Fire in upper NW?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the housekeeper did receive a text from the "mother's phone", asking her not to come into work that day (and there is no reason to think she didn't), it suggests essentially two possibilities:

(1) the mother had the foresight to prevent her housekeeper from stumbling into a dangerous situation, and was able to convince the perpetrator(s) that it was in his best interest to keep other parties away; and

Never. Not even remotely a possibility. What mother would ruin the best possible chance of saving her 10 year old son's life (and her own) by warning off someone due at the house shortly. That hope is the only thing that would keep me going in a situation like that.

You must not be a parent, PP

No need to criticize the other poster! Geez.

But I agree that if I was being held hostage and I knew that someone from outside was about to show up I might not think to warn them to stay away. I would just be so relieved that someone else was coming and could potentially help me.

I guess this is selfish but I'm honestly not sure which way I would lean in this sort of situation.
Perhaps it was a hostage situation and the mom thought that things would work out okay---the money was on it's way or whatever---and she didn't want the housekeeper interrupting things.

It is impossible to know what you would do. This curren tragedy reminds me of the Harvey family murders in 2006 in Richmond. It was a home invasion through an unlocked open door. While the murdered were already holding the parents and one daughter hostage the other daughter was brought home by a mother from a sleepover. That mother tried to come in to say hello, and she was stopped by Mrs Harvey, who let her second daughter into the house with the kidnappers there. Why? We wil never know, only speculate she was threatened in a way that she felt she had no choice. The mother who dropped the daughter off was so distraught after the fact that she hadn't realized something went wrong she had to seek help in an inpatient mental treatment facility.

After the murderers slit the families throats, they set the house on fire and left, only stealing very minor things. It still makes me cry, so so so horrible.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Richmond_spree_murders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The perpetrators must have known the family was home.

Why no alarm? Why no released surveillance? Wouldn't you think there were a TON of surveillance cameras on this type of property?

I would think that most home invaders don't want to find anyone at home. They want to get "in and out" with the goods.

I would think this was a targeted family attack.

That they couldn't show mercy to an innocent 10 year old boy is beyond understanding.

Not only the property and surrounding properties, but the numerous closed-circuit television cameras and the District’s red light and DOT cameras as well. Devices are installed all over that neighborhood, largely due to the neighboring embassies and diplomatic housing. I'm sure the agencies have recovered a mass of evidence and are carefully combing through it. They don't just start releasing evidence to the press.

But the police usually release video surveillance of potential suspects to get the help of the public (think Craiglist murderer in stairwell). They could at least show video of the Porsche driving away. Why wouldn't they want to release video as quickly as possible if suspect/suspects are on the loose?

[Anonymous]

I also thought of the Connecticut case -- it's very similar. It's not uncommon for criminals to light a fire to destroy any evidence -- easier than wiping everything for prints and worrying about stray hair DNA evidence. The criminals may have been casing the house and knew about the other housekeeper, or may have just asked if any other workers were coming that day. Maybe they weren't expecting the little boy to be home, or maybe they just didn't care. (Those animals in CT did not care about the young girls in that house.)
It's also not totally unreasonable for the mom to think that they would be getting out once the money was paid, particularly if the criminals were wearing masks. There was a group of home invaders in the Adams Morgan area of DC in the mid-1990s that would break into houses, tie people up, take their ATM cards and get their ATM codes. I don't believe they killed anyone, though.
It's really awful -- those of us who pray should all say some prayers for the dead, and the survivors.

[Anonymous]

I really doubt the mother would have warned the housekeeper away. If she had access to her phone, she would have texted for HELP. Either:

1. The assailant made her text the housekeeper to keep her away, or

2. the assailant knew the name of the housekeeper and was able to find her name in the mother's phone and text her.

Either way, it screams "INSIDE JOB" by someone who knew this family.

[Anonymous]

For some reason this story is hitting me really hard and making me want to upgrade my security. Just horrifying. I can't stop thinking about that little boy, just 10 years old.

[Anonymous]

Like the tragedy in Rockville many seem to think the perpetrator
mightht be an employee. Does this happen a lot or is that just a natural
fear? Either way it is really heartbreaking. I just don't understand how
someone could do this. This poor family. I agree it was probably a hostage
situation and the murderer knew the family's patterns. I hope the authorities
have security footage. Those poor kids away at school for God's sake...
Geez.

[Anonymous]

Hitting me hard, too, and I can't stop reading about it/checking for updates. (I live close by and have an older boy at STA, so I guess I feel connected even though I don't know the family.) Need to go for a run, or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hitting me hard, too, and I can't stop reading about it/checking for updates. (I live close by and have an older boy at STA, so I guess I feel connected even though I don't know the family.) Need to go for a run, or something.

I can't imagine how his teachers are grappling with this, and how it is being shared with other students in his class. Just horrifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an owner/executive, he might work sometimes in the field, sometimes at home, i.e., he might not be expected at an office every day.

The fact the 10-year old was not at school...makes me think maybe the perpetrators (if it was an outside thing) came prior to everyone leaving in the morning---very early morning hours or night, etc.

Yes -- as with this home invasion / hostage situation / multiple homicide / setting fire / affluent family / affluent neighborhood

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders

It's nothing but horrible coincidence, but these scenarios remind me of each other

Yes. My grandparents and an Uncle lived in Cheshire when this happened. It was such a quiet, sleepy Connecticut town...with the Sleeping Giant (hill)..and clam shop, ice cream stores.

