The Phantom Strikes Again

Logan Vanhagen and Tiffany Cline: 2nd

Period

CASE SUMMARY: An eighteen year old girl was found

dead in a theatre. She was found hanging by her neck from the

catwalk in the theatre. The first concern was that the girl had

committed suicide; tied a noose around her neck and jumped

from the catwalk, but upon closer examination, the first

responder noticed a burn on the girls arm, bruising on the legs,

and a cut on the girl’s face that could have been from an

altercation, and hair that did not appear to belong to the girl

was found at the crime scene. Then, a note was found on the

floor near where the girl was hanging along with several drops

of blood. The note threatened the girl if she were to be cast in

a role that was intended for another young girl. It was then that

murder was suspected.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The autopsy report of the

girl put time of death at approximately 12:10am, four hours

before she was found, as her core body temperature was 94.6

degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature in the theatre was

approximately 78 degrees. Also, livor mortis had set in in the

hands and feet, but was not yet permanent, because the bodily

fluids began to pool on the girls back as she lie face up on the

table before the autopsy was performed. The girl’s neck broke

instantly when she fell to the end of her rope, but cause of

death was ultimately asphyxiation.

On the girl’s body, forensic specialists found short

brown hair that didn’t appear to be from her own head, an

unknown fiber, and traces of blood that were not her own. A

presumptive test was done on the blood at the crime scene and

it was found to be human, and type A+. The blood on the

girl’s body was also A+. The girl’s blood type was found to be

O-. Unfortunately, fiber analysis showed the fiber to be one

from the rope that the girl was hanged with, and did not prove

helpful in finding a suspect. Hair analysis, however, did prove

helpful. The hair found on the girl’s body matched one of the

unknown hairs found at the crime scene. Hair analysis showed

a cuticle, medulla, and colour match.

Whispers had begun to circulate the town. Things

like “another one” and “he’s done it again” were heard and

officials became concerned. There was a ghost story of sorts

about a theatre ghost, the “Phantom of the Opera,” who would

hang people who crossed him, and the girl’s death seemed to

match his method to a T. Officials spoke to the theatre

manager, very much a believer in the phantom, and asked if

he’d had any contact with him. The manager proved quite

helpful in providing a note that had been left for him and

signed the same way that the letter to the girl had been signed,

“OG.” The manager stated that this stood for “Opera Ghost.”

Handwriting analysis was performed to compare the two notes

and they were a perfect match. Primarily the letters a, g, d, e,

and t. Whoever the “Opera Ghost” was, had, it seemed, done it

again.

Sources:

Sarah Olson, 2013, Serology- Blood and Other Bodily Fluids,

http://www.ncids.com/forensic/serology/serology.shtml

Katherine Ramsland, 2014. Serology: It’s in the Blood,

http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/serology/3.html

Katherine Ramsland, 2014, Trace Evidence,

http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/trace/3.html

2007, Presumptive vs Confirmatory Tests, http://www.nfstc.org/pdi/Subject02/pdi_s02_m02_01_a.htm

David C. Dugdale, 2012, Blood Typing, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003345.htm

David A. Katz, 2005, Fibre Analysis, http://chymist.com/FIBER%20ANALYSIS.pdf

Andrew Lloyd Weber, Joel Schumacher, 2004, The Phantom of the Opera, United Kingdom, Pinewood Studios

Robert Valdes, 2014, How Autopsies Work, http://science.howstuffworks.com/autopsy4.htm

Julia Layton, 2014, How Does Death by Hanging Work, http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-

conditions/death-dying/death-by-hanging.htm

Shanna Freeman, 2014, How Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Works,

http://science.howstuffworks.com/bloodstain-pattern-analysis.htm

Lab Report: Presumptive Test For Blood

Background: A presumptive Test for blood is designed to indicate whether or not a substance found at a crime scene is blood. Objective: To determine whether or not the substance found near the victim’s body in the theatre in case 24601 is blood. Hypothesis: The victim has a burn on her arm and also a cut on her cheek. This leads me to believe that there was an altercation between the victim and the attacker prior to the victim being hanged. Also, the fact that the drops fell from approximately a 90 degree angle, the drops are classified as passive drops, so whoever was bleeding was walking at a normal pace away from the body or standing in one place. My Hypothesis is that the substance is, in fact blood, and that the blood belongs to the perpetrator, not the victim. Methods: To perform a presumptive test for blood, I did the following:

- Wet a swab with two drops of distilled water - Added two drops of phenophaline solution to the swab - Added two drops of ethyl alcohol to the swab - Added two drops of hydrogen peroxide to the swab - Swabbed the sample of blood - Checked for colour response (pink/red indicating blood)

Results: The cotton swab turned red when the sample was swabbed. This shows a positive indication of blood. Discussion: Now that we know that the sample is blood, we can do blood typing to try and find out if the type is different from that of the victim. My hypothesis that the substance found at the crime scene was blood was correct.

