happened. It would have made his job a lot easier and explained a lot of unanswered questions.
But there were answers that no one, including Brent, would ever be able to give him. That was his job. He would have to find out those answers on his own. That was what he got paid for.
âOkay, Detective, weâre ready,â Nurse Darragh announced as she entered the room. She had several other nurses, Patty Rathner and Maureen McGinty with her. As they began removing the clothes from the body, a striped shirt, trousers, socks, underwear, and tennis shoes, Altman collected them and dropped them in bags. Those that had any blood on them were placed into a biohazard bag, which was a red plastic bag designed to prevent the blood from seeping out.
Altman handled Brentâs clothing very carefully. He realized the potential of obtaining these items for the forensic team and not wanting to destroy any evidence that could later match the killer. There was a lot of blood on Brent. His shirt was soaked in blood and the blood from his head had seeped onto the gurney.
Altman didnât know how much, if any, debris from the killer had stuck to the victimâs bloody clothing. If he had struggled at all, it was possible that a hair, a fiber or a piece of flesh that belonged to the shooter may have bedded itself in the blood. If that was the case, then it would be one of the clues they would be looking for to pinpoint the murderer.
When they finished undressing Poole and packing his clothing away, Altman noticed the hair on Pooleâs legs and pubic area had been shaved. Must have been a racing cyclist, he thought. Looking at his taut body, he guessed Brent would be the type that rode at least one hundred miles per day.
Altman had been a cyclist at one time and knew why a rider would want to shave his body hair. It made it easier to apply ointments and medicine to the body after a hard race and also eliminated the possibility of âroad rash.â When a biker takes a fall, the hair on the body will get caught between the skin and the asphalt, and will literally be pulled out by the roots, resulting in an even deeper and more abrasive skin tear.
He made a mental note to ask Brentâs wife about this. Perhaps her husband rode cycles as well, and heâd learn that the two of them had something in common after all.
Darragh and the other nurses draped a white sheet over Brent, then notified the county coroner that the victim was ready to be pronounced dead. Altman called Lieutenant Bill Frontz, who had since responded to the scene and advised that he was still at the hospital with the coroner.
âDo you want the autopsy to be performed at the Medical University in Charleston or here at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center?â Altman asked.
âHere at the Grand Strand Hospital,â Frontz responded. âYouâll have to ask him to call Dr. Edward Proctor, the forensic pathologist, and schedule an autopsy.â
Altman waited with the others for the coroner to examine Brentâs body, then pronounce him dead. After he finished his business, Altman gave him the instructions for the autopsy. The coroner called Dr. Proctor and learned the autopsy would be scheduled for 1:30 P.M . that same day.
Altman helped the nurses wheel the body out of the trauma room. They rolled Brentâs body down the hall, behind the cafeteria and into the refrigerated morgue, where the autopsy would be performed. As Brent Pooleâs body was being transported down the hall, Altman looked back behind them. A trail of blood followed behind them every five to ten feet. One of the nurses alerted a maintenance man and he shadowed them, the entire 150 feet to the morgue, with a mop and bucket and cleaned up the blood along the way. Once inside the morgue, the gurney carrying Brentâs body was placed alongside several other bodies covered in white sheets.
Altmanâs stomach churned. No one said a word.
Altman felt a
But there were answers that no one, including Brent, would ever be able to give him. That was his job. He would have to find out those answers on his own. That was what he got paid for.
âOkay, Detective, weâre ready,â Nurse Darragh announced as she entered the room. She had several other nurses, Patty Rathner and Maureen McGinty with her. As they began removing the clothes from the body, a striped shirt, trousers, socks, underwear, and tennis shoes, Altman collected them and dropped them in bags. Those that had any blood on them were placed into a biohazard bag, which was a red plastic bag designed to prevent the blood from seeping out.
Altman handled Brentâs clothing very carefully. He realized the potential of obtaining these items for the forensic team and not wanting to destroy any evidence that could later match the killer. There was a lot of blood on Brent. His shirt was soaked in blood and the blood from his head had seeped onto the gurney.
Altman didnât know how much, if any, debris from the killer had stuck to the victimâs bloody clothing. If he had struggled at all, it was possible that a hair, a fiber or a piece of flesh that belonged to the shooter may have bedded itself in the blood. If that was the case, then it would be one of the clues they would be looking for to pinpoint the murderer.
When they finished undressing Poole and packing his clothing away, Altman noticed the hair on Pooleâs legs and pubic area had been shaved. Must have been a racing cyclist, he thought. Looking at his taut body, he guessed Brent would be the type that rode at least one hundred miles per day.
Altman had been a cyclist at one time and knew why a rider would want to shave his body hair. It made it easier to apply ointments and medicine to the body after a hard race and also eliminated the possibility of âroad rash.â When a biker takes a fall, the hair on the body will get caught between the skin and the asphalt, and will literally be pulled out by the roots, resulting in an even deeper and more abrasive skin tear.
He made a mental note to ask Brentâs wife about this. Perhaps her husband rode cycles as well, and heâd learn that the two of them had something in common after all.
Darragh and the other nurses draped a white sheet over Brent, then notified the county coroner that the victim was ready to be pronounced dead. Altman called Lieutenant Bill Frontz, who had since responded to the scene and advised that he was still at the hospital with the coroner.
âDo you want the autopsy to be performed at the Medical University in Charleston or here at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center?â Altman asked.
âHere at the Grand Strand Hospital,â Frontz responded. âYouâll have to ask him to call Dr. Edward Proctor, the forensic pathologist, and schedule an autopsy.â
Altman waited with the others for the coroner to examine Brentâs body, then pronounce him dead. After he finished his business, Altman gave him the instructions for the autopsy. The coroner called Dr. Proctor and learned the autopsy would be scheduled for 1:30 P.M . that same day.
Altman helped the nurses wheel the body out of the trauma room. They rolled Brentâs body down the hall, behind the cafeteria and into the refrigerated morgue, where the autopsy would be performed. As Brent Pooleâs body was being transported down the hall, Altman looked back behind them. A trail of blood followed behind them every five to ten feet. One of the nurses alerted a maintenance man and he shadowed them, the entire 150 feet to the morgue, with a mop and bucket and cleaned up the blood along the way. Once inside the morgue, the gurney carrying Brentâs body was placed alongside several other bodies covered in white sheets.
Altmanâs stomach churned. No one said a word.
Altman felt a
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