Riehl World View

Taylor Behl Case Headed For Grand Jury

Prosecutors are prepared to charge Ben Fawley with capitol murder. While admitting they have more information than what has been made public, it appears the case might not be a "slam dunk," either.

Sources tell NBC12 a Mathews County grand jury will review the Taylor Behl case Tuesday. Former Commonwealth's Attorney David Hicks believes there's enough evidence to indict Ben Fawley on murder charges.

During the investigation, Hicks was in charge of prosecution for the City of Richmond and was under a gag order. While he doesn't want to compromise the investigation, he's now free to share his insight in the case.

Taylor Behl - Ben Fawley's Gun Charges Dropped

It's unclear what significance this holds for the inestigation at this time. It appears prosecutors made ad eal of some kind.

8News has confirmed that prosecutors in Richmond dropped a weapons charge on Monday as part of an agreement between Fawley's lawyers and prosecutors. He remains in jail on pornography charges.

Taylor Behl - Search Of Pond Comes Up Empty

via TimesDispatch

A source close to the investigation told The Times-Dispatch that divers and other investigators came up empty after searching the pond, located in an area near Mathews County, a rural county about 70 miles east of Richmond where Behl's remains were found Oct. 5.

Taylor Behl - Images Identified

According to authorities, they've identified the location of the pond in the circulated images as somewhere adjacent to Mathews County.

Taylor Behl Case Discussion

Evidently there's some of that going on here. What amazes me in all this as an observer is how Internet technology can bring an entirely new context to the understanding of cases like the alleged murder of Taylor Behl.

Taylor, I suddenly lost through a slow a process as suddenly can be. I lost her to a once-friend of mine who may just have accidentally killed her, but who also may possibly have murdered her. She was really cool, and a sweet girl. Perhaps some of her being might not have agreed with some of the ridiculously strictly moraled people out there, but that's not really reprehensible. I'm not sure that I know anyone who can fit in with those.

Suprisingly, Ben's was a little harder of a loss to bear.

Taylor Behl Investigators Still Seeking Answers

From Jim Nolan at the Times Dispatch today - he rounds out some information on where the investigation stands today.

Sources close to the investigation said Behl task force members gathering evidence on the Vienna teen's death in September -- allegedly during a sexual encounter in Mathews with suspect Benjamin Fawley -- have no direct evidence suggesting that the pond is linked to Behl's death.

Still, the sources said investigators want to know where the pond is because it is one of the few places photographed by Fawley that they have not been able to identify and search in the three months since Behl was last seen alive.

"They're just trying to be as thorough as possible," one source said. "We had some success with a picture before, and there are some personal items that we'd like to account for."

Sources said the items being sought include some of Behl's clothing and a student-identification card she is believed to have taken with her the night she disappeared from VCU. The sources said Behl's cell phone has been recovered.

Taylor Behl Suspect Ben Fawley Worked At VCU As Convicted Felon

Virginia Commonwealth University appears to have employed convicted felon, now murder suspect Ben Fawley for well over a year in a capacity which afforded him ample opportunity to interact with VCU's student population in a formal capacity. He was registered as a student during that period. However, had background checks been required, it's possible he wouldn't have been given his positions.

Benjamin Fawley, a convicted felon going back to his days as a car-stealing teenager in Bucks County, Pa., worked for more than a year and a half handing out towels and checking I.D. cards at two of the university's recreation centers.

Fawley was employed as a student worker by VCU's recreational sports department from April 2001 to January 2003, university spokeswoman Pam Lepley confirmed yesterday.

Lepley said Fawley worked at VCU's gym on the school's Medical College of Virginia campus from April to August 2001, then worked at the Siegel Center until January 2003.

via Jim Nolan at the Times Dispatch h/t Cindi

Taylor Behl Chat Discussions With Mike Cino Released

These are the alleged logs of chat discussions between Taylor Behl and Mike Cino.

*Cino* (1:41:45 AM): oh
*Cino* (1:41:59 AM): then :- (
*Taylor* (1:42:40 AM): hi
*Cino* (1:42:45 AM): hi
*Taylor* (1:42:47 AM): read my profile
*Cino* (1:42:54 AM): I don't know why I'm bold right now
*Cino* (1:43:08 AM): wow
*Cino* (1:43:13 AM): what?
*Taylor* (1:43:50 AM): not in a happy mood
*Cino* (1:44:09 AM): what was that all about?
*Taylor* (1:45:42 AM): nothing really
*Cino* (1:45:52 AM): interesting
*Taylor* (1:46:07 AM): things just like that kinda sting
*Cino* (1:46:18 AM): I would imagine
*Cino* (1:46:36 AM): there wasn't really anything to provoke that?
*Taylor* (1:46:40 AM): even considering who it come from
*Taylor* (1:47:00 AM): apparently i annoy him
*Taylor* (1:47:11 AM): as does every one
*Cino* (1:49:43 AM): I don't know what to tell you

Taylor Behl - Images Update

If you click on this link it will take you to MSN's Earth View. The road running verticaly on the left is Knights Wood Road.

The scene is in a remote area of Mathews County about three tenths of a mile off Knight's Wood Road. Sources close to the investigation tell me Taylor was found in a ravine along a dirt road. Her decomposed body found wrapped in a plastic bag with her remains scattered around.

You can magnify the view a bit more, as well as drag the image to move about. To the South is the river. It's at least possible that the images investigators are trying to identify come from that area. My concern is that with much better technology, the FBI has probably not been able to match a location with this approach. I doubt anyone else will, either.

The best bet, and I'm assuming they also tried this, would be to question sportsman, fisherman and sporting goods stores anywhere in that area.

Taylor Behl Lake Images 2

This is strange. I know many have been looking at an apparent ghost image from a possible double exposure. WHen I blow it up, it appears there may also be text of some kind. Or am I just crazy? Take a look across the top of this section. click for full image, or download and enlarge more.

Update: Some additional enlargements here, courtesy of a reader.