NJ NJ - Joyce Vanderhoff, 25, Hamilton Township, 14 Feb 2014

[absynthminded1]

Nice to have your input, Cynical_1!

I've also wondered about craigslist and backpage. I searched around for South Jersey ads and was pretty shocked by what I came across.

I kind of disagree that Joyce was dumped in plain sight as an act of defiance or at least, if she was, it was a different killer. The Eastbound Strangler (AC Prostitute Killer) has his MO down. If he is responsible for Joyce's death, I maintain that something happened that either spooked him or made him want to put distance between himself and her body. Looking at her and seeing how fit she appeared, my guess is she put up a Hell of a fight.

Tara Rogers-Alicea was a body dumping that followed a similar MO to the Golden Key site. This could have been an interrupted plan for a new location for his collection. I wonder what could have happened had law enforcement left the area undisturbed? I've said the same thing with the dumping ground off of the marshes. Serial killer profiling 101 states that a killer will revisit the dumping ground.

 

[cynical_1]

There is a wealth of information to be gleaned from user JoeVanderhoff's recent post but I can't help but be cautious of using that information until it can be confirmed by another source.

The cause of death is the sticking point. The Medical Examiner's Office quickly ruled it a homicide but the police, to date, refuse to release a cause of death. “Wednesday (Feb 19, 2014) came with no further news from authorities, and acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain said his office has not established a cause of death.” Yeah, right...

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/eht/loved-ones-remember-homicide-victim-joyce-vanderhoff-at-funeral/article_ee4a70b2-99cf-11e3-86bc-001a4bcf887a.html

I'll proceed then with a post that does not use another poster as a sole source of information.

The elephant in the room here is whether or not JV was killed by the same killer responsible for 2006. Naturally there's going to be different opinions concerning that issue.

I don't think that her last Facebook post, the one where she was talking about ending it all, was anything more than her venting her frustration at having to deal with everyday life without her drug of choice. I believe that she was being stalked and that last post of hers may have set in motion a chain of events that ended with her body on the side of Weymouth Rd.

Inadvertently, she may have chummed the waters where a certain shark resides. He may have decided that he needed to strike quickly. I agreed that she must have put up a hell of a fight. A beating (reported now by two sources) of this severity would not go unnoticed in a motel or any other populated place. But a motel may have served as the point of abduction. The location where she experienced the beating may be the same location where she was actually killed, perhaps outside. Does anyone know where she was actually killed?

For that matter, does anyone know, for a fact, where Tara Rogers-Alicea or the four women from 2006 were actually killed? I mean actual crime scenes. That information should be public knowledge by now, but it isn't. Back in 2006, police looked closely at room 101 at The Golden Key but never officially deemed it a crime scene.

The police don't have any more of an idea of where these women are being killed then any of us do. That's a factor that's common to all these murders.

I suspect that there's a field or remote road somewhere in AC or Egg Harbor vicinity where this killer coerces these women to accompany him to and it's there that they are rendered into a state of submissiveness (drugs, alcohol) until the killer strangles them. This latest victim may have not cooperated and therefore he beat her into submission. Maybe she tried to escape. But the end result was the same, not saying she was strangled until it's confirmed.

As for the location of the body. She was found 15 feet from the side of the road, another few feet and she's in the woods and hidden. Five weeks earlier an off duty policeman unearthed his latest graveyard behind the Shore Mall. It had served him well for, what I believe, was the previous six months. But Tara Rogers-Alicea was found by a member of Law Enforcement.

So yes, I think he is being defiant. This was probably a more emotional kill than others. That location on Weymouth Road diverts attention away from where he actually kills these women.

We will never know the answer to the $10,000 question until he's finally captured. But I believe that it's the same lethal killer who is responsible for this young lady's death and at least 5 other murders in the AC area, perhaps more (a few that may have their own threads on this very board).

I said earlier that no one deserves to get treated the way this young woman was. She was trying her best to get clean and that makes it all the more tragic.

She was killed in a location that is still unknown. That sounds organized to me.

