Thinking out loud here.
My understanding of the facts of the case (please correct me if I am wrong):
Friday, Dec. 20th:
Morning: Paighton Houston leaves her parents’ home for work;
Time Unknown: PH is at the Tin Roof with friends from work. PH rode there with one of them.
Saturday, Dec. 21st:
12:14 AM: PH sends a text to the friend that she rode with to the Tin Roof, stating, “IDK who I am with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble.”
[Sometime over the next 24 hours (“Evan Houston said, ‘We made the missing person report before the 24-hour-period ....’”)]
The same friend contacts PH’s family and tells them PH left the bar with two heavy set black men and appeared to do so willingly. The friend also shares the text message she says she received from PH that “if I call answer, I don’t know these people and I feel in trouble.”
“After hearing from the friend, Houston’s brother and father went straight to police and filed the [missing person] report.”
However:
“Sergeant Johnny Williams with the Birmingham Police Department said investigators have reviewed surveillance video from a bar where Paighton Houston was last seen and have not found anyone matching the description of the two men she is believed to have left with.”
That does not prove that the “two heavy set black men” never existed. Personally, I find it odd that there have been no reports that the friend tried to call or text Paighton back, but maybe she did. It’s also rather unusual, IMO, that the friend apparently left the venue without PH especially since they rode there together, but perhaps there is an innocent explanation for that also.
Based solely on what has been reported, if I were a detective, I think I would want to look at the friend’s phone records, particularly, location-tracking information.
If she has given LE access to her phone, great, but if not, I’m not sure what they can do without a warrant. I also wonder if the friend is cooperating because if she has decided not to talk to them, I don’t think there is much that they can do unless there is evidence of crime.
I am also curious as to what the other coworkers have told the investigators about what they saw that evening.
Sources:
Trussville family makes plea for missing daughter’s return
Missing woman last seen leaving bar with 2 men, texted friends she was in trouble: Brother
B’ham Police: Surveillance video in Paighton Houston case does not show 2 men she reportedly left with
Prayer vigil for missing Trussville woman Paighton Houston
