.

 

[panthera]

If Brad went to the store at 4am, who was with the girls?
Did he leave them tucked in bed--ALONE-- while he went to the store? :{

Sadly they were probably alone in the house, but if and when he goes to trial, his defense would say Nancy was alive and well when he went. Just MOO.

 

[Pepper]

Sadly they were probably alone in the house, but if and when he goes to trial, his defense would say Nancy was alive and well when he went. Just MOO.

And they were probably home alone albeit asleep when he dumped the body too.

 

[panthera]

In addition to the security camera at the store- every grocery store receipt has the date, time, check-out terminal as well as the cashier ID.# printed on the receipt. I have never been a check-out clerk- but I would "assume" that all of that information is recorded on the stores log as well. That would make the cashier an eye witness to identify BC and what he purchased. The sales log would confirm the purchase and the time. B-I-N-G-O!!! I have occassionally been in 24 hr. HTs before- and it is not a bustling place. How many people bought detergent or detergent with bleach or bleach on July 12 at "X" Harris Teeter at 4 am???

Yes the cash register itself should have a second tape of the transaction that would be used to balance the clerk's drawer at the end of their shift as well as record all sales.

 

[MoonFlwr]

FWIW, I know that anyone can be who they want on the internet and we often times need to be careful of people coming in and giving alleged, 'inside' information.

I would like to speak up for the poster who gave us that bit of information, however. She was a new member and IIRC, that was her very first post in Websleuths. Like someone else said, she didn't realize the wide viewership of Websleuths. I'm sure if she'd known, she would NOT have given that tidbit. But she did and by the time she realized her error, LOL, she saw it on tv and it was too late.

fran

...respectfully snipped!

Yes, fran that is exactly right, it WAS her first post on WS and that is why, afterwards, she PM'd a few people to ask them not to keep reposting her original post and to delete any of their own that repeated the personal info!

 

[mahmoo]

FWIW.....from reading posts from people that claim to know/knew him.....he doesn't strike me as the type of guy that would normally go to the store for bread and milk. Wonder if LE checked to see if there was already bread/milk in the house (half a loaf/half a gallon) thus there really was no reason for him to go make those purchases.

 

[LaLaw2000]

Brad going to the store to buy milk and bread? For who? Nancy had to borrow money from her parents for groceries. An excuse of his, no doubt. He probably did go to the store twice.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Please keep in mind, that this is just a post by an anonymous person. IT IS NOT FACT, IT IS NOT EVIDENCE. Just because a statement is posted here does not make that a factual statement. The police have not confirmed that they were even there at that store to view or pick up a security video. There is no reason to believe that the investigators in charge would confirm this information to a relative of an employee, yet not confirm it in a press conference.

I agree that is not a proven fact...yet. However, when you have watched LE repeatedly and how they word or phrase their comments when asked such questions...you can speculate very accurately most of the time when the reporter has hit on a hot spot with them. This was evident in the press conference when asked by the reporter from the CBC Radio based in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. I transcribed it myself to show what transpired:

The first mention of this story was during the press conference on 7-15-2008
with a telephone question directed to the Chief of Police of Cary, Pat Bazemore.

The reporter announced herself as from CBC Radio in Edmonton Alberta, Canada.

The report asks, "There are some reports online on certain web boards indicating that Mr. Cooper may have gone to a variety store at 4:00 am on the morning that Nancy apparently went jogging and that he purchased some bleach product at that
store . I am wondering if you can confirm or deny that report?"

The Chief looked obviously taken aback (visably gulped and audible sigh) and
answered her with the response,"We cannot confirm or deny whether he was at a store and whether he did purchase bleach or any kind cleaning products the morning of her disappearance. Again, another detail of the case that we just cannot discuss.".
Video of 5:00 pm press conference: http://www.wral.com/news/video/3211708/
Reporter asks the question at 11:40.

Yes, there is every reason they won't confirm or deny the information. It is a critical piece of circumstantial evidence, if it is true, and they didn't want to tip their hand to Brad that they already knew about it. However, I defended and still defend the posters right to release the information based on what she learned from her source.

She did not claim to have first hand knowledge. She only was relaying it. Frankly, if LE or management did not specifically tell them not to mention it...it was their mistake. Then again, unless people are legally compelled to keep silent about such things...they have every right to talk about it as far as I know. The person who told her and the person who told us have no reason to feel they have done anything wrong. They merely were reporting an incident which took place that they felt was pertinent to the case. Granted, the poster did not realize how big it would become and that the International news media would seize on it from this site. I wasn't at all surprised, but I am quite certain the poster was!

