Criminal Investigative Failures
The Wallet, the wallet... haven't I told you this story?
It's called the least-effort-principle:
Why would someone wait six months to discard the wallet? Six months to have all that evidence around them: why would someone expose themselves to that level of risk? The logical thing would be to get rid of it as soon as possible. Also, all the contents of the wallet were found intact, and the water damage of the contents was consistent with prolonged exposure to elements.
I find it hard to believe that someone would travel around with it for six months and risk losing track of some of the contents.
But in case your still not convinced:
I bought an identical wallet on Ebay some five years ago (same era, same color, etc...). I buried it in the snow on November 3, 20xx at the same location where the original wallet was found. Six months later I had the police dig it up. Police confirmed that the "dummy" wallet showed the same evidence of deterioration as the actual wallet. Therefore, the wallet had been left there for six months.
Don't get seduced by pet theories and intuition. It can kill an investigation.
JJA
posted by John Allore @ 1/27/2009 09:45:00 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Well, in this photo, the wallet DOES look like it has spent the winter in the ditch.
I had only ever seen the colour picture that you posted on the blog and that red wallet did look pretty new and undamaged.
I don't think it makes any difference in my theory/opinion of who killed Theresa, but I had been thinking that IF her killer had had the wallet in his possession for that time, that someone might have seen it and would hopefully disclose this information.
Now to address your questions:
"Why would someone wait six months to discard the wallet? Six months to have all that evidence around them: why would someone expose themselves to that level of risk?"
Yes, the logical thing would be to get rid of it as soon as possible, but that's not always the case. I don't even know where to begin to list all of the cases where murderers were caught because they were in possession of their victims' belongings (wallets, credit cards, backpacks, clothing, jewelery...), or they were tied to unsolved murders once they were caught for one and when their home/work place was searched and other victims' possessions were found.
They do this. Keeping their victims' possessions is an illogical risky thing to do...BUT they do it.
Yes, they keep tokens, but not like that. Not for 6 months, then dispose so visibly. It's possible, but not probable. Theresa's neckless that is missing? Now that would be a probable candidate for a token.
JJA
Any pictures of that necklace that you could post?
"Don't get seduced by pet theories and intuition. It can kill an investigation."
If only the officers (actually, all officers!) focused more on that threat.
-Belle
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