Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Whodunit? Two Stockbrokers Murdered in Jersey; No Clues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Janice Shell who wrote (737)	11/7/1999 9:29:00 PM
From: StockDung	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1156

Member 4750155

To: Janice Shell who wrote (737)	11/7/1999 10:35:00 PM
From: Graystone	Respond to of 1156

Colts Neck or Murder in the Mane A story by Graystone. The mansion, an architectural monstrosity of military penitence, was as quiet as Bluebell Lane sounded. The gray Dodge sat near the front door, the rental plates confirming it's innocence. The trunk of the car was open, and the shadow of the opening was a primeval maw, the single suitcase huddled forlornly at the bottom, the front door of the house stood in a dim pool of light. The ornamental gates at the estate entrance were open, inviting vehicles quick entrance from the quiet street. The sound of the heavy sedan broke like a wave as it crawled from the street into the estate, the dark gray car slowed as it neared the house . Inside the house a suitcase and other items were set at the bottom the front staircase, in the foyer. The marble floors echoed the sound of voices coming from the dining room opening, just down the hall from the foyer. Inside the dining room the two men (Victim A, Victim B) were making final preparations before the drive to Tennessee. The sound of the car engine broke into the conversation like a purr. Victim B went to see who was arriving. Victim B arrived at the front door and as he stood with the the front door open, the car stopped and a familiar man (the Killer) got out of the car, leaving the engine running. As (the Killer) came up the stairs he asked in a friendly voice, "Is Victim A here, I need to see him." Victim B turned and began to walk back to the towards the dining room. The new arrival (the Killer) followed. As soon as (the Killer) saw Victim A sitting in the dining room (the Killer) began to fire and continued to fire as he moved from the foyer to the hall way into the dining room entrance. Victim A tried to stand but the the five quick shots were enough to kill several such attempts, he crashed to the marble floor, redecorating with blood, (the Killer) then fired once into the leg of his unwitting guide, Victim B, who stood frozen in horror. He reloaded and put another shot into the head of his intended Victim A who lay in a rug of rich India red, a smaller rug of gray was created, "You ain't going nowhere this time bud, she'll just have to wait." (the Killer) considered the man who had let him into the house Victim B , now gaping in shock at the unexpected hole in his expensive suitpant leg, his orders didn't include Victim B. In the end (the Killer) decided he didn't need the complications and three more shots rang out. (the Killer) gathered up the bags that stood by the front entrance, and the other articles with them and carried everything out to his car. His instructions were clear on that. He ignored the grey Dodge, the monstrous maw didn't have any effect on him. The open front door of the house added a slab of marbled white to the scene, and as the dark gray car retreated to the night, the light accused all viewers, a stark reminder. Where is Chalem's luggage ? Lehmann must have been his driver on the sojourn he intended. What did the killer say ? <<she'll just have to wait>> Who did the killer mean, Kimberly, or Debbie ? Maybe a travel agent turned postal when he learned they intended to drive a rental car more than half way to Florida, then charter a plane for the other bit, I hope the police have checked out that angle.

To: Janice Shell who wrote (737)	11/8/1999 1:02:00 AM
From: Jeffrey S. Mitchell	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1156

According to USA Today, which saw some crime scene photos... Cellular phones, pierced by bullets, rest a few feet from the bodies. Somehow I think USA Today took a bit of "creative license" with what they saw when they examined (glanced at?) the crime scene photos. Compare that to what the NY Daily News reported today: Their cell phones were lying a few feet from their bodies. Investigators are wondering whether Chalem and Lehmann had tried calling someone for help or whether they had been on the phones when they were shot. The phones are still receiving calls, and police say callers are surprised to discover that Chalem or Lehmann aren't the ones answering. Investigators are now reviewing the men's phone records. As for your "reconstruction": The trip to Tennessee was planned for the next day. We know Chalem liked to travel in style. My guess is that Chalem would have wanted to be driven in his Bentley or Jag (the driver would then drive it back). I'm also guessing he was headed to Knoxville and AVIA. As AVIA is an aviation company I see no big deal they were traveling by a chartered jet. Company expense. I tend to also think that Conkling and friend waiting in their cars at the end of the road was not for appearance sake nor because the police told them to do so. I think they were genuinely scared, and I believe what they told the police-- that they drove up at that late hour because they were concerned. Had they been in on the whole thing, they simply could have alerted the police with an anonymous 911 call. As you pointed out, the only reason I can think of that the car trunk was open and a suitcase was inside was because Lehmann was about to leave. Usually when a guest leaves the host accompanies them outside, so perhaps the two were approached outside. A vehicle could have also driven up at that moment and it would have been natural for them to have just waited for the people to get out wondering what was going on. I doubt the killers were expected (i.e. had an appointment) as that would have been way too risky since you never know what written records might exist of who the two may have told. At that point the killer(s) could have easily, at gunpoint, forced the two men inside. No sense waking up the neighborhood shooting outside. The dining hall was well inside the house to lessen the noise, but right down the hall so not a far walk. At that point the killer(s) could have just said to "sit down" and then shot Chalem. Lehmann seeing this gets up and starts to run but is hit in the leg and then finished off. The leg shot makes me think there may have been one gunman as otherwise perhaps the two would have been shot at the same time and there would have been no chance to get up and run. I doubt Chalem and Lehmann were on their cell phones when they were shot. If they were it would either have to have been for business or to dial 911. As there were two of them, as 911 takes a second to dial, and as such calls are logged, I doubt this happened. If they were on business calls, certainly the two would have been startled enough to either jump up, yell at the intruder, or, if not, the interruption and/or gunshots would definitely have prompted the other party to call the police. This didn't happen as far as published reports indicate. It just may have been that the phones fell out of the pockets when they fell, or else they each were holding their phones at the time threatening to call the police-- thinking they were calling the intruder's bluff. Lastly, as for Jeff Scarola being taken out of school on Friday, I see no evidence of that. Published reports simply say Kimberly Scarola left on Friday for Florida. Perhaps she went after the school day had ended. - Jeff

