Holly Bobo Missing And Endangered: Are Suspects Naming Themselves- Odd Dodd?
Darden, TN–
On the eve of the 4 week anniversary of missing Darden, TN nursing student, Holly Bobo, new investigative details are being learned about the case. Two unofficial persons of interest have taken their case “public” in a way.
While blinkoncrime.com was aware of this information, a decision was made to withhold it in the interests of the cases “active” status previously.
That was, until today, when one of the known person’s of interests in Holly’s disappearance, outed himself publicly.
Jonathan Dodd, son of Bradley Grafton Dodd, and Dena Logan Dodd, chose the Parsons topix forum to “defend” himself against what he termed “death threats”.
Blink, Editor In Chief of www.blinkoncrime.com, was able to confirm the poster on the topix forum was indeed, Jon Dodd.
Speaking exclusively to www.blinkoncrime on the condition of anonymity, an extended family member of the Dodd family, sheds more light on Master Dodd’s claims.
“.. Yes, that is definitely him. I have no idea how he can say he does not know the Bobo family, he went to Scotts Hill with Holly for a short time. Karen Bobo, Holly’s Mom, worked for Grafton Dodd, his grandfather, when he was the principle of the Parson’s junior High when it was still there, Brad and Grafton are on the school board, there is no way that is true what is said.
Jon Dodd High School List From His myspace
When he is saying something was stolen from the property, he is talking about the ATV you wrote about before, when I saw that, I knew you were aware of him. Sandy called the sheriffs department before she knew that Holly was missing to report that their ATV was stolen. Sandy is also the cheer leading coach at Riverside High, since forever, and she got into some minor trouble a few years back because she got caught rigging the tryouts. Nothing major, but everyone knew about it. Dena, his Mom, was a teacher at Riverside shortly after he got transferred, which is weird again.
Everyone in this family has been covering for Jon since he was a kid. I could not believe when he stabbed Brad with a scissors when he was about 8 1/2, there was a big cover up. Last year Dena moved to Gwinnett County because the grands let him get away with anything. He has a baby with Shelby Sellers and nobody really even knew about that until after.
Jon went to the great-grandparents for a while in Arab, Ala in 2006 after the girl was killed in the car accident that got his ass beat up when he said she deserved it, and again, nobody said a word. Brad and Dena started up that Boy Scouts thing for him and (redacted by blink).
What is he talking about? What does donate DNA mean? O that is totally him, I can tell by the “I get paid to hunt” or whatever. Speaking of hunting, the abandoned cabin that volunteers found, when Grafton was told, was when he refused permission for any other searches and they got a warrant. Grafton and Sandy were seen removing a mattress from that part of the property, the one they found in the place where the outhouses were used recently. (redacted) saw him in WalMart, he looked at her and said he did not do it, I swear. Really scary.
He (Jon) did not donate DNA, it was taken from him in the parking lot of Tuckers Diner, he did not have a choice. The LE came there and showed some papers. Grafton’s was taken too, but I don’t know were, I heard it was at the area of the Pugh property, by that Shayne Austin’s parents house.
Another doozie…”
The X Factor
A former boyfriend of Holly Bobo’s, Blake Barnett, is also doing nothing to avoid being scrutinized. It is clear from his facebook postings that he is aware of his “celebrity”, and that folks following this case, are reading.
While it does not make him a bad guy, we have confirmed that he has had a background of alleged violence, in a former relationship with Holly Bobo.
He was the first name utttered by Holly Bobo’s parents, Dana and Karen, when they learned of her abduction.
That said, there is no known evidence linking Mr. Barnett to Holly’s disappearance.
Barnett is no stranger to violence, unfortunately, Blake, his brother and sister lost their parents Timothy and Janice in a brutal murder in 1993.
John Robinson, with actus reus assistance from his wife Kimberly, murdered both of the Barnett’s because they were after him for bounced checks.