 

[panthera]

FWIW.....from reading posts from people that claim to know/knew him.....he doesn't strike me as the type of guy that would normally go to the store for bread and milk. Wonder if LE checked to see if there was already bread/milk in the house (half a loaf/half a gallon) thus there really was no reason for him to go make those purchases.

The only problem with LE checking for that is he's supposed to have gone to the store early Saturday morning and LE wasn't searching the house until days later.

 

[mahmoo]

Brad going to the store to buy milk and bread? For who? Nancy had to borrow money from her parents for groceries. An excuse of his, no doubt. He probably did go to the store twice.

I'm convinced he made two trips to the store.........his BIG mistake was going to the same store twice...........not a fact, JMO.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Where did you get he might have gone to the store twice?! I don't see this as very likely. He had other things to do in an effort to finish what he started, imo.

 

[mahmoo]

Where did you get he might have gone to the store twice?! I don't see this as very likely. He had other things to do in an effort to finish what he started, imo.

SS.....no basis for my post...purely conjecture on my part but.......I believe that he did go at 4am (as posted here early on by a certain poster "in the know" so to speak) to purchase a cleaning item or items. Supposedly he told LE he went to the store at 6am for bread and milk which I also believe is highly possible, thus the two trips.

I think he made the second trip back to the store because he realized he needed an alibi for being at that store in the early hours of the morning in case someone remembered him being there once the missing person story broke. If an employee of the store reported seeing him there he could tell LE yes, he was there at 6am.......not thinking at the time that LE would rewind the tape to earlier than 4am. Am I making a bit of sense . Again, this is purely speculation on my part.

 

[wicket]

Just a thought: Where would Nancy usually shop for household supplies? I'll bet NC's friends all shopped at many of the same supermarkets. Also, on the cap or the side of bleach containers and other products the UPC and sale stickers indicate the store it was purchased at. If BC has an empty bleach container in the trash or in the recycle box - when does trash get picked up? Did he pay with cash or a debit card? Would his cell phone show any locations with pings from cell towers? Would they have used a cadaver dog in his car(s)?

 

[carolinalady]

In most grocery stores in the area, these items do not have stickers indicating the store (generally).

 

[headndownstream]

I'm convinced he made two trips to the store.........his BIG mistake was going to the same store twice...........not a fact, JMO.

Man, knowing BC from other posts, this really rings right with me. His meticulous organizational skills were kicking in at this point? JMO

 

[EnvoyDriver61]

I think he made one trip to the store and goofed up.

I think he may have bought milk, bread, and the cleaning stuff, but at 4 a.m.

He says he went at around 6 a.m., not thinking they would have receipts or video stuff of him earlier.

He can prove he got the items (probably unopened milk and unopened bread with sufficiently in the future expiration dates) without the receipt. If the car was washed, I bet the receipts were in the car wash trash, or just thrown out outside the store as soon as he left.

The reason I think he messed up is the vagueness of his saying when he last saw Nancy (she went jogging between 6-7 a.m.). I think he originally wanted an alibi for a possible kidnapping at the house scenario. He leaves, she's at home, getting ready to jog. He returns, she's not there, he can see she left while he was at the store.

I think that's why LE didn't want the earlier purchase at the store out yet: they could allow him to spin a lie and then catch him, possibly.

 

[NCBanker]

I think he made one trip to the store and goofed up.

I think he may have bought milk, bread, and the cleaning stuff, but at 4 a.m.

He says he went at around 6 a.m., not thinking they would have receipts or video stuff of him earlier.

He can prove he got the items (probably unopened milk and unopened bread with sufficiently in the future expiration dates) without the receipt. If the car was washed, I bet the receipts were in the car wash trash, or just thrown out outside the store as soon as he left.

The reason I think he messed up is the vagueness of his saying when he last saw Nancy (she went jogging between 6-7 a.m.). I think he originally wanted an alibi for a possible kidnapping at the house scenario. He leaves, she's at home, getting ready to jog. He returns, she's not there, he can see she left while he was at the store.

I think that's why LE didn't want the earlier purchase at the store out yet: they could allow him to spin a lie and then catch him, possibly.

Momto3kids says he only bought 1 item.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I think he would be in panic mode and not into his meticulous mode. Just my opinion, but he if he had just killed his wife, disposed of her body, and was still rushing with adrenaline...it makes sense that he only grabbed what he needed in that immediate moment which would be the cleaning product.

He had more things to worry about than going back to the store to make the bread and milk purchases, imo. He was still covering up the crime scene. He had limited time before the kids got up. It has been my experience that most kids get up about 6:30-7:00 am.