I haven't had much time lately to really let my mind wander about the events leading up to the murder of Marian Louise Baker, but today, during a very long drive from far on the Eastern Shore back up to Dewey Beach I did a bit of thinking again....
I still am stuck on WHY Marian would get in a car with a man she verbally claimed "made her sick".
I keep going back to the testimony of Mrs. Nancy Stonesifer, her coworker in the Cashier's Office at F & M. She testified that Marian had returned from lunch, never even removed her coat as she sat down briefly at her desk, and commented that she wished she didn't have to go to the bank since she was suddenly swamped with work. She said she was worried that she wouldn't make her hair appointment, which was scheduled for late afternoon, around the supper hour.
Now WHY would Marian suddenly be so relaxed and have so much free time that she would agree to go for a ride with Ed Gibbs so far out of the way of the college?
Ed Gibbs testified that when he finally stopped the car near the Harnish cottage, the last thing Marian said to him, immediately before he reached over and started to strangle her, was the
"scenery looked pretty". None of this makes one lick of sense. Not one bit.
I can't explain it, but there is FAR more to the story than we have been told. And I aim to find out what it is.
I guess I'm back on the case! :)
Friday, August 28, 2009
It's 4:30 a.m. And I'm Awake?
This is what happens when you go to bed at 9 pm! ;)
I've been up since 3.....
I haven't done much research this past week, due to work demands. It's not a bad thing as far as the business is concerned, there have been some incredible changes and "upgrades" the past two weeks that have made it almost impossible to eek out some time for the computer.
The business has gone in a few new directions and I'm loving it! I'm exhausted, but I'm loving it! lol
That break that I was hoping to take once mid-September hit won't be happening this year.
My classes start the second week of September and I have a few new clients that will need our services on weekends, despite the end of the Summer Rush.
Sundays will be my days to travel, at least in the earliest part of Fall. I will also be trying to rearrange some weekdays to hit the road to PA and other environs.
I won't bore you all with the details, but we've been restructuring our property management/cleaning service/concierge services business and it's pretty exciting! Sometimes things just fall into your lap. I would like to think that in reality, it's a result of the hard work, planning and contacts that we've made along the way. But it could just be providence :)
It's also very important to remove the "fences" in your mind. If you exist with an underlying sense of having or doing or living with no hole in your fence to grow, expand, or allow incredible successful gains, you'll pretty much stay in the same place, having what you have and nothing more.
I guess there's a hole in my fence! :)
I'm not materialistic. I enjoy the personal satisfaction of seeing the business grow as much as any financial growth.
I've also noted the start of my Fall "nesting" behaviors. I've rearranged furniture, deep cleaned, got all of my tart warmers ready for my Fall smells... I love Fall!
I'll be starting the Halloween decorating here by the end of September. I don't do the "cutesy" Halloween stuff. The creepier, the better.
I have a collection of witches that I cherish. That is usually on display all year. I have black spider web drapes that are up as I type.
My daughter has gifted me many times with the neatest Halloween pieces. I haven't found the time yet, over the years to create my Halloween Town. Maybe this year I'll get it started.
I have some notes about a Halloween Town, made of ceramic lit houses, spooky churches, graveyards, barren trees, etc. I haven't really decided where in the house it would be displayed.
I have plenty of room but I need to be able to access it to add to it, modify it, etc.
I may take pictures of the process and post them. We can all share the growth of Halloween Town :)
Well, it's time for more coffee. I may be back to post a bit more before I leave for work.
We're headed down into the furtherest reaches of the Eastern Shore of Maryland today. And then back to Dewey Beach! It's gonna be a great day!
I've been up since 3.....
I haven't done much research this past week, due to work demands. It's not a bad thing as far as the business is concerned, there have been some incredible changes and "upgrades" the past two weeks that have made it almost impossible to eek out some time for the computer.
The business has gone in a few new directions and I'm loving it! I'm exhausted, but I'm loving it! lol
That break that I was hoping to take once mid-September hit won't be happening this year.
My classes start the second week of September and I have a few new clients that will need our services on weekends, despite the end of the Summer Rush.
Sundays will be my days to travel, at least in the earliest part of Fall. I will also be trying to rearrange some weekdays to hit the road to PA and other environs.
I won't bore you all with the details, but we've been restructuring our property management/cleaning service/concierge services business and it's pretty exciting! Sometimes things just fall into your lap. I would like to think that in reality, it's a result of the hard work, planning and contacts that we've made along the way. But it could just be providence :)
It's also very important to remove the "fences" in your mind. If you exist with an underlying sense of having or doing or living with no hole in your fence to grow, expand, or allow incredible successful gains, you'll pretty much stay in the same place, having what you have and nothing more.
I guess there's a hole in my fence! :)
I'm not materialistic. I enjoy the personal satisfaction of seeing the business grow as much as any financial growth.
I've also noted the start of my Fall "nesting" behaviors. I've rearranged furniture, deep cleaned, got all of my tart warmers ready for my Fall smells... I love Fall!
I'll be starting the Halloween decorating here by the end of September. I don't do the "cutesy" Halloween stuff. The creepier, the better.
I have a collection of witches that I cherish. That is usually on display all year. I have black spider web drapes that are up as I type.
My daughter has gifted me many times with the neatest Halloween pieces. I haven't found the time yet, over the years to create my Halloween Town. Maybe this year I'll get it started.
I have some notes about a Halloween Town, made of ceramic lit houses, spooky churches, graveyards, barren trees, etc. I haven't really decided where in the house it would be displayed.
I have plenty of room but I need to be able to access it to add to it, modify it, etc.
I may take pictures of the process and post them. We can all share the growth of Halloween Town :)
Well, it's time for more coffee. I may be back to post a bit more before I leave for work.
We're headed down into the furtherest reaches of the Eastern Shore of Maryland today. And then back to Dewey Beach! It's gonna be a great day!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Back At The Keyboard!
Hi all! It's been a great week and I've finally got enough done around here to feel as if I can take some time to come back to the blogs!
I made a list tonight of all the daytrips or longer roadtrips I want to make related to the Marian Baker murder.
My son asked me a few days ago why I feel the need to go to the areas or sites related to the case and I had to be honest with him.
I think first of all I truly believe I will come away from it all with a sense of what happened. I have no idea if what I'll come away with will be in keeping with the accepted facts and story, or if I will come away with an even greater sense of covert reasons behind the attack and murder south of Lancaster in 1950.
I hope to create a real timeline, as complete as I can make it for Marian Baker and Ed Gibbs both.
It would be even better to be able to document it all photographically. That may be quite difficult with the chance that previous homes no longer exist, new homes being built on the murder site itself, etc.
Another reason that I feel compelled to do this is to simply make sure that as time goes on, there are some folks who remember Marian Baker. And to some extent, Ed Gibbs too.
They were two young people whose paths crossed and ended up in tragedy for both of them.
Two lives unlived.
When the jury returned with the verdict and sentence of death, even the Judge was stunned.
He did his best to hide it, but he was caught off guard.
When he discharged the jury, he never even thanked them for their service. I think that was in part to his being stunned but also to his shock that the death penalty was handed down.
He presided over the trial in its entirety. He didn't see the death penalty coming.
The horrific tragedy was compounded by the death sentence. The sadness was permeating even further and was so much more widespread.
There is and was some compassion for Ed Gibbs and that has to be acknowledged and accepted as well. Normal people don't bludgeon young girls to death.
And Ed wasn't a monster. He was a tormented and overstressed young man. There were many, many blocks in the road that led him to the wooded area south of Lancaster that cold January day.
And that's IF he did it.
I'm not totally convinced just yet.
I sincerely hope to come away from my own form of revisiting it all with a sense of his guilt or his innocence. That may be too much to hope for.
So, I'm making my plans and trying to do it in a cohesive manner. And once I make the trips, one at a time, I'll document it all here and post all the pics I take.
I just wish I would have been pushier about it all when most of the people "in the know" were still alive. This is going to be extremely hard with them gone. But I love a challenge.
I guess my fascination with what really happened to Marian Baker is very similar to my and others questions as to what really happened in the Roseboro back yard in July of 2008.
We know what happened to Jan. But we don't know how it happened or truly why.
Did Mike snap? Or did he really plan it? Where did the blood go? What caused the puncture wound to Jan's head?
Unless Mike confesses or someone steps forward, we may never know.
Or fifty or sixty years from now, someone may be sitting at a computer, blogging about how the case grabbed a hold of them and how they need to make a road trip to get a sense of what really happened that warm, rainy July night in 2008.....
I made a list tonight of all the daytrips or longer roadtrips I want to make related to the Marian Baker murder.
My son asked me a few days ago why I feel the need to go to the areas or sites related to the case and I had to be honest with him.
I think first of all I truly believe I will come away from it all with a sense of what happened. I have no idea if what I'll come away with will be in keeping with the accepted facts and story, or if I will come away with an even greater sense of covert reasons behind the attack and murder south of Lancaster in 1950.
I hope to create a real timeline, as complete as I can make it for Marian Baker and Ed Gibbs both.
It would be even better to be able to document it all photographically. That may be quite difficult with the chance that previous homes no longer exist, new homes being built on the murder site itself, etc.
Another reason that I feel compelled to do this is to simply make sure that as time goes on, there are some folks who remember Marian Baker. And to some extent, Ed Gibbs too.
They were two young people whose paths crossed and ended up in tragedy for both of them.
