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Question 41 - January 28, 2002 - Julie in IL asked, "In a question I sent you on November 13th you said that your novel was NOT going to be about Raychel Vanderhoff. Did you mean it’s going to be about Raychel Wagner or is there another book that you are talking about besides this book? You know I was talking about Raychel whatever her last name is or isn't. So what’s the deal Lance? David V. stated that you are talking of a book about Raychel...hmmm."

Response 41:  You are correct that I answered your question only technically correct. If you remember, at the time I was beset by people claiming that my marriage with Raychel was a figment of my overactive imagination. I suppose it was petty of me, but I considered your identifying her as Raychel Vanderhoff was a deliberate insult. I believed that your use of the Vanderhoff name intentionally insinuated that I was not married to Raychel, as I previously claimed and have since proved. So I responded to your question with in a similar manner. Raychel Vanderhoff has no legal status; therefore, legally speaking, my book cannot be about Raychel Vanderhoff. However, Raychel Wagner (as she is clearly identified on each and every page of my web site) is the subject of my novel. My apologies to you if the insult was not your original intention.

For the record, I thought that Sergei Brosovsky had let the cat out of the bag when he responded to a question on October 24th, but Sergei’s skill as a writer sufficiently obscured that fact for me.

Question 42 - February 24, 2002 - Ken Kincaid in Los Angeles, CA asked, "One question about your marriage to Raychel . . . She never seemed to share your passion.  You did not give her the professional challenges she needed.  You were never her protector against her many lovers.  So I have to ask . . . what gives you the right to be made heir to Raychel's legacy?"

Response 42: Regardless of what a flavor-of-the-month lover like you might think, I was her husband and I was what she needed.  That was the case when we were married, and it was true throughout our estrangement.  She just chose never to come back to me.

Question 43 - March 16, 2002 - Impala in San Francisco, CA asked, "Yo Lance dogg! How do you know that your wife is dead?  She might be fakin' it like Tupac is.  Hit me up, cuz!  Tell me what you think cause I can solve murder mysteries hellagood!"

Response 43: While I was not at the scene of the crime, I know that Raychel is dead because I was at her funeral and witnessed her dead body lying in her casket.  There were many other things that occurred then that I would rather forget, but perhaps that can wait for another time.

Question 44 - March 27, 2002 - Tony C. Miller, Jr. in Easton, PA asked, "Will my wife Christie Justice still marry me?"

Response 44: I can only hope that you sent this question to me in error. I expect that you intended to send it to Anna Fantiani, who purports to specialize in these matters. For your convenience, I have copied this message to her. However, I would not advise that you follow her advice. Perhaps you should entrust your love life to someone a bit more reliable, like Miss Cleo.

Question 45 - March 30, 2002 - olschoolmami in Michigan stated, "There is no question in my mind that YOU did it. I have only just begun to embark on this adventure but I tell you this...I KNOW WHODUNNIT! I have my reasons, which I will not explain, as of yet, but without a doubt, I KNOW who killed "Your wife!"

Lance, I feel as if I know you. I know your TYPE! From what I hear, you are a man who is obsessed with your FORMER wife! That is the most significant clue to me...your obsession! I know a man like you and he is perfectly able to kill although he...as you...doesn't want to acknowledge it! I will prove, after fully investigating this crime, that you are the one responsible. I know it and you do, too!"

"While I accept that you know another person who you feel is similar to me, please know this – I am not him! I am myself!"

Response 45: Well, first off, thank you for opening your communication with me by accepting the fact that Raychel was my wife. Many others before you have made the decision to openly challenge the legitimacy of my marriage. I thank you for your trust, and hope that you feel that this trust was not misspent.

While I am on the subject of trust, let me address the balance of your note to me. While I accept that you know another person who you feel is similar to me, please know this – I am not him! I am myself! That is not to say that I have no personal failings. I admit that I am far from perfect. However, I am not a murderer. That being stated between us, I am willing to put my trust in you that – upon further investigating the circumstances of Raychel’s murder and learning more about the others in her life – you will come to the same conclusion that the District Attorney has come to. Maybe you won’t (in which case I am certain that Mr. Graves would appreciate hearing from you).

Again, thank you for your interest. I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Perhaps one of those future communications will be a personal apology. Perhaps not, yet hope springs eternal.

Question 46 - April 5, 2002 - Chase in Michigan asked, "What kind of group is The Bleeders? Are they a gang?"

