by BobA. Troutt
*****
The Fall of Autumn
2:00 AM
It was 1968 at two o’clock in the morning in Jefferson County of Louisville, Kentucky. It was mid-October as the chilling night lurked about. The streets were almost empty with only a few people stirring about. A car was parked in a nearby alley with its motor running and exhausts coming out the tailpipes as the windshield wipers slowly removed the ice and snow from the windshield. At the end of the alley, there stood a man smoking a cigarette. The ground and streets were covered with a little accumulation of snow and ice. In the distance, the haunting cry of sirens could be heard terrorizing the darkness. All was still, in the early morning, until suddenly the car door opened; a man got out of the car and left it running. As he walked toward the man standing at the end of the alley, he took a drag off of his cigarette and thumped it to the side. The man at the end of the ally looked around, took a drag from his cigarette, dropped it to the ground and stepped on it to put it out. As the man from the car walked closer, the man at the end of the alley began to speak. Before he finished a complete sentence, the man from the car pulled out a gun and shot him. As the man fell to his knees, a second shot sounded in the dark night. The man from the car took out another cigarette and lit it. After a couple of puffs, he went back to his car and drove out of sight. The red taillights of his car and the smoke from the car’s tailpipe slowly disappeared into the heavy darkness of the night. A hard wind blew across the alley and blew papers and trash about. An unmarked police car slowly passed the alley, stopped, backed up and then turned down the alley. The detective quickly called for backup and an ambulance before he got out of the car with his gun drawn. He cautiously moved toward the man lying in the street. The man was dead; he appeared to be homeless. All that could be heard were the sounds of sirens and the taunting bone-chilling wind. The name of the detective was James Dyer. He had been a detective on the police force for twenty-six years going on his twenty-seventh year as a public servant for the Louisville Police Department. He planned to retire after serving 30 years even though his pension wasn’t as good as he hoped. By the time the ambulance and backup arrived it was 2:10 in the morning. His partner, Eric Guinn, was off that night. After the crime scene had been gone over with a fine-tooth comb, there was no evidence of what happened and why. It appeared the homeless man was a victim of a random act of violence. All that was left that night in the alley was the shed blood of an innocent man, a light accumulation of snow and ice, a snuffed out cigarette and the wind blowing papers and trash about.
It was early the next day when Eric, James’ partner, arrived at the station. James filled him in with the details of the night before. The police opened up an investigation. They looked for answers and asked questions on the streets. A few days later, the police received the autopsy report and their first break in the case from dental records and fingerprints. The homeless man’s name was Gary Howell. He was an ex-detective from the Louisville Police Department. Howell had worked with the police department from 1957 until he was fired in 1962 for police brutality and misconduct. He had worked on the vice squad and was Detective Dyer’s partner back then. After he was fired, Howell disappeared and no one had heard or seen him until his body was found in the alley that night. The word on the street was that Howell was pushing and selling dope along with running a prostitution ring. The police figured his death was from a bad drug deal gone wrong or a robbery. Detective Dyer had not heard from Howell since he was fired form the force. However, he did know Howell was angry when he left and was very disturbed by the system. Detective Dyer and Detective Guinn combed the streets of Louisville with the help of their fellow officers; they left no stone unturned. They hit the cold, chilly streets of October asking questions and looking for answers. But, after a week passed, they came up empty. They had not clues, no suspects or even a reason why. More importantly, they had no idea Howell died with a secret.
Detective Dyer and Detective Howell had worked out of the downtown office for a few years. After Howell was fired, Detective Dyer was transferred to the seventh precinct where he became partners with a young rookie, Eric Guinn; his current partner. Eric started on the police force in 1960. He came right out of the police academy with high recommendations. Weeks passed with no leads or information until the police finally got a tip from a homeless man named Joseph Diggs; his street name was Snow Dog. He told them Detective Dyer was buying and selling drugs. And, he was also getting sexual favors from Howell’s prostitutes. But, when Detective Dyer was confronted by his superiors, he denied the allegations and said he was being set up. That it was all a lie. The police searched for Diggs throughout the city to obtain more information from him but they couldn’t find him. Detective Guinn stood up for his friend and partner. He made a statement that he had never seen James commit any wrongdoings. He believed him and would stand by him. Detective Dyer’s superiors suspended him without pay. A couple of weeks later, the police pulled Digg’s body out of the river. They had no other evidence to prove Diggs’ tip so Dyer’s suspension was lifted and he returned to work.
