Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Behavioral and Statement Analysis: Myra Lewis' Family



There are several things of note in this case, but without many statements from the family, a conclusion cannot yet be drawn.  However:

1.  Media reported:  The family believes the child was abducted.  The expected is that the family would then speak out directly to the kidnapper.   When a child is abducted, the family will "call out" to the child, and communicate with the child and with the kidnapper, via media.  The failure to do so, if by choice by the family, is not expected.  See:  Justin DiPietro who claimed he was "emotionally incapable."

UPDATE:  Media has reported that the family has made a plea for the child's return, but did not include any quotes.   (March 7, 2014 6PM EST)

  See:  Sergio and Isabel Celis, who delayed such.

The family has now attempted to communicate with Myra's kidnapper, to date.  This is the expected.

2.  The language used appeared to be distancing language.  The use of "we", especially by a mother, is not expected.  A 2 year old child going missing is very "unclose and personal" to a mother.

"We just want her back home. We won't worry about pressing charges, we just want her back home safe,"

It is expected that a mother would speak for herself, and not in the plural.  Sometimes a parent will stand or be seated next to the other parent and speak for both with the pronoun "we" (mostly fathers).  I do not know if the father was standing with her while interviewed.  If she was alone, it should be considered distancing language.  People use the pronoun "we" sometimes as an attempt to share responsibility or guilt, with the feeling of being 'lost in a crowd' of others, like a school child saying "Everyone was doing it..."

3.   The delay in reporting.

Reports are that Myra went missing about 10:30AM, but police were not called until late afternoon.

4.  The father is reported to have done his own search, on an all-terrain vehicle, prior to calling police.  This is concerning.

"I was leaving to go grocery shopping and I saw her walk back into the house with her sister," said Ericka Lewis, mother.

Please note the following:

1.  She does not say she went to grocery shopping.  She "was leaving" and also reported where she was headed, as the reason why she was leaving. 
2.  She does not say "I was leaving to go grocery shopping when I saw her..." which would have connected this statement to the time she saw her.  
3.  She did not say Myra's name.
4.  The word "with" between people indicates distancing language.  She did not say "I saw Myra and her sister walk back into the house..."

5.  Police have removed "bags" of evidence.  A single bad would suffice for DNA and scent recognition.







111 comments:

JoAnn said...

Knowing that the father supposedly conducted his own search around the neighborhood on an ATV, and there is an ATV on their property surrounded by crime tape is very concerning.

Anonymous said...

Peter, excellent summary and analysis of the more puzzling aspects of the case. The ONLY thing I question slightly is # 4. I wonder if the use of "with" here, which I fully agree with you is distancing language, could be slightly different here, because of Myra being a toddler age 2. I feel like mothers of a toddler might see their child in terms of who she is "with" when Mom is not directly supervising the 2 yr old. In this case, it would be that Myra was "with" an older sibling who the Mom probably expected would be keeping an eye on her, making sure she didnt runout in the road and get hit by a car, etc.

Anonymous said...

OT: Transgender student recants sexual assault report

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A transgender teenager who said he was beaten and sexually assaulted in a California high school bathroom recanted the story, police said Tuesday.

The 15-year-old student at Hercules Middle/High School "admitted he fabricated the whole story" during an interview with a detective, Hercules police Detective Connie Van Putten said.

The teen, who is biologically female but identifies as male, had told officers he was leaving a boy's bathroom at the school Monday morning when three other boys pushed him inside a large stall and attacked him.

[...]

from http://bigstory.ap.org/article/police-investigate-assault-transgender-teen

Anonymous said...

Did the mother slip from present tense to past tense while talking about her?

Kathead

Anonymous said...

Ignore the above comment by me, I meant to post it on the Micheala post.

Kathead

Sus said...

I hope I am wrong, but right now I do not feel good about little Myra.

This statement by Sheriff Tucker that ima.grandma posted says it all.

"We don't have any reason to believe that she's near the home or away from the home. We're treating it just as it was reported, she is missing, and that's how we 're going to pursue it. I've not specifically received a call that she was taken away from the house."

I note the change from "we" to "I". Notice also what's said in the negative and using passive voice.

"We're treating it JUST as it was reported, she is missing.."
"Just" is used as a comparison. How else is it being treated?

