The Changing Description of EAR

[Deleted]

Most of the 1st year descriptions LE put out of EAR was that he had dark hair, dark eyes, and was 25-35 yrs. old. After that, the descriptions varied more, but it seems like the descriptions of a blond-haired, blue-eyed, younger EAR became more the norm. That shift in descriptions happened to coincide with Shipley and McGowen from Visalia going to Sacramento to discuss the VR case with them and their suspicions that VR had become EAR. They felt that one of their suspects that better matched the first year descriptions LE put out for EAR had likely morphed into being EAR.

Coincidence? Maybe.

Some LE thought EAR followed the press articles about him. If he did, he was probably aware that the press reported that Visalia LE had visited Sac LE to share info about their VR case.

Some LE thought EAR wore disguises. Crompton mentions that in ST. Would EAR have tried to alter his appearance to victims and to others while prowling to mislead if he suspected Visalia LE shared info about him or was there another reason?

Years later, Pool's unit in OC put out an alert to other LE agencies that the EAR/ONS offender had dark hair, dark eyes, and was on the younger end of the age spectrum with an estimated 4 year age range. Personally, I think only doing a 4 year age range was shooting themselves in the foot, but the dark hair and dark eyes is interesting in that it differs from the blond hair and blue eyes that has become what some claim is the defacto description of EAR.

What do you all make of the varying descriptions put out by LE of EAR? Did any of the agencies know one way or the other that he had dark or blond hair, dark or blue eyes, and his age range?

[neksanalet]

Eyewitness accounts are extremely unreliable. People always think they see what they didn't. I was at a bank once and inadvertently observed the person in front of me rob it. I clearly saw his face, hair, build, neck tattoo, clothes, etc. When the police came to my home to get a statement and pick him out of a lineup, I instantly identified the guy with one hitch….he had no neck tattoo. It was 100% the same guy but I probably saw something that wasn't there. Witness descriptions have to be taken with a grain of salt. People make mistakes, forget, remember differently. Memories can shift…especially if your not paying close attention.

With me, I didn't even realize the guy was robbing the bank. Didn't pay super close attention to him. When it came time to identify the offender, I was able to recognize him but my memory did fail me in a key spot. Maybe it was just a birth mark, or a scar….regardless our memories can deceive us. Some of those descriptions may simply be wrong/inaccurate.  

[dbw]

I think the far hair and eyes description was based on information deemed to be unreliable and as more credible information became available the description was modified. Nothing sinister or conspiratorial with that.

[Deleted]

Oct 8, 2014 22:02:13 GMT dbw said:

I think the far hair and eyes description was based on information deemed to be unreliable and as more credible information became available the description was modified. Nothing sinister or conspiratorial with that.

You're probably right, yet, so many claim that EAR had blue eyes and blonde hair is reliable info and they rule out POIs that don't based on that info.

[happycamper]

Does the dna indicate probable hair and eye color?

[Deleted]

Oct 8, 2014 22:26:43 GMT happycamper said:

Does the dna indicate probable hair and eye color?

According to some it does. According to some others, it doesn't.

[dbw]

Oct 8, 2014 22:12:59 GMT @privatecitizen said:

Oct 8, 2014 22:02:13 GMT dbw said:

I think the far hair and eyes description was based on information deemed to be unreliable and as more credible information became available the description was modified. Nothing sinister or conspiratorial with that.

You're probably right, yet, so many claim that EAR had blue eyes and blonde hair is reliable info and they rule out POIs that don't based on that info.

Actually, I think the most common description is light brown to dark blonde and blue to hazel.

[portofleith]

Oct 8, 2014 22:58:09 GMT dbw said:

Oct 8, 2014 22:12:59 GMT @privatecitizen said:

You're probably right, yet, so many claim that EAR had blue eyes and blonde hair is reliable info and they rule out POIs that don't based on that info.

Actually, I think the most common description is light brown to dark blonde and blue to hazel.

I think the eye color was deemed to be blue, hazel or green and not brown, by the majority of victims and his eyes were the one feature they could see in the first phase of his attacks. Since he was wearing balaclavas, the only hair visible was around his collar and in the dark, with limited vision, I doubt it was accurate.   However, there were hairs left behind at the crime scenes, that did not belong to victims or to victims families.

The descriptions that came out of Goleta, consistently described a young blonde man lurking in the neighborhood of Domingo Sanchez.  I have theorized that EAR had auburn hair that could bleach to blonde in sunlight.

I know people may think I am joking, but I believe he sometimes wore disguises in his scouting activities.  

[woofytreats]

In trying to sort through the descriptions it appears EAR/ONS might have had some variation of what used to be called dishwater blond and I think is now just called dirty blond. I had this hair color growing up. Basically, a light/med brown base with golden highlights that could vary based on time in the sun and/or pool, etc. Against my better judgement, I broke out my high school senior portrait ( the suit lapels evidently doubled as a hang glider back then ) and I see myself with light brown hair and golden highlights from the crown of my head down to about ear level but noticeably darker near the bottom of the hairline. It would definitely be a hair color that people would describe differently based on available light, angle seen, season, etc.

[dbw]

Exactly. My hair was and is (despite having a little grey in it now) dirty blonde. It turns almost blonde in the summer and almost light brown in the winter. In certain light it looks lighter and in some light darker.. My eyes are grey/blue and look lighter or darker according to light. I'm fairly sure my hair color was what LE was looking for in EAR because I was told so a few times when I was pulled over.

[dbw]

I don't think there was anything wrong with the description other than it fit a lot of people and the right person was not identified. The early sketch, hiwever, was useless.

[jonkat]

He Was Reading And Listening To Everything LE Put Out And Anyone Else. He Was At The Town Hall Meeting. Listening To Those People. To Make Sure He Could Keep Ahead Of Everyone. And To Fallow A Couple People Home From That Meeting. So He Most Likely Cut His Hair After The Long Hair Sketch Came Out. And Then Died His Hair After The Color Was Stated. So Then You Get The Short Haired Brunette You See In The Maguire Sketch. My POI Changed Cigarette Brand When That Came Out. My POI Got Rid Of The Black & Gold School Jacket His Uncle Gave Him When That Came Out. My POI Cut His Hair & Died His Hair A Few Months After I Met Him. Like The Guy Up Above My Post Said. LE Just Did Not Do There Job Properly At That Time. For Instance. At The Town Hall Meeting They Should Have Closed The Doors And Took Every Ones Blood. And Tested For Non Secretors.