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[Dalek]

To catch a killer, Vegas police leave mannequin on sidewalk — then watch as man bashes it with hammer

In the early hours of Jan 4, Las Vegas police found the body of Daniel Aldape, a 46-year-old homeless man, lying in an empty lot at an intersection near the city's downtown, dead of head trauma. They suspected he had been killed in his sleep, bludgeoned over the head with a hammer as he lay wrapped in blankets.

One month later, another homeless man, 60-year-old David Dunn, turned up dead at the same intersection. He, too, was likely sleeping when someone struck him repeatedly in the head with a hammer, police said.

Detectives worried that both men were victims of ”thrill kills," random slayings carried out solely for the rush of taking another person's life, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

With no leads on a suspect, police decided they'd try to bait the killer. Just a few feet from where Aldape's body was discovered, they set up a decoy, a mannequin draped in blankets and positioned to look like a person sleeping on the sidewalk.

Within hours, someone approached. After surveying the scene, the suspect pulled up his hooded sweatshirt, took out a hammer and bashed the mannequin ”several times" on the head, according to police. The incident was captured on surveillance video.

Police arrested Shane Schindler, 30, and charged him with one count of carrying a concealed weapon, local media reported Friday. He appeared in court last week, and a judge set his bail at $50,000. Although Schindler has not been charged in the deaths of the two homeless men, police say his attack on the mannequin made clear he had ”the intent to kill."

”The decoy mannequin was staged in a manner which would have made it impossible for Schindler to have determined the mannequin was not a human being before he struck," police said in the arrest report, according to the Review Journal.

During questioning by police, Schindler admitted that he kicked the decoy and struck it with his hammer but told investigators he ”knew it was a mannequin" before he attacked it, according to the report.

Schindler has not entered a plea. His next court hearing is set for March 15. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Ashley Sisolak, called his bail excessive and disputed the charge against him. ”My client has proclaimed his innocence, and I look forward to fighting these allegations," she told the Review Journal.

Police said Schindler was carrying a four-pound engineer's hammer inside a pizza bag on the night of Feb. 22 when he went to the area where the homeless men were found dead. The intersection, located several blocks west of the city's business district, is mostly empty except for a small deli and a bus stop. The Las Vegas Strip, home to most of the city's gambling and entertainment fare, is several miles away.

According to police, Schindler arrived at the scene about 3 a.m. and approached the mannequin three times before striking, as the Las Vegas Sun reported. Police said Schindler swung the hammer with both arms to ”generate maximum force to his blow."

 

[LiK]

Holy shit, fuck this guy. I hope they somehow manage to get him charged for the other slayings.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

 

[.JayZii]

Cartoonish.

 

[YoungFa]

He could have gotten away with the first two if he just had stopped. But I guess all these tv crime dramas where right, murder is addicting.

 

[Chesskid1]

i don't see how they can pin the other murders on him.

glad they got him off the streets, though.

 

[v0yce]

Yeah common sense says you got him, but this seems hard to make it stick lawfully.

 

[norm9]

What a psycho. Throw him in jail and throw away the key.

 

[YoungFa]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

I guess will be tough to prove, but at least hes stopped. For now.

 

[Mechanized]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

At this point they have a suspect. I would guess they could try to get dna from the hammer, check his home for any bloody clothes, shoes, etc...

 

[commish]

two people are fucking dead and you want to make puns to get some first post quotes. Amazing.

But he has to show us how clever he is!!

Anyway, it's still going to be hard to tie him to the murders if this is all they have. Hopefully they can get DNA off the hammer.

 

[Pagusas]

This is going to be hell-a hard for the prosecutor to connect those murders unless they have something else like finger prints, dna or something to connect them.

I think we all guess the dude is guilty as all hell, but just because he did this doesnt mean he did the other two in terms of the courts findings.

 

[typist]

This guy will be fed and sheltered in prison. Meanwhile the homeless will continue to suffer
Isn't it better to execute him, then use the liberated resources to feed and shelter the homeless? We treat monsters and murderers better than regular people

 

[Mortemis]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

Thought the same. If the hammer was the same one he used before, maybe they can find blood (though I would think they'd find it by now).

 

[LeroyPantwether]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

Well, before they had no leads. Now, they have one lead. They at least have someone to investigate now.

 

[Breads]

Figures. People who cut their own hair are never up to any good.

 

[neshcom]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

Almost certainly not, but it does give the police a suspect to look into.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Figures. People who cut their own hair are never up to any good.

