<p>Wait----The pool was covered? How did he accidentally fall into a covered pool and drown? Aren’t those covers generally pretty sturdy? Wouldn’t you have to work to lift up a portion of the cover in order to get in the water?</p>
<p>I think I caught part of this story on the national news last night. Wasn’t there some type of common drawing found at several of the locations? Some type of weird smiley face?</p>
<p>I’m very skeptical of this story. A few warning flags in my mind: the only people who think there is a link are these retired detectives, one of whom supposedly mortgaged his house to carry on the investigation. Some of the details are being withheld. It’s possible, I suppose, but I would reserve judgement.</p>
<p>IlikeDice, the Grinnell death was ruled a suicide. Apparently the student had researched methods beforehand and left a note. I wouldn’t worry about being a target. The best thing you can do to prevent a similar fate is to seek counseling if you begin to feel depressed or troubled. </p>
<p>Obviously, be cautious about walking alone (especially when drunk) to minimize your risk of crime in general, but it looks like the drowning at Grinnell was something quite different. </p>
<p>[Investigators</a> Provide Additional Information On Death of Grinnell College Student Paul Shuman-Moore](<a href=“Iowa Department of Public Safety | Iowa Department of Public Safety”>Iowa Department of Public Safety | Iowa Department of Public Safety)
[Radio</a> Iowa: Death of Grinnell student confirmed as a suicide](<a href=“http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=06BFB7CF-9EEE-D5E1-8BB33188D7B9A0A5]Radio”>http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=06BFB7CF-9EEE-D5E1-8BB33188D7B9A0A5)</p>
<p>Dose this bother you:</p>
<p>Investigators did address reports that SHUMAN-MOORE 'S body had some sort of bindings applied to his body when found. According to investigators, duct tape had been loosely applied to SHUMAN-MOORE’S legs and hands, but based on examination of those bindings it is apparent the duct tape was self applied. While this is unusual, it is not completely uncommon and has been seen before in cases of suicide.</p>
<p>Story this morning about an Ithaca College student whose body was found in a pond on campus a day after he “went missing” after attending a party. The story is here: [Body</a> of missing Ithaca College student found this morning](<a href=“http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/body_of_missing_ithaca_college_student_found_this_morning.html]Body”>Body of missing Ithaca College student found this morning - syracuse.com)</p>
<p>This a few days after the body of a young man who had disappeared in Albany after a night on the town was pulled from the Hudson River.</p>
<p>I don’t know about these deaths being linked, however, the warning is quite valid for young males who often think nothing of going off solo. Most females will ask for an escort on campus or get someone to accompany. Not so for young men. It is important that they know that they are not safe just because they are male, athletic, strong, etc. </p>
<p>My son was involved in an incident where he was jumped by several guys. His wallet was taken and he was hurt. He was in an area that was not safe but heavily frequented by college students, and he decided to go to a friend’s house in that neighborhood.</p>
<p>We are in the first week of a four week seasonal TV rating period known as “sweeps.” TV news producers have the most salacious stories produced for this period to garner high ratings. Of course, there are teasers throughout the day to entice viewers to tune in to see which marriages are prone to infidelity, or the confessions of a call girl, or the urban legend of the national cult that is responsible for the drownings of 40 male college students… The FBI has stated that there is no ongoing investigation and that there is no need for further investigation.</p>
<p>Hey, have you heard that if you have sex standing up you can’t get pregnant? Watch the story tonight at 11!</p>
<p>I read this thread yesterday, and I pretty much dismissed it as coincidence, but I was just chilled to the bone when I stumbled upon the story of the Ithaca College student on the web. I’m going to be going there next year, and even though I’m a girl, this freaks me out.</p>
<p>I live in one of the cities where several (I believe 4) young men have died in the last few years. Our area was referred to as one of the Hot Spots in one of the articles. </p>
<p>Most people around here believe the killer is alcohol. It was on the local news here again last night . . . the alcohol content in the young men ranged from more than double to quadruple .08%.</p>
<p>December 2007 . . . another college near here, my niece put her friend to bed after a night of partying, thinking she was keeping her friend safe. They were celebrating Christmas vacation and the end of finals. The friend was dead by morning . . . choked on her vomit, I believe.</p>
<p>In this area heavy drinking by teens and college students is the norm. I grew up near here and have classmates who to this day binge drink - great modeling for their kids! </p>
<p>My 16 year old is suddenly staying home after being a social butterfly . . . his lifelong friends are now turning to drinking and drugs. His social group has shrunk considerably. I pray he continues to resist the peer pressure. He admits to trying it once and says “it’s disgusting”. </p>
<p>Bottom line for me - if you don’t drink . . . you’ll be safe from the serial killer!</p>
<p>A little more about the case of the young man from the Albany area whose body was recovered from the Hudson River recently. The story mentions the so-called “gang of serial killers”: </p>
<p>[Gang</a> of killers theory rejected – Page 1 – Times Union - Albany NY](<a href=“http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=684894&category=REGION&newsdate=4/30/2008]Gang”>http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=684894&category=REGION&newsdate=4/30/2008)</p>
<p>nationwideinvestigations.us</p>
<p>and catchthesmileyfacekillers.com</p>
<p>These are both sites set up by the detectives.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Smiley Face Serial Killers (Smiley Face Gang) Part 1:](<a href=“http://youtube.com/watch?v=uwazbqzVkck&feature=related]YouTube”>http://youtube.com/watch?v=uwazbqzVkck&feature=related)</p>
<p>several part radio interview with the reporter working the case…</p>
<p>VERY disturbing if true,</p>
<p>One of the young men on this list was a graduate of a local HS here - the parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit last summer against St Lawrence University, the son’s friends that were with him that night, the co-owners of the bar that they were at, etc, etc. Blaming everyone BUT the young man himself… Last I heard was that the lawsuit went to NY Supreme Court…guess things would change if they could prove foul play instead of a tragic accident.</p>
<p>so sad…</p>
<p>There was another story on this yesteday on the TV station that did the initial investigative report - this time concerning a victim in Pennsylvania: [KSTP.com</a> - PA police find possible link to ‘Smiley Face Killers’](<a href=“http://kstp.com/article/stories/S434838.shtml?cat=1]KSTP.com”>http://kstp.com/article/stories/S434838.shtml?cat=1)</p>
<p>I read this week that the investigation into the missing student from Middlebury, Nicholas Garza, has focused on aerial photos that show an “object of interest” (i.e. possible body) in a creek near the campus. The first thing I thought upon reading that was this string of possible murders. I hope it’s not going to be another one with the telltale signs.</p>