The Shoe Lace Bindings

[thared33]

Weren't all 3 ligatures different types of knots? That to me indicates multiple suspects. That combined with the amount of time/work/effort involved in killing 3 children makes it even more likely.

TH seems to be everyone's favorite suspect and if it was indeed him, I have a hard time believing he acted alone.

 

[Cher Lockhomes]

Welcome aboard thared33, there are indeed theories that the different knots were made by more than one perp. This is probably one of the reasons why the WM3 were convicted. There are speculations that it was done by four people:

http://trenchreynolds.com/2013/03/2...suspects-with-pot-smoking-gay-tryst-scenario/

TH and DJ were also speculated, TH and DE as a revenge act on JMB, TH and "Mr Bojangles", take your pick. I go for the TH alone theory, think the knots were part of the staging, and see no problems for TH handling the boys as a parent. This is just my opinion.

 

[Graznik]

Weren't all 3 ligatures different types of knots? That to me indicates multiple suspects. That combined with the amount of time/work/effort involved in killing 3 children makes it even more likely.

TH seems to be everyone's favorite suspect and if it was indeed him, I have a hard time believing he acted alone.

Welcome to the board, thared33!

The knots have been subject to much speculation throughout the years. From what I have gathered, they were all different knots but all the knots were fairly simple. I.e. they might well be haphazard, and it might not necessarily mean that there were several perps. I do apologise that I can't provide any sources of this, but it's a topic that has been discussed before and if you were to search Websleuths, as well as other boards, old threads might be able to provide a thorough answer for your question.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Lisa Sakevicius of the ASCL testified to the knots:

Q. What examinations did you make of those items?
A. I looked at the types of knots present and examined them for hairs and fibers.
Q. Referring first to Exhibit 80 -- on Exhibit 80 those were the knots on which --
A. Michael Moore.
Q. What were your findings as to the knots on Michael Moore?
A. Two pieces of black shoestring, one each tied between the wrist and leg on the right and left side. The knots on the wrist and leg on the left side were both square knots. The knot on the wrist on the right side was a series of three half hitches. The knot on the left side of the right side was a series of four half hitches.
Q. On the left side what kind of knots did you have?
A. Square knots.
Q. And on the right side what kind of knots?
A. You had a series of three half hitches and then a series of four half hitches.
Q. On Exhibit 81 -- if you would refer to that exhibit.
A. That is from Steve Branch.
Q. What were your findings as to the knots on Exhibit 81?
A. Examination of the ligatures revealed a black shoestring on the right side tied in three half hitches with an extra loop around the leg to a single half hitch with a figure eight around the right wrist. The left side consisted of a white shoestring tied in three half hitches around the wrist to three half hitches around the leg.
Q. So on the left side on the wrist you had three half hitches?
A. Correct.
Q. And on the ankle you had three half hitches?
A. Correct.
Q. On the right side on the leg you had three half hitches with what?
A. An extra loop around the right leg.
Q. On the wrist you had?
A. A figure eight.
Q. With one half hitch. Is that right?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Refer to Exhibit 82.
A. That would be from Chris Byers. Examination of ligatures revealed one black shoestring tied in a double half hitch around the right wrist to a double half hitch around the right leg. The ligature on the left side consisted of a double half hitch around the wrist and leg but was tied with a white shoestring.
Q. When you say, "a double half hitch," is that the same as two half hitches?
A. Yes.
Q. So on Exhibit 82 all of the knots on both wrists and both legs are the same?
A. Yes. (source)

As one can see, the knots were basically all half-hitches, with one exception - the figure eight. A square knot is really two half-hitches. The only difference is that, with a "double half-hitch"knot, the person tying the knot begins each half-hitch with the piece of string in the same (left or right) hand whereas in a square knot, the person tying the knot begins with alternating hands. (I hope this makes sense!) IMO, the extra loop and the figure eight were done to "take up the slack" in the string. I believe the boys were tied for transport, and the killer was making "handles" to simplify the carrying of the bodies. The prosecution, apparently successfully, attempted to imply that these knots were so different that there were multiple killers involved. Personally, I don't see it at all, but the jury bought it and DE, JB and JM were convicted.

 

[Userid]

A square knot is not two half-hitches. If it was, it would have been labeled as such (since the victims were labeled that way, with SB's left wrist being said to be tied with "three half-hitches", etc.). CB himself was ties with "two half hitches" on each limb; and there is a reason why it was reported as "two half hitches" and not "square knot." There is a clear distinction between a square knot and "two half hitches," and to state otherwise is inaccurate, respectfully and in all honesty.

