TX TX - Joshua Davis, 18 months, New Braunfels, 4 Feb 2011 - # 3

[TxLady2]

How would he have closed this door? Does it swing shut and latch automatically? Most doors to the outside do not...if he had given it a good push to close it behind him (unlikely in my opinion) it seems he would have slipped on the steps.

On most of the mobile homes I'm familiar with, the outside storm door closes automatically, they have that arm thing on the top that swings it shut. But I recall the mom saying the latch didn't work, so they kept the inside door shut. What if they didn't, and he pushed that door open without anyone seeing him?
Our storm door gets to within 5 or 6 inches of the door facing and then slams shut. Used to irritate me to pieces when my stepkids and then my grandkids would push it wide open and then turn it loose, because it is really loud when it closes.

 

[lishac23]

Questions I have about this case...

1. What is the neighborhood like? Are the houses close together, spread out? Is the street they live on busy or pretty deserted, especially at night?
2. Is there anything in the area that would attract an 18-month old enough for him to brave the cold temps?
3. I heard the Mom mention ice on the steps, is there snow on the ground too? Would these conditions pose a problem for the dogs to find a scent? I've also read that it was windy..possibly another problem for the dogs to find a scent outside?
4. Of these nine people...who lives there? I've read that the mom was in one bedroom, there was another person and a "baby" in another room. Where was everyone else, watching the game?
5. If the dogs couldn't pick any scent outside...that would indicate he either never left the house, or if he did he was carried out correct? (Kind of ties in to #3)

 

[belimom]

Layout of the home: if you watch the video below, between 1:22-1:24, the camera angle changed from the front door to the kitchen. You can see items in the LR view on the counter behind the dad that are the same items on a counter in the kitchen.

It seems that the layout is an open floor plan, with the kitchen open to the main living area. So folks in the kitchen would be able to see whatever was going on in the LR as well.

http://www.ksat.com/news/26783062/detail.html#video

ETA: Here's confirmation about the kitchen:

Property Description:
4 bedroom, 2 bath with expansive yard just outside New Braunfels city limits. Split bedrooms with large open living and dining area.

http://www.neighborcity.com/propert...Circle-New-Braunfels-TX-78130-146826-1192582/

 

[belimom]

"I hate seeing my kid's toys and him not playing with them."
"I wish I had him here for the toys to be dirty or the room to be dirty. I wish I had him here."
=================================================

I have to admit, when I saw that clip of the dad, I felt a bit weird about the wording.

The word DIRTY made me wonder if the boy 'dirtied' his pants. That is quite often a trigger in abuse. Maybe dad lost his temper, mom was asleep, and he went too far. Is it the dad's family that lives there?

The home is owned by the grandfather.

 

[liltexans]

What's the simplest answer to this one? That he wandered off or that the parents harmed him?

Before the interviews and all the digging, what was everyone's original opinion? Mine was that he wandered away, still a viable possibility.

My original opinion was that either he met foul play at the hands of a relative or a neighborhood RSO. I still think one of these is most likely the case, but I can't completely rule out the possibility that he wandered away.

 

[gngr~snap]

BBM
I noticed the same thing. The baby.

Hmm. With a new baby due any day I would think of him more as the big brother- big boy- cause I am having a new baby... you know preparing the first child for the second. * at least I did that with my daughter and she is only 14 1/2 months older than her brother.

maybe she is just used to saying "the baby" from talking about her belly to Joshua?

so much stands out at me as WRONG here!

I am old... been a LONG time since I had babies, but seriosly HOW LONG does an 18 month old stay still? Unless I held mine down they would wath "a movie" MAYBE 10 min.
Now if there was a 6 yr old in the house.... sure they'd watch it... but a toddler gets bored fast and moves from one thing to another!

so many things that they dsaid that "developementally" do not add up!

MOO

 

[TxLady2]

What's the simplest answer to this one? That he wandered off or that the parents harmed him?

Before the interviews and all the digging, what was everyone's original opinion? Mine was that he wandered away, still a viable possibility.

I have thought from the first that he slipped out that door and wandered off. Possibly somebody picked him up, it can happen so quickly, but maybe he managed to get farther than they realize.

Reading through this thread this morning I recall something about the dad saying Joshua knew his play area, knew the boundaries of the yard. I'm sorry, but 18 mo. old babies do not know things like that, they will forget what you told them the day before or an hour ago, and don't understand everything you say to start with. At that age, they may know some words and what they mean, but not rules. They have to be constantly reminded.

 

[belimom]

.......

so many things that they dsaid that "developementally" do not add up!

MOO

One of the things that stood out to me was the dad saying that 'he knows his play-zone'. An 18-month-old does NOT know his play-zone. But to me this a red flag - that maybe the dad expected too much if he doesn't understand age-appropriate behavior.

