When Could Nick Have Killed Leah?

This is a good topic and I'll be interested to see what scenario the prosecution lays out during Nick's trial.

I think Nick could have killed Leah between 9:20 and 9:30 PM, between 10:40 and 11:10 PM, or between 11:40 PM and 2:00 AM.

If Nick found Leah on N. Central and killed her, threw her into the trunk of the Mustang, and went home and switched to the Thunderbird before he was spotted at the Fast Mart between 9:45 and 10, it seems like he would've had to kill her between 9:20 and 9:30, shortly after talking with Leah's sister at Denny's Pizza.

A second scenario is harder to work out, but Nick could've had the Thunderbird parked locally at Brent Bartley's grandparents house for some reason. It is possible that he found Leah on N. Central in the Mustang, took her to Bartley's grandparents house, hung out for a few minutes, and left her there while he drove to the Fast Mart in the Thunderbird to pick up some food and drinks. He could have then returned to Bartley's grandparents, and then took off again in the Mustang which I think he was driving when he went to the Mitchell's house, which I have read was between 10:07 and 10:15. Perhaps Nick had some of this preplanned and did go to the Mitchell's house to pretend that he hadn't found Leah, even though he knew she was still alive at Bartley's grandparent's house. Google says the drive time between Bartley's grandparent's and the Mitchell's is about 6 minutes. In this scenario, he could've killed her sometime after being pulled over at 10:30 and before he returned to Denny's Pizza between 11 and 11:30.

It's also possible that she was still alive during Nick's second visit to Denny's and he wanted Leah's sister to believe he still hadn't found her. In this scenario, he could have killed her anytime between 11:40 and 2 AM. I don't believe Nick found Leah until after his first visit to Denny's Pizza, but it is possible that he found her shortly after the last witness saw her around 9:15. If he found her at 9:16, there was enough time for him to drop her off at Bartley's grandparent's and make it to Denny's Pizza in under 10 minutes according to Google.

Here is how I worked out some of the timings for the various scenarios. According to Google maps, Leah would have reached McKay's Market around 9:06. A witness saw her by the phone booth in front of McKay's but a time wasn't given. If she didn't stop, she would have reached Hunter's around 9:11 and the Oregon Federal Credit Union around 9:12. A witness saw her in front of the Credit Union around 9:15 which is more realistic timing than the Hunter's witness report of 9:05 since Hunter's and the Credit Union were only about a minute apart while walking.

From the Credit Union, it would have taken her about 9 more minutes to reach the point where her right shoe was found. For the sake of argument, let's say she could have once again took three more minutes than Google says. That would put the time she could have reached the point her shoe was found at 9:27. If witness accounts were off by a few minutes, Google is accurate, and she walked nonstop, she could have reached that point as early as 9:22. So it could be any time between 9:22 and 9:27.

Nick left the Mitchell's in the Mustang around 9:05 and said he drove up Central all the way to Leah's street and back before stopping at Denny's Pizza where Leah's sister was working. Leah's sister saw him at Denny's sometime between 9:15 and 9:30.

Google says he could have driven to from the Mitchell's to Leah's House to Denny's in 8 minutes which makes me think he would have reached Denny's during the early part of the 9:15 to 9:30 time range since he left the Mitchell's house around 9:05. I'm not sure how he would have missed Leah, but witnesses put her on Central as late as 9:15.

He could have driven from Denny's to the point Leah's right shoe was found in as little as 2 minutes. If he talked to Leah's sister for a couple minutes and left at 9:17, he could have caught up to Leah as early as 9:19 anywhere between the Credit Union and the point her shoe was found.

It has been stated that the drive from town to Nick's house and back has been done in as little as 15 minutes. 9:27 plus 15 equals 9:42. He was seen at Fast Mart in the Thunderbird between 9:45 and 10. He showed back up at the Mitchell's house in the Mustang around 10:15 and was pulled over in the Mustang at 10:30.

In my first scenario, I think Nick missed Leah on N. Central once or twice, went to Denny's pizza in the early part of the 9:15 to 9:30 time frame, and then with Leah possibly taking N. Elm St to the Haga's (BB's grandparents), Nick found her near the cemetery on N. Elm St where her shoe was later found. Nick hitting her with the car and quickly throwing her in the trunk would explain how he could quickly kill her, but there was an article that said the autopsy indicated that she didn't show any signs of being hit by a car.

In the second scenario, I think Nick would have dropped Leah off at the Haga residence, and then drove around town to all those places without her. A phone call would have busted him though, but perhaps she didn't call anybody and her family didn't have a phone number for the Haga residence or didn't think to call there.