Hey now.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Yeah common sense says you got him, but this seems hard to make it stick lawfully.

Well they've now got a suspect.

 

[The Albatross]

This is going to be hell-a hard for the prosecutor to connect those murders unless they have something else like finger prints, dna or something to connect them.

I think we all guess the dude is guilty as all hell, but just because he did this doesnt mean he did the other two in terms of the courts findings.

This is my thought as well.

There's a good chance this guy walks. It's not a (real) crime to bash in the head of a mannequin, and they have to be able to tie him to these other attacks before he gets even a decent lawyer and gets out.

 

[dave is ok]

Hopefully they had some unidentifiable hair or something from the previous two murders before they set up the decoy.

 

[Dreavus]

I guess the hope is that this stuff holds up in court.

All he has to say is "I knew it was a mannequin" and I'm not sure what they can do about it, even though it lines up perfectly with the murders. And this also doesn't prove he had anything to do with the other attacks even though it totally does - the issue is connecting them definitively.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

No, but hopefully they can dig up more evidence connecting him to the other two murders.

Not as severe but it reminds me of how I caught a mail thief. We had several packages stolen (we knew something was up when Amazon marked one as delivered and there was nothing), then we put a fake bait package and waited for the thief to show up and he took the bait. We called the cops, police cornered him before he even made it out of our block, but they could only charge him with the theft of that package and not the previous ones since there was no evidence (and a search warrant of his home would be useless as he'd just get rid of any evidence in his home).

At least he stopped.

 

[Danis Saur]

Like baiting a troll on the internet.

But in real life...

 

[HazySaiyan]

Don't know how it works in the US but in the UK I think he could be charged with attempted murder for this.

 

[nkarafo]

It's not a (real) crime to bash in the head of a mannequin, and they have to be able to tie him to these other attacks before he gets even a decent lawyer and gets out.

But there was no way for him to know it was a mannequin. This was clearly intend to kill. So they can at least prove he is dangerous.

Isn't this a similar trap like the ones set in "to catch a predator" where an adult woman posed as a little girl to trap pedos? Did these people walk because she wasn't really a child in the end?

 

[IggyChooChoo]

What's a pizza bag?

Edit: I didnt know what an "engineer's hammer" was -- it's basically a short sledgehammer. Horrible.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/1f/1fcfff3d-7359-43b1-bb39-043a9a2fefe2_1000.jpg

 

[Steejee]

Hopefully they can find some traces of blood on his person or the hammer, otherwise even though this makes it pretty obvious he probably committed the murders, it's not enough to convict someone on.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I guess the hope is that this stuff holds up in court.

All he has to say is "I knew it was a mannequin" and I'm not sure what they can do about it, even though it lines up perfectly with the murders. And this also doesn't prove he had anything to do with the other attacks even though it totally does - the issue is connecting them definitively.

Yeah I think they have to hope there is some forensic evidence on the hammers. Though if this guy is homeless himself, and possibly suffering from mental illness and will have to rely on a public defender, maybe they can get a confession/plea out of him (assuming he did it).

 

[RinsFury]

That's some American Psycho shit, holy fuck. Glad they caught this piece of shit.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

No, but it gives them the obvious suspect. The thing is, they literally had no suspect before this because it was a random killing.

This guy is a serial killer in the making. He won't be now since he'd be Suspect No. 1 in practically any unsolved murder anywhere he goes, so even if they never convict, this is a good thing.

 

[Goldboy]

Fuck this guy. I really hope they can find some evidence linking him to the first two murders.

 

[TS-08]

Don't know how it works in the US but in the UK I think he could be charged with attempted murder for this.

I'm fairly certain you can't be charged for any crime associated with hitting an inanimate object on the basis that you thought it was a human. I can't remember exactly what the doctrine is called (impossibility maybe?), but if what you did wouldn't have constitited a crime if you did it knowingly, I don't think you can be charged for it because you mistakenly believed you were committing a crime.

 

[norm9]

Gonna be hard to defend him if you're his lawyer. Yes, he may have hammered this mannequin, but he definitely did not hammer the other two homeless people sleeping at the same intersection that were also killed with hammer attacks, your honor. Not guilty!

 

[TheLetdown]

But there was no way for him to know it was a mannequin. This was clearly intend to kill.

Isn't this a similar trap like the ones set in "to catch a predator" where an adult woman posed as a little girl to trap pedos? Did these people walk because she wasn't really a child in the end?

Well, enticement of a child is in itself a crime, and includes in its definition conspiracy to do so, as well as attempt.

