WA - Mackenzie Cowell, 17, Wenatchee, 9 Feb 2010 - #15

[pufnstuf]

I DO believe MC washed her car, and appreciate you pointing out the flow patterns where water has obviously traveled down from the spoiler on MC's car. The top and front of the car are very clean, and the spatter on the back looks identical to times I have washed my car when I thought roads were dry, etc....only to travel home and hit either a slight sprinkling enough to spray up sludge off the road, or driven through an area that was sprayed with de-icer. I heard the car wash rumor very early on, from the best friend of an LE officer. I find the source credible.

Are there any dusty roads in that area? I know that when my car or truck is fresh washed, one trip down my gravel driveway coats my car or truck with dust.

 

[AutumnRose]

Yeah, it has been posted by 2 people that were at the candlelight vigil that JF was infact there standing behind WC.

However; yet another poster claimed that was CC (MC's brother and WC's son) that was standing behind his mother at the candlelight vigil.

 

[YOJO]

I think you may be confusing the candlelight vigil with her memorial. They were two separate events (for lack of better word). The vigil was held Friday Feb.12th and her memorial was held Thursday Feb. 25th. I hope this helps

I know, my mind was not registering what was being said. Sorry

 

[pufnstuf]

The one thing though, is that there was no blood around the area she was found...

I watched a video last night that was filmed while the crime scene was still being searched...The Douglas sheriff said that he thought that she was killed near where her body was found. Some of those first dialogs with LE are invaluable, I think, because it's before they started filtering what they released to the press.

So if they thought that she was killed near where she was found, then I think there had to be some blood there. I had not heard that there was no blood there.

 

[pufnstuf]

I think you may be confusing the candlelight vigil with her memorial. They were two separate events (for lack of better word). The vigil was held Friday Feb.12th and her memorial was held Thursday Feb. 25th. I hope this helps

Weren't there several vigils for MC?

 

[metalsmiths]

Re-post; There are no streams at the CB house, just the Columbia River.
Google Earth map.

 

[WenRes]

Regarding her purse being in the back seat. Also regarding the seat being pushed back all the way.
I most often put my purse in the seat next to me but if someone comes in to sit, I would put it between us (on center console)... but... If my husband gets in the seat next to me I ALWAYS put it in the back seat on the floor. He is a little over 6ft and has long arms. If I put my purse in the middle it almost always gets elbowed off into the back anyway. He also changes the seat to be in the furthest back position.
My thought is, if a taller male (or female I guess) sat in the passenger seat they could have pushed her purse back accidently and it could have fallen onto the back seat floor or she could have placed it there.
Also, my hubby will sometimes grab my purse if he sees it on the front seat and put it in back so he doesn't sit on it. I wasn't sure if it was stated if her purse was on the back seat or back seat floor.
All speculation!

 

[*Intrigued*]

Weren't there several vigils for MC?

No, as far as I know there was only one vigil.

 

[Ozz]

Re-post; There are no streams at the CB house, just the Columbia River.
Google Earth map.
View attachment 8535

Do you see those clumps of green foliage near the river? The streams are what makes those trees grow down to the river. The streams are hidden from view in the trees/foliage.

 

[*Intrigued*]

Re-post; There are no streams at the CB house, just the Columbia River.
Google Earth map.
View attachment 8535

Actually there are several streams at the CB house. Del has posted several pictures taken by him personally. He has been to the property. They are not large streams but they are most definitely there. I am in no way trying to argue, just saying that they are there. It is my understanding that most of them are in the thick brush so they would not necessarily be visible from above. I hope this helps

 

[hotmadre]

Are there any dusty roads in that area? I know that when my car or truck is fresh washed, one trip down my gravel driveway coats my car or truck with dust.

There are SO many dusty roads, gravel roads, orchard access roads, and fire roads all over the Wenatchee area; Eaglerock, Pitcher Canyon, PUD access road that goes all through town from one end of Western to the other. (Western St. runs North to South through town, parallel to the mountains....the south end of town being where Pitcher Canyon is located.The coating of sludge/backsplash on the rear of her car along with the mud coated tires indicate the car went SOMEWHERE off road.

 

[pufnstuf]

No, as far as I know there was only one vigil.

Thanks... I don't know why it popped into my mind, but I thought someone said that her family and friends found out that she was dead Sunday evening while at a vigil. I'm probably mixing it up with another case, though. That doesn't seem right, because I'd imagine that her family found out immediately after she was found.

Thanks for the info.

 

[girlfawkes]

We delved into this theory regarding the car wash several threads ago. IIRC, we ended up dismissing. Can anyone remember why?

Well, personally I never have thought her car was washed that day because it's filthy. Seems simple to me. If her car was driven by the perp after the wash, the window of time was very small and cannot account for that amount of dirt. Lots of sticky looking exhaust dirt on the back. Just doesn't fit IMO. I could see dust after a wash, I could see mud around the wheels. I can't see the obviously built up grime that is on that car.

I don't think her car was washed that day, despite the account of an eyewitness. "Eyewitnesses" can be mistaken, especially when recalling a missing person, especially after the fact. It would be easy to think you had seen that person. Lots of red cars driven by lots of tall, thin dark haired girls in this town.

