McGowan Notes on VR

[cleopatra]

Aug 24, 2020 14:11:36 GMT elir said:

Aug 24, 2020 12:37:12 GMT eastcoast2 said:

If I remember correctly, when McGowan went to Sacramento to make his case that their EAR was his VR, he was basically blown off. Maybe because they didn't believe him, maybe because they didn't want to be bothered by a "small" town cop. Assuming he did speak to the folks in the Exeter PD, maybe he got a similar treatment. I can't but help believe that whenever the subject was raised that the VR EAR ONS was a cop, there were people in authority that told their subordinates to bury it. Not necessarily because they didn't want him caught but because of the potential embarrassment. I am sure of it. Having spent a career in positions of authority, I know this is how things work. Its all about damage control. I would not be shocked if along the way, Joe's name was put on a list, and then buried. Its like the bad family secret. 

Seems like for each series there was at least one cop that had good insight into the patterns
VR possible member of LE
EAR=VR
ONS=EAR
And were ignored or dismissed by those in power.
So many missed opportunities

Long ago I was theorizing the EAR was possibly an Alpha Beta District Manager.  Then, I read Hunting a Psychopath.  Then, trabuco posted a list of clues which pointed to the EAR possibly being a cop. That's when my theory switched to "cop".  

When I read the part in HAP where a victim told the detectives she heard a police radio outside her window, I thought it was odd how that was just briefly mentioned and shrugged off.  Then, I read stuff like, victim said he wore a cop's shoulder belt....and, he said FREEZE, he said put your hands in front of you where I can see them.... and, a victim said he walked with a police bearing, and, a neighbor said she saw a person wearing a police uniform looking around the  the victims house the day before her neighbor was attacked.......

The Task force could have just clumped together all these and other clues that alligned with "cop".  

[cleopatra]

Jul 26, 2020 21:16:47 GMT almagata said:

I saw this comment posted by the 12-26-75 investigators this morning on one of their Facebook posts. 

"12-26-75 Mr. Springmeyer -- 1) If you know John Vaughan, then we would encourage you to ask about this again. We've spent a lot of time talking with the Sgt's exact thoughts on the case; 2) The fact that the VR was able to elude raids in Oct., Nov., and Dec., 1975 caused VPD to go radio silent on the night of the McGowen shooting. It worked; 3) None of the stolen loot ever showed up in CII, and they believed that the perp was aware of property tracing techniques; 4) The fact that loot was stolen from one house and dropped in another was specifically meant to confuse the investigators; and, 5) Bill McGowen's handwritten suspect list from 1976 includes no fewer than five law enforcement officers. There is also a specific reference to check the Exeter Police yearbook. Unfortunately, that note says 1971 yearbook -- not 1973, 74, 75, or 76."

How many police officers could have left the area for Sacramento during that time frame? 

Visalia and Sac P.D. could have looked real hard at Sac cops. Then, when attacks branched out to neighboring cities and counties, they could have alerted P.D.s throughout the bay area, including Auburn.

Unfortunately, Willick and his officers were not very astute cops.  So it probably wouldn't have made any difference. 
 

[cleopatra]

Jul 27, 2020 15:23:37 GMT magnumforce73 said:

Most important of any notes or observations Det. McGowen made: the original "Pillsbury Doughboy" sketch turned out to be right on the money, and this despite having bits of shrapnel from his shattered flashlight driven into his eye by jagbag's southpaw shot. He still got it right despite being under fire--literally.

That same sketch...place it next to joey's 1973 Exeter P.D. photo.  Identical.  He beat feet for Auburn because he knew if McGowen ever saw him again, he would recognize the weirdo cop from Exeter as the frumpy freak who was screeching like a little girl before attempting to murder him.

mf73

Well said, indeed!

[cleopatra]

Nov 29, 2020 8:13:40 GMT dougguard said:

Just a backstory here. It was Bill Miller the Spokesman for SSD who put down the connection between the VR and the EAR. Miller was promptly fired when a new administration came on in 1983. Unfortunately, the new Sheriff did not appear to prioritize the then dormant EAR case. I kind of suspect the alleged “Superhuman” ability of JJD to stay still for hours is partly Urban Legend based on the depth of shoe impressions made outside victims homes. A very skilled cat burglar would have that ability. We always give reptilian predators too much credit for being on the border of brilliant when they are basically heat seeking snakes pouncing on those who are vulnerable.

In this case there are too many near unsung heroes who were close but not close enough.

True.

JJD was lucky.  He was lucky in alot of instances.  For one, he was lucky the EAR special task force detectives did not put alot of stake in the idea that the EAR could be a cop.  They put alot of time and effort working on clues such as there being construction near attack sites, the ditches used, there were homes for sale- real estate, etc.  Had they compiled a list of things about the man himself, not just his physical appearance, they may have accepted the cop possibility.  Stuff like - yelled FREEZE, separated victims then asked them the same questions, said, "put your hands where I can see them, in front of you", wore shoulder belt, had a baton, wore black shiny round-toed shoes, pointed flashlight directly in their faces.  Then clues such as -  heard police radio outside window, saw policeman in backyard of victim day before attack, always knew where stake outs were, knew about new body-fingerprint technique.

He was lucky Willick was dumb.

He was lucky no one in Sac PD put 2 and 2 together when he got caught shoplifting dog repellent in an EAR hotspot.  

[cleopatra]

Jul 26, 2020 21:16:47 GMT almagata said:

I saw this comment posted by the 12-26-75 investigators this morning on one of their Facebook posts. 

"12-26-75 Mr. Springmeyer -- 1) If you know John Vaughan, then we would encourage you to ask about this again. We've spent a lot of time talking with the Sgt's exact thoughts on the case; 2) The fact that the VR was able to elude raids in Oct., Nov., and Dec., 1975 caused VPD to go radio silent on the night of the McGowen shooting. It worked; 3) None of the stolen loot ever showed up in CII, and they believed that the perp was aware of property tracing techniques; 4) The fact that loot was stolen from one house and dropped in another was specifically meant to confuse the investigators; and, 5) Bill McGowen's handwritten suspect list from 1976 includes no fewer than five law enforcement officers. There is also a specific reference to check the Exeter Police yearbook. Unfortunately, that note says 1971 yearbook -- not 1973, 74, 75, or 76."

How many police officers could have left the area for Sacramento during that time frame? 

2) The fact that the VR was able to elude raids in Oct., Nov., and Dec., 1975 caused VPD to go radio silent on the night of the McGowen shooting. It worked;

3) None of the stolen loot ever showed up in CII, and they believed that the perp was aware of property tracing techniques;

4) The fact that loot was stolen from one house and dropped in another was specifically meant to confuse the investigators; and, 

-------‐‐----------

Sac detectives continuously wondered how the EAR always knew where there were stakeouts and what LE was up to.

When the Sac detectives planned to use a brand new  technique of lifting prints from a victim's body, the EAR never removed his gloves during his very next attack. 

The EAR did alot of things to confuse LE.