1. Suzanne was killed inside the car, and her body was dumped in a residential area by the killer/s.
2. Suzanne was killed outside the car, obviously in an isolated place, then put into the car and driven to the place where she was found.
Objection to the first: I really don't think it'd be that easy to do. I agree with Kerry: most cars today have headrests, and that would have made for real problems. Someone should try a re-enactment in his own car. Even if it were an old car without headrests I don't think it'd be all that simple.
1. An abduction would be quite bold. Whether it would be hard to do is debatable. If two or more men came up to you with a knife and said "get in the car or I'll kill you", would you a) remain calm, try to reason with them, b) yell and risk getting stabbed, or c) not take any chances they are not kidding and get in the car... and then try to plead for your life. As studies have shown (should we document this?), even people with training on how to react in a crises panic and forget what they've learned.
2. As for headrests, they would be an impediment if there were a struggle. Otherwise, IMO it's not a big deal to lean over the seat on either side of the headrest and stab someone or straddle it and slit their throat.
Objection to the second: Where's the isolated place? Given the time constraints, it'd have had to be near the campus. The Mall? Can you drive into it, or are there only footpaths?
If Suzanne were indeed killed in an isolated place -- where no one heard or saw anything -- why bother to move her? What reason would one have to move a bloody body into one's car, drive with it, and dump it somewhere? Talk about leaving evidence behind and taking chances!
So, if a car were used as we all seem to agree, the most probable scenario has to be that Suzanne got in it -- alive -- either by choice or by force.
So if we want to imagine that he [Jim] did it, we have also to imagine he stole a car and later disposed of it efficiently. Did he have any experience with this sort of thing?
No. No criminal record at all. I do agree that a stolen car makes sense. I can't imagine the New Haven police have not checked stolen car records but, then again, I've never ever read they've said so nor that anyone has asked as such. If a stolen car were indeed found with Suzanne's blood in it, Jim would be the last person on my list of suspects!
- Jeff |