 

[absynthminded1]

Truckers drive those roads all hours of the night. On pitch black nights with minimal lighting, one can easily get lost in the shadows. One could also easily be beaten or strangled in the cab/sleeping quarters of a semi. In fact, a body tossed from a cab (especially while moving) can be so bruised and battered that the wounds can appear to have come from a severe beating.

I'm not sold on Joyce being a victim of the East Bound Strangler, if I'm basing this simply on what we know so far. I would be more inclined to think she went out with the wrong dude on Valentine's Day and it went terribly wrong. The trucker angle would most likely necessitate her being involved with drugs (did she relapse?) and/or prostitution.

Tara seems a more likely victim of the Eastbound Strangler, but if they can both be placed in his hunting grounds, as it's suspected they can be, then ANYTHING is possible.

Tara could have been assaulted and strangled at a secondary location (private residence or motel) and transported in a large suitcase.)

Sadly, I have more faith in any of us cracking the case than I do law enforcement.

 

[cynical_1]

@absynthminded1:

Perhaps our thinking is not as far apart as it may appear. Looking at the location behind the Shore Mall I couldn't help but think that I can count on one hand the number of times that I've been in the alley behind a mall. It's the kind of place that isn't very inviting, not scary, but very private. One really needs a reason to be there.

Like a delivery driver. They're back there all the time. Maybe this guy was making a delivery there and gazed at the isolation of the field and determined that it would be his next boneyard. The location behind The Golden Key fits a delivery driver as well. Don't think they actually drove a truck back there but for scouting purposes it's a perfect cover. Both locations provide privacy even in the daytime.

Weymouth Road is a different situation. One would absolutely require the cover of darkness to dispose of a body there. There is a bar on Weymouth Road (The Watering Hole) that, up until recently, was a popular hangout of a local motorcycle gang. A beat down of the severity that this woman endured would not be out of character for a biker. Nor would familiarity with that road late at night.

Trucker or biker-type we're both thinking blue collar and road savvy.

 

[absynthminded1]

I like that line of thought... trucker/delivery guy/construction; something salt of the earth, unlikely a stranger to the justice system.

I grew up in same general area, spanning from Ocean City to Atlantic City. I played in those woods behind the Shore Mall. They once were a lot less barren.

I threw in construction worker too, cause that's the kind of guy who would drive through out of the way Back roads/dirt roads. (I do believe he has a truck or a van.)

He possibly left the area during the economic crunch, to find more blue collar manual labor. I would expect that he took his kinks with him to wherever he traveled and undoubtedly acted out his murderous fantasies elsewhere. There are definitely other victims. If it wasn't moving for work, it was most likely an unrelated prison bid.

I just wish we had more to go on and more news was available.

 

[cynical_1]

If TR-A's body hadn't been found behind the Shore Mall on Jan 7th, I wonder if JV's body wouldn't have been found behind the mall as well. It was only a five week interval between both discoveries. Perhaps it's as simple as the killer not having enough time to determine where his next cluster of bodies will be located. The compulsion to kill may have driven him to act before he had fully planned out all the details.

In any event, JV was found on the side of Weymouth Road at 9:00am on Feb 14, 2014. I was looking for information concerning exactly what side of the road her body was found on and this article appears to answer that question: “Atlantic Blueberry Co. General Manager Denny Doyle was in his office across the road when he said he saw police cars”.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/authorities-investigate-discovery-of-woman-s-body-along-weymouth-road/article_32a32740-95b1-11e3-aba5-001a4bcf887a.html

The Atlantic Blueberry Co. is located on the westbound side of Weymouth Road so, logically speaking, “across the road” means on the eastbound side. I think that's important because the direction in which the vehicle is pointed at the time that the killer is stopped to dispose of the body most likely indicates the direction that he intends to make his quick escape. That direction (east) indicates that he's headed back into Egg Harbor / AC after getting back into his vehicle.

