|
|
|
|
|
| Incident Report | |||||||
|
INCIDENT REPORT (SUMMARY)
DESCRIPTION: At approximately 11:18 a.m., dispatch received a 911 call regarding the discovery of a body at address. The caller identified himself as Carl Dixon, business partner of the deceased, Devlin Beauchamp. Two patrol units were immediately dispatched to the scene. Detective Armstrong and I were on duty at the time and proceeded directly to the scene, notifying Coroner's Inspector Luwinda Johnson en route. Deputy P.J. Watson arrived at the scene at 11:24 a.m. Officer A. L. Quinlan arrived at the scene at 11:25 a.m. Detective Armstrong and I arrived at the scene at 11: 41 a.m. and found Deputy Watson and Officer Quinlan had secured the area and detained an adult male, identified as Carl Dixon. FINDINGS: Deputy Watson made the following verbal report upon our arrival. Deputy Watson stated that Mr. Dixon had met him and Officer Quinlan at the front door of the residence and escorted them to a second floor bathroom. From the doorway of the bathroom, Deputy Watson and Officer Quinlan observed a body in the bathtub and did not enter the room. Upon verification of the presence of the body, Officer Quinlan removed Mr. Dixon to the ground floor of the residence, while Deputy Watson secured the area, verifying that no other persons were present in the dwelling. Deputy Watson also reported he had found no indications of forced entry, burglary or attempted burglary. After receiving Deputy Watson's verbal report, I contacted Dispatch to verify that the Coroner's Inspector and the Crime Scene Unit were en route to the scene. Dispatch indicated the Inspector's ETA was approximately 5 minutes and CSU's ETA was approximately 10 minutes. I asked Dispatch to send a second CSU team to the scene, citing the large area requiring prompt attention. Dispatch checked with CSU and indicated a second team would be on the scene in approximately 15 minutes. I instructed Officer Quinlan to remain in the living room [Room #1-1] of the residence with Mr. Dixon and to notify me when the Coroner's Inspector and CSU arrived at the scene. Then, Deputy Watson escorted Detective Armstrong and me to the master bathroom [Room #2-2] where the body was located. After showing us to the master bathroom, Deputy Watson returned to the ground floor of the residence.
The master bathroom [Room #2-2] is located on the west side of the stairway and has two entrances - one from the west hall [Room #2-6] and one from the master bedroom [Room #2-3]. The door to the master bathroom from the west hall was nearly closed but slightly ajar. Using his elbow, covered by his jacket, Detective Armstrong gently pushed the door open by nudging it in the middle, opening it enough that we could see into the bathroom beyond. Initial observation of the master bathroom from the west hall entrance revealed minimal signs of violence. Traces of a reddish substance and a glossy black substance, both believed to be blood, were observed on the floor. An unidentified cloth with apparent red stains was observed on the floor under the window directly opposite the hallway entrance. The bathtub was only partially visible from the hallway entrance and the bathtub contents were not visible from this entrance. Detective Armstrong and I then returned through the west hall [Room #2-6] and entered the master bedroom [Room #2-3] from the west hall through the open door. We approached the master bathroom [Room #2-2] from the master bedroom entrance. The door from the master bedroom into the master bathroom was open. Initial observation from the master bedroom entrance revealed apparent blood spatter on the south wall of the master bathroom surrounding the end of the bathtub and on the west wall of the bathroom closet, which abuts the bathtub. The bathtub contained a reddish liquid, which filled approximately one-half of the bathtub. Partially submerged in the liquid was what appeared to be the body of an adult male. The body was face down in the bathtub and displayed no signs of life. Neither Detective Armstrong nor I entered the master bathroom [Room #2-2] at that time, as we were not yet wearing our crime scene preservation gear. At approximately 12:00 p.m. Deputy Watson radioed that the Coroner's Inspector Johnson and two CSU teams were on the scene. Detective Armstrong and I returned to the ground floor to coordinate with them. After conferring with Detective Armstrong on approach, I instructed one CSU team to examine the exterior of the residence, starting with the driveway and the concrete walk from the driveway to the front door. I also instructed Deputy Watson to ensure that all personnel on the scene avoid these areas when entering and exiting the residence until given clearance from the CSU team. Detective Armstrong, Inspector Johnson, the second CSU team and I then proceeded to the second floor where we put on our protective gear. While the CSU team set up their equipment in the east hall [Room #2-7], opposite the immediate crime scene, Detective Armstrong, Inspector Johnson and I approached the master bathroom [Room #2-2]. We entered the bathroom from the master bedroom [Room #2-3].
A removable desk, spanning the width of the bathtub, was in place though seemingly shifted out of its typical position as evidenced by marks on the sides of the bathtub, distance from the head of the bathtub, and skewed location in reference to the perpendicular of the bathtub. A spatter pattern of apparent blood was visible on the surface of the desk, with a noticeable blank area [approximately 20 inches by 15 inches] where the pattern should have been present but was not. Preliminary assessment of this circumstance suggests an object was on the surface of the desk at the time the spatter occurred and was then removed. In addition to the desk, a fountain pen was observed on the floor adjacent to the bathtub. Closer inspection of the body revealed the victim was unclothed in the bathtub. Pending official analysis by the coroner's office, initial observation indicated the victim apparently received multiple blows to the head and face with a blunt object. Inspector Johnson approached the victim to officially verify that he was, in fact, deceased. She determined he was deceased by visual observation that the victim was not breathing and by tactile observation that the victim did not have a palpable carotid pulse. Inspector Johnson noted that the victim appeared to be in an advanced state of rigor mortis. While she withheld an official estimate pending an autopsy, Inspector Johnson speculated the victim had been dead approximately 12 hours and the apparent cause of death was severe blunt force trauma to the head. Inspector Johnson indicated that further details would be available in the preliminary coroner's report, with definitive information in the ensuing official autopsy report. After Inspector Johnson completed her initial inspection of the body, we conferred with the CSU team and determined that removal of the body at that time would disturb other evidence currently in place. Therefore, the decision was made not to move the body until CSU completed their preliminary documentation and analysis of the crime scene. Inspector Johnson stayed with the CSU team to ensure integrity of the body, while the team took photographs of the scene and performed preliminary analyses. Detective Armstrong and I returned to the ground floor to conduct a preliminary interview with the witness, Carl Dixon. A transcript of that interview is attached to this report.
Following completion of the interview with the witness, Carl Dixon, Detective Armstrong and I returned to headquarters to begin preliminary investigation of leads already gathered and to permit CSU to complete the processing of the scene. I instructed CSU to seal the scene upon completion of their processing or when they suspended processing for the day, whichever came first. I also instructed CSU to notify me of their progress by the end of the day, January 16, 2000. At the time this report is filed, CSU is still on the scene and had not yet suspended activity for the day. Diagrams of the ground floor [Diagram 000487-D01], the second floor [Diagram 000487-D02], and detail of the master suite [Diagram 000487-D03] of the Devlin Beauchamp residence are attached to this report. Body of the deceased remanded into the custody of Coroner's Inspector Luwinda Johnson for transport to the coroner's office for autopsy. A preliminary autopsy report is expected within seven days of this report, with detailed findings to follow at a later date. Evidence remanded into the custody of Forensics officer T. R. Douglas for transport to the state crime lab for routine analysis. CSU is expected to submit a detailed report of their findings, including inventory of fingerprints, fibers and other items taken into evidence, within seven days of this report.
ATTEST //Ted Armstrong, Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Detective |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
