GUILTY DC - David Messerschmitt, 30, murdered in Washington hotel room, 9 Feb 2015 #1

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I don't know if this has been posted yet. It's a little hard to keep up with everything if you miss out on a day or two. At least this case doesn't change by the hour like the LV "road rage" one.

It's a fairly long article about Mr Messerschmitt and his career.

Slain DLA Piper Associate Had 'A Promising Future' (National Law Journal 2/16/2015)
Police seek "person of interest" in David Messerschmitt's stabbing death
Recommending David Messerschmitt for a federal court clerkship in 2008, Judge Susan Dlott said the young lawyer had "a promising future as a law clerk and attorney." A former colleague in his associate class at Mayer Brown remembered him as low-key, happy, fastidious and good at giving advice.

Messerschmitt, 30, most recently an associate at DLA Piper, was found unconscious and unresponsive in a hotel room in downtown Washington on the morning of Feb. 10. Police said he had been stabbed multiple times.

While the circumstances of his death remain unclear, Dlott and lawyers who worked with Messerschmitt over the years in Washington and Chicago reeled at his loss.
The authorities last week released hotel surveillance video and photographs depicting a "person of interest" who was seen entering The Donovan Hotel on the night of Feb. 9. The person, whose gender is unclear from the video, covers his or her face at one point in the video.
Messerschmitt's wife, Kim Vuong, told police she received a text Monday at 7:34 p.m. from her husband saying he'd be home in an hour, The Washington Post reported. Vuong told police that "everything seemed fine today" and that her husband wasn't known to disappear, the Post reported. The Donovan is about a mile from DLA Piper's office in Washington.

Like I said, I probably haven't been catching up to everything, but I didn't know that his wife heard from him over two hours after he'd been at the hotel. Apparently right around the time of the surveillance video released.

I also didn't know much about his wife, other than seeing it mentioned that she was Asian. Her name sounds Vietnamese to me. I wonder if she came to the US or is from an immigrant family. Since so many Vietnamese came here after the fall of Saigon, it's likely the latter.

I wonder if it was an in-law that he was fooling around with or an in-law used this way to trap him for some reason or another? The person in the video footage looks like they could be SE-Asian.
If she had family around, that would be possible. If she immigrated herself, not as likely.
 
People: 1)She took the stairs because the elevator didnt work. 2)She was bundled up with clothes because it was freezing cold that night plus it helps deter guys in the street from wanting to rape you. 3) He was probably getting a massage when she stabbed him in the back. 4) I truly feel that this has all the earmarks of a rendezvous turned bad. Example: Either he didnt like the merchandise upon arrival and decided not to pay or he tried to turn a massage into a full blown sexcapade against her wishes. So she was mad that he wanted to change the agreement so either way, she stabbed him while he was laying down and took all of his cash.
 
People: 1)She took the stairs because the elevator didnt work. 2)She was bundled up with clothes because it was freezing cold that night plus it helps deter guys in the street from wanting to rape you. 3) He was probably getting a massage when she stabbed him in the back. 4) I truly feel that this has all the earmarks of a rendezvous turned bad. Example: Either he didnt like the merchandise upon arrival and decided not to pay or he tried to turn a massage into a full blown sexcapade against her wishes. So she was mad that he wanted to change the agreement so either way, she stabbed him while he was laying down and took all of his cash.

I don't think "she" would have acted they like in the video if it were for that kind of thing. It sounds like that kind of thing was commonplace at that hotel or in the area.

Why would he be "getting a massage" at the hotel from someone like that unless it was for a "below the belt" (front or back, judging by the stuff in the room) massage?

If that is indeed the one who killed him, I don't think it would have gone down like that. If that's what happened, they would have taken more than just cash and all of that stuff. They look small, but Messerschmitt doesn't look like someone who would terrify someone to that point if he got mad. Not to the point of killing him and sneaking off...

Is a non-paying trick worth murder?
 
I am still wondering why LE checked The Donovan to see if he was there.
A) Wife had access to his CC and saw a charge
B) He has stayed there before (and someone knew about it)
C) His phone pings were obtained (super fast).
 
Just to add...the lack of angry comments seeking justice on family and friends' FBs lead me to believe that they are aware of exactly what happened. IMO
 
Just to add...the lack of angry comments seeking justice on family and friends' FBs lead me to believe that they are aware of exactly what happened. IMO

Either that or they're just as lost as everyone else and waiting on news. Everyone reacts to everything differently.
 
I don't think "she" would have acted they like in the video if it were for that kind of thing. It sounds like that kind of thing was commonplace at that hotel or in the area.

Why would he be "getting a massage" at the hotel from someone like that unless it was for a "below the belt" (front or back, judging by the stuff in the room) massage?

If that is indeed the one who killed him, I don't think it would have gone down like that. If that's what happened, they would have taken more than just cash and all of that stuff. They look small, but Messerschmitt doesn't look like someone who would terrify someone to that point if he got mad. Not to the point of killing him and sneaking off...

Is a non-paying trick worth murder?
You may be right. But sometimes a john can run across that wrong ad at the wrong time and pick some nut case who is one special request away from snapping. Craiglist killings have been happening alot. And the killings have taken place during the supposed and intended transactions of these 3 things (cars, phones, and sex). It's not always about a love triangle or insurance money.
 
