Katherine Korzilius

[perl]

Originally Posted by Steve W.

perl, so do you agree that it was probably someone that lived/lives in that neighborhood accidentally hitting her/hit-and-run or her accidentally falling off or from their vehicle if they drove/rode by and coerced her into playing around and hanging on while they drove?

Honestly, I just have no idea. It's weird how the mom had to drive to the neighbor's house, though. The neighborhood is really built up now and houses, although not zero lot line homes by any means, are not spaced exceptionally far apart.

I wonder if UM did the taping in the actual neighborhood? I recognize the brick "sign" at the entrance to the street but the mailboxes look different (unless they are now no longer used as mailboxes and houses now have individual ones). They were encased in brown wood-type material that looked as if it had been there for awhile as opposed to the steel box with the USPS logo shown in the segment.

My relatives don't live in the neighborhood (otherwise you know I'd be digging way deeper!) but I'd been bugging my mom to take me by there sometime and it was relatively close to the mall so she indulged me.

[VikingsGal]

Originally Posted by nohwheregirl

This is what keeps me from completely accepting the accident theory, even though I know it's the simplest. I cannot imagine her grabbing onto the car without having to immediately let go. I lived in Texas for 21 years, and this is unthinkable to me.

Heck I live in Minnesota and cars get very hot in July and August! Can't imagine the Texas heat!

This case is so sad. And count me in on the mom saying "her body was laid out" as unreliable. A parent seeing their kid flat out on the road is NOT going to be thinking clearly so I just can't take what she says as factual. I am NOT implying that she is lying, just that her memory could have played tricks on her.

Was the theory addressed if it could have been a hit and run?

[WishfulDreamer]

I guess I have to agree about the laid out theory since her mother was in shock. (It would be nice to hear her brother's testimony). But I still don't think she could have grabbed on in the heat, let alone with a finger in splints.

[Clockworkhigh]

The more time that goes on, the more I figure this case is similar to the Ruby case where they fell through the ice. I think this is a sad case where a young girl died in an accident holding onto her own mother's van. Just like the Ruby case where I think the simplest explanation is the most accurate one, they fell through the ice.

A lot of things don't make sense here. And again I think we are just looking for things that just aren't there. I think it was just a sad and unfortunate accident.

[88keys]

I saw this one for the first time the other day and wanted to add some thoughts.

If this was a hit and run, surely the autopsy would have indicated that. Wouldn't she have a massive bruise and internal bleeding? The examiner said her injuries were consistent with falling from a car, not being hit by one. Unless he is lying (and why would he?), hit and run is most likely out.

About Katherine being "laid out" on the pavement- it's possible that she didn't pass out right away when she hit her head. She could have fallen from her mother's car or jumped out of a moving car, hit her head, and wandered around a bit, disoriented. Don't head injuries make people want to lie down and go to sleep? She might have lied down on her stomach by herself, without anyone putting her there.

The speed of the car- some people were saying that 25 mph isn't fast enough to cause a head injury or to make someone fall off a car. I strongly disagree. One time when I was young and dumb, I was hanging with some friends, sitting on the hood of one of their cars. As a joke, my friend started driving the car (probably about 5 mph. 10 at the absolute most. We were barely moving). I thought he was going to drive off so I jumped off the hood of the car, thinking it would be no big deal. I landed on my feet, and the force caused me to fall down and actually roll over! All from going less that 10mph. It really doesn't take much.

I still can't decide if I think she grabbed the car or was abducted. The fact that she was found so far from her house makes me think someone grabbed her and she jumped out of their car. Such a terribly sad case.

[perl]

The thing that's been bothering me lately is how Katherine was found face down in the street. If she had been "laid out" for her mother to find, it seems like human inclination would be for someone to place her on her back. In fact the first thing her mother did in the segment was roll her over onto her back.

I especially cannot imagine someone placing her on the concrete face down when it's super hot outside. Especially if they cared enough or felt guilty enough to smooth her clothes, hair, shoes, etc.

The only scenario that seems reasonable to me at this point is that maybe a person with lawn service or other utility truck saw her walking in the heat and asked if she wanted to hang on for a quick trip home.

Whatever happened to the mail anyway? I forget - did she hand it to her mom and then decide to walk home?

[Melanie85]

Originally Posted by perl

Whatever happened to the mail anyway? I forget - did she hand it to her mom and then decide to walk home?

Yep. She handed the mail to her mother and asked to walk home

Originally Posted by 88keys

If this was a hit and run, surely the autopsy would have indicated that. Wouldn't she have a massive bruise and internal bleeding? The examiner said her injuries were consistent with falling from a car, not being hit by one. Unless he is lying (and why would he?), hit and run is most likely out.

Exactly. I don't understand why hit and run would be a plausible explanation. Katherine suffered a fractured skull. So the more logical scenario is that she fell from a moving vehicle thus fracturing her skull. The impact of the fall might not have knocked her unconscious, but she could have turned over on her belly and went unconscious thereafter. Her dad mentioned that she probably did not take another step after her injury was sustained.

