 Visual Investigative Analysis
The following screens show an example of how to chart using VIA.
Events:
1. On April 1st, Mr. and Mrs. Owens leased a building to conduct a retail
clothing business in Macon, Georgia.
2. On April 4th, Mr. And Mrs. Owens obtained an insurance policy for
contents and general liability for $100,000 and $500,000 respectively. Mr.
Owens met the insurance agent again on May 2nd.
3. On April 6th, Mr. and Mrs. Owens opened the U-Name It Clothing Store
and continued operations through May 15th.
4. On April 8th, a Macon City Revenue Officer, Clemons noticed the U-Name
It Clothing Store opened for business and inquired if the business license
had been obtained. Two days later Clemons cited Mr. and Mrs. Owens for not
having a license. Three days later Mr. and Mrs. Owens obtained a business
license.
5. On May 1st, Mr. and Mrs. Owens meet with their nephew, Ricket to discuss
plans to blow up the U-Name It Clothing Store. Mr. Owens offered $10,000
to Ricket to do the job.
6. On May 2nd, Ricket told Petro of Mr. and Mrs. Owen's offer and offered
Petro $5,000 to help him blow up the store.
7. On May 13th, Mr. and Mrs. Owens and Ricket went to the Filler Up Gas
Station and filled up a 20 gallon drum with gasoline. They then went to
the U-Name It Clothing Store and left it there.
8. On May 14th, Mrs. Owens went to the Trixter Motel on St. Simons Island.
9. On May 15th at approximately 10:00 AM, Mr. Owens and his son, Owens,
Jr., were at the store with a rental truck moving items out of the store.
At about 3:00 PM, Mr. Owens is driven to the Trixter Motel on St. Simons
Island by his son, Owens, Jr. Owens, Jr. then returned to Macon at about
6:00 PM.
10 At 8:00 PM Owens, Jr. called Ricket to tell him that his father was
at the beach. At the same time, Petro arrived at Ricket's residence.
11 At 9:00 PM, Ricket and Petro went to the U-Name It Clothing Store
and poured the gas around the store then left to dump the drum. At about
10:00 PM, Ricket and Petro returned to the store where Ricket dropped off
Petro and drove around the corner to a meeting place. Petro went to the
back door of the U-Name It clothing Store and devised a fuse. After Petro
lit the fuse he started to walk away and the U-Name It Clothing Store and
the rest of the city block blew up killing Petro. Hearing the explosion,
Ricket returned to the area of the U-Name It Clothing Store and could not
find Petro. Ricket then returned home.
Events Charted using VIA:
 Reproduced with permission from the author.
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