I notice "ANY reason" and note any as specific said in the negative. They do seem to have a reason to believe Myra is near yet away from her home.

"I've not SPECIFICALLY RECEIVED a call that she WAS TAKEN AWAY from the HOUSE."
Now the home is a house. Who did receive the call? Tip line?

JoAnn said...

This is a SA question. Can you analyze a statement that is made second-hand? An example would be a statement made by Cindy Adams, the mother of Zach Adams, the man whose property is being searched related to Holly Bobo's disappearance. Cindy Adams stated, " I have talked to him privately many times, and he told me 'Mom, I don't understand. I didn't even know this girl.' "
Would that statesman show that Zach is speaking of Holly in the past tense, or that his mother is speaking of her the past tense? Or is just not to be analyzed at all because it doesn't come directly from the subject? Might it indicate that the mother has guilty knowledge, or is it just too unreliable?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps some or one of the older kids were supposed to be watching Myra. If Myra wandered or was abducted while under their "watch", being kids themselves, they might feel like it's their fault or even that they'll get in trouble, so they're saying Myra left with their mother?

I read that her scent ends at the road. At the end of the driveway, yard, sidewalk, where exactly?

I wonder how far away the grocery store is, that it took 4-5 hours to grocery shop.

It's really sad that no one seemed to know for sure where this little girl was, and who for sure she was with. Maybe she did leave with the mother and something happened, I'd like to hope not, and for some reason I don't really think that happened. She's 2. 2 year olds are curious, they like to roam around, they're quick. I'm thinking the older kids probably did assume she went with the mother when they didn't see her.

How long would her scent linger, for the dogs to pick up on it? Could it have been from her playing outside? If her scent didn't continue beyond their property, it would seem she left in a vehicle. Moms or someone elses?

I feel bad for the other kids too. They might feel like they've done something wrong, while their parents should have been the ones to know where their 2 year old was. Accidents happen, but I can't imagine not knowing where my 2 year old is, and instead just assume. It seems like it must be hectic and chaotic there.

As far as the mother saying she saw Myra go back in the house, maybe she did. If Myra went right back out, maybe no one saw her.

Anonymous said...

Sus,

Interesting observations. With the last one you wrote

I've not SPECIFICALLY RECEIVED a call that she WAS TAKEN AWAY from the HOUSE."
Now the home is a house. Who did receive the call? Tip line?

I agree saying it in the negative makes it doubly important. I wonder if he is saying that, as the police chief, he has not received a call from those working under him in LE informing him that they believe she was abducted or taken away from the house by one of the parents in an act of foul play. I think by him saying it in the negative though it implies that the issue has been discussed between himself and those working under him in LE.

ima.grandma said...

As snipped from the article:
http://www.ktvl.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/ktvl_vid_11450.shtml

"We would love to have her home," Gregory Lewis, the girl's father, said.

This statement doesn't sound right to me. Without hearing the emotion and tone to his statement, it feels similar to saying "We would love to have you over for dinner"

Juliette said...

When I read Red Ryder's comment on yesterday's thread saying LE removed 'bags of evidence', I lost hope for Myra. Evidence suggests proof of something.

JoAnn said...

@ima.grandma
I agree, the father's statement is not what I would expect to hear. I would expect to hear that she is only two years old and must be scared, cold, hungry, and needs to be with her parents. "We would love to have her home" is a very soft statement & almost sounds like it could be followed by "but....."

Anonymous said...

@ ima.grandma,

I'm not sure if those specific father's words are suspicious. It may sound like "We would love to have you over for dinner." But it might also sound like "We would love to donate a million dollars to charity" or "I would love to donate a kidney to someone who needs one."

There are other cases discussed here where the father has said "We want her home." and I don't see anyone saying that sounds like "We want to go out to eat."

JoAnn said...

@Anonymous,
Don't you think "we would love to have her home" is different from "we want her home." ?

Anonymous said...

JoAnn and others, I just went to the link and attached video provided by imagrandma. In the article below, the article incorrectly attributes those words
"We would love to have her home," as being said as part of a longer quote by the father. However, if you watch the attached video you can see that the person who actually says those words is a heavy set female, who I don't believe is the mother either because towards the end of the video they show a woman holding a newborn who I believe is probably the mother.
One other observation, the woman who does say the quote is wearing a headscarf covering her hair which looks to be something that would be worn by someone who is Muslim. I am wondering if the family may be Muslim. This may, in some measure, help to explain the mother not speaking out, as oftentimes the male is considered the head of the family and woman can sometimes "allow" him to do the talking for the family. However, this is just an idea.