Amelia, Blake’s little sister, was left in her crib for 48 hours before police found her while looking for the Barnett’s. She survived.
There have been no official suspects or persons of interest named in the disappearance of Holly Bobo in 4 weeks.
There has not been a LE update to her case since May 2.
The search effort for Holly Bobo continues.
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2,398 Comments
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http://wreg.com/2013/05/07/renewed-hope-in-holly-bobo-search-as-ohio-women-are-found/
Hope.
Blink
Being here in ohio and reading the news reports about thsi ariel castor attending the vigals for one of the missing girls. Do you think it’s likely the person or persons responsible for this crime attending the vigals for holly bobo.
It’s nice to see Holly’s case is getting attention although I would like to know, when did her cellphone stop pinging? Also, I found a very creepy pychic website that mentioned Holly’s case, the psychic says that the kidnapper is obsessed with pictures of cemeteries, normally this wouldnt have had any effect on me if I didn’t know the kidnapper stopped at a cemetery for 15 minutes, weird stuff. Praying for Holly and her family.
Just a link to the 30 minute special shown on Mothers’ Day.
http://www.wsmv.com/video?clipId=8865949&autostart=true
Please Share & vote’ TIA.. The Petition by Karen Bobo is going viral, imo. It was posted yesterday and has 1400+ signatures of concerned TN & other citizens;
Petition Background
My daughter, Holly Bobo, was abducted on 4-13-11. After two years the case is still unsolved. There are other families in West Tennessee that have experienced the same tragedy for longer. Now is the time to push for a new approach and fresh eyes to achieve resolution for all these families. Please sign this petition to support the creation of a special task force. The new team will be comprised of qualified professionals who can re-examine and investigate these open missing persons cases. http://signon.org/sign/special-task-force-open?source=s.em.cp&r_by=7776542
From Blink: I have no opinion on this petition.
B
Blink
What is this group going to be able to do law wise? If he Tbi couldn’t come out an name a suspect. How is this group going to be able to come out and name one? Can’t they be sued if they come out and name a person.
They can name a suspect, they will not and should not unless doing so has a benefit to the case, but TBI is notorious for this position. In fairness, most State Police Agencies are. I am not sure what you mean by what the team can do- if you mean arrest someone, no. Sheila has her PI license so their are some measures that are available to her and team as a result, but we are talking about a 2 year old case here-
Technically speaking I could check the statutes again, but they COULD request a meeting with the prosecutor and present their findings in an effort to spurn an indictment ( similar to what LE does) but I am fairly certain the prosecutor would request they present to LE and go from there.
They have the same short list I am aware of, and I am certain TBI.
My recommendation would be the same as before. Hire a lawyer once the team completes their investigation if it yields a particular suspect and file a civil action. It may be the only way to get the subpoena power they need.
B
Even though WSMV answered some questions, it opened the door to many others.
1. Why did the perp drive 30-50 miles north to the Interstate only to circle back?
2. Were Holly’s belongings recovered only on the route back from the interstate, or were some scattered on the way there?
3. Why was Karen’s initial instructions to Clint to “grab a gun and shoot” instead of “go outside and see what’s going on?” Seems quite a jump to tell your son to shoot someone without any more info than she had.
4. In the previous WSMB reports, it talked about Clint finding a pink t-shirt, I believe, in the mailbox where he was tying ribbons, which the reporter surmised was a way of taunting the family. Why is there not some law enforcement tracking Clint and the family to see if the perp is still following them as well?
I could go on and on…..but now that we know for certain the perp drove to the interstate, the question has to be WHY?
Has anyone seen a pdf or image of the ping map posted anywhere? Change cars? Alibis need now that the BOLO was out- which was unplanned.
B
Blink – I recall something about a text being sent to Karen from Holly’s phone some time after she was abducted. Were the contents of this text ever released? Does the ping from this text at this time coincide with the other mapped pings?
Not released jack
B
Was LE able to get any prints or DNA off of the phone, SIM card, or any of the other items after they were found?
