IU student murdered, suspect in custody

[drillsgt]

Did I miss something in the story, what's up with the cab then? Is there follow-up with the cab company(ies)?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Sheesh... listening to Messel's record, and all the plea deals and early releases, it sounds like Monroe county's "revolving door" justice system may be as bad or worse than Marion county.

 

[T.Lex]

Did I miss something in the story, what's up with the cab then? Is there follow-up with the cab company(ies)?

That is one missing data point. I'm sure the news reporters are trying to find out, too - and the cab company is probably STFU. Or, with extra tin foil, it may not have been a cab.

I believe the PCA says the cab was just passing by. May not have been on duty.

 

[Fargo]

Oh - I can totally see how such an opinion would be formed based on MSM reporting. When I was in the criminal law game, though, I would say there were more examples of stranger-abduction-rape not being killed than killed. It was certainly violent, but it wasn't serial-rapist-murderer type stuff.

I would (as usual) be open to correction. I'm not sure if the FBI crime stats report that sort of thing.

Edit:
Also, there may be a reporting issue in another way: I'm not sure we can determine how many instances there are of die-before-submission. Those would typically just be murder, or murder and abuse of corpse.

You are aware I practice purely criminal law for a living right???? My experience and opinion has nothing to do with the MSM.

You really think that an older guy who kidnaps a college coed from a wealthy family for purposes of rape is going to let her go be a witness? Maybe if she was an inner city prostitute/addict, but in this case there is no way in hell. The only substantial chance he has of getting away with it is if there isn't even a body for forensics etc; much less a walking talking witness/victim.

Look at the Spierer case and the assets dedicated to it. Do you really think it would be unsolved if whoever took her let her go?

I know the bulk of your time in criminal law was in appeals for the AG's office, right? You are aware that the only folks that get to appeal are the folks that get caught and convicted? I'm not surprised you normally only saw the cases where the vic was left alive.

There aren't many criminal appeals on the folks who get away with it or on bodies never found...

 

[bwframe]

I took a motorcycle ride down by Lake Lemon to check for fishermen/fishing reports. Ran accross a state police officer on the Southshore causeway looking at the roadsides. I then seen the other officer several hundred yards away doing the same. I spoke with the second officer. He said they were looking for evidence, focusing on blood and hair.

 

[PistolBob]

Looking for evidence....I wonder if the Kia that Messel was driving had a GPS system in it.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Sheesh... listening to Messel's record, and all the plea deals and early releases, it sounds like Monroe county's "revolving door" justice system may be as bad or worse than Marion county.

I pulled up his mycase and it doesn't look too substantial. He got 8 years in 1996 for battery with a deadly weapon. Prior to that some DUI and Hit/Run along with 2 battery misdemeanors.

There may be things that aren't in my case, but for over a decade the only thing he's had are a Disorderly Conduct and a speeding ticket as far as Mycase goes.

 

[bwframe]

Looking for evidence....I wonder if the Kia that Messel was driving had a GPS system in it.

I couldn't speak to that, but there are only two routes he could have readily taken between Bloomington and where the body was found. The state police were searching one of them. The officer I spoke with did not elaborate on whether they were there covering all options or had specific information pointing to that stretch of road.

 

[T.Lex]

You are aware I practice purely criminal law for a living right???? My experience and opinion has nothing to do with the MSM.

haha

Actually, I did not know that - or knew it at one time and forgot. I don't really bother keeping track of which screen names go with which people, with a few exceptions.

You really think that an older guy who kidnaps a college coed from a wealthy family for purposes of rape is going to let her go be a witness? Maybe if she was an inner city prostitute/addict, but in this case there is no way in hell. The only substantial chance he has of getting away with it is if there isn't even a body for forensics etc; much less a walking talking witness/victim.

Newsflash: college coeds get raped and not murdered... a lot. By strangers. (Pardon the facetiousness.)

Look at the Spierer case and the assets dedicated to it. Do you really think it would be unsolved if whoever took her let her go?

If she were found alive, the case wouldn't have had the resources dedicated. Plus, unless they got a hit in the DNA database, or there was something unique about her attacker (presumably a stranger), the case would probably still be open.

I know the bulk of your time in criminal law was in appeals for the AG's office, right? You are aware that the only folks that get to appeal are the folks that get caught and convicted? I'm not surprised you normally only saw the cases where the vic was left alive.

Man - you keep MUCH better track than I do!

But, more to your point, I handled more than my share of cases with the autopsy photos and capital/LWOP sentences.

There aren't many criminal appeals on the folks who get away with it or on bodies never found...

Nor do those people need defense attorneys. How many murder trials have you done without a body? How many rapes without a murder?

Regardless, I respect your opinion formed over your experiences. And I don't really care if you respect mine. Killing is a line that relatively few rapists cross.

Again, I'm really not arguing with you about this guy. We don't know yet how it all went down. But, if she bled out where she was left, it means he left her alive, without even trying to rape her. If he were the rape-em-then-kill-em type, I don't see him stopping just because she was unconscious.

