Post by albion on Feb 15, 2018 15:57:52 GMT
Interesting question. This was not a phone "tap" or a "trap" as people tend to characterize it. Those imply intervention by the phone company in real time - in other words, being able to listen in, lock the line for tracing purposes, etc.
This was actually a cassette recording device that was installed local to victim #1's phone. She pushed record when the phone rang and answered it. Anything recorded could be later reviewed by the police if necessary.
Many people assume that all the sounds in that recording came from EAR's end of the conversation. And that is a somewhat misleading assumption. In the full, original recording, for example, you can hear her say "hello" when answering the phone. I have never been conclusively shown any proof that the "Breaking UP" movie sounds were coming from EAR's end of the line, but unless someone can prove to me that victim #1 said that she was definitively NOT watching that movie at the time, I cannot be 100% sure.
To directly address your question, Hastings, I can tell you that either Shelby or Crompton (I cannot recall which one, but I believe it was Shelby) said that the victim and her father were the only people in the house at the time of the phone call. I do not know, of course, if they had a police scanner or CB or similar device in their home, of course, but those sounds could have been picked up on either end of the call.
Truthfully, none of this is a smoking gun, obviously, but that phone call is the a unique, tangible connection to the time an place where EAR was present. I do not think it will solve the case, but it is endlessly fascinating.
This is most definitely NOT where this belongs, but I was curious to see if you had any thoughts on this. I have pulled a lasher many times. But I am not much for gaffing. And with my age and size, I barely fit in a bucket anymore.
But the guys who do the climbing regularly, they got themselves some leg muscles. And from all that climbing, the hair gets rubbed off from the jeans. They got themselves some linemans belts and tools. I believe almost all the Sacramento and Goleta crimes had aerial lines in the backyards. And it might sound strange, but those old 60 's and 70's pole had a great creosote smell. They used so much of it back then that if you touched them the creosote would burn off a layer or two of skin.
And the phone company didnt do much on securing the aerial service boxes. Two little tab flips and anyone could gain access. That is if they could gaff up the pole.