At this point I'd like to include a quote from Joel Rifkin, someone who I believe knows a little bit about driving around on roads with dead bodies. According to Rifkin, in an interview with The N.Y. Daily News: “Rifkin, who once lived in East Meadow, L.I., said he was always more frightened about dumping his bodies than strangling or dismembering his victims.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/joel-rifkin-serial-killer-17-prostitutes-dismissive-sloppy-tactics-maniac-article-1.474203

So, it's a frightening experience, even for a sociopath. Based on this information it can be surmised that, while transporting her body, JV's killer was driving in a hurry and on full alert. He needed to get to the place where he had determined that he was going to dispose of the body and then get out of there as quickly as possible. No time to waste. It needed to be executed with precision.

For a more complete picture I have him driving westbound on The Black Horse Pike, past Mays Landing and into Hamilton Township. A turnoff onto Weymouth Road, continuing westbound until about MM25 where a gravel pit serves as an easy u-turn. Back east on Weymouth for about a mile, a quick stop to drop off the body, then quickly back home.

Based upon the side of the road that this victim was placed, I don't believe that her killer resides in Hammonton or anywhere west of MM 24 on Weymouth Road. He may want it to appear that way but by placing the body on the eastbound side of Weymouth Road he may have unknowingly tipped off the general location of where he lives.

Do I think that he's a local, year round resident? Just my opinion, but based on the harsh winter that the East Coast has endured this year, I don't see a transient laborer sticking around very long if he can be in warmer climes. There's been too many snow storms this year. That urge to kill may have also tipped his hand that he a local by forcing him to kill in the dead of winter, a frigid one at that.

The conclusions that I'm drawing are all just my opinion and have been reached by studying various news reports concerning this, and similar crimes. I fully respect any and all other opinions.

 

[LR1]

This video shows where she was found and describes how she was found. From what I can tell it was about a mile north of the blueberry company on the west side (eastbound) near a curve in the road. If you look at it in street view mm24 is right in the curve.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Nude-Body-Discovered_Philadelphia-245604901.html?

JoeV, my condolences to you and your family. I would pay good money to see you get your hands on this idiot, I wouldn't mind having five minutes alone with him myself.

 

[absynthminded1]

Cynical, most impressive and detailed analysis, as usual...wow.

This video shows where she was found and describes how she was found. From what I can tell it was about a mile north of the blueberry company on the west side (eastbound) near a curve in the road. If you look at it in street view mm24 is right in the curve.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Nude-Body-Discovered_Philadelphia-245604901.html?

Excellent link! I hadn't seen this and honestly, there is a detail that could be easily overlooked, but for me is a bit of a game changer. (I'm just not certain in which direction it changes it.)

Ok. From this interview, I gather that Joyce's body wasn't just dumped, but POSED unnaturally; on her back, knees raised. While there is a remote chance that she could have been assaulted in that position, (as she was dying or even after death) smart money is on a killer not hanging around the body dumping site any longer than needed. (Which matches perfectly with the Joel Rifkin link that Cynical provided.)

So....what this says is that the killer was confident enough to assault or spend time posing the body, right out there in the open. This definitely would indicate that he was comfortable with that location. It could also point to his not being very physically imposing, having only average strength, unable to drag her through the snow and rough terrain, and into the cover of the woods.

What I struggle with is that this DOESN'T completely match up with the Eastbound Strangler victims. You have someone completely naked, bludgeoIning as well as significant neck trauma, and posed in a position that does not match his known victims.

Most significant of all is that she was completely nude, as opposed to only missing shoes and socks. I am damn curious to know if Tara was found fully clothed, sans shoes and socks.

 

[cynical_1]

Posing, now that is indeed significant. Excellent observation! It adds a whole new dimension to this case.

The news report also includes an eyewitness account stating that strangulation was apparently involved. Confirmation of user JoeVanderhoff's account of events. Sorry, Joe, I believed everything that you told us but just needed confirmation.

I wouldn't even begin to try to interpret what the killer's message is by posing the body. But it does add a ritualistic element to her murder. West Atlantic City, strangulation, ritual posing, it's beginning to sound all too familiar.

 

[absynthminded1]

Dark Minds ~~ The Eastbound Strangler: http://youtu.be/M_VF9ZRqXfc

Not sure if any of you ever saw this show/episode, but it's an excellent recap of the crimes and gives you a good feel for the environment, if you're fortunate enough to have never driven through.