 

[bwframe]

Friends of Hannah Wilson still coming to grips with IU student's - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Friends, school mates, parents, family, memorials, tributes...

...not a single solitary mention of DON'T DRINK YOURSELF DEAD.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Friends of Hannah Wilson still coming to grips with IU student's - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Friends, school mates, parents, family, memorials, tributes...

...not a single solitary mention of DON'T DRINK YOURSELF DEAD.

The drinking to excess should be addressed and kids need to look out for themselves and each other.

I see your statement as victim blaming.

Predators are the problem, not drunken co-eds.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

The drinking to excess should be addressed and kids need to look out for themselves and each other.

I see your statement as victim blaming.

Predators are the problem, not drunken co-eds.

I don't see it as victim blaming, I see it as bemoaning the lack of constructive advice at a time that it might sink in.

If someone murdered this girl, then it is obviously the murderer's fault, not the victim's. Unfortunately, there is zero chance that we can change the mind of potential murder's out there by asking them on television news not to murder. There is a chance that we can reach potential victims and change their mind from making themselves easier to victimize.

I hear it again and again in self defense classes "Don't go stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things". Those instructors are not chastizing me, blaming me for the chance that someone will attack me. Those instructors are trying to help me, make me harder to kill, help me have a better life.

I would risk being Politically Incorrect in the hope of making our youth harder to victimize.

 

[CindyE]

In the name of Equality, it is also important to talk to sons.

Just leaving this here:
Footprints At The River's Edge: Who is Edward Lanphear?

(That happened in the home town of a friend of mine.)

Agreed...girls are usually more vulnerable, but it does happen to males. Yikes.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I pulled up his mycase and it doesn't look too substantial. He got 8 years in 1996 for battery with a deadly weapon. Prior to that some DUI and Hit/Run along with 2 battery misdemeanors.

There may be things that aren't in my case, but for over a decade the only thing he's had are a Disorderly Conduct and a speeding ticket as far as Mycase goes.

Mycase only shows the final disposition of the case. That "Disorderly Conduct" was for beating a coworker and pounding their head into the ground repeatedly (the result of a plea deal). And that 8 year sencence? Served 3. Not good enough. I am still of the opinion that judges and parole boards need to be held personally accountable for the people for whom they agree to early releases and plea deals. That would slow down the revolving door if they knew that they would be subject to the same charges as the criminal that goes out and commits more crime after getting his wrist slapped.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Mycase only shows the final disposition of the case. That "Disorderly Conduct" was for beating a coworker and pounding their head into the ground repeatedly (the result of a plea deal). And that 8 year sencence? Served 3. Not good enough. I am still of the opinion that judges and parole boards need to be held personally accountable for the people for whom they agree to early releases and plea deals. That would slow down the revolving door if they knew that they would be subject to the same charges as the criminal that goes out and commits more crime after getting his wrist slapped.

I don't disagree with you, but at the end of the day its still a misdemeanor and he'd have been back out to do regardless. I lock up people who will have 5-10 pages of misdemeanors and low level felonies fairly routinely. Perhaps I'm just jaded at this point.

 

[T.Lex]

From Indystar updated reporting:

Sgt. Curt Durnil, a spokesman for the Indiana State Police in Bloomington, said detectives have talked to the cab driver and the owner of the cab company, who are not suspects in the case.
"From what I understand, they were able to convey that they did take her to the residence that she requested," Durnil said.

I also heard somewhere - I think it was on 59 last night - that dude's stepdad had said that dude talked recently about a girl named "Hannah" that he'd met at the bar. Have no idea of the accuracy of that.

Edit:
http://fox59.com/2015/04/26/relative-says-co-eds-murder-suspect-spoke-of-a-hannah/

The man who raised murder suspect Daniel Messel told FOX59 News that his son spoke of knowing a girl named “Hannah” from the bars near the Indiana University campus in the weeks before coed Hannah Wilson disappeared and was found slain Friday morning.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I don't disagree with you, but at the end of the day its still a misdemeanor and he'd have been back out to do regardless. I lock up people who will have 5-10 pages of misdemeanors and low level felonies fairly routinely. Perhaps I'm just jaded at this point.

It would be hard not to be jaded when you guys do your job only to have the criminals right back out there the very next day.

 

[indytechnerd]

From Indystar updated reporting:


I also heard somewhere - I think it was on 59 last night - that dude's stepdad had said that dude talked recently about a girl named "Hannah" that he'd met at the bar. Have no idea of the accuracy of that.

Edit:
Relative says murder suspect spoke about a ?Hannah? before Indiana University student disappeared | Fox 59

So it's distinctly possible that this will turn out to NOT be a stranger, and that the unfortunate girl was not a target of opportunity, but a victim of stalking to the extreme?

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

I wonder if he ever spoke of a Lauren???