I believe Katherine could have been hanging on the the door handle, in a crouching position. I know the investigator said the door would have opened, but what if it were locked? As for the car being too hot, I think it depends on some factors that could make it likely that the car wasn't too hot. They were apparently running errands. I wonder if the car was parked under shade or if it was exposed to sunlight. Also, a moving vehicle would have wind speed that could potentially cool it down.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Melanie85

I believe Katherine could have been hanging on the the door handle, in a crouching position. I know the investigator said the door would have opened, but what if it were locked? As for the car being too hot, I think it depends on some factors that could make it likely that the car wasn't too hot. They were apparently running errands. I wonder if the car was parked under shade or if it was exposed to sunlight. Also, a moving vehicle would have wind speed that could potentially cool it down.

I agree. When the doors are locked (especially if it were a car with automatic locks that locked the door after reaching a certain speed) there is no way that the back door would open. As for the car being too hot, on any hot summer day after driving around the wind would have cooled it down considerably. The fact that she was found on the route that her mother and brother took leads me to believe this was a tragic accident. Anyone else think her parents were strangely unemotional in their interviews?

[WishfulDreamer]

I don't think shade or wind could cool down a hot car enough in Texas, to be honest. Any Texans have an opinion on this one, considering the summer heat? Also, wasn't she seen walking in the opposite direction, therefore not giving her enough time to grab onto the vehicle? I don't necessarily believe that she had to have been abducted due to the scent in the vacant lot (it could have been there from earlier walks) but the fact that it stops draws suspicion. I do agree that the door being locked would have stopped it from coming open (the PI didn't consider the possibility).

[Melanie85]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

I don't necessarily believe that she had to have been abducted due to the scent in the vacant lot (it could have been there from earlier walks) but the fact that it stops draws suspicion.

I've never really bought the abduction theory either just for the mere fact that her scent was there. She could have been playing at that lot in the days prior.

I'm also bothered by the logistics of where the lots is versus where her body was found. If somebody had abducted Katherine and took her to that lot, then why drive with her around the circle instead of escaping through the front of the neighborhood? Also, from the re-enactment, Katherine's body was positioned on the right side of the road along the route her mother took home. That would be the opposite side of the road if the abductor took Katherine from the lot, past her house, to the place where her body was found. It just seems most logical that she fell off the back of the car.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

I don't think shade or wind could cool down a hot car enough in Texas, to be honest. Any Texans have an opinion on this one, considering the summer heat? Also, wasn't she seen walking in the opposite direction, therefore not giving her enough time to grab onto the vehicle? I don't necessarily believe that she had to have been abducted due to the scent in the vacant lot (it could have been there from earlier walks) but the fact that it stops draws suspicion. I do agree that the door being locked would have stopped it from coming open (the PI didn't consider the possibility).

I've been to Texas before and it does get pretty hot (even though its more of a dry heat which seems to be more bearable than the heat here on the East coast). On the date of her death, according to the Farmer's almanac, the high was 99 and the low was 77. Since it was around four o'clock we can assume the temperature was somewhere in the upper 80's, lower 90's. While that is still fairly hot, I still think a car would be cool enough to the touch after driving around in it.

[mwcarolina]

i know i am a minority in this case, but i stay with what i said months ago. I feel that someone TRIED to abduct her and she either fought back and was likely pushed from the car when she was fighting the killer picked her up and then set her nicely on the pavement, that's my view, i just dont see this being a hit and run and i dont think it was her falling from her mom's car.

[DestinyDawn]

What were her injuries besides the fractured skull? I know it was ultimately ruled that she appeared to have either jumped or been pushed from a moving vehicle. Forgive me if I got some of the facts wrong, it's been a minute since I last saw this particular episode although I do remember it.

This is out there but I was wondering if it's possible a car was not involved at all in what happened to Katherine. Maybe she got harassed by some other kids from the neighborhood and they coud have pushed/fought with her a little too hard resulting in her injuries.

As I stated above, it's an out there theory. But I too was wondering what happened to the mail.

[Clockworkhigh]

While I am all for a trained dog sniffing for her scent and having it "stop" at the bushes my question is this: We know polygraphs can be wrong. We know human eyewitnesses can and have made genuine mistakes. Why is it so hard to assume an animal can be mistaken?

[nohwheregirl]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

I don't think shade or wind could cool down a hot car enough in Texas, to be honest. Any Texans have an opinion on this one, considering the summer heat? Also, wasn't she seen walking in the opposite direction, therefore not giving her enough time to grab onto the vehicle? I don't necessarily believe that she had to have been abducted due to the scent in the vacant lot (it could have been there from earlier walks) but the fact that it stops draws suspicion. I do agree that the door being locked would have stopped it from coming open (the PI didn't consider the possibility).

I fail to see how driving a car around in sunny 90-something degree weather would cool it off. It cools off on the inside with the a/c on. The exterior would cool off if it had been parked in the shade for a period of time.