Two lives unlived.
When the jury returned with the verdict and sentence of death, even the Judge was stunned.
He did his best to hide it, but he was caught off guard.
When he discharged the jury, he never even thanked them for their service. I think that was in part to his being stunned but also to his shock that the death penalty was handed down.
He presided over the trial in its entirety. He didn't see the death penalty coming.
The horrific tragedy was compounded by the death sentence. The sadness was permeating even further and was so much more widespread.
There is and was some compassion for Ed Gibbs and that has to be acknowledged and accepted as well. Normal people don't bludgeon young girls to death.
And Ed wasn't a monster. He was a tormented and overstressed young man. There were many, many blocks in the road that led him to the wooded area south of Lancaster that cold January day.
And that's IF he did it.
I'm not totally convinced just yet.
I sincerely hope to come away from my own form of revisiting it all with a sense of his guilt or his innocence. That may be too much to hope for.
So, I'm making my plans and trying to do it in a cohesive manner. And once I make the trips, one at a time, I'll document it all here and post all the pics I take.
I just wish I would have been pushier about it all when most of the people "in the know" were still alive. This is going to be extremely hard with them gone. But I love a challenge.
I guess my fascination with what really happened to Marian Baker is very similar to my and others questions as to what really happened in the Roseboro back yard in July of 2008.
We know what happened to Jan. But we don't know how it happened or truly why.
Did Mike snap? Or did he really plan it? Where did the blood go? What caused the puncture wound to Jan's head?
Unless Mike confesses or someone steps forward, we may never know.
Or fifty or sixty years from now, someone may be sitting at a computer, blogging about how the case grabbed a hold of them and how they need to make a road trip to get a sense of what really happened that warm, rainy July night in 2008.....
Monday, August 17, 2009
I Feel As If I've Been Playing Hooky!
Hey all, I feel as if I've been playing hooky lol Of course my blogging isn't my job, nor is it my career, yet! but I am acutely aware that I haven't been hitting the keyboard as much as usual the last few days.
Here's the latest from this end!
I had a few reschedules for this week and it gave me a much welcome chance to spend a good amount of time at home to tackle some much overdue projects!
I'm of the school, " a cluttered house = a cluttered mind". I will never ever be accused of having too little "stuff" or living a barren and simplistic style....
I am very attached to most of my belongings in sentimental ways, but it's time to declutter and get ready for the change in the seasons. I think it's my own form of nesting.
I rearrange furniture. I purge "junk drawers". I like to clean out and declutter right before the change of each season. I just didn't expect it to hit this weekend LOL
So, starting Sunday, I've been working harder at home than I sometimes do on the job. And I love it! It's such a great feeling to look around and see so much accomplished!
There are times when I intentionally schedule "down time" for myself. Those days could include a movie, a day at the beach, a really good book, cooking something I've never made before, online canasta.....But I guess it's my Lancaster County heritage and work ethic that make me "allow" myself an entire day off.
I've been setting things aside for Freecycle, an anticipated yard sale in the Fall, and for Ebay and Craigslist. My to do list is still pages long, but I'm a pretty happy camper tonite :)
And I will get started at the crack of dawn (maybe!) again tomorrow. I am off tomorrow and have tons more to do.
One thing I love about working this hard is how well you sleep afterwards.
I haven't had a Five Hour Energy Shot in days....but I also haven't had one gram of sugar either.
I've learned to read my body and too much sugar really makes me tired and sluggish. So last Tuesday I decided to eliminate it, again.
I've done it lots of times before and sooner or later I cave to an offer of cake or some special recipe someone has made. I know that I would offend them if I decline....you know the rest of the story.
I really don't want to get into the no or low carbohydrate debate with anyone; it gets tedious. And I can only speak for myself and how my system reacts.
But I lived almost zero carbs for three years. My doctor wasn't familiar with Stillman or Atkins and when he saw my lab work he was exuberant.
He told me "whatever it is that you're doing, keep it up!"
Well, an Easter basket from a dear old woman who stood there waiting for me to sample the candy she had so lovingly arranged in that basket, ended the no carb run for three years lol
I had a walking routine also. Six miles a day. Three in the am and three at night. My pace? About 4-4.5 miles an hour. I walk as fast as I can without having to bust out in a sprint.
I'd walk half of it away from home, the other half back....one old farmer, who had watched me for almost a year, finally stopped one day and leaned out the window and smiled at me..."Hey hon, if you'd just keep going in ONE direction, you'd get somewhere!" He laughed and I laughed LOLOL
The humidity finally made me take a break from the walking, but I'm anxious to resume it.
In the meantime, the dreaded treadmill will have to do.
I love walking outdoors, ear buds in place, high energy music blaring in my ears. I do some of my best thinking that way. And not always on purpose.
I remember my daughter going for several jaunts with me a few years back. We watched the progression of the comet in the night sky. That was alot of fun.
So anyway...I'm sugar free, have tons of energy and thankfully the time now to get much done here at home. The weekend and next week will be a different story.
And I start Saturday classes on September 12th.
I think this Fall will be the time of big changes for me.
I'm relearning to think out of the box, and I like it.
I have always looked at life as an adventure, even unintentionally. And I'm looking at it that way again.
So I am back to blogging.
I need to get my notes and thoughts together about several things. The Marian Baker murder in particular.
The trip to Pitman is on hold only because I wanted to get my stuff and my mind in order lol And I think cooler temperatures will make the trip that much more enjoyable. I have heard that New Jersey can be so beautiful in the Fall.
I did find a condensed death notice for Edward Lester Gibb's mother, Florence L. Gibbs.
I'll copy it here and on the Murder in Lancaster County blog. She lived to be 89 years old. She passed away in July of 1993.
I wondered how she lived out her days after her son was electrocuted. Her husband passed years ahead of her. What a tragic thing for any mother to endure. No matter what he did, he was still their son and they loved him completely. As in the Roseboro murder, there were no winners in the Marian Baker murder or Ed Gibb's trial and conviction. His death by electrocution ripped his parents' hearts out. And that is so so sad.
FLORENCE L. GIBBS, 89, of Pitman, died Tuesday at Kennedy Memorial Hospitals/Washington Township Divison.
Mrs. Gibbs attended the First Baptist Church of Woodbury and was a member of the Followers Prayer Group of Gloucester County and the Christian Women's Club of Gloucester County.
Survivors: two nephews.
Services: viewing, 10 a.m. Saturday, Harold E. Haines Funeral Home, 30 W. Holly Ave., Pitman; funeral, 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home; burial, Hillcrest Memorial Park, Hurffville.
Note: Harold E. Haines purchased the S. E. Burkett Funeral Home on Holly Avenue. Burkett was the funeral director that handled the preparation and services for Ed Gibbs, her son, after his electrocution in Pennsylvania.
Here's the latest from this end!
I had a few reschedules for this week and it gave me a much welcome chance to spend a good amount of time at home to tackle some much overdue projects!
I'm of the school, " a cluttered house = a cluttered mind". I will never ever be accused of having too little "stuff" or living a barren and simplistic style....
I am very attached to most of my belongings in sentimental ways, but it's time to declutter and get ready for the change in the seasons. I think it's my own form of nesting.
I rearrange furniture. I purge "junk drawers". I like to clean out and declutter right before the change of each season. I just didn't expect it to hit this weekend LOL
So, starting Sunday, I've been working harder at home than I sometimes do on the job. And I love it! It's such a great feeling to look around and see so much accomplished!
There are times when I intentionally schedule "down time" for myself. Those days could include a movie, a day at the beach, a really good book, cooking something I've never made before, online canasta.....But I guess it's my Lancaster County heritage and work ethic that make me "allow" myself an entire day off.
I've been setting things aside for Freecycle, an anticipated yard sale in the Fall, and for Ebay and Craigslist. My to do list is still pages long, but I'm a pretty happy camper tonite :)
And I will get started at the crack of dawn (maybe!) again tomorrow. I am off tomorrow and have tons more to do.
One thing I love about working this hard is how well you sleep afterwards.
I haven't had a Five Hour Energy Shot in days....but I also haven't had one gram of sugar either.
I've learned to read my body and too much sugar really makes me tired and sluggish. So last Tuesday I decided to eliminate it, again.
I've done it lots of times before and sooner or later I cave to an offer of cake or some special recipe someone has made. I know that I would offend them if I decline....you know the rest of the story.
I really don't want to get into the no or low carbohydrate debate with anyone; it gets tedious. And I can only speak for myself and how my system reacts.
But I lived almost zero carbs for three years. My doctor wasn't familiar with Stillman or Atkins and when he saw my lab work he was exuberant.
He told me "whatever it is that you're doing, keep it up!"
Well, an Easter basket from a dear old woman who stood there waiting for me to sample the candy she had so lovingly arranged in that basket, ended the no carb run for three years lol
I had a walking routine also. Six miles a day. Three in the am and three at night. My pace? About 4-4.5 miles an hour. I walk as fast as I can without having to bust out in a sprint.
I'd walk half of it away from home, the other half back....one old farmer, who had watched me for almost a year, finally stopped one day and leaned out the window and smiled at me..."Hey hon, if you'd just keep going in ONE direction, you'd get somewhere!" He laughed and I laughed LOLOL
The humidity finally made me take a break from the walking, but I'm anxious to resume it.
In the meantime, the dreaded treadmill will have to do.
