Auto Train Mysterious Death

[George Harris]

Maybe this has been said. One of the posts commented negatively on the GBI with the thought that the investigation should be turned over to FDLE or its Virginia equivalent. While I have some knowledge of an FDLE investigation that was very positive, they would have no jurisdiction over the case no matter how good or how bad they are. The agencies that would have any right to be involved would be:

1. GBI, since it was in Georgia

2. Sheriff's Department or local police department of whatever county or city, if any, in which it occurred.

3. FBI since it involved interstate transport

4. Amtrak police since it was on their train

5. CSX police since it was on their property.

Among themselves they can figure out or fight out who does what.

Anyone else would at best be an uninvited observer.

Some of the speculations in this thread are downright silly.

 

[lthanlon]

Some of the speculations in this thread are downright silly.

Not only that, most of these folks can be called upon to serve on juries.

 

[rrdude]

Some of the speculations in this thread are downright silly.

Not only that, most of these folks can be called upon to serve on juries.

Not if I keep posting like I have been...... I'll have a good case of claiming "insanity".

 

[pennyk]

Update from Orlando television news: The GBI has interviewed 80% of the passengers on the train, but they would not say whether they have learned anything significant.

 

[boxcar479]

FINALLY!!! something solid :wacko: Thanks PennyK

 

[George Harris]

Some of the speculations in this thread are downright silly.

Not only that, most of these folks can be called upon to serve on juries.

And they can vote and even reproduce

 

[The Chief]

Regarding questions/observations on what agencies are involved investigating, per reports, GBI is the lead. FBI could be involved.

GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Thursday other agencies were handling the analysis of the train itself (think forensics, this could be FBI, or destination agencies, on an assist). <-- New fact, multiple agency involvement.

Bankhead said investigators had conducted phone interviews with "many" of the more than 260 passengers. <-- That's a new fact, the PAX count.

Mrs. Arteta's funeral Mass was Friday. Her obit indicates she was involved as a community giver-backer and a good baker.

She sounds like she would have been an interesting table companion in the Dining Car.

BTW rrdude I liked the Cheech and Chong reference,,,so that's a bit of a contribution to the thread.

 

[pennyk]

Update from Orlando news television station: the son of the deceased woman is telling the press that he is frustrated with Amtrak, and he would like more cooperation between Amtrak and GBI. He said he could not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation. :wacko:

 

[jimhudson]

Sounds like a lawyer's advice, :lol: I can't really say anything right now but I demand attention!

He needs to understand that once law enforcement becomes involved there has to be some secrecy and discretion involved and Amtrak doesnt have anything they can do right now, they have already turned over everything they have, seems like the FBI needs to help out the GBI,wonder if they have been invited in?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Sounds like a lawyer's advice, :lol: I can't really say anything right now but I demand attention! He needs to understand that once law enforcement becomes involved there has to be some secrecy and discretion involved and Amtrak doesnt have anything they can do right now, they have already turned over everything they have, seems like the FBI needs to help out the GBI,wonder if they have been invited in?

Despite the cavalier attitude of this thread I would suggest that there's absolutely nothing funny about losing your mother to suspicious circumstances. In all my years of posting I have yet to find another forum where the general membership is so universally indifferent to the suffering of individuals or so completely trusting of convoluted bureaucracies. As George Harris said this is all about jurisdiction, not justice. Any other interests would be nothing more than uninvited observers. I suppose that includes those who actually lost something in this tragedy. But hey, maybe the kid will get lucky and our Rube Goldberg legal system will inadvertently stumble upon the answers while doing its best to get hamstrung on bureaucratic formalities.

 

[jimhudson]

Think you misunderstood bro, the smiley face is in reference to the LAWYER that posted just before me, what I said about Amtrak and police agencies is true, actually the FBI should be helping out on this as I said, but the GBI has jurisdiction and as with all investigations is proceeding per the law! What else can they do, tell the kid your father is the number #1 suspect which is the case in most of these murders, thats a fact! I fail to see how my attitude is Caviler, I hope whoever did it spends the rest of their miserable life locked up inside a hell hole we call prisons since I dont think the death penalty does anygood, two wrongs dont make a right! This one will be solved as long as politicans and lawyers dont turn it into a media circus! To each his own, your opinion is as valid as mine or anyone elses!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

To each his own, your opinion is as valid as mine or anyone elses!

I have yet to give any opinion as to what actually happened to this lady precisely because I honestly have no idea what happened. Others seem to think they know enough to start naming suspects and conducting interviews. Which is fine, I suppose, but there's no reason to mock the concerns of those who are actually involved in the process. If the son thinks there's not enough cooperation then he has every right to say so. If he has to cut himself short that's not his fault. All too often I've seen folks do the wrong thing because they didn't want to risk any trouble for doing the right thing, even by their own admission. Hopefully that's not the case here. I'll take you at your word that you were intending to the refer to the lawyer exclusively but even in that case I don't have the same anti-lawyer views that most people seem to have. Not all lawyers are great folks, and some are absolutely disgusting people, but trying to receive a just and reasonable outcome without one can be much harder than many people seem to realize. Just my two centavos and I'll let y'all get back to your game of Clue.

 

[pennyk]

To each his own, your opinion is as valid as mine or anyone elses!