It is a moot point anyway, in that the figure eight proves more than one knot anyway. Whether it's 2 knots or 3 knots, it's still more than one knot.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

However, more than one type of knot does not point to more than one killer. Most people know how to tie a square knot. The half hitch is, basically, the first step in tying a shoe. So, again, it's something anyone can do. The figure eight is not really a type of knot, either. It was, IMO, just a way to take up slack in the shoe lace as was the extra loop, which isn't a knot, either. Also, as I said before, the only difference between a double half hitch and a square knot is that a double half hitch is tied by beginning with the same hand with both parts whereas, with the square knot, each part is begun with a different hand. In both the knots, each part is created by making a half hitch. So, with the exception of the figure eight and the extra loop (neither of which are knots), the only type of knot used is the half hitch, repeated differing numbers of times with, possibly by accident, one boy's knots being square knots.

 

[Userid]

CR, what are you talking about? The figure eight and square knots are indeed knots; and they're knots you need to have knowledge of. If you want to get technical about it, your logic is actually backwards -- the half-hitch can be considered "not a 'real' knot" and the figure 8/square can be considered "actual knots." It's like you say, anyone can tie a half-hitch knot.

Listen, I hear you: you think it's one killer. That's fine -- I'm not even going to argue that with you. But to bend over backwards while trying to say these aren't "real" knots, or that they're one and the same, is simply inaccurate. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

I'm not bending over backwards trying to prove one killer or multiple killers with the knots. That's what the prosecution did! Yes, a square knot is a real knot. I'm not arguing otherwise. I'm merely saying that, IMO, it was an accident that the knots were square knots because they are so easy to make. Also, we cannot prove that the knot Sakevicius described as a "figure eight" was actually more than merely looping the lace around in a figure eight pattern. The real figure eight knot is one, IIRC, used by climbers to secure themselves. IMO, this was not the knot used. IMO, the lace was merely looped around in a figure eight pattern to take up slack. Now, that's my opinion. You may disagree, but, since we don't have a close up picture (that I've seen) to prove it either way, we'll just have to disagree.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

Don't know why I couldn't edit the previous post, but I couldn't!

Going back and reading the testimony, IMO, what Sakevicius is describing is the lace being looped around in a figure eight fashion and then secured with a half hitch. That's not a true "figure eight knot" but just a haphazard way of tying up the victim, done in haste and, IMO, with the additional purpose of taking up slack in the lace.

 

[Userid]

Whether on accident or on purpose, there are three defined knots present.

The figure eight knot was tied, and then the remainder of the string was wrapped the limb.

I don't buy it at all that a person can accidentally tie a figure eight knot, in particular. That is not an easy knot to tie.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

I agree that the actual figure eight knot is not easy to tie. However, I don't agree that the knot in question was, in fact, an actual figure eight knot. I opine (based on the testimony) that the lace was merely wrapped around in a figure eight fashion secured with a half hitch at the end.

 

[Userid]

In other words, he tied a figure eight knot on accident???

Again, completely disagree.

 

[Compassionate Reader]

No, he didn't tie a figure eight knot. He merely looped the lace around the victim in a figure eight pattern in order to take up slack in the lace.

 

[Userid]

Tying a knot "in a figure eight pattern" would be tying a figure eight knot.

 

[thared33]

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/RAYAAOSw-dBTwe5o/$_57.JPG

http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/img2/shoe_prints_photos.html

I wonder if TH wears a shoe size that big. The print looks like it has a flat sole like a boot or something though.

 

[Cher Lockhomes]

I think the LA Gear were probably his good boots. I guess for any dirty work, he would have probably put his "cheap" trainers on. I've seen a pair of cheaper trainers on another photo. Will put it up when I find it. I still think the knots don't really say a lot, but the hog style binding tells stories. If the crime was done at home, that is where the LA Gear would have been. Take the two black laces out, you can still wear them with single white laces. In one of the docs, there is supposedly a take outside the courthouse, with white laces. Will have to study that. Shoe size ?, I read that somewhere too, I think he had 9 or 10. All JMO of course.

 

[Userid]

This isn't a hogtie style, though. A hogtie style is when both the ankles and the wrists are all tied together with one rope; all four limbs are bound together. Here, you have one wrist to one ankle; the other wrist to the other ankle.

Just as some think there is nothing to the knots, I think there is nothing to the style, and simply believe that this was the only "style" to utilize with what the killer had at his disposal (the shoelaces). There would have been no other way to bind these boys with the shoelaces; you couldn't bind them in the traditional hogtie sense because shoelaces aren't thick enough or sturdy enough to support the width of all 4 limbs, but they are sufficient enough to bind the thin wrists/ankles of a child.

