PTL (Peach Tree Landing)

[cujenn81]

Does anyone know which side of PTL Heather's driver's side door was facing?

My understanding from what Terry said early on was that her car was parked parallel to the river.

I have seen many photos of the boat landing and maps where people think the car was parked by the memorial things people left, so I think I have a pretty good idea where the car was left.

But was Heather's car facing toward the trees putting the driver's side on the river side, away from approaching cars, or was she parked with the back end toward the trees and the driver's side facing in-coming cars?

from what I've read from other posters and such... the way you just described the car facing the trees and the driver's side door parallel to the river and away from approaching cars is how I've been picturing it. I think I even read the car was parked facing the trees off the payment... like she was parked as close to the trees as possible like she was trying to avoid being seen by cars approaching the landing's entrance. I'm not positive that's how the car was parked but that's how I've pictured it anyway.


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[PPKik]

from what I've read from other posters and such... the way you just described the car facing the trees and the driver's side door parallel to the river and away from approaching cars is how I've been picturing it. I think I even read the car was parked facing the trees off the payment... like she was parked as close to the trees as possible like she was trying to avoid being seen by cars approaching the landing's entrance. I'm not positive that's how the car was parked but that's how I've pictured it anyway.


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Thank you. I have been visualizing it like that but wasn't sure. I was hoping you would know, and that sounds right.

It's a strange way to park if you are meeting someone.

Not only with your door on the river side, but why facing into the trees? If she had backed up she would have been facing in-coming cars and would have been able to drive out without turning around. When it was noted that Heather's car was not parked the way people typically park, which is apparently perpendicular to the river, not parallel, I wondered about that too.

 

[jillycat]

BBM: I respectfully disagree and understand we have different understandings of how the justice system works, most likely based on our own interactions with cases and charges.

Regarding recovery effort, I do think it is possible that someone did talk, and due to the original location, the body is not likely to be found (for example from past cases: burned; put in any fast flowing river; dropped over the edge of a ravine or cliff and whomever did it cannot remember the location close enough to find the body-or the body has been moved by wildlife). I agree it is more likely that no one has talked, but can't rule out the possibility that there may be no way to recover the body.

Respectfully, it makes sense to me that a charge better have enough teeth to withstand discovery and a trial, in the event a plea doesn't come down the pike. This is what I mean about "sticking". In this case, LE has already made noise about pleas and shifts in where things might go, while stating they are confident they can take their arrest/charges all the way if need be.

I don't think recovery is likely. I also don't think the body was dumped in the open because that's asking for it to be found.

I personally don't think the M's don't recall where the body is, but that's because I think they had a plan for it to be well-hidden before they killed her.

This comes back to the PTL issue. I think PTL was a quick stop.

I could be wrong about all of this, although whatever happened at PTL sure seems to have happened quickly.

 

[CarmonCayman]

When I park I always pull in. From the pictures of PTL I have seen she pulled in and pulled up to the right side and parked putting her door in the riverside. This is exactly how I would park as well.

What is interesting is that I would not park facing in if I thought there was any chance of danger. The way she parked leads me to believe she was comfortable with the vehicle she was meeting that was already there or expecting a person she had no fear of.


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[Ghostwheel]

Thank you. I have been visualizing it like that but wasn't sure. I was hoping you would know, and that sounds right.

It's a strange way to park if you are meeting someone.

Not only with your door on the river side, but why facing into the trees? If she had backed up she would have been facing in-coming cars and would have been able to drive out without turning around. When it was noted that Heather's car was not parked the way people typically park, which is apparently perpendicular to the river, not parallel, I wondered about that too.

I'm not sure if it's strange way to park if the person is not one to back into a parking space. For the first five years I drove, I never backed into any parking space because I was taught (by the driving instructor) that it was illegal to back into a parking space. (Turned out that is regional ordinance or sign specific.)

I do note from the Google map walking man picture, that one car is nose to the river, one is back to the river, one is parallel to the river, and the road work truck is just pulled over to the side. On another Satellite photo, there are 2 or 3 parked parallel, and one with a boat trailer backed in. On a second satellite photo, there are three backed in, but on the other side of the boat ramp. So maybe there really isn't any typical way to park.

 

[ISWMLE]

Does anyone know which side of PTL Heather's driver's side door was facing?

My understanding from what Terry said early on was that her car was parked parallel to the river.

I have seen many photos of the boat landing and maps where people think the car was parked by the memorial things people left, so I think I have a pretty good idea where the car was left.

But was Heather's car facing toward the trees putting the driver's side on the river side, away from approaching cars, or was she parked with the back end toward the trees and the driver's side facing in-coming cars?

FWIW, Terry Elvis has stated that Heather's car was parked "sideways" to the parking spaces.

this was found here around the 4:25 mark: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/peterhyatt/2014/02/09/-with-peter-hyatt

 

[CarmonCayman]

FWIW, Terry Elvis has stated that Heather's car was parked "sideways" to the parking spaces.

this was found here around the 4:25 mark: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/peterhyatt/2014/02/09/-with-peter-hyatt

Someone from there would know better but I have been to many landings like this which have parking that would be perpendicular with the river to allow room for backing a boat in and also parking a truck and boat trailer. If I were arriving in the middle if the night I would just park like Heather did even if the spaces were perpendicular and not parallel.


