Posted on 03/09/2008 4:35:40 PM PDT by abb
A photography expert with over 30 years of experience says that a second person can be seen in the back seat of the SUV in a photo provided by police regarding the murder of UNC student Eve Carson.
William Mathis of Mathis & Jones Communications near St. Louis, Missouri initially contacted the Raleigh Chronicle newspaper to provide a color enhanced version of the ATM surveillance photos that were provided by Chapel Hill Police.
UNC student body president Eve Carson, age 22, was found murdered on Wednesday morning in Chapel Hill and police are looking for the man whose photo was taken while using her ATM card.
According to his bio, Mathis is an award-winning expert in photography with over 30 years of experience and works to enhance digital photographs for a living. He uses large format cameras, printers, and other specialized equipment to do his work which has included architectural photography for large architectural firms such as HOK, worked as an official photographer for historic site renovations, and has performed graphic arts design in the sports industry.
Mathis saw an interview with the editor of the Raleigh Chronicle about the case on MSNBC on Sunday morning and decided to help out, especially since he is originally from North Carolina.
"I have daughters at Vanderbilt and University of Maryland and this type of heinous crime has to be stopped," said Mathis. "It is the least I could do."
Mathis provided the Raleigh Chronicle two colorized versions of the original grainy black and white photos that Chapel Hill Police provided to the media on Saturday. He also improved upon the color of the "retro" Houston Astros baseball cap that the suspect appears to be wearing.
However, while working on the photos, Mathis noticed something else in the background, which he did not notice until he started examining the photos closely.
"It also looks like there is a very large person in the backseat," said Mathis, who said he noticed the figure when he printed out a very large copy of the photo.
Mathis has large format printers that can print copies of pictures several feet across, to the point of being life-sized.
"When I blew them up, I noticed...hey, there's another person back there," said Mathis.
Mathis said an outline of a shoulder can be seen in the back seat and although no face can be seen, he feels that after reviewing the photo that another person is in the vehicle.
"[The figure] is a very big man," said Mathis.
Mathis said he believes the second person in the back seat is also wearing a baseball cap.
Indeed, looking at the original black and white photographs provided by police (see below), a very dark outline against the light-colored leather seats of the SUV in the back can be seen. The outline blocks all light and does not seem to be a shadow.
The outline seems to be in the shape of a person, although that is certainly not confirmed by Chapel Hill Police at this time. It could be something else that simply appears to be a person in the photographs.
Mathis said it would be better to work with a higher resolution version of the photo than the one handed out to the media.
Chapel Hill Police have not mentioned a second person in their discussions of the case, but the Raleigh Chronicle will notify police of the photo expert's opinion.
The official spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, Lt. Kevin Gunter, was not immediately available for comment in the case. Two messages were left with the police department on Sunday afternoon including one with the staff duty officer at the front desk.
Might I recommend that you read the article? It describes in detail what was done with the picture, and by whom.
If the victim was a lovely young black woman who was the president of the student body at UNC, I think it would be just as big a story. The press would say (truthfully) that a life of such promise had been snuffed out.
“Has anyone mentioned that the skank using the murdered beauty’s ATM card is black?”
We can’t say that.
Yesterday, when describing the perpetrator, CNN said it.
Finally. Maybe now you will have time to READ and further your understanding of what folks have been trying to tell you.
What on earth are you talking about?
What is the object laying against the dashboard seen just behind the steering wheel?
“Yesterday, when describing the perpetrator, CNN said it.”
Mark it on your calendar. It doesn’t happen very often.
In the last couple of years, I have found CNN to be better than Fox for news coverage. CNN seems to be making an effort to be more balanced.
I really don’t watch Fox much anymore.
I had so much rage against this guy at first - well I still do, but imagine how clear it is to him now what a low life worthless piece of _______ he is. It's got to be painful to him to be that low. I hope it is.
“Do we hate all blacks because she was murdered by a black man?”
No.
But I hate the violent subculture that many young black men buy into.
It’s NOT about race, it’s about culture.
What on earth are you talking about?
If you would have looked to see who I was replying to (hint, it wasn't you) and then look at the question she asked you might understand what it means, although I think those three statements are pretty self explanatory.
I did read. That is why I ask. It seems apparent that she is offering a possible description of the perp. You offered a description of yourself.
I'm just trying to figure out who is crazy...me or you.
Perhaps Southerngal can help...
And, as a note, I'll respond to an post or poster that I please.
Well there you go, I’d be wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time!
Ohhh, see I thought you were nice. My mistake.
Be sure to not have anything resembling ‘chat’ or ‘discussion’ without first making sure you are correct because we might make theymakemesick ticked off.
FF, I don't care who you respond to.
...without first making sure you are correct because we might make theymakemesick ticked off.
FWIW, I don't believe that I said that anyone was not correct, I just stated and defended my position on the topic.
Hey, wait a minute. Have they captured this individual? Do they know who it is yet? Maybe I missed that article.
From today: As police in North Carolina work to identify a man who used Eve Carson’s ATM card on the night she was shot, those who knew the enormously talented young woman are on a different quest — to make sure her spirit lives on.
So if you are so sure about this person and where he is from, where he lived, etc... HOW are you so sure? Do you know him? If so, why haven’t you called the police with your information yet? I want to know why you claimed I was WRONG with my guess (insultingly no less by calling me a liberal for a ‘drive by media’ speculation) unless you know something concrete.
No, you said quite sarcastically “You’d be wrong...” and then snipped in a later post “nice drive by media technique” and called me a liberal in my behavior. I thought you WERE just joking around until the second post. That is what made ME a little angry to be honest. If you notice I messaged you “well, I’m wrong”. The second one kind of upset me. And I still don’t know how you KNOW I was wrong if we don’t even know who this person is.
No, you said quite sarcastically “You’d be wrong...”
I was commenting on the fact that I didn't say that anyone was wrong regarding the topic of the thread, not whether were right or wrong about me incorrectly thinking you were calling me a Katrina refugee.
So if you are so sure about this person and where he is from, where he lived, etc...
How did you go from my posts regarding a fake "H" on a picture to "So if you are so sure about this person and where he is from, where he lived, etc..."???
okay, you’re right....but I think the odds of the murderer being somewhere other than Chapel Hill are pretty high...
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