Sherman Murders: One Man Team

Was the walking man working alone?

Some of the articles on this case include grisly details.

---

The investigation’s mysterious walking man. Source: TPS.

Walking Man

I had some interesting discussions following Friday’s post on the walking man and so I thought I’d address some of that here.

One friend had called out the bus theory as being very unlikely. While they quoted an outdated time stamp for Barry Sherman’s arrival home (Donovan believes he was home at 9 pm, more than enough time to complete the task and catch the bus), I have no certainty of the theory. It is one among three as I see it - bus, or car pick-up or drive-off.

In explaining my rationale, the enormity of the evidence in favor of this being a one man job crashed into view. Yes, strangulation is a personal crime, but exceptions to human behavior are expected everywhere, especially if they are well-financed.

The argument rests on three prongs.

First, the police have quite clearly implied that the mysterious walking man is the only person on tape they have not accounted for. Is it possible a fellow traveler only shared the destination? Sure. But wouldn’t we expect police to have picked this person or persons up somewhere?

Second, the autopsy evidence suggests Honey suffered a facial injury. This corroborates the theory that she was assaulted. Remember that her phone was found on the floor of a powder room at the front of the house that she was said to seldom use. She was also spry, described as having an athletic build in other press. The fact that she was likely able to fight off the attacker, even if briefly, strengthens the possibility of a one man team, at least at the time of her killing. The strongest alternative theory as to the facial injury, in my estimation, is the suggestion that Honey, after being bound, was dragged down the stairs where she sustained the injuries. This is also a theory incongruent with more than one attacker.

Third, the crime scene itself offers clues as to what happened. The drag marks on the pool room floor, which had not been cleaned for some time, allude to how the Sherman’s reached the pool railing. This doesn’t discount Donovan’s suggestion that Barry Sherman was psychologically tortured and walked to the scene and his wife, but it does cast doubt on a multi-person team.

I should also note that I think the main take away of the walking man video is found in its symbolism. Released four years after the murders, it is difficult to imagine anyone seeing the video and contributing anything of meaning to the probe. If they haven’t by now, when and why would they?

The potential import of a confirmed one man team is obvious, despite what some so confidently say about the hitman theory.

A lot more to come.