"Everything seemed fine today."
Stated by the wife.
Were there days that weren't fine before?
 
I just feel sorry for him having such intimate items / proclivities exposed to the world, and to his family. How ghastly to lose all privacy like that.
 
Just to add...the lack of angry comments seeking justice on family and friends' FBs lead me to believe that they are aware of exactly what happened. IMO

Despite their love for the deceased, I'm sure the family is not only dealing with the shock of the tragedy, but the embarrassment factor as well. No one wants to hear their loved one was found in this type of a setting. But I also agree that their is an active LE investigation, and the family/friends have most likely been asked not to comment. The law firm colleagues wouldn't anyway, they are in PR recovery mode most likely.
 
I just feel sorry for him having such intimate items / proclivities exposed to the world, and to his family. How ghastly to lose all privacy like that.

I do too. But with the "non-specific kinda/sorta Asian-looking" POI, it could have been someone known or related to the wife. Or an angry relative of hers that had something against Mr M (without her knowing about it).

The stuff left in the room would make it look like he was there for "a massage." The kinds of "massages" advertised in local classifieds or on Craigslist and the like.

But why would he have gotten a room at that place (and then go home in a few hours) if it was for anything but that kind of "massage?" Meeting up with somebody for just about anything else would not entail getting a room.
 
I just feel sorry for him having such intimate items / proclivities exposed to the world, and to his family. How ghastly to lose all privacy like that.
I wondered why LE leaked the items which were found. That was very classless. They could have left several items out. Its not like the public would be able to help solve the case because of the enema which was found at the scene. Jmo. Either LE or somebody at his law firm is leaking uneeded information to besmirch the man.
 
I wondered why LE leaked the items which were found. That was very classless. They could have left several items out. Its not like the public would be able to help solve the case because of the enema which was found at the scene. Jmo. Either LE or somebody at his law firm is leaking uneeded information to besmirch the man.

Maybe there were other items which were even more...intimate. Maybe LE released the least embarassing items. Trying to release info slowly, yet, releasing pertinant info.

I agree. Releasing the enema and condoms to the public was intrusive, IMO (though, that was my first question..condoms).
 
I am still wondering why LE checked The Donovan to see if he was there.
A) Wife had access to his CC and saw a charge
B) He has stayed there before (and someone knew about it)
C) His phone pings were obtained (super fast).

I've been of the opinion that DM had been reported as a missing person long enough to give them (LE) enough time to access the last use/s of his credit card. But, heaven knows my opinions often change :)

Also, I suppose it's somewhat interesting LE allowed hotel management to do a welfare check (and discover DM's body), but I suppose that at the time they did not think the victim was in any danger.
 
I wondered why LE leaked the items which were found. That was very classless. They could have left several items out. Its not like the public would be able to help solve the case because of the enema which was found at the scene. Jmo. Either LE or somebody at his law firm is leaking uneeded information to besmirch the man.

Actually... I've found several news stories that mention the lube and condoms, but not the enema. But the enema part may possibly lead us to at least the sex of the POI. All we truly know is that they're skinny, "ethnic-looking" and wear baggy clothes.
 
I wondered why LE leaked the items which were found. That was very classless. They could have left several items out. Its not like the public would be able to help solve the case because of the enema which was found at the scene. Jmo. Either LE or somebody at his law firm is leaking uneeded information to besmirch the man.


I didn't think the additional items of condoms, lube, and enema were "leaked", I thought the press obtained the search warrant (freedom of info) which included all the items that were found.
 
Adding to my previous post #417...

I think the additional items (condoms, lubricant and enema) were omitted from initial police "verbal" reports to the press... which helped to protect the victim/his family. Once the search warrant became public, well, there's nothing left to hide. (imo)
 
I didn't think the additional items of condoms, lube, and enema were "leaked", I thought the press obtained the search warrant (freedom of info) which included all the items that were found.
There are ways to seal those things where it can take months for the press to file injunctions to have the warrants unsealed. If he was a congressman then I doubt they would have allowed this info to be seen by the press so fast. Jmo .Plus we never hear of everything that is found at murder scenes for whatever reasons. Btw: they could have redacted some items from the warrant before going public with it as well. Jmo.
 
One would think that allowing the release of a search warrant could jeopardize the investigation of an open/on-going case (which this would be)... I wish I knew/understood all the legalities in this regard.
 
No, I haven't read about his whereabouts on Sunday, only that Sunday was the last time the wife had seen him. But I did find the article that states he checked into The Donovan on Monday around 5:00 p.m.:

Mystery surrounds stabbing death of young attorney inside Washington hotel
By Cristina CorbinPublished February 16, 2015
David Messerschmitt, an associate with the international law firm DLA Piper, checked into the Donovan Hotel in downtown Washington sometime after 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, according to Paris White, a homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Thanks - and with that it appears rather obvious why he was there. Question remains who else knew, and if he was indeed meeting with someone, who did they tell. Unless the perpetrator is the one meeting with DM in the room, someone else knew....

MOO
 
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