So What About the White Van?

Associated Press ^ | Oct 25, 2002 | AP

[spycatcher]

In the end, it wasn't the white van. Or the white box truck. It was a blue Chevrolet Caprice, the favored undercover car of police departments across the country.

On Thursday, after arresting Gulf War veteran John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, investigators said their 1990 sedan was the vehicle from which they killed 10 and wounded three.

[spycatcher]

Of course hard evidence is more reliable, but we're obviously talking about where we have no hard evidence to otherwise go on.

Eyewitnesses are as reliable as good circumstantial evidence which is also used to convict people.

[spycatcher]

Oh, and forensic evidence is overrated as well. There are often conflicting experts legitimately saying the physical evidence points in opposite directions. So much for any guarantee of certainty. DNA of course is a modern exception. But even then, lab results can and have been faked by police techs loking for the big bust. One Oklahoma woman was recently found faking lab results for her whole career. And of course the FBI lab has been castigated recently for massive problems with key physical evidence.

Each case is unique and nothing should be discounted out of hand. Especially in cases like TWA800 where there may be hundreds of independent eyewitnesses (including pilots) to the exact same thing, yet the "hard science" in the case is boiled down to a CIA video that defies all physics laws known on planet earth. And where fanciful speculation about an innocent spark igniting the fuel tank is deemed to be fact.

[per loin]

Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose, who leads the sniper investigation, was also asked about the car, but seemed to brush it aside.

I would like to read the police report of the witness who saw the car drive away. Did they mention the race of the driver?

[Born on the Storm King]

...like profilers, psychologists and psychics!

I learned some serious lessons from viewing this sniper escapade. My faith in Fox News decreased about 33%. I've come to the conclusion that they are quite stupid and inexperienced. They failed to get any small arms weapons experts of note. I was gnashing my teeth because I would have appeared as an Albert Einstein of small arms knowledge compared to what they were talking about. Then I equate my knowledge of small arms to some of the Freeper small arms experts, and I am just like a little mouse! But the one that blew my mind is when the CNN reporter asked the Montgomery, AL police chief, "Did Malvo rob the liquor store with the .223?" These reporters are stupid beyond belief!

And my faith in law enforcement decreased 33%. The newsclip that got me there is when the BATF were trying to back the trailer with the Caprice in it into the BATF lab---there were 10-15 guys standing around there and they couldn't even figure out how back the effin' trailer into the garage! That's what they showed in most of that trailer footage after each shooting---dozens of cops standin' around like it was some effin cocktail party---GET YOUR BUTTS OUT ON PATROL!

Finally, on Tuesday, I started listening to Michael Savage. I've felt better since because he's in a rage like me---I like what Savage said---"profilers, schmofilers!"

[livius]

Mohammed's girlfriend in NJ was known to have a white van. Both she and it are missing.

[leadhead]

I had wondered if the white van was just a decoy

Overthinking! Overthinking!

Actually, the white van was carrying duck nooses.

[Ligeia]

A local DC talk show host is talking about a "White Van and Truck Driver Appreciation Day" so the community can kiss and make up with those who were put through so much grief and aggravation during the last three weeks. So far, I haven't heard any complaints from drivers of white vans and trucks about what they've gone through. All comments have been good-natured. I'm sure they wanted the killers caught along with everyone else.

[csvset]

Last night, my wife and I went out to dinner. While at a stop light, I looked one lane over and saw a white van, with a roof rack and the left tail light was out.

Lol, insert "Twilight Zone" music here. There are a zillion white vans out there!

[spycatcher]

Mohammed's girlfriend in NJ was known to have a white van. Both she and it are missing.

I wonder if she owns a .223 rifle? Like a moose with a duck in a noose...

[Paul Atreides]

Okay, what is all of this about duck nooses?

[ralph rotten]

paul--A long sleep does the body good!

[TankGurrrl]

I've been having this funny feeling that Mohammed might have had an "allotted" time to do this.... then he passes the word on (through Chief Moose) that "the duck is in the noose"... (meaning he's about to be done/captured)... he turns himself in (for all practical purposes since they would have been a LONG time finding him without his own clues)... and then, while everyone is breathing their sighs of relief, the next one starts... either in the DC area -- or the next heavily populated area they're going to target.

And wouldn't that strike TERROR in people if they realized there was some sort of loose terrorist affiliation... I don't even have to call it Al Queida (sp?)... but sympathizers or "similars"...

Yes, I've got my tin foil on... but it sure is a possibility...

[Poohbah]

What probably happened is that the shooter (whichever one was shooting) was being coached by the non-shooter, and given the green light when there was a white van pulling away from the immediate area.

Shot is fired, witnesses look around, witnesses see white van rolling away, witnesses add 2 and 2 and get 22.

A real nervy SOB would not "shoot and scoot," they'd shoot and stay in the area.