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Carrie Brown : Murder In The East River Hotel
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#Post#: 4707--------------------------------------------------
Re: How Relevant Was The Room Key In The Case, Anyway?
DIR By: Kattrup
Date: June 6, 2025, 7:47 am
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--- Quote from: Howard Brown link ---
>
>
> Pete...I'm not sure about the emboldened part of your remark.
> It would make less sense to me as someone from the hotel would
have to walk up four flights to open it every time some drunk or
absent-minded tenant walked out of his room because the key was
left in the room with a spring lock. That would wear out pretty
fast.
>
>
--- End Quote ---
it has advantages and disadvantages, but that’s usually how
hotel room doors work today, too?
Also since there was only one key pr. room, if a couple’s
staying there, and one person leaves with the key, the other
cannot leave the room locked if the door doesn’t lock
automatically.
On the other hand, the presence of the inside bolt seems to mean
the door did NOT lock automatically. Why else have the bolt? So
maybe Fitzgerald did lock the door after seeing the body.
#Post#: 4708--------------------------------------------------
Re: How Relevant Was The Room Key In The Case, Anyway?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: June 6, 2025, 8:22 am
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On the other hand, the presence of the inside bolt seems to mean
the door did NOT lock automatically. Why else have the bolt? So
maybe Fitzgerald did lock the door after seeing the body.
I agree, Pete. It also opens the door ( no pun intended ) for
the likelihood that upon leaving Brown and the room, C. Kniclo
just left the door unlocked.
This would allow Ali to gain entry to the room, in the scenario
that he only came into contact with her corpse. He wouldn't need
Brown to open it, in the
instance she was still alive at the time.
Fitzgerald could have consciously locked it to prevent anyone
other than hotel management ( He ran right down to Jennings) or
the police from gaining
access to an unlocked door....and dead woman.
I think comparing modern hotels to the East River Hotel is sort
of tricky. In 2025, the overwhelming majority of hotels will
have doors that lock when you leave
them. No question. We're talking about a hotel with make-shift
walls and cheap as dirt accommodations, which is at variance
with the garden variety hotel room
today. Some hotel or motel doors can be left unlocked when you
leave them and won't require Norman Bates taking his passkey to
reopen it for you.
#Post#: 4709--------------------------------------------------
Re: How Relevant Was The Room Key In The Case, Anyway?
DIR By: Kattrup
Date: June 6, 2025, 10:47 pm
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--- Quote from: Howard Brown link ---
>
> It also opens the door ( no pun intended ) for the likelihood
that upon leaving Brown and the room, C. Kniclo just left the
door unlocked.
> This would allow Ali to gain entry to the room, in the
scenario that he only came into contact with her corpse. He
wouldn't need Brown to open it, in the
> instance she was still alive at the time.
>
>
--- End Quote ---
Yes, I agree.
Unless he was the murderer, Ali got in the room after the murder
and could not have done so if the door locked.
It’s weird how much time was spent during inquest and trial
going over minutiae but no description of the locks or a mention
of the missing key.
#Post#: 4710--------------------------------------------------
Re: How Relevant Was The Room Key In The Case, Anyway?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: June 7, 2025, 5:34 am
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It’s weird how much time was spent during inquest and trial
going over minutiae but no description of the locks or a mention
of the missing key.
We're lucky Smyth shot down the number of objections by the
defense that he did....otherwise, we'd be sucking hind tit on
relative matters in the case.
If I recall correctly, House objected to Brown being referred to
as a murdered woman at the outset of the trial.
No question, Pete...you're right that an important issue to us
was skimmed over. I don't know why it wasn't that important to
them.
#Post#: 5033--------------------------------------------------
Re: How Relevant Was The Room Key In The Case, Anyway?
DIR By: Michael Banks
Date: August 3, 2025, 1:43 pm
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This has probably been asked before and maybe I’ve seen too many
movies but how easy or difficult do we think it would have been
for someone with a criminal background and a bit of know how to
pick an ERH lock?
#Post#: 5034--------------------------------------------------
Re: How Relevant Was The Room Key In The Case, Anyway?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: August 3, 2025, 2:04 pm
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Mike:
Without seeing the door lock (outside), it's hard to offer an
opinion.
We know the walls were made of thin material but don't know how
flimsy the front of the room was. Probably the same.
Pete said it best, "It’s weird how much time was spent during
the inquest and trial going over minutiae but no description of
the locks or a mention of the missing key."
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