"Intent to kill" is an aggravating factor for other punishable crimes.

 

[RumblingRosco]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

They might be able to find his DNA on the scene of the two murdered people. Maybe find DNA of the victims on his hammer.

 

[commish]

Gonna be hard to defend him if you're his lawyer. Yes, he may have hammered this mannequin, but he definitely did not hammer the other two homeless people sleeping at the same intersection that were also killed with hammer attacks, your honor. Not guilty!

The burden is on the prosecution to prove that he did it, not on the defense to prove that he didn't do it. Makes a huge difference. But I could definitely see a jury making this connection in the jury room.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Gonna be hard to defend him if you're his lawyer. Yes, he may have hammered this mannequin, but he definitely did not hammer the other two homeless people sleeping at the same intersection that were also killed with hammer attacks, your honor. Not guilty!

Without more evidence than what they have no it's the the other way around. Burden is on the prosecution to prove he did it beyond any reasonable doubt.

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

yeah it will be hard to prove because of the amount of people who carry heavy duty hammers and put their hoods up so as to hide their identity to bash random sleeping humanoid looking objects with said hammers in the area where all those hammer based murders took place its just to hard to pin anyone down

 

[Dusk Golem]

I hope they find further evidence. With an identity they may be able to dig some stuff up. The guy in question sounds like he must've left something to behind to tie him to the murders.

Like baiting a troll on the internet.

But in real life...

...I don't really compare trolling on the internet to murder.

Baiting is a thing obviously, but I also don't tink you bait someone trolling in the same way you bait someone who's addicted to murder.

 

[norm9]

The burden is on the prosecution to prove that he did it, not on the defense to prove that he didn't do it. Makes a huge difference. But I could definitely see a jury making this connection in the jury room.

Without more evidence than what they have no it's the the other way around. Burden is on the prosecution to prove he did it beyond any reasonable doubt.

Not sure how a jury can stay blind to the connection though, even if the prosecution flubs the case or the facts aren't a slam dunk.

 

[Grenchel]

yeah it will be hard to prove because of the amount of people who carry heavy duty hammers and put their hoods up so as to hide their identity to bash random sleeping humanoid looking objects with said hammers in the area where all those hammer based murders took place its just to hard to pin anyone down

yeah, but that's not exactly how things work. If they don't have a bloody hammer, or some shit, he could get away.

 

[Pagusas]

yeah it will be hard to prove because of the amount of people who carry heavy duty hammers and put their hoods up so as to hide their identity to bash random sleeping humanoid looking objects with said hammers in the area where all those hammer based murders took place its just to hard to pin anyone down

That's not the justice system works. At least not how its suppose to work.

 

[shnurgleton]

Holy shit how evil can people get

 

[BobTheFork]

Artie Lange looks better than I remember.

Clever catch, fuck this asshole.

 

[TimeEffect]

This is disgusting. What a fucking psycho.

Seriously though, what becomes of someone like him? Seems like he would otherwise fly under the radar

 

[SpruceMoose]

Simpsons did it!

 

[HazySaiyan]

I'm fairly certain you can't be charged for any crime associated with hitting an inanimate object on the basis that you thought it was a human. I can't remember exactly what the doctrine is called (impossibility maybe?), but if what you did wouldn't have constitited a crime if you did it knowingly, I don't think you can be charged for it because you mistakenly believed you were committing a crime.

Actually I think you can, I remember in law class at college there was a case where somebody thought he was smuggling heroin but it was just harmless leaves, and the House of Lords ruled you can still be considered to be attempting a crime even if the facts means it's impossible to actually do it.

Also no if you do something that you think is illegal but it isn't that's not a crime.

EDIT: that's just the case in the UK, like I said I don't know if that's the case in the US

 

[TheLetdown]

yeah it will be hard to prove because of the amount of people who carry heavy duty hammers and put their hoods up so as to hide their identity to bash random sleeping humanoid looking objects with said hammers in the area where all those hammer based murders took place its just to hard to pin anyone down

That's not the point, though.

Capability isn't culpability.

He may look guilty as all fuck, but the only thing they currently have proof of is that he smashed a mannequin.

There's not a lot that I faith in when it comes to our legal system. I'm not a big fan of the jury system, in general, what with the demonstrable systemic bias. But the one thing that stands above all else as core to a free society is the presumption of innocence.

 

[PersonAndStuff]

I mean, does this make it any easier to charge him with the murders?

Probably not too much but they're narrowed their suspects down to mostly this one guy.