About six months earlier, Detective Guinn met a woman named Sherron at a bar on 12th street. They had a one night stand which led to an affair. When they met for their second rendezvous, they realized a startling revelation. Sherron was James Dyer’s wife and Eric was James’ partner. But, regardless of the scenario, they still kept on seeing each other. They were willing to take the risks.
The talk on the street was that Joseph Diggs (Snow Dog) was seen right before his death flashing a wad of money. The police believed someone must have paid him to set up Detective Dyer. Also, on the street, there was a lot of talk about Dyer buying drugs and soliciting prostitutes from Howell. Unfortunately, they couldn’t prove anything and it was so frustrating to them. Even when the ballistics report came in, they were still stumped. The gun used to kill Howell wasn’t the same type of gun that was issued to Dyer by the department. But, when Dyer’s superiors checked his locker at work to see if they could find something to shed some light on the case, they found a gun and it wasn’t the gun he had been issued by the department. They immediately sent it to have it checked. Sure enough, it proved without a shadow of a doubt that it was the murder weapon. Dyer was suspended, once again, from the force; he was the prime suspect in the case. During his interrogation, they questioned him about the gun. But, Dyer stood firm. He continued to deny all their suspicions and accusations. He could not explain how or why his gun came to be used as the murder weapon. He told them the gun was his own personal gun and he only used it as a backup weapon. How it got used and put back in his locker without his knowledge he had no idea. He denied all the accusations and insisted for some reason or another he was being set up. They also brought Eric, his partner, in for questioning. Even with the information about the murder weapon, Detective Guinn defended Dyer. He denied knowing Dyer had a second gun. He told them Dyer was an excellent detective and he had never seen or heard of him doing anything that would jeopardize his career. He also believed Dyer was being set up. When the police searched Dyer’s house, they found drugs hidden in the basement. Of course, Dyer denied he had any knowledge the drugs were in his basement. He swore he didn’t know about the drugs or how they got there. Dyer’s wife was also questioned but she believed her husband was innocent and denied knowing anything about the gun or the drugs. After the search of Dyer’s house, the district attorney believed there was enough evidence to arrest Dyer for the murder of Howell but they still wanted to investigate further before they brought him in. As the investigation went on, Eric and Dyer’s wife felt they should be a little more cautious with their affair so they decided not to see each other as much. She did, however, ask Eric to help prove James’ innocence. Eric assured her he would do everything he could to help. Eager to have enough incriminating evidence to bring charges against Dyer, the police brought in some of Howell’s prost
itutes for questioning and to see if they could pick Dyer out of a lineup. Without hesitation, each one of them were able to pick him out of the lineup and indicated they had been with him several times. But, the million dollar question, in the back of the police’s minds, was if they were lying because Dyer insisted when they brought him in to participate in the lineup that he was innocent and he was being setup. Plus, the word on the street was that Snow Dog was murdered to cover up the payoff he received for helping to setup Dyer. After he spilled the beans on Dyer, he was killed so he would be kept permanently silent. The more they investigated, the more twisted the case became. An off-duty cop reported he saw Dyer’s wife, Sherron, and Detective Guinn leaving a motel together. And, several others reported they had seen them together on several occasions. That raised suspicions that Detective Guinn knew more than what he was telling which made them question if Dyer’s wife and his partner were trying to set Dyer up to get him out of the way so they could have a life together.
Sherron and Eric had been seeing each other for a while and it was hard for them to stay away from each other while the investigation continued. Eric had fallen hard for Sherron. The more they didn’t see each other, the more possessive and jealous of her he became and Sherron didn’t like that. It made her realize she still loved James and she hoped he could get out of the mess he was in. Out of his love for Sherron, Eric did all he could to help James with his situation because she asked him. However, deep down inside, he knew if something happened to James or if he got locked up for life, they could be together.
The district attorney decided to offer the prostitutes a deal if they would agree to come in and answer some more questions and testify against Dyer when he was brought to trial in exchange for a slap on the wrist for their prostitution charges. The prostitutes weren’t sure if they could trust the D.A. but they agreed to cooperate. The prostitutes agreed to come in to speak with the D.A. After several hours of questioning, the D.A. knew Dyer and Howell talked on a regular basis and Howell told them to perform sexual favors for Dyer; Dyer paid good money for those favors. At first, the girls