Crimes That Could Have Been Saved By Cell Phones?

[SageSlowdive]

I myself don't own a cell phone, but it seems like in some of the Unsolved Mysteries, the person could have been saved if they had a cell phone.

I'll start with the biggest one:

Angela Hammond

[alfiechat]

Here's a second one. Jane, who was stabbed by Michael Nicholau.

[MissFit29]

This has been brought up in other threads, but there are a lot of crimes, missing people, etc. that could have been saved by cell phones.

Dwayne McCorkendale is the most obvious one.

[brianh333]

Originally Posted by MissFit29

This has been brought up in other threads, but there are a lot of crimes, missing people, etc. that could have been saved by cell phones.

Here was one thread I found, that discussed this topic specifically, a few years ago. Sage, it's interesting that the Angela Hammond case was considered the obvious choice back then as well

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...d.php?t=191330

[crystaldawn]

I've thought about this a lot over time. I'll post others as I think of them (I think there are a lot) but the first two that come to mind are Elizabeth Campbell and Lisa Kimmell. They could at least have gotten an indication of the area they were in had they had cellphones on them when they went missing and may have been able to find them quickly.

[undertakeress]

Kurt Sova was the first to come to my head

[Mastermind]

This reminds me of an argument had over whether Jack the Ripper would be successfull if he started killing today.

The consensus was that Jack the Ripper would have had an even easier time committing his murders now.

I really don't think cell phones would have prevented any of these crimes from occurring.

[Mastermind]

Kurt Sova was the first to come to my head

Would Kurt Sova really be in any condition mentally or physically to use a cell phone?

[SageSlowdive]

Originally Posted by brianh333

Here was one thread I found, that discussed this topic specifically, a few years ago. Sage, it's interesting that the Angela Hammond case was considered the obvious choice back then as well

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...d.php?t=191330

Well, nothing wrong with starting a new thread

[SageSlowdive]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

This reminds me of an argument had over whether Jack the Ripper would be successfull if he started killing today.

The consensus was that Jack the Ripper would have had an even easier time committing his murders now.

I really don't think cell phones would have prevented any of these crimes from occurring.

I'm pretty sure had Angela Hammond had a cell phone, she'd be alive today.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

I really don't think cell phones would have prevented any of these crimes from occurring.

They certainly would've put less people in that particular vulnerable position, but there's no way to function normally in this society without putting yourself in at least one arguably "vulnerable" position per day, nor is there anyway to really prevent someone from committing a crime they're set on committing. So, in the largest sense, I agree--cell phones wouldn't have ultimately prevented these crimes from occurring.

However, I do think had anyone of those victims had a cell phone on them, they would've been far easier to locate. Aside from the obvious check-the-call-history-on-the-bill thing, a lot of LE agencies are now capable of triangulating a cell phone's position. Even if the phone was discarded someplace, it's still a bit more information to work on. There's SO many things you can do with cell phones today to gather intel.

[soilentgreen]

Ellen Fried (possible victim of the New Hampshire serial killer); she was talking on a pay phone with her sister when she noticed a car that kept driving around. She was so nervous about the vehicle that she went to make sure her car's engine was working.

[Steve W.]

"Kurt Sova was the first to come to my head"

I'm not sure it would have, because two theories come to my mind about him:

1. he decided to rebel (he was drinking everclear and skipped school on the day that he went to the party at the duplex) against his parents and ended up going out on roadies or elsewhere and doing drugs with people he met at the party or

2. he had an allergic reaction to the everclear he was drinking (or something else he was drinking) while he was drinking it at the party (I read about other people having allergic reactions to drinking everclear, that's why I think this is possible) and went into a coma after he had his allergic reaction and probably stayed that way until he passed on

[Mastermind]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mastermind
This reminds me of an argument had over whether Jack the Ripper would be successfull if he started killing today.

The consensus was that Jack the Ripper would have had an even easier time committing his murders now.

I really don't think cell phones would have prevented any of these crimes from occurring.

I'm pretty sure had Angela Hammond had a cell phone, she'd be alive today.

1. The killer is also aware of the fact that she might have a cell phone. Given that obvious information, he may decide on a course of action that avoids Angela going for her phone (or a gun or mace spray).Perhaps he decides to do a "Ted Bundy" style sympathy ploy.

2. Keep in mind that if the killer failed in getting Angela, it would just mean that killer would just have found another victim.

Angela may be alive, but some other Jane Doe victim will have taken her place.

This is the thing people forget in self-defense class. Sure your alive, but that just means some other unlucky person is going to be the recepient.

The threat is not neutralized. The same killer is going to still be out there.

3. Keep in mind that Angela did not call 911, she called her boyfriend. We don;t know if Rob's prescence would have made a difference.

[Mastermind]

However, I do think had anyone of those victims had a cell phone on them, they would've been far easier to locate. Aside from the obvious check-the-call-history-on-the-bill thing, a lot of LE agencies are now capable of triangulating a cell phone's position.

True, but from what I've heard this works a lot easier in concept than in real life.

Much like the electronic ankle bracelets which crooks have been found to be less than foolproof.