From what I understand it was the norm for them to speak daily as he traveled around the country. I guess he kept in close contact with his grandmother as well. He sounded like a good guy.
He worked as a laborer at truck stops helping truckers load or unload and sometimes rode along with someone to the next stop.
Troy's mom said he used to live in the Rogue Valley about 10 years before and was familiar with the area.
He had stayed with a friend GG for a few days when he first came to the valley but was uncomfortable there for some reason, LW seems to think another person showed up there and it had been sketchy.
My understanding is Troy left GG's suddenly, maybe without saying anything. This friend tried to call Troy for a few days until he answered.
He does sound like a good guy with family who cared and that he was close to. That's one thing I've already taken from this.
I'd worry even if he's 44 as a mom or grandma about him sleeping in homeless areas or even outside unprotected, etc. I know I'd also prefer he didn't do that. I have a 42 year old daughter so I'm not just talking how I'd worry. The care and regular contact make sense, I just felt like maybe they also had reason to be concerned beyond that. And maybe even has her own thoughts of "who" in this case.
I'm new to it of course as you know so I don't have the years of discussing it and all known so just first impression is what I'm giving on that.
Was he ever married, kids anything like that? I know the other man had kids it said. He also had a home/cabin, this one didn't I take it. Did he always kind of just do the nomad thing? That's not a knock at him at all, I'm just trying to get a picture and a picture too of the difference in these two victims that did not appear to know each other from anything I've seen so far here.
The time frame and fires, murders and nearness right off did lead me to lean towards they definitely could be connected but now I'm looking at these men seem quite different no/ One with money, one with none, didn't know each other. If for instance Dave's relative is responsible what reason would he have for killing this guy in his sleeping bag that he likely didn't know and had no reason to?
I don't know OR, I'm midwest, never been but do know the approximate distance since it has been talked of of both places but when you talk of the Pilot gas station and such and roads, I can't picture it as you probably can.
You said two different guns right?
Which one perp can have, that happened in Murdaugh although I believe Alex M planned that to make it look as if there were two killers present together. So that's definitely possible here, that two different ones were purposely used.
Just trying to get a feel for everyone and ask questions that pop into my head on reading the info where you've probably done that and know these cases for so many years, I may seem like a bother lol.
On your friend's case, I can already see enough from what you've shared to tilt a bit in a direction even for me who doesn't know squat about it. This one now not so sure as I learn more. Or as sure of a connection. BUT that will go back and forth until I get a feel and I can believe either right now. Connected or not.
On very first glimpse of these cases, I didn't know anything and thought same day, fires etc. then learned about 30 miles apart and I was thinking someone on a murder spree and arson kick with it. Like random victims maybe for the perp or just anyone he knew he was mad at. But then once you put up more info, it isn't some stranger that killed both. And I didn't realize until tonight that the fire in this one was about 14 days later.
I have to say with your friend I already have a tilt to it is personal with negative emotions. Anger, revenge, hatred, a person in their way, did them wrong. It said he had smoke in his lungs so he was shot and then a fire started... Maybe a motive for both things?
This one though, it could be totally impersonal. As far as it sounds to me thus far, he was sleeping when shot and killed and perhaps never even was awake nor aware he was shot. Was it one shot while sleeping and dead? No robbery. No immediate fire. Someone may have wanted him dead that knew him but seems to not have much emotion in it. Like even anger.
As you got these cases up, and then info, I didn't know much now have read the stuff so far in both and where I thought they might be related, I now think they vary quite a bit. I'll probably flip on that again though as I learn more.
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