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He stood sandwiched between Violet and Asa. Fiona stood at the head of the table, and Ty and Owen had gone with the deputies to begin the command post set up. It surprised John that Asa allowed those two off the leash. The coroner stood near Fiona, a thick shock of prematurely white hair glaring under the fluorescent lighting. On two other tables, the other victims lay covered in thin white sheets. They hadn’t been officially identified yet, but hopefully between family and a roommate, they’d have identifications within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Really, it would come down to dental records to be sure the two victims were Tillie LeBeau and Darla Boone.
The coroner’s assistant, Dr. D.J. Lanslow, looked more basketball player than doctor. “Cause of death is cerebral hypoxia.”
She’d been manually strangled after being beaten. Her face, breasts and genitals had been severely battered and bruised as if he’d concentrated on those regions most.
“What can you tell us about the eye removal? Was it a hack job? Professional?” Violet asked.
Were they looking at someone with a medical background of some kind?
Atta’s sockets gave her an alien look, and John’s stomach churned. Lividity had set in, and her back, arms and thighs were dark purple. Gases had already begun to bloat her abdomen, and the scene was simply too ugly to stare at.
“They were taken cleanly, yes,” Dr. Crocker said. “There’s evidence a clamp was used, concluding it’s possible someone has a medical degree or medical knowledge. Or someone who watched a million surgeries on YouTube and maybe practiced it on others—animals first. She ripped out her sutures, and therefore the eyelids are in shambles, so I can’t speak to technique or form.”
D.J. pointed to Atta’s neck. “You can see the contusions and abrasions and the round bruises matching tips of fingers on the sides of her neck.” His voice strained, and he cleared his throat then continued, “But the thumb pad prints in the recesses of her carotid reveal he was facing her when he strangled her. Possibly straddling her as she lay on her back. We know she died on her back because of the lividity. Not to mention the bruising to her trachea, proving he faced her when she was killed, and the hyoid bone has been fractured. He used a lot of force.”
Angry force if the additional blows to her body meant anything. She would have suffered those perimortem too. And suffer she did.
John studied her neck wounds, noticed fingernail indentions.
“I found bleeding into the neck muscles. He used more force than necessary.” Dr. Lanslow averted his gaze, and his nostrils flared then he cleared his throat.
“Did you know the victim?” Violet had picked up on the same emotion John had. Distress. Doctors were not squeamish, but something was giving him a struggle.
“No,” he stated. “I didn’t.”
“You live in town or up in the hollow?” Violet did that intimidating glare he’d seen her do before, and Asa and Fiona exchanged a knowing glance.
“In town.”
“All your life?”
“No. I moved here to work with Dr. Crocker.”
“You ever go up in the hollow?”
“Maybe once or twice.”
“Did you know Atta?”
“Yes.” He shook his head. “I mean no. No. I did not know her.” He rubbed his earlobe and broke eye contact with Violet. “I’ve seen her in passing. In town. I don’t—didn’t know her. Personally.”
John wondered if Violet would pursue it or let it drop.
Violet kept her focus on him then abruptly backed off. “Fair enough.” She gave Fiona an almost invisible nod.
Fiona stepped between Violet and Dr. Lanslow. “We need a time of death, and have you found the same cause of death with the other two victims?”
“Cause of death is the same. Fractures the same. Naturally, with the decomp I can’t find any marks. Can’t be sure their lids were sutured, but I’d guess that if my job was a guessing game. Their eyes had also been removed. One wasn’t on her back, but I believe an animal, maybe a coyote, sniffed her out, moved her. I gave any trace evidence to your Evidence Response Team for analysis.”
They’d need a manufacturer of the sutures. Maybe they could link the sutures with a hospital or vet clinic. Medical experience didn’t necessarily mean human.
“Time of death is tricky,” Dr. Lanslow said. “They were exposed to elements, but the temperature in the cave slowed decomposition. I’d have to say time of death was likely forty-eight to seventy-two hours ago for your most recent victim.”
Either Friday night or early on Saturday. Definitely over the weekend. “We need to retrace Atta’s steps. See where she went the week leading up to the weekend. Maybe we can find the last person to see her alive. Do we know where she worked or if she had family?” John didn’t mean to jump in, but he’d been a homicide detective and now worked missing persons. This was what he did.
The SAC didn’t seem to mind. Asa only agreed. “According to the sheriff, Atta cleaned houses in town and the surrounding counties.”
“Family? Residence?” John asked.
