Why were the victims' cell phones so handy? Nearly all the press reports describe them as being "inches from their fingers"
I would not be surprised to find the location of the cell phones related simply to the frequency with which they used them. If one needs a cell phone frequently, it's more efficient to keep it close. The Star-Ledger article describes the cell phone usage as "extensive":
Detectives yesterday began delving into the extensive overseas calls both men made from their cell phones -- phones that were just inches from their bullet-riddled bodies found on the marble dining room floor of the million-dollar Colts Neck mansion where Chalem lived with his girlfriend. Investigators are seeking warrants to gather telephone records from the cellular telephone companies used by the men.
A Philadelphia Inquirer article (not previously cited on this thread?) noted the following:
The friends who found the brokers had come from North Jersey to spend the night at Chalem's house in Colts Neck, about 10 miles northwest of Asbury Park, Kaye said.
They last spoke to the two about 7:30 Tuesday night and called frequently between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. yesterday, when they arrived in Colts Neck to find the mansion's gates open, the front door unlocked, and Chalem and Lehmann dead on the floor, Kaye said.
phillynews.com 
The victims may have been expecting the later call and might have kept their phones close accordingly. More importantly, the above information, if accurate, may suggest time of death was between 7:30 and 8:00 (approximately). There are, of course, many other possible explanations than the deaths of the victims for the failure of the later calls to be answered (for example, the victims may have left the house, they may have not chosen to leave the calls unanswered for reasons unrelated to the crime). |
