Dub Wackerhagen

[Charli-Ann]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

OT: what the hell kind of name is Dub anyway.

Dub Wackerhagen's real name is Lee Herman Wackerhagen, Jr., according to Charley Project. I would imagine that the "Dub" is short for "Dubya", the Texan pronounciation of "W", which is his last initial.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/...en_chance.html

Charli-Ann

[Hambone2421]

Just recently re-watched this case for the first time in a while. My main thought on these domestic dispute turned murders are that if the person featured on the show as a possible suspect hasn't been found, located or heard from by now, chances are, they are dead or overseas somewhere.

My first reaction to this case was that Dub came home drunk one night, maybe after a fight with Letricia, and killed her while she slept. He then packed up his son and hit the road. I don't believe the grandparents account of getting a phone call from Chance saying "Help me!". I think that may be designed to put the focus more on a kidnapper than Dub. It was mentioned earlier than she was killed by 6 shots to the head of a 22 revolver. Six shots to the head is an overkill. Overkills are usually done by someone who knew the victim. In this case, no one could say a bad thing about Letricia and she had virtually no known enemies. Everything seems to point toward Dub.

[mwcarolina]

very tough case, in my view it all depends on the blood, did they ever figure out whose it was??? i believe it is either Dub or someone who wanted the whole family dead, but my question is who? and why? if Dub did do it then it's easy to figure out the motive, but it is tough to answer where they are, how are they hiding for so long? Chance has to be in his 20s if he is alive.

[sdb4884]

Originally Posted by Charli-Ann

Dub Wackerhagen's real name is Lee Herman Wackerhagen, Jr., according to Charley Project. I would imagine that the "Dub" is short for "Dubya", the Texan pronounciation of "W", which is his last initial.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/...en_chance.html

Charli-Ann

The Charley Project is a great website.

My take on this case is that they had another domestic dispute and Dub killed her and took his boy Chance with him and ran. One question remains though how they have remained in hiding for so many years?

[Mastermind]

One question remains though how they have remained in hiding for so many years?

Not to get fustrated hear or insult anyone..

But why do so many people on this forum find it incomprehensible that someone could hide out from the police indefinitely?

Does everyone think that every single person that goes on the lam get's captured within a few years?

[sdb4884]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

Not to get fustrated hear or insult anyone..

But why do so many people on this forum find it incomprehensible that someone could hide out from the police indefinitely?

Does everyone think that every single person that goes on the lam get's captured within a few years?

I hear you, I mean look at all the people on the run from the law that have been on UM and up to now haven't been captured. Im sure that list is quite large.

[xxxxmattxxxx69]

Dub would be easier to spot than Chance. Dub probably hasn't aged as much as Chance in the 20 years(about). Dub was about 6'5 and 260 pounds. It wouldn't be exactly like finding a needle in a hay stack. But Chance going from a little boy to 20 something when there hasn't been a confirmed sighting. We don't know how exactly he would appear today. And Dub did do this because if Chance were to do this they would have explained the circumstance relatively soon not 20 years later.

[XCalibur]

I don't really know why, but this case has always bugged me.

I think the most puzzling aspect of the mystery is Chance and his whereabouts. He was nine years old when he was abducted in 1993. He'd be 26 years old now!

If indeed this case is what it appears, Dub shot Larticia in a fit of rage and fled with Chance, It seems odd that Chance, even into his adulthood he would continue to go along with his father's life on the run by staying in hiding and not make any effort to contact his family and let them at least know he is alive. He was old enough to remember them. He is not wanted for any crime. You would think surely he would have surfaced by now if he was alive.

When I first saw the story and saw Dub's family members trying to say something happened to all three of them, I thought it might be wishful thinking on their part because they didn't want to believe Dub would do something like that.

But when you add it up, there are things that point to the possibility that maybe all three were murdered, and someone hid Dub's body because that would be the perfect cover up and make it look like he did it. The bloodstains in the truck that didn't belong to Letricia were the biggest thing.

