REPORTING
OFFICER'S NARRATIVE (Brief
narrative of the facts surrounding the offense/ arrest.)
At approximately 11:18 a.m., dispatch received a 911
call regarding the discovery of a body at 702 North Lamar. 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.
|
Master Suite |
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].
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1st Floor |
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.
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2nd Floor |
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.
REPORT FILED 01/03/2010, 8:30 P.M.
//Sam Murphy, Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Detective
ATTEST
//Ted Armstrong, Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Detective |