Response 46: The Bleeders is – or rather it was – a creative community that I co-founded with Laura Douglass back in the fall of 1996. We held our meetings at Laura’s bar, Safehaven. Raychel, Laura, Kyle McAllister and I are all descendants of The Bleeders. I say we are descendants because – after the arrests in January – The Bleeders were informally abandoned. Since we don’t have Safehaven anymore, the group doesn’t have a center to gather around. It shouldn’t have ended that way, but what can I do about it?

Question 47 - April 8, 2002 - Julie from IL asked, "What is your opinion of Sergei Brosovsky? Do you believe he is hiding something or is he an open book? I think he is hiding something about himself. I think someone hired him to befriend Raychel, not the other way around? Thank you for your time!"

Response 47: I don’t have a great deal of experience with Sergei Brosovsky, but judging from his writings, I agree that he is hiding something. I also agree that someone told him to befriend Raychel and I expect that you would concur that person is Ken Kincaid. The question is why would Ken choose that path when he was already at Terror Trax? If he wanted to stop in, why would he not walk into the studio? Perhaps the conflict between he and Geoffrey MacIntyre was more extensive than even they have let on. Geoffrey MacIntyre is a volatile person. He openly hates Ken Kincaid and nearly came to blows with Kyle McAllister. Maybe Sergei was being used for cannon fodder. It would explain his trepidation with running afoul of Geoffrey.

One other question bothers me: If Sergei was told to become Raychel’s friend by Ken Kincaid, who told Raychel to be Sergei’s? What motivated her?

"In light of the numerous accusations alleging that I edit material for personal gain, I feel that the only way to ensure that Raychel’s words are reflected accurately would be to post it in its entirety."

Question 48 - April 13, 2002 - Sharon C. from Asheville, NC asked, "Anna Fantiani stated that, 'Raychel wrote letters to those people that I distributed after her murder...' Did Anna give you one of those letters? If she did, would you please tell us what Rachel wrote to you? Thanks."

Response 48: Shortly after her death, I did receive a letter from Raychel through Anna Fantiani. In light of the numerous accusations alleging that I edit material for personal gain, I feel that the only way to ensure that Raychel’s words are reflected accurately would be to post it in its entirety. If there were any additional letters, I believe that these should be posted in the same manner. Allowing Raychel’s letters to be posted in excerpts could allow those who had something to hide the opportunity to take Raychel’s deepest held beliefs completely out of context.

That said, I am currently unable to post my letter, as Mr. Graves has demanded the suspension of any additional materials that do not pertain directly to Raychel’s murder. While I do not agree with his decision, I am powerless to act at this time.

Question 49 - April 25, 2002 - Julie from IL asked, "Will you post your letter from Raychel as well as the letters received by those who are also willing to have their letters posted (Sergei, Kyle, and presumably David)? Do you have to talk to Nick Graves?

I believe that these letters (and any letters received by Ken, Anna, Geoffrey, Sharon, and/or Laura) should be taken into evidence whether they want to show it or not. I think some of them have something to hide. Nick Graves needs to collect the letters and verify that they were written by Raychel. Even though some people are willing to give up their letters, we have to be sure that it is the one Raychel wrote. Handwriting needs to be compared on these letters. Some people might write letters of their own accord, who either didn't get a letter or didn’t like what Raychel had to say in their real letter. So I think all of these letters are a major piece of evidence. These people are suspects and they should have to come up with the letters Raychel sent to all of them. By the way, what does it mean if a person didn't get a letter, or if Raychel did write you a letter? Is this Good or Bad?

Anna Fantiani knows who received letters. This is very crucial to finding the killer and now it’s a big secret!? Please!! Maybe Raychel's personal feelings should not be posted for the world to see....right... Nick Graves should be allowed to come up with his own system on how to post what needs to be posted or how it should be posted without hurting anyone or degrading Raychel's life and feelings, especially if it’s not necessary for the investigation. Sharon Wolfe and Laura Douglass are both in jail. Maybe they are guilty or maybe both or one is innocent and one or more of the other suspects is guilty. Will you please talk to Nick Graves about confiscating these letters? Justice should be served, and these letters could help."

Response 49: I agree that these letters are pertinent and should be authenticated and posted. However, with Nick Graves now exclusively in charge of the site, I cannot automatically post my letter, or those I have since received from David Vanderhoff, Sergei Brosovsky or Kyle McAllister. I cannot add material without receiving prior approval from Nick Graves. As part of his increased presence on this site, I have had to make that concession to him. However, I will press him to immediately include this pertinent information, as well as requesting the forced submission of any letter from Raychel that is not currently being brought forth willingly.

