GUILTY CA - Adam, 38, & Gavin Buchanan, 8, Molly McAfee, 37, Greenwood, 13 Sep 2015 *Arrest*

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Adam Buchanan, Molly McAfee, and Gavin
buchanan-family-photo.jpg

Benicia family missing in El Dorado County after fire destroys cabin
"uthorities are searching for a missing Bay Area family in El Dorado County.
Adam Buchanan, Molly McAfee, and their son Gavin, disappeared after a fire destroyed their cabin in Georgetown last weekend.

Last week, authorities found the remains of two people located inside a burned house in Garden Valley."

http://kron4.com/2015/09/21/benicia-family-missing-in-el-dorado-county-after-fire-destroys-cabin/
 
Too weird.

You're left with the impression after listening to the video that one of the family members killed the other two, burned down the cabin, and hoofed it to parts unknown. I don't get the impression that's even a possibility looking through their Facebook pics.

All the details are confusing, but it's clarified somewhat if you listen to the news report in lieu of just reading the article.

It's going to be interesting to find out who the two people are that were found burned in the cabin. Somebody is missing from the equation. My guess would be mother and son.

It's also possible they were followed to the cabin by a yet unknown assailant. I can certainly understand why they were searching through his business contacts though.
 
If it wasn't for the actions of LE I would have guessed fire was accident and the third body in the rubble somewhere unfound (not impossible). My second thought is that the parents were killed and the little boy kidnapped. But again the raid on fathers business and home makes me feel as though they are holding back a piece if the puzzle. How devastating for their teenaged son.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
I noticed she doesn't use his last name either, is that because they aren't married but have a kid together ? Is the oldest son from a different bio dad ? Is there an ex out there somewhere with a grudge ?

The fact that one body is missing is obviously the biggest part of the puzzle.
 
This couple is missing from an area close to where I live, and I haven't heard a word about the case. I remember the fire happening, however - it was a few days after the Butte Fire started in a neighboring county, as well as the Valley Fire a couple of counties away, both of which destroyed hundreds of homes. People in my area are on edge about fires due to the drought California has been experiencing, so when the cabin burned, it was known about on social media, and of course everyone was grateful that the fire was put out, and that it hadn't spread. I hadn't heard that bodies were found, however.

I agree that the fact that one body is missing is the biggest part of this - I hope there are identifications on those bodies soon.
 
I noticed she doesn't use his last name either, is that because they aren't married but have a kid together ? Is the oldest son from a different bio dad ? Is there an ex out there somewhere with a grudge ?

The fact that one body is missing is obviously the biggest part of the puzzle.
Per Molly's fb her recent post spoke of being at the er with her oldest son. Linked name on that post is the same as the oldest son as reported by msm. It would seem both boys are theirs IMO.
 
Mystery grows in case of missing Benicia family
"On Sept. 15, deputies and police visited the Buchanan home on Cambridge Drive as well as the construction business and seized property.

A neighbor said he looked out his front window and saw law enforcement officers, some with weapons drawn, approach the home. Buchanan’s 16-year-old son, who had not gone with the family to El Dorado County, was asked to remain in front of the house during the search."

http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mystery-grows-in-case-of-missing-Benicia-family-6522489.php
 
If it wasn't for the actions of LE I would have guessed fire was accident and the third body in the rubble somewhere unfound (not impossible). My second thought is that the parents were killed and the little boy kidnapped. But again the raid on fathers business and home makes me feel as though they are holding back a piece if the puzzle. How devastating for their teenaged son.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

I'm sort of inclined to agree about the third body being hidden in the rubble, especially if the fire burned as long and as hot as they claimed it did. But of course, they knew that 3 people were staying there, so they would surely make a concentrated effort to sift through the ashes and attempt to find that third body, wouldn't they ?

I'm surprised they haven't I.D.'d the victims yet, you know, with dental records and what not.
 