To: Janice Shell who wrote (737)	11/8/1999 1:11:00 AM
From: jhild	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1156

Why take Jeff out of school for an improvised holiday? That is a good question. One that can be easily resolved by the police. One has to wonder if Jeff Scarola goes to school in Colts Neck first off. Is there a boarding school for instance? Given the lifestyles and the home environment my guess is that he wasn't on the Colts Neck school bus every morning. Could it mean that he spent the weekend with his father but was returned to school Sunday night or first thing Monday? However if he was residing in the house through the school year and if there is no good explanation, that would suggest several follow up lines of inquiry. Staff? I suspect not on a full time basis. I think there would have been mention already in the press if there were. Cleaning service quite likely. Lawn service, almost surely. But live in housekeeper is doubtful. What kind of wait staff could you hire that would be discrete with so many deals conducted out of the house? Look how many phone calls Chalem was said to be able to manage. He was a busy deal making guy. The issue of the rental car could suggest that Lehmann was anticipating driving with Chalem to TN. What we don't know is whether or not he was expected back at home that evening, or if they understood him to be away on business a couple of days. We see that Chalem spoke of not driving, and if he was supposed to be driving Chalem to TN, Lehmann may have rented (tax deductible) as he was expecting to drive and it also reduced the wear and tear on his own car. He may have been expecting to drive back even. (Maybe he was the one picking up something - maybe even cash to bring back to NY.) I'm unsure just what the gates being opened means exactly, other than the killer didn't bother to close them perhaps. Conkling sure wouldn't have closed them if he was in a hurry to get away either. So the real question is whether they were ever customarily closed. If they were usually closed, I don't think getting in would not have been a great trick.

To: Janice Shell who wrote (737)	11/8/1999 1:23:00 AM
From: Jeffrey S. Mitchell	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1156

As for whodunit... Here are the choices: 1. Chalem ran afoul of his friends and/or family 2. Chalem ran afoul of his business partners 3. Chalem ran afoul of his business rivals 4. Chalem ran afoul of an investor 5. Lehmann ran afoul of his friends and/or family 6. Lehmann ran afoul of his business partners 7. Lehmann ran afoul of his business rivals 8. Lehmann ran afoul of an investor I doubt the victims were on the friends and family plan. Normally such killings, at least in the movies, are made to look like accidents. If the family were behind it they would probably have told the killers to make it look like a robbery or something. I also rule out the investor angle as these guys were behind the scenes players for the most part. If the investors were money men, i.e. major financiers, my guess is Chalem and Lehmann would do no good to them dead. At least alive, even if the stock deal were a lost cause, they could have forced the men to pay their debt using other assets. I also doubt it was business partners. In such cases, the victims are usually driven by their "friends" to a secluded wooded area and shot. OK, maybe that's clich‚, but it does make sense that perhaps the killers wouldn't want the bodies to be found. By process of elimination it appears either Chalem or Lehmann ran afoul of another (rival) group. With the recent OTC BB financial reporting requirements -- with noncompliance bringing delisting to the pink sheets -- it looks like we may be seeing a last gasp panic to make a financial killing while the going is good. There is no time to negotiate if you think someone is screwing you. BTW, I purposefully left out the government informant bit as after having looked at the companies the two recently were promoting, I doubt either one was "undercover" for the feds. They just appeared like men who sang like canaries just to avoid jail time at all costs. Lastly, as for who the target was, I'm leaning toward Chalem. While I know Lehmann had death threats, it's hard for me to believe the killer(s) would have tailed him all the way from Woodmere on Long Island to Colt's Neck, even had they tried (given all the traffic). Also, how would they know Chalem's house wasn't teeming with servants, guards, etc.? - Jeff