Mary Morris murder discussion back on....THIS THREAD ONLY!!

[Charlie99909]

Originally Posted by Todd Mueller

I just checked and it's on the Apple podcast app. Go to the main feed for TTWC and the episode is there.

Found it, you’re right. Here I was hoping for a conspiracy surrounding the police department removing the podcast for being about the case. Thank you!

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

One investigator in particular seemed perturbed that Mike Morris would not A) meet with them without an attorney, B) would not take a polygraph test, and C) would not allow the couples' daughter to be questioned. I find Mike's explanation that he was taking legal advice on at least the first two items to be reasonable and plausible. It's certainly probably true that most individuals law enforcement question often "don't bring/need an attorney", simply because they trust that the police will act in good faith, are ignorant of their right to have counsel present (even when not in custody), or both. It is unusual, though perhaps not ill-advised, and I personally think this may have prejudiced at least Det. Kuhlman of Harris Co against Mike.

Agreed. I've never held this against Mike Morris and think this was the most believable thing he said in the segment.

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

I don't have kids, so I can't speak from a parent's perspective, but I can envision a situation in which someone watching their child absorb the shock of her mother's death would be prickly about the police asking them questions. I might feel the same way.

Absolutely agree with him. You do not want your child questioned without you being present no matter what the issue.

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

It's unclear how much investigators knew or understood about the way cell phone calls were logged or billed with that particular provider in the early aughts. I would be interested to know if they ever did consult with the Morris' provider to determine exactly how those calls were logged--did an "unreasonable" amount of ring time become a completed call, as posited earlier in this thread? Additionally--and I'll admit I haven't slowed the playback or paused the video to look--but there appears to have been a two-minute phone call that was placed just after Mary's call to 911 and just before the contentious four-minute phone call. Was this the emergency services operator calling back, or something else? How much of this did the investigators actually understand?

Didn't the detective say that the cell phone company told them that this call was completed? All of the calls after her call to 911 are incoming, and they all have a total of 2 minutes. The only phone call that isn't 2 minutes, is the 4 minute Mike Morris phone call. The 2 minute calls were probably people trying to reach her. I looks like the first call after the 911 call is 3 minutes later, so yes you're probably right that it's the dispatcher calling back. From my understanding, the unanswered calls logged at 2 minutes. The segment implies that if the call was unanswered, it wouldn't have shown up on the bill: which makes zero sense because there are several calls on the bill after the 911 call. I think the length of the call was what raised red flags to the detectives.

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

The only real apparent motive for Mike Morris to have killed Mary is a life insurance policy. Apparently, at the time Mike was having difficulty finding work since the family's move to Texas. A financial motive seems a little tenuous, provided Mary's occupation as a nurse practitioner in a state in which nurses--especially advanced practice nurses--enjoy healthy salaries. Unless Mike had some sort of extreme vice such as compulsive gambling or the like, I just don't see why he would have hired a hitman to kill his wife for the insurance payout.

He also thought that his wife was having an affair with a family friend. I also think that their marriage was strained because of their move from West Virginia to Texas (for Mary's job).

[morf13]

Hey everyone. Sure you all caught Robin's wonderful episode about the case on The Trail Went Cold recently. My podcast, Criminology will be dropping an episode about the case tonight. Mary Henderson Morris's Daughter, Marilyn joined us to give us a behind the scenes tour of how things unfolded, and how it affected her. She also talks about the bizarre parts of the case, and shares her own suspicions. You can listen to the episode (ep50, The Mary Morris Murders)when it's out wherever you listen to podcasts, or via this link-
https://art19.com/shows/criminology

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by morf13

Hey everyone. Sure you all caught Robin's wonderful episode about the case on The Trail Went Cold recently. My podcast, Criminology will be dropping an episode about the case tonight. Mary Henderson Morris's Daughter, Marilyn joined us to give us a behind the scenes tour of how things unfolded, and how it affected her. She also talks about the bizarre parts of the case, and shares her own suspicions. You can listen to the episode (ep50, The Mary Morris Murders)when it's out wherever you listen to podcasts, or via this link-
https://art19.com/shows/criminology

I really enjoyed the podcast morf13! It was great to hear the 1st Mary's daughter talk about the case and was very surprising what she had to say about her stepfather.

