Posted on 12/20/2004 10:57:51 AM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative
A CHILLING exchange on an internet chat board for rat terrier owners shows how a Kansas woman, who allegedly ripped the baby out of a pregnant dog breeder, set up the meeting.
Other exchanges show how board members figured out what must have happened and pointed police to the suspect.
The first message in the tragic chain was posted Wednesday at 4:22pm, by a woman calling herself Darlene Fischer, with the screen name "fischer4kids" -- but who authorities have said was really accused killer Lisa Montgomery.
The note was the bait to trap victim Bobbie Jo Stinnett.
"I was recommended to you by (name withheld by the New York Daily News) and have been unable to reach you by either phone or e-mail," the message read. "Please get in touch with me soon as we are considering the purchase of one of your puppies and would like to ask a few questions."
Ms Stinnett replied with a cheerful message at 7.44pm: "Darlene, I've e-mailed you with the directions so we can meet. I do so hope that the e-mail reaches you. Great chatting with you on messenger. And do look forward to chatting with you tomorrow am.
"Thanks (name withheld), and talk to you soon, Darlene! Have a great evening. Bobbie."
Montgomery had been on the chat board often, using her own name, posting photos of her rat terrier puppies and seeking mates for her breeding projects.
Early Friday morning, as news reports aired on the horrific baby snatching, regulars on the Ratter Chatter site realised the victim was one of their own. And they realised "Darlene" would have met Bobbie Jo on the day she was killed, and that the woman had arranged the deadly meeting through their chat board.
They recalled both Ms Stinnett and Montgomery discussed their pregnancies on the chat site. Montgomery, who was not pregnant, claimed she was due in days.
"Darlene Fischer was supposed to meet her on (Thursday)," wrote one poster.
One chatter figured out the internet address for Ms Fischer traced back to Kansas -- where the baby was eventually recovered at Montgomery's home.
By 8am, several members had called the police with the information they had gathered.
Police said the tips and a sighting of the suspect's car led them to Montgomery.
By the time it was over, the pain was palpable in the messages. "We just saw a murder plan in front of us and it makes me so sad," wrote one poster.
One woman wrote she'd just been told by the suspect that she was due to give birth the day Ms Stinnett was killed.
"Now I'm just sick as heck," the woman wrote.
Pardon me for being late to the story but did this woman intend to sell the baby or keep her and pass her off as her own?
BTW, if the crime was committed in Missouri, that would be who had jurisdiction in prosecuting the woman. It might be possible, if any additional charges are necessary, that this woman is guilty of fraud.
And doesn't crossing state lines mean she may have committed a federal crime as well?
I keep thinking about picking up the puppy last February, and wondering if it would have been so easy and friendly if this Stinnet murder had taken place last year instead of now.
What is going on with Kansas. With death penalty and CCW laws it seems more like Illinois or Mass. than midwest.
Most death penalty cases call for more than just a horrific murder. Sometimes requirements include premeditation or the commission of another felony in connection with the murder. Kidnapping the baby and taking it across state lines would certainly meet the other felony requirement.
To think, it could have been that easy. This is really one frightening tale that hits close to home. Stay safe Ella.
Powder..Patch..Ball FIRE!
The murder happened in MISSOURI, which has a well functioning death penalty. I think she will find that out.
The child was kidnapped across state lines.
No one else has been charged
yet.
I have a good friend who was swindled in this case, along with many others. The buyers had no reason to believe they were being ripped off, as the seller had several thousand feedbacks, at 99%+ postives. Once people paid, and didn't get their merchandise, they started communicating with each other, set up a Yahoo group, and eventually tracked the guy down. Without the internet, they probably never would have found him (although, you can say that without the internet, those people wouldn't have bought anything from him, but that's besides the point :) ).
But Dan Rather says the Internet is full of rumors.
That's great. The empowerment of the individual is perhaps the greatest achievement of the internet. And that is working out in so many ways.
She started passing the baby off as her own as soon as she got back home (which set off alarms with a couple of folks).
You too. :)
I predict she will be offered a plea for 2nd degree murder, and plea out to a manslaughter charge. The defense has already set this one up perfectly. She lost her baby, was INSANELY fraught with grief and not thinking clearly. She will never be convicted of first degree murder. IMO
This is rather freaky because it reminds me of a post to me from months ago. Someone posted to me on a thread I had posted months before about stillborn babies. It was the first and only post for that poster-name. And it made me rather disturbed as I was expecting at the time. The post was the last on this thread (the tagline plus a related website):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/877452/posts?page=61#61
I wonder if she has tried the same scheme more than once in the past month or so. Maybe she tried something before but the potential victim was not alone or there were other circumstances that made it too difficult to do this horrible crime.
I'm sure the authorities are looking at her Internet usage. The screen name alone should be enough to establish premeditation but if -- and I say if -- it was found that she has been "fishing" before that would really nail her coffin down airtight. Stupid monster thought she was so clever. This b*tch needs to be sent to hell as soon as possible.
The woman had her sentence commuted to life in prison due to bad health, if I am not mistaken.
There appear with some regularity stories about women who gave birth and never knew they were pregnant and men who were presented with babies who never knew their wives were pregnant and more than one baby stealing has been carried out by a woman who has convinced her husband that she has bêen pregnant.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.