I could envision a secnario where someone might have wanted to kill them. Suppose another man was interested in Letricia, someone she had confided in about her problems with Dub, and someone who knew about the big fight they had the night before and got their hopes up they might break up and give him a chance. But they were seen in that restauraunt the night before the murder so they must have worked things out, well this other guy lost it out of dissapointment and frustration and murdered them. People talk about how it would have been difficult to take a 250 pound body, and leave Letricia behind, but it would also have been the perfect cover up to make it look like Dub did it. Dub might have been transported in his own truck, explaining the bloodstains.

Again, just sheer speculation and hypotheticals.

[Mastermind]

I think the most puzzling aspect of the mystery is Chance and his whereabouts. He was nine years old when he was abducted in 1993. He'd be 26 years old now!

If indeed this case is what it appears, Dub shot Larticia in a fit of rage and fled with Chance, It seems odd that Chance, even into his adulthood he would continue to go along with his father's life on the run by staying in hiding and not make any effort to contact his family and let them at least know he is alive. He was old enough to remember them. He is not wanted for any crime. You would think surely he would have surfaced by now if he was alive.

1. Chance may agree with his fathers action and may want to keep his father out of jail.

2. Who does he have to come home to, really? Other than grandparents, Chance probably has more connections in his new life than his old life. There probably are no real people to come back to.

3. Other than to satisfy an unsolved mystery...is there really any incentive for Chance to come forward?

[Mastermind]

I could envision a secnario where someone might have wanted to kill them. Suppose another man was interested in Letricia, someone she had confided in about her problems with Dub, and someone who knew about the big fight they had the night before and got their hopes up they might break up and give him a chance. But they were seen in that restauraunt the night before the murder so they must have worked things out, well this other guy lost it out of dissapointment and frustration and murdered them. People talk about how it would have been difficult to take a 250 pound body, and leave Letricia behind, but it would also have been the perfect cover up to make it look like Dub did it. Dub might have been transported in his own truck, explaining the bloodstains.

1. Why this other man use all six of his shots to kill Laetricia, when he just needed 2 or 3?

Doesn;t that seem foolish considering he needs to kill a 250 pound Dub with the same gun?

Considering that it would a planned murder, I would think he would be a little more conservative of his bullets, don;t you?

2. Was there a sign of a break-in?How did he get into the house? If Laetrica let the killer in, why was she sleeping in the bed while he was up and about?

[XCalibur]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

1. Chance may agree with his fathers action and may want to keep his father out of jail.

2. Who does he have to come home to, really? Other than grandparents, Chance probably has more connections in his new life than his old life. There probably are no real people to come back to.

3. Other than to satisfy an unsolved mystery...is there really any incentive for Chance to come forward?

lol, Well, you may well be right. But you certainly don't give the young man much credit for character and it wouldn't say much for the man he has grown into if you think he was not only ok with his Dad blowing his girlfriend away with six bullets to the head, but also allowing his family to continue to suffer not knowing what happened to him. But it could very well be so.

And the part about him having more connections in his new life is certainly plausible. But doesn't he still have a Mom to?

And its not like he'd have to come home, all he'd have to do is make a call or write a letter letting them know he is alive.

But again, who knows?

I'm still inclined to think the truth about this case will come out someday.

[XCalibur]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

1. Why this other man use all six of his shots to kill Laetricia, when he just needed 2 or 3?

Doesn;t that seem foolish considering he needs to kill a 250 pound Dub with the same gun?

Considering that it would a planned murder, I would think he would be a little more conservative of his bullets, don;t you?

2. Was there a sign of a break-in?How did he get into the house? If Laetrica let the killer in, why was she sleeping in the bed while he was up and about?

And you don't think its possible that a killer might bring two weapons to a crime scene? Or might have had time to reload?

As for the forced entry, suppose the killer showed up after Letricia went to bed and Dub was still awake, he lured Dub outside somehow. And he shoots him. If Dub was going outside to investigate a noise or something than clearly he wouldn't have locked the door. So Dub is dead, the door is unlocked, and clearly the killer can get in without breaking in, so he reloads the pistol and goes in and finishes Letricia. Of course what he would have done with Chance whether he killed him to or took him is anybody's guess

And generally .22 caliber pistols don't make a lot of noise so its possible to shoot one off without waking someone up.

