Let's talk about Elena Miyano

[Abs.]

What do we know about her?

What are some theories regarding her role in the organization and her relationships with the other members of the organization?

Those TAPES.  When did she record them?  If it was all in one shot when Shiho was little, why does she, on the 18th birthday tape, refer to a decision Shiho's going to make?  What does this mean?

Etc., etc..

[kyuuketsuki]

What do we know about her?

What are some theories regarding her role in the organization and her relationships with the other members of the organization?

Those TAPES.  When did she record them?  If it was all in one shot when Shiho was little, why does she, on the 18th birthday tape, refer to a decision Shiho's going to make?  What does this mean?

Etc., etc..

Gosho has revealed nothing to us about them, only the small bits that we got from the tapes... There are many elements within the BO storyline that are a mystery right now...

1) BO boss
2) Name of the BO [related to the BO boss]
3) Shiho's parents
4) All active members [for all we know some crimes committed could have been done by the BO and we would have no idea]
5) Other experiments and studies done by the BO
6) How far they have infiltrated the system [if at all]
7) Is Akai alive or dead
8) How come the FBI are the only ones conducting an investigation... if they are really an international organization... Surely some other country has figured out the BO exists
9) [personal as a Forensic Sci major] How the hell do they make perfect evidence-less crimes? That is damned near impossible. Unless you have a thorough knowledge of forensics and are able to clean up every possible trace of evidence... it can't be done... something will be left behind... Even explosions can be recreated, and evidence can be found from that [like the supposed death of akai] Do they possibly have a forensic scientist, or someone who has CSI experience, or is CSI? I know Bourbon is a great detective, and possibly he could... but they supposedly just activated him... so theoretically he should have been unable to help them in the past... Or are the police in the world of Detective Conan just that incompetent...?

I'm sure there are others... But I just can't think of anymore... So all in all... Keep reading and your questions might be answered eventually...

[Abs.]

Well, yes, I know it's supposed to still be a mystery.  But we know some things about her:

- She was called "Hell Angel" within the organization.  (The Japanese translation is more telling: The angel that fell down into Hell)

- She's British.

- When they visited the design firm that was occupying Professor Miyano's old home, she didn't say a word, so the employees didn't think she understood or could speak Japanese, but then they heard her speak in Japanese to Akemi.

- Those employees considered her pretty.

[FanOfShinichi]

- She was called "Hell Angel" within the organization.  (The Japanese translation is more telling: The angel that fell down into Hell)

Hmmm... In my personal opinion, that sounds more like a "nickname" given from Vermouth than a BO's codename... 

[Abs.]

- She was called "Hell Angel" within the organization.  (The Japanese translation is more telling: The angel that fell down into Hell)

Hmmm... In my personal opinion, that sounds more like a "nickname" given from Vermouth than a BO's codename... 

I know, right?  The "Angel" part kind of points toward Vermouth since she seems to have an obsession with/grudge against God and angels.. of course it's probably not Elena's codename (because it's not alcoholic, if for no other reason), but that's what she was called within the organization.  Sort of like how Miyano Atsushi was called "Mad Scientist."  Though not sure if he was called that within the organization... come to think of it, it'd be interesting to know what their codenames were.

[kyuuketsuki]

How come the FBI are the only ones conducting an investigation... if they are really an international organization... Surely some other country has figured out the BO exists
9) [personal as a Forensic Sci major] How the hell do they make perfect evidence-less crimes? That is damned near impossible. Unless you have a thorough knowledge of forensics and are able to clean up every possible trace of evidence... it can't be done... something will be left behind... Even explosions can be recreated, and evidence can be found from that [like the supposed death of akai] Do they possibly have a forensic scientist, or someone who has CSI experience, or is CSI? I know Bourbon is a great detective, and possibly he could... but they supposedly just activated him... so theoretically he should have been unable to help them in the past... Or are the police in the world of Detective Conan just that incompetent...?

