MS MS - Jessica Stacks, 28, missing from boat on Tallahatchie River, 1 Jan 2021

[Quill]

Well, I guess we shall have to cheerfully disagree with each other, because to me when the exact wording of the law I quoted says "any animal", I would feel pigs are included. To remove the double negatives in that law, and still say the same thing, it would read: It is legal to hunt any animal, including squirrels and beavers, from a boat without a motor.

Not that it matters in this case and not to beat a dead horse, but here is where I found my info. It's from the law enforcement section on MDWF. I have a friend who works there I could ask, but hate to bother her since I don't think it will end up being a crucial point in this case after all is said and done.

"It is illegal to hunt or kill any game animal, furbearing animal or game bird from any motorized vehicle or boat. However, squirrels and game birds may be hunted from a boat if the motor is off and the progress of the boat has ceased."

This clearly states squirrels and game birds. It hardly matters because one, some of these people breaks the laws habitually and I also suspect that we will eventually learn that he was not out there hunting anyway. JMO

 

[Quill]

Just reading back a bit and catching up. Some really good points have been made either side of this story we have heard. Some plausible ideas have been put out there supporting the fact that she could have marched off out of there on her own, even suggesting she could have had a knife on her to cut off boots that were stuck in the muck. I can totally see that, too.

BUT....where on earth is she?? I really do not believe his story but I am going back through and re-reading trying to play devil's advocate and see the story through the eyes of someone who might believe him. I can't think of too many animal attacks or mishaps that would leave her boots, coat and gloves just lying around and so easily found. I do wish we knew what state those items were found in. Were they dirty and torn? Were they scattered or in a neat pile? Were they near the boots?

My question is for those who believe his story: What do you think happened to her?
I do hope the searchers have been looking up as well as on the ground.

 

[Spider92]

Just reading back a bit and catching up. Some really good points have been made either side of this story we have heard. Some plausible ideas have been put out there supporting the fact that she could have marched off out of there on her own, even suggesting she could have had a knife on her to cut off boots that were stuck in the muck. I can totally see that, too.

BUT....where on earth is she?? I really do not believe his story but I am going back through and re-reading trying to play devil's advocate and see the story through the eyes of someone who might believe him. I can't think of too many animal attacks or mishaps that would leave her boots, coat and gloves just lying around and so easily found. I do wish we knew what state those items were found in. Were they dirty and torn? Were they scattered or in a neat pile? Were they near the boots?

My question is for those who believe his story: What do you think happened to her?
I do hope the searchers have been looking up as well as on the ground.

If the BF's story is accurate, I think the best explanation is that she got cold very fast. As pointed out by @10ofRods way back on page one, she would have been hypothermic, resulting in paradoxical undressing. If I understand that condition correctly, the human mind somehow becomes convinced that the body is actually too hot and therefore the person starts taking off clothes despite being outside in chilly weather. I remember a case in MA, where a young man had a similar situation. He left a party late one night and walked home through a wooded area that had a pond. IIRC searchers found one of his shoes on the far end of the pond. It was speculated that he was so confused that he crossed the pond twice and removed his shoes since they were soaked and slowed him down. I believe he was later found deceased after crawling into someone's shed.
I think that any MP case involving water is particularly difficult. I believe that a lifeless body will first sink and then come to the surface after a couple of weeks. With the descriptions of the underwater creeks, fallen trees, and structures in the T River, I wonder if the current could have carried her body under a fallen tree where she could remain stuck. I know they had divers, but that water looked nasty brown and the body could have travelled some distance with any current creating a potentially large search zone.

 

[Brewer64]

There was a man who helped them get the boat into the water and Jessica left her phone with that man so that they could call it to be picked up, yeah?

but then boyfriend and her become separated because she just walks away and boyfriend calls his brother for a pick up.

have I got this straight? sorry it’s a bit confusing

From what i understand, he called his son.

 

[Songbird1973]

Not that it matters in this case and not to beat a dead horse, but here is where I found my info. It's from the law enforcement section on MDWF. I have a friend who works there I could ask, but hate to bother her since I don't think it will end up being a crucial point in this case after all is said and done.

"It is illegal to hunt or kill any game animal, furbearing animal or game bird from any motorized vehicle or boat. However, squirrels and game birds may be hunted from a boat if the motor is off and the progress of the boat has ceased."