Not released Jack.
B
Chris
I thought two things about the stuff. I too wonder if the stuff was tossed on the way there or way back. One assumption I made was maybe the perp had to throw the stuff out on the way back because they were rushing back to the scene. Another thing I though about and this might be far fetched is this person might have saw the ping map. Possible the person just matched it up with it and threw the stuff out there.
Blink
I just read an article from the huffington post on this case. They bring up an interesting thing. They suggested that maybe the police cruisers have the suspects car on dash board cam. Perhaps from passing the suspect has they drove to the scene or has the suspect fled the scene. Has that been looked into?
I have not read the Huff but that theory originated from one of the Wysocki team based on the road block in place at the time. There is a major problem with that theory- there is no report that addresses the + or – margins in ping tower analysis. It is not a geo cache. It is not a true ping study whatsoever.
B
I’m no lawyer, what type of civil suit could the family file?
Blink, I understand that you don’t have an opinion on the petition. There are currently 4,203 signatures on the petition after only a couple of days and the overwhelming majority are TN citizens. This speaks volumes, imo..
Wolfscratch
http://wreg.com/2013/05/13/holly-bobos-family-calls-for-new-task-force/
UPDATE: Sen. Dolores Gresham (R – Somerville), who represents Decatur County, issued this statement Tuesday:
“The pain the Bobo family is going through is unimaginable. I certainly understand their frustration, particularly in light of what looks to be missed opportuntities by local police in Cleveland to solve the case of the three missing women there. I would want to make sure that every stone is uncovered too. At the same time, I have seen no evidence to believe the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is one of the finest law enforcement organizations of its type in the country, is not pursuing this case capably and to the utmost of their ability. (read More_
Thank you, was not a personal comment- just a protocol for me, and I encourage anyone who feels strongly about this petition to sign it
B
Blink – do you agree with Sen. Dolores Gresham’s comments about the TBI?
Absolutely not. However,I do not need their union for election. Way to not research- unreal.
B
The latest report from WSMV: Holly’s cell phone pinged at 9:58AM, less than two hours after the abduction at a point less than 1/2 mile from her house.
http://wbtv.com/story/22239801/holly-bobos-phone-pings-signal-near-home-hours-after-abduction?app
(hope that link works!)
Has a Grand Jury ever been convened for this case? anyone know?
Petition has over 5200 signatures now due to a letter of reply by Karen Bobo to TN Sen. Dolores Gresham (R – Somerville), who represents Decatur County; KB reply in comments.
http://wreg.com/2013/05/13/holly-bobos-family-calls-for-new-task-force/
UPDATE: Sen. Dolores Gresham (R – Somerville), who represents Decatur County, issued this statement Tuesday:
“The pain the Bobo family is going through is unimaginable. I certainly understand their frustration, particularly in light of what looks to be missed opportuntities by local police in Cleveland to solve the case of the three missing women there. I would want to make sure that every stone is uncovered too. At the same time, I have seen no evidence to believe the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is one of the finest law enforcement organizations of its type in the country, is not pursuing this case capably and to the utmost of their ability. Yes, more eyes on the case may be helpful, but we must be careful that there are not too many cooks in the kitchen so the very important investigative work is not hampered. That being said, I would tend to lean upon the expert advice offered by the TBI in whether or not a task force should be organized.” (read More)
I would be remiss if I did not ask- what is the deal with the non-support of this family? There are at least 3 outstanding high profile cases in this state awaiting action. hello?
B
No.18 @Glenn Adams 5:49 p.m.
IMOO, Sen. Dolores Gresham has issued an invitation to the TBI to respond to the suggestion of whether a task force should be organized.
Should we wait with baited breath from the TBI in response? Maybe the Great Senator of Tennessee representing Decatur County can make some noise and get this case progressing.
