Post by htx on Sept 12, 2018 2:41:55 GMT
Is it possibly an EAR attack? Sure. But there's very little info contained in this article alone - essentially, we have a location (Sacramento), a date (in 1972, several years before the first known EAR homicide, and several years before the first known instance of EAR breaking in to a home occuppied by a man and woman), and a very thin description of a crime that bears some similarities to EAR attacks - breaking in to an occupied home through a window (though hot prowlers generally use this means of entry), committing murder, using a flashlight and gun (though again, most home intruders will have a flashlight). There are also differences - the suspect only turned on the flashlight after the victim called out to him, the suspect shot without attempting to take control of the scene, there's no mention of any prior suspicious activity at the home or neighborhood, the suspect didn't attempt to commit sexual assault, etc. There could be information in the police report that either makes a stronger connection to EAR, or a shows that no such connection exists. At this point, I "can't believe anyone with a brain" (to use your words) thinks that, based on the scant details contained in the article, anyone could view this case and conclude anything other than "possibly EAR - it's worth a follow-up - but chances are it is not EAR." I certainly don't see anything that would allow a reader to definitively link this to EAR.
From the Sheriff:
A cat burglar operated in the Rancho Cordova and eastern Sacramento County during 1972 and 1973, striking over 30 times during that time period. His crimes were linked by M.O. and it was recognized by detectives of that time that the crimes were the work of one man. Only one other cat burglary series (albeit brief, and with a different M.O.) was occurring simultaneous to this series. When caught, the suspects in that case said they saw the success the cat burglar of Rancho Cordova was having, and thought it was an easy crime to commit (for them it wasn't.) A gap occurred at the end of 1972, but by spring of 1973, his offenses began anew and his re-emergence was documented by detectives. His method of operation was to enter a home quietly after the occupants were asleep. The burglar typically exited out a different pre-opened door from his point of entry, and evidence indicated the door was likely opened immediately upon entering the home as an escape route. The front door was frequently the exit point. A commonly hit area was the area between Dolecetto Drive and Malaga Way and near Coloma Road with over a dozen strikes. He also struck other areas of Rancho Cordova, and branched out to Carmichael, Citrus Heights, and other nearby areas. He was known in the reports as "the cat burglar that strikes the Rancho Cordova and East Areas of Sacramento."