Anonymous said...

I do agree with those who have said the father does not seem very outspoken or to be pleading.
The mother looks very sad and downtrodden.
I wonder if the father abuses her.
I wonder if he did something to harm Myra.

Anonymous said...

This is a thought I have after watching the video.
Sometimes Muslims can very much look down on females.
Is the newborn a male? What if the father decided that he didn't want Myra around anymore because she is female and figured since there was a male baby he would "get rid of her"?

Anonymous said...

Or...I wonder if the father had made threats towards Myra because she is female and if the new baby is male, and could the mother have possibly hid her from the father? Maybe her 5 hour grocery trip was her bringing Myra somewhere to hide her from the Dad.

Sus said...

You can call yourself anon, but you can't hide.

Unknown said...

To me, all of the statements from the family seem like incomplete thoughts.

"We would love to have her home"

-It seems like the end of this sentence should be...'but that's not possible'....or, 'if that was possible. 'We' is distancing, and 'would love' is future conditional. The end of the sentence should provide the condition under which she is expected (or not expected) home.

(I'm having a hard time putting it into words, does anyone else see what I do?)

Another example is the mothers quote:

"I was leaving to go grocery shopping and I saw her walk back into the house with her sister,"

- This also seems to cut off before giving the conclusion. She should say...'and that was the last time I saw her', or 'then I went to the store and I didn't know she wasn't with her dad until I returned', etc.

It seems like she is stopping just short of stating what actually happened next. This could be due to fabrication, meaning none of this really happened so the 'story' doesn't flow naturally...or, it could be self editing to conceal what actually took place next.

ima.grandma said...

:)Sus

Anonymous said...

Source: TBI briefing concerns charges in Holly Bobo case
http://www.wate.com/story/24892607/holly-bobo-briefing

Sus said...

http://www.wkrn.com/story/24892607/holly-bobo-briefing

Will Nunley just tweeted that "highly placed" LE tells him they feel good. This is a good day.

JoAnn said...

Sus & ima.grandma,
Lol. You are both so sharp.

JoAnn said...

@Jen Ow,
I see exactly what you are saying. You worded it much better that I was able. I felt the statement "we would love to have her home" would be followed by something conditional. "We would love to have her home, but...."
I kept trying that phrase out for myself & applying it to different situations & there's something "off" about its use in this case - regardless of WHO made the statement.

Sus said...

I want this blog to stay true to its purpose,,,statement analysis. I'm more than willing to discuss a father murdering his daughter for religious and/or cultural reasons when he hints of that in statements. I'm not willing to discuss it because some lady in a video was wearing a headscarf.

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JoAnn said...

OT: the TBI will host a press conference today at 4 pm regarding the Holly Bobo case.

Unknown said...

I want to add to your comment Sus, that for clarification it is literally a SCARF, not a hijab...and it is worn by the sister of Myra's father, not the mother of Myra.


Sus said...

OT
I'm so sorry that I'm not tech savy enough to bring a tweet over here, but...

Special grand jury held today in Decater County. TBI says press conference about charges in Holly bobo case.

jenbee said...

I thought carefully about it and determined that I would say, "I saw him/her going back into the house with SIBLING," if I was talking about when I last saw one of my kids. Why is "with" questionable here? Yes, it is distancing language, but I think it is appropriate because it separates the missing child from the not-missing child, who is not the focal point of the mother's quote. It calls attention to the one who is missing.

Just curious.

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ima.grandma said...

:)Sus

Sus said...

Jenbee,
For me it's not that it's inappropriate. I simply note it. "With" shows distancing or separateness. There could be many reasons such as Myra was lagging behind her sister, Myra was fussing about going in with her sister, etc. it could be that the mother didn't actually see Myra step inside as the sister did.

I note it for future reference to put with other statements. (Which we've not heard yet)

ima.grandma said...

JoAnn, what time zone for the news conference?

Sus said...