Agree B…. also Sen. Dolores Gresham (R – Somerville), who represents Decatur County, sealed her fate in the next election…The petition has gone viral due to the Rep’s nonsupport & oblivious statement, imo..Over 1,000 signatures since 2PM today…
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jun/28/americas-silent-disaster/?partner=RSS
‘America’s silent disaster:’ Mysteries of the missing
FBI: More than 1,100 ‘active’ missing-persons cases in Tennessee; exact number unknown
By Jim Balloch
Posted June 28, 2009 at midnight
“Has anyone seen a pdf or image of the ping map posted anywhere?
B ”
Glenn Adams posted a Google map with all the locations marked.
Agree B…. also Sen. Dolores Gresham (R – Somerville), who represents Decatur County, sealed her fate in the next election…The petition has gone viral due to the Rep’s non support & oblivious statement, imo..Over 1,000 signatures since 2PM today…
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jun/28/americas-silent-disaster/?partner=RSS
‘America’s silent disaster:’ Mysteries of the missing
FBI: More than 1,100 ‘active’ missing-persons cases in Tennessee; exact number unknown
By Jim Balloch
Posted June 28, 2009 at midnight
Originally Posted by Foxfire
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=680+Swan+Johnson+Rd,+Parsons,+TN+38363&daddr=35.6765175,-88.1955096+to:849+Prospect+Road,+Holladay,+TN+to:Yellow+Springs+Road,+Holladay,+TN+to:35.8113479,-88.123334+to:35.8061129,-88.1207958+to:Fred+Inman+Road,+Holladay,+TN+to:35.7778262,-88.1315141+to:35.7583259,-88.1314521+to:Gooch+Road,+Parsons,+TN+to:Swan+Johnson+Road+and+5+Forks+Road&hl=en&sll=35.755916,-88.107605&sspn=0.035244,0.084543&geocode=FWttIAIdho2–inFkhmlfWJ8iDHEiKAkOK2jkQ%3BFWVhIAIdSz6–iln3kyaW2J8iDEtjjxtjLezbA%3BFY3uIQId34i–imfk3PmhH18iDH3O1-JWSdlJQ%3BFdWLIgIdNjm_-innhMQo1YB8iDEieZtCV3Ggcg%3BFRNwIgIdOli_-ikd7UOm1IZ8iDG6xzX9a6s7xg%3BFaBbIgIdJWK_-in9ncbN04Z8iDH1Y3DnmnpZ7A%3BFRofIgIdrEO_-inNQWQW4IZ8iDH6yzjZpF4aiw%3BFSLtIQIdRji_-imvrYntA4d8iDEQmQk6wIODVQ%3BFfWgIQIdhDi_-iktTr0vTYZ8iDHiLtopLmknRA%3BFZNeIQIdLlO_-im9mYWkzId8iDEESjIRhqmRBQ%3BFVaNIAIdPZW–ikFrrCzhmJ8iDGAHd47TE5zDQ&gl=us&mra=dpe&mrsp=8&sz=14&via=1,4,5,7,8&t=m&z=14
Virtual route of abductor/Holly Bobo… Where it says Driving Directions and then 3D if you click on 3D, it will take you through the possible route of the abductor.
Driving directions to 5 Forks Rd & Swan Johnson Rd, TN 3D
Via Arms Creek Rd, Yellow Spring Rd, Yellow Spring Rd, Fred Inman Rd, Horny Head Creek Rd
If there was a road block by then, wouldn’t that mean LE was stopping cars and logging them?
Does the phone go dead at the last point?
B
http://goo.gl/maps/Z21Gq Try this link B..
Thanks GA that one did not load properly for me, but your other one did. Do we have anything with time stamps? Do we know when her phone was removed from power or ran out of power?
Do you recall the LEO who was arrested the next day?
B
In this article, http://www.wsmv.com/story/22123465/holly-bobos-brother-tells-his-side-of-the-story, Karen says, “I said, ‘Clint, that’s not Drew. Get a gun and shoot him.’ And I remember him saying, ‘You want me to shoot Drew?’ So I hung the phone up again, and I think at that point I fell on the floor,” Karen Bobo said.
