Gonna start out by saying this post is my OPINION regarding the Leigh Occhi case.
I believe the most telling aspect of this case is something not often discussed. I've not read about it anywhere although it may be mentioned somewhere online. It stood out to me when I first read it. And its something that I mentioned to Mr. Occhi when I interviewed him.
THE BLOODY CLOTHES IN THE LAUNDRY HAMPER!
What intruder comes into a house after the mother leaves for work. Assaults and likely kills the child. And THEN proceeds to clean up the crime scene? Even places the bloody clothes in the laundry hamper! What a cleanly minded intruder this must've been! Or maybe they were a "Neat Freak";) This was (According to Vickie) the FIRST time Leigh would've been left alone. She was frightened of thunderstorms according to Vickie. Sounds like a great time to leave her alone for the first time to me! I mean its not like a tropical storm was coming in or anything. (smh) I don't buy LE's excuse on the blood being "fresh". This is likely either disinformation from LE. Or they were mistaken. And seeing as how they weren't smart enough to close off the crime scene. I'm betting on it being a mistake. Mr. Occhi is right for being upset regarding this. That's Crime Scene 101. Seal it off and collect as much evidence as you can. I could cut them some slack if there was no blood anywhere and the house was empty. And Leigh was just missing. But there was blood and lots of it. There is a new podcast that recently came out called Open: The Case Of Leigh Occhi. They talk to the then Lead Detective Bart Aguirre about if they would have done anything differently. And he said they did the best they could with what they had back then. Well, I acknowledge ahead of time that Mr. Aguirre is more qualified than me regarding his position back then and now. This is not an attack on Mr. Aguirre. But I'm calling BULL SHIT! Let me break this down for ya Mr. Aguirre....
* Hurricane Andrew/A Tropical Storm was going on. I doubt a lot house burglaries were going on at that moment. Most people wanted to be inside their homes. (Its the safest place other than shelters.) I doubt a lot of potential intruders were creeping around looking for an easy pay day. The "intruder" didn't even take anything other than Leigh, A BODY BAG(Where did they know where to look for that?), and some of her clothes she recently got for her birthday. So based on that we can assume that Leigh was the target either before or after they entered the house.
* So this "intruder" either had to be familiar with the families schedule or staking the house out during a Hurricane. (Yeah ok!) If they were staking out the house you would assume they'd have known that Leigh was still there. Maybe they did? Or if they didn't this all occurred by happenstance once Vickie left. The intruder then came into the house. Came upon Leigh, Likely murdered her. TRIED TO CLEAN UP THE SCENE. Was cleanly enough to put the bloody clothes in the laundry hamper. Then the "intruder" likely put Leigh into a body bag and got both themselves out of the house JUST in time to get out before Vickie got back home. Remember there was no evidence of forced entry. Yeah, Think about that....
* Apparently the intruder either changed Leigh's clothes. Or Leigh changed her clothes before the intruder came into the house. Yet there was NO SIGN of forced entry. How did they get in? Did Leigh let them in? I doubt this despite what Vickie has voiced.
* Vickie stated this was the "first time" Leigh was going to be home alone. Yet they had a "special ring". When would they ever need one or use it? Ok, So one could say they discussed it during breakfast that morning and came up with it. Who knows. But based on what I've read so far that wasn't the case. Who leaves a kid that is scared of storms home alone for the first time during a Hurricane/Tropical Storm? How logical is that? Especially since Vickie herself stated she was scared of storms. Her grandmother lived 5 minutes away according to Vickie and the reports of the time. Wouldn't you think she could've dropped Leigh off at her mom's house on her way to work? I mean Leigh was suppose to have her grandmother pick her up later that day for her school's open house. It would've saved her mom a trip to pick Leigh up. According to Vickie Leigh was so scared of storms that she slept with her that night. So a few hours later she leaves her by herself to go to work? Also, If this were me. And I was a single parent. And Hurricane Andrew was coming in. I know it was downgraded to a tropical storm by time it reached Mississippi. But I would've either made sure my child was safe with another or other adults. Or I wouldn't have went to work. Definitely wouldn't have left my kid home alone. Hurricane Andrew still killed 65 people, Caused $26.5 Billion in damages, And is considered the 4th Costliest Tropical Cyclone in U.S. History. Most of the damage was to the Bahamas, Southern Florida and Louisiana.