I'm sure there are others... But I just can't think of anymore... So all in all... Keep reading and your questions might be answered eventually...

i've always thought that the bo invents there own bullets/guns, like that, no one can trace them

They could, but that is only ballistic evidence, and that would only make them untraceable... They would need to create new bullets for each kill in that case too... Because if they didn't... considering how much killing they do... I would think the police would figure out the same custom rounds were being used for these killings... And there is still other evidence, like footprints, car tire residue and tracks [from getaways], and of course I'm sure Vodka hyped up at one point and Gin didn't catch it...

and @FoS: OOOH... Sorry... misunderstood... Yea that just about covers what we know about her... and Hell Angel seems to be a personal nickname, as its not an alcohol (at least not to my knowledge)

[Akonyl]

How come the FBI are the only ones conducting an investigation... if they are really an international organization... Surely some other country has figured out the BO exists
9) [personal as a Forensic Sci major] How the hell do they make perfect evidence-less crimes? That is damned near impossible. Unless you have a thorough knowledge of forensics and are able to clean up every possible trace of evidence... it can't be done... something will be left behind... Even explosions can be recreated, and evidence can be found from that [like the supposed death of akai] Do they possibly have a forensic scientist, or someone who has CSI experience, or is CSI? I know Bourbon is a great detective, and possibly he could... but they supposedly just activated him... so theoretically he should have been unable to help them in the past... Or are the police in the world of Detective Conan just that incompetent...?

I'm sure there are others... But I just can't think of anymore... So all in all... Keep reading and your questions might be answered eventually...

i've always thought that the bo invents there own bullets/guns, like that, no one can trace them

They could, but that is only ballistic evidence, and that would only make them untraceable... They would need to create new bullets for each kill in that case too... Because if they didn't... considering how much killing they do... I would think the police would figure out the same custom rounds were being used for these killings... And there is still other evidence, like footprints, car tire residue and tracks [from getaways], and of course I'm sure Vodka hyped up at one point and Gin didn't catch it...

and @FoS: OOOH... Sorry... misunderstood... Yea that just about covers what we know about her... and Hell Angel seems to be a personal nickname, as its not an alcohol (at least not to my knowledge)

it doesn't matter if they can link the killings together via custom rounds if they have nothing to link it to. Even without the rounds, I'm sure that the BO's MO (lole) in each killing would at least have some similarities, which they could use to establish a possible link.

how can foot prints and car tracks leads to the criminal?

much like the ballistics evidence, footprints/car tracks can be matched to certain models of shoes/tires, which can then in turn be matched with stores and possibly customers.

[Chekhov MacGuffin]

how can foot prints and car tracks leads to the criminal?

I'm no crime scene investigator, but it is likely footprints and car tracks are good for comparison purposes once you have suspects or you have multiple crime scenes where the same shoes/car is used. Tires and shoe treads are quite variable and may also have unique notches or scratches especially if they are used which basically create a "fingerprint" unique to the tread. Also the residue left behind by a footprint or car tire may contain something that can be used to trace the history of the shoe or tire. A shoe print may leave behind "microfibers" from the criminal's carpet at home for instance. Also the shoe itself may acquire fine bloodstains or microfibers from the victim which will connect it to the crime scene. My impression is that most forensic evidence like this is really only useful once you have a pool of suspects. It would be next to impossible to "dragnet" for suspects because of the long time needed for the tests, prohibitive costs, and high rates of false identification.

Also I strongly doubt the B.O. builds its own guns and ammunition. It would be way too expensive. It would be more cost effective to smuggle a bunch of weapons in and use them only once. It would also be risky to use custom guns and ammunition because that would mean creating a bunch of crime scenes with strange ballistic evidence. It would be easy for the police to tie them all together which will allow the investigators to better analyze them. It would be more stealthy to use the same things everyone else is using to avoid having any one particular crime "stand out."

It's a good thing forensics has improved a lot. Pretty much everywhere you go, you leave traces that can be used to identify that you have been there. Prompt investigation and good technique can uncover those leads. There is a lot of cool science and computer programming that is used to back the latest investigational techniques. Still, every good investigation needs manpower, groundwork, and good old fashioned detective skill to investigate leads and uncover all the critical evidence.