Do you know or have an opinion on why she had such an immediate strong reaction concluding that it wasn’t Drew and telling Clint to shoot this guy? Do you think she had an idea of what was happening and maybe who it was? How did she know immediately that it wasn’t Drew and that it was someone who should be shot? Did the neighbor who heard the scream go over to their house to see what was happening? Is there information from the neighbor that hasn’t been released?
I generally believe that most crimes are straight forward and simple. Complex conspiracies are common only in novels and movies. Human trafficking is a blight on society, but rarely leads to abductions (there are far simpler ways of accomplishing that).
In this case, we appear to have a perp who was aware of HB’s schedule for that day. He obviously wasn’t hanging out in the yard when her parents left earlier that morning (although he could have been hiding somewhere).
There is a ping trail which LE would have had access early on and obviously would have searched. There was apparently a pause of 15 minutes or so at a cemetery and the phone was on the move again. And yet, no body was found on the ping loop or near her home.
It leads me to believe that 2 people were somehow involved. Either 2 perps or a perp with an accomplice. Somewhere on the ping loop either HB was transferred to another vehicle or her phone was transferred to another vehicle to create a false ping trail.
The only way I could picture a single person doing this is if he kidnapped HB, secured her somewhere, created the ping loop, returned to near the abduction site to create an alibi, removed the battery from the phone, and then returned to wherever he had stashed HB. But this seems too much like a Hollywood script.
However this crime was committed, there seems to be a lot of effort to create a false trail. The culprit(s) either has LE knowledge or is a fan of detective shows/books.
I agree with GeorgiaDad that most crimes are straightforward. Here, I’ve always thought that it was someone who had something against Holly and wanted to either exact revenge or keep her quiet. I also believe that more than one person was involved, and there’s been a lot of covering for or keeping quiet for others over the past 2 years. Smart people normally don’t kidnap, which leads me to believe that had LE been on the ball right away, this case would have been solved within days or even hours.
Thanks for the link to that map. Where has that been for the last two years (seriously?)?
Just a couple of thoughts:
1. It seems to me that an accomplice and/or a transfer is necessary and had to be in-waiting to complete the route, unless she was unconscious/dead and stashed at some location along it, and if her body was stashed, why drive all the way to the interstate when there are other roads back to the starting point that are more direct? With a 15 minute stop at the cemetary, something significant happened there and also probably at the interstate, and there was hardly any wasted time in driving the route.
2. I would think the cell phone was turned off by the perp… the battery didn’t simply die. Most cell charges last easily last 8-12 hours, and this occurred in the AM, so it hadn’t had all day to run down.
3. Karen Bobo knew something was up and suspected it from the get-go. There’s no other reason to call home and tell Clint to shoot somebody.
Before this info was released, it seemed like a very long suspect list, but now I would think it would have to be down to maybe a dozen or fewer people, and there is some type of revenge motive involved.
And maybe TBI and local LE are covering for themselves bc they screwed up what would have been a rather simple case if some protocol had been followed.
Just my $0.02.
Blink
If people helped to cover up this crime. They would have to be pretty sinister too in my mind. Would you profile them too? What kind of person covers up something like this if a murder took place.
I can only profile information available to build one. I am not trying to be glib, but I am sincere when I say that the kind of person that covers up their crime is the kind that does not want to get caught, period.
This is NOT a complex case. This is a local who knew Holly and he is on the list here and on the list within LE’s investigation. There will be no surprise. Holly needs to be recovered.
B
I do have info that rules him out, without question. That was my point. No connection.
B
No, I cannot. It is LE sensitive wrt the criminal matter and confidential as to any possible subsequent civil actions.
DFJ had several victims in various degrees, absolutely, and I do not doubt that he may have had some that were unreported, however, I can tell you that DFJ was ruled out to have any involvement in the Bobo case.
