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Subscribe to RSSRead the personal poetry and notes of Ira Yarmolenko, a former University of North Carolina student, featured in the Dateline report Mystery on the Catawba from Friday, July 8th.
Ira Yarmolenko
Ira Yarmolenko
Read the personal poetry and notes of Ira Yarmolenko
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No motive? How about drunk driving? Fishermen often drink beer during their outing. Fishing is over, they pack their things, take the wheel with diminished capacity, hit Ira, get out of their car, go down the embankment, look through the windows (hence, their DNA), realise Ira is dead, put cord around her neck to throw off the investigation (cover up) and get the hell out of there.
Just a different scenario, same result but including a motive, explaining why no sexual assault and no previous criminal record.
Means : car accident; motive : cover up; opportunity : no witnesses.
Totally ridiculous theory If they were drunk like you said the police would have noticed as they were interviewed at the scene when the police came.
I believe her photographing Carver fishing was the motive. He was a 40 year old out fishing everyday instead of working because he was "disabled" from carpel tunnel syndrome! He thought his disability scam was about to be over due to the photos Ira Yarmolenko had taken.
Yeah, I'm sure that a person would rather take their chances and murder someone rather than being caught in a disability scam. Seriously, how exactly are the disability people going to know from her private pictures of 2 strangers?
People will commit murder for a lot less motive than losing a monthly check. Carver had a motive, these were pictures to be published in a college magazine, not private. He most likely believed he was being investigated for fraud rather than accepting that she was just there for photography.
I believe his accomplice stayed behind because he had no choice. The accomplice truly was disabled with a severe heart condition - two prior heart attacks - and a fatal one soon to come. He stayed on the riverbank to rest, and try and regain his strength and composure.
Disregard my second paragraph. It was actually Carver that stayed behind. I caught that upon watching the webcast this morning.
They said 2 people held her down not 1 How would they know she was taking pictures for a college newspaper? If they just didn't want anyone to see the pictures why didn't they just take the film and let her go or just take camera and let her go? Bone of this adds up
I think they were railroaded. They made the mistake of trying to being helpful whilst being questioned. If recent verdicts have taught us anything it's don't cooperate and don't answer any questions without a lawyer. One incidence of DNA should not have convicted them because mix -ups and cross contamination can and does happen. The car accident theory does not work for me. i don't think the impact would have killed her and there was no evidence that it did. Most of the evidence was a mismatched timeline, easy to happen in a laid back lifestyle. Also they were not fishing for Marlin, they threw a baited line in the water and sat and watched for the line to twitch, hardly comparable to a days labor.
Suicide maybe, her actions that day pointed to putting affairs in order and she was a high achiever with a bubbly personality. She was smart enough to mask underlying problems and to pull it off. I think the key here is knowing what killed her. I read that when a person is hanged, it is the jolt as they fall that kills not strangulation from the rope.
It is a painful tragedy for friends and family but implicating these men who had no motive just adds to the tragedy.
I just don't see how this man (or men) can be the murderers... beyond a reasonable doubt!?? They were physically incapable with disabilities and heart condition, the one man was still fishing when cops showed up, no previous history of violence, and NO MOTIVE.... etc., etc.
Yet, Casey Anthony gets off scott free because the case wasn't 100% proven??!! None of this makes any sense.... I feel sorry for this man.
Do you think it is reasonable that two men would be 100 feet away while a car careened down the embankment and a girl was murdered in broad daylight and they were oblivious? Do you think it is reasonable to believe that it was a mistake that BOTH men's DNA was found on her car? Do you really believe Carver was incapable of murdering this young women? You, rightfully so, seem to be upset about the Casey Anthony verdict, yet you feel sorry for Carver. Thankfully, all criminals don't get lucky enough to have OJ/Anthony style moronic jurors.
People seem to believe more and more that to reach a conclusion of "beyond a reasonable doubt", you actually have to witness the crime being committed.