Elena's message is pretty mysterious. I am also wondering what decision Haibara had to make at age 18. Also what is the purpose of the large amount of silent sections on the tapes? Is something secretly recorded in the silence somehow? If the parents were killed in an accident, why would Elena leave tapes that seem to imply that she knew she wouldn't be around to talk in person? She could just be paranoid and recorded material on the tapes from time to time, which would explain the blank space left for further speaking. Even so, I like the explanation that their deaths were not an accident and were kept secret even from some people within the organization for an unknown reason. (ex. Pisco thought it was an accident) Of course, I wonder if they are really dead...

[kirite]

I think "Hell Angel" is a nickname given to her because her study has her going against "God's will" or something like that.  It's probably a nickname given to her by other members to make fun of her or because they're afraid of her. 

[James Rye]

I wonder about the other two tapes...

Will Ai hear them on her next birthdays (which could mean that we gonna see her 19 birthday in DC) or did she already heard them or isn´t there anything on them at all?

[ranger]

Detective Conan still takes place in 1994/95. This scene(6:50-7:00) proves my theory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py3ia1-d ... re=related

Well, it's not really a theory because in episode 497 Jodie said that Ai's sister was killed by the BO several months ago.
It's basically a classic mafia series.

but how do they have such advanced cell phones eh?

and I don't get the scene from 6:50 to 7:00 that proves your theory care to explain? (I just see vodka and gin in a locker room)

Dude, time is really undefined in DC, its best just to not think about it..lol

[caribou]

Those TAPES.  When did she record them?  If it was all in one shot when Shiho was little, why does she, on the 18th birthday tape, refer to a decision Shiho's going to make?  What does this mean?

I was also confused by this. At first, I had the impression that she recorded them all in one shot. But the 18th birthday one kind of breaks out of the pattern. Or did she record the first 17 first, and then she recorded the 18th birthday one when she found out that Shiho was going to join the BO/continue the research? or is it because, there had always been an arrangement with the BO since early on that, after graduating from her studies overseas at the age of 18, Shiho would return to join the BO (and hence her mother could foresee this 'decision')..?

Well if we look at her nickname, Hell's Angel... that to me sounds a lot like the story of Lucifer, the angel who fell from Heaven (to Hell) because he wanted power equal to God's. so if we use this analogy... I suppose Elena was called that because she was playing God with her research, and coupled with what Vermouth said at one time (I can't remember when, sorry, but I assume most of you know which quote I'm talking about) I can only come to the conclusion that the research aims to produce a drug that stops someone from dying.

[Kor]

but whats the point of them gaining immorality? i think raising dead's is more reasonable 

What villain wouldn't want immortality? Besides, raising the dead is the stuff of the good guys and gaining immortality is the stuff of the bad guys. Krilin and Gohan went to Namek in order to raise their dead friends back to life, while Vegita and Friza went to Namek in order to gain immortality. 

[Chekhov MacGuffin]

One reason someone might want immortality is because they are afraid of dying. Also, someone in power may simply wish to remain in power because they like what they have. And good guys don't have a monopoly on wanting to revive dead people.

Another possible purpose for the syndicate's research is extreme regenerative medicine: delaying the amount of time before or even reversing the effects of aging as long as possible so the person stays in their prime for longer periods of time. It isn't immortality, although an upshot might be a longer lifespan.

The programing aspect kind of bothers me. I know a lot of modern bio-sci research requires computational power, but I have the feeling that Gosho, who isn't a scientist and thus might not recognize the importance of computers in current science research, is implying that there is a separate but related agenda that involves programming. I wonder if one of the goals might be to somehow "upload" someone's personality and memory onto a computer in order to preserve them: kind of like the sixth Conan movie (I didn't like that one btw.) Another option might be cybernetics (as in cyborgs) or brain chip implants or something sci-fi like that...

[nanilola]

but whats the point of them gaining immorality? i think raising dead's is more reasonable 

Either way, it will be a breakthrough.
The Ultimate Cash Cow
Though, I seriously doubt the BO boss is just a money-driven person, who could somehow coerce the BO members into suicide. There's gotta be something more that makes him/her respectable yet terrifying.

@ kyuuketsuki: a Forensic Sci major -> Just... wow! I only watch CSI: Las Vegas.