My sister just called me and is freaking out - **small update**

[raysnkaysmom]

My first thought was "WHEN was it purchased at Walgreens"... I think the more recent it was (ie, that day or previous day or two) would probably freak me out more!! Hopefully they can track down a bit more info, but I'm glad the police followed up, finally, and went to his job.

 

[Mysteria]

Hold the ponies. Prepaid phones are not meant to be tracked at all else drug dealers and other less reputable folks wouldn't use them. How did they know it was bought at Walgreen's?

 

[Alicnwondrln]

you would think the man would have been scared for his child if he really had nothing to do with it. I hope that your sister will be okay. You said they changed all the locks right? I hope she gets that RO.

 

[tonilea]

Hold the ponies. Prepaid phones are not meant to be tracked at all else drug dealers and other less reputable folks wouldn't use them. How did they know it was bought at Walgreen's?

Prepaid phones are not that hard to track to the location where they were purchased. If the phone had been used to make other calls, the police (depending on state laws - disclaimer) should be able to get the call history. Of course that particular phone had not been used for any other calls, but in other instances you can use the call history to make connections.

 

[Jennasis]

double post

 

[mommyof3princess]

Ok so we know it may have been him. There is noone new in her life is there someone new in his pushing him to make these decisions. LIke child support. and all of a sudden after months he wants visitation. MAybe he is being told if your going to pay child support you might as well see the child or maybe if he has the child more he feels he should have to give her less. I really hope the police don't put this on the back burner.

 

[Jennasis]

Yep, get thee to the Walgreens where it was purchased and get thesecurity tapes pulled for that day and time. May need the lawyer to get involved on this one.

BTW...is the cop helping your sister cute and single perchance? ;-)

 

[Imzadi]

Hold the ponies. Prepaid phones are not meant to be tracked at all else drug dealers and other less reputable folks wouldn't use them. How did they know it was bought at Walgreen's?

At the bottom of a Tracfone package, along with the SKU number, it lists the phone's ESN or IMEI serial number. It probably gets scanned at the same time the stores scan for the price. Tracfone pre-paid cell phones were linked to some terrorist activity & car bombs after 9/11. So in an effort to clean up their reputation and stop phones being used that way, Tracfone, particularly is trying to keep track of where all their phones are being shipped to and sold at.

Probably, other pre-paid cell phone companies have the same semi-security procedures.

It's very possible that the soon-to-be Ex had watched enough crime dramas to know that if he had carried his own phone into the house and it rang while he was there, that the nearest cell tower to the house would have logged the call. That would have definitely placed him in the neighborhood, if not at the house. And if his regular cell phone is a Verizon phone, it would have definitely had GPS tracking capalbilites that would have placed him right at the house.

I'm wondering if he purposely carried a new, prepaid phone instead, in case he had to make a call while at the house. Or if he was expecting the call that did happen that time the DSis heard the phone ring. She had come home a lot earlier than expected and was home for 10 minutes when the phone rang.

 

[vettechick99]

the plot thickens.... i haven't been this interested in a thread since delswife's first trip report.

 

[scrapquilter]

It's very possible that the soon-to-be Ex had watched enough crime dramas to know that if he had carried his own phone into the house and it rang while he was there, that the nearest cell tower to the house would have logged the call. That would have definitely placed him in the neighborhood, if not at the house. And if his regular cell phone is a Verizon phone, it would have definitely had GPS tracking capalbilites that would have placed him right at the house.
.

Ah, but with MY verizon phone you can turn the GPS tracking off. I turned mine off and set it to GPS tracking for 911 only. And I was wearing my tinfoil hat while I did it

But yeah, he probably bought the disposable phone so that it couldn't be traced.

 

[Rora]

Okay! The police finally called back! The phone was a prepaid phone, bought at Walgreens and paid with cash, so pretty much impossible to track down. Or at least that's all they are going to do to figure out who it belongs to. But the cop is sure convinced it is the ex. So he went up to his job! He asked him if that was his phone - of course he denied it was. He asked if he had been to her house and he said no, to which the officer said - good - you aren't allowed there, don't go back. The officer also told my sister he knew her ex was lying, but they can't prove it. So nothing can be done. Hopefully the ex is scared now and will back off. More later, I'm typingon my Ipod and it is really slow!

Hmm.. doesn't sound like much of a police investigation. BUT, I am happy she heard from the police. That at least hopefully made her feel a little better. While, I realize this isn't a "big crime", it still is a crime- aren't the police supposed to do as much as possible?