B
I know nothing about criminal prosicution, but is it common for LE, even if they have enough proof, to not press charges for a lesser offense (say, kidnapping), if a body has not been recovered, in hopes that they can actually get the suspect on a more serious charge (murder) if/when they do have a body?
In other words, they know who did it, but can’t get the maximum sentence until the victim is recovered?
I apologize for my ignorance…..and I hope that question makes sense……
Oh No! Blink have you seen the latest? Thoughts?
http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/TBI-Alleges-New-Information-in-Bobo-Case-False-207905111.html
My thoughts are why is no media outlet referencing Kristen Helm?
B
Hi Blink,
Could you please provide us your kind comments on TBI’s reaction to the new group and the documentary?
What is really going on in this case?
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20130517/NEWS01/130517013/TBI-Private-investigators-did-not-properly-look-into-Holly-Bobo-case
There is and has been a serious disjoint between LE and family in this case. For the bazillionith time, this family needs counsel.
B
Heard You. Got It.
B
Latest news on Holly and the “PI group to the stars”. This whole spin campaign makes me sick.
http://tbinews.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/tbi-determines-non-profit-without-warning-did-not-conduct-investigation-on-missing-west-tennessee-woman-to-law-enforcement-standards/
Blink
Just read a few articles that makes it seem like the TBI is feuding with the group the bobo’s hired. Isn’t the evidence the without warning has the same has the TBI’s. What’s going on here? You think it’s because the TBI don’t like their reputation getting tarnished or do they have a legit gripe.
I think both parties should put up or shut up.
B
Blink, your comment that “it is someone who is on the list here” is telling.
I really do not see the connection with Dodd.
The ex-BF (Blake Barnett, I think?)…..seems to fit the profile.
The revenge, jealousy, knew-the-family-schedule, previous restraining order, history of violence, orders from Karen to shoot, taunting factors all come into play.
Maybe “Without Warning” did exactly what it set out to do.
Jack says:
May 16, 2013 at 9:53 am
Do you know or have an opinion on why she had such an immediate strong reaction concluding that it wasn’t Drew and telling Clint to shoot this guy? Do you think she had an idea of what was happening and maybe who it was? How did she know immediately that it wasn’t Drew and that it was someone who should be shot?
——————————————————————
Jack, just a guess, but she may known something or it was Mother’s instinct. Some may not believe in this, but it could have been just that.
Blink
The TBI said the cell phone info get be verified. However isn’t that something that the mother would have access to. I don’t get how they can say their info is wrong on the cell phone stuff. Maybe I am not understanding this right but the information without warning is getting isn’t from the TBI. I am not quite understanding because I assumed some of the info came from the TBI.
jeff- cant respond to that without a quote as I am not understanding what is being said by whom, exactly.
I can tell you that in the information I read, I picked up on a disjoint immediately- but I am trained in GPS and Ping analysis. I can’t tell you if I can’t confirm the data, sorry.
Cell Record ping data is available via subpoena and depending on her carrier, only to LE. I have the specifics because on occasion I need to write the probable cause brief- even if the Bobo’s were account owner’s they could not get this. I wonder if LE shared something with the family and this was a recreation? I think as a credibility issue Ms. Wysocki’s team needs to address the issue considering they had 4 different news broadcasts featuring it, during sweeps, and it was designed to progress the case.
B
The comment that they are insisting the scene and search wasn’t total chaos is such bs.
a very good friend in state LE said he was floored when he was on the scene. There were citizens walking possible evidence all the way back to command posts. Barehanded carrying things like dog poop asking “could this be something? I found it way over there”
There were individuals volunteering that knew what they were doing, but it really needed a tighter handle.
Crucial hours were lost, crucial mistakes were made.
Holly….we need to find you.
