I believe in coincidence… On investigative shows, you frequently hear the statement, “I don’t believe in coincidence.” There are many times innocent people have been convicted because coincidence placed them high on the suspect list. An argument with someone, just before their life was taken, and then not having an alibi, is a bad situation to be in, even if you’re not a killer. I like Joe Kendra but disagree with his comment about not believing in coincidence. My favorite Kendra quote is: “After I saw what he’d done, I thought this guy had to be the dumbest man on the planet. When I met with him, I realized he’s the dumbest man on 3 or 4 planets.” Here’s an example: 1983, Seabrook, Texas, 20-year-old Susan Eads is murdered after leaving work as a waitress. Susan was a graduate of Clear Lake High School who was living with her mother and working 2 jobs to make ends meet. A bearded cowboy was hitting on Susan where she was worked as a waitress. He had asked her to dance, and she turned him away. Her naked body was discovered the next day by students driving a busy highway Texas. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with her clothing. Travis Scoggins was arrested for a rape and murder in a neighboring county. Coincidence or not? Travis wore a cowboy hat and had a dark beard and moustache. Initially, Scoggins denied knowing Susan. He failed a polygraph examination, but they didn’t have enough evidence to convict him. Scoggins then confessed to her murder. He told investigators Susan was parked in the back parking lot, which was correct. But when they asked about the details of the murder, Scoggins didn’t seem to be aware of them. It was concluded that Scoggins had confessed, because he was already looking at life in prison for a separate rape and murder, and he wanted more attention. Even after Scoggins was incarcerated, someone was calling Susan’s mother and telling her he had naked pictures of Susan. Back in the 1980’s you had to keep someone on the phone for certain period of time before you could trace the call. (This is no longer necessary.) The caller ended each call, just before it could be traced. Shirley took the harassing calls several times a week, hoping to get some evidence on the man who killed her daughter. Within 1 year after Susan’s murder, the phone calls ended, and it was concluded, the caller wasn’t the killer—just some sick man harassing a grieving mother. Susan Ead’s murder went unsolved for 40 years. Anthony Allen Shore Anthony Allen Shore, serial killer, had been living within one mile of Susan’s home. Shore’s victims had been strangled to death using a tourniquet, the same way Susan had been killed. Shore had a dark beard and mustache at the time. Shore had worked with Susan’s uncle. Shore also worked for the telephone company and he knew how to avoid being traced. Victims in order: Laura Trembley, Maria del Carmen, Salma Janske, Diane Reboller and Dana Sanchez. The 6th is Melissa Trotter, who is another suspected victim of Shores. Anthony Shore had committed 4 similar murders and lived less than a mile away from Susan. 1986: Laura Trembley, 15, had been attacked on her way to school. 1992: Maria del Carmen Estrada, 21, was a Mexican immigrant working as a nanny. Her body was found behind a Dairy Queen. 1993: Salma Janske 14, was attacked in her home, but she was the one who escaped alive. 1994: Diana Rebollar 9, was attacked walking home from a grocery store. 1995: Dana Sanchez 16, accepted a ride from Shore and he killed her after she refused his advances. Was it all a coincidence? When investigators interviewed Shore, he said, “Look at the picture. My victims don’t look like this. I like the way little girls look. I’m not interested in her.” Still Susan was only 5 feet tall and weighed 90 pounds. Investigators were convinced it had to be Anthony Shore. Anthony Shore had attacked females ages 9, 14, 15, 16 and 21. Shore was convicted of the murders after he was accused of sexually abusing his two daughters. A DNA sample was taken, which would link him to the murders. Shore was executed by lethal injection in 2018. The fact that Susan Ead had a serial killer living less than a mile away, who worked with her uncle and for the phone company was all a coincidence. DNA testing was performed on Susan Eade’s clothing and much to the surprise of the investigators, they discovered, as Shore had insisted, he wasn’t her killer. They compared the sample to Travis Scoggins, and he wasn’t her killer. So they began the ancestry DNA tracing (Forensic Genealogy) and ultimately the DNA was traced back to one man. Picture of Arthur Davis, and the drawing by the police sketch artist of the man who followed Susan the night she disappeared. DNA from Susan’s clothing was traced back to Arthur Raymond Davis. His photo was an exact match to the drawing turned in by witnesses, who said they saw a bearded cowboy following her to her car. Davis was now dead. He died 3 months after Susan Eads was killed, in a car accident, 1 mile away from where Susan’s body was found. Davis was hospitalized for 1 month following the accident, before finally succumbing to his lethal injuries. Susan’s abandoned car was found by a nearby boat store on Nasa Road 1. It appeared that a struggle occurred in the back seat of the car. Davis was a fishing boat captain in the area. Susan had been sexually assaulted and strangled, likely after refusing Davis’ unwanted advances. If it wouldn’t be for DNA testing, this case would have been closed based on the assumption Susan Ead had been killed by a serial killer. Instead, she was killed by a man with a large ego, who lost it when she refused his advances. Narcissistic injury is the leading cause of homicide. A narcissistic injury occurs when narcissists react negatively to perceived criticism or judgment. The underlying belief is that the victim didn’t have the right to turn him away, or insult him, or cheat on him. Most narcissists walk away after a few insulting comments. Some go into a murderous rage. Afghanistan people reaching to U.S. troops with their credentials in hope of receiving help. A special thanks goes out to our military, who lost soldiers this past week simply trying to rescue people safely away from harm’s way. We ask a lot from military families and never thank them enough. It is why I always stand for the national anthem. Thanks for listening, Frank While the live version is good, I miss the percussion intro of the stick sliding on the fish (guiro) on the original recording. Listen to the intro of next Gimme Shelter video to hear it. I had it as my ring tone for awhile, before switching to the intro to Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer. Frank Weber, True Crime Author and Forensics expert
Frank is such an engaging speaker that we welcome him back for the 3rd time. Frank F. Weber is a forensic psychologist specializing in homicide, sexual assault and domestic abuse cases. He uses his unique understanding of how predator’s think, knowledge of victim trauma and expert testimony in writing his true crime thrillers. He has profiled cold case homicides and narrated an investigative show on Oxygen. His Award Winning books include "Murder Book" (2017) "The I-94 Murders" (2018) "Last Call" (2019) and "Lying Close" (2020). These books, along with his latest book, Burning Bridges, will be available to purchase at the program.
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AuthorFrank F. Weber is a forensic psychologist specializing in homicide and sexual and physical assault cases. He uses his unique understanding of how predator’s think, knowledge of victim trauma, actual court cases, and passion for writing true crime thrillers. His Award Winning books include "Murder Book" (2017) "The I-94 Murders" (2018) "Last Call" (2019) and "Lying Close" (September 2020). Archives
April 2024
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