 

[cynical_1]

One has to give credit to whomever came up with “The Eastbound Strangler” moniker. He was tagged with that title sometime after 2006, long before these last two murders occurred. The 'Eastbound' part refers to the eastbound side of The Atlantic City Expressway. In 2006, those 4 victims were found in close proximity (50-100 yards) to the eastbound side of the AC Expressway.

The latest two possible victims, Joyce Vanderhoff and Tara Rogers-Alicea, were found approximately
.75 and 2.1 miles, respectively, from the eastbound side of the AC Exp. So, there may be some form of spacial pattern emerging from these latest discoveries. I don't believe that the AC Exp. is actually used in any of the activities surrounding these murders as it is too well patrolled, too well lit, and there's far too much surveillance. But it does appear to serve as a point of reference for the killer, perhaps a psychological boundary of one form or another.

Why all on the eastbound side; what's the significance of it to him? My immediate impression is that it's a quicker route home after he disposes of a body. I also feel that those locations are somehow incorporated into his everyday activities making drive-byes commonplace. I've made no secret of the fact that I believe that this guy is a local resident and looking at the latest two locations only reinforces my opinion.

Tara Roger-Alicea's body was found in a suitcase behind a local mall at a location that affords only one way in and out. We really don't know exactly when she was placed there but, to me, there's a contradiction. Are we to believe that a visiting tourist/gambler strangled her in a room in a Casino and then disposed of her body at a location that is extremely private, to the point where a stranger might easily be confronted at gunpoint?

That last picture that she (Tara) posted of herself on Facebook is dated July 6th, 2013. That's a $500 a night room. Don't believe me, try booking a room on a Saturday night this coming 4th of July weekend at the Borgata. That's a high-roller's room, way too expensive for her. So what, he's gonna let her take a photo of herself from his room and then strangle her, put her into a suitcase and roll her through the Borgata's lobby to the parking lot. Y'know, past about 128 surveillance cameras. Then he's gonna drive her body to a location where the residents look like they could do a guest spot on Duck Dynasty. Yeah, I know, she was alive for awhile after that photo but I think you're getting the picture.

Sorry, call me cynical, but I'm not buying it. To me, that whole suitcase bit is a ruse, an attempt to make it look as though it is a visiting gambler that is responsible for her murder. But the body location has local yocal written all over it. Oh, and don't forget to check out the shoe photos that she posted on her Facebook page. That one with the stiletto heels and tattoos is a sure-fire woody for any shoe lovin' aficionado.

Psychologically, I've come to believe that he wants these women to be close at hand. This is why I'm going to go out on a limb and state that, in my opinion, the killer also lives on the eastbound side of The AC Expressway.

I think that one could use the Broadway & Ninth street location, draw a radius of five miles around that point, eliminate anywhere on the westbound side of The AC Exp., and within that area one will find where the killer lives.

In 2006, several of the victims were last seen on the Island where AC is located. Their bodies were found no more than 4.5 miles from any of those locations. Based on that data, it's my opinion that he's not going to travel vast distances to relive his fantasies. No, he's going to keep his harem close by where he can keep an eye on them.

The remote location (20 miles west) for Ms. Vanderhoff might have worked as a diversionary tactic except for one small detail. He took the time to pose her body. He couldn't resist!

Note: There was a severe storm warning in effect for Feb 13-14th, 2014. The predicted snowfall never materialized but the warning would be heeded by those traveling in and out of AC. Most would keep to the major roadways. Familiarity with conditions on Weymouth Road during a minor snowstorm have been factored into why I believe that it's someone local doing these crimes.

Amateur that I am, I have studied reports that document the spacial patterns of serial killers. Those results are almost uniformly circular in nature. However, in this case, I believe that the topography of the region (ocean, bays, islands, etc.) lends itself to more of a linear pattern. Afterall, there really isn't much of a population to work with either northeast or southeast of Egg Harbor Township. And that's the township where five bodies have now been found. And where a sixth one may have been abducted from.

As usual, just my opinion and nothing more.

