Sian O'Callaghan search: Two bodies found

[NickFitz]

You have indicated that the reason there is more press coverage in cases like this is because the person is a young white girl and in a similar case a mixed race girl would not get the same coverage. I don't agree with that and don't believe it to be true.

I think you'll find it's a case of class. The Mail differentiates on his concept of a class system. If the parents are middle class then they are more likely to be reported on then some council estate kid or runaway to which the readers have no interest. You've picked up on a race issue in your analogy and I believe it would have been down to class.

If you actually read my original post, you'll see that I mentioned three reasons, and class was one of them. It is you that has focused on race to the exclusion of the other factors.

In the case my friend was discussing, the Mail reporter was clearly disappointed to learn that the murder victim lived in social housing, but was willing to continue the call; it was the words "mixed race" that caused them to ring off. In other words, had the victim had blonde hair and blue eyes, there would still have been a story in it for them, albeit a lesser one, given that the value of the family's home could not be dragged in to the narrative.

In a similar way, it was noted by many media observers that the disappearance of Shannon Matthews did not receive the same degree of enthusiastic coverage from the national press as did the case of Madeline McCann, and it was pretty obvious that this was due to class. Had Shannon Matthews been of mixed race, there's a good chance the nationals (or at least tabloid rags like the Mail) wouldn't have run with the story at all, despite the huge search operation by the West Yorks police.

That story only really became interesting to them once the child was found and the bizarre circumstance of having been kidnapped by her own mother came to light, at which point they could use the family's social class against them in a way that pandered to their readerships' concept (carefully nurtured by such papers) of a "feral underclass" exploiting the system. At that point, they would have loved it if the family had also happened to be black or of mixed race, as they could also have pandered to similar prejudices about immigrants.

[minestrone]

The fact that it was a possible abduction and not a straight murder was the reason for the high amount of press. ALso it gives people the chance for gossip as many would have suspected she ran away with someone. People love a good mystery especially when it is being played out on rolling news channels

It is pointless comparing an abduction with a murder. Abduction of a female is probably worse for the family than murder and will always get more press when the family have to do the tearful press conferences, it makes for good TV.

Shannon Mathews was hardly the debutante type but she got wall to wall press for days. The prostitutes that got done in by the truck driver were probably the lowest of the low but that was a major story. It is false to say that this got high coverage because she it not salt of the earth.

[TimberWolf]

Added to which, unsolved murders, those with a whodunit interest while investigations proceed, or those that are particularly unusual or brutal in the UK may be relatively rare and hence newsworthy. For example this Wiki only has 7 unsolved murders listed for 2010, described there as an incomplete list. That does seem surprisingly low.

[PAH]

I'm going for an illegal cabbie.

Looks like a 'legit' cabbie who I assume would have been CRB checked before getting the job. Though that's only useful if the person's been caught for anything previously.

So the only thing it appears she did wrong was trusting a taxi to take her home.

Essentially a woman has got into the car of a stranger. Just because it has a taxi plate doesn't really make it safe.

Maybe the problem is that there aren't more female taxi drivers to offer services solely for women in this situation.

Maybe all taxis should have some form of mobile CCTV installed so head office (and the fuzz) can see what they're up to. Protects the drivers as much as the passengers.

[Normie]

Looks like a 'legit' cabbie who I assume would have been CRB checked before getting the job. Though that's only useful if the person's been caught for anything previously.

So the only thing it appears she did wrong was trusting a taxi to take her home.

Essentially a woman has got into the car of a stranger. Just because it has a taxi plate doesn't really make it safe.

Maybe the problem is that there aren't more female taxi drivers to offer services solely for women in this situation.

Maybe all taxis should have some form of mobile CCTV installed so head office (and the fuzz) can see what they're up to. Protects the drivers as much as the passengers.

According to the local press she knew the taxi driver - his kids/step-kids are of a similiar age to her. So she got into a taxi with a driver who she knew.

I can't get my head around the fact that she was in the back of a taxi, heading away from where she lived (only a few minutes in a taxi). Mobile phone records show that her phone registered with a cell some 15-20 minute drive away. So if she was taken against her will, why didn't she raise the alarm on her phone during the journey? Could have been bundled into the boot I suppose without her bag/phone. Or were they off to the woods for some consensual hanky panky but something went terribly wrong?

[MarillionFan]

According to the local press she knew the taxi driver - his kids/step-kids are of a similiar age to her. So she got into a taxi with a driver who she knew.

I can't get my head around the fact that she was in the back of a taxi, heading away from where she lived (only a few minutes in a taxi). Mobile phone records show that her phone registered with a cell some 15-20 minute drive away. So if she was taken against her will, why didn't she raise the alarm on her phone during the journey? Could have been bundled into the boot I suppose without her bag/phone. Or were they off to the woods for some consensual hanky panky but something went terribly wrong?

If she knew him, she's more likely not to bat an eyelid when he say 'oh I've just got to pop to x to pick up y'. I would imagine the alarm bells wouldn't be ringing until right at the end.

I believe her boyfriend sent a text at 3 in the morning and thats when the signal was picked up when it delivered the message.

[PAH]

If she knew him, she's more likely not to bat an eyelid when he say 'oh I've just got to pop to x to pick up y'. I would imagine the alarm bells wouldn't be ringing until right at the end.

Yes that sounds very plausible. Maybe the guy tried it on with her and when she refused he got nasty. He could also have done her in near to the pickup then dumped her body after.

Though if he's killed before (sounds like the other killing he's confessed or been linked to happened a few years ago) his motives could be anything from opportunist to obsessed stalker.

Are UK women still not allowed mace or a stun gun to defend themselves from such evil scum?

[OwlHoot]

Are UK women still not allowed mace or a stun gun to defend themselves from such evil scum?

I bought a stun gun from a friend who bought it in Thailand.

Makes a terrific noise and has a hell of a belt.

[minestrone]

you really really do not want to be saying that online.

[Incognito]

No, it was because she was white, middle class, and good-looking.

A friend of mine is a journalist on the local paper. The other year a teenage girl was murdered hereabouts and he got a phone call from a Daily Mail journalist asking for information about the case. Having confirmed things like her name and age, the next thing the Mail journalist asked was what sort of neighbourhood she lived in; my friend explained that, although it was council housing, it was quite a decent place, not a sink estate. The journalist then asked if she was white: my friend replied "Mixed race" and the phone on the other end had gone down before the word "race" had come out of his mouth.

Yeah Nick, you keep telling yourself that. You're a bigot yourself do you know that.

Mixed race

Working class