The Alarm/Security System

AZlawyer said:

When you set off your alarm by mistake (e.g., by setting it on "away" while large dogs are in the house moving around), and then are not available by phone when the alarm company calls to get your password, and then the police come by to see what's up, wasting taxpayer dollars, you can be fined in many cities.

That was a terrible run-on sentence, sorry.

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Isn't it odd that there's such of convergence of issues around this single but critical element of the case?

MS/TS did not set the alarm when they left on Friday. I know BS was due later that day to check on the animals. But it's interesting that the alarm was not set when they left on vacation.

FightTheOstrich said:

MS/TS did not set the alarm when they left on Friday. I know BS was due later that day to check on the animals. But it's interesting that the alarm was not set when they left on vacation.

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It was armed in stay mode that afternoon according to Scout's post yesterday.

I was looking through the data dumps for MS'S sworn statement or interview , to see if his statement could clear up the date/time BS called about the alarm issue. I can't find anything. I am assuming LE took some type of statement from him in the days before he stopped cooperating. Am I missing his statement, or has one not been released?

FWIW I think "Special Closing" (based on my recollection of having a similar system a few years back) includes when you press the remote alarm buttons on these little wireless units they give you for your key rings. Mine had "stay," "away" and "disarm" buttons, and I think a panic button.

AZlawyer said:

It was armed in stay mode that afternoon according to Scout's post yesterday.

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Then it's really strange that BS stated multiple times that the alarm was off.

Scout said:

Exactly. This is why I can't feel 100% certain that there wasn't some plan in place to ensure the alarm would be off Sunday evening. Maybe this is one of the great complexities of the case referred to by Sheriff Scott.

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I can't help but wonder if the motion sensors were tampered with somehow, and then fixed after the crime. There were many times where the system was armed in Away mode, yet did not trigger the motion sensors, as stressed would happen by MS to BS. I know with some security systems it is possible to "arm" a system with a door or window wide open. Such as Simplysafe. The system keyboard does show an alert in the zone where the open area is, but is easily missed and will still allow you to arm the system. So without motion sensors be in active, you could literally walk in through the open door or window, without setting off the system.

FightTheOstrich said:

Then it's really strange that BS stated multiple times that the alarm was off.

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AZlawyer said:

It was armed in stay mode that afternoon according to Scout's post yesterday.

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FightTheOstrich said:

MS/TS did not set the alarm when they left on Friday. I know BS was due later that day to check on the animals. But it's interesting that the alarm was not set when they left on vacation.

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OK, after re-checking her statement (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3g3DEap84xwR3NseEF5SVQ2dDA/view) and Scout's post #236 on the alarm times, it seems that the alarm was turned off by the master code at 5:31 am Friday morning and not turned on until 4:18 pm (special closing, stay mode). So perhaps that was BS arming the system at 4:18 pm. She didn't use her code though--and I assume she didn't have a wireless key fob or she would have been using it the whole time--so why did it say "special closing"?

Going through Scout's list, the interviews etc, I am thinking BS's trouble with the alarm was just a "bonus" and a good opportunity for Mark to keep the security system disarmed. That could have been a mistake...unless MS called "the guy = CWW" and he advised MS to tell BS to leave the alarm off. And that is still no good!

The early Sunday morning disarmament of the alarm at 6:11am is a giveaway, that someone possibly other than BS (alibi) or MS (alibi) had disabled the system with the code provided initially to BS. Since CWW and JR supposedly arrived in the area at around that time, it is very possible as we know, that one of them disarmed the system in order to start a seeming "malfunctioning" of the alarm system.

I firmly believe, that if BS had armed the alarm Sunday afternoon, CWW and JR would have used her code again to continue playing the "malfunctioning" game. In the end it would be her word for not having accessed the house against whoever..

See, they did not assume they would get caught, so the mysterious "accesses" would be either blamed on BS or on a malfunctioning. But MS spoiled the "game" by instructing BS not to arm. Now we have a single mysterious disarmament event. Hard to explain one event as a malfunctioning IMO.

-Nin

Piecing together BS's testimony and Scout's post with the times:

0023-System
5:31a 06/26/15

Opening by
User Code 40

[Friday morning, MS/TS turned off the alarm.]

0022-System
4:18p 06/26/15

Special Closing

0021-System
4:18p 06/26

Armed
in Stay Mode

[Friday afternoon, after feeding the dogs, BS successfully set the alarm in "stay" mode to avoid motion detectors being set off by the dogs.]

0020-System
8:54a 06/27/15

Opening by
User Code 03

[Saturday morning, BS disarms the alarm to feed the dogs.]

0019-System
8:58a 06/27/15

Closing by
User Code 03

0018-System
8:58a 06/27/15

Armed
in Away Mode

[Four minutes later, BS sets the alarm in "away" mode, presumably by mistake.]

0017-System
4:11p 06/27/15

Opening by
User Code 03

[Saturday afternoon, BS disarms the alarm to feed the dogs. Apparently even though she had made a mistake before, the motion sensors didn't go off.]

0016-System
4:19p 06/27/15

Special Closing

0015-System
4:19p 06/27/15

Armed
in Stay Mode

[Eight minutes later, BS successfully sets the alarm in "stay" mode.]

0014-System
6:09a 6/28/15

Opening by
User Code 03

[Sunday morning early, probably CWW/JR (or MS via internet) disarm the alarm.]

Secure System
Before Arming < >

[This might mean that something was detected as being wrong--e.g., garage side door not secure. BS arrived later and assumed she'd done something wrong as the alarm was not set.]

