Rumors


In the last post, I speculated that Weston Sudduth had heard rumors about Bowen being the murderer and this explains why he confronted Bowen in Herbert and Cauffield's apartment.  What had Sudduth heard? I can't say for sure, but during the evidentiary hearing, Herbert testified that in the confrontation he witnessed in September '85, Sudduth angrily asked Bowen, "How can you sleep at night?  How can you live with yourself?  Why were you washing your hands in the early morning in the bathroom?" (Thomas v. Wong, p. 19)  The last question can be interpreted in two ways.  First, Weston saw Bo washing his hands that morning.  Second, Weston had heard that someone saw Bo washing his hands.  Clearly, the second interpretation fits my speculation.

There's a connection between Sudduth's question and Vivian Cercy's testimony.  She testified during the preliminary hearing in October '85 that she saw a blond haired man washing his hands and hair at the sink near the entrance to Rainbow Village.  This was the same man she'd seen near the water wiping his hands in the grass.  Now regarding the rumors, it's reasonable to believe that word of what Cercy said she witnessed spread within Rainbow Village, both to its residents and to Deadheads staying there.  Rumors had begun to circulate soon after the tragic event, and it's reasonable to believe they spread north to Chico in the days following. Megan Barry testified to this during the evidentiary hearing: 

"Barry left the Rainbow Village on the night of the murders to drive north.  Id at 561. She heard about the murders a few days later, from others who had left the Village and come up to Chico. Id.  'Bo' was there when she first heard the news.  Several people were sitting on his car, a gray or silver Scirocco or Rabbit discussing the murder. Id at 562. Someone mentioned a newspaper article that said that the authorities were looking for a man in a silver Volkswagen. Bo then told everyone to get off his car and left. Id at 563." (Thomas v. Wong, p. 13)

Of course, the authorities weren't looking for a man driving a silver VW because after they found Greg's body, they'd pretty much decided that Thomas committed the murders.  

Just a thought...

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