Falcon Lake Murder: New Blood Evidence Found
Over the past couple of days there have been several developments in the alleged Falcon Lake piracy attack and murder. First, Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez says that he has a witness who corroborates Tiffany Hartley’s story. That witness, whose identity is being concealed out of safety concerns, claims that when Hartley came off the lake on her jet ski, she was being chased by men in a boat and that she was sobbing and frantic. This eyewitness account of seeing the boat giving chase is key. If the witness saw the chase, Hartley is at least telling the truth about that aspect of the incident. Fox has also reported that the Hartleys were briefly stopped by police on their way to the lake, because they were driving a truck with Mexican plates but their jet ski trailer had Texas plates. The couple did live in Reynosa, Mexico, until a few months ago, but the violence there led them to move back across the border to McAllen, TX. So their license plate situation doesn’t suggest much, in my opinion. They were let go after the brief stop and went on their way.
Sheriff Gonzalez also says that he has retrieved blood evidence from Tiffany Hartley’s life vest. Put that evidence together with the witness corroborating her story of the chase, and her story overall looks more solid.
Zapata County’s sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez has told CBS News he has blood evidence from the lifevest of Tiffany Hartley, the wife of David Hartley, that supports her account of a pirate attack on a lake that straddles the Texas-Mexico border.
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Those who already doubt Hartley may see this as evidence that she murdered David. The blood could have gotten onto her vest whether she shot him or he was close to her when pirates shot him. Its presence on her vest is not dispositive either way, but does point to violence having occurred. Sheriff Gonzalez is treating Hartley’s story as truth, and has throughout the week since it happened.
On Fox News Channel Thursday, another victim of Falcon Lake piracy came forward and said that Hartley’s story fits what happened to him on the lake a few months ago. He’s Dr. Richard Drake, and he was fishing on Falcon Lake when pirates ambushed him. Here’s his interview with Megyn Kelly. Again, he wasn’t on the Mexican side of the lake. He was out in the center, on the Texas side of the border, when he was ambushed.
There are several important aspects to Drake’s story. One, like Tiffany Hartley, for whatever reason the pirates allowed Drake to escape with his life. Two, while he says that there are questions about Hartley’s story that still need to be answered (and he’s right about that), he says that her story rings true to him based on his own experience. Three, he wasn’t in Mexican waters when this occurred.
All these people who come up with theories questioning the wife’s story sound a little bit like they may be fearful of confronting the Mexicans. Heaven forbid we should do that.
It is also heartless. I see no logical reason to doubt her at this point. To cast the shadow of suspicion on her after such a tragic and harrowing ordeal is cruel.
In almost all missing person’s cases, the spouse is always investigated for the person’s disappearance. We should not doubt the reasons for investigating her. It is protical.
Still, I do believe her. I am a right wing crazy person. I suggest, that if we do find the body, and can corroborate her story, we declare war on Mexico and send all the illegals back to their own country. My family is comprised of 3 generations of construction workers. Everyone in my family is out of work, who hasn’t changed professions; due to illegal aliens. I am sick of it. American’s can do construction. We can do it correctly. We can do it with real workmanship, and we can do it in a fashion that will last. Construction jobs are not jobs, that American’s won’t do.
How many American’s have to die, due to the drug war in Mexico? How many American’s have to be out of work due to illegal immigration? How long does our schools, hospitals, and police departments have to be swamped with this problem before they collapse? Wouldn’t it be better to employ all the American’s that are out of work, to help enforce our borders, and send illegal’s back, rather than pay them for unemployment checks and to not work?
I don’t know. I guess, I am crazy rightest.
I can;t remember a case like this where the media attacks the crime victim reporting the crime.nor can I recall an instance where corroborating information was intentionally witheld, as it has been repeatedly by the Newspapers and, aggregiously, FOX News’ Shep Smith and his merry band of Leftist reporters. The author of this story speculates commercial interests (plausable to likely} may be a key factor. Don’t doubt that a bit. However, such a bias does not explain the slant, overt negative bias and cotinuing censorship of information contrary to the media “meme”. FOX NEWS coverage of this event is so over the top the only thing close to it is the coverage of Katrina’s devastion of New Orleans. IMOP, this is purely Leftist Ideology at play because the real issue is Border enforcement, the Left’s desire for unregulated illegal immigration and eventual amnesty (permanent Democrat majority), and to protect Obama from crticisim
over his refusal to secure the border. If this woman’s report turns out to be true, Obama will get hammered. The media is doing everything they can do, dishonestly, to provide air cover to Obama and the Dems.