I was horrified by that case.

[Anonymous]

The mother's text "I want to make sure you are not coming today.
Come Monday or any other day but not today.". It seems strange.
I guess it also makes me wonder about that moment. Did she think of
how to word the text in a way the recipient would know something was
up but the perpetrator wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The perpetrators must have known the family was home.

Why no alarm? Why no released surveillance? Wouldn't you think there were a TON of surveillance cameras on this type of property?

I would think that most home invaders don't want to find anyone at home. They want to get "in and out" with the goods.

I would think this was a targeted family attack.

That they couldn't show mercy to an innocent 10 year old boy is beyond understanding.

Not only the property and surrounding properties, but the numerous closed-circuit television cameras and the District’s red light and DOT cameras as well. Devices are installed all over that neighborhood, largely due to the neighboring embassies and diplomatic housing. I'm sure the agencies have recovered a mass of evidence and are carefully combing through it. They don't just start releasing evidence to the press.

But the police usually release video surveillance of potential suspects to get the help of the public (think Craiglist murderer in stairwell). They could at least show video of the Porsche driving away. Why wouldn't they want to release video as quickly as possible if suspect/suspects are on the loose?

OTOH, if they think it's someone who knows the family -- perhaps someone they're already talking to -- then they might not want to release info they have until they know they have something solid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The perpetrators must have known the family was home.

Why no alarm? Why no released surveillance? Wouldn't you think there were a TON of surveillance cameras on this type of property?

I would think that most home invaders don't want to find anyone at home. They want to get "in and out" with the goods.

I would think this was a targeted family attack.

That they couldn't show mercy to an innocent 10 year old boy is beyond understanding.

Not only the property and surrounding properties, but the numerous closed-circuit television cameras and the District’s red light and DOT cameras as well. Devices are installed all over that neighborhood, largely due to the neighboring embassies and diplomatic housing. I'm sure the agencies have recovered a mass of evidence and are carefully combing through it. They don't just start releasing evidence to the press.

But the police usually release video surveillance of potential suspects to get the help of the public (think Craiglist murderer in stairwell). They could at least show video of the Porsche driving away. Why wouldn't they want to release video as quickly as possible if suspect/suspects are on the loose?

OTOH, if they think it's someone who knows the family -- perhaps someone they're already talking to -- then they might not want to release info they have until they know they have something solid.

Commenting on my own post -- this is complete speculation, based on watching far too many episodes of Law & Order, and not on any actual information about this case or about police procedures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an owner/executive, he might work sometimes in the field, sometimes at home, i.e., he might not be expected at an office every day.

The fact the 10-year old was not at school...makes me think maybe the perpetrators (if it was an outside thing) came prior to everyone leaving in the morning---very early morning hours or night, etc.

Yes -- as with this home invasion / hostage situation / multiple homicide / setting fire / affluent family / affluent neighborhood

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders

It's nothing but horrible coincidence, but these scenarios remind me of each other

PP again. I shouldn't have re-read that story, because it made me sick, but the similarities are really, really striking. Right down to the dousing the victim with gasoline on the way out the door.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the housekeeper did receive a text from the "mother's phone", asking her not to come into work that day (and there is no reason to think she didn't), it suggests essentially two possibilities:

(1) the mother had the foresight to prevent her housekeeper from stumbling into a dangerous situation, and was able to convince the perpetrator(s) that it was in his best interest to keep other parties away; and

Never. Not even remotely a possibility. What mother would ruin the best possible chance of saving her 10 year old son's life (and her own) by warning off someone due at the house shortly. That hope is the only thing that would keep me going in a situation like that.

You must not be a parent, PP

No need to criticize the other poster! Geez.

But I agree that if I was being held hostage and I knew that someone from outside was about to show up I might not think to warn them to stay away. I would just be so relieved that someone else was coming and could potentially help me.

I guess this is selfish but I'm honestly not sure which way I would lean in this sort of situation.
Perhaps it was a hostage situation and the mom thought that things would work out okay---the money was on it's way or whatever---and she didn't want the housekeeper interrupting things.

It is impossible to know what you would do. This curren tragedy reminds me of the Harvey family murders in 2006 in Richmond. It was a home invasion through an unlocked open door. While the murdered were already holding the parents and one daughter hostage the other daughter was brought home by a mother from a sleepover. That mother tried to come in to say hello, and she was stopped by Mrs Harvey, who let her second daughter into the house with the kidnappers there. Why? We wil never know, only speculate she was threatened in a way that she felt she had no choice. The mother who dropped the daughter off was so distraught after the fact that she hadn't realized something went wrong she had to seek help in an inpatient mental treatment facility.

After the murderers slit the families throats, they set the house on fire and left, only stealing very minor things. It still makes me cry, so so so horrible.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Richmond_spree_murders

Ugh. There was an SVU ripped from the headlines years ago with this plot line. It still gives me nightmares and was about the time I stopped watching SVU. This situation is so disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hitting me hard, too, and I can't stop reading about it/checking for updates. (I live close by and have an older boy at STA, so I guess I feel connected even though I don't know the family.) Need to go for a run, or something.

I'm a parent at another Cathedral school and I feel the same way. I don't know them but friends do. Saw the police presence on my way to pick up yesterday and am just so horrified. Can't put it out of my mind. How can someone kill an innocent ten year old???