Dakota James found in Ohio River. (2015, college, to live)

[gg]

Dakota James: Body found in Ohio River identified as Dakota James | WPXI

[AaronPGH]

This is so heartbreaking.

[gg]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

This is so heartbreaking.

It is. Such a shame. Wonder how it happened?

[crae09]

This is so heartbreaking. I don't understand why young men go missing in our city. Paul Kochu, Ron Yancoskie (both May 2015) and now Dakota. why are these all unsolved :\

[charisb]

Originally Posted by crae09

This is so heartbreaking. I don't understand why young men go missing in our city. Paul Kochu, Ron Yancoskie (both May 2015) and now Dakota. why are these all unsolved :\

It is very sad but I am glad his family knows where he is.
Is there evidence of foul play? My impression is that at least some of these cases (I don't know all of them) were accidental drownings. Unfortunately, Dakota was drinking enough that evening to be thrown out of a bar. Drinking + crossing rivers is not a great combination.

[szug-bot]

I heard a theory that bodies of water are disorienting to very drunk people. In one case, a drowning victim thought he was walking towards a parking lot (it was a lake). It's possible the water surface might look like a hard surface to someone very inebriated.

Or, they go there to relieve themselves, but stumble, fall in and drown.

I guess they will routinely look at the body to determine if there was foul play, in response to charisb's question. Not that it would be any consolation to the family, but I hope it's not shown to be foul play. That means someone out there probably took advantage of a kid who was not altogether coherent.

[gg]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-a-s...a=twitter_page

[szug-bot]

so interesting....thanks for posting....well, here's my tome on this subject that has interested me for over 15 years:

be careful with Gannon. There have been people over the years that believe he is reaching, hoping, exaggerating, if not lying (not a quote) about facts that support his theory.

I did not know about that sexual assault allegation. That story (linked from within gg's link) does not seem to help his credibility.

Police and the FBI have said all the "smiley face murders" are a coincidence and/or are predictable. For starters, college aged men in the States for some reason tend to live for weekend inebriation, and also get blasted more often and without the escort of friends than do college aged women. Alone in the dark, that screams "victim here, come and get me".

I would never question Wecht, but Gannon was the one saying the body was not decomposed enough after 40 days. I'd have to hear that from a forensics expert.

He is wrong, though, about the victims - many, most, are ordinary, good, social people and not the "best of the best". Its the vulnerability of being in public, usually alone, and drunk beyond one's control, that makes someone a victim. Not their societal background, looks, and whatnot.

It's a fascinating theory, for sure, and I would never pass up reading updates or related stories about a possible collective of anonymous people communicating and plotting murder via the deep web. creepy stuff.

I'll say this, though - i guess i'm getting old. but i would NEVER act so cavalier and carefree as i had done in the past, as recently as 3 years ago. I am not a big drinker, but at times would be alone, walking and drunk/vulnerable, for instance walking from Deutschtown to my former residence in Squirrel Hill very late, coming from the music festival, for example. Over the years I was physically assaulted, verbally assaulted, almost killed by drivers who don't give a damn, etc. The people who hang out on the bridges, especially (homeless? strung out drug users? ) were, in retrospect, pretty scary. So I am not disputing that there are people out there who would kill for robbery, for bloodlust, for whatever reason. Its the "conspiracy" and "cell" theories I question, based on the facts.

With James, the thing that bothers me is the friend who picked him up. If the day after he was saying "oh, it was nothing", OK, but *I* would have continued to press him on why he seemed to be approaching the van, as if to enter. Knowing WHY could have answered so many questions - was he talking to conspirators who planned to do him harm? was he a prostitute? etc. I would not let it rest until i got an answer from him - who were they? did you know them? I'm sorry, but she dropped the ball on that.

Seems like Dakota James was troubled, or mentally ill with anxiety, possibly.

[gg]

There is a show on it on Oxygen. It is airing now and will be played later. I don't think I ever had Oxygen TV on in my life. Didn't even know I had that channel. lol

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by gg

There is a show on it on Oxygen. It is airing now and will be played later. I don't think I ever had Oxygen TV on in my life. Didn't even know I had that channel. lol

Oxygen is geared towards women, and apparently we women are way into true crime. We channel is also doing true crime.