You are awfully smiley today, ima.grandma. I appreciate it because I'm certain I'll be called names soon. :-)

Unknown said...

Hi Joann,

Thanks for your reply! When I hit publish I wasn't sure if what I wrote sounded like jibberish or made sense, lol

Anonymous said...

It is always good to hear from Jen Ow, whose intelligent and eloquently expressed thoughts are like a steady boat in a stormy sea :)

That being said, the scarf is certainly not a hijab, however sometimes Muslims do wear scarfs such as that to cover the hair as this scarf would fulfill the requirement of less strict sects to cover the hair. I would absolutely say that this family is probably Muslim.

The important thing here is that others are speaking for the mother. The father mumbling and unassertive. The heavyset female somewhat outspoken, yet not calling out to Myra. The mother holding a newborn, appearing downtrodden and sad.

Using body language analysis, I believe the mother is a victim of spousal abuse.
I believe her voice has probably been silenced.

IMPORTANT: I have a slightly different yet very similar take on the mother saying that she "saw Myra go back in the house with her sister". Earlier, it had been reported that the mother had said she "told Myra to go back in the house with her sister". Is it just me or (out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks), could this have been what happened? Did the mother say this, only leaving out the name "Myra", so that in fact she told the sibling Myra was with to go back in the house so he or she wouldn't see her taking Myra with her?
If this is what happened, where did she bring Myra and why?

JoAnn said...

ima.grandma,
I believe that part of Tennessee is central time zone. It's one of those states that straddles the time zones. :)

Sus said...

Obviously, that would be another case of distancing or separateness. The point is...she used WITH to separate the the two sisters.

Anonymous said...

Sus, I totally get what you're saying but do you think in the case of a 2 yr old the mother might always be thinking about the 2 yr old in terms of who she is "with" when not under the direct supervision of the mother?

Like, for example, let's say someone named Jane has a 2 yr old named "Bill. Let's say Jane just got dinner ready and asks her husband "Where is Bill? Dinner's ready."
I believe the father would answer by saying "Bill's in the living room with Sally (older sister)."
The reason for this is that at that young age I think mothers and fathers are always thinking the kid should be supervised so will think it terms of who the kid is "with".
Just my opinion. Could be wrong.

Anonymous said...

I did some googling, found some news footage on scaredmonkeys where it shows the family having a prayer vigil in a meeting room of a medical center. I thought this was odd. Why not a church? Well, anyway, you could see that some of the other adult females in attendance had on headscarves that would be worn by Muslims totally covering the hair.
Odd though right? The vigil is in a medical center and the female members are dressed in Muslim fashion.

Anonymous said...

"Myra" is an Islamic name; it means "moon" in Arabic.

You know what I am wondering: why did they have a vigil in a medical center meeting room? I wonder if they had been a member of a mosque and been kicked out. Or maybe there simply are no mosques in the area?

Sus said...

I'm sure Peter can explain this better than I, but yes, supervision would be a form of separation. You are not "together on an equal status." You are being supervised. As I said, there are many reasons to note the use of with and it needs to be taken with future statements.

JoAnn said...

I'm not sure I understand the significance of whether or not the family is Muslim. I saw a news video of community supporters & family members where prayers were led by a church Pastor, and a family member did specifically use the phrase "in God's hands..." But why would it be important either way?

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
elf said...

Myra is also kind of old fashion name too. It could be a family name.

Anonymous said...

Sus, sure I can agree with that, that supervision is a form of separation. But it would remove anything suspicious indicated by that word "with" from the mother's statement wouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

Imagrandma, thank you :)

Anonymous said...

Joann, what kind of church was it, do you know?

I don't know the significance of if they are Muslim. I just know that the mindset, especially if they are of the Nation of Islam (this is basically the black panther sect) is very different from Christian/Protestant.
It is very male-dominated. I would say males are much more valued than females, and I know amongst some Muslims things that would be pretty much overlooked in other faiths are considered reasons for families to feel deeply ashamed. Only thing I can think of really is to wonder is that father the father of Myra or was there a different father who was not Muslim. This would not be looked upon kindly (having a non-Muslim parent). It would be frowned upon by the father as well as the community at large.

Anonymous said...

I agree JoAnn.