Wow! The newscast was right upfront with identifying the 16 year old by name, showing a photo, disclosing with whom he is staying and even where he worksout.
I think I would be pretty peeved about this lack of discretion in a criminal case.
 
Body language in the very first photo up there is kind of telling. Mother and son very close, but the father...? Who knows. I feel like I've read a ton of stories lately about fires that turn out to be covers for murder.

JMO
 
From what I can tell the oldest son, is not biologically related to Molly McAfee.
I do not think his bio mother lives in CA.
 
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ge...cia-familys-cabin-open-homicide-investigation

In the statement, the sheriff’s office said another possible set of human remains was located in the ruins of the Garden Valley cabin, in addition of the two sets that were found earlier.

The remains have not been identified and the Coroner’s Office has sent samples to the California Department of Justice for DNA processing in an effort to identify them, authorities said.
 
"El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that it has opened a homicide investigation into the human remains that were found in the burned down cabin of a Benicia family."

"In the statement, the sheriff’s office said another possible set of human remains was located in the ruins of the Garden Valley cabin, in addition of the two sets that were found earlier."

“The incident is being treated as a homicide and arson investigation at this time,” the release states.

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/gen...-investigation
 
I've been thinking about something that sticks out to me a bit about the time period the family came to the cabin. During that weekend, the whole area was heavily blanketed with smoke due to the nearby Butte Fire. I've lived here for several years and through many nearby wildfires, but the smoke from this one was worse, and looked like low, thick storm clouds over everything. My eyes and throat both burned that weekend and I had to stay indoors as air quality was not only uncomfortable, but deemed unsafe.

I can't imagine choosing to come to my vacation cabin when everything was so smokey and doing anything outdoors would have been uncomfortable and not very fun. It is of course possible (and maybe even very likely) that they didn't know ahead of time about the conditions.

This probably has nothing to do with the case, but has been on my mind.
 
I'm curious what info LE has to classify this case as a homicide?
I presume that means they ID'd the bodies.
If I understand correctly, the cabin burned long and hot enough to destroy visible evidence such as position of the bodies. Maybe the victims were bound and that could be determined?
Whoever lit the cabin on fire was motivated to destroy via arson, any evidence. Very reckless maneuver to risk starting a huge wildfire!!
 
Okay.......now we're getting somewhere. A third set of remains being found actually reduces the big mystery and makes more sense. If this was an accidental fire caused by an unknown origin, then one would expect to find all three of their bodies in the house. That was the entire mystery to begin with, why only two sets of remains ?

Since all three bodies have been found now, this looks more like an accident to me than something sinister. The fire could have been caused by something electrical, lightning, a gas leak, an electric heater, a smoldering cigarette .......who knows ?

Unless they found a bullet in one of the victims, I have no idea why they would be calling this a homicide. They probably found a gun or something and are completely overreacting. Who wouldn't have a gun in a remote cabin ?

I made up a map this morning to help give an overview of the area where this happened, you can view it here : https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zAAmDUXJe_aE.kD33y4-Y4_XY&usp=sharing


I'm going to go ahead and answer my own question up there in post #11.

"Yes Steelman, eventually, but only after they raid a home and a business first and draw guns on an innocent teenager while scaring the hell out of an entire neighborhood".

This is going to be ruled an accidental fire.....eventually. LE has to try and save some face now however, due to the heavy handed tactics employed before the third body was found in the ashes.
They seem to thoroughly enjoy kicking down doors.
 
I agree steelman that the most likely scenario is that this is accidental. Having said that, I do want to say that like you, I don't think it would at all be a surprise for a gun to be found on the property. I'm not sure that local law enforcement, however, would be surprised either, as guns are extremely common in the area, so I'm not so sure they would jump the gun, so to speak, in calling this a homicide for that reason alone. Not too long ago in this county there was a murder/suicide by gun followed by arson, so if law enforcement is being cautious by calling this a possible homicide, I think that this recent experience is more likely to color their perception.
 

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