I love walking outdoors, ear buds in place, high energy music blaring in my ears. I do some of my best thinking that way. And not always on purpose.
I remember my daughter going for several jaunts with me a few years back. We watched the progression of the comet in the night sky. That was alot of fun.
So anyway...I'm sugar free, have tons of energy and thankfully the time now to get much done here at home. The weekend and next week will be a different story.
And I start Saturday classes on September 12th.
I think this Fall will be the time of big changes for me.
I'm relearning to think out of the box, and I like it.
I have always looked at life as an adventure, even unintentionally. And I'm looking at it that way again.
So I am back to blogging.
I need to get my notes and thoughts together about several things. The Marian Baker murder in particular.
The trip to Pitman is on hold only because I wanted to get my stuff and my mind in order lol And I think cooler temperatures will make the trip that much more enjoyable. I have heard that New Jersey can be so beautiful in the Fall.
I did find a condensed death notice for Edward Lester Gibb's mother, Florence L. Gibbs.
I'll copy it here and on the Murder in Lancaster County blog. She lived to be 89 years old. She passed away in July of 1993.
I wondered how she lived out her days after her son was electrocuted. Her husband passed years ahead of her. What a tragic thing for any mother to endure. No matter what he did, he was still their son and they loved him completely. As in the Roseboro murder, there were no winners in the Marian Baker murder or Ed Gibb's trial and conviction. His death by electrocution ripped his parents' hearts out. And that is so so sad.
FLORENCE L. GIBBS, 89, of Pitman, died Tuesday at Kennedy Memorial Hospitals/Washington Township Divison.
Mrs. Gibbs attended the First Baptist Church of Woodbury and was a member of the Followers Prayer Group of Gloucester County and the Christian Women's Club of Gloucester County.
Survivors: two nephews.
Services: viewing, 10 a.m. Saturday, Harold E. Haines Funeral Home, 30 W. Holly Ave., Pitman; funeral, 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home; burial, Hillcrest Memorial Park, Hurffville.
Note: Harold E. Haines purchased the S. E. Burkett Funeral Home on Holly Avenue. Burkett was the funeral director that handled the preparation and services for Ed Gibbs, her son, after his electrocution in Pennsylvania.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Touching base.......
Hey all :) The Saturday rush is over and I can now enjoy some free time to get organized, tackle some work around here and get my thoughts and questions in order about the Marian Louise Baker murder.....
I'm undecided about the trip to Pitman, New Jersey tomorrow. It all depends on how much I get done around here tonight, the weather and a few other variables.
I have a few days off this week, so if I don't go tomorrow, I have some other options.
I'll be back blogging tonight, after I take care of some business here.
Thank you to all who emailed me to request an invitation to the blog. I have you all listed and if I do go private, you will definitely be receiving your invitation :)
Be back later......
I'm undecided about the trip to Pitman, New Jersey tomorrow. It all depends on how much I get done around here tonight, the weather and a few other variables.
I have a few days off this week, so if I don't go tomorrow, I have some other options.
I'll be back blogging tonight, after I take care of some business here.
Thank you to all who emailed me to request an invitation to the blog. I have you all listed and if I do go private, you will definitely be receiving your invitation :)
Be back later......
Friday, August 14, 2009
Why?
On Tuesday, January 1oth of 1950, Marian Louise Baker returned to the Cashier's Office from her lunch break in the college cafeteria. She never removed her coat as she sat down at her desk, complaining that she was now so backed up with work that she wished she didn't have to go to the bank. Making college deposits at the bank was a daily part of Marian's job duties. She grabbed her things, a letter to be mailed from Mrs. Stonesifer and her purse and headed to the corner of James and College Avenues to catch the CTC bus to Penn Square. She had returned to the office, from lunch at 1:30 pm.
She was worried that she would be late for or miss her appointment for a permanent wave scheduled for 5:00 or 5:30 that afternoon.
She also needed to pick up her engagment ring from Kay Jewelers, off of Penn Square.
Marian arrived at Penn Square. She picked up her ring, made the bank deposit and then went to the post office.
She hadn't wanted to make this run downtown because she was so backed up with work....
And yet, we are to believe that as she ran her errands, she ran into Ed Gibbs, whose incessant chatter about himself made her sick, and accepted a ride with him supposedly heading back to the college. That part I even have trouble with. He made her sick. That's a pretty strong statement. I can't imagine she wanted to listen to him chatter on the whole way back to campus.
But this is the bigger question for me....
As busy and backed up as she was at 1:30 pm, already worried about not making her hair appointment, when Ed Gibbs pulled up to the light at Prince Street, and he asked Marian if she was in a hurry to get back to the college campus, she said "No." She said NO?????
Ed made a left and they travelled down South Prince Street, clearly away from the direction of the college. It was a cold, gray January day. Not exactly the day for sightseeing. Or nature watching.
Why would Marian have gotten in the car with Ed in the first place if he made her sick?
And if she did get in the car, why was there no fuss about him taking her south of the city when she clearly was flustered about being so busy already in the afternoon?
When that car left the highway and started back the lane to where the cottage was located, why was there no problem, no fight?
He was married, she was engaged. It was the middle of the afternoon of a work day in 1950.
Something is very wrong here.
And why THAT lane? Why THAT property?
How did Ed Gibbs know of that area? Had he been there before?
Did Marian really get a ride from Gibbs?
What happened to her being so busy?
What was being said in the car as he shoved it into "park"?
He said he reached over and choked her with no provocation. He did it on impulse.
She screamed and got out of the car, trying to get away.
He grabbed the lug wrench and went after her.
If he snapped, why wasn't she obliterated?
If he simply wanted her dead, why the wounds on the frontal AND posterior surfaces of her skull? How did the attack happen? Either blow would have rendered her completely unconscious as bone was driven into the brain.
And then we are to believe that Gibbs came back later to try to bury her?
I have alot of work to do.
I need to check records and get myself up to the Historical Society.
I need to read the entire court transcript and see any surviving files from the investigation.
Was the inside of the cottage checked? What about Gibb's car? Was it examined inside?
Somethings aren't making any sense at all....
She was worried that she would be late for or miss her appointment for a permanent wave scheduled for 5:00 or 5:30 that afternoon.
She also needed to pick up her engagment ring from Kay Jewelers, off of Penn Square.
Marian arrived at Penn Square. She picked up her ring, made the bank deposit and then went to the post office.
She hadn't wanted to make this run downtown because she was so backed up with work....
And yet, we are to believe that as she ran her errands, she ran into Ed Gibbs, whose incessant chatter about himself made her sick, and accepted a ride with him supposedly heading back to the college. That part I even have trouble with. He made her sick. That's a pretty strong statement. I can't imagine she wanted to listen to him chatter on the whole way back to campus.
But this is the bigger question for me....
As busy and backed up as she was at 1:30 pm, already worried about not making her hair appointment, when Ed Gibbs pulled up to the light at Prince Street, and he asked Marian if she was in a hurry to get back to the college campus, she said "No." She said NO?????
Ed made a left and they travelled down South Prince Street, clearly away from the direction of the college. It was a cold, gray January day. Not exactly the day for sightseeing. Or nature watching.
Why would Marian have gotten in the car with Ed in the first place if he made her sick?
And if she did get in the car, why was there no fuss about him taking her south of the city when she clearly was flustered about being so busy already in the afternoon?
When that car left the highway and started back the lane to where the cottage was located, why was there no problem, no fight?
He was married, she was engaged. It was the middle of the afternoon of a work day in 1950.
Something is very wrong here.
And why THAT lane? Why THAT property?
How did Ed Gibbs know of that area? Had he been there before?
Did Marian really get a ride from Gibbs?
What happened to her being so busy?
What was being said in the car as he shoved it into "park"?
He said he reached over and choked her with no provocation. He did it on impulse.
She screamed and got out of the car, trying to get away.
He grabbed the lug wrench and went after her.
If he snapped, why wasn't she obliterated?
If he simply wanted her dead, why the wounds on the frontal AND posterior surfaces of her skull? How did the attack happen? Either blow would have rendered her completely unconscious as bone was driven into the brain.
And then we are to believe that Gibbs came back later to try to bury her?
I have alot of work to do.
I need to check records and get myself up to the Historical Society.
I need to read the entire court transcript and see any surviving files from the investigation.
Was the inside of the cottage checked? What about Gibb's car? Was it examined inside?
Somethings aren't making any sense at all....
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The String Art That Is My Mind About This...
Of course, rereading the book has started my mind heading down some familiar roads, but this time there is a difference. I've come up with some thoughts and questions that I never have before.
Shortly after I woke up, showered and got ready for work, I took a few minutes to pull out the copies, from microfiche, of the Lancaster newspapers coverage of Marian's disappearance, the discovery of her mutilated body at the Harnish cottage, the confession, the trial and conviction and ending with Ed Gibb's execution in the electric chair.
I clearly remember the day I made those copies. I sat in the library on Duke Street for hours, reading and scanning the microfiche. I scanned so quickly that the motion of the reader made me dizzy and so nauseated I really thought I was going to be sick.
My husband was with me that day. We weren't married yet, so that tells you how long ago that day was. He had to drive home, I was fit for a bucket.
We were parked on the very top level of the parking garage, the Prince Street one, I think, I'm not exactly sure. I always park on the very top. I love looking out over the city every time. That view never gets old for me.
I remember telling my "boyfriend" to keep me away from the outer wall. There would be no gazing out over the Red Rose City that day for sure.