I have yet to give any opinion as to what actually happened to this lady precisely because I honestly have no idea what happened. Others seem to think they know enough to start naming suspects and conducting interviews. Which is fine, I suppose, but there's no reason to mock the concerns of those who are actually involved in the process. If the son thinks there's not enough cooperation then he has every right to say so. If he has to cut himself short that's not his fault. All too often I've seen folks do the wrong thing because they didn't want to risk any trouble for doing the right thing, even by their own admission. Hopefully that's not the case here. I'll take you at your word that you were intending to the refer to the lawyer exclusively but even in that case I don't have the same anti-lawyer views that most people seem to have. Not all lawyers are great folks, and some are absolutely disgusting people, but trying to receive a just and reasonable outcome without one can be much harder than many people seem to realize. Just my two centavos and I'll let y'all get back to your game of Clue.

I am the lawyer Jim was poking fun of. He did it as a joke and I did not take offense.

 

[user 1215]

Sounds like a lawyer's advice, :lol: I can't really say anything right now but I demand attention!

He needs to understand that once law enforcement becomes involved there has to be some secrecy and discretion involved and Amtrak doesnt have anything they can do right now, they have already turned over everything they have, seems like the FBI needs to help out the GBI,wonder if they have been invited in?

That was sort of my point earlier. Yes, I know that the crime occurred in Georgia, therefore GBI is taking the lead. But given that none of the suspects nor the victim had anything to do with Georgia other than passing through, the FBI should certainly be very much involved. In other words, all the evidence that GBI will have to investigate other than the body is outside of Georgia.

 

[Hanno]

Here is the latest on this case. According to this article it appears as though robbery was not the motive as all the money in her purse (the $1,000) has been accounted for.

This may end up as unsolved just as the case of the man who fell/was pushed out of the Empire Builder about a month ago. Kind of wierd that we have had two such incidents in such a short period of time. I don't remember of any such incidents in recent history! Have there been any other than these two?

 

[The Chief]

From today's (Tue 21 Sep) Jacksonville The Florida Times-Union online edition:

“It could end up as an undetermined death. Unless we get some credible witnesses and credible evidence, it will have to be undetermined,” GBI's John Bankhead said.
Also, the money was found:

The investigation showed Arteta had about $1,000 at one point in the trip, but spent or gave away all but about $400 cash. That remaining money was found inside her purse, which was with her body when it was found, Bankhead said.
GBI tip line: 800 597-8477

 

[boxcar479]

Here is the latest on this case. According to this article it appears as though robbery was not the motive as all the money in her purse (the $1,000) has been accounted for.

This may end up as unsolved just as the case of the man who fell/was pushed out of the Empire Builder about a month ago. Kind of wierd that we have had two such incidents in such a short period of time. I don't remember of any such incidents in recent history! Have there been any other than these two?

Has anyone contacted the GBI concerning the earlier death on the Empire Builder. Remember the movie with Danny Glover as a serial killer that rode trains.I'm just sayin'.......

 

[Trainmans daughter]

Wasn't it about a year ago that an elderly gentleman with alzheimers fell out of a train and was discovered dead on the tracks sometime later? I think he was a retired train employee, so some of you suggested that he would know how to open the door and maybe had confused it with the bathroom door. To my knowledge, that was never resolved, either.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

I haven't read all the posts here, so this point may already have been covered.. My question is simply: Is it real easy for an elderly passenger to open a train door and fall or jump out? If so, Amtrak might need to re-design their safety features. Similarly, I thought most of the windows were non opening? I know there is a window in the door that can be opened, but it would take a determined person to leave by that route..

Discovering how the person left the train would be the first task. We are so used to all these high tech CSI programmes, I guess the reality is a bit different. I would have thought looking around all doors or windows for fingerprints or tissue samples would be high on a CSI list of items to check.

I might pass this case on to my friend, Sheer-Luck Holmes to look at, it's beyond me to solve.

Ed.:cool

 

[zephyr17]

Hi,

I haven't read all the posts here, so this point may already have been covered.. My question is simply: Is it real easy for an elderly passenger to open a train door and fall or jump out? If so, Amtrak might need to re-design their safety features. Similarly, I thought most of the windows were non opening? I know there is a window in the door that can be opened, but it would take a determined person to leave by that route..

Discovering how the person left the train would be the first task. We are so used to all these high tech CSI programmes, I guess the reality is a bit different. I would have thought looking around all doors or windows for fingerprints or tissue samples would be high on a CSI list of items to check.

I might pass this case on to my friend, Sheer-Luck Holmes to look at, it's beyond me to solve.

Ed.:cool

On Superliners for the exterior door you have to un-dog two latches at the bottom and top of the door, then open it. It is not something you can really do by accident. You have to WANT to get that door open. With that said, it isn't at all hard to do, and is fairly obvious, but it does require deliberate action.

 

[Pastor Dave]

Wasn't it about a year ago that an elderly gentleman with alzheimers fell out of a train and was discovered dead on the tracks sometime later? I think he was a retired train employee, so some of you suggested that he would know how to open the door and maybe had confused it with the bathroom door. To my knowledge, that was never resolved, either.

This story is familiar, although I cannot find anything about it on the web.

 

[ISOTT]

There was no missing money. The family claims that she was found with her money.

 

[Ryan]

Noted, several posts (and over a week) ago.

 

[GaSteve]

"GBI: No foul play in Amtrak passenger death"

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-03-29/story/gbi-no-foul-play-amtrak-passenger-death

 

[pennyk]

"GBI: No foul play in Amtrak passenger death"

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-03-29/story/gbi-no-foul-play-amtrak-passenger-death

Thanks for posting the article. Still a mystery in my mind.