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[Ghostwheel]

FWIW, Terry Elvis has stated that Heather's car was parked "sideways" to the parking spaces.

this was found here around the 4:25 mark: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/peterhyatt/2014/02/09/-with-peter-hyatt

That is what I thought I had read somewhere (but so many articles get updated and original text lost). Although since no "parking spaces" are marked, it's still rather open for interpretation. I would think the "parking spaces" were perpendicular to the tree line, leaving space behind for people to come in and out. If so, I would pull in perpendicular to the river (I would also be facing out) if I were not meaning to stay-say going to follow someone somewhere; or if someone was already there when I arrived; or if I hoped to just talk to someone through the window and not get out of the car.

As a random thought, could SM have had something of Heather's that she wanted back badly enough to go out in the middle of the night?

 

[ISWMLE]

This photo seems to be the spot where Heather parked her car

 

[PPKik]

I'm not sure if it's strange way to park if the person is not one to back into a parking space. For the first five years I drove, I never backed into any parking space because I was taught (by the driving instructor) that it was illegal to back into a parking space. (Turned out that is regional ordinance or sign specific.)

I do note from the Google map walking man picture, that one car is nose to the river, one is back to the river, one is parallel to the river, and the road work truck is just pulled over to the side. On another Satellite photo, there are 2 or 3 parked parallel, and one with a boat trailer backed in. On a second satellite photo, there are three backed in, but on the other side of the boat ramp. So maybe there really isn't any typical way to park.

I agree with you there. Maybe there isn't any typical way to park, especially in the day time.

But Heather was meeting whoever in the middle of the night. Could she have driven in a circle to turn around? When I look at photos of PTL, it's hard to imagine facing the woods and river, and not the direction the person you are meeting, waiting for, is coming from.

 

[PPKik]

That is what I thought I had read somewhere (but so many articles get updated and original text lost). Although since no "parking spaces" are marked, it's still rather open for interpretation. I would think the "parking spaces" were perpendicular to the tree line, leaving space behind for people to come in and out. If so, I would pull in perpendicular to the river (I would also be facing out) if I were not meaning to stay-say going to follow someone somewhere; or if someone was already there when I arrived; or if I hoped to just talk to someone through the window and not get out of the car.

As a random thought, could SM have had something of Heather's that she wanted back badly enough to go out in the middle of the night?

If someone was already there! That makes much more sense.

 

[PPKik]

FWIW, Terry Elvis has stated that Heather's car was parked "sideways" to the parking spaces.

this was found here around the 4:25 mark: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/peterhyatt/2014/02/09/-with-peter-hyatt

Thanks. I remember hearing that. It doesn't contradict his statement that she was parked parallel to the river, right? What I am getting at is if someone was already there, it would make much more sense that she pulled in that way, instead of facing out.

 

[NWLady]

Maybe once she pulled in, she got blocked in by another vehicle, purposely?

 

[Surfside]

The way she parked, only reiterates to me that Heather wasn't the one who locked her car doors. If you weren't planning on leaving your car, unattended, why would you lock it? And if you WERE planning on leaving it unattended, why wouldn't you park it in a more considerable (read: not in the way of other visitors to the landing) position?

 

[JezyUn]

Perhaps HE was not the one who drove the car to ptl, but she was in the car and eventually moved into the M's truck which was possibly parked right next to the passenger side of HEs car creating the "block". JMO.

 

[ISWMLE]

i took the "sideways" to the parking spaces comment by Terry Elvis to mean that she did not park straight in, but on the side of the road, facing the river. < snipped by me >

here is a google screen shot of PTL. notice the car with the boat trail parked head in near the tress. Heather's car, imo, would be sideways in that exact area.

 

[Hatfield]

Perhaps HE was not the one who drove the car to ptl, but she was in the car and eventually moved into the M's truck which was possibly parked right next to the passenger side of HEs car creating the "block". JMO.

The part that bugs me is the drivers license being left in her car. If I remember it correctly just the license was left on her seat.

That is so strange to me no matter who was driving her car. I dont know anybody who would keep their license out of their billfold or purse. If SM or TM drove her car there from the apartment then why would they leave her license on the seat. It is so strange because the car itself showed LE whose car it was. It was not like they needed to leave her drivers license.

Unless maybe they planted it to make it look like a LE asked her for her license. But then why lock the doors. It all is so strange.

This most likely did not happen but is there a chance a LE person did stop by there while she was parked and waiting and asked her for her licence. Then the LE person left. It does not make sense since a LE person would surely have come forward by now about that if that happened. Unless they wanted to keep it a secret because they were embarrased that she ended up missing and they may have saved her.

The whole license on her seat of car is very strange. If I remember it correctly that it was left in her car seat.

I think there maybe a clue here but dont know what it is.

 

[Softail]

I don't think it is odd that her license was on the seat at all. We don't know what she was wearing. We don't know if she brought a purse. I could see her leaving her apt with her keys, license, and phone. Phone and license in a pocket and the license could have fallen out.

I don't believe anyone other than Heather drove her car to PTL.

 

[ISWMLE]

here is a video of a vigil held for Heather at PTL. notice the candles lit in what is presumed to be where Heather left her car:

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/24752...ight-for-missing-heather-elvis?autostart=true

 

[AndiLA]

i took the "sideways" to the parking spaces comment by Terry Elvis to mean that she did not park straight in, but on the side of the road, facing the river. < snipped by me >

here is a google screen shot of PTL. notice the car with the boat trail parked head in near the tress. Heather's car, imo, would be sideways in that exact area.

View attachment 42432

This was posted in another thread a while back. A WSer who was at the vigil said the vigil was held with candles and crosses marking the spot where Heather's car was found. Here is an aerial view of PTL and they marked an arrow at the approximate location, which is right about where you presumed it would be in your photo above.