What happend to the fingerprinting? Won't that be able to help prove that it's the ex?

I would go back to the police and ask them about that.

What about security tapes from Walgreens? If they know the date and location of purchase, they could maybe see him on the tape paying with cash.

ITA. Maybe something to tell your sister to bring up?

But yeah, he probably bought the disposable phone so that it couldn't be traced.

True..

The real question is why was he in the house in the first place?!?!

I think it's time your sister invests in a home security system--or maybe some German Shepards.

 

[jmpurdy]

We would all hope that with the recent rash of domestic violence we've all heard/read about, the police would take this home invasion quite seriously. Good point by a previous poster that a father's natural reaction upon hearing the news of an intruder in the home, that he would be terrified for his child.
Duh. That alone, would give away his involvement. Hopefully her lawyer is on this asap and a hearing can be held to keep him away.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

the plot thickens.... i haven't been this interested in a thread since delswife's first trip report.

Yeah....this thread and YOUR TR!! I'm ready for the next installment.
This thread freaks me out, yours cracks me up!!!

 

[HLAuburn]

This is like CSI: DIS!

I really hope the visit from the police gave him a much-deserved scare! If it was him (which it sounds like it was), he's a real piece of work.

I hope everything goes well for your DS and DN.

 

[babytrees]

I am guessing the police aren't giving your sister all of what they are investigatiing and who, but giving her info on a truly need to know basis.

I have followed along and your sister and nephew are in my prayers.

 

[breezy1077]

Okay! The police finally called back! The phone was a prepaid phone, bought at Walgreens and paid with cash, so pretty much impossible to track down. Or at least that's all they are going to do to figure out who it belongs to. But the cop is sure convinced it is the ex. So he went up to his job! He asked him if that was his phone - of course he denied it was. He asked if he had been to her house and he said no, to which the officer said - good - you aren't allowed there, don't go back. The officer also told my sister he knew her ex was lying, but they can't prove it. So nothing can be done. Hopefully the ex is scared now and will back off. More later, I'm typingon my Ipod and it is really slow!

I still can't shake my original theory. Why would her DH need to buy a phone like that to break into her house unless he was communicating with someone else like a hit man or something?

I also think he would look just as guilty to the cop even if he weren't the one buying it - just because of his involvement.

So, I still contend that it was someone else who broke in that day and the ringing phone spooked them. There's no rational explanation for the DH to have a "clean" phone, but it does make sense for someone else to have one in order to call/communicate when the "deed was done" so to speak - whatever that deed may have been. The phone still indicates something sinister to me.

Then again...I tend to have a paranoid mind

Prayers continue!

 

[Imzadi]

It might not have been a hit man, just a look out person for the DH or the DH himself. If it was a hit man, he had the perfect opportunity to off the wife since she showed up. Instead the person left.

Perhaps the phone was supposed to be used to alert the person that the wife was pulling into the garage and to leave when it rang. He didn't stuff the phone back into his pocket correctly and it fell out instead. Maybe the phone was actually supposed to ring 10 minutes earlier, but somehow got re-routed and "lost" in the system, if that is possible.

I'm also wondering who called and why? It doesn't seem like the Police were able to trace the caller either. It would be interesting if that was also made on a new prepaid cellphone or from a phone booth. Do those still exist?


This does make for the makings of a good plot for an updated, high-tech remake of "Dial M for Murder" if this didn't actually involve real people, as this does. The title could be "Dial Cell for Murder."

 

[nolagirl]

Why would her DH need to buy a phone like that to break into her house unless he was communicating with someone else like a hit man or something?

To purposely freak her out. It sounds like the phone was left in a part of the house that she doesn't use much but in a location where she would see it easily. He probably bought the phone, came in when he knew she would be gone, planted the phone, and called when she was home from a public phone or something just to freak her out. I would absolutely report it, change the locks, check the house for hidden camera equipment, check to see if anything was stolen, etc. I would be completely freaked out about someone having been inside and I would be extremely cautious but I wouldn't suspect it was a hit man that dropped it.

 

[jmpurdy]

Sure wish we'd get an update today..... The husband gets a phone because he doesn't want anything traced as he is up to no good (whatever that is), Possibly new g'friend and he doesn't want her numbers on his other phone to trace? Happens all the time. Still think he just dropped it and never dreamed it was in HER house when he called the number to locate where it was. He probably thought it was somewhere in his home. Still unknown is why he would be in the house.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

Wow - I would be really freaked out - maybe time to move, especially if she's just renting!