A divorced man, who shared custody of his young son with his ex-wife, had weekend visitations with the boy.

The ex wife would occassionally go to the man's house and do housework. He must have had some divorce lawyer, eh?

After a daylong jaunt with the boy, they returned to the house. The man was first in while the boy dawdled in the yard.

In the bedroom he discovered a room in horrible disarray--bedclothes missing, splotches of blood on the walls and mattress, blood on the walls. The bedspread was missing, as was the ex wife.

At this point he called 911 and police were soon on the scene, cordoning off the house. The boy was taken to relatives while the man remained to tell detectives what he knew--that the woman had been fine and busily cleaning as the man and boy had left for the park.

The detectives launched a houswide search for the ex. After some time, she was found in a crawlspace, accessable from the outside. She had been bludgeoned with a sharp heavy instrument, and her body and head wrapped in the bedpread. Her jeans had been pulled down from her waist and her shirt pushed up.

According to the man, nothing of value was missing from the house, and the house was frequently left unlocked as the woman cleaned.

Based on this information, where should your investigation lead you?

PS. A true crime.

[1] Was there a forced entry to the house ?

[2] Is the child old enough to state that he was with his father the whole time ?

[3] Is there any wave of break ins in the area ?

[4] Has a murder weapon been found ?

[5] Has the father any marks indicating a struggle ?

[6] Was the blood spotches swabbed for DNA ?

Good questions, paul. You've got a good head for this work.

1. No forced entry.

2. The boy was age around 10. He was not with his father went they went into the house, but he was with him during their trip to the park.

3.. Unknown

4. No

5. No

6. Yes, but they belonged to the wife.

Hint--the position of the body, and place it was found, and how it was found, gave some cops a clue as how to proceed further.

My first guess was one of the neighborhood creeps, or a jealous ex-lover of the wife's.

OK Ren.
From the time the 911 was called in-how long was she dead ?

I think the man had his wife killed.

The man and the boy saw the woman alive when they left. They were gone all day, giving the man a perfect alibi.

Having once lived in the home he would have known about the crawlspace leading to the outside and could have communicated this to a hit man.

The missing articles were taken to make it seem like a sex crime.

I thought about the possibility, but I rejected it as too outlandish. I suppose it could be possible, but I can't see a hit man agreeing to do such a murder. Too out in the open, too much exposure. Only in the movies. A hit man would insist on making it look like a burglary or something else far safer for him.

Also, where would the father find the money to hire a hit man, especially one who would do such a job perfectly? None of the killer's DNA was found. If the father is having the wife come over and do the housework, obviously he can't afford a maid.

And what about motive? Why would a father contract to kill his ex-wife? Insurance money?

Professor Plum in the Conservatory with a Candlestick?

it was Nappy!

OH SHIT! *runs*

wondering how extensively the father was questioned. Did he leave the boy in the park at all? Can anyone confirm both of them were at the park during the times in question? How accessible is this crawl space? Are tools need to open it or is unlocked? Did the neighbors see or hear anything? Is the house secluded and who all knew this woman came there to clean?


Alot of times the husband,wife,partners and exes will be the ones looked at the hardest.

OH SHIT! *runs*


you used Scummy's crowbar....no wonder she hasn't been able to find it

You guys are getting so close!!

Paul, according to the coroner, the wife had been killed sometime in the late afternoon to early evening, based on her stomach contents.

PS. Nap is right about the hitman theory. Besides, what kind of hitman uses a blunt instrument?
Most come prepared to do the job, not seize any avaliable weapon. This was obviosly a crime of opportunity. And then, to be a kindly, caring hitman who hauls the body away from the bludgeoning scene?

Look again at where the body was discovered, and how it was found--body and head covered, with an obvious attempt to stage what would appear to be a sex crime.

Look again at where the body was discovered, and how it was found--body and head covered, with an obvious attempt to stage what would appear to be a sex crime.


That suggests someone close to her,they loved her and took great care to make sure she was covered so as not to embarrass her when she was found?

I'm still thinking ex-husband

isn't covering the head normally a sign that the killer is embarrassed about what they've done?

he killed her when the boy was outside in the yard!

That suggests someone close to her,they loved her and took great care to make sure she was covered so as not to embarrass her when she was found?

I'm still thinking ex-husband

Very very good. The husband did not want to take the chance of their son finding his mother that way. So he covered her up and hauled her away.


Remind me to not pull any bank jobs with you around, michelle. You the Detective!

I was pretty sure the husband did it but I didn't think there was enough evidence for that... Plus I always think it was the husband. :p

Very very good. The husband did not want to take the chance of their son finding his mother that way. So he covered her up and hauled her away.


Remind me to not pull any bank jobs with you around, michelle. You the Detective!


I watch too much CSI :cool:

isn't covering the head normally a sign that the killer is embarrassed about what they've done?

Yes..or feels very badly about it. This is why when detectives find a body covered, they immediately suspect close family, husbands, wives, etc.

One of the many reasons I laways suspected the Ramsey family in
JonBenet's death.

She was all tucked in...nighty nite and good night.

When you find a victim tossed like a bag of garbage, it means the killer

didn't know the victim well

had no feelings at all towards the victim.

Yes..or feels very badly about it. This is why when detectives find a body covered, they immediately suspect close family, husbands, wives, etc.

One of the many reasons I laways suspected the Ramsey family in
JonBenet's death.

She was all tucked in...nighty nite and good night.

When you find a victim tossed like a bag of garbage, it means the killer

didn't know the victim well

had no feelings at all towards the victim.
you can drag a refrigerator on a blanket real easy, a body in a sheet would be a piece of cake.