 

[cynical_1]

Just for the record, I think it would be fair to say that Law Enforcement does have it's finger on the pulse of crime that occurs in the West Atlantic City section. One need look no further than the following article as a representation of the effort that is made to enforce the law in that part of town.

http://www.nbc40.net/story/24275924/atlantic-city-man-indicted-in-human-trafficking-case

In the above mentioned case Egg Harbor Township Police Department, in conjunction with the FBI's "Innocence Lost" task force, recently arrested and brought charges of human trafficking against an individual who allegedly held six young women against their will and forced them into prostitution.

I think that they should be commended for their efforts. They rescued six young women from a very dangerous situation.

 

[Flounder33]

No doubt this is the same person that is active on Long Island and possibly in Fla.

 

[absynthminded1]

Have there ever been any specific Florida cases loosely tied to the Eastbound Strangler and/or Long Island Killer?

I've heard only very vague references made.

This does feel like a cold case more and more with each passing day.

Cynical brings up a great point about Tara's shoes and foot tattoo. I thought the same thing. That said, I'm still trying to decide if this killer is a fetishist or something more involved/evolved.

 

[LR1]

Have there ever been any specific Florida cases loosely tied to the Eastbound Strangler and/or Long Island Killer?

I've heard only very vague references made.

This does feel like a cold case more and more with each passing day.

Cynical brings up a great point about Tara's shoes and foot tattoo. I thought the same thing. That said, I'm still trying to decide if this killer is a fetishist or something more involved/evolved.

No cases that I'm aware of absynthminded1. One of the 2006 victims, the last one I think, was from Fl. but had been in AC for a few years. Amber Costello one of the NY victims once lived in the Tampa area if I remember correctly but I haven't seen any speculation that I would take serious of a possible related case from there.

One thing about Joyce's case that I've been wondering about is how long did she lay there before someone noticed. The description of how she was found made it seem like you wouldn't have been able to drive past without seeing her. There were several times listed in different articles as to when she was noticed but one article on the Patch website has officers responding at 9:51 which would have been 3+ hours after daybreak on that Friday morning so I'm wondering if she wasn't very recently placed there before she was discovered.

I'm not sure we can say with confidence she was posed as was speculated on earlier from the description of her knees being pulled up. The first thing that I thought of when hearing that, and it was a terrible thought, was that maybe she hadn't expired at the time she was put there and she pulled her knees up. Having said that, the way she was left without an attempt to conceal was in its own way a display.

 

[cynical_1]

It is possible that rigor mortis had set in and that her legs had been locked in that position when she was placed there. She'd have to be dead for a least 4 hours, probably more, if that were the case. If her body was in the trunk of a car overnight then that might account for it.

One report that I read has the call from the guy who found her being placed at 9:00am. That still leaves a couple hours of daylight to work with.

 

[absynthminded1]

Did any of these girls have a car? (If not, I'm leaning towards the killer being a cab driver.)

Interestingly enough, one of my main suspects is a former cab driver and was connected to more than one of the Eastbound Strangler victims.

It would account for the various off the beaten path locations the bodies were found in, and could account for the suitcase (was it Tara's own suitcase that she was shoved in?)

I don't know... I'm really curious to know more pertinent details than what we're hearing thus far. At some point, LE needs to throw the general public a bone.

 

[cynical_1]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for official updates to these two cases. They either have a clue and are keeping their cards close to their vest or don't have a clue. Take your pick.

It looks like The Golden Key Motel has been boarded up and a few of the other flea bag motels along the Pike are closed as well. For the most part that'll take West AC out of the equation for the foreseeable future.

This ex-cabbie, any idea what he was doing with his time between late 2006 and mid 2013? That's about a seven year interval. Also, any involvement with drugs, rehab or the AC Rescue Mission?

 

[absynthminded1]

His name was circulated in the early stages of the investigation, and he even went to the media with claims that he was being looked at as a suspect. Could have been typical 15 minutes of fame seeking behavior or perhaps something a little more sinister. We all know that some killers like to get as close to the investigation as possible, often placing themselves unnecessarily close...or maybe it's necessary.

 

[Kell1]

I know that area very well, I see that both girls, were battling drug addiction, is there any indication they were also prostitutes?

There are many in the AC area