And the bloodstains in Dub's truck that didn't belong to Letricia still haven't been explained.

Like I said, anything is possible. Its all speculation. You may very well be right. But anything is possible.

[XCalibur]

Originally Posted by mphs95

I wonder if it was Chance that killed Latricia, whether purposely or not. It has been stated that he was a major brat. Perhaps he had a few issues as well. If so, Dub might have taken him on the run to protect him.

If a little kid had shot Letricia in bed, the trajectory of the bullets would probably reveal it. A really short person gunning down someone lying in bed would probably give a much closer to horizontal bullet trajectory than a a full height adult. So I'm sure it was looked into. Unless of course th gunman was kneeling on one knee or fired from much further away than you would think.

I don't know how big a kid Chance was. But at nine years old it could have been much more than four, four and a half feet or so. Someone that short firing a gun can usually be deduced by bullet trajectory.

Its hard to imagine anine year old kid pumping six bullets into someone's head, there is a big jump from being a brat to being a killer.

[Mastermind]

And you don't think its possible that a killer might bring two weapons to a crime scene? Or might have had time to reload?

1. Why does he need two guns?

2. If he reloaded, wouldn;t the empty casings be found at the scene from the emptying of first rounds?

3. Why was he carrying extra bullets in the first place? This is a .22 not an automatic. It's not the easy clip and load action. If he carried extra rounds it almost assumes that he thought he had to kill more than one person that day...which would mean the crime was premeditated.

Contrary to popular belief, a lot of gun murders involve the killer not carrying extra bullets. Usually only cops, enforcers, body guards, bank robbers and soldiers think about extra ammunition. Most crimes of passion involve the killer carrying the gun without even thinking about carrying extra bullets.

If a little kid had shot Letricia in bed, the trajectory of the bullets would probably reveal it. A really short person gunning down someone lying in bed would probably give a much closer to horizontal bullet trajectory than a a full height adult.

Might not be as simple as that.

Its hard to imagine anine year old kid pumping six bullets into someone's head, there is a big jump from being a brat to being a killer.

Especially with the recoil.

lol, Well, you may well be right. But you certainly don't give the young man much credit for character and it wouldn't say much for the man he has grown into if you think he was not only ok with his Dad blowing his girlfriend away with six bullets to the head, but also allowing his family to continue to suffer not knowing what happened to him. But it could very well be so.

We all would like to believe that people would do the right thing in situations, but in reality it's not always that easy.



1. Your assuming that it's registered in his mind that his father killed Laetricia. All Chance may have known that his father and him left and moved suddenly that day. He honestly may not even know that Laetricia is dead. Not everyone is as up to speed on UM cases as we are.

2. As a child, he really has no choice in the matter since he needs his father to survive.
As an adult, considering he's had so much time to live with the truth.

3. It;'s the old moral/legal argument over if you were a father and your son committed a murder, would you turn him in. I think you would find a lot more fathers would protect their sons rather than turn them in. Blood is thicker than water.

4. If Dub is living under a different name, there are a whole slew of issues to consider. First of consider if you have a life insurance policy under his alias. if Chance announced he was Chance Wackerhagen, there is an excuse an insurance company could use to void the police. One of the many legal and financial issues to consider if Chance is living under an alias.

5. If Dub killed his mother, I could understand why Chance would come forward...but Dub killed his girlfriend. There's no relation between Chance and Laetricia. I don't think Chance would have as much a personal interest in avenging his Leatricia';s death over putting his father in jail.

6. I would hope Chance would be a nice law abiding citizen, but he could also be a meth dealer with a criminal record. Your making the assumption that Chance is still a nice little boy and grew to a decent person.

[Zlatko]

Personally, I concur with a lot of people that Dub most likely killed Latricia and fled with Chance. There's one thing that is rather puzzling about this case. If Dub did flee, how the heck has he been able to evade capture considering his height of 6'4/6'5? A person of that stature definitely stands out in a crowd. If he was 5'11', it'd be a whole different story.