Read Online Vengeance is Mine - A Benjamin Tucker Mystery by Harry James Krebs - Free Book Online
Authors: Harry James Krebs
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dye pigments contained therein.
She then moved to the analysis of hairs found at the two scenes. Dreckmann showed a magnification of a human hair. “Three hairs from the Clancy crime scene, and one hair from the Knudsen scene, appear to be from an individual other than immediate friends and family members of the two victims. The hairs are approximately .07 millimeters in diameter and have an oval cross section, indicating a high probability that the donor is of Caucasian race. The hairs are dark brown in color and very thin, with a straight shaft form. The pigment is natural eumelanin and its distribution is uniform.”
One hair at the Clancy crime scene was intact, with the bulb attached. The CSI team was in the process of extracting nuclear DNA that would be compared to DNA extracted from semen samples found at both scenes. Mitochondrial DNA had also been extracted from all hair samples for comparison.
At this point I started to nod off, but I had absorbed enough of the technical detail to realize that the forensics team was well on its way to developing a genetic and physical profile of Jack Plum. All that was needed was a suspect for comparison. This is where I was expected to contribute to a plausible theory that would narrow the search. Thus far, I had failed to do that.
Bob Dunwood, the chief investigator for the Capital District of the SBI, proceeded next with his report. Dunwood was serious and methodical, with a dry, unanimated, monotonous delivery. His team had been researching possible connections or commonalities between the two victims.
Clancy and Knudsen had gone to different high schools. They went to different dentists, general practitioners, and Ob-Gyns. Dunwood proceeded to list the victims’ doctors. Clancy’s bank accounts were held at the First American Bank of Cary; Knudsen banked at Wells Fargo in Apex. They shopped at different grocery stores. They drove different models of cars and had their automotive maintenance and repairs performed at different shops. Their automobile insurance was through the same company, State Farm, but the agents were in different locations. In fact, Knudsen was her own agent.
Netter finished the meeting with his status report. There had been seventy-three tips phoned in to the hotline, and his investigators had prioritized them as they were received. Most of them were from citizens believing that a neighbor, ex-husband, or son-in-law was the Headless Corpse Killer. Twenty-two of the tips included the description of a suspicious vehicle driving in the caller’s neighborhood. License plate numbers provided were being checked against DMV databases for registration information.
Netter turned off the projector. “Most of you probably know that the memorial for Carla Knudsen will be held this afternoon at one o’clock at the First Baptist Church in Apex. The burial will follow immediately at Sacred Haven Cemetery, also in Apex.”
He continued. “Plum placed Clancy’s severed head on her gravesite fifteen days after her murder. Chief Grissom of Apex has authorized stakeout personnel to watch Sacred Haven Cemetery twenty-four seven. Plum would be crazy to try such a stunt again, but we’re not missing any opportunity where we might have a chance to grab him.”
Agent MacKenzie stood and faced us. “Some of us will be in attendance,” she said, “including me. Sometimes perpetrators like to show up at the funerals of their victims, so they can watch loved ones grieve. If you attend, please make note of anything that catches your attention.” The meeting ended.
The room began to clear, and I joined Lieutenant Netter and Detective Cox by the coffee area. Cox pointed toward the M.E. “Boy, that Huffman is one strange lookin’ dude,” he said.
Netter laughed. “Yeah, he doesn’t even have to get dressed up for Halloween. There are a lot of strange ones in this group—like the guy from the SBI with his left eye pointed slightly off to one side. You can’t
She then moved to the analysis of hairs found at the two scenes. Dreckmann showed a magnification of a human hair. “Three hairs from the Clancy crime scene, and one hair from the Knudsen scene, appear to be from an individual other than immediate friends and family members of the two victims. The hairs are approximately .07 millimeters in diameter and have an oval cross section, indicating a high probability that the donor is of Caucasian race. The hairs are dark brown in color and very thin, with a straight shaft form. The pigment is natural eumelanin and its distribution is uniform.”
One hair at the Clancy crime scene was intact, with the bulb attached. The CSI team was in the process of extracting nuclear DNA that would be compared to DNA extracted from semen samples found at both scenes. Mitochondrial DNA had also been extracted from all hair samples for comparison.
At this point I started to nod off, but I had absorbed enough of the technical detail to realize that the forensics team was well on its way to developing a genetic and physical profile of Jack Plum. All that was needed was a suspect for comparison. This is where I was expected to contribute to a plausible theory that would narrow the search. Thus far, I had failed to do that.
Bob Dunwood, the chief investigator for the Capital District of the SBI, proceeded next with his report. Dunwood was serious and methodical, with a dry, unanimated, monotonous delivery. His team had been researching possible connections or commonalities between the two victims.
Clancy and Knudsen had gone to different high schools. They went to different dentists, general practitioners, and Ob-Gyns. Dunwood proceeded to list the victims’ doctors. Clancy’s bank accounts were held at the First American Bank of Cary; Knudsen banked at Wells Fargo in Apex. They shopped at different grocery stores. They drove different models of cars and had their automotive maintenance and repairs performed at different shops. Their automobile insurance was through the same company, State Farm, but the agents were in different locations. In fact, Knudsen was her own agent.
Netter finished the meeting with his status report. There had been seventy-three tips phoned in to the hotline, and his investigators had prioritized them as they were received. Most of them were from citizens believing that a neighbor, ex-husband, or son-in-law was the Headless Corpse Killer. Twenty-two of the tips included the description of a suspicious vehicle driving in the caller’s neighborhood. License plate numbers provided were being checked against DMV databases for registration information.
Netter turned off the projector. “Most of you probably know that the memorial for Carla Knudsen will be held this afternoon at one o’clock at the First Baptist Church in Apex. The burial will follow immediately at Sacred Haven Cemetery, also in Apex.”
He continued. “Plum placed Clancy’s severed head on her gravesite fifteen days after her murder. Chief Grissom of Apex has authorized stakeout personnel to watch Sacred Haven Cemetery twenty-four seven. Plum would be crazy to try such a stunt again, but we’re not missing any opportunity where we might have a chance to grab him.”
Agent MacKenzie stood and faced us. “Some of us will be in attendance,” she said, “including me. Sometimes perpetrators like to show up at the funerals of their victims, so they can watch loved ones grieve. If you attend, please make note of anything that catches your attention.” The meeting ended.
The room began to clear, and I joined Lieutenant Netter and Detective Cox by the coffee area. Cox pointed toward the M.E. “Boy, that Huffman is one strange lookin’ dude,” he said.
Netter laughed. “Yeah, he doesn’t even have to get dressed up for Halloween. There are a lot of strange ones in this group—like the guy from the SBI with his left eye pointed slightly off to one side. You can’t
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