[morf13]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

I really enjoyed the podcast morf13! It was great to hear the 1st Mary's daughter talk about the case and was very surprising what she had to say about her stepfather.

Thanks, I agree it was eye opening

[mozartpc27]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Ok, so I watched this one again yesterday and listened to it on the way home from work (don't judge--I know at least some of y'all out here doing the same thing). It's been several months since I last watched the segment, and I had forgotten how solid the entire episode actually is (aside from that throw-away bit about the "alternative healer" from Russia): the Mary Morris murders, Leonard Dirickson, and Lita McClinton Sullivan segments are all included in it.

I know only yesterday I said Mike Morris is probably the most suspicious, but I watched and listened to the segment a little more closely both times. I got a different impression.

It seems to me a number of nuances come into play regarding the investigation into Mike Morris:

1. Law enforcement starts with the spouse. Statistically, it's quite often the spouse. He's a logical connection if investigators can make it.

2. One investigator in particular seemed perturbed that Mike Morris would not A) meet with them without an attorney, B) would not take a polygraph test, and C) would not allow the couples' daughter to be questioned. I find Mike's explanation that he was taking legal advice on at least the first two items to be reasonable and plausible. It's certainly probably true that most individuals law enforcement question often "don't bring/need an attorney", simply because they trust that the police will act in good faith, are ignorant of their right to have counsel present (even when not in custody), or both. It is unusual, though perhaps not ill-advised, and I personally think this may have prejudiced at least Det. Kuhlman of Harris Co against Mike.

I don't have kids, so I can't speak from a parent's perspective, but I can envision a situation in which someone watching their child absorb the shock of her mother's death would be prickly about the police asking them questions. I might feel the same way.

3. It's unclear how much investigators knew or understood about the way cell phone calls were logged or billed with that particular provider in the early aughts. I would be interested to know if they ever did consult with the Morris' provider to determine exactly how those calls were logged--did an "unreasonable" amount of ring time become a completed call, as posited earlier in this thread? Additionally--and I'll admit I haven't slowed the playback or paused the video to look--but there appears to have been a two-minute phone call that was placed just after Mary's call to 911 and just before the contentious four-minute phone call. Was this the emergency services operator calling back, or something else? How much of this did the investigators actually understand?

4. The only real apparent motive for Mike Morris to have killed Mary is a life insurance policy. Apparently, at the time Mike was having difficulty finding work since the family's move to Texas. A financial motive seems a little tenuous, provided Mary's occupation as a nurse practitioner in a state in which nurses--especially advanced practice nurses--enjoy healthy salaries. Unless Mike had some sort of extreme vice such as compulsive gambling or the like, I just don't see why he would have hired a hitman to kill his wife for the insurance payout.

Interesting, but I am confident in the "completed call" showing on the bill, and am unimpressed with Mike's answer.

[Hornetguy4]

Sorry so late but I just recently came across these. I saw and heard about this case a while back but didn’t think much into it but recent podcast and other things have sparked my interest. I have some questions that I think are real important and I think some things have not been addressed.
First the clinic where Mary worked and where the supposed death threat was left and when her pictures were turned over or rearranged was there ever any camera footage or anything that showed who wrote it or who may have been back there? Nothing was ever said about the latest on that. Also did the police ever look into everyone who had access to the clinic and could have went back there? I think this would have been a real important detail.
Another question I have is was camera footage ever viewed in the drug store of the person who Mary said was giving her the creeps? Did they see her in there too? If this stuff was viewed or investigated there has been nothing said on it. Maybe it was and is just not being said. We’re there any receipts or groceries or anything in the car that was purchased in any of the places she was before the murder happen? I think these questions are important and very interesting to have answers. Seems like some big things were missed or are just not being talked about. I’m just curious. I think those things would help possibly.

[StackTime]

Originally Posted by Hornetguy4

Sorry so late but I just recently came across these. I saw and heard about this case a while back but didn’t think much into it but recent podcast and other things have sparked my interest. I have some questions that I think are real important and I think some things have not been addressed.
First the clinic where Mary worked and where the supposed death threat was left and when her pictures were turned over or rearranged was there ever any camera footage or anything that showed who wrote it or who may have been back there? Nothing was ever said about the latest on that. Also did the police ever look into everyone who had access to the clinic and could have went back there? I think this would have been a real important detail.
Another question I have is was camera footage ever viewed in the drug store of the person who Mary said was giving her the creeps? Did they see her in there too? If this stuff was viewed or investigated there has been nothing said on it. Maybe it was and is just not being said. We’re there any receipts or groceries or anything in the car that was purchased in any of the places she was before the murder happen? I think these questions are important and very interesting to have answers. Seems like some big things were missed or are just not being talked about. I’m just curious. I think those things would help possibly.

