Posted on 10/18/2005 5:50:17 AM PDT by smartin
The judge presiding over a multijurisdictional grand jury hearing evidence in Taylor Marie Behl's death has signed a gag order prohibiting witnesses who appear before it from publicly discussing their testimony.
Grand jury proceedings are secret, but witnesses called before the panel are customarily not prohibited from discussing their testimony after appearing.
But yesterday's order, signed by presiding Judge Margaret Spencer, legally binds the witnesses called before the panel, which is expected to convene tomorrow for a second time to hear evidence in the case.
Behl, a 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University freshman, disappeared on Sept. 5. Her decomposed body was discovered on Oct. 5 in a ravine in rural Mathews County, roughly 70 miles east of Richmond.
Police subsequently identified 38-year-old Ben Fawley of Richmond as a suspect in Behl's death. Fawley, a felon who admitted to a previous sexual encounter with Behl, was arrested and held without bond Sept. 23 on charges of possession of child pornography.
No charges have been filed in connection with Behl's death.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212887.shtml
Thanks.
What I'm wondering is why they would drive to Mathews County to have sex in her car. But nothing this guy does or says makes sense.
Not been following this case. How did Fawley get back to Richmond? Kinda' looks like this could have been premeditated.
It looks like he drove her car back to Richmond after killing her in Mathews County. But he first told a story about being kidnapped and mugged and left on a dirt road to be picked up by a good samaritan. (You know, the "I was kidnapped by aliens" story.)
Police impounded the car after a day of surveillance turned up nothing. Monroe said it did not appear it had been there for two weeks.
Its Virginia license plates had been replaced with Ohio plates stolen in Richmond before Behl disappeared, but the vehicle still bore its northern Virginia registration decals.
The gag order is starting to make sense to me.
Apparently, his jail house confession leaked out and the authorities wanted that stopped.
Also, the article says the police are 'skeptical' about his story. I'm thinking that the police suspect there is more than one perp--or at least some one or ones that might be accessories to the fact or after the fact.
Possibly. The dog tracked a scent from where her car was found to Jessie Schultz's family's house. So there is always that possibility.
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.