Question 50 - April 29, 2002 - Jezikah Murray from Newark, DE asked, "Don't you think it's a bit odd that all but Geoffrey got a letter? Even Sergei received one and he's probably the one she knew for the least amount of time. I think you should start a little investigation towards that aspect."

Response 50: It would be odd if I actually believed Geoffrey when he says that he did not receive a letter. He is clearly lying, and whatever he is hiding has got to be good. As I am no longer in charge of the web site, I can only recommend to Nick Graves that he concentrate on gaining access to all of Raychel’s posthumous letters (Mr. MacIntyre’s especially). Since Anna has informed us that there were nine letters, we must now find a way to gather them up either by hook or by crook. Math is the key to determining which people have letters from Raychel. Now how to we gain access to the letters that are currently beyond our grasp?

Question 51 - April 29, 2002 - Sharon C. from Asheville, NC asked, "Has Nick indicated to you if he is willing to allow Raychel's letters to be published? If not, could you please reiterate to him that you have had several requests for this to happen?"

Response 51: We have discussed the matter of Raychel’s letters, and he has said that he is trying to find a “fair and complete” method that would allow the future publication of Raychel’s letters. I do not know whom he has spoken to about this, because I haven’t heard of him approaching anyone who has refused to publish his or her letters.

Question 52 - April 29, 2002 - Sharon C. from Asheville, NC asked, "Now that some time has passed since Laura and Sharon’s arrest, do you still think that they were responsible for Raychel’s murder? If not who, in your opinion, are the primary suspects? Thank you for your willingness to respond to questions posted to you."

Response 52: A big part of me thinks that Laura and Sharon did it. There’s the whole set-up using Geoffrey MacIntyre as a two-sided dummy to cover both of them while neither of them actually were at Safehaven. Sharon’s blatant love/hate relationship with Raychel is suspicious. Laura has screwed me over so many times I need a Phillips head hat. But I can’t get over a few things. Why did Laura hire a private investigator if she was the person who did it? Why are Sharon and Laura now going for separate trials? Is one of them going to roll on the other? If so, why hasn’t it happened yet?

My gut reaction is to go back to my original theory. Kyle McAllister had a violent history with Raychel. While he has gone to great lengths to play the hero of late, Kyle McAllister cannot prove his statements. His greatest achievements with Raychel always happened when they were alone. Has anyone wondered why no one can contradict Kyle’s statement that he hasn’t touched Raychel in anger since June 6th? The only person who was with them for any extended period of time is in jail. I think Kyle had the same M.O. on August 17th as he did on June 6th. He was enraged by Raychel, and took the opportunity of her separation from Sharon to beat her to death. The only difference between the two occasions was that Raychel didn’t die on June 6th. I think Sergei left the apartment, and Kyle McAllister may have witnessed it. Jealous of losing Raychel to yet another man, Kyle went over the edge, and took Raychel with him.

Question 53 - May 3, 2002 - Jezikah Murray from Newark, DE asked, "But Lance, Anna said only 8 were delivered. There are 9 of you all together. If you don't think Geoff's telling the truth, then who was it that DID NOT receive a letter?"

Response 53: Anna said that she delivered eight letters. She also admitted that she received a letter herself. Since she cannot “deliver” a letter she already has, I put the real count at nine. I think she was deliberately trying to mislead everyone about the real number of letters that Raychel wrote.

"Laura did not know I was the buyer until after the agreement had been reached . . . Had she therefore known that I was the prospective buyer, she may not have chosen to sell the bar to me, or she could have significantly increased her asking price"

Question 54 - May 6, 2002 - Sharon C. from Asheville, NC asked, "Thank you for speaking with Nick Graves concerning the publication of Raychel’s letters. Thanks to your efforts, the district attorney has subpoenaed letters from everyone. In addition, they are requesting that Anna Fantiani supply a listing of all individuals that received a letter from Raychel. Mr. Graves states that he will allow the posting of these letters, in their original format, following the publication of the police transcripts."

Response 54: Thank you for your credit; however, the gratitude is unquestionably mine. These events could not have occurred without the active participation of people like you. It was a question from Christina in Evansville, IN that gave Anna the rope required to hang her own case against posting the letters. If one of Raychel’s letters eventually leads to the discovery of her killer or killers, then that could certainly be considered a turning point in the investigation. Thank you for your question and your continued involvement. I cannot stress how much it means to me.

Question 55 - June 4, 2002 - Lori Plance from West Palm Beach, FL asked, "Do I have to be a cop before I become a detective?"