I can see why Nick wasn't arrested based on the information in the original documents, so I wonder what witnesses are now saying that could fit the timeline and cause a grand jury to indict him. My scenarios are only possible times he could have killed her, but I definitely need more questions answered.

IMO...the WHOLE timeline goes right out the window with Sherrie's new account! She first said that Leah was going "JOGGING" and now her statement is that she & Leah got into a "FIGHT & LEAH STORMED OFF". Well, which one is true? IMO, it makes a HUGE difference.

It will be interesting to compare past witness statements with current ones to see if there are many inconsistencies.

I'm looking forward to watching the 20/20 segment to see everything Sherrie has to say. If my interpretation of the docs is correct, the story about Leah leaving mad because Sherrie wasn't allowed to go jogging has evolved and become twisted over the years. It sounds like Sherrie was mad at her mother and got into a shouting match with her, and shortly thereafter Leah left. A witness is the one that said that Leah appeared to be upset and angry while walking near the phone booth in front of McKay's Market. I'm not sure if Sherrie told Cory or anybody else that Leah was angry about Sherrie not being allowed to go jogging, but in the docs, Sherrie wasn't the one who said anything about Leah being angry. It is possible that Leah was angry while walking because her and Sherrie argued about Nick before she left. Sherrie could have left the argument about Nick out when talking to police, or the police could have left it out of the docs.

Here is what the docs say:

Sherrie Mitchell and her mother, Peggy Mitchell, were subsequently interviewed. They indicated: that Leah arrived at their home around 7 PM; that near 9 PM, Leah asked Sherrie if she wanted to go jogging; Sherrie indicated she did want to jog, but that she needed permission from her mother to do so; that Sherrie went to her mother and asked permission; that Leah was in another part of the house, but within hearing distance of the conversation; that Sherrie's mother denied Sherrie permission to go jogging with Leah; that Sherrie and her mother got into a loud shouting match over Sherrie not being able to go jogging; and that Leah left shortly thereafter, at approximately 9 PM, and that she left the Mitchell residence on foot. Neither Sherrie nor her mother have seen or heard from Leah since.

The Coquille Police have interviewed additional witnesses. Ashley Hutchinson indicated: that she knows Leah Freeman; that on Wednesday June 28, she saw Leah walking northbound on Central Avenue in front of the McKay's Market near the phone booth located in the parking lot; and that Leah appeared to be angry or upset as she was walking with her head down and her arms folded across her chest.

I can't wait to hear witness statements either. IF Sherrie's statement NOW is that Leah left angry because of a fight she & Leah had over Nick (like the preview indicated) then in my opinion EVERYTHING changes. Like a house of cards....it all comes tumbling down. Sherrie's statement (along with her mothers) would be nil to me. Then we would have to start all over from the beginning....when Leah arrived AT Sherrie's house....7pm.As opposed to when it was said Leah left Sherrie's house.

I can't say for sure what happened between 7 and 9 besides the statements that Nick dropped Leah off at Sherrie's house, but it's hard to discount the three witnesses who saw Leah walking on N. Central between 9:05 and 9:15.

I agree that there wasn't much time for Nick to have committed the murder. It seems like it would've had to be premeditated for him to pull it off.

What about Sherrie and/or her mom? If they DID lie to LE at first, it could have thrown off the whole timeline. Maybe the timeline IS correct but.....One of them could have run after her. Let's just say (for arguements sake) that Sherrie & Leah DID fight about Nick. Maybe she ran after Leah...They argue again & Leah falls & dies. Seems to me that she could have had her mom help her get rid of Leah's body & since no one even suspected anything (cause they stated Leah left their house) all attention turned to the boyfriend (Nick)

.....Or....Sherrie & Mom had their screaming match. Mom was REALLY pissed at Leah for getting HER teenager all riled up, so she took off after her. Mom killed her or Leah tripped & fell. She dies, mom gets rid of the body. They both make up the story that Leah left.

Things that make you go hhhhmmmm????

I'm not trying to upset anyone (especially Cory...if you are reading) I just find it highly suspect that Sherrie is NOW changing her story. I think ALL angles should be looked at, not just Nick.

I hope we get more information on what LE has, that got Nick arrested.

Just an FYI...I am NOT accusing anyone of anything. Not Sherrie nor her mother. I'm just making different scenarios. Though I am still VERY interested in the new account of that night. I'm just trying to make a point that it could have been anyone that killed Leah.