Muslim-concerned-Anon, I don't see the importance of whether the family is Muslim or not, but I'm not understanding where your strong feeling of them being Muslim is coming from.

http://www.wjtv.com/story/24894086/amber-alert-search-continues-for-myra-lewis

That link shows a prayer vigil held at City Hall. I see a few people who appear to have their hoods on. I didn't look up what kind of church it is, but the name of it is in the article if you wish to do so. God is referenced numerous times, references of praying to God, and it looks like the vigil was being referred to as "In God's Hands".

What would it matter anyway if the family is Muslim?

Anonymous said...

Also, if we're talking about the Nation of Islam, I did see Louis Farrakhan speak for about 4 hours (4 long very horrible hours) when I was in college. I have an open mind, but the man himself as well as the religion seemed SCARY! Louis Farrakhan had all these body guards, like dozens of them, and he was the most arrogant person I've ever listened to speak. He put down whites and said how we all hate blacks and want them to fail and that everyone tries to undermine them even Math teachers?! I felt intimidated because I had gone with a small group of white friends and here we were amongst what felt to be a large hostile gathering of blacks. I am not easily intimidated, but Louis Farrakhan was working up a huge audience to hate whites, so it did feel slightly intimidating.

JoAnn said...

Anonymous,
The prayer vigil was led by Pastor Moses Thompson of Greater Middleton Grave AME Zion Church, who was also a volunteer during the search. No indication that he is their family pastor. But a family member who spoke mentioned "in God's hands" more than once.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 2:10, The Nation of Islam might refer to Allah as God. All I know is in the video I saw of the vigil in the medical center all the adult females I could see were wearing Muslim head scarves. I very much doubt this family is Christian or other religion but all their friends/family members are Muslim.

Anonymous said...

Do you have a link to the video?

Anonymous said...

I've been reading this blog for awhile and I *just wanted to say, I love applying SA to my life. From dealing with my narc abuser ex to talking to my youngest child. Nothing quite like listening to my three year old meow and say "I'm not a kitty" and knowing he means precisely "I am a kitty" to bring home the teachings of Peter.

YoureAwfulAtStatementAnalysis said...

You always know who is posting when lengthy, multiple posts focusing on minutiae take over.

Ok, so the family is possibly Muslim, or has relatives that are Muslim, or friends that are Muslim.....and? Your point is what? That somehow ties in with the little girl missing how? Is there a point to be made or will there just be endless posts of "proof" of their religion? If you have a point, can you please make it already?

Anonymous said...

JoAnn,

Thanks! Because you just cleared things up! The church you're talking about is African, and the women do cover their hair with scarves. It might also explain the father's mumbling and/or the mother's silence. I am wondering if they may speak a language from Africa and speak no or in father's case poor English.

Anonymous said...

Dear "Yourawfulatstatementanalysis",

Very good point! I've never heard anyone here focus on minutiae. In fact I think I was only imagining it when I read all the posts about "back" into the house!
AT least my comments led to finding out what religion these folks are (with the help of Joann).
And also helped figure out they may not even speak English. Or speak English poorly!
Have a nice day, not sticking around where I am being called names "Sus"!

JoAnn said...

Anonymous @ 2:21
Maybe, maybe not. There is no clear indication that Pastor Thompson is the family pastor. He volunteered in the search & is leading a community prayer vigil for Myra. The family was present.
We've exhausted this topic. Unless there is some religious tie-in that I am missing, I still fail to see the significance of whether this family is Muslim, Christian, or other.

Sus said...

OT
Wow! Grand Jury in Decater County has been selected and headed back to the jury room. They will decide if there is enough evidence to charge in the Holly Bobo case.

Press conference at 4:00 with FBI, TBI, local LE and states attorney about those charges. I'm thinking they feel pretty confident.

Anonymous said...

Joann,
I will be leaving now, bc of the nasty name-calling towards me, however you should consider that if these folks are affiliated with an African church, the mother may not speak English and the father may speak poor English (I thought I detected an accent when I heard his mumbling statement.). Hopefully someone polite and astute such as Jen Ow will return to pipe in and be able to put ALL of the info into perspective. Good bye!

Sus said...

Anon 2:25,
When I have something to say, I use my name.

JoAnn said...