Lab Report: Blood Typing

Background: Blood Typing is designed to provide a narrower search for perpetrators by eliminating suspects with certain blood types from questioning and to prove whether or not two samples of blood can possibly be from the same person. Objective: To determine whether or not the blood found at the crime scene belonged to the victim or another person. Hypothesis: The fact that the drops fell from approximately a 90 degree angle, the drops are classified as passive drops, so whoever was bleeding was walking at a normal pace away from the body or standing in one place. My Hypothesis is that the blood belongs to the perpetrator, not the victim. Methods: To determine blood type, I did the following:

- Put samples of the victim’s blood into three wells on a tray. - Added A antibody to one well - Added B antibody to one well - Added Rh antibody to one well - Checked for clotting (indicating presence of protein)

Results: The Victim’s blood was found to have the A and Rh proteins present, but not the B protein, so her blood type was A+. However, the blood found at the scene had none of the proteins present, so the perpetrator’s blood type was O-. Discussion: We now know that there was an altercation at the crime scene and that the blood type of the perpetrator is more than likely going to be type O-. My Hypothesis that the blood at the crime scene did not belong to the victim was correct.

Lab Report: Fibre Analysis Under a Microscope and Approaching/In Flame

Background: Fibre analysis is designed to test whether or not two fibres could be from the same source. Objective: to determine whether or not fibres found on the victim’s body match fibres from the rope. Hypothesis: Although we have to test the unknown fibre, my hypothesis is that the fibres found on the victim’s body are only from the rope with which she was hanged. Methods: To perform fibre analysis, I did the following:

- Looked at unknown vs exemplar samples under a microscope and noted colour, weave pattern (if possible), and type

- Held fibre samples up to fire and noted reactions when approaching flame - Put fibre samples in flame and noted reaction - Noted odors after burning

Results: The colour was the same in both samples, as was the type: twine. I concluded that the fibre’s matched. Discussion: Unfortunately, since my hypothesis that the fibres on the body were from the rope with which she was hanged was true, we have not gathered any new information.

Lab Report : Hair Analysis

Background: Hair Analysis is designed to determine whether or not two samples of hair could have come from the same person. Hair analysis usually depends on analysis under a microscope because DNA can only be found in the cuticle, which is not always present. Objective: to determine whether the hairs found at the crime scene matched hair found on the victim’s body. Hypothesis: I believe that the hair will match and that the hair will belong to the perpetrator. Methods: To perform hair analysis, I did the following:

- Put the hair under a microscope - Looked at the cuticle pattern (flattened=Human) - Looked at colour - Looked at length - Straight or curly - Looked at medulla (Continuous, intermittent, nonexistent)

Results: Both samples of hair were short, brown, straight hairs with intermittent medullas and a flattened cuticle pattern. I concluded that there was a likely possibility that the hairs match. Discussion: Since my hypothesis that the hairs would match was confirmed, we can now compare the hair of any suspects to the hair found on the victim and at the crime scene.

REPORT OF AUTOPSY Name: CLINE, Tiffany Case No. 24601 Page 1

REPORT OF AUTOPSY Name: CLINE, Tiffany

Date of Death: 24 April 2014

Case #24601

Age: 18 Yrs Race: White Sex: Female

Date of Autopsy: 1 May 2014 at 0900 hrs

AUTOPSY FINDINGS 1. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

a. Massive cerebral infarction

b. Hypoxic hypoxia

2. Asphyxiation

a. Bruising of larynx

b. Hyoid

3. Toxicology

Cause of Death: Asphyxiation

Manner of Death: Homicide

Henrietta Jekyll

_____________________________________ Henrietta Jekyll, M.D. Chief Medical Examiner Date: 1 May 2014

REPORT OF AUTOPSY Name: CLINE, Tiffany Case No. 24601 Page 2

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION: The body is that of a 64 inch, 111 pound white female who appears the recorded age of 18 years. The body is clad in a black, thin-strapped shirt and a white, floor length skirt. A set of earrings, necklace, and two rings were worn by the victim. The scalp is covered by thick red hair, un-dyed. The irides are blue. The eyes appear normal, without a bilateral tache noire. The eyelids and face are heavily covered in make-up. The ears and nose are normally developed. There is a cut on the right cheek underneath the check bone about 2 inches long. There is another cut on the lower lip less than an inch long. The teeth are normal and in good repair. Around the entirety of the neck is a ring-shaped bruise. On the upper left arm in a burn about 4 inches long. There is no apparent damage to the upper torso. The stomach has a hand-shaped bruise covering the right-hand side. The rest of the body is unscathed save a few small bruises on the legs. The body appears to have began the process of livor mortis, with the liquids pooling in the hands and feet.