Hmm, anyone care to give an over/under on this poster being Koala making a comeback?

[Hornetguy4]

Originally Posted by Hornetguy4

Sorry so late but I just recently came across these. I saw and heard about this case a while back but didn’t think much into it but recent podcast and other things have sparked my interest. I have some questions that I think are real important and I think some things have not been addressed.
First the clinic where Mary worked and where the supposed death threat was left and when her pictures were turned over or rearranged was there ever any camera footage or anything that showed who wrote it or who may have been back there? Nothing was ever said about the latest on that. Also did the police ever look into everyone who had access to the clinic and could have went back there? I think this would have been a real important detail.
Another question I have is was camera footage ever viewed in the drug store of the person who Mary said was giving her the creeps? Did they see her in there too? If this stuff was viewed or investigated there has been nothing said on it. Maybe it was and is just not being said. We’re there any receipts or groceries or anything in the car that was purchased in any of the places she was before the murder happen? I think these questions are important and very interesting to have answers. Seems like some big things were missed or are just not being talked about. I’m just curious. I think those things would help possibly.

[Hornetguy4]

Definitely not Koala. It’s funny though that someone thinks that. I have a lot of questions.

[Hornetguy4]

Definitely not Koala. It’s real funny that someone thinks that though. I have a lot of questions.

[RobinW]

I'd recommend everyone check out this recent episode of the podcast, "A Murder in My Family", which features an interview with Mary Henderson Morris' daughter, Marilyn Blalock:
http://themurderinmyfamily.com/episo...8HhfWC6Tl_ngqE

Believe it or not, Marilyn directs some suspicion towards her stepfather, Jay Morris. One of the more incriminating stories she shares is that Jay was apparently given the wrong location when they originally drove to the spot where Mary's burned car was found, yet Jay still wound up driving to the right place, which made her suspect he knew ahead of time where she was going to be. Jay also allegedly didn't show much grief over Mary's death and soon got remarried to a Russian bride.

This is the first time I've ever heard Jay implicated as a potential suspect, but it's unclear if he's ever been suspected of having any involvement in Mary McGinnis Morris' murder. I guess this might support the theory that the first Mary was the intended target all along, and the second Mary's murder was either a diversionary tactic or a coincidence. If it is just a coincidence, then it's quite astonishing that two different women from Houston named Mary Morris had a spouse who wanted to murder them within the same week. This new information only raises more perplexing questions.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by RobinW

Believe it or not, Marilyn directs some suspicion towards her stepfather, Jay Morris. One of the more incriminating stories she shares is that Jay was apparently given the wrong location when they originally drove to the spot where Mary's burned car was found, yet Jay still wound up driving to the right place, which made her suspect he knew ahead of time where she was going to be. Jay also allegedly didn't show much grief over Mary's death and soon got remarried to a Russian bride.

Didn't the segment say that both Jay Morris and Mary's ex-husband were both ruled out by police? That just sounds like "sour grapes" after the fact that her stepdad remarried so soon in her opinion.

[RobinW]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Didn't the segment say that both Jay Morris and Mary's ex-husband were both ruled out by police? That just sounds like "sour grapes" after the fact that her stepdad remarried so soon in her opinion.

I know that Jay was never named as a suspect in the segment, but I don't they ever specifically said he had been ruled out. In this article, one of the detectives states: "At this point, no one has been ruled out. We are looking at everything". But no one from law enforcement has ever pointed the finger at Jay publicly.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by RobinW

I know that Jay was never named as a suspect in the segment, but I don't they ever specifically said he had been ruled out. In this article, one of the detectives states: "At this point, no one has been ruled out. We are looking at everything". But no one from law enforcement has ever pointed the finger at Jay publicly.

I knew I read it somewhere before and it was actually on your post on reddit when you did your podcast episode on the murders! And I'm almost 99% certain I've seen this mentioned somewhere else.