* Again, According to Vickie her mother lived about 5 minutes away. Vickie stated she called her mom to check on Leigh, Then left to go check on Leigh herself. I'm assuming she got impatient. Yet she made it there BEFORE her mom did. Interesting isn't it? No explanation was ever provided for this. What would've happened if Leigh's mother had made it there BEFORE Vickie? Would she have met the "intruder"? I'm pretty sure Vickie's mother knows who the "intruder" was.
* Why did Vickie automatically assume something was wrong when she couldn't reach Leigh the first two times? I wouldn't automatically assume the worst. Leigh could've been in the shower or on the phone etc. Yet, Vickie automatically assumed something was not right. Motherly intuition? Or something else?
* What "Spooked" the intruder? The attempt to clean up the crime scene was pretty much half ass'd. (At least according to reports.) Forget the fact that the "intruder" tried to clean it up. Which still makes no sense. How did the intruder know to leave before Vickie got home? How did the intruder know she was on her way back home? Caller ID? If so how would he know it was Vickie that was calling. Maybe it was an automated weather alert? Maybe it was telemarketer?
* How come no one saw a strange vehicle in the neighborhood or one parked at Vickie's house during the time the crime occurred? Or a strange person in or around Vickie's residence at the time? If there were you'd think we'd have a composite sketch of a person of interest and a make and model of a vehicle reported in news articles at the time. We don't!
(Note: If you listen to the Open Podcast. The Host's mother in law stated she thinks she saw a child matching Leigh's description walking with an older man on the day Leigh went missing. I doubt this is Leigh. No I'm not saying she is lying. I don't know the lady. I'm saying she was mistaken. You'd have to ignore the time frame and the fact that there was a lot of blood left at the house. She doesn't remember seeing the child being injured or seeing any blood. And this is something that has just now recently came to light. After all these years. Ok.)
* The Garage Door: Vickie doesn't remember that particular important detail. Whether or not she closed it. She said she was sure she did and that she always did. But it didn't stand out in her mind. When Vickie returned from work to check on Leigh the garage was open. Vickie provided detail of everything else that occurred that morning. Except that. Could it be that she would know that someone say an "intruder" would need a vehicle to transport Leigh's body in? You'd think someone would notice a person carrying Leigh in a body bag walking down the street. It's convenient that aspect of her morning she wasn't sure of.
* Why would you NOT tell the father of your child and former husband all the details regarding Leigh's disappearance from the start? Vickie left out the "minor" detail of the blood. That's a very important detail. Why leave it out unless you had something to hide.? Mr. Occhi assumed she may have run away based on the type of call he received from Vickie. Based on the evidence left behind at the house this was obviously not the case. Mr. Occhi told me that he heard about the blood aspect a couple of days later. Mr. Occhi is not a liar. That's very telling to me.
* Vickie failed 3 lie detector tests. One taken hours after Leigh disappeared. Then 2 given by the FBI weeks afterwards. Polygraph tests are not admissible in the court of law. But take the 3 failed tests into consideration when looking at the other aspects of this case. No excuses from Vickie were given for this. She wasn't taking medication that messed with the testing. Her excuse was....
"I couldn't tell you why," Felton said about the test results. "They measure changes in your body and when your daughter has gone missing and they strap you up to things, I can't imagine anyone's body not reacting."
So even Vickie couldn't tell us why she failed them!
* Vickie failed 3 lie detector tests. One taken hours after Leigh disappeared. Then 2 given by the FBI weeks afterwards. Polygraph tests are not admissible in the court of law. But take the 3 failed tests into consideration when looking at the other aspects of this case. No excuses from Vickie were given for this. She wasn't taking medication that messed with the testing. Her excuse was....
"I couldn't tell you why," Felton said about the test results. "They measure changes in your body and when your daughter has gone missing and they strap you up to things, I can't imagine anyone's body not reacting."
