Chandra: Conspiracy or incompetence? Did the DC police, or anyone, use cadaver dogs?

[ken5050]

In watching the media coverage of the discovery of Chandra's remains yesterday, much was made of the inensice grid search of the area last year by the DC police cadets. It is very easy, in a heavily wooded area, to overlook anything, even a body, if it is buried in the earth, and then covered with brush. However, that would not deter a cadaver dog. These animals can detect small pieces of decomposing flesh, so an entire body would have been an easy find for a trained animal. So, this begs the question. Were cadaver dogs used in the search?

[ken5050]

If they weren't used, then it's either gross incompetence, or someone didn't want the body found.

If they were used, then, from what I've read about the ability of the dogs, it would be impossible for the dogs not to hit on the scent. So, what does that mean?

Alternatively, it could imply that the body was dumped there after the search. Possible, but unlikely, because the body was dumped with clothes and personal effects. Anyone who would have kept the body hidden for some time would NOT have dumped her Sony Walkman with her weeks after.

And one last thought. During the various descriptions of how the dog found the remains, several commentators on different stations used the phrase..."The dog ALERTED to the remains". THIS is a phrase used by search dog handlers. Normally, you'd expect to hear, the dog picked up a bone. Indeed, where's the man and his dog? Why haven't they had their 15 minutes of fame already. I mean, a guy who hunts for "turtles" with his dog is a little quirky, would no doudbt be a media darling, and the dog would be on the front page of every paper. Who is this guy?

IMHO, FWIW, something doesn't compute.

[Howlin]

Bump!

[Judith Anne]

Is turtle hunting legal? Maybe, if not, he doesn't want any attention.

[marktwain]

It is probably simple incompetence along with the understandable reluctance of police to ruffle powerful feathers. There was no evidence of foul play, the D.C. police were pressured into the search by national conservative outrage, so their heart wasn't in it, so to speak. It wasn't as if it was their job on the line, after all.

My vote is for simple incompetence along with bureaucratic inertia. Remember, this is the D.C. police force!

[ken5050]

That was my thought..however, it doesn't wash....it sounds like the body was dumped there right after she was abducted and killed, and concealed in a shallow grave...but it is IMPOSSIBLE that cadaver dogs wouldn't have hit on the scent...dogs can't be manipulate, but their handlers can.

[Tennessee_Bob]

The dog ALERTED to the remains".

Was that the dog owner speaking or the talking head?

If it wasn't a quote from the owner, but instead just commentary from the talking head, I wouldn't give it much thought. The owner may have said something completely different. Remember - the news folks are the ones who go to Taco Bell and ask for a buRRRito (rolling the r's there) because it sounds good.

[Sungirl]

I heard the park is 1700 acres.....thats a big area.

[ken5050]

FYI..commments?

[sweet_diane]

Would cadaver dogs be brought in on a missings persons case?

[mr1776]

Anyone who would have kept the body hidden for some time would NOT have dumped her Sony Walkman with her weeks after

Why not? plenty of killers keep souveniers, maybe this one chickened out about keeping the walkman and dumped it.

I do think it was a murder though...

[Lil'freeper]

Anyone who would have kept the body hidden for some time would NOT have dumped her Sony Walkman with her weeks after.

Why not? Planting the walkman and the clothes would make it look like a local thug nabbed her from a jogging trail and draw attention away from more insidious possibilites.

[ken5050]

Yes, but these dogs are trained to search huge areas....their powers of scent are enormous, and the decay odor is very specific...in training exercises, the dogs always find the remains. Also, the polce cadets dig a grid search on the verynear the area where she was found. It's inconceivable that they wouldn't run a cadaver dog over the same area as the police walked.

[ken5050]

At the time, there was a strong presumption that she was dead....

[mr1776]

hey stop copying me ;)

[Japedo]

Ken,

yesterday one of the Police (forget who) said that part of the park wasn't searched? Could it be it has a steep incline or small cliff, or quite possibly hard to get to? If that part of the park wasn't searched could the dogs still pick up the sent?

[mewzilla]

It's inconceivable unless one believes the DCPD wasn't trying too hard. Guess what I think...

[MadelineZapeezda]

Maybe this guy and his dog where hunting for truffles and NOT turtles and they don't want it to be known. The price of these delicasies run into hundreds of dollars, if not thousands. They grow in shaded areas like what has been described and certain dogs are trained to find them..................or..... I watch too much FoodTV!

[alrea]

I heard the park is 1700 acres.....thats a big area.

But one mile from the mansion; at least cover every inch of ground within a one mile radius of the location where there was evidence she might be.

[mr1776]

I read that the body was found on a slope.

Along with the body, there are probably plenty of other scents...bums sleeping and using the bushes for a bathroom, other animals dead and alive. plenty to shake things up. And if they didn't get to that area soon enough, dogs will need to be rested.... plenty of possibilities.

[ken5050]

From what I understand of the dog's capabilities, yes....they would have quartered on the scent....cliffs are no problem for the dogs..remember the pic after Oklahoma City, of the dogs climbing around the wreckage 4 stories up in the air?....I'd just like to know if the dogs were used during the original search, and if not, why not?