As the Christopher Dorner saga winds down, #TeamDorner truthers have taken to social media to push their conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding the alleged cop killer's supposed death on Tuesday.
A body believed to be that of Dorner, the 33-year-old ex-LAPD officer whose purported killing spree terrorized the Southern California area for more than a week, was found in a charred cabin in Big Bear onTuesday. The body had not been positively identified, but authorities said they assumed it was Dorner, who is suspected of four killings during a revenge-fueled spree that was predicted in his online manifesto.
San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said in a press conference on Tuesday that the manhunt for Dorner was called off after the fire that followed the running gun battles resulting in Dorner being cornered in the cabin.
Dorner reportedly retreated into the mountainside cabin Tuesday in the middle of one fierce gunfight with police in which a sheriff's deputy was killed. During another shootout, the house caught fire and police reportedly heard a single gunshot as the flames spread.
Fans have painted Dorner as a vigilante "Dark Knight" character out to bring justice against a racist LAPD.
These #TeamDorner truthers are ranting now about the discrepancies, and possible conspiracies, involving the way Dorner was brought down.
Here are the latest debates and conspiracy theories in the Christopher Dorner case:
The Wallet
The truthers have jumped on conflicting media reports about Dorner's wallet. There are three different stories being told.
The Log, a San Diego boating and fishing publication, reported that Dorner's wallet and ID were discovered near San Diego International Airport on Feb. 7.
Fox News' report is conflicting. Its story, attributed to the Los Angeles Times, says Dorner's wallet was at the San Ysidro Point of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Investigators say Dorner attempted to steal a boat in San Diego and drive it to Mexico. Dorner's wallet, including his identification cards, was also found at the San Ysidro Point of Entry near the U.S.-Mexico border, the Los Angeles Times reported."
Finally, the Huffington Post cited The Associated Press when it reported that the wallet containing Dorner's driver's license was recovered from the charred rubble of the Big Bear cabin.
Redditors aren’t buying the Huffington Post's claims. The license would have melted if it were in the cabin fire, they say. And why would someone taking every precaution not to get caught be carrying any identifying information?
The Fire
How exactly the cabin fire started is a main #TeamDorner hanging point. They claim police intentionally started the fire and purposely let Dorner burn alive.
In an unconfirmed police audio recording that was broadcasted on CBS affiliate KCAL-TV Tuesday, officers can be heard saying, "Burn it down" or "Burn him out." Another appears to shout, "F****** burn this mother*****!"
On another unconfirmed audio that is allegedly from a police scanner, an officer can be heard saying, "We're gonna go forward with the plan, with the burn, like we talked about."
Journalist Max Blumenthal, a former Daily Beast senior writer, claims he was listening to the scanner through an iPhone app.
But McMahon, the San Bernardino sheriff, denied that police started the blaze.
"We did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out," he said in a press conference Wednesday.
Police say the tear gas they used to try and coax Dorner out of the cabin has a pyrotechnic element to it that was probably ignited by the gunfire.
The Body
Many #TeamDorner supporters believe that their hero isn’t actually dead. The body hasn't been positively identified, they say, and rumors have been swirling that the body didn’t match Dorner's size.
Many think it would be more convenient for the LAPD to say Dorner died rather than have to produce evidence and go through the lengthy trial process.
"I'm sorry but how does a person's driver's license get found in a burned down cabin while the body is unidentifiable?!" one person wrote on Instagram.
The remains found were reportedly a female's, one Reddit user claimed to have seen on CNN.
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Christopher Dorner: Ex-LAPD Cop Suspected of Murder Eludes California Manhunt
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