Maryland Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary

Fox, CNN, Press Conferences | October 9, 2002 | Fox, CNN, Press Conferences

[Peach]

Another press conference due soon. To avoid multiple vanity threads regarding any news that comes from press conferences, thought we'd keep a live commentary thread going again today.

[ET(end tyranny)]

They are searching for a suspicious person near a high school, that was seen in a wooded area.

[Hatteras]

You're going to have to give up the cemetary idea. Yes, it's close by but you can not see the Amoco Station from the cemetary and you can't see the front window of Michael's from the cemetary and there are no cemetaries near the other sites. (some people look at Leisure World as a live-in cemetary but I digress...)

I know this area fairly well, there are churches, cemetaries and parks all over, there is bound to be one or the other within a mile of each shooting site. You can't just look at a map, you have to know the terrain also.

[Terriergal]

Very well may be possible... but knowing how I knew how to avoid giving myself away as a kid when I was trying to hide something, I just don't know how effective it will be.

Certainly worth a try though!

[ET(end tyranny)]

Hope they get this puke.

[Quilla]

I've really enjoyed your posts - they're nearly as good as a John Sanford novel. I agree with your assessment that the killer will not like the name "Beltway Murderer" - the name makes me think of Mort Kondrake.(sp) I hope you're right about this nut contacting the media. Any contact should contain a clue.

[Terriergal]

No, I know you didn't. I was just tying it in to a comment I keep hearing floating around the airwaves.

[aristeides]

According to the Washington Times article (Glendening emerges to talk about sniper ,) Glendening's statement has come in for a lot of criticism from officials.

[Hatteras]

I was thinking about this tarot card thing and the reference to the mother, daughter, father, son aspect. Does this mean that because he knows through the news reports that the 13-year old (son) survived, he will go after another young boy?

[browardchad]

I just like to base my supposition on cofirmed fact.

Agreed. I tend to believe the info on the tarot card, since the Washington Post picked it up from Channel 9's story last night. (The WP, in spite of its politics, usually doesn't go with unconfirmed sourcs on factual, (not political), stories.)

That said, your comment on "headshots" versus "body shots" is an example of the "telephone" game mentality at play. The media I listened to, and read, reported the body shots (there was only one head shot, but it was the one the media used most often -- the body on the bench under the sheet -- so the story got twisted in viewers' minds, and has been reflected on FR.)

The other urban legends I've seen here are that the perp shot from 300+ yards away from the school, while the WP reported yesterday that the casing was found approx. 150 yards from the school.

As far as Moose goes, I've seen quite a few of his press conferences. It was Moose himself, not the media, who made the statement about the schools being safe, about an hour before the school shooting. After yesterday's photo op with state and local politicians, the Governor's irresponsible statement and Chief Ramsey's glorious visage, I don't watch them any more.

Brit Hume had the best offhand comment last night when throwing to a reporter: "the Maryland police, who don't have a lot to tell us, but have a lot to say." That about sums it up. If Moose insists on getting on camera with no info, then fielding reporter's questions, and jumping on Fox and who knows what other channels in between, who's actually running this investigation? Certainly not Moose, since he spends most of his time on TV.

As far as Moose's criticism of the WP, they have written more than one complimentary piece on him, and even have a piece today defending all his press conferences.

I'm not defending the press -- a lot of what they put out is garbage -- but this shooting effects a heck of a lot of people in the DC area, who are wondering where this perp will strike next. I would rather read the Washington Post and other sources and draw my own conclusions than listen to either Mr. Moose's endless meandering or the TV "profilers" who seem to be stuck in a timewarp. Most of the talking heads on TV virtually do nothing but parrot what the WP prints, while others don't even bother to familiarize themselves with the case before spouting off.

[aristeides]

Yes, I remembered your statement, but I couldn't remember that it was you that had made it. Otherwise I would have flagged you to congratulate you on making such an accurate prediction.

[aristeides]

I wonder if Irish Travellers use those white box vans much.

[aristeides]

Others agree with you about Glenspending's statement: Glendening emerges to talk about sniper .

[xsrdx]

From my perspective, "government workers" include the SF Medic in Afghanistan, the beat cop on patrol in DC, the FBI ballistics expert reviewing evidence, the CIA operative working undercover in Syria, and the guys that go into burning buildings to save your cat.

Is being a telemarketer, personal injury lawyer, or hollywood producer somehow more noble than being a "government worker"??

[aristeides]

Speaking of connections, anybody notice that Mike Bushanan shares a last name with the first shooting victim on Thursday morning, James Buchanan?

[isthisnickcool]

Meant to mention in my previous post, Irish Travelers often use Tarot cards.

The last thing the Travelers want is to be noticed. They want cash and something like this is not good for business.

[aristeides]

It was already announced last Thursday that the Secret Service was involved. They gave some not very plausible explanation about Secret Service people already working on some other project in Montgomery County, so that they just happened to be there. I think the explanation is different.

[ET(end tyranny)]

searching near Clinton Maryland

[aristeides]

"I am God" would be outrageous blasphemy to a Muslim.

And for that reason would be very effective misdirection if the killer is a Moslem.

And I don't think saying that would count as a sin if it is done in the cause of jihad. Remember that the hijackers drank alcohol, went to strip joints, and ate takeout Chinese food (laced with pork).

[Peach]

Irish Travelers probably do use white box vans - they're common as grass and since IT's do a lot of "home repairs", it's likely they'd need equipment, or at least the appearance of having equipment, in order to convince homeowners to let these strangers make repairs to their homes.

[two23]

I noticed on maps posted yesterday that there is a creek running thru the wooded area...made me wonder if the perp had been "camping" in the wooded area and walking thru the creek to throw off sniffer dogs.
Looks like LE is setting up a perrimeter around the wooded area.