My copies of the articles are pretty worn. They are at least 30 years old!
Like my copy of "A Murder In Paradise", I always know where that stack of shiny black and white paper is.
I keep it in a special legal brief carrier.
It took me all of two minutes to find it this morning after I poured my first cup of coffee.
I read what I could still make out, and I found a few things that either I never noticed before or skipped over. Some are small details. Some directly contradict the book.
The photos of Marian and her Conestoga family, the aunt and uncle that raised her are very difficult to discern after all these years. There is one photo in which her brother Ross Dalton Baker Smith is standing next to the O'Donels. There is a photo of Marian, smiling broadly, with Edgar Rankin, her fiance, holding her from behind.
There are even photos of the jurors in a group around a table. Their names were published easily and it was said later that those people paid a very high price for their service on the Gibbs jury.
Some tormented them badly for their verdict.
There is also a wide aerial shot of then Route 222 and the land surrounding the Media Heights Golf Course, Mill Creek and the Harnish cottage.
From the time I started working in the area of Lancaster and south, I never drove that general route without looking to my left and wondering if I could find the spot where Ed attacked her.
As a small child, I remember being at a school friend's house on a lane in that area. I think I even wondered then. I'm forty nine years old and I can remember going up the wooded lane to Jack's house, and feeling rather serious for no apparent reason.
I was usually working second shift when I headed toward Willow Street and there was no time to head off on a search through the woods. I wonder now how built up that area is.
I viewed it on Google Earth and there is still Exhibit Farm Road. And a house appears. I don't know it to be a fact but I've wondered if that is the tenant house on the Harnish property from where the Harnish's called the police when they found Marian's body under the corrugated metal behind the cottage.
There are some coincidences that occurred to me today.
Marian lived right down the road from my Mom's childhood home, the home of my Nanny Kelley.
Once I had learned about her, there wasn't a day went by that I didn't look for her house as we drove to and from Nanny's house in Conestoga.
The Harnish's lived in the three hundred block of West Walnut Street in Lancaster and owned the property by Mill Creek. My family lived five houses west of them when my parents purchased the townhouse near the corner of Walnut and Mulberry.
Ed Gibb's wife worked with my Mom at Armstrong Cork Company, later Armstrong World Industries.
Marian was a good friend of my maternal aunt and my Mom.
It was only today that I realized that the Harnish's lived right down the street frpm our house.
In going back over the details as presented in the book and in the Lancaster Newspaper articles, I've started to form a mixed up list of questions in my mind. Tomorrow they will be comitted to paper.
I regret, more than I can say, that I never questioned anyone in my family about that tragedy.
I am sorry I never met Marian's brother Ross Dalton Baker Smith.
I am sorry I never met the O'Donels who cared for her and loved her as if she were their own. She was their own.
My Mom's best friend was a legal secretary for most of her life. Her years on Lawyer's Row, on Duke Street gave her a first hand glimpse at some of the most fascinating cases in Lancaster.
When the final opinion was handed down in the Lisa Michelle Lambert case, by Judge Lawrence Stengel, my Aunt Jean, as we called her, sent me the entire opinion :)
I pored over every word. I should mention that in my senior year of my undergrad studies I did interview for law school. Lawyers and judges are rock stars to me.
I am one of the weirdos that doesn't hate jury duty. When I enter a courthouse, I keep my voice to a whisper, lower my head a bit and show reverence. That's just me :)
I wish I would have spoken to her about the Baker murder and the Gibbs trial. She knew things. She heard plenty. But in all the years I was old enough to comprehend anything, I never once heard her reveal anything out of confidence in any area or in any way.
I can remember, though, her talking about Gibb's defense attorney, Hense Brown, long after the trial was a memory. She said that it was common knowledge that "Hense was NEVER the same." That was reiterated in the book.
He took his unease and frustration of the Gibbs trial with him to his grave.
He never stopped believing that if he just would have more time, he might have gotten Gibbs to tell the whole truth about what happened that cold January Tuesday in 1950.
There WAS more to the story. There IS more to the story.
And I'm not getting any younger here. If I don't give this my best shot now, I never will.
I looked back over my notes that I've written about the murder and the case for years. The one note card is dated from my middle school years.
I'm going to be updating those cards. Adding comments and questions in an effort to try to map out where I should go from here.
I have questions now that I didn't have back then.
I'm wondering about events and decisions from a much older, mature and worldwise stance now.
I'll be posting my progress and my thoughts here as I go.
I'll try to NOT present it haphazardly as string art. But there's always that risk.
When I start to write, it just goes where it goes. It's freeform and it leads to other thoughts and other questions, other memories.
This won't always be a cohesive work of literary research, you can count on that!
It will be my journey to try to find out just what really did happen to Marian Louise Baker in 1950.
My first question today was...
Marian was quoted as having said that Gibbs incessant chatter about himself made her sick.
Why did she get in the car with him after she left the post office?
Why was it okay with her to take a drive south instead of heading back to campus?
If she truly didn't like Gibbs, and this was in 1950, other rules of propriety applied then, why did she allow him to drive her south out of the city, back a wooded lane, when she was wearing Ed Rankin's engagement ring?
Do not assume I'm thinking that Marian was promiscuous. Not for a second.
But I am going somewhere with this. I just don't exactly where just yet.
I do need more information. I need records and data.
One piece of information I do need is a list of all the courses that Gibbs took while at Franklin and Marshall College. I need to see each and every class he registered for. Even those that he eventually dropped or failed.
And I need to see which professors were actually standing in front of students on that Tuesday afternoon. I need to see which professors could be accounted for that day. And which ones may have been off campus with no one to stand as their alibi.
I also will be visiting the Lancaster County Historical Society soon. They have the files, the evidence that remains, the collection that was the Baker murder and the Gibbs trial.
Richard Gehman, the author of the book, stated at the end that he hoped the reason for writing the book was in the pages. He really didn't know he was compelled to write the book.
I think he knew exactly why he was writing the book. And I believe there are vague clues in those pages.
Gehman told the story as it happened, as it was reported and accepted.
But I think he knew more. I think he knew alot more.
And I believe he was hoping that someday, someone was going to read certain lines and phrases in his book and cock their head just a tad to the side and say..."Hmm...I wonder...." .
Well Mr. Gehman, I hope you're watching. My head is a tad to the side. And I'm more than wondering.
Shortly after I woke up, showered and got ready for work, I took a few minutes to pull out the copies, from microfiche, of the Lancaster newspapers coverage of Marian's disappearance, the discovery of her mutilated body at the Harnish cottage, the confession, the trial and conviction and ending with Ed Gibb's execution in the electric chair.
I clearly remember the day I made those copies. I sat in the library on Duke Street for hours, reading and scanning the microfiche. I scanned so quickly that the motion of the reader made me dizzy and so nauseated I really thought I was going to be sick.
My husband was with me that day. We weren't married yet, so that tells you how long ago that day was. He had to drive home, I was fit for a bucket.
We were parked on the very top level of the parking garage, the Prince Street one, I think, I'm not exactly sure. I always park on the very top. I love looking out over the city every time. That view never gets old for me.
I remember telling my "boyfriend" to keep me away from the outer wall. There would be no gazing out over the Red Rose City that day for sure.
My copies of the articles are pretty worn. They are at least 30 years old!
Like my copy of "A Murder In Paradise", I always know where that stack of shiny black and white paper is.
I keep it in a special legal brief carrier.
It took me all of two minutes to find it this morning after I poured my first cup of coffee.
I read what I could still make out, and I found a few things that either I never noticed before or skipped over. Some are small details. Some directly contradict the book.
The photos of Marian and her Conestoga family, the aunt and uncle that raised her are very difficult to discern after all these years. There is one photo in which her brother Ross Dalton Baker Smith is standing next to the O'Donels. There is a photo of Marian, smiling broadly, with Edgar Rankin, her fiance, holding her from behind.
There are even photos of the jurors in a group around a table. Their names were published easily and it was said later that those people paid a very high price for their service on the Gibbs jury.
Some tormented them badly for their verdict.
There is also a wide aerial shot of then Route 222 and the land surrounding the Media Heights Golf Course, Mill Creek and the Harnish cottage.
From the time I started working in the area of Lancaster and south, I never drove that general route without looking to my left and wondering if I could find the spot where Ed attacked her.
As a small child, I remember being at a school friend's house on a lane in that area. I think I even wondered then. I'm forty nine years old and I can remember going up the wooded lane to Jack's house, and feeling rather serious for no apparent reason.
I was usually working second shift when I headed toward Willow Street and there was no time to head off on a search through the woods. I wonder now how built up that area is.
I viewed it on Google Earth and there is still Exhibit Farm Road. And a house appears. I don't know it to be a fact but I've wondered if that is the tenant house on the Harnish property from where the Harnish's called the police when they found Marian's body under the corrugated metal behind the cottage.
There are some coincidences that occurred to me today.
Marian lived right down the road from my Mom's childhood home, the home of my Nanny Kelley.
Once I had learned about her, there wasn't a day went by that I didn't look for her house as we drove to and from Nanny's house in Conestoga.
The Harnish's lived in the three hundred block of West Walnut Street in Lancaster and owned the property by Mill Creek. My family lived five houses west of them when my parents purchased the townhouse near the corner of Walnut and Mulberry.
Ed Gibb's wife worked with my Mom at Armstrong Cork Company, later Armstrong World Industries.