Response 55: If you are referring to any form of pre-requisite for asking questions to either Private Investigator Nick Graves, or myself there is no need to fear. Many amateurs have inquired about Raychel’s murder before you. We are all open to receiving questions, with the notable exceptions of Sharon Wolfe and Laura Douglass. As for Mr. Graves’ specific requirements, I would recommend that you visit the Evidence section, particularly the “In Theory” section.

Question 56 - June 7, 2002 - Sharon C. from Asheville, NC asked, "Why did you purchase Safehaven from Laura Douglass? Thanks, as always, for your time."

Response 56: I did not purchase Safehaven directly from Laura Douglass. There were realtors involved. While you may not see an obvious difference, there is an important one: Laura did not know I was the buyer until after the agreement had been reached. The relationship between Laura and myself has deteriorated further since her incarceration. I believe she blames me for her arrest. Had she therefore known that I was the prospective buyer, she may not have chosen to sell the bar to me, or she could have significantly increased her asking price to make it prohibitive for me to make the purchase. However, since she did not know until after the agreement had been established, it would have cost her significantly to renege on the deal, and money is one thing that Laura is currently short on.

As for why I purchased the bar, I did it in order to re-form The Bleeders. It was my most productive period, and I expect that was also the case for a number of the other members of the group. I also wish to make Raychel the true center of the re-formed Bleeders. She was the best of us, and while some may argue that wasn’t much of an accomplishment, it is enough. I hope that by following this path, I will find it easier to complete my book. For the record, I will not be the manager of Safehaven. I will hire a manager to follow the day-to-day aspects of running the bar. I do not expect the bar to turn a profit, at first, but I am not worried about the cost. Only the outcome.

Question 57 - June 10, 2002 - Jezikah Murray from Newark, DE asked, "Why didn't you tell the police that you were in Kyle's apartment previously? Because you thought you'd get in trouble for breaking into his apartment without his consent once before? Perhaps because they'd thought that if you'd broken in once undetected, you could do it again? It just seems to me for someone so obsessed on finding Raychel's killer and so quick to point the finger at someone else who is 'manipulating the truth' you're being quite hypocritical."

Response 57: I made a mistake. Have you ever made one before? Detective Wakefield was accusing me of abusing Raychel, and then he began asking me about my whereabouts on the night of Raychel’s murder. While that particular portion of the transcript seems straightforward, his tone said far more. Detective Wakefield is an intimidating person in person. He is young for a detective and has a perpetual look on his face that betrays the hate bubbling below his surface. Even when he isn’t speaking, there’s an iron silence haunting the air around him. In the grasp of the moment, I panicked when he asked me if I had ever been in Kyle’s apartment. I hadn’t even been there since the time I broke in when Kyle kidnapped Raychel, and that was almost a year and a half before Raychel was murdered.

By the way, my previous break in was not “undetected” as you asserted. Quite the opposite. In a fury over his abduction of Raychel, I trashed the apartment (with Laura’s help).

Question 58 - July 2, 2002 - Michelle from Bealeton, VA asked, "Was there anyone in Raychel's past that came out of nowhere?"

Response 58: I thought her brother, David Vanderhoff, came out of nowhere. Then again, I did not get to know him until after Raychel’s murder.

Question 59 - July 2, 2002 - Michelle from Bealeton, VA asked, "Why do you think Kyle took Raychel away? I'm sorry, but how long was it by the way?"

Response 59: Kyle kidnapped Raychel in March of 1999 because he wanted her as a collaborator. He might say any number of things in his defense, but that his why he did it. When he returned with Raychel three months later, she had turned her back on poetry in favor of a music career. I have no doubt that he would not have returned if she had not agreed to help him.

Question 60 - July 2, 2002 - Michelle from Bealeton, VA asked, "Do you know anything about her home life? What was her family like? She had to have talked about them at some point. If she married you, she would have confided in you at some point."

Response 60: First and foremost, Raychel was my wife. Nick Graves has found what I had lost. See Mr. Graves’ report “First Suspect” for proof of my marriage to Raychel.

Now, regarding her home life. Raychel came from an abusive home. Her father was the dominant figure in the home and controlled the rest of the house with abuse or threats of abuse. Raychel’s mother was either unable or unwilling to stand up to her husband, and was in effect very distant to Raychel. While Raychel and David were closer than any other relationship in the house, Raychel made it clear that she thought of David as weak. I expect this is due to the fact that Raychel (who was the younger sister) stood up to her father while David remained under his family thumb.

Question 61 - July 20, 2002 - Wendy from Chicago, IL asked, "Are you going to attend either Laura or Sharon's trial?"

Response 61: I am professionally obligated to attend both trials unless I am barred from attending by the judge.