I have interviewed several searchers who were volunteers- any position that searches were not chaotic, are patently false. As an example, there were well-intentioned folks driving all over the place in ATV’s in areas that were not cleared and no logs of volunteers or verification of ID. There was no established air perimeter, no thermals or aerials. In fairness, some of the area is fairly dense, however, there was no organized immediate effort that excluded the possibility of someone involved with Holly’s disappearance being in the vicinity or volunteering to search. That is an obvious problem.
B
Blink
I was under the impression from watching the viedo’s of without warning they had a working relationship with the TBI. They seemed to have a lot of information and I assumed it was from the TBI. I didn’t think they just took stuff and put their spin on it. So are we to believe the information without warning has provided is wrong or just not verified by le.
TBI is prohibited from giving any info to any non-LE member or agency. That said, for the umpteenth time, I would advise the Bobo’s to retain counsel and explore their rights under TN victim rights laws.
I understand how one could assume without warning was at least peacefully co-existing with TBI, however, not the case. I truly believe either WW or the TBI should release a statement as to the accuracy of the information presented – this girl needs to be found.
B
I am trying to understand why Karen Bobo made the decision to bring in this special group….Each member of the group says their information came from the Bobo family, and social media. Well, dang, that’s a mouthful. I’m sure the Bobo family is frustrated with the TBI because they won’t share anything with them. And I wonder why that is, since there would be no harm in giving them updates on things, as long as no one in the family is giving them suspicions.
fwiw, they do have extended family members with some law and acquaintance issues. I do not know if TBI has been able to exclude that as a possible motive or not.
B
Blink – are you/have you been in contact with the Bobos? Do they not read this site and see your umpteen suggestions to retain counsel? I can’t understand what would be preventing them from doing so. My guess is there are plenty of people who would assist with legal fees or attorneys who would help pro bono.
Just as an fyi, I never contact families as my rule. Every case I have ever had direct involvement in I was contacted by an immediate family member or in some cases LE and they subsequently agreed to adhere to my process and protocols which I believe work and are largely responsible for the successes we have had. They are a requirement for me to work effectively.
I was contacted by more than one third party on different occasions claiming to be doing so on behalf of Mrs. Bobo, requesting my help and assistance. When I declined based on my early work on the case which had already been turned over to LE which I felt could put me in a situation of a conflict of interest, I was then told that the reasons for what I perceived might be a conflict were not an issue for the Bobo’s and they wanted to hire me and pay me out of the reward money.
My reply was that 1. I have never taken a dime from any family I have worked on a mp case, nor would I, but even if I did not feel strongly that in the event I could take a new case and was willing to do so on retainer, there is no such thing as a professional working for the reward like some contingency and that I was not willing to discuss the case further unless I could articulate my concerns and position with the Bobo’s directly, together, and that conversation would include I strongly advised them to retain counsel familiar with TN victims rights laws and work through that perspective.
So- long winded answer, yes, they are aware of my opinion and recommendation to retain counsel, and yes, they have reached out to me. I thought it important to provide the summary as well because as you can see Ms. Wysocki’s team is running into great resistance if not outright hostility by TBI.
So far, I have no idea if that is justified or ego-based. What I mean by that is there has to be a strategy in place to use media to progress a case. I am obviously not going to detail what I know that to be with this exception: that under no circumstances can you publish erroneous info, unverified info or any other permutation thereof under the guise of evidence in an open mp case in an attempt to progress it or manipulate LE somehow. You absolutely and without reservation must have your facts presented correctly or you can hinder an investigation in at least 50 different ways I can think of. If that happened, LE has every right to slam them and they should have expected it.
You can’t say it is possible that the offender was seen on a dash cam of a police car unless you can say what patrol car it was, who manned it, what time it got there, how you can prove the location of the ping in question. Otherwise if it is a bluff really, you can bet LE is not going to take kindly to a news cast basically calling them inept yutz’s for not knowing the offender is at the intersection whether that is reasonable or not.