Marian was a good friend of my maternal aunt and my Mom.
It was only today that I realized that the Harnish's lived right down the street frpm our house.
In going back over the details as presented in the book and in the Lancaster Newspaper articles, I've started to form a mixed up list of questions in my mind. Tomorrow they will be comitted to paper.
I regret, more than I can say, that I never questioned anyone in my family about that tragedy.
I am sorry I never met Marian's brother Ross Dalton Baker Smith.
I am sorry I never met the O'Donels who cared for her and loved her as if she were their own. She was their own.
My Mom's best friend was a legal secretary for most of her life. Her years on Lawyer's Row, on Duke Street gave her a first hand glimpse at some of the most fascinating cases in Lancaster.
When the final opinion was handed down in the Lisa Michelle Lambert case, by Judge Lawrence Stengel, my Aunt Jean, as we called her, sent me the entire opinion :)
I pored over every word. I should mention that in my senior year of my undergrad studies I did interview for law school. Lawyers and judges are rock stars to me.
I am one of the weirdos that doesn't hate jury duty. When I enter a courthouse, I keep my voice to a whisper, lower my head a bit and show reverence. That's just me :)
I wish I would have spoken to her about the Baker murder and the Gibbs trial. She knew things. She heard plenty. But in all the years I was old enough to comprehend anything, I never once heard her reveal anything out of confidence in any area or in any way.
I can remember, though, her talking about Gibb's defense attorney, Hense Brown, long after the trial was a memory. She said that it was common knowledge that "Hense was NEVER the same." That was reiterated in the book.
He took his unease and frustration of the Gibbs trial with him to his grave.
He never stopped believing that if he just would have more time, he might have gotten Gibbs to tell the whole truth about what happened that cold January Tuesday in 1950.
There WAS more to the story. There IS more to the story.
And I'm not getting any younger here. If I don't give this my best shot now, I never will.
I looked back over my notes that I've written about the murder and the case for years. The one note card is dated from my middle school years.
I'm going to be updating those cards. Adding comments and questions in an effort to try to map out where I should go from here.
I have questions now that I didn't have back then.
I'm wondering about events and decisions from a much older, mature and worldwise stance now.
I'll be posting my progress and my thoughts here as I go.
I'll try to NOT present it haphazardly as string art. But there's always that risk.
When I start to write, it just goes where it goes. It's freeform and it leads to other thoughts and other questions, other memories.
This won't always be a cohesive work of literary research, you can count on that!
It will be my journey to try to find out just what really did happen to Marian Louise Baker in 1950.
My first question today was...
Marian was quoted as having said that Gibbs incessant chatter about himself made her sick.
Why did she get in the car with him after she left the post office?
Why was it okay with her to take a drive south instead of heading back to campus?
If she truly didn't like Gibbs, and this was in 1950, other rules of propriety applied then, why did she allow him to drive her south out of the city, back a wooded lane, when she was wearing Ed Rankin's engagement ring?
Do not assume I'm thinking that Marian was promiscuous. Not for a second.
But I am going somewhere with this. I just don't exactly where just yet.
I do need more information. I need records and data.
One piece of information I do need is a list of all the courses that Gibbs took while at Franklin and Marshall College. I need to see each and every class he registered for. Even those that he eventually dropped or failed.
And I need to see which professors were actually standing in front of students on that Tuesday afternoon. I need to see which professors could be accounted for that day. And which ones may have been off campus with no one to stand as their alibi.
I also will be visiting the Lancaster County Historical Society soon. They have the files, the evidence that remains, the collection that was the Baker murder and the Gibbs trial.
Richard Gehman, the author of the book, stated at the end that he hoped the reason for writing the book was in the pages. He really didn't know he was compelled to write the book.
I think he knew exactly why he was writing the book. And I believe there are vague clues in those pages.
Gehman told the story as it happened, as it was reported and accepted.
But I think he knew more. I think he knew alot more.
And I believe he was hoping that someday, someone was going to read certain lines and phrases in his book and cock their head just a tad to the side and say..."Hmm...I wonder...." .
Well Mr. Gehman, I hope you're watching. My head is a tad to the side. And I'm more than wondering.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I Think I'll Be In Pitman On Sunday Afternoon....
This is the entrance to the Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Hurffville, New Jersey. Edward Lester Gibbs in interred here.
I have had photos of Marian Baker's grave for about a year, thanks to a very dear and new friend from Perry County, PA who braved several days of rain to get the pics for me. She also took pics of the graves of Marian's beloved aunt and uncle who raised her, the O'Donels, who lie next to her.
Her mother, Mrs. Bruce Britcher, is interred in a different cemetery.
Marian is with those that loved her best.
I've never taken the time to check out Pitman. I was there once, on a return trip from the beach, when the "driver" refused to take my advice.
One wrong turn, across the bridge we went and there we were!
As we pulled into a gas station, I looked up and saw the sign.
Welcome to Pitman!
We had to get back to Lancaster County or I'd have spent the day there.
I'm off on Sunday. I have a feeling I just may take a day trip, camera in hand.
This "thing" has gotten a hold of me again....
I hope someday to understand just why I am so intrigued by all of this. It's as if there's an answer out there somewhere, waiting to be revealed.
I have had photos of Marian Baker's grave for about a year, thanks to a very dear and new friend from Perry County, PA who braved several days of rain to get the pics for me. She also took pics of the graves of Marian's beloved aunt and uncle who raised her, the O'Donels, who lie next to her.
Her mother, Mrs. Bruce Britcher, is interred in a different cemetery.
Marian is with those that loved her best.
I've never taken the time to check out Pitman. I was there once, on a return trip from the beach, when the "driver" refused to take my advice.
One wrong turn, across the bridge we went and there we were!
As we pulled into a gas station, I looked up and saw the sign.
Welcome to Pitman!
We had to get back to Lancaster County or I'd have spent the day there.
I'm off on Sunday. I have a feeling I just may take a day trip, camera in hand.
This "thing" has gotten a hold of me again....
I hope someday to understand just why I am so intrigued by all of this. It's as if there's an answer out there somewhere, waiting to be revealed.
Revisting "A Murder In Paradise"
I started to read "A Murder In Paradise" by Richard Gehman again last night. This has to be the hundredth time, if not more.
For a few months the book has been sitting on an end table in my living room. At no time in my life has it ever been too far away from me. I have no idea why I always keep it so handy and close.
When we moved here, it was packed in a box in the one spare bedroom for several months. When the very familiar pangs started up again, making me need to read it one more time, I remember frantically running up the stairs and heading for the packing boxes, stacked high to the ceiling, in many rows.
I knew instinctively what other items I had packed in the same box with the book, so when I popped the top on the fourth or fifth box and saw my grandmother's linen calendar folded and laying on top of the items, I knew I had the right one!
I also remember my husband telling me to do a search on the internet to see if anyone had an additional copy for sale. My copy is very worn by now. I did find two for sale. The prices were astronomical, at least for my bank account!
Inside the front cover of my copy, I had written my mother's name and address in ink. I clearly was attempting to copy her beautiful, flowing cursive, but failed lol
She had kept the book in a chest of drawers in her room that was reserved for some of her favorite and most cherished jewelry. My Mom was a glamour doll and her jewelry was her signature. That and her beauty mark :) (When she had almost a day's worth of surgery for head/neck cancer she awoke and was angrier at the surgeon removing her beauty mark without permission than she was worried about the surgery; that was my Mom!)
The book was kept in an elevated place in her mind and heart, and the fact that she kept it in the jewelry chest of drawers and not on the bookshelves with her hundreds of other books was quite telling. It has always been revered in our family.
My Mom never spoke much about the murder. She spoke only briefly in my presence of Marian.
But I overheard her a few times over the years speaking of Ed Gibbs. Her tone was strong and it was seething. "He said 'She was hard to kill. She didn't want to die.' " The words slid out of her mouth almost with a slight hiss. Over the years I would come to learn how much my Mom truly did harbor hate for Ed Gibbs. It seemed that if she spoke more of him she'd somehow make him more important in the universe than she wanted him to be.
Marian Louise Baker's photo was in an album at my Grandmother's house for as long as I could remember. I can still see her smile and her side pose in a white outfit. She had dark hair, dark eyes and an easy smile.
I clearly didn't recognize her as a member of our family, at least one that I had ever met, so I asked about the picture. "That's Marian Louise Baker, a friend of Aunt Weenie's." That's all that was said for quite a long time. But for some reason, even as a small girl, I always returned to that picture when looking through the photo albums. To this day I don't know why. It would be years before I knew what had happened to Marian.
For a few months the book has been sitting on an end table in my living room. At no time in my life has it ever been too far away from me. I have no idea why I always keep it so handy and close.
When we moved here, it was packed in a box in the one spare bedroom for several months. When the very familiar pangs started up again, making me need to read it one more time, I remember frantically running up the stairs and heading for the packing boxes, stacked high to the ceiling, in many rows.
I knew instinctively what other items I had packed in the same box with the book, so when I popped the top on the fourth or fifth box and saw my grandmother's linen calendar folded and laying on top of the items, I knew I had the right one!
I also remember my husband telling me to do a search on the internet to see if anyone had an additional copy for sale. My copy is very worn by now. I did find two for sale. The prices were astronomical, at least for my bank account!