They didn't say she was 100 feet from them and they were just fishing You think that 2 40+ year old family men without criminal records fishing are just going to say to themselves in the middle of the lake, its a nice day, why don't we murder a stranger and then do so and then hang out in the same area till the police come and say to the police, can we help you dudes, here's our DNA and stay in town 6 months till the Police get the results?
Phil, dateline did say one or both men were fishing only 100 ft from the place where the car ended on the bank.
To the family of Irena/Ira, my greatest condolences.
My sister Kelly was murdered many years ago and there is hardly a day that goes by that I do not think of her. I don't really believe in closure, but I can tell you that in my experience time heals and there will come a day when you think of her and smile rather than your heart hurting.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sincerely,KMJ
What a lovely young life gone at an early age. May her family find comfort and peace in the loving memory she left behind. My thoughts and prayers will always be with them.
This is the most bizarre conviction I've ever seen though I'm not discounting the possibility that they did do it. Bottom line what would be their motivation? Unless I missed something these 2 people had never been in trouble with the law before yet just on a whim they're going to decide lets murder someone for the hell of it and then stick around and help the police. Something doesn't add up. This is the weirdest Murder Case I've ever seen on TV cause I'm not 100% sure they did it and I'm not 100% sure they didn't do it.
Yes, this is a strange case, but regular people do strange things all the time that seem to have no reason. My thoughts after watching this are;
The defense's theory of suicide is unfounded, their only "evidence" of this being that she took some things to Goodwill. When people give things away before commiting suicide they are usually giving specific personal items to family and friends because they want those people to have meaningful mementos of them, not just taking random clothes and junk to the thrift store. Also, she was known as a poet and you would expect someone that wrote often of their feelings would leave some sort of suicide note for their loved ones.
As soon as the Defense Lawyer made the comment that the one man couldn't have committed the murder because he was on disability due to extreme carpal tunnel I thought he had just admitted a motive! This guy depended on disability payments for his families income and you can bet that he would probably do anything to make sure that he was not busted by a young girl with a camera and have that all taken away. He may not have planned to kill her, probably saw her stopped at the top of the hill with her trunk open (she probably kept her camera there) taking pictures of the river and became alarmed that he was going to be photographed. He probably went up the hill to talk to her and ask her what she was taking pictures for, if her answer was for her own personal collection no biggie, but her answer was probably that they were for her schools paper. This would mean that there would be evidence published of him fishing, something you would not be able to do if you were suffereing form carpal tunnel so badly that you were unable to work. He then probably panicked and tried to get her to stop photographing them and to get the film that was in the camera. An arguement ensues and he ends up pulling the strings of her hoodie tight around her neck causing her to pass out, then he freaks thinking her killed her so takes the film, throws the camera back in the trunk and he gets his friend to help him put her in the car and push it down the slope into the river where it will sink and dissappear or look like an accident. but it hit a stump and didn't go in the river, so know they go back down and pull her out put the other cords around her neck to finish the job and push her into the river. She may not have been dead even then and was able to crawl up onto the bank where she died. The one man leaves the area and the other guy goes back to his fishing gear and acts like he's been there all day and doesn't know what's going on.
Reasonable doubt does not mean that you have to prove exactly what happened, it means given the evidnece what is most likley to have happened. Anyone can convince themsleves that there is reasonable doubt for anything...aliens could have done it if you find it possible that they exist, but is that really likley given the evidence that there was DNA on the car and that the people closest in proximity had something to hide? And frauding the govt. out of disability is a big deal, fines and jail time.
HEAR HEAR!
No motive? How about this theory? Two "family men" out in the boonies cross paths with a young woman with a camera. Perhaps she stumbled onto these guys taking a break from their fishing and photographed them enjoying each others' company in other ways.....maybe they were more than just "fishing buddies." To be photographed in a compromising position would be far more damaging than being captured on film fishing. I can't get past the fact that their DNA was found on the car in areas that suggested that it was pushed.
