be eliminated as a suspect.
Then there was Richard Gray. After Detective Bacon had discovered Dawnâs body, and the forensic and homicide detectives had assumed control of the crime scene, Bacon had gone back to investigate the man who had coincidentally come upon Dawnâs clothes high in a tree. Bacon was assigned to the Child Abuse Division of Baltimore County and had extensive experience with child abuse cases. He found Gray near where his car was parked. Gray was five feet ten inches tall, of slim build, and had dark hair down to his shoulders. He was dressed in a dirty white T-shirt that gave off astrong odor, camouflage military pants, tennis shoes, and carried a nightstick. Bacon noticed a small red spot on Grayâs shirt but couldnât be sure if it was blood. Bacon started asking Gray questions and quickly sensed that Gray was nervous. Gray kept insisting that Dawnâs clothes were
placed
in the tree rather than
thrown
in the tree. When Bacon looked into Grayâs car, which was locked, Gray became even more agitated. Then he vomited. There appeared to be a pair of childâs panties balled up on the front console. Also there were about thirty rolled-up newspapers on the passenger seat. Realizing that Detective Bacon had seen the underpants, Gray quickly explained that he had found them two days before in the woods. Gray then agreed to have his car searched. It was also photographed. Bacon asked Gray to accompany him back to the Youth Services station to give a statement and Gray nodded his assent.
At the station, Bacon read Gray his
Miranda
warnings, then began his questioning. Gray told Bacon heâd been riding in his car delivering papers and listening to his scanner when he heard a child was missing and that police had set up a search. He went to the command center to offer his assistance, as he knew the area well. He decided to ride over to the apartments and look around a bit and while doing this just happened on the clothes hanging from a tree. He said that he then went back to his car when a woman pulled up, described Dawn to him, and asked if heâd seen her. He told the woman to go back to the staging area and send out a police officer. He said he waited twenty minutes and when no one came, he started walking through the woods toward the command center. Thatâs when he met Mr. Hamilton. During his statement, Gray constantly referred to children as âlittle people.â Bacon thought Gray was squirrelly, not telling the truth, and a real suspect. Bacon noticed that Grayâs hands were clean and wondered how that could be so if he had been rolling and delivering newspapers. Bacon was also suspicious because Gray somehow knew that Dawnhad a purse with her. Gray claimed that the woman had told him this earlier. Gray kept motioning that the purse was on a strap across her chest. Bacon was curious how Gray knew to look exactly where the clothes and body were found when at that time the focus of the police search was far away in an entirely different area of the woods. He didnât think Gray adequately answered his questions.
Bacon ran a check to see if Gray had a record and found that he had a prior conviction for indecent exposure in a situation involving a minor. The car Gray was using was an AMC Eagle station wagon rented from Markâs Rentals. Why a rental car, Bacon wondered. And there was that small red spot on Grayâs shirt that continued to bother Bacon. Heâd been glancing at it since he first met Gray but couldnât be sure. He wanted the shirt taken and tested. He asked Detective McQuinn of homicide to have this done, as homicide now had control of the investigation and the final say over everything. McQuinn checked with his supervisors concerning taking Grayâs shirt. McQuinn was informed that Richard Gray was well known to the officers at the Fullerton Police Station; he often dropped by to chatâa sort of police groupieâand that
Then there was Richard Gray. After Detective Bacon had discovered Dawnâs body, and the forensic and homicide detectives had assumed control of the crime scene, Bacon had gone back to investigate the man who had coincidentally come upon Dawnâs clothes high in a tree. Bacon was assigned to the Child Abuse Division of Baltimore County and had extensive experience with child abuse cases. He found Gray near where his car was parked. Gray was five feet ten inches tall, of slim build, and had dark hair down to his shoulders. He was dressed in a dirty white T-shirt that gave off astrong odor, camouflage military pants, tennis shoes, and carried a nightstick. Bacon noticed a small red spot on Grayâs shirt but couldnât be sure if it was blood. Bacon started asking Gray questions and quickly sensed that Gray was nervous. Gray kept insisting that Dawnâs clothes were
placed
in the tree rather than
thrown
in the tree. When Bacon looked into Grayâs car, which was locked, Gray became even more agitated. Then he vomited. There appeared to be a pair of childâs panties balled up on the front console. Also there were about thirty rolled-up newspapers on the passenger seat. Realizing that Detective Bacon had seen the underpants, Gray quickly explained that he had found them two days before in the woods. Gray then agreed to have his car searched. It was also photographed. Bacon asked Gray to accompany him back to the Youth Services station to give a statement and Gray nodded his assent.
At the station, Bacon read Gray his
Miranda
warnings, then began his questioning. Gray told Bacon heâd been riding in his car delivering papers and listening to his scanner when he heard a child was missing and that police had set up a search. He went to the command center to offer his assistance, as he knew the area well. He decided to ride over to the apartments and look around a bit and while doing this just happened on the clothes hanging from a tree. He said that he then went back to his car when a woman pulled up, described Dawn to him, and asked if heâd seen her. He told the woman to go back to the staging area and send out a police officer. He said he waited twenty minutes and when no one came, he started walking through the woods toward the command center. Thatâs when he met Mr. Hamilton. During his statement, Gray constantly referred to children as âlittle people.â Bacon thought Gray was squirrelly, not telling the truth, and a real suspect. Bacon noticed that Grayâs hands were clean and wondered how that could be so if he had been rolling and delivering newspapers. Bacon was also suspicious because Gray somehow knew that Dawnhad a purse with her. Gray claimed that the woman had told him this earlier. Gray kept motioning that the purse was on a strap across her chest. Bacon was curious how Gray knew to look exactly where the clothes and body were found when at that time the focus of the police search was far away in an entirely different area of the woods. He didnât think Gray adequately answered his questions.
Bacon ran a check to see if Gray had a record and found that he had a prior conviction for indecent exposure in a situation involving a minor. The car Gray was using was an AMC Eagle station wagon rented from Markâs Rentals. Why a rental car, Bacon wondered. And there was that small red spot on Grayâs shirt that continued to bother Bacon. Heâd been glancing at it since he first met Gray but couldnât be sure. He wanted the shirt taken and tested. He asked Detective McQuinn of homicide to have this done, as homicide now had control of the investigation and the final say over everything. McQuinn checked with his supervisors concerning taking Grayâs shirt. McQuinn was informed that Richard Gray was well known to the officers at the Fullerton Police Station; he often dropped by to chatâa sort of police groupieâand that
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