Inside the front cover of my copy, I had written my mother's name and address in ink. I clearly was attempting to copy her beautiful, flowing cursive, but failed lol
She had kept the book in a chest of drawers in her room that was reserved for some of her favorite and most cherished jewelry. My Mom was a glamour doll and her jewelry was her signature. That and her beauty mark :) (When she had almost a day's worth of surgery for head/neck cancer she awoke and was angrier at the surgeon removing her beauty mark without permission than she was worried about the surgery; that was my Mom!)
The book was kept in an elevated place in her mind and heart, and the fact that she kept it in the jewelry chest of drawers and not on the bookshelves with her hundreds of other books was quite telling. It has always been revered in our family.
My Mom never spoke much about the murder. She spoke only briefly in my presence of Marian.
But I overheard her a few times over the years speaking of Ed Gibbs. Her tone was strong and it was seething. "He said 'She was hard to kill. She didn't want to die.' " The words slid out of her mouth almost with a slight hiss. Over the years I would come to learn how much my Mom truly did harbor hate for Ed Gibbs. It seemed that if she spoke more of him she'd somehow make him more important in the universe than she wanted him to be.
Marian Louise Baker's photo was in an album at my Grandmother's house for as long as I could remember. I can still see her smile and her side pose in a white outfit. She had dark hair, dark eyes and an easy smile.
I clearly didn't recognize her as a member of our family, at least one that I had ever met, so I asked about the picture. "That's Marian Louise Baker, a friend of Aunt Weenie's." That's all that was said for quite a long time. But for some reason, even as a small girl, I always returned to that picture when looking through the photo albums. To this day I don't know why. It would be years before I knew what had happened to Marian.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Just A Few Observations
I've been wondering about a few things......
Lately there have been a few posts out of nowhere, supporting Angie Funk or outright bashing me and others for our opinions about her.
Where have these people been for the past year?
One poster slammed me royally, making snide remarks about the frequency with which I post or comment, yet I was gone from the community forum for many, many months and I don't see that person's posts anywhere! Where have you been?
If my presence is so bothersome, where were you when I was gone?
It seems that you simply waited for a reason to pop your head out and let off some steam....unfortunately it was directed strongly at me :) That's okay, I have broad shoulders.... ;)
And what's up with all of these new "friends and supporters" of Angie Funk?
I may be going out on a limb here but I think Angie herself has been posting under hidden names and having her few friends and supportive family members chime in as well.
If you read carefully you can sense different writing styles from the same posters.
The same misspellings are made, the same syntax and metre appears.
Why the secrecy?
And truly, Angie you have very few supporters. It is what it is.
Just post as yourself. And be honest.
Stop the games. It surely doesn't help your case at all.
And for the spouting off about Christianity, it's rather deceitful.
I don't hide behind any other identity, nor do the other posters. And we surely don't have other people logging in from other locations to bolster our positions.
Get real. Just this once. Get real.
Lately there have been a few posts out of nowhere, supporting Angie Funk or outright bashing me and others for our opinions about her.
Where have these people been for the past year?
One poster slammed me royally, making snide remarks about the frequency with which I post or comment, yet I was gone from the community forum for many, many months and I don't see that person's posts anywhere! Where have you been?
If my presence is so bothersome, where were you when I was gone?
It seems that you simply waited for a reason to pop your head out and let off some steam....unfortunately it was directed strongly at me :) That's okay, I have broad shoulders.... ;)
And what's up with all of these new "friends and supporters" of Angie Funk?
I may be going out on a limb here but I think Angie herself has been posting under hidden names and having her few friends and supportive family members chime in as well.
If you read carefully you can sense different writing styles from the same posters.
The same misspellings are made, the same syntax and metre appears.
Why the secrecy?
And truly, Angie you have very few supporters. It is what it is.
Just post as yourself. And be honest.
Stop the games. It surely doesn't help your case at all.
And for the spouting off about Christianity, it's rather deceitful.
I don't hide behind any other identity, nor do the other posters. And we surely don't have other people logging in from other locations to bolster our positions.
Get real. Just this once. Get real.
The Ripple Effect
The heinous murder of Jan Roseboro led to the discovery of the affair between her husband and Angela Funk.
The story doesn't end there. No story like this ever could.
People have been devastated by the death of Jan.
People have been devastated by the affair between Mike Roseboro and Angie Funk.
Friends have discovered how badly they have been lied to and betrayed. Coworkers are now fully aware of why it seemed Angie always had to leave early or be excused for an appointment. Many wonder why it's ok that she used the company computer for clearly personal reasons, i.e. her emails to Mike and his to her.
The investigation prior to the trial led some husbands and wives to learn about things they had no idea of prior to the tragedy.
And in some cases, this was the icing on the cake.
Some have come forward from years past, to tell what they know or witnessed in the past with Angie. They still harbor anger and hurt.
There is destruction because of all that has gone on for many years.
There is even more devastation due to the affair and the murder trial.
It's clear that several people are still in denial.
Those that have finally admitted to themselves that they were used and lied to by Angie surely must know that feeling. Some very good and loving people held out for as long as they could, trying with all their might to believe her, to find an honest basis for her character and behavior.
They learned that their trust and faith was misplaced. And with heavy hearts they had to walk away.
That is the only way you can survive caring for a true Narcissist. You have to cut all ties and walk away. If you don't, the cost is unbelievable. The cost is "you".
To remain in any kind of quasi relationship with a Narcissist, you have to get real with yourself.
You have to admit that they are empty shells, devoid of empathy or the ability to love. They have no identity.
So you must lower your expectations to zero. You cannot expect to get any normal return of emotion or character from them. If you do, you will be crushed.
They will take from you with total abandon, oftentimes holding something you value over your head to make you "walk the line" with them.
For some, that seems to be the way they are dealing with all of this.
If they just let it all go, and make no demands of Angie, and have no expectations of her (the normal expectations we all have from fellow human beings to love, have compassion, empathy, remorse) they can be allowed to be in her world.
If they don't she will either banish them or take away something they cherish.
Everyone that has loved or dealt with a Narcissist deals with two levels of grief.
They deal with the realization the Narcissist really does not love them in any true sense. They are incapable.
And they also have to mourn the loss of a relationship with the Narcissist that they "believed" existed. The Narcissist isn't the person they believed them to be, hence additional grief.
It takes incredible inner strength to deal with a Narcissist. It hurts. Badly.
And for some, they just want to pretend all is well with the world. And for them, that is the only way they can survive and face another day. The alternative is too daunting.
So they make excuses for the Narcissist, allow them to run ripshod over everyone and everything.
But it gets them from today to tomorrow.
Others rage against the Narcissist when they clearly see how the others are apparently fooled by the Narcissist. They are frustrated by the false show and the way some eat it up.
It's the Emporer's new clothes syndrome.
But these folks see that the Emporer is naked. And ugly.
And they want the others to see that too.
The murder and the affair can't be separated.
Nor can you part out the ripple effect this has had on people all over the county.
It's what we've been told about for a year now.
Pain and devastation, everywhere she goes.
There's no stopping that. But those who are dealing with the aftermath now have to face a decision. They can either continue to rail against the injustice or they can save themselves and just walk away.
It's a serious decision.
The story doesn't end there. No story like this ever could.
People have been devastated by the death of Jan.
People have been devastated by the affair between Mike Roseboro and Angie Funk.
Friends have discovered how badly they have been lied to and betrayed. Coworkers are now fully aware of why it seemed Angie always had to leave early or be excused for an appointment. Many wonder why it's ok that she used the company computer for clearly personal reasons, i.e. her emails to Mike and his to her.
The investigation prior to the trial led some husbands and wives to learn about things they had no idea of prior to the tragedy.
And in some cases, this was the icing on the cake.
Some have come forward from years past, to tell what they know or witnessed in the past with Angie. They still harbor anger and hurt.
There is destruction because of all that has gone on for many years.
There is even more devastation due to the affair and the murder trial.
It's clear that several people are still in denial.
Those that have finally admitted to themselves that they were used and lied to by Angie surely must know that feeling. Some very good and loving people held out for as long as they could, trying with all their might to believe her, to find an honest basis for her character and behavior.
They learned that their trust and faith was misplaced. And with heavy hearts they had to walk away.
That is the only way you can survive caring for a true Narcissist. You have to cut all ties and walk away. If you don't, the cost is unbelievable. The cost is "you".
To remain in any kind of quasi relationship with a Narcissist, you have to get real with yourself.
You have to admit that they are empty shells, devoid of empathy or the ability to love. They have no identity.
So you must lower your expectations to zero. You cannot expect to get any normal return of emotion or character from them. If you do, you will be crushed.
They will take from you with total abandon, oftentimes holding something you value over your head to make you "walk the line" with them.
For some, that seems to be the way they are dealing with all of this.
If they just let it all go, and make no demands of Angie, and have no expectations of her (the normal expectations we all have from fellow human beings to love, have compassion, empathy, remorse) they can be allowed to be in her world.
If they don't she will either banish them or take away something they cherish.
Everyone that has loved or dealt with a Narcissist deals with two levels of grief.
They deal with the realization the Narcissist really does not love them in any true sense. They are incapable.
And they also have to mourn the loss of a relationship with the Narcissist that they "believed" existed. The Narcissist isn't the person they believed them to be, hence additional grief.
It takes incredible inner strength to deal with a Narcissist. It hurts. Badly.
And for some, they just want to pretend all is well with the world. And for them, that is the only way they can survive and face another day. The alternative is too daunting.