Sus,
Thanks for the update. I'm thinking about Holly's family today. Imagine the roller coaster of feelings - after all this time, hope must be hard to hold onto & to hear charges in the case would be a mixture of pain & relief. They seem to have strong faith and a supportive community; and they will need both in the coming days.

YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis said...

"Anonymous",

Focusing on minutiae in statement is you know, kind of the entire process of statement analysis.

Focusing on minutiae that derails the conversation away from statement analysis is kind of your m.o.

let's play your game. Here's some wild speculation based on nothing. It's a common practice in Islamic African countries to perform female genital mutilation, aka female circumcision. This family is Muslim, so maybe they were doing that and accidentally killed their daughter. See how that's a ridiculous leap of logic? If I were to post speculation on that absurdity for the next several days, it would be baseless and pointless. But at least I managed to make a correlation in one single post.

You've spent several posts focusing on what religion this family possibly is, you have yet to clarify what importance that has pertaining to the disappearance of their daughter.

So I ask, do you have a point? And if so, what is it.


Red Ryder said...

The lack of calling out for Myra is scary.

The prayer vigil that was held on the steps of the Canton City Hall was led by Pastor Moses Thompson of Greater Middleton Grave AME Zion Church. This is the African Methodist Episcopal Church. I think if the Lewis' are Muslim they would not have an Episcopal reverend lead the vigil. Unless they have a mixed marriage or are very open minded which are also possible. While cultural differences can occur I don't think it would mean a lot if they were Muslim, Christian, or any other faith or no faith except in how it would influence their choice of words and the marbles that would inevitably leak out if we ever got to hear them talk!
Where is little Myra?
Where is Heather?
Prayers for the Bobo family especially today.

Something else: that first interview with the family where Anon noted the mom looking downtrodden, her image keeps coming to me, I kept trying to find the word to describe what I saw in her and to me in that brief glimpse she looked shell-shocked. She reminded of those photos of those young men, almost boys still, in the trenches of WWI and WWII looking so lost and shocked out of their senses. She held her infant in her arms like a bundle of laundry, like it made no sense. I felt so bad for her. Why didn't anyone have their arms around her?Why didn't anyone take the baby and help her to a chair? She looked about to fall over. She looked utterly bereft.
I have not seen a mother of a missing child respond like this before but there may be extenuating circumstances here.I know I had a visceral response to want to care for this lady.

YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis said...

"AT least my comments led to finding out what religion these folks are"


Again, this is pertinent information how?

Sus said...

JoAnn,
Surely the family has been updated. Or I hope so. I think they've had there strong suspicions all along. That would be so hard to be in the community with the murderers of your daughter.

Anonymous said...

Dear Your Terrible,

For the LAST TIME, it is often helpful to view a person's words/actions within a cultural framework. These folks are affiliated with an African Church, and therefore there may be a LANGUAGE BARRIER. This would explain why we have not heard the mother speak and could potentially explain the father's mumbling. Does this pertain to statement analysis in your view, a language barrier???

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Joann,
I will be leaving now, bc of the nasty name-calling towards me, however you should consider that if these folks are affiliated with an African church, the mother may not speak English and the father may speak poor English (I thought I detected an accent when I heard his mumbling statement.). Hopefully someone polite and astute such as Jen Ow will return to pipe in and be able to put ALL of the info into perspective. Good bye!

March 5, 2014 at 2:36 PM

The drama of it all! Lol
No! Don't go! You're so smart and insightful and bring so many fantastic relevant points to the table!

JoAnn said...

Anonymous,
Respectfully, I think you may be taking the name of the church too literally. The African Methodist Episcopal Church is not necessarily a church even for those of African descent. It was founded by those of African descent and heritage (African Americans).
It is not a church for Africans in America.
I am willing to consider any point of view, but I still am not seeing how this is important. Name calling never entered my mind, nor my language.

Anonymous said...

Red Ryder,

Yes, what you saw looked like PTSD, as you saw a similarity with the soldiers in the trenches. Spousal abuse or even abuse by a church community can lead to PTSD in the victim.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking African immigrants Joann. I know you did not name call.

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Anon @ 2:49,
Sus, thanks but certainly I can not claim to have more insightful points than you (all 3 of you, or is it 4 today?)

YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis said...