I agree withthis person ,time is come to secure our boarder stop covering the President and his lies .Jim you said it and God Bless you ,It,s time the people take action ,our country been taken overby the enamies of this beautifu land
I doubt seriously if our dear president would agree with your description of Fox News reporter Shep, and his “crew” as leftist reporters.
Yesterday I did question the alternate possibilities. Haven’t any of you played “devils advocate” in order to make sure someone or some situation is treated fairly?
Heartless perhaps, but it is their job to rule the wife out as a suspect. What US authorities need to be concerned with is the spread of violence and real likelihood vigilantism as a response in the absence of forceful action on the part of US authorities. It is not so far-fetched to imagine some enterprising souls with plenty of firepower setting up an ambush for pirates on or near this lake. Once that happens, things begin to spiral pretty quickly.
What the US authorities need to do is “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense”.
Those who have sworn an oath to protect & defend the Constitution fail in their duty when they do not protect US citizens.
Given the ongoing death & destruction undertaken by those of the protected illegal alien class, we are already well beyond concerns about a ‘spread of violence.’
At some point we will need to realize that our elected officials have strayed into ‘aid and comfort to our enemies’ territory when our country is being invaded daily and nothing is done to stop the invasion.
I live in Texas and I say let the violence spiral now rather than later. Even if this story proves false there have been several other attacks on that lake that are confirmed. I see no moral problem with confronting and killing pirates, or for that matter plain thieves. The border violence has been destroying life and commerce on both sides of the border for years. If you want to blame Bush go ahead, he has a piece of the blame also. This constant stress, crime and murder along the border has really gone on long enough and if it takes civilians along the border using lethal force to protect themselves and their property so what! Don’t even try the ” undocumented worker” crap. Illegal aliens cannot be hurt in the crossfire if they stay home. Our Federal Government has been a failure for years and it is time that the government steps up and enforces their laws. If not get the hell out of the way.
Rant over.
Excellent rant!
EXCELLENT RANT !
If the Feds will not protect the border than Texans should. What I would expect to see then would be federal law enforcement arresting those US citizens actively protecting their fellow Americans, and in effect protecting the Zetas.
May God Bless the Hartley Family and May they find David soon…. Tiffany hang in there and be strong We are at War on the Mexican Border and looking the other way or blaming others is a Big Mistake!!Evil is Evil. Stay Safe…..Are people so blind that they think Los Zetas would leave behind a jet ski and body!!!
“And if up to now the worst thing that’s happened on the lake is a few petty thefts…”
I guess that’s one way to describe strong arm robberies by pirates.
Soooo … don’t Americans in this part of the country carry guns? Really really BIG guns? I know the cartels are rich and well-armed, but surely they’re not *that* rich and well-armed.
Yes, many Texans are armed. However, they have only sporting and hunting weapons. The Mexican cartels have access to military-grade firepower – machine guns, grenades and grenade launchers, etc. Much of this equipment is “stolen” from the Mexican military, or smuggled into the country from elsewhere.
Absolutely, but that can be rectified. The WWII concept of the Q-ship needs to be revived. This can only be a handful of “pirates” and obviously they have no respect for the concept of border. An innocent looking but prosperous “fishing boat” needs to be put together with a Kevlar hull (like Mark McManus’ Apache Boats). Within that hull enough firepower to make sure the pirate trip is one way would be hidden. Luring these pirates into acting against that boat and their subsequent sinking would make a great YouTube video that make the lake safe for all.
Incidentally the same process would work in Somalian waters. It is not the weapons that are lacking but the gonads to use them. The Russians had the right idea.
I, like many on this board, look very forward to seeing that video on Youtube soon. We can’t let the cartels win. We have to show the brave Mexican citizens how to get creative too, even if they don’t have guns.
If the lake is considered Interbnational waters no boats may possess firearms, if the lake is a power generation lake the power companies own it and they may forbid weapons while afloat.
Check the lake rules and I bet there are no firearms allowed section.
It would only have to be a one-time only thing to sink two or three boats of Mexicans (after blowing them into teeny little taco-flavored smithereens), posting it on YouTube, and then fading away.
Let the UN and the power companies and the Mexican government squeal all they want to after that.
I can’t imagine that any law enforcement would ever go after neo-Texas rangers, and if they did, no jury would ever convict (unless they rounded up the old OJ Simpson jury again).
Oh yeah, I’m sure the Drug Cartels follow all the laws, like they are by being drug smugglers. You are a Moron!
Looks like the pirates are really obeying those rules .
…but it is rich and well armed. very rich and very well armed.