So they make excuses for the Narcissist, allow them to run ripshod over everyone and everything.
But it gets them from today to tomorrow.
Others rage against the Narcissist when they clearly see how the others are apparently fooled by the Narcissist. They are frustrated by the false show and the way some eat it up.
It's the Emporer's new clothes syndrome.
But these folks see that the Emporer is naked. And ugly.
And they want the others to see that too.
The murder and the affair can't be separated.
Nor can you part out the ripple effect this has had on people all over the county.
It's what we've been told about for a year now.
Pain and devastation, everywhere she goes.
There's no stopping that. But those who are dealing with the aftermath now have to face a decision. They can either continue to rail against the injustice or they can save themselves and just walk away.
It's a serious decision.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Want A Prison PenPal?
I found this site and found it fascinating!
PA has quite a few state prisons in the email system.......
http://www.4inmates.com/electronicDeliveryDirectory.jsp
PA has quite a few state prisons in the email system.......
http://www.4inmates.com/electronicDeliveryDirectory.jsp
Crimerant.com: A Really Great Read....
http://www.crimerant.com/ is the site I'm referring to. It's the site of M. William Phelps and Gregg Olsen. Of course it's a promo site, but if an author can't get word to the readers, then how will they be informed of his latest works and projects?
I was impressed that the authors allow even the most critical comments to stand.
I have to confess. "Cruel Death" has impacted me greatly.
Living so close to Ocean City I travel the highway several times a week. I pass Hooters and the condo of the murder so often. The twisted and depraved things that happened to those victims is surreal and boggles the mind.
I also am a customer of the Delaware landfill where the body parts were eventually found.
As I went about my business in OC yesterday, I thought of Ford and Crutchley. With such sadness I went about my work, quietly observing the tourists taking in all of the Ocean City experience that they could. And I was keenly aware that just as they were strolling the streets, shopping in the quaint stores and grabbing a quick lunch and a beer, so did the victims of The Scrapbook Girl and the Crazy Navy Seal.
Two innocent people simply wanted to celebrate and get away.
And the horror they met was macabre and surreal.
Quite a read, Mr. Phelps. Your work is unique in that long after the last page is turned, the story, as you've told it, remains with the reader.
I was impressed that the authors allow even the most critical comments to stand.
I have to confess. "Cruel Death" has impacted me greatly.
Living so close to Ocean City I travel the highway several times a week. I pass Hooters and the condo of the murder so often. The twisted and depraved things that happened to those victims is surreal and boggles the mind.
I also am a customer of the Delaware landfill where the body parts were eventually found.
As I went about my business in OC yesterday, I thought of Ford and Crutchley. With such sadness I went about my work, quietly observing the tourists taking in all of the Ocean City experience that they could. And I was keenly aware that just as they were strolling the streets, shopping in the quaint stores and grabbing a quick lunch and a beer, so did the victims of The Scrapbook Girl and the Crazy Navy Seal.
Two innocent people simply wanted to celebrate and get away.
And the horror they met was macabre and surreal.
Quite a read, Mr. Phelps. Your work is unique in that long after the last page is turned, the story, as you've told it, remains with the reader.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
It's Going To Be A Waiting Game
As of today, it seems Judge Cullen isn't planning on holding an independent hearing into the Facebook postings. I would like to think the issue is over.
Clearly, we cannot assume that. Mr. Sodomsky is thorough and professional. As I type I am sure his most talented paralegals are hard at work checking precedents.
We may see action from his camp in weeks to come.
Still, there is no longer a sense of real closure as far as the trial is concerned. Closure for the families? Never, really.
But with the verdict we came to expect that even with the normal expectation of appeal, there was point that was reached where some measure of healing could begin.
Now, it's a "waiting to exhale" situation all over again.
Only this time, it's worse.
The guilty verdict was handed down. And now, even if it's a million-to-one shot of a retrial, that verdict could be snatched out of the hands of those who loved Jan so much. And that feels even more cruel at his point.
It's certainly not the time to start slacking on the praying......
Clearly, we cannot assume that. Mr. Sodomsky is thorough and professional. As I type I am sure his most talented paralegals are hard at work checking precedents.
We may see action from his camp in weeks to come.
Still, there is no longer a sense of real closure as far as the trial is concerned. Closure for the families? Never, really.
But with the verdict we came to expect that even with the normal expectation of appeal, there was point that was reached where some measure of healing could begin.
Now, it's a "waiting to exhale" situation all over again.
Only this time, it's worse.
The guilty verdict was handed down. And now, even if it's a million-to-one shot of a retrial, that verdict could be snatched out of the hands of those who loved Jan so much. And that feels even more cruel at his point.
It's certainly not the time to start slacking on the praying......
The Reactions To The News Of An Upcoming Book....
The press release issued regarding William Phelp's plan to write a book about the Roseboro murder has garnered varying responses.
I knew there would be the normally expected backlash of the masses feeling offended that an "outsider", no matter how talented, would profit from writing and publishing anything related to Jan's brutal murder and the tremendous loss her family and friends have suffered.
Being a writer, there is no crime in Mr. Phelps wanting to write a book chronicling the details and events leading up to and including the murder and aftermath.
I believe that there are quite a few who have taken umbrage at his comment regarding Jan's legacy.
This may be a Lancaster County specific response, or it may be an expected response from people in any geographic location.
I fully acknowledge borrowing this comment from Becky's site. It represents the feelings of very many people, most who wish to not post.
"Who the hell are YOU to represent or speak for Jan or in any way act on her behalf????"
Writing a true crime book about the case, the murder and the trial are one thing.
But taking up the "cause" of furthering Jan Roseboro's legacy is best left to those who knew and loved her.
Lancaster County is a tightknit bunch. You can relocate and live there for fifty years. You can work alongside the natives, go to their churches and break bread with them. You will remain an outsider. Truth.
The people of the northern end are hard working, God fearing, loving and giving people.
And they will circle the wagons anytime it's necessary.
Turning the book plan into a cause celebre wasn't a wise decision.
Publishers publish books to turn a profit.
Writer write to feed their soul, share themselves....and make a living.
If this book is intended to stand for Jan Binkley Roseboro in any real sense, then all profits or proceeds need to be donated to a foundation established in her name.
Any other course of action makes the banner- waving tasteless and pedestrian.
No one should be profiting from a book about Jan or her life and death unless they knew her and had the blessing of Jan in their lives.
But if a writer wishes to tell her story, then donate the proceeds.
And if a writer simply wants to write a book about the tragedy, then call a spade a spade and just write the book.
Don't shout from the rooftops that you are here to save the day.
Jan Roseboro doesn't need any help furthering her legacy. They live and breath as I type.
I know that Mr. Phelp's was quite unsure if this "story" had all the twists and turns that he loves to write about. That uncertainty was still on his mind as of a few weeks ago. I have an email that says such.
Now, he has decided to write a book.
Not a problem. I'm actually a fan.
But please, please don't come out of the gate telling the world that your purpose is to further Jan's legacy. You are writing because writer's write. And you are a best-selling author.
Publishing is about money. And this book has the potential to make the publisher and the author quite a bit of money.
That is not treating Jan very well at all. In fact it's feeling like picking over bones.
Donate ALL the proceeds. That would tell us all that this isn't just a way to profit over a heinous, horrible attack and murder of a beautiful Mom and human being.
I knew there would be the normally expected backlash of the masses feeling offended that an "outsider", no matter how talented, would profit from writing and publishing anything related to Jan's brutal murder and the tremendous loss her family and friends have suffered.
Being a writer, there is no crime in Mr. Phelps wanting to write a book chronicling the details and events leading up to and including the murder and aftermath.
I believe that there are quite a few who have taken umbrage at his comment regarding Jan's legacy.
This may be a Lancaster County specific response, or it may be an expected response from people in any geographic location.
I fully acknowledge borrowing this comment from Becky's site. It represents the feelings of very many people, most who wish to not post.
-
MysteryScribe August 6th, 2009 at 10:25
How dare you Phelps? Do you really think it is up to YOU to “transform (Jan’s) legacy into more than a headline”??!!!
The parent, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, neighbor Jan Binkley Roseboro was has already established that.
Shame on your audacity.
"Who the hell are YOU to represent or speak for Jan or in any way act on her behalf????"
Writing a true crime book about the case, the murder and the trial are one thing.
But taking up the "cause" of furthering Jan Roseboro's legacy is best left to those who knew and loved her.
Lancaster County is a tightknit bunch. You can relocate and live there for fifty years. You can work alongside the natives, go to their churches and break bread with them. You will remain an outsider. Truth.
The people of the northern end are hard working, God fearing, loving and giving people.
And they will circle the wagons anytime it's necessary.
Turning the book plan into a cause celebre wasn't a wise decision.
Publishers publish books to turn a profit.
Writer write to feed their soul, share themselves....and make a living.
If this book is intended to stand for Jan Binkley Roseboro in any real sense, then all profits or proceeds need to be donated to a foundation established in her name.
Any other course of action makes the banner- waving tasteless and pedestrian.
No one should be profiting from a book about Jan or her life and death unless they knew her and had the blessing of Jan in their lives.
But if a writer wishes to tell her story, then donate the proceeds.
And if a writer simply wants to write a book about the tragedy, then call a spade a spade and just write the book.
Don't shout from the rooftops that you are here to save the day.
Jan Roseboro doesn't need any help furthering her legacy. They live and breath as I type.
