Star Tribune Photo, click here for original story, blog post by John HoffThe image above is from the Star Tribune, and posted here only for purposes of First Amendment commentary and criticism. This image was with the Strib story about Rufus O. Victor, the no-account career criminal who crashed a stolen car and killed three people; a mother and her two children.
Look closely at the photo and what do you see? Is that an Illinois license plate about three feet to the right of the bottom of the man's bucket, upside down? I say it appears to have the following numbers: (Unknown digit covered completely by snow, then possibly a "0") 3 0934. Snow obscures most of the word "Illinois" and yet that does not appear to be a Minnesota plate. Note the blue tint on the bottom of the plate, distinctive to Illinois license plates.
I hope I'm not...
...seing the vehicular equivalent of a face in Martian rock, something which seems to be there but maybe isn't. But after playing with the image a lot, zooming in on it, etc. I come to the same conclusion: that's an Illinois license plate there at the crash scene. Three cars were involved, so which car did it come from?
24 comments:
One anonymous troll comment rejected. I do not care for trolls who make factual assertions which can't be backed up, versus a mere anonymous opinion.
That's an Illinois plate for sure. I'm from Illinois and I also have an odd ability to correctly discern license plates from unexpectedly far distances.
Does anybody have information on whether there was an Illinois vehicle involved in this mess?
I found this with a quick google search. I think it was an Illinois plate.
http://adventuresofjohnnynorthside.blogspot.com/2010/12/illinois-vehicle-involved-in-deadly.html
Did you post the URL you intended to? That's a link back to this very blog post.
What the hell difference does it make what State the vehicle was from? One car was stolen, the other car driven by an innocent family who got killed. It is irrelevant what the license plates say.
Unless, as is typical for JNS, you want to dig up some dirt on the cars owner, but who cares.
Am I missing something? Why so much interest in the plate?
The publication of the criminal complaint today confirms the car in question had Illinois license plate L330934.
If the car was stolen in Illinois, it makes a BIG DIFFERENCE, oh anonymous and stupid troll. Did you skip the class where our federalist system was explained?
That comment was not directed to the poster at 1:31 PM, but the one at 3:08 AM.
I say again (good god!) 3:08 AM!!!!
Car was stolen from a Minneapolis residency but was originally from Illinois.
Minneapolis is Chicago. They come here and destroy our city and make it like their own. It is just a matter of time , since they are already letting section eights move into Heritage Park or whatever the hell of the next ghetto jammed dowm our throats is called. The one on olson highway. Anyhow, little chicago is being created to a T. and mark my words that this is just the start.
Who thinks they have details about the car? You say it was from Illinois and stolen here...well, I say give me some details and prove it.
Apparently you are the only one who thinks this tidbit of information is of any importance. I seriously doubt there will be any federal charges.
Your assumption that the vehicle may have been stolen from Illinois is premature, and your reporting and commentary immature. There are any number of logical reasons how that vehicle came to Minnesota, being stolen and driven here only one.
While you try to make headlines with your dismal, meaningless "exclusives". A family has to plan the funeral for loved ones, including a baby.
I am not assuming the vehicle was stolen in Illinois. But I think some explanation of where the vehicle was stolen is warranted. According to your viewpoint, we should all sit on our hands and say nothing? It's precisely BECAUSE the situation is so horrible that people are speaking about it.
I'm sure the State Patrol and/or the police know this information since a 'stolen vehicle' report was filed.
If they thought is was significant to the case they would report it. Your headline is irrelevant and could just as easily be written, "Minnesota vehicle with Illinois license plates involved in crash?"
To which I would still reply "Who cares?" What if the car had Wisconsin plates, or Michigan plates, or Florida plates?
How does the origin of the vehicle change the outcome of this sad, heartbreaking story?
Was it stolen from St. Paul? Brooklyn Park? a used car lot? or Edina (where Rufus lives)? You have yet to explain why you consider this inane information so vastly important. And the feds rarely prosecute someone for a simple car theft that crosses state lines (so your federalism argument is unmoving).
If you were looking for some "back story" on the vehicle, such as maybe it was involved in drug trafficking and that's how it got to Minnesota, you might be on to something. But you should wait until you have all your FACTS and information verified before publishing a story.
As it looks now you're just posting a bunch of irrelevant questions that detract from this tragedy. In response to your headline: Yes, the vehicle has Illinois plates. To which I again ask, "So what?"
Well, it's not really a "simple car theft" when three people get killed and the guy may have been smoking crack, is it?
Oh, and thanks for your ideas about when a story should be written. Whatever. I would indeed like to know the "back story" on the vehicle.
The car was actually stolen from the U of M Dinkytown area. The owner is a student at the U. Someone broke into her house and took the keys to the car over Thanksgiving break. She had filed the police report when she returned and was hoping that the car would be recovered, but then this happened.
How do I know? The owner is actually one of my close friends.
So you say...but do you have a police report number or anything like that?
Here you go check it out. 10-369064
Enjoy
Can you share any more details?
John
@Jay Kass,
that report number you gave in your comment is the report to the Dice Game Murder, not the Stolen Car Homicide.
Did you know that? Or were you wanting to point out a particular fact?
I don't feel safe giving out any more details you'll need to do more of this homework on your own. I don't see this blog doing much protection of sources so i'll leave it at that PD number.
I've done my homework. The report number you gave me is for the "dice game murder" at 412 29th Ave. N., not the stolen vehicle associated with this incident discussed on this blog post.
In regard to protecting sources: if you think this blog has not protected a source, kindly tell me what you're referring to. We protect our sources. Ask the plaintiff attorney who can't get the name of my sources out of me.
If we could get a $35 donation, I know a guy who can pull up the license plate data from an investigative database and tell us whose car this was.
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