While most of us understand that a spouse should always be carefully scrutinizec when a mysterious murder occurs, the public speculation by talking heads about her facial expressions or choice of linguistic construction, while presumably in a state of shock and grief, disgraces them, not Ms. Hartley.
· Supposedly, she equivocated about taking a lie detector test. This does not imply guilt, but possibly some knowledge of the reliability of lie detector tests.
· She described a bullet hole in the front of her husband’s head, while he was reportedly shot from behind. Perhaps she observed an exit wound? Or in her distress simply pointed out the part of her head most readily accessible?
· She has been pleading for days that her husband’s body be searched for. If she shot him herself, his body would likely yield forensic evidence to incriminate her, which would be gone forever if he were not found. The actual shooters would also have good reason to handle his body in such a way as to prevent its later discovery.
· The Hartley’s were observed with two jet-skis on their trailer shortly before the incident. Where did Mr. Hartley’s jet-ski disappear to? If abandoned, it should still have been drifting in the middle of the lake. To start it and move it, the key attached to his life-vest would have been required. Incidentally, jet-skis are worth mucho dinero, even in Mexico, I’ll bet.
The search for Mr. Hartley’s body has been confined to the American side, while he was stated to have been shot about 2 miles over the border in Mexico – a bit like the drunk looking for his keys under the lamppost, because that’s where the light is better. Mexico isn’t searching, and is questioning the wife’s story simultaneously. Qui bono?
The real question is: Where is our government? Probable answer: At the golf course.
Neal Boortz has a good idea of how to find the body. Put some Apache helicopters in the air over the lake and send the border patrol and army to search ALL of the lake. Anyone who tries to stop them can be dissuaded by the Apaches. Anyone else like this idea?
That idea has a certain emotional appeal, but sending American military personnel into Mexico is extremely problematic on numerous fronts.
The Mexican military makes a habit of crossing into American territory. How many times have Mexican military helicopters been in Texas airspace? At least twice in the past year that I know of, and some Texans can probably verify more. They obviously have zero respect for our sovereignty; why should we respect theirs when they are inflicting so much damage on us with the violence and exportation of poverty/criminals? If they cannot control their side of the border, we da*n sure better get control over our side.
I would think by now the body of the deceased is melting in a plastic drum of acid or lye. Per Mexican Drug Cartels M.O.
Folks the US is going to have to go into the border and clean this up otherwise the international side of the lake becomes defacto Mexican lake.
it wouldn’t matter if this woman,was responsible for the death of her husband,and made up the whole story.their was a complaint lodged,which makes it the responsibility of our government to investigate,and find the facts.this man’s other family members,have a right to know, what happened to this man,and to recover his body,or determine whether this was a crime,or a scam.this is what the democrat party,and liberal republicans have always been about,all along.politcs;after all, this is the anti-human life,rights,and liberty party.this incident,makes things inconvenient,and destroys their credibility,of the severity,and threat to america,our sovereignty,and our way of life.because of illegal immigration.politicians,pundents,media,and activist,constant drumbeat,of you are a racist,unless you allow those who hate america,human life,rights,and liberty,murder,rape,and pillage,the american village;all to give,wealth,power,and permanent tenure to criminal politicians,and transformation,of america,from the united states of america,to the united nations of dictators.anyone that say’s they want a bigger tent,or political party,and not a purer party;or who use,intimidation,pity,guilt,and fear,to manipulate,the facts,truth,justice,rule of law,and the u.s.constitution;all are self serving thugs,and crooks;that are stating that character,facts,truth,and law doesn’t matter.only their permanent tenure by way of desperate,deceptive,or self serving,special interest groups,and potential voters.if social issues are unimportant,or you believe in “lucifer’s law”that your will should be exalted above god,humanity,human life,rights,and liberties of others by way of government proxy;then you are whats screwing up,and destroying the only,and last great hope,for america,humanity,human life,rights,justice,equality,and liberty,for everyone else. like those air heads,and deadbeats that voted to legalize marijuana,in california.more dumbed down sloth,and unambitious ignorance being led to the slaughter,and helping to destroy,commonsense,u.s.constitution,declaration,of independence,bill of rights,and rule of law america;and empower permanent tenure for licenced predators,perverts,pedophiles,and traffikers.which is the reason why our government,and mexico,is trying to avoid an investigation,of this womans,complaint,and refusal to try to find this mans body;all politics;jimmy joe;”the liarfryer”
How is it that Governor Perry does not have the authority to stop a mayor or chief of police from having a sanctuary town or city in Texas?
…. How is it that Governor Perry does not have the authority to stop a mayor or chief of police from having a sanctuary town or city in Texas …?
