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DC Sniper: Middle Eastern connection
AP reports ^ | Self

Posted on 10/18/2002 8:39:36 PM PDT by jaime1959

The big news today was that VA authorities are filing charges against Matthew Dowdy of Falls Church for making a false statement about the last shooting on Monday night.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - Virginia authorities on Friday arrested a man accused of misleading investigators in the Washington-area sniper shootings by falsely describing an olive-skinned man and a cream-colored Chevrolet Astro van with a burned-out taillight at the scene of one killing.

Matthew Dowdy, 37, of Falls Church, Va., was arrested by Fairfax County, Va., police Friday afternoon and charged with making a false statement, said police spokeswoman Isabel Benemelis. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail.

Authorities began doubting his story - what had initially seemed a good break in the frustrating case - after comparing it with accounts from others who saw the fatal shooting of an FBI analyst Monday night in a shopping center parking garage.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20021018/D7MO9QCO0.html

This charge against Dowdy supposedly debunks a possible Middle Eastern connection (olive-skinned man), right?

However, Mr. Dowdy wasn't the only witness to see a man of possible Middle Eastern descent leaving the scene in a white van.

(AP) Robert Young, a Washington construction worker, was among witnesses who returned to the shopping center Tuesday to talk with police. He said he had heard a muffled gunshot and seen a white van Monday night.

Young said as he backed his truck out of his parking spot, a white Astro van with two men inside tried to turn into his lane. He said the driver appeared very agitated to find his way blocked and instead drove by a neighboring restaurant and out of sight.

Young described the driver as a short man of slight build who appeared to be Middle Eastern. "I got a good look at the guy," he said.

The driver "seemed to be excessively irritated because he couldn't pull into my lane," he said. "I thought this fool was going to want to get out of the van and duke or something. But he didn't. He kept on going."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021016/ap_on_re_us/sniper_shootings_214

So, while Mr. Dowdy may have lied, we have another witness who also saw a Middle Eastern looking man leaving the scene in a white van.

Curious.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Maryland; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: investigation; middleeastern; sniper
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Your thoughts?
1 posted on 10/18/2002 8:39:36 PM PDT by jaime1959
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To: jaime1959
More than just one other witness, I thought.

Long before the Home Depot slaying, I recall news postings here that said that two guys that looked like Latinos (to a Marylander) were spotted in a white cargo truck.

That was after one of the first shootings.

2 posted on 10/18/2002 8:44:08 PM PDT by The KG9 Kid
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To: jaime1959
According to the original news report, Robert Young was very definite. He said there was a small, angry Middle-Eastern man driving a white van, with another man sitting in the passenger seat, who tried to pull into his lane.

He also said that he had a good look at him and would recognize him if he saw him again.

Freepers have indeed been confusing the two of them. I suspect that Moose and the authorities are deliberately using the arrest of the other fellow to obfuscate the matter and bury the idea that the murderer may be a Muslim terrorist. Naturally the press is happy to help.

I noted at the time Young's statement came out that Young said "Middle-Eastern," the police spokesman said "Hispanic or Middle Eastern," and AP dropped that from its description entirely, even in the original story.
3 posted on 10/18/2002 8:49:39 PM PDT by Cicero
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To: jaime1959
Does Dowdy own and use a scanner? There are wannabees everywhere, at fires, at crime scenes, gawking on response teams at auto accidents.
4 posted on 10/18/2002 8:52:21 PM PDT by MHGinTN
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To: jaime1959
More made up bull crap. The shooter was on a bank with schrubs across the street. He shot from the prone position and left no clues.

The parking lanes are one way. Are we to believe this killer in the white van turned the wong way down a one way lane. If he was going the proper direction he pulled up behind the guy backing out. It is hard to get a good look through the body of your vehicle over your shoulder at a while van behind you.

But if the guy was going the wrong way it is very likely that he would not sit and glare. He is a killer trying to get away. If he doesn't get several miles down the road before the road is blocked he is toast. He has a rifle in the van. He can't get stopped and searched.

If he saw a car backing out blocking his way, he would be in reverse and backing out before any one could get much of a look at him. He would be looking in his rear view mirror or over his own shoulder backing up.

This liarn is no more credible than the last liar. They just can't prove he did not see a van or he would be in jail too. But he certainly did not see the van of a killer. Most likely he is making it up. I doubt there is a white van.

More likely a guy wearing a priests collar and driving a Ford Fiesta with a parsih name on the door.

5 posted on 10/18/2002 8:54:05 PM PDT by Common Tator
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To: jaime1959
"Middle Eastern" can look just like many Mexicans - or Puerto Rican or even many Jews.

Witnesses were describing these guys as "Hispanic" long before any described them as Middle Eastern.

Just how good are the Washington "snipers?" Are they skilled at all?

6 posted on 10/18/2002 8:57:15 PM PDT by glc1173@aol.com
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To: jaime1959
man leaving the scene in a white van.

Therefore, a white guy.

7 posted on 10/18/2002 8:58:54 PM PDT by Vigilanteman
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To: Cicero; jaime1959; VaBthang4
I suspect that Moose and the authorities are deliberately using the arrest of the other fellow to obfuscate the matter and bury the idea that the murderer may be a Muslim terrorist ---Cicero

I really doubt that Moose and co. would allow this perp to make a fool of them if they knew he was mid-eastern. Right now they are too concerned in apprehending the perp to bother with conspiracy theories (eg: the perp is mid-eastern and the cops are hiding the fact due some underground conspiracy between the US govt and mid-eastern Cabals to allow some shootings so that the US can attack Iraq)! You would be surprised with some of the stupid stuff floating around the web, and to be honest i am ashamed to even repeat it on FR since such trash should stay in the trash heaps of cyberspace!