I know that Mr. Phelp's was quite unsure if this "story" had all the twists and turns that he loves to write about. That uncertainty was still on his mind as of a few weeks ago. I have an email that says such.
Now, he has decided to write a book.
Not a problem. I'm actually a fan.
But please, please don't come out of the gate telling the world that your purpose is to further Jan's legacy. You are writing because writer's write. And you are a best-selling author.
Publishing is about money. And this book has the potential to make the publisher and the author quite a bit of money.
That is not treating Jan very well at all. In fact it's feeling like picking over bones.
Donate ALL the proceeds. That would tell us all that this isn't just a way to profit over a heinous, horrible attack and murder of a beautiful Mom and human being.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Facebook and The Two....
Just when everyone was hoping, no, praying that Jan's family could at least start to think about trying to find a point at which to begin the long, arduous journey of the rest of their lives without her, two morons from the Roseboro jury show us that not everyone holds an ounce of respect for the law or the orders from a judge.
I have to admit, being the total busybody that I am, if either of my kids would be called for jury duty I would have admonished them as soon as I could speak to them to NOT discuss the case with anyone, in any way, shape or form.
I take the judicial system very seriously.
I am constantly aware that any one of us could be the accused, the defendant or their loved ones, in all sorts of actions, murder notwithstanding. I would bet the house that I won't be murder defendant. I don't have it in me to take another life. If defending my children against an attacker?
Yes, I would do whatever I needed to. To protect my own life? Yes, I would do the same in that case.
I suppose the lack of life experience really showed with jurors of that age bracket.
I pray that there is a hearing and it is determined that the verdict stands. It's the ONLY justice for Jan.
Her family can't take anymore.
And the two idiots that couldn't keep their fingers still need to be officially reprimanded as a precedent.
Sequestration is a good idea from here on out.
A convicted murderer could potentially walk free thanks to these two.
Sickening.
I have to admit, being the total busybody that I am, if either of my kids would be called for jury duty I would have admonished them as soon as I could speak to them to NOT discuss the case with anyone, in any way, shape or form.
I take the judicial system very seriously.
I am constantly aware that any one of us could be the accused, the defendant or their loved ones, in all sorts of actions, murder notwithstanding. I would bet the house that I won't be murder defendant. I don't have it in me to take another life. If defending my children against an attacker?
Yes, I would do whatever I needed to. To protect my own life? Yes, I would do the same in that case.
I suppose the lack of life experience really showed with jurors of that age bracket.
I pray that there is a hearing and it is determined that the verdict stands. It's the ONLY justice for Jan.
Her family can't take anymore.
And the two idiots that couldn't keep their fingers still need to be officially reprimanded as a precedent.
Sequestration is a good idea from here on out.
A convicted murderer could potentially walk free thanks to these two.
Sickening.
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Race Is On!
Hey all, it's been a very long and crazy day.
I'll be blogging more tomorrow, maybe! lolol
There are at least two books in the works about the Roseboro murder..... there are so many thoughts, theories and feelings out there..... This will be an opportunity for much interesting reading!
Be back later, or maybe tomorrow!
I'll be blogging more tomorrow, maybe! lolol
There are at least two books in the works about the Roseboro murder..... there are so many thoughts, theories and feelings out there..... This will be an opportunity for much interesting reading!
Be back later, or maybe tomorrow!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Cell Phones Can Be Traced To The Nearest Tower At The Time of Use
Several sites are available that offer to track via satellite........most can locate the cell within a certain number of meters........
I wonder if this was checked into?
Simply dialing a number tells us nothing about the location of the person placing the call.....
I wonder if this was checked into?
Simply dialing a number tells us nothing about the location of the person placing the call.....
FCC Registered Cell Phone Towers: 1
There is one at 195 Horseshoe Trail Road (my old area) and one listed simply as Reinholds PA.
http://www.cellreception.com/towers/towers.php?city=denver&state_abr=pa
I found this while searching how to geographically locate a cell phone......
If the phone is turned on, it does not even haave to make a call to track it. Cell phones are equipped with an ESN (electronic serial number). The company servicing the phone can send out a tracking signal to "ping" the ESN and it will report the location within a few square blocks by monitoring which tower receives signal back from the phone. This is often the case in locating missing people. If the phone is off, or if it is out of the service provider's network, it cannot be traced.
- 207 Bonview Dr., Type: Mast, Structure height: 54.9 m, Overall height: 61 m, Call Sign: KNKA396
Assigned Frequencies : 880.020 MHz, 835.020 MHz, 891.510 MHz, 846.510 MHz, 835.020 MHz, 880.020 MHz
Grant Date: 01/04/2007, Expiration Date: 11/29/2016, Certifier: Glenn S Rabin
Registrant: Verizon Wireless, 1120 Sanctuary Pkwy, #150 Gasa5reg, Alpharetta, GA 30004, Phone: (770) 797-1070, Fax: (770) 797-1036, Email: network.regulatory@verizonwireless.com
There is one at 195 Horseshoe Trail Road (my old area) and one listed simply as Reinholds PA.
http://www.cellreception.com/towers/towers.php?city=denver&state_abr=pa
I found this while searching how to geographically locate a cell phone......
If the phone is turned on, it does not even haave to make a call to track it. Cell phones are equipped with an ESN (electronic serial number). The company servicing the phone can send out a tracking signal to "ping" the ESN and it will report the location within a few square blocks by monitoring which tower receives signal back from the phone. This is often the case in locating missing people. If the phone is off, or if it is out of the service provider's network, it cannot be traced.
He's Not Going Anywhere
If any of you are waiting to hear that Randy has finally done what any normal man would have done even months ago, you're going to be disappointed.
He's not going anywhere. He wants Angie. Period.
He still knows very few details about what has gone on in the past year...he won't push it with her. He will not step up and ask her.
I don't post this to be offensive.
I posted this because it's frustrating to have everyone, even Steadman, assume that Randy is thinking like every other man would in his situation.
He's not leaving her. He never was.
He will stand there until she finds the next rich sucker.
And then Randy will have to pick up the pieces.
His reactions are his own. Many don't understand them at all.
Most people would be at least looking at what is best for the girls, not what they want for themselves.
There is no NORMAL here.
But we are full up on crazy.........
He's not going anywhere. He wants Angie. Period.
He still knows very few details about what has gone on in the past year...he won't push it with her. He will not step up and ask her.
I don't post this to be offensive.
I posted this because it's frustrating to have everyone, even Steadman, assume that Randy is thinking like every other man would in his situation.
He's not leaving her. He never was.
He will stand there until she finds the next rich sucker.
And then Randy will have to pick up the pieces.
His reactions are his own. Many don't understand them at all.
Most people would be at least looking at what is best for the girls, not what they want for themselves.
There is no NORMAL here.
But we are full up on crazy.........
A Few Things To Keep In Mind....
If I wanted to make it appear that I was not at a particular location with a particular person, I could call that person's cell phone, couldn't I?
I could just hit a speed dial button on the phone, couldn't I?
When my son calls the house line from his cell phone, people could infer that he's not at home, right?
What about when he does that from the living room, as a prank to me?
My late husband would have done anything for me. Kill someone? No, not that.
But would he have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I was with him, if telling the truth, if it were otherwise, would implicate me in a crime in which I could be taken from him and our kids?
Hell yes. He'd swear on his Grandma's grave.
I have not one ounce of doubt about that.
He'd beg God for forgiveness later but he'd lie like a rug!
We never had infidelity issues and I never fell in love with a killer, so our situation was a bit different.
I think we're all going to learn that not every person who has been wronged by a spouse makes the offending spouse stand accountable. In fact, some of us have learned that the injured spouse, and I don't mean physically, sometimes takes the blame themselves for the cheating, lying spouse. They assume full responsibility for it, refuse to leave the offending party. Would a person who so willingly takes full blame for the actions of the spouse lie to protect that spouse?
In my opinion, yes.
Cell phone calls and an alibi?
Some people have made the wrong assumptions here, based on what they or other NORMAL people would do.
Some can't imagine that the injured spouse would lie to protect the other, especially given the horrible things that the offending spouse did to the other.
Trust me, the injured spouse would. And in my opinion, just might have.
I could just hit a speed dial button on the phone, couldn't I?
When my son calls the house line from his cell phone, people could infer that he's not at home, right?
What about when he does that from the living room, as a prank to me?
My late husband would have done anything for me. Kill someone? No, not that.
But would he have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I was with him, if telling the truth, if it were otherwise, would implicate me in a crime in which I could be taken from him and our kids?
Hell yes. He'd swear on his Grandma's grave.
I have not one ounce of doubt about that.
He'd beg God for forgiveness later but he'd lie like a rug!
We never had infidelity issues and I never fell in love with a killer, so our situation was a bit different.
I think we're all going to learn that not every person who has been wronged by a spouse makes the offending spouse stand accountable. In fact, some of us have learned that the injured spouse, and I don't mean physically, sometimes takes the blame themselves for the cheating, lying spouse. They assume full responsibility for it, refuse to leave the offending party. Would a person who so willingly takes full blame for the actions of the spouse lie to protect that spouse?
In my opinion, yes.
Cell phone calls and an alibi?
Some people have made the wrong assumptions here, based on what they or other NORMAL people would do.
Some can't imagine that the injured spouse would lie to protect the other, especially given the horrible things that the offending spouse did to the other.
Trust me, the injured spouse would. And in my opinion, just might have.
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