I dunno — but I bet you can get the answer to that one in a New York millisecond from Arizona’s Governor Brewer, from San Fran Frisco’s Any-Twosome Newsom and/or from the criminally corrupt, Herr Holder.
Anyone who puts “fishing interests” above the security of Americans is a damn fool. It’s starting to look like America’s Southern border exhibits the same properties of the border separating Israel from the Palestinian Arabs.
And needs the same solutions: a really really high grey concrete fence like the Israeli’s have built with armed patrols who shoot to kill. I’m sick to death of being told that electronic monitoring and Boy Scout troops will be able to keep this nation of swaggering murderers out of our country.
…. the Coast Guard (must) start operating full-time on the lake — but that action could harm the fishery ….
There’s a choice, then, between the feral gummint keeping its collective oath to protect and uphold? OK then, that’s an easy one. To Hell with defense against all enemies, domestic and foreign. Save the fishes and slaughter the innocent.
…. Americans and Mexicans should “look into” mounting joint operations to clear out the pirates ….
They’re not “pirates,” they are murderers and terrorists. And since when, in the protection of Americans’ lives and property and of our republic, did the nation whose military is more powerful than the combined military force of the next twenty countries on Earth — and that has kept South Korea’s northern and Eurabia’s eastern borders safe for more than half a century — need the help, the cooperation or even the “permission” of any of the gangster governments of any of the world’s most corrupt states?
It’s Tea Party Time!
Loved your reply R. Allen but you failed to mention Europa. If you don’t know what it is look it up. However, commenting on here I am sure you know.
Does the Militia need a Navy?
Come on honey!
“Lets go have a real thrill and jet ski on the drug dealing Mexican border.”
Sheeesh…
Forrest Gump was right.
Why isn’t the Texas government providing security on this lake to protect Texas citizens? The Coast Guard is not necessary.
“Why isn’t the Texas government providing security on this lake to protect Texas citizens? The Coast Guard is not necessary.”
The same reason Arizona is involved in a lawsuit over enforcing the law. It is an international border area, even though citizens are allowed access to the water on both sides of the border. That makes it a federal issue. Good luck getting them to do anything.
From what she said (referring to what Michelle Malkin posted about this), I have to believe that the lady is not telling the truth. Sounds like she may be under criminal investigation soon enough. Should the US gov’t safeguard the border? Of course. But it’s an opportunity for people to create mischief and blame it on Mexican gangsters. Where is the evidence that this couple ever reached the ruins that Tiffany Hartley says they explored? Very dubious.
Does anyone know the identity of the media source that said this was a farce
at the on set. Does anyone know which news outlet described this as a ruse for a reality show. For heavens sake this story should scare every American.
Media cannot be trusted at all. Rick Sanchez being fired was a bigger story and it did not have violence and murder from Hispanic pirates.
The cartel could give a damn about cleaning up evidence! Bad reputation or not, the Mexicans will continue to run their 100 Billion dollar industry. They are not interested in killing for fun And they definitely don’t need used jet skis! You might be getting them confused with the “Zetas” a large (dis)organized crime gang in Mexico.
Jana
it is interesting to note that the town of McAllen, TX is not very safe, either, in the last 2 years, 2 Americans – completely innocent bystanders who had no idea what was going on – have been kidnapped off the streets in that area – sovereign AMERICAN land.
In 2008, it was a business man in a coffee shop; he was left without ID or money on the streets of Reynosa, Mexico.
in early 2010, it was a young girl walking to a friend’s house in Brownsville, TX, just a few miles from McAllen – she was found wandering the streets of Heroica Matamoros, Mexico.
I think if our “government” doesn’t kick the illegals out and start protecting our borders according to Article IV. Section 4 of our Constitution, the American people are going to do it for them.
She killed him or he’s waiting for her in Mexico to collect the insurance money and run. Drug cartels don’t need that kind of attention and they know that.
Whoever wrote this article has some comprehension challenges. The border *is* the center of the lake. The man in the interview states pretty clearly that he may well have been on the Mexican side (albeit “by a few feet”). Sounds like whoever wrote this article thinks the “center of the lake” is American territory and the Mexican side of the lake is “way over” or some crazy thing.
The wife’s story makes no sense. She’s playing to the fears and bigotry of the country that is being fueled by the insanity of the so-called ‘tea party’. And she’s finding a willing audience. I will say, times do change. A few years ago, the modus operandi for white women killers was to blame black dudes (Susan Smith, et al). Now they’ve moved to slightly less black Hispanic dudes. And Fox eats it up, hook, line and sinker.