 

[Lady Duck]

I have been reading this blog since the information was published in the Wenatchee world about WS. It has been facinating and sad due to the loss of such a dear child. I am not a good Slueth so I don't post much but a good listener and find reading this blog addicting like a mystery novel but this is real and it is in our own town and there are no actors or ficticious characters and it is heart wrenching to know that MC went thru hell before this was over for her. Del Rios pictures have been fantastic in that most of us would never have seen the actual scenes without them and they have made it even more real. I am wondering if anyone has ever thought of a taser or stun gun as something that could have gotten control of MC before the other injuries were inflicted? Just saw a episode of cops and that brought to mind about Jon Benet. I believe that was used on her?? Anyway just my 2 cents.

 

[hotmadre]

Here is a compilation of the events that have occured in honor of Mackenzie. What a nice tribute from so many different people trying to show their love and support in whatever way they can:
Feb. 12

 

[pufnstuf]

There are SO many dusty roads, gravel roads, orchard access roads, and fire roads all over the Wenatchee area; Eaglerock, Pitcher Canyon, PUD access road that goes all through town from one end of Western to the other. (Western St. runs North to South through town, parallel to the mountains....the south end of town being where Pitcher Canyon is located.The coating of sludge/backsplash on the rear of her car along with the mud coated tires indicate the car went SOMEWHERE off road.

I'm neither here nor there on the car wash rumor, but, if she had an engine leak significant enough to generate a good amount of oil smoke through the tail pipe, then it is entirely possible that the oil residue could have built up, and an automatic car wash wouldn't get that kind of grime off.

Add to that the dust from any unpaved road... it's possible.

I think the mud on the tires is just as telling that the car went somewhere off-road.

 

[AutumnRose]

I'm neither here nor there on the car wash rumor, but, if she had an engine leak significant enough to generate a good amount of oil smoke through the tail pipe, then it is entirely possible that the oil residue could have built up, and an automatic car wash wouldn't get that kind of grime off.

Add to that the dust from any unpaved road... it's possible.

I think the mud on the tires is just as telling that the car went somewhere off-road.

Also.............A lot of that grime just doesn't come off without scrubbing it. You can even spray it with a pressure washer at the car wash, but if the water isn't really hot and you don't take the time necessary to really get at the grime, it just doesn't come off. Worse.......if you don't wipe it and dry it with a towel or a rag.........it ain't gonna come off. If you really want to get your car clean, ya gotta take it to the only 2 car washes in town that actually scrub the grime before it goes thru the tunnel and they wipe it down afterwards.

I don't doubt that she was there.........I just don't think she was there to get her car really clean, IF she was there. KWIM?

 

[Liz]

Well, personally I never have thought her car was washed that day because it's filthy. Seems simple to me. If her car was driven by the perp after the wash, the window of time was very small and cannot account for that amount of dirt. Lots of sticky looking exhaust dirt on the back. Just doesn't fit IMO. I could see dust after a wash, I could see mud around the wheels. I can't see the obviously built up grime that is on that car.

I don't think her car was washed that day, despite the account of an eyewitness. "Eyewitnesses" can be mistaken, especially when recalling a missing person, especially after the fact. It would be easy to think you had seen that person. Lots of red cars driven by lots of tall, thin dark haired girls in this town.

Addressing and agreeing with part of post BBM (only because I haven't looked *that* closely at Mackenzie's car and we don't know for sure how long her car was sitting there prior to the pic being taken. Or do we?)

Glad I jumped in on the thread just in time to see your post. (but I'm about 10 pages behind) because I have just been hoping someone would post this!

Eye witness testimony is often times found to be unreliable and inaccurate, I have learned from many cases in the past. The one that comes to mind quickly is the neighbors of Lacy Peterson swore they saw her walking her dog on Christmas Eve morning and the poor girl was already dead by then, IIRC.

So I am definitely skeptical about the alleged car wash scenario.

Anyway, thanks for the post, girlfawkes!

 

[Thinking Out Loud]

Well, personally I never have thought her car was washed that day because it's filthy. Seems simple to me. If her car was driven by the perp after the wash, the window of time was very small and cannot account for that amount of dirt. Lots of sticky looking exhaust dirt on the back. Just doesn't fit IMO. I could see dust after a wash, I could see mud around the wheels. I can't see the obviously built up grime that is on that car.

I don't think her car was washed that day, despite the account of an eyewitness. "Eyewitnesses" can be mistaken, especially when recalling a missing person, especially after the fact. It would be easy to think you had seen that person. Lots of red cars driven by lots of tall, thin dark haired girls in this town.

I respectfully disagree, because I used that very car wash a few months ago. I must confess, I'm not very good about keeping my vehicle clean. My husband had been asking me for weeks to "take it through the car wash on the Ave." and reminded me specifically one day to do it while I was going to be in that end of town. So I did. When I got home he said "I thought you were going to the car wash?" I told him I did, and told him where I went. He said "not that one, the other one" (across the Ave. and a few blocks north). Long story short - the one by Dusty's doesn't do a very good job if you don't wash your vehicle very often. There was still a lot of road grime on my vehicle and the water from the car wash that ran down the doors on my way home left streaks. The surface dirt was about the only thing that came off. (I still need to hit the other one, one of these days!)

 

[AutumnRose]

Ummmmmm...................which begs the question. IF she was there.............WHY was she there! It wasn't to get her car clean!