If what they presented was correct and TBI is just peeing on it for territory, then again, use of counsel is the only way I can think of to bridge the gap between the Bobo’s rights and by proxy Holly’s rights and has the best chance of progressing this case. An adverserial relationship with LE is never productive. I learned the hard way that sometimes it is unavoidable, most especially in a case where LE errors are glaring in the first place, but the best thing to do in that situation is to mediate through some means.
A complete breakdown can add forever to a case, as unfair as it is. If the Bobo’s are at an impasse, again, I recommend they retain counsel for the purposes of escalating their concerns as necessary.
I truly believe that the Bobo’s have every right to be doing everything they can to find out what is going on with their daughter’s case. Let’s remember something here. We are talking about civil/public servants and that includes duties while on that job. The public pays them, the public gets access so long as it does not meet the criteria for exclusion. If “Without Warning” has preformed with integrity and was just attempting to bring awareness to the case status than Ms. Wysocki should be on every channel today protecting her reputation and work on this case so far. As a disclosure- I have only ever known Kristin Helm to be a straight shooter and I can’t see her saying some of the things she did without the ability to back it up.
Lastly, I am aware that early on the Bobo’s were very trusting of who they shared information with they should not have- I can absolutely see that whether they intended to or not, as a reason TBI would stop updating them. I also think it worth mentioning that this is a very small community and it’s members know each other and it’s legacy very well. Imo, this offender (s) is a member of this community and I would be the first to have a concern about the parents of a mp knowing the suspect pool for obvious reasons.
That does not mean that TBI gets to hide behind anything, however. It just makes for an already volatile situation, subject to greater risk. I stand by what i said the other day. Hire counsel, pick the strongest suspect in good faith and file a civil action to include discovery of investigative material and it becomes LE’s argument to not release but with a much narrower scope.
I am and will always be a strong supporter of LE. To be honest, some agencies/jurisdictions more than others, lol, but if the investigators in this case are not of the solid opinion that they work for Holly Bobo in this case, then changes need to be made.
B
(If it’s the cost that’s the hold up for them.)
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210108/Holly-Bobo-family-slams-TBI-over-tweet?sf13075739=1
Holly Bobo family slams TBI over tweet
Egregiously unprofessional and equally infuriating. Ms. Helm and the TBI owe this family a public apology. I will say it again. This family needs representation and through that I would also recommend they request a meeting with the prosecutor. There are exceptions to sovereignty in criminal investigation for gross negligence. I support her request for a mp task force and have for years.
That said, Mrs. Bobo taking matters into her own hands on this will help her ability to endure the rest.
Really unsettling.
I believe I heard her dodge a question however related to the information released by the Without Warning folks in terms of accuracy. As I said the other day, I sincerely hope what was reported was accurate. Regardless, we have a missing young woman who deserves an investigation leading to her whereabouts or answers for this family and that is clearly not happening.
B
I signed the petition. Apparently, it puts you on an email list. I received this email today:
“Press conference at 2:00 at the Capitol Steps to respond to the mocking of Holly Bobo’s family by spokesperson Kristen Helm, married to second in command at TBI. The family has been taunted and now publicly mocked on twitter. Karen Bobo will speak and will by joined by minister and family supporters.”
Looks like this about to get even weirder…..
WTH is going on Blink? First, Holly’s purse was found, and then it wasn’t Holly’s purse. Then the media and WOW released all this new information, and now it’s all false. Other than the fact that Holly is still missing, what can we really believe?
Is it verified that what WW released is false?
B
Unless the family’s primary suspect is personally wealthy, they will have great difficulty finding a lawyer to work on a contingency basis, and will likely have to come up with a lot of money up front. If they cannot come up with enough evidence, they may also face a counter-suit for slander or defamation which could bankrupt them.
Hopefully, they have sought legal consultation to assess the risks and benefits.
agreed.
B
I just don’t understand this whole situation. I am pretty disappointed in the way the TBI operates. However I think this might be a top down issue. This family needs to get a lawyer because it dosen’t look like the TBi is going to help.