Leave it to liberals to pull the race card.this isn’t about race.it isn’t even about whether or not hartley killed her husband.this is about a corrupt,incapable country dumping its waste into ours.its also,unfortunately about politics.democrats are afraid of losing the hispanic vote by declaring war on mexican terrorists.can we realistically deport 30million illegals?no.but we can make it hard for them to reproduce.here’s your green card..and your vasectomy.don’t like it?stay the hell out.poor people shouldn’t reproduce in the first place.legalize drugs,let the cartels pop out of their ratholes upon legalization-and then kill them.fish in a barrel.send a few dozen navy seals down to falcon lake and watch the pirates be eliminated before noon.my extreme views make way too much sense to ever be implemented-especially under this administration.
Why do I doubt her story?
1) You have a cartel that is willing to cut the head off of a cop, a lead investigator no less, but they won’t turn over a jet ski and the “victim’s” body? He was in Mexico at the time, so this would not be infringing on US sovereignity. It would be in the best interests of the cartel to turn over the body, hell the sherriff on the US side said if they did that, he wouldn’t prosecute.
2) She was being chased so her story is corroborated…however, what if this is a drug deal gone bad? The story of her being chased pans out, but there have been reports that the “pirates” were holding her, with a gun to her head, and then let her go, which is when she “tried to pick his body up”, and then they started chasing her again?
3) If you are a drug dealing pirate, and you can put a round in a guy’s head from a bobbing boat, why in the world would you leave a witness? Why wouldn’t you fire a whole hell of a lot of ammo, and hit her jet ski, knocking it out of commission, and maybe even killing or wounding the witness in the process? Remember, these guys were trained by US SPecial Forces before they went rogue and started working for the cartels…how could they hit one person with a precise shot, and miss the other?
4) They were 2 miles inside Mexican waters? Really? And the shooters on the boat couldn’t hit her? Wow? They went from crack marksman to Gomer Pyle in the bat of an eye…..rriiight…
5) Has anyone ever cut their eyebrow, or busted that area of your face? That’s a lot of blood for such a small wound huh? Enough to make it look like a lot, but not really bleed much…Have they recovered bone or brain matter from the jacket?
Now before anyone thinks that I feel sorry for the poor little drug cartels, nothing could be forther from the truth. They are violent, bloodthirsty, and capable of killing people at will. They kill cops, judges, and anyone who stands in their way, killing innocents on the way. We need to assert our presence on that area of the border, and be brutal and cold blooded about it, but something about this case does not make sense…
Mexico ahhh! Mexico and don’t forget to say there waters. This just the perfect day for a boat ride honey dumping a perfectly mysterious place that gives me double protection first level of protection is the country. In California a producer is still walking free in LA “Redmond” after dumping off his wife on their trip to Baha the Mexican authorities let him get away. And has free here they can’t get him back? He just made his escape back to the USA because the cops down there are worthless. That was her first firewall Hartley planned and just make it back. Make it back to the USA But now how do I explain his missing. This is how 2nd firewall and this 2nd barrier was her very well thought out and made a recovery for evidence (the body) nearly impossible but the act of wanting him home and her camera work proves her love but she knows that the dogs won’t let the search go easy because those waters are so dangerous. So she had 2 firewalls. And 3 boats of thugs to protect the scene. She knew how to protect and have an alibi that is reasonable to believe. This is not If I am a kingpin and I have a army deployed protecting my corridors and I had 3-4 of my crews making when to fire decisions then this corned whitey with wife encounter would have to have been called in. Because I am a drug dealer. I like my operation to run smoothly and a Whitey murder is a national news event my crews have been taught how and when the guns come out. But 3-4 thugs for the cartel are going to just have a little fun with the Americans Sorry not everyone in that flotilla is going to risk a international incident happen and have their bosses name on it. Because there was no cartel crew if there was and when they pulled up alongside that little blonde American that that whole crew then muttered to themselves recognizing their mistake and decided to trade their lives for hers. So they let her go so she could tell on them. How that sound does are we close. And there was only 1 ski on that day. They were both on it and the body could be anywhere
I am hispanic fourth generation American we need to secure our southern border it is out of control. We need to put our military armed to the teeth on our south border. Border patrol agents and American citizens are getting killed.My family and I live in a south Texas border town we see first hand the negative impact of illegal immigration.Illegal immigrants are not coming over here just to work like some people claim they are commiting crimes and the majority of them are having as maney American children as they can to get government aid, thats why our schools are so crowded. Some politicians and some people want illegal immigrants here thats because they have something to gain. Farmers and big corporations want cheap labor politicians want the hispanic votes, thats the reason why nothing is getting done.
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