Is Blair Adam's departure connected to his murder?

[Mastermind]

Based on an article that mozartpc found.

I'm not going to post or vote on this thread.

I want to see what the responses and the tallies are.

[mozartpc27]

Good poll. I voted "no." For someone to have followed him from his home in Canada, the person doing the following would have had to begun stalking Blair Adams several days before he was finally found, and probably would have had a number of opportunities to kill him before he even left Canada, let alone gotten to Knoxville. Moreover, the only real evidence, from what I can tell, that Blair Adams' was being followed comes from his own semi-desperate explanation to the friend he asked for a ride to the border at 1:00AM. It sounds to me like he asked, she refused, then he thought that if he made the situation sound as desperate as possible, she might relent. So he said someone was trying to kill him.

Other than that one time, did Blair Adams ever repeat that claim to anyone? The segment doesn't say he did, and the police can find no evidence that it was true.

I think it's more likely that, in his agitated state, Blair Adams came across a tough guy and perhaps his girlfriend. Blair was pretty obviously not in control of himself by the time he reached Tennessee, so who knows what he might have done or said to upset someone? Perhaps he made a pass at a girl, and when she refused, he tried to get a little rough with her, only it was his bad luck that she had a burly protector quite willing to revisit the assault on Blair Adams tenfold. Perhaps he just said something off-color to the wrong person. All speculation, obviously, as there aren't enough facts to deal with here, but I am convinced that whatever got him killed happened in Tennessee.

I still wonder, as others have speculated, if robbery was not in fact the motive. Sure, some currency was left behind, but is there any indication how much Blair might have had on him prior to his death? Maybe his assailant accosted Blair, beat him, then took the duffel bag that was never found and all the cash he could grab, but something spooked him, so he had to run off before getting the rest of the money for fear of being caught or seen.

[MegtheEgg86]

Great poll idea. I say yes.

1) I still believe the way Blair was found is more indicative of a "personal" assault than a random attack. A random attacker, I think, might have been more likely to have taken Blair's money and belongings. I think there was a reason they were left behind, and I still think there was symbology in his pants being pulled down.

2) I don't understand why Blair would have German currency if he hadn't either:

a. been in Germany

b. had a contact in Germany

c. had a reason to go to Germany

d. One or all of the above


And who knows--maybe it's a combination of the two. Perhaps Blair DID have at least a moderate enemy somewhere and mental illness. Perhaps his mind exaggerated the actual threat, and he felt compelled to escape when he might not have necessarily had to.

[mozartpc27]

An additional thought just occurred to me re: the robbery motive.

I think the UM segment says there was about $1400 in cash lying near the body. but how much of it was US currency? Maybe the killer grabbed most of the US currency, perhaps focusing on the big bills, then left the foreign currency and the jewelry, because those would have to be exchanged/fenced. Something tells me it might draw some attention to run around exchanging German currency in Knoxville, Tennessee, or trying to fence whatever jewelry and rare coins Blair had.

[Mastermind]

Good poll. I voted "no." For someone to have followed him from his home in Canada, the person doing the following would have had to begun stalking Blair Adams several days before he was finally found, and probably would have had a number of opportunities to kill him before he even left Canada,

Breaking my own rules.

1. Blair could easily have arranged a meeting with his killer. That may explain why he chose such a remote location and didn;t just stay in Washington.

We don;t know what calls were made by Blair during his time on the lam.

Blair could simply have gotten tired of running and decided to settle this once and for all with a meeting iin Knoxville. Which most likely turnded out to be his biggest mistake.

2. We don;t know if Knoxville was a pre-arranged meeting place before Blair went on the lam.

3. Your assuming the "killers" wanted to kill Blair before he left. It's quite possible that "they" did not know that Blair screwed up, ratted, or whatever until after Blair left. In fact they may not have know until Blair told them at this meeting.

ex. Say Blair was moving contraband into Canada. Blair during one of his drunk states messes up the package and has lost money. He still has some time before handing the money over to his boss still. But blair knows that the penalty here is pretty stiff, there is a strong chance he's going to get killed once they find out

4. There ususally is a "grace" period before criminals make due on payment. They may not kill you right away, but instead give you a deadline to pay up. Blair might have wanted to be someone far away when the deadline ends.

5. If the person that wanted Blair dead was in Germany...there is still some difficulty and time lag this guys going to have before getting to Canada.

6. Probably most important of all....whoever killed Blair may not know where Blair lives. They may just know Blair as someone from Canada that "helps" us. This is especially true if Blair is an intermediate in a money laundering scam.

I think the UM segment says there was about $1400 in cash lying near the body. but how much of it was US currency? Maybe the killer grabbed most of the US currency, perhaps focusing on the big bills,

1. Why would you rob someone with just your fists and a blunt instrument(maybe..)

2. Why would you take all of the american money?
Why not take the valuables or for that matter...why not steal the car and whatever was in it? They had the key for the car on Blair's person.

3. The pattern of how the money was arranged becomes important her. Was it arranged in a random pattern...like it fell out or was it tossed bill by bill over Blair's body.

I think it's more likely that, in his agitated state, Blair Adams came across a tough guy and perhaps his girlfriend. Blair was pretty obviously not in control of himself by the time he reached Tennessee, so who knows what he might have done or said to upset someone? Perhaps he made a pass at a girl, and when she refused, he tried to get a little rough with her, only it was his bad luck that she had a burly protector quite willing to revisit the assault on Blair Adams tenfold. Perhaps he just said something off-color to the wrong person. All speculation, obviously, as there aren't enough facts to deal with here, but I am convinced that whatever got him killed happened in Tennessee.

1. Blair was by no means a weakling. He was more the opposite.
Considering the scratch marks...this must be one hell of a guy to have wound up on the winning side of this battle.

2. I'm not sure that one person could have taken Blair down that easily. Especially to get the opening shot to the stomach. There is some circumstantial evidence to suggest more than one person.

I have always thought that the stomach injury was cause by two people standing blair up with a third person punching him to the stomach.

3. I don't see Blair in his paronoia making a pass at somebody. He seemed more likely to avoid human contact at all cost.

4. Why did this person empty his wallett out if it was just over a girl?