So even Vickie couldn't tell us why she failed them!
* Leigh's Reading Glasses: The possible sighting in Booneville that turned out NOT to be Leigh. It's VERY INTERESTING that Leigh's reading glasses were sent from Booneville to Vickie's residence. And that they were addressed to none other than Vickie's soon to be ex-husband Barney Yarborough. I wish I could've seen Vickie's face when LE informed her that they confirmed the sighting was NOT Leigh. (She knew it wasn't.) So the package was addressed to Barney. The same Barney that LE ruled out as a suspect. The same Barney that had a falling out with Vickie and moved out two weeks before Leigh went missing. Think about that.... So the glasses being mailed from Booneville was a "coincidence" Yep..... Sure it was. [wink, wink] The odd thing is these were Leigh's reading glasses. Why take them? Did Leigh have them on at the time the crime occurred? You'd think they would have fell off when the probable head trauma occurred. Why pick them up and why take them with you? I believe after Leigh's likely death. This was done in advance. As part of a plan to use them later on.
* According to Mr. Occhi, Vickie was seen at a CAR WASH the night before washing her car. Leigh WAS NOT seen with Vickie at that time. So where was she? Very Interesting.
* According to Mr. Occhi, A cadaver dog did hit on Vickie's trunk at one point. And the dog in question had a good prior record regarding results. Again interesting.
* According to Mr. Occhi and several other contributors online. Vickie had a VERY BAD temper. (Other than Mr. Occhi I take everything I've read that people say regarding this case with a huge grain of salt. However, There has been a few contributors talk about Vickie's temper.) He related a story where Leigh got hit in the face by a horse. She got a bloody mouth or nose (Or both) and bled on her clothes. Leigh was more scared of telling her mother about getting blood on her clothes than she was about receiving medical attention. So we can make a good assumption that DIRTY, BLOODY CLOTHES were something Vickie would have been upset about. Vickie according to Mr. Occhi was a NEAT FREAK. Connect the dots.
* According to Mr. Occhi and several other contributors online. Vickie had a VERY BAD temper. (Other than Mr. Occhi I take everything I've read that people say regarding this case with a huge grain of salt. However, There has been a few contributors talk about Vickie's temper.) He related a story where Leigh got hit in the face by a horse. She got a bloody mouth or nose (Or both) and bled on her clothes. Leigh was more scared of telling her mother about getting blood on her clothes than she was about receiving medical attention. So we can make a good assumption that DIRTY, BLOODY CLOTHES were something Vickie would have been upset about. Vickie according to Mr. Occhi was a NEAT FREAK. Connect the dots.
* Vickie's suspect according to Mr. Occhi has been counted out as a suspect by LE. A one Oscar McKinley Kearns. Don't get me wrong. Kearns is a piece of shit. Hopefully the guy gets out when he is scheduled to be released. And a Mack Truck hits the bastard. But I'm going with what Mr. Occhi tells me. And I don't think this piece of shit had anything to do with Leigh's disappearance.
* NEED I GO ON? LIKE I SAID CONNECT THE DOTS. NOTHING MAKES SENSE. LE has stated they have MORE evidence that has not been released. Well, Just by my breakdown I doubt its needed. I understand without a body as evidence it's hard to get a conviction. But it can still happen.
List Of Convictions Without A Body
To me the facts of the case indicate Vickie Felton is guilty!
Could I be wrong? Yes. But what are the odds I am? When I talked to Donald Occhi I could hear the pain in his voice. He doesn't think he will ever know what really happened. I pray that we do. He says he is not big on forgiveness. Can you blame him? He wants whoever did this to fry. Can you blame him?
Bring Leigh's Killer to Justice! Its been way too long.
List Of Convictions Without A Body
To me the facts of the case indicate Vickie Felton is guilty!
Could I be wrong? Yes. But what are the odds I am? When I talked to Donald Occhi I could hear the pain in his voice. He doesn't think he will ever know what really happened. I pray that we do. He says he is not big on forgiveness. Can you blame him? He wants whoever did this to fry. Can you blame him?
Bring Leigh's Killer to Justice! Its been way too long.
Shurlock