I considered just what you posted Amanda but assuming that somehow was true all they needed to do was get rid of the film. She didn't know who they are. There would be 0 need to kill her. I also doubt that she would photograph 2 men having sex based on how her character was presented on Dateline. I also think if the 2 went Brokeback wouldn't someone else know they were Gay and say something to the Police?
Again, I'm not saying they didn't kill her but I'm not convinced they did. As I've said, nothing adds up. If you murdered someone, would you continue to hang around the spot where you did after the crime? I'm glad I wasn't a juror on this one. I usually don't find it necessary to have a motive to convict someone of murder but in this case I do.
Yeah its the old 21 year old girl is spying on a guys disability scam so lets kill her gig. Come on do you know how ridiculous you sound. If that was true then she would be working for the State and they would have testified that she was spying on them for that purpose. They didn't.
Usually a motive isn't necessary for a conviction but in this case nothing makes sense.
I would venture you come to the "nothing makes sense" conclusion quite often. Don't want to engage in personal attacks here but you seem to require things to be overly explained. She was not spying on Carver, but in his mind she was. Why, because someone defrauding the disability system would naturally tend to be a little paranoid about being photographed engaging in outdoor recreational activity. What is so difficult to understand about his agitated/paranoid state of mind due to being photographed? Combine low intelligence with agitation/paranoia and things can spiral out of control quickly.
Oh, never mind - I think your purpose on here is deliberate obfuscation. That's my theory of your motive.
I'm sure Carver's defense team is curious if their slip up revealing motive was noticed. It was.
Though she talks about faith, Ira's writing looks depressive to me; I'm particularly struck by the line, "Even if nothing is good" which expresses at least the awareness that some perceive the world bleakly. I don't know what to make of her reference to poets bringing word, "something that is dead" to life-- perhaps it only seems notable because of what happened to her.
I sense there is more that can be learned about this case. If there is any chance at all, even extremely small, of an error in DNA collection/analysis, hopefully Carver's lawyers will do a thorough investigative job on the appeal.
Lindy,
I thought her poem on faith was a beautiful testimony to the power that God gives us and how she wants everyone to be aware of this gift that has been given and to never stop believing in yourself. Pretty positive, powerful words to me.
I am so saddened by the heartless comments of a bunch of dumbf*ck hillbilies. Ira's poetry is beautiful, like ray land says, a testament to the hope and promise in life.
And "error in DNA collection"? It's mother effing DNA matches, for BOTH men! Have you ever studied statistics? Or molecular genetics? Do you realize the odds of such a result? Why don't you go read a book before you make such uninformed claims.
Ira was a life-loving open-minded inspiring young lady. She probably DID catch the men doing something they didn't want leaked. Now, if she were a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl with a thick southern accent, maybe the two hate-filled beings would have been more trusting and "forgiving". But she was this foreign girl, they reasoned, conspiring to take what little they had left. They probably patted themselves on the back for "outsmarting" detectives by staying behind.
The blinding racism of this community astounds me. Carver and Cassada were representative members of the community. People can't accept that someone "of their type" could commit murder. BUT THAT IS THE POINT OF RACISM: you can't see beyond your world. You don't even acknowledge that this poor girl struggled for her life, died a painful death, because you can't relate to her; because she didn't talk like you and didn't look like you and didn't act like you. But Carver and Cassada? You cant relate to them.
Hatred, racism, anger, temper: perfectly reasonable, and plausible, motives.
Dear Ira, you had the purest and most notable of souls. Your inspiring spirit lives on through your words, your actions. RIP.
I didn't say that they didn't do it and don't as you say usually consider "doesn't make sense" conclusion as a reason to find someone innocent but in this case I find just as many reasons to consider them innocent as well as guilty and I honestly can't say if they are or not.
