EFFINGHAM CO.—Officials were at what’s been confirmed to be a third crime scene today, associated with the murder of Willow Long, in Watson, Illinois.
From Justin DeRyke’s Google+ page, where the shot with the hair was obtained yesterday morning (09.10.13) by Vinelink.
A shot from the third crime scene
Our assignment reporter, on the way to the hearing for the man charged with Willow’s murder, Justin DeRyke in Effingham, was in Watson at about 11:30 today (Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013) when she decided to go talk to people in Watson that she knew, in order to get some background for the upcoming print version we’ll be doing in just three weeks.
She was surprised to find, when she arrived, authorities working an area about a block and a half away from the home Willow shared with the rest of her family.
The address appeared to be 305 Route 37, and authorities were working in the back of a two-story, older house that appeared uninhabited. There was an abandoned-looking old pop-up camper located on the back of the premises. The authorities, most of them in plainclothes, and all of them wearing blue gloves, were knelt down at times, and taking photos of something on the ground.
Because of an encounter between our reporter and one of those working the scene (NOT a local guy, we later learned), we had made several calls trying to learn exactly who was in charge of the investigation. We were advised by Effingham County Deputy Phil Hardiek that it was a multi-agency effort, involving the county, state police and at times early on in the matter, federal agents (FBI). When we asked him about the third crime scene, he said he could not elaborate, but confirmed that those working that location today were indeed working what’s being considered a third crime scene.
The same was attributed to Coroner Duane Guffey, who returned our call this afternoon and, while he also said he could not elaborate, made reference to the third crime scene.
Disclosure asked Guffey two questions: Whether there was any indication of sexual assault on Willow, and whether there had yet been determined a time of death. The answer to the first question was that he couldn’t comment on it at this time, and the second, that’s something that they’re working to establish through variou means, and would be forthcoming.
While our reporter was there in Watson today, she saw Willow’s mother, Ciara DeRyke, sitting at a location (a neighbor’s house), fiddling with her hair and laughing.
We’ve had eyewitness reports, submitted by people in Effingham, who observed Ciara at Effingham’s Walmart yesterday (Sept. 10). She was in the store, according to the first eyewitness, with another female and two males.
“All of them were pretty chipper with smiles and I watched them all walk into the hotel across the street,” the eyewitness told us. “It was around 1:30-ish yesterday, I’m not sure who the people were, one was an older lady probably in 50s and two guys…one she called by name of Alex but not sure which guy…they were not in a vehicle but I watched them walk across the street into the hotel.
A photo our source shot of the four going back to the motel.
“I tried to follow them around the store without being noticeable. Couldn’t really hear conversations but I did hear exchanges of laugh and some smiles… it really rubbed me the wrong way! As a mom, I just can’t imagine losing my child and going to Walmart let alone have a smile. They didn’t have a shopping cart and the mom was carrying a white box but couldn’t tell what it was…they walked around for a bit it was almost as if they wanted someone to notice them or wanted attention.”
From Ciara DeRyke’s MySpace page
This behavior seems to be typical of Willow’s mother in the entire ordeal, as many who observed her during the hours of the search for Willow said she was doing much the same: smiling, laughing, and acting relatively silly for a person in her mid-20s….especially one whose daughter had been missing since Sunday morning (this is Ciara’s version of events, please bear in mind.)
Our reporter today at the hearing didn’t advise that she saw Ciara at the courthouse, but the place was packed, she said, so she could have overlooked her.
We have more coming up as it’s being uncovered, so be checking in with us frequently; our reporter on this story has been working overtime and has come up with some interesting pieces of information which we’re double-checking with authorities every step. Stay with us, and for you new readers, if you like what you’re seeing—news with an edge, as has been our established practice for nearly 11 years now, only now we’ve added the multi-media aspect of video, podcasts and internet—consider subscribing to our e-Edition or our print version, both of which can be accomplished at the e-Edition link. Subscriptions such as these, as well as sales from our print vendors, enable us to keep the lights on and pay our reporters, and we appreciate every subscriber. If you subscribe to our online version, you’ll have access to every e-Edition we’ve put online since last July, so now would be a good time to do so, before we have to begin archiving them to make room for the newest ones. You can pick up the September-October 2013 at our print vendors now and for the next three weeks, when the new edition is due. As well, like our Facebook page, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, so you can enjoy our vidcasts…one of which is scheduled to be taped this weekend, with special guests, and of course a major topic of conversation being this case. See you then.