The killer's main purpose in binding the victims this way was at least one or both of these purposes: accessibility to the private areas of the victims, and to ensure that the boys couldn't stand up straight. Again, with particular regards to the latter, there was no other possible way to bind these boys (other than this particular way) with shoelaces, to ensure the boys couldn't stand up straight.

Furthermore, I believe there was a sexual element to this case, but I also believe that, since two of the victims died by drowning, that the killer wanted to ensure that they'd drown by tying their limbs this way.

 

[Graznik]

IMO, there was nothing sexual about this crime and AFAIK there's no evidence of it either. I can understand why people would think there was, but there's simply no evidence in support of it.

If the perp was binding them for restraint only, then surely the perp could've just tied them wrist to wrist/ankle to ankle? Sure, they could've stood up straight, but moving would've been difficult. There a video floating about somewhere of a supporter who demonstrates that a) the victims would've been able to move, and b) could've been carried.

Personally, I tend to lean towards the theory that the bindings were for transportation. Furthermore, I think the drowning was so called "dry drowning" caused by blunt force trauma.

Just putting my two cents out there.

 

[Cher Lockhomes]

Taken from:

http://www.marincounty.org/~/media/files/departments/gj/reports-responses/2006/hogtieing.pdf

Hogtieing is the term for “the restraint of an individual with the wrists and ankles bound
together behind the back.” (American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology,
March 2000). A hobble is commonly used to hogtie a detainee. Below is a copy of the
ONLY instructions that come with the particular brand of hobble used to hogtie Cary
Grime. When a hobble is used to hogtie an individual, binding together his handcuffed
wrists and ankles behind his back, this type of product can be lethal. Frame number six is a sketch of a person who has been hogtied. Notice the 90-degree bend in the knees and that the subject is face down in a highly dangerous position:

 

[Cher Lockhomes]

There are obviously different ways to hog tie. The perp only had six shoelaces at his disposal, or wanted it to look like this. If he used the method as described above, he would have needed at least three shoelaces per victim. Tying the four limbs of a hog with one rope is probably easier than tying the four limbs of a human together, behind their backs, with a rope, let alone a shoelace. With the six laces, the most obvious way would have been to tie ankles together, and wrists together. A "normal" person would not use a specialised method of binding for the first time in a situation like this, so I would think this person had special knowledge of what he was doing, or he tied "automatically" in this way without thinking, which also suggests it was not special for him.

I agree with Graznik, and the profilers opinions that this was not a crime with the motivation of sexual gratification. These boys were primarily beaten to death, an underlying sexual element could be involved. If the mutilation of the genitals was not post-mortem animal predation, this could be interpreted as the retrieval of sexual domination. The evidence does not point to a sexually motivated crime. What's more, the battering of the boys points to a strong personal relationship.

Battering = Hate
Hate = Relationship

IMO, all signs point to the re-establishment of control through violence, often seen in the crimes against children in this age group.

From the SelectedWorks of Edson Kieu
January 2014
Crime Profiling Report: Examining Child Homicide

http://works.bepress.com/edsonkieu/

Based on data, sexual assault along with child homicide does not correlate strongly

Violent child homicide cases can be classified as lacking in mens reas whereby a lack of planning is observed and attack tools are primarily by battery and blunt objects or stabbing which is commonly available in the home.

Figures from Table 4 indicate that the more intimate the offender is to the victim, the higher likelihood that homicide will occur in the home and vice versa, the more distant the relationship, the killing will be in public places.

Most of the violent child homicide cases are seen to be carried out in the homes and a majority of cases seems to be carried in one location without secondary crime scenes.

Based on the above information, investigations carried out by the police should first of all identify family as suspects. Through interviews, the police should look out for
long - drawn unresolved issues for mothers and the mental state of fathers at the point of killing which is mostly based on momentary rage.

Psychological and Behavioural Considerations

On the day of the offense, the offender had actually bought his daughter a gift. However, he was confronted by a mess created by her playing with his cigarettes. Only two days earlier, he had warned her not to do so. Hence, on the 6th of January, he decided to discipline her. In the statements, he did not start out by hitting her but was verbally scolding the victim. However she cried which became more intense when he began to slap her. Based on long standing frustrations of his inability to support his family, lack of respect towards him from both his immediate and extended family, he decided to become harsh to reinstate his manhood through violence (PP v AFR).

Based on the details of the court, the offender’s actions are in line with the psychological motives of paternal filicide. Often, paternal filicide acted upon to regain control over the family and during the impulsive episode, manifests itself through violence on their children. Failure to live up to their gender role expectations therefore saw violence as an alternative bringing about death to a family member.

Judging the statements made in this case, this description fits perfectly IMO.