CAPITAL MURDER

CASE STUDY

Case 1• In May of 1997, a young woman was found

murdered in her apartment on the northeast side of Fort Worth. She had been struck in the head with an iron and her hands bound with the electrical cord from the iron. She had been strangled with a ligature. No usable latent prints were found. A rape exam was performed. The victim’s car was found abandoned on I-35W. A latent print was found on the outside of the driver side door. Although an AFIS request was made, no match was found.

Case 1• A latent print exam was requested

– Requests/reports• Suspect – habitual criminal• The rape exam had not been processed

– Unknown suspect– CODIS– Police resources– Bound – knots

• Ligature strangulation

Case 2• In August of 1997, a sixteen year old girl was found

murdered in her home on the north side of Fort Worth. She died of ligature strangulation. Her assailant had used shoe laces. There were scratch marks on her neck. No usable prints were found. A rape exam was performed. A family member had seen a suspect sitting on the porch with her approximately one hour before. A search warrant was obtained for suspect’s blood. No DNA match was made because fingernail clippings were not tested although originally requested by the Detective.

Case 2

• No suspect DNA profile obtained• Fingernail clippings• No usable prints• Ligature strangulation• Written statement

Case 3

• In July of 2000, a thirteen year old girl disappeared from her home in Crowley, Texas. Her body was found in Marine Creek Park. It had been in the water for some time. No usable DNA exam was possible. The Detective assigned to the case noted similarities between the knots in Case #1 and the Case #3.

Case 3 continued

• Through witness interview and Grand Jury subpoenas, the Detective developed a suspect. He found that the suspect had used an alias and lured the thirteen year old out of her home to visit him. He recalled that the suspect had been a suspect in Case #1. He consulted with the Detective from Case #1. Later, he consulted with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.

Case 3

• Ligature strangulation• Bound – knots• No useful bodily fluids found• Witness statements

Other Forensic Tools

• Letters/writings– Fingerprints– DNA

• Tool marks - tab• Evidence handling

– Firearms– swearing matches