RADIOGRAPHS: Postmortem radiographs reveal no damage.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION: The muscles of the chest and abdominal wall are normally developed. The subcutaneous tissues are dry. The panniculus is .1-.5 cm. The peritoneal cavity is unremarkable and dry. The are no intraperitoneal adhesions. The organs are in the usual anatomic relations. The pleura cavities are dry. The mean organ weights are elevated for the lungs, liver, kidney, and spleen. The lungs appear to be slightly abnormal. The pericardial sac is dry. The diaphragm is intact. The sternum is unremarkable. The ribs have no trauma and are normally developed.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: The pericardial sac is unremarkable. The epicardial fat of the 255 gram heart is unremarkable. The root of the aorta has no atherosclerosis. The arch of the descending aorta have minimal atherosclerosis.

RESPIRTORY SYSTEM: The left and right lungs are 494.76 and 567.796 grams, respectively. The lungs have a normal number of lobes and have light pink-red outer surfaces. The bronchi are unobstructed. The well-aerated lung parenchyma is pink-red. There are no anthracosis, tumours, cysts, or infarcts.

HEMOLYMPHATIC SYSTEM: The 191.27-gram spleen is covered in an intact, grey, somewhat wrinkled capsule. The splenic parenchyma is dark red-maroon and unremarkable. There is not interstitial fibrosis, tumours, cysts or infarcts. No enlarged lymph nodes are noted. The bone marrow of the lumbar vertebral bodies is red and soft.

REPORT OF AUTOPSY Name: CLINE, Tiffany Case No. 24601 Page 3

GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: The right and left kidneys are 209.57 and 165.45 grams, respectively. Both kidneys are unremarkable. The urinary bladder contains no fluid. The uterus is present and has a normal shape. The cervix is normally developed. The ovaries are present, firm and otherwise grossly unremarkable. The fallopian tubes are unremarkable.

GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM: The stomach contains 60 cc of green-brown fluid without any solid food fragments. The gastric mucosa is flat, congested, and green-grey. There is a small ulceration of 4 mm diameter near the entry to the small intestines. The wall of the stomach is thin (<3mm). No perforations are noted. The oesophagus is not remarkable with grey/pink mucosa. The bowel contains progressively formed faeces with the rectum containing hard stool. The appendix is present. The bowel has no perforations. No foreign objects are noted.

HEPATOBULIARY SYSTEM: The outer surface of the 1591.2-gram liver is covered in a transparent intact capsule. The gallbladder is present. The hepatic parenchyma is unremarkable. The bile ducts and portal veins appear grossly unremarkable. No fibrosis, cysts or infarcts are noted.

ENOCRINE SYSTEM: The adrenals, thyroid, and pancreas are present and grossly unremarkable.

MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM: The upper and lower extremities are normally developed as previously described. The iliac wings have no trauma or deformity. The cortical bone of the lumbar and thoracic vertebral bodies is unremarkable.

NECK: There is a large bruise encompassing the entirety of the neck region. The larynx appears to be aggravated. The thyroid and cricoid cartilages show evidence of damage. The hyoid bone is intact, but damaged. The carotid arteries and jugular veins show evidence of abrasion, and bursting. The muscles and cervical vertebral bodies of the posterior neck show evidence of strain. The spinal cord and column show evidence of trauma. The posterior laminae are soft.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: The spinal chord shows evidence of trauma. The brain is present and weighs 1275 grams. No damage is apparent on the brain.

REPORT OF AUTOPSY Name: CLINE, Tiffany Case No. 24601 Page 4

TOXICOLOGY: There is no evidence of any substances in the blood stream.

1. rope comparison 2. rope 3. legs 4. neck bruising 5. body bag 6. stomach bruising 7. burn 8. logan zipping bag 9. logan transporting body 10. under angle hanging 11. blood drops 12. note 13. hanging 14. autopsy 1 15. autopsy neck 16. autopsy stomach 17. toe tag 18. autopsy overhead 19. autopsy burn 20. autopsy shoulder-up