Anonymous said...
Dear Your Terrible,

For the LAST TIME, it is often helpful to view a person's words/actions within a cultural framework. These folks are affiliated with an African Church, and therefore there may be a LANGUAGE BARRIER. This would explain why we have not heard the mother speak and could potentially explain the father's mumbling. Does this pertain to statement analysis in your view, a language barrier???

March 5, 2014 at 2:48 PM

Sure, if they actually were from Africa and English wasn't their first language, but you're basing that assumption on the name of their church which is inaccurate. So, no, it doesn't pertain any importance.

Anonymous said...

ima.grandma, Yes, go relax and recharge, it must take a lot of energy having 3-4 personnas on any given day.

Anonymous said...

From what I've found, in my minimal research, the church that was running the prayer vigil, AME Zion... appears to be a Methodist type religion. That of which I know little about also, so I researched that minimally also. It appears like an average, "normal", respectable religion. I didn't see anything about hating other people, colors, women, etc.

Sus said...

Have a drink, also. I would if I hadn't just had dental surgery! :-)

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John Mc Gowan said...

RE Language barrier.

If there is a language barrier, it is always possible for the parents to have a representative of the parents to read out a statement. Although this is not ideal, never the less they can a least reach to who ever has allegedly taken Myra.

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JoAnn said...

The AME church is NOT an African church!!!
There is also no clear indication that the family is in any way associated with this church, other than being present at the prayer vigil, led by a community leader (the church pastor), who participated in the search.
I'm thinking a bath AND a drink are in order...

YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis said...

ima.grandma,

I understand your confusion! I noticed our pal was back derailing the conversation with minutiae as she does, and was posting as anonymous. My comments are under the name YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis

and one I hit send before signing
@ 2:49 PM

Sometimes you can't resist the temptation to call it out.




Sus said...

Omg! Vodka sounds soooo good right now. Bet that would numb my gums and spinning mind! Lol

YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis said...

JoAnn said...
The AME church is NOT an African church!!!
There is also no clear indication that the family is in any way associated with this church, other than being present at the prayer vigil, led by a community leader (the church pastor), who participated in the search.
I'm thinking a bath AND a drink are in order...

March 5, 2014 at 3:08 PM


You can explain this to her till you're blue in the face, she won't get it.

Anonymous said...

Yes it is. The "A" stands for African.

Nanna Frances said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sus said...

No, I can't get it!! Who in the heck could get it??

Nanna Frances said...


OFF TOPIC: HOLLY BOBO
Statement from suspect's mother:

In a statement to Channel 4 News on Monday, Zachary Adam's mother, Cindy Adams, said:

"This investigation is about finding Holly Bobo, and the family does not want anyone to lose sight of that. Zachary Adams has, to my knowledge, not been questioned by the TBI regarding Holly Bobo's case, yet he is still incarcerated in the county jail with a minor assault charge and they have set his bail at $1 million. His brother, Dylan Adams, has been interrogated without an attorney present and held in federal holding.

"I am not here to justify my son's addiction or addictive behaviors, but he is my son who I love dearly and will continue to do so. There have been many who have been quick to jump to conclusions about my son's involvement. Let the TBI put together pieces of this investigation without any allegations and false reports of guilt.

"We want Holly Bobo found but do not want a witch hunt in doing so. To my knowledge, my son and Holly Bobo never were in the same circles. Being a drug addict does not make someone a kidnapper. I know of no motive on my son's part to have been involved or know anyone who was involved in the alleged kidnapping case."

http://www.waff.com/story/24871331/bond-set-at-1-million-for-man-at-center-of-bobo-search-warrant

YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis said...

Oh and our "anonymous" friend,

I'm neither Sus nor ima.grandma.

I've only posted under one name in this post "YoureTerribleAtStatementAnalysis" and once at 2:49 as anonymous, I hit publish before I signed.

I'm shocked at how terribly thin skinned and sensitive you are when someone else uses another name! I've said my peace today. I'll be back under my usual name next time .

Shelley said...

I am wondering..... That hour search for her on the ATV.....was it actually an hour long hide the body...
It would help dad have something to talk about only partially lying.
Hope I am wrong but if not, I hope they search the area with more dogs.

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JoAnn said...