Another thing that I'd like to point out...Let's say Nick did premeditate the killing of Leah. He killed her & stashed her body, all in a ten minute time frame. He rode around looking for her, being spotted & acting "normal" each time he was spotted. Tell me then WHY he would throw up after taking the lie detector test? It just doesn't make any sense.

A lot of stuff doesn't make sense about this case. I threw out the times that it might be remotely possible that Nick killed Leah to answer the question of this topic. If the perp wasn't Nick, and especially if the perp is someone never questioned by police, the timeline is wide open after 9:15 to what could've happened to Leah. Nick does seem like an emotional guy from what we've seen and heard, so it's hard for me to say how he could've premeditated Leah's murder and stayed calm after killing her when talking to Leah's sister, Leah's mother, and the Mitchells that night.

Leah would've followed the curve where N. Central becomes W. Central while walking home. If I'm correct about where her shoe was found on N. Elm which she should have reached between 9:20 and 9:25, it was only about 50 feet off of W. Central. She could've been chased by the perp to that point.

For the ppl around Cory, who have aided and validated her strong beliefs, I have pity...

AJ, I don't need your pity. I have pity for anyone like you who could actually make the comments you have made about Leah,

I wonder if Leah took drugs there, or drank....?

when you definitely don't have any facts to this matter. You are making comments about an innocent 15 y/o girl that you have no proof of, yet you are down-grading anyone who makes comments about Nick.

I really can't understand why you just keep on keeping on.

Sorry, I wasn't going to comment on any of your posts, but this was just horrendous!!!!!!!!!

From my post on Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:17 pm:

Justice4all wrote:I think Nick could have killed Leah between 9:20 and 9:30 PM, between 10:40 and 11:10 PM, or between 11:40 PM and 2:00 AM.

If Nick found Leah on N. Central and killed her, threw her into the trunk of the Mustang, and went home and switched to the Thunderbird before he was spotted at the Fast Mart between 9:45 and 10, it seems like he would've had to kill her between 9:20 and 9:30, shortly after talking with Leah's sister at Denny's Pizza.

After watching 20/20, it seems like LE is going with the 9:20 to 9:30 scenario, and are probably going to say he killed her at the spot her shoe was found and threw her into the trunk of the Mustang.

awaiting justice wrote:Do you think it was possible for Nick to have left Sherri's and driven down the street, and found Leah and immediatley killed her?

If so .. how did no one see it?? She was walking down a busy road with many ppl on it...

I am trying to picture how he cud have killed her, threw her in the trunk, and quickly drove home, switched vehicles, kept his cool, and was bak at Dennys all in a time frame of about 20 minutes..lets say from 9:20 thru 9:45???

I want to get away from what I think and point out how it looks like they are going to prosecute this. They are probably going to say he made up his mind after talking to Cherie that he was going to kill Leah. Is she going to testify that she told Nick that Leah might be pregnant? They might say Leah was killed on Elm where her shoe was found about 100 yards off of Central. It doesn't look like there is too much once you get past the Shell on the corner. There is a cemetery on one side and it looks like two long storage type buildings on the other side.

I still don't get exactly how they are going to work out the timeline since most times are estimates or given as some time in a 15 minute range. I paused the 20/20 episode where they were showing charts and one of the charts had Nick placing himself at Bartley's house at 9:30 looking for Leah. Did Bartley live at his grandparent's house which has often been mentioned and is about a two minute drive from the suspected point of attack? Did Nick go to Denny's Pizza before or after they think he killed Leah? He could have driven from the Mitchell's to Denny's to the suspected point of attack in about 5 minutes according to Google.

When I saw the Shell on street view, I was leaning toward it being newer and not being there back in 2000. Since we now know it was there, it doesn't surprise me at all that witnesses placed Leah alone near the Shell since I've been leaning toward her making it to at least the point where Elm meets Central. I can see this information being part of the original files and purposely being withheld. The big questions are who placed Nick with Leah after 9, when and where did they place Nick with Leah, and when was this information obtained?

To better visualize the area, here is a picture that includes the last two spots Leah was spotted that were mentioned in the affidavits, the Shell that she was spotted near alone according to 20/20, and the spot where her shoe was found.

awaiting justice wrote:Do you think it was a blindsided thing where she didnt even see it coming??

This is how the profiler sees it and is probably the way the prosecution is going to present it.

Let me get this straight....LE thinks Nick killed Leah in a matter of 10 minutes??? Oh, wait...AND threw her into a trunk of not one, TWO....but possibly THREE cars???? AND NO BLOOD at all???? LE had use of cadaver dogs, yet not one single car had anything?????

Sorry, but that doesn't even seem LOGICAL! (Again, JMHO)