And by the way several experts (ranging from FBI investigators, forensic experts, people concerned with foreign terrorist activities, and even one of the founding members of the Delta Force) have said that this perp (or as most say perpS) is/are just wannabees who are domestic and trying to spread some carnage.

Anyways whether this is 'bubba gone wild' domestic nut case or whether it is the top notch al Queda head honcho the thing is saying the following "I suspect that Moose and the authorities are deliberately using the arrest of the other fellow to obfuscate the matter and bury the idea that the murderer may be a Muslim terrorist" sounds too much like some of that conspiracy trash i have seen on the web.

Right now i am still wondering if this perp is just lucky or whether the Moose and his fellows are just incompetent/unlucky (or maybe both), but i highly doubt Moose and co. are refusing to release full evidence because the guy may be Islamic.

Or maybe i have not yet acquired the latest tin-foil cap!

This perp(s) may turn out to be domestic nutjobs (which is more probable), or they may turn out to be foreign ....but one thing i can say i am certain of is that the cops are not trying to 'obfuscate' the crime because they fear it may be the work of a foreign islamic terrorist.

8 posted on 10/18/2002 9:05:08 PM PDT by spetznaz
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To: spetznaz
I'm not saying the police ARE trying to obfuscate the crime. I just find it interesting that Dowdy's false statement is being used to debunk the notion of a ME connection, when at least one other witness also cited a "Middle Eastern-looking man" leaving the scene quickly in a white van.
9 posted on 10/18/2002 9:11:17 PM PDT by jaime1959
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To: jaime1959
Young described the driver as a short man of slight build who appeared to be Middle Eastern. "I got a good look at the guy," he said.

If he got "a good look at the guy," then why no composite sketch?

10 posted on 10/18/2002 9:11:35 PM PDT by demlosers
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To: spetznaz
Dear Duude!

I respectfully disagree. Remember when the El AAL (or however it's spelled ) ticket agent shot it out with that free lance islamofastist "dik head" in Los Angelos, the feds were quick to LABEL it a Non- terriorist incident?!
11 posted on 10/18/2002 9:12:17 PM PDT by kennyboy509
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To: jaime1959
I wonder if the authorities are suppressing the ME link because they're scared of causing mass hysteria, which would ruin the economy? Can't take a chance at losing control....
12 posted on 10/18/2002 9:22:24 PM PDT by demlosers
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To: spetznaz
Why name yourself after the Soviet Union's special forces? Isn't that kind of like naming yourself Mr. SS?
13 posted on 10/18/2002 9:22:53 PM PDT by vbmoneyspender
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To: Common Tator
The parking lanes are one way.....

.....do wha?.....

.....i dunno bout dat.....

14 posted on 10/18/2002 9:27:14 PM PDT by cyberaxe
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To: spetznaz
Or maybe i have not yet acquired the latest tin-foil cap!
Why exactly would you require a tinfoil cap to consider the possibility that the sniper is a midlle-eastern terrorist. And why do you consider such a statement to rate with UFO conspiracies?

You state that in your vast knowledge that you somehow know that the sniper is far more likely to be a domestic whacko??? Please do tell us, why is it far more likely??? Is it because you are part of the blame America first crowd? Or you simply hate guns? Or hate the second ammendment or what?

You are a victim of the PC mentality. The very thought of stating the obvious horrifies you, you would much rather blame America or in this case an American before considering the far more plausible scenario and that is that the guy is in fact a middle eastern terrorist, or at least a sympathizer wannabe, in our midst. Do you really think that there aren't any here? Who's keeping them out?

Wake up already, you have muslim leaders TELLING you in very plain language that one day you will wake up and there will be an army of muslims in your country and that then it will be too late! They have stated so again and again! What are you deaf!!!
15 posted on 10/18/2002 9:29:05 PM PDT by RebelDawg
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To: jaime1959
Your thoughts?

So far, I think most of what we have heard is probably garbage. I'm not ready to assume anything.

16 posted on 10/18/2002 9:29:16 PM PDT by The Other Harry
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To: kennyboy509
It appears to me that the policy by our government is to talk away any terrorist acts inside the United States if possible.
And terrorist acts that takes place overseas is easily labeled Al Queda attack. As examples the Bali bombing and tanker-ship attack.
17 posted on 10/18/2002 9:29:45 PM PDT by demlosers
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To: cyberaxe
wow--I'm pretty impressed with the pic you posted! A Surveying LEO--that's pretty cool!
18 posted on 10/18/2002 9:31:35 PM PDT by aeronca
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To: jaime1959
Greta said on her show tonite that Downey was spotted on a vidio tape inside the Home Depot at the time the shooting outside. She also said he had a prior conviction with time stayed if he was a good boy. He will get an automatic 6 months for that.
19 posted on 10/18/2002 9:34:57 PM PDT by tubebender
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To: RebelDawg
I am not saying the person may not be middleeastern! That is a distinct possibility. Personally i think it is a domestic nut job but there is always the chance it is a foreign terrorist (and on another thread i told some fellow freepers i would eat my hat if it turned out to be Al Queda).

What i was saying in that post is that i think saying Moose and his fellow cops are protecting the perp because he is a muslim terrorist is up there with reports of Sasquatch and the lil' green men with antennae. That was my focus not whether the guy is muslim or not. That is a possibility (that the perp or perps are al queda) but i refuse to accept that the area police are refusing to apprehend the perp because he is muslim.

And that is why i said maybe my refusal to accept that theory is due to my not having the latest tin-foil accessory.

20 posted on 10/18/2002 9:37:21 PM PDT by spetznaz
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