0014-System
8:01a 06/28/15

Closing by
User Code 03

0013-System
8:01a 06/28/15

Armed
in Away Mode

[BS set the alarm when she left Sunday morning, but accidentally set it in "away" mode.]

0012-System
____ 06/28/15

Opening by
User Code __

[Sunday afternoon, BS disarmed the alarm to feed the dogs, and did not attempt to rearm it because MS told her not to worry about it.]

Wow, instead of tampering with the motion sensors, maybe they just used a white sheet? Check out this Mythbusters youtube video about beating motion sensors. I had no idea something like this could work? Suddenly home security systems don't seem so safe

[video=youtube;x8vmd3DkzDg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8vmd3DkzDg[/video]

jtate0702 said:

Wow, instead of tampering with the motion sensors, maybe they just used a white sheet? Check out this Mythbusters youtube video about beating motion sensors. I had no idea something like this could work? Suddenly home security systems don't seem so safe

[video=youtube;x8vmd3DkzDg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8vmd3DkzDg[/video]

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Who needs to tamper with motion sensors if you have a code to turn off the alarm?

The thing is that Sunday wasn't the only time the alarm was set in Away mode. It was in Away mode for over seven hours on Saturday. The motion detectors should have been active. But the alarm didn't go off either Saturday or Sunday.


0018-System
8:58a 06/27/15

Armed
in Away Mode

0017-System
4:11p 06/27/15

Opening by
User Code 03

MS's concern that the dogs might set off the alarm in Away mode indicates that motion detectors were a part of their system.

So the question is: Was the system tampered with, or were the sensors calibrated in such a way that the dogs wouldn't set them off?

And now I'm wondering what aspect of the system TS's brothers were testing on July 4.

Scout said:

The thing is that Sunday wasn't the only time the alarm was set in Away mode. It was in Away mode for over seven hours on Saturday. The motion detectors should have been active. But the alarm didn't go off either Saturday or Sunday.


0018-System
8:58a 06/27/15

Armed
in Away Mode

0017-System
4:11p 06/27/15

Opening by
User Code 03

MS's concern that the dogs might set off the alarm in Away mode indicates that motion detectors were a part of their system.

So the question is: Was the system tampered with, or were the sensors calibrated in such a way that the dogs wouldn't set them off?

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I don't know if we have any evidence that the dogs had set off the motion detectors in the past. It might have been a purely hypothetical concern.

AZlawyer said:

OK, after re-checking her statement (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3g3DEap84xwR3NseEF5SVQ2dDA/view) and Scout's post #236 on the alarm times, it seems that the alarm was turned off by the master code at 5:31 am Friday morning and not turned on until 4:18 pm (special closing, stay mode). So perhaps that was BS arming the system at 4:18 pm. She didn't use her code though--and I assume she didn't have a wireless key fob or she would have been using it the whole time--so why did it say "special closing"?

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AZLAWYER...I feel like the kid in the back of the room, waving her hand, "I know, I know!" Okay, maybe I don't really KNOWullhair:ullhair:....BUT I have a really good guess the "special closing" was done with a "designated BURNER PHONE." So then when LE asked for MS's phone, he had no problem handing over his personal phone....because that was not the designated phone used for "SPECIAL CLOSING."
All burner phones HAVE TO BE ACTIVATED FROM ANOTHER PHONE NUMBER....find out that number, and this case is 90% solved.

AZlawyer said:

I don't know if we have any evidence that the dogs had set off the motion detectors in the past. It might have been a purely hypothetical concern.

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remember the day the dogs set off the alarm and the police and animal control came.So i guess her brothers fixed it.....

noel leon said:

remember the day the dogs set off the alarm and the police and animal control came.So i guess her brothers fixed it.....

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Wow, that was from the dogs setting off the alarm? So maybe the motion detectors were pointed to the ceiling or something...

But I just don't see why anyone would bother tampering with the motion detectors. The only way you'd have to worry about them would be if the alarm was on and in "away" mode. And no one ever intentionally set it that way.

IQuestion said:

AZLAWYER...I feel like the kid in the back of the room, waving her hand, "I know, I know!" Okay, maybe I don't really KNOWullhair:ullhair:....BUT I have a really good guess the "special closing" was done with a "designated BURNER PHONE." So then when LE asked for MS's phone, he had no problem handing over his personal phone....because that was not the designated phone used for "SPECIAL CLOSING."
All burner phones HAVE TO BE ACTIVATED FROM ANOTHER PHONE NUMBER....find out that number, and this case is 90% solved.

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But this "special closing" was done by BS after feeding the dogs Friday evening. I don't think she used a burner phone.

http://cms.dsc.com/media/documents/all/PC1616-PC1808-PC1864_V-2_SAF_UM_EN_29007337R001.PDF

Access by Intruders
Intruders may enter through an unprotected access point, circumvent a sensing device, evade detection by moving through an area of insufficient coverage, disconnect a warning device, or interfere with or prevent the proper operation of the system.

Motion Detectors
Motion detectors can only detect motion within the designated areas as shown in their respective installation instructions. They cannot discrimi- nate between intruders and intended occupants. Motion detectors do not provide volumetric area protection. They have multiple beams of detec- tion and motion can only be detected in unobstructed areas covered by these beams. They cannot detect motion which occurs behind walls, ceil- ings, floor, closed doors, glass partitions, glass doors or windows. Any type of tampering whether intentional or unintentional such as masking, painting, or spraying of any material on the lenses, mirrors, windows or any other part of the detection system will impair its proper operation.