I wonder if expected too much from Joshua when he told him to stop playing with his beanie? Just a thought...

 

[FaerieB]

What's the simplest answer to this one? That he wandered off or that the parents harmed him?

Before the interviews and all the digging, what was everyone's original opinion? Mine was that he wandered away, still a viable possibility.

Honestly? From the moment I read this story on the 5th, and read his description that lists him at 2 ft tall, I've never one time thought he honestly wandered away.

I have absolutely nothing concrete to give you to explain that feeling; pure gut instinct.

 

[liltexans]

Does the family own a dog?

If so, what kind?

Anyone know if any of the neighbors have large dogs?

 

[belimom]

What's the simplest answer to this one? That he wandered off or that the parents harmed him?

Before the interviews and all the digging, what was everyone's original opinion? Mine was that he wandered away, still a viable possibility.

Someone in the home harmed him, IMHO... I felt that from the beginning...

 

[liltexans]

Someone in the home harmed him, IMHO... I felt that from the beginning...

Same here...

 

[peeples]

One of the things that stood out to me was the dad saying that 'he knows his play-zone'. An 18-month-old does NOT know his play-zone. But to me this a red flag - that maybe the dad expected too much if he doesn't understand age-appropriate behavior.

I wonder if expected too much from Joshua when he told him to stop playing with his beanie? Just a thought...

A couple of my children did. We don't have a fenced yard and I set up bright orange mini road cones to show the boundaries and by 18 months we took them down. But it took a while for them to remember. But we spend A LOT of time outdoors every day all seasons.

 

[bdawk20]

Someone in the home harmed him, IMHO... I felt that from the beginning...

I feel the same, unfortunately. How many people do you think are involved or at least know what happened? 9 people in a trailer doesn't seem real conducive to keeping an event like that a secret....

 

[amysmom]

Honestly? From the moment I read this story on the 5th, and read his description that lists him at 2 ft tall, I've never one time thought he honestly wandered away.

I have absolutely nothing concrete to give you to explain that feeling; pure gut instinct.

I thought maybe someone didn't close the door all the way & he got out but now I'm not sure what to think :waitasec:

Btw..Kewl avatar! Hee!

 

[gogrannypop]

I hope this child, Joshua is found safely and soon. He is so beautiful. I believe that he is cherished by his family. I think the child wandered off.

I cannot imagine the anguish the friends and family are experiencing. My thoughts and prayers are with every one that loves him.

 

[FaerieB]

Btw..Kewl avatar! Hee!

O/T but thanks. It's becoming an all-too-familiar look now, but that is the first time he actually used it on JB.

 

[amysmom]

Layout of the home: if you watch the video below, between 1:22-1:24, the camera angle changed from the front door to the kitchen. You can see items in the LR view on the counter behind the dad that are the same items on a counter in the kitchen.

It seems that the layout is an open floor plan, with the kitchen open to the main living area. So folks in the kitchen would be able to see whatever was going on in the LR as well.

The way the room with the tv (on the back wall) is setup it doesn't look like anyone sitting in there looking at the tv could see behind them to the open area where I believe the door is..Also, do we know if anyone was actually sitting in the kitchen around the time he went missing?

 

[gngr~snap]

head and neck entrapment!!!


Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recognized a pattern of injury and/or death to small children which could be associated with upholstered recliner chairs found in practically every home in America

http://www.safetyforum.com/reclinerchairs/


MOO

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I don't know if it's just me being cynical from the cases I've followed and what the end result usually is, but I do think someone in the home was involved.

First thing that strikes me as odd is mom's account of panicking when Josh hadn't come back after 10 min. She never says she fell asleep or dozed off - she says they were watching a movie and Josh was going in and out. I don't understand why she was suddenly so worried. Seems more logical to me she would have simply called out to the other adults as to what the baby was doing. Even if they said they hadn't seen him, I wouldn't automatically assume him to be missing. I would figure he was quietly playing in a corner somewhere. I would do some casual searching before myself and all the adults would go into a panic.

Also, the home is very small. The living room and kitchen are connected and the bedroom doors are off of them. It seems odd to me that when she went into her panic after 10 min, she went into the other bedroom first, not peeked into the living room or asked the other adults. She had to walk into the living room to get into the other bedroom, but she didn't scan the room for him?

Then, dads account of when he last saw Josh. As others have said, I don't like that "he smiled and that's the last time I saw him". How can that be? Did he just spontaneously combust? He had to have done something else or gone somewhere else. Or what about the other adults? How could not one of these 7 adults sitting in this small home see Josh after he smiled at dad?

I also don't like that we have both parents stating they know he isn't close by.