This clearly states squirrels and game birds. It hardly matters because one, some of these people breaks the laws habitually and I also suspect that we will eventually learn that he was not out there hunting anyway. JMO

OK, you win. I'll concede. The wording of the law that I quoted doesn't have the words "game birds" in it, but the wording you quoted that will be used by an LE/game warden does contain it, so I'm sure I'd lose that argument if I got caught hunting hogs from a boat!

 

[azure]

Has this been shared? Lots of comments.

The AWARE Foundation, Inc.

 

[jenn83]

Has this been shared? Lots of comments.

The AWARE Foundation, Inc.

And those comments are a week old, I hope some progress has been made in the case that we aren't hearing about.

 

[Quill]

And those comments are a week old, I hope some progress has been made in the case that we aren't hearing about.

I sure am hoping that it has gone quiet due to something being in the works. I hope someone has finally cracked.

 

[Snoop Sister]

I sure am hoping that it has gone quiet due to something being in the works. I hope someone has finally cracked.

Sure is quiet! I hope an arrest or something is forthcoming.

 

[Spider92]

Has this been shared? Lots of comments.

The AWARE Foundation, Inc.

I'm sure the sheriff would be interested in one of those comments. He loves to follow up on leads from the locals

 

[LietKynes]

I realize that LE, and specifically the local sheriff, said a dog had died or been shot (some people euthanize an older or ailing pet that way ), and that was the cause of blood on the ladies' property who said there was a party there the night before.

It made me think about the sad and unsolved case of Robyn Gardener , where a local said that she'd been buried beneath a dog's body.
Robyn has never been found.

At least bring some HRD dogs out there and look around ?
Just to rule that property out ?
Imo.

 

[LietKynes]

I'm sure the sheriff would be interested in one of those comments. He loves to follow up on leads from the locals

Do I sense some mild sarcasm there ?
If so, you can add mine as well.

Disappointing as I hoped there'd be an update by now.
I don't want Jessica's case to grow cold.

Here's some speculation and a theory only :
Would it be feasible to bring a body from one location and place it into a river and hope that by the time it's discovered --that all cause of death will be forever lost ?
MOO

 

[Hexe]

Here's some speculation and a theory only :
Would it be feasible to bring a body from one location and place it into a river and hope that by the time it's discovered --that all cause of death will be forever lost ?
MOO

I can't get these cut off boots out of my mind. I mean if you want to take off the boots from the body in full rigor mortis, then cutting them off might be the only solution (as in cutting through the side of the boot to release the foot from it). It won't come off the normal way when the foot inside is all stiff.

 

[Quill]

I can't get these cut off boots out of my mind. I mean if you want to take off the boots from the body in full rigor mortis, then cutting them off might be the only solution (as in cutting through the side of the boot to release the foot from it). It won't come off the normal way when the foot inside is all stiff.

My mind keeps asking this though: Why bother taking the boots off if the story was that she walked away? What would be gained by doing that? Unless... you were putting them on a bigger foot to make tracks...perhaps?
Hoping this case will gain some traction and be solved soon for her family's sake.

 

[LietKynes]

I can't get these cut off boots out of my mind. I mean if you want to take off the boots from the body in full rigor mortis, then cutting them off might be the only solution (as in cutting through the side of the boot to release the foot from it). It won't come off the normal way when the foot inside is all stiff.

THIS ^^^

A very large "tell"; imo.

Something hinky about that.
So, what, she gets out of the boat and voila' --cuts off her pesky boots so as to walk barefoot through mud, water, and possibly thorny muck ??
No way in heck.
Imo.

 

[NervousNellie]

Is it possible she cut her own boots off? Maybe they got filled with mud/water and made it difficult to walk? (I'm of course assuming she willingly left the boat since that's the story we have been told.)

 

[carterkatt]

I think we need clarification about the "cut off" boots before we can go down that rabbit hole. It may be something innocent (really????) like she did it because she was stuck in the mud. What kind of boot was it? Muck boots, which are thick? Cute, printed rubber/plastic books (like someone said that every Mississippi girl has), tall boots, short boots??? Was it the laces? Was it through the boot itself? We need to know those details before we can figure out how significant that info is.

 

[Quill]

I think we need clarification about the "cut off" boots before we can go down that rabbit hole. It may be something innocent (really????) like she did it because she was stuck in the mud. What kind of boot was it? Muck boots, which are thick? Cute, printed rubber/plastic books (like someone said that every Mississippi girl has), tall boots, short boots??? Was it the laces? Was it through the boot itself? We need to know those details before we can figure out how significant that info is.

