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YOKNAPATAWPHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

INCIDENT REPORT (SUMMARY)

Investigating Officer: Det. S. Murphy
Incident No.: 004071-16L-2003
Date: 10/29/03, 10:27 p.m.
Incident Address: 22 Dell Drive
Incident: 911 Report - Body Found
Victim's Name: Mildred Shegog
Victim's Age: 93
Victim's Address: same as incident address
Suspects: None at this time

All detailed reports on file.

DESCRIPTION:

At 10:04 p.m., Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that what might be a burned body was found in the home of Mildred Shegog. The caller identified himself as Andy Shegog, her nephew.

Unit #202 (Officer D. C. Baxter) was immediately dispatched to the scene. Responding Officer (R/O) arrived at the scene at 10:11 p.m. and, after confirming the report, contacted Dispatch to request backup and a homicide investigation team. Detectives Armstrong and Murphy were assigned and proceeded directly to the scene. Deputy P.J. Watson arrived at the scene at 10:19 p.m. to provide backup. Coroner's Inspector Luwinda Johnson was notified at R/I's request to respond to scene.

Reporting Investigators (R/Is) arrived at the scene at 10:27 p.m. R/Is found R/Os had secured the area. Environmental conditions at scene upon arrival are as follows: Weather: Overcast; Ambient Exterior Temperature: approximately 65º F / 18º C; Relative Exterior Humidity: approximately 88 percent; Ambient Interior Temperature: approximately 66º F / 19º C; Relative Interior Humidity: approximately 52 percent.

FINDINGS:

R/O Baxter made the following verbal report, which is stated in summary and not verbatim, upon R/Is' arrival. R/O stated that, upon arrival, she knocked on the door of the residence and identified herself as a Sheriff's officer and entered the residence. R/O Baxter was taken to a reading room where she found a burned chair, ashes and seared flesh and bone inside a pair of boots. It was obvious the victim was deceased from first observation. R/O Baxter immediately searched the rest of the residence and determined it was clear of any other persons. R/O Baxter then secured the scene, reported in to Dispatch and requested assistance. R/O Baxter further stated that, to the best of her knowledge, the following personnel have had occasion to enter the crime scene area and must be excluded by CSU personnel: Deputy P.J. Watson and herself.

After receiving the report from R/O Baxter, R/I Murphy contacted Dispatch regarding the status of the Coroner's Inspector and the Crime Scene Unit. Dispatch indicated the Inspector's ETA was approximately 10 minutes and CSU's ETA was approximately 15 minutes.

R/Is then examined the immediate crime scene. R/Is observed ashes in a fabric covered chair. Closer examination of the feet in the boots revealed the victim was an elderly female, who appeared to be in her late 80's. Visual inspection of the ashes gave no indication of what the victim might have been wearing or how she had been seated.

On the chair, R/Is observed the following items in addition to the body:

  • 004071-01: One (1) snuffed out cigarette on the left arm of the chair holding charred remains.

On a table to the left of the victim, R/Is observed the following items:

  • 004071-02: One (1) plate of Halloween candy corn on a table to the left of chair holding charred remains.
  • 004071-03: One (1) scented candle.

On the floor in front of the chair, R/Is observed the following items:

  • 004071-04: One (1) pair of black leather boots filled with what appear to be the human remains of Mildred Shegog.

Coroner's Inspector Johnson arrived at approximately 10:40 p.m. and was directed to join R/Is at the body's location. Inspector Johnson pronounced the victim deceased at 10:46 p.m. by visual observation that the victim was not breathing and by tactile observation that the victim did not have a palpable carotid pulse. While she withheld an official estimate pending an autopsy, Inspector Johnson speculated the victim had been dead less than 12 hours. Inspector Johnson stated she could not determine the cause of death based on her observations at the scene and would withhold any speculation until after completion of the autopsy. After Inspector Johnson completed her initial inspection of the body, she stayed with the CSU team to ensure integrity of the body, while the team took photographs of the scene and performed preliminary analyses, until the remaining body parts and ashes could be removed from the scene without destroying other evidence.

A preliminary search of the remainder of the residence uncovered a Mississippi driver's license bearing the name Mildred Shegog (Evidence # 004071-11). Investigators were not able to make a positive identity of the body due to the lack of facial features available. DNA samples were collected for comparison against known samples, if any are available. Additional documents, bills, etc. were found which indicated the residence was owned and occupied by Mildred Shegog. No additional evidence items were uncovered.

Before departing the scene, R/I Armstrong instructed CSU to seal the scene upon completion or end of day suspension of processing. CSU to notify R/Is of progress by the end of this date. As of this filing, CSU is still actively processing at the scene.

Body of the deceased remanded into the custody of Coroner's Inspector Luwinda Johnson. Deceased was removed from scene at 11:12 p.m. and transported to the coroner's office for autopsy.

Evidence remanded into the custody of Forensics officer T. R. Douglas for transport to the state crime lab for routine analysis.

 
REPORT FILED 10/29/03, 1:10 A.M.

//Ted Armstrong, Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Detective

ATTEST

//Sam Murphy, Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Detective

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