The Disappearance of Mandy Stokes

Just watched this case on I.D. channel and having done a little research, many people have drawn the same conclusion that Aaron Stokes, brother of the missing Mandy, is up to his neck in her disappearance.  In the USA, you can say that somebody has committed a crime, because they have the Constitution which allows freedom of speech.  We do not have that right over here in the UK, because that sort of comment brings threatening and intimidating letters from law firms that specialise in libel and slander.  But do I believe Aaron Stokes is involved?  Oh yes, there is far too much circumstantial evidence to believe otherwise, but that is only my opinion.  As nobody has been charged, opinion is not fact.

    Alicia Amanda Stokes, 32, was sharing an apartment with her brother Aaron, a former drug user - but thought to have been back on drugs - in Oakland, California.  She was observed having a violent argument with her brother outside their apartment, by a stairwell.  A witness told Police later, she had to dodge past him and ran back to the room, with him chasing her.  It was 25th November 2007.  Her family did not hear from her, and phoned to ask her brother to report her missing, but he did not.  Her mother had to do it from hundreds of miles away.  Police spoke to Aaron Stokes who said that she went to run some errands.  He refused to let Police into the apartment, despite being told that Amanda was now officially missing.  Her family came over and helped pack up her belongings and start a search themselves.  Police discovered through bank records that her credit card had been used after she vanished.  Also her brother had written fraudulent cheques to himself using her chequebook.  Her car was found in a pound after it had been towed away.  Her card had been used at an ATM a couple of blocks away from where her car had been left.

    Aaron Stokes was brought in for questioning but stuck to his original story and eventually refused to answer any questions.  Police were only able to search the apartment after Stokes vacated it, so potential evidence had been lost by the family taking stuff, and the apartment being cleaned after later.  Stokes left it like a shithole.  But Forensics were able to get biological samples from the apartment and her the car that belonged to Amanda.  They presented their case to the District Attorney but he felt there was too much circumstantial and not enough direct proof.  Amanda remains officially missing.  Police believe she is dead.  

    What to make of the evidence?  Stokes was a drug addict.  He was getting money from Amanda one way or another.  That will be to go grovelling to the pusher.  His refusal to let Police in despite the fact that his sister vanished, may be because he had drugs in the room, but Police found DNA evidence much later.  How much would they have found if it was thoroughly searched?  People have commented on why did the Police not get a warrant?  how much probable cause did they have?  Would a Judge have believed that a brother could callously murder his own sister?  Getting a warrant can be very fickle, as cops obviously realised.  Remember, even the DA thought there was not enough direct evidence to go to trial.  There was DNA evidence in the car, but did it prove that Stokes drove the car with her body in it?  He had no hesitation getting money from her account after she vanished.  One silly bitch claims that was a fabrication on the part of the cops.  But this smart arse forgot one important detail;  the Bank would have to be involved in fabricating this evidence.  Others have stated that the cops should have searched the apartment whilst the family were there.  But it was NOT their apartment.  It was rented by Stokes and his sister.  His lawyer would have immediately pressed for any evidence found there to be discarded because it was not properly obtained by warrant and that Stokes did not want them to search it.  Stokes blocked every attempt to get to the truth from himself & the apartment.  It goes to show that not even family are as important to an addict as drugs and the pusher. Everybody and everything pales in contrast to the pusher.  If it was a case of "If I have to murder my own sister so I can get another fix, then so be it!" will people wake up to the fact that drugs are just a slow suicide and that pushers do not give a fuck.  All they want is your money.  Pathetic.