The main thing you don't seem to consider is their history which is a mistake. They went 42 and 54 years without being convicted of a crime and raising families and you want to believe that suddenly in the middle of fishing they just decide on a whim to murder a stranger they just see and then hang out for the next few hours where they just murdered her? They then voluntarily gave DNA to the police.
Lets say they did murder her. Wouldn't a murderer get the hell out of the area where they did the crime. If they had, then the Police wouldn't have even knew they were there and they never would have been arrested in the first place cause DNA would never have been collected of them.
If you gave DNA and you knew it would trace back to you eventually later, wouldn't you get the hell out of town and try to establish a new life and identity rather then wait for the inevitable?
Your just willing to dismiss all that and say 2 people randomly decided to murder someone then hang around the murder scene for hours then voluntarily give DNA and just wait a few months till the DNA would tie back to them. That's beyond crazy, dude, its thoroughly insane. Yeah insanity happens but not like that
I am thankful for the jury's verdict. Justice has been done. No amount of jibberish from you will change that.
Now, the government needs to collect back from Carver's dependents the fraudulent disability payments made to family over the years. As Ira's family has suffered, so will Carver's. What you do to others will be done to you. I'll bet that sounds insane to you as well, huh?
Ray Land are you mentally retarded? You're a loser for sure. Satan loves you Ray Land
Satan is lying to you again. he does not know love. he is the enemy of love. you should probably stop listening to him. I am pleased you have finally revealed your true nature. Try reading and comprehending Ira's words - they may help you to get better.
Look they may very well have killed her and they may very well had not. To those who think they killed her please explain to me: 1. Motivation for Crime, 2. Why they stayed around the crime area hours after they murdered her when if they had left they never would have been suspects 3. why they voluntarily gave DNA and didn't flee the area in the months before the DNA results were processed, 4. Why Carver was considerably wrong in how tall he said the girl was?
i totally agree with ray's comments that government should try everything to collect the money from Carver and use that money to set up a memorial fund for Ira's family. this country is a breeding ground for all the losers who have nothing to do but going fishing everyday and looking for troubles. i believe Ira was simply there at the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up as a victim by these two so-called family men just because they were able to proved their family with disability checks. if they were not there passing time with fishing but at work place doing real work to feed their family, ira would be still alive. i think justice is done. That suicide theory by the defense was just ridiculous, i wonder how they were able to pass the bar. this is another problem with this country, too many stupid lawyers doing stupid work.
duplicate post
I live in the area, and there was a lot of media coverage of this case. There was something on the news almost every day and night for months and then again every time there was any new development.
As many news reports that I heard, I never really understood all of the case until I saw the Dateline show. It was extremely well done. The Dateline investigators organized all of the information in a understandable fashion and presented both sides very well. Until now, I had seen very few photos of Ira, as the TV stations kept using the same few over and over.
Thanks to NBC for presenting this wonderful tribute to lovely Ira.
As to the guilt or innocence of Carver and Cassida, now I'm more conflicted than ever before. I am inclined to believe that they didn't do a thorough enough search for the person or persons whose DNA was found on the ligatures.
In addition, I have read that there were at least two other young women who disappeared in the area within a few months of Ira's murder. Neither of them have ever been found. Many people believe that a serial killer may have been responsible for all three.
This program raises a lot of questions, and further investigation is needed.
the question was asked after giving their dna why did they stay to me if they left that would be the same as admitting guilt. they probably stayed and talk to the police because the police would have probably find them anyway somebody surely saw them there. I feel two things convicted them their stories at first did not match and the dna on the car. I have been to the Ukraine several times and found them to be a lovely and friendly people
Your assuming that people who saw them would know their names which may or may not be true. As for the contradictions in their stories neither of them had watches.
wish i would have known her,I know her now.w/love,jj
Inspiring indeed. Will always be. I did not know her personally, but it was obvious from the Dateline broadcast that Ira was one of His special creations. She is one His Angels now. God bless.