I do agree with you here. Those details are very important. I hope we can agree that finding the boots of a MP that were "cut off" along with a coat, gloves etc is extremely fishy. I also would like to know what condition the boots and the other belongings were found in. Were her things in a little pile or heap all together or were they scattered around? If the latter, how far apart were they scattered? Were they dirty? Torn? Was anything else cut?

I'm the one who mentioned the boots that most Mississippi girls have. Rain boots or Hunter boots went through a hugely popular phase here for everything from outdoor concerts/music festivals to just knocking around outdoors. You are correct in pointing out that we do not know exactly what type boots we are talking about here and that is an important detail before we get too far with that. I definitely am picturing a very common type of boot for mucking around outdoors and that might not be at all what she was wearing.

I will say this though, the purse is another interesting piece of interest. I am finding it really hard to believe that she took off out of that boat on her own without that purse.

Is it possible she had a knife on her? Sure. But here is where I struggle with the scenario of her having a knife in a pocket or on a belt: If she were truly out there to hunt and was properly outfitted with proper gear with pockets and/or a knife on a belt, I just cannot wrap my brain around her taking her purse on that boat. I can picture one or the other but not both. They are incongruent in my mind based on what I know. I could be wrong, but in my mind (JMO) she was either experienced enough to have the proper gear in which case she would have known better than to take her purse with her or, Lord forbid give her phone up to anyone OR she was not inexperienced enough not to realize that taking her purse on that boat was a bad idea. Even if she just happened to grab a knife that was on the boat, I just can't picture her leaving her purse behind; certainly not willingly, anyway. If it was important enough to take on the boat, it was important enough to take when she left the boat. Again, JMO.

Finally, the last thing that makes my hinky meter go on red alert is that this guy did not call her phone that he says he left with the person that they had planned on picking them up. He called his son instead. He either abandoned the original plan (why?) or it never was a plan but a story concocted to cover something up. (what?) Then on top of this, he waits until 10pm that evening to report her missing. Things that make you go hmmmm.

 

[lonetraveler]

Is it possible she cut her own boots off? Maybe they got filled with mud/water and made it difficult to walk? (I'm of course assuming she willingly left the boat since that's the story we have been told.)

I believe this is the only other alternative besides someone cut them in order to wear them to leave the footprints.

 

[lonetraveler]

I do agree with you here. Those details are very important. I hope we can agree that finding the boots of a MP that were "cut off" along with a coat, gloves etc is extremely fishy. I also would like to know what condition the boots and the other belongings were found in. Were her things in a little pile or heap all together or were they scattered around? If the latter, how far apart were they scattered? Were they dirty? Torn? Was anything else cut?

I'm the one who mentioned the boots that most Mississippi girls have. Rain boots or Hunter boots went through a hugely popular phase here for everything from outdoor concerts/music festivals to just knocking around outdoors. You are correct in pointing out that we do not know exactly what type boots we are talking about here and that is an important detail before we get too far with that. I definitely am picturing a very common type of boot for mucking around outdoors and that might not be at all what she was wearing.

I will say this though, the purse is another interesting piece of interest. I am finding it really hard to believe that she took off out of that boat on her own without that purse.

Is it possible she had a knife on her? Sure. But here is where I struggle with the scenario of her having a knife in a pocket or on a belt: If she were truly out there to hunt and was properly outfitted with proper gear with pockets and/or a knife on a belt, I just cannot wrap my brain around her taking her purse on that boat. I can picture one or the other but not both. They are incongruent in my mind based on what I know. I could be wrong, but in my mind (JMO) she was either experienced enough to have the proper gear in which case she would have known better than to take her purse with her or, Lord forbid give her phone up to anyone OR she was not inexperienced enough not to realize that taking her purse on that boat was a bad idea. Even if she just happened to grab a knife that was on the boat, I just can't picture her leaving her purse behind; certainly not willingly, anyway. If it was important enough to take on the boat, it was important enough to take when she left the boat. Again, JMO.

Finally, the last thing that makes my hinky meter go on red alert is that this guy did not call her phone that he says he left with the person that they had planned on picking them up. He called his son instead. He either abandoned the original plan (why?) or it never was a plan but a story concocted to cover something up. (what?) Then on top of this, he waits until 10pm that evening to report her missing. Things that make you go hmmmm.

Great post! I'm thinking along the very same lines. I'm also interested in if the man holding her phone ever really saw her in person or was the phone just given to him to hold by the BF or even someone else.
The boots are so very important.