Nana Frances,
It's interesting that Cindy Adams refers to the charge against her son as "minor assault charge" when the charge is actually aggravated assault for holding a gun to the head of his girlfriend's sister & threatening to "gut" her. Very telling if mom tends to minimize her sons' guilt & portray them as victims in the justice system.

ima.grandma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Dear Yourterrible,

I have been posting under anon today. At no point in the past did I post under multiple names (and I have not done so today either). The reason why I have used anon today is because of the extreme disrespect from sus and imagrandma.

Should I really have to defend myself to you, a person whose username is an insult towards someone else?

Oh also, it should be "said my piece" not "said my peace". You might want to tone down on the insults about people's statement analysis ability until you get your spelling correct.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the kind words! I've been reading but reluctant to jump into the rabbit hole...but here I go, lol!

Black women sometimes wear headscarves or wraps to cover their hair when they have not been able to style it. That would make sense in this case, due to the days long search for Myra leaving time for little else. The scarf may have nothing to do with religion.

As far as a possible language barrier goes, it seems VERY unlikely. Myra's aunt, (her father's sister) spoke at length, and gave no indication of an accent or that english is the family's second language. Also the fact that the pastor leading the vigil is affiliated with that church, does not mean that the family is. Myra's parents may have never met the pastor before Myra went missing.

I don't think there is any solid indication that either topic is relevant to Myra's disappearance, or analysis of the small sample of statements we have to analyze.

JoAnn said...

Grand jury in Decatur county has returned a sealed indictment. (Holly Bobo)

JoAnn said...

OT:
Hayley Howard, missing college student, New Orleans.
Police dive team has been called to investigate a car in the water off I-10 East near Irish Bayou.

liz said...

I grew up in CT and there was an AME church near ours. It's a standard religion, and the town I lived in was over 99% white so the congregation was not made up of Africans or African Americans.

Myra is simply an old-fashioned name.

JoAnn said...

Holly Bobo: Zach Adams indicted. Especially aggravated kidnapping & first degree murder

YTASA said...



"Anonymous" @4:51 PM

Both piece and peace are correct as they are both applicable. Both are accepted as correct and both are widely used. I would say look it up, but that would only lead to you posting endless comments about it. It's not that important.

What names were you called? I don't see any name calling in this post.

I suppose no one comes to your defense because all evidence points to the contrary. If you still don't recognize what your "tells" are, I won't point them out to you.

Can we get back to discussing the disappearance of Myra Lewis now?

Anonymous said...

YTASA,

Well, arent you just as arrogant as they come :)
Well, let's see, I've been called a lot of immature names like "looney tunes" in the other thread.
Since no evidence points to the contrary, and I know I have never written under multiple names, I dont need your confirmation of that, but it certainly does speak volumes about an inability to tell truth from deception.
Certainly, get back to the case. Sus, with her relentless far-fetched assumptions and bullying tactics and imagrandma with her Psych 101 text should have it solved in no time. Good riddance.

Anonymous said...

YTASA,

Oh "Sus", I implied YOU were the one putting credence into yahoo answers. Actually that's probably giving you too much credit!
And your detective skills have failed you again, because in response to your accusation, I did not accuse Peter of anything unspeakable or of anything for that matter a few days ago or any other day.

YTASA said...

I am not Sus. I've stated that twice. You keep insisting I am. Your comments and assumptions are misdirected and do not apply to me.


You outed yourself as the author of the defamatory comment about Peter with your own words and phrasing. Your emotional volatility got the best of you. You have only yourself to blame for that.

"Spilled the marbles" indeed.

YTASA said...

I'm curious, did you mean "spilled the beans" when you said "spilled the marbles"? I'm unfamiliar with that phrase.

polywog said...

I am unfamiliar with "spilled the marbles" but used " spilled the beans" to mean speak out, confess,

polywog said...

Do we know how many kids are in the house?

polywog said...

I am 29, if I had a child you better believe I would know where they were not just assume husband or sibling were watching. They are guilty of something even if it is just neglect.

Lanah said...

On Topic
LE is saying at this point they are not sure what happened to Myra.

From the same article, a quote about the evidence bags
"As far as what was in the bags, obviously we'll start where the child was last seen and we have evidence response folks who are going to that location and recovering evidence and all of this is a collective effort to discover where little Myra is," FBI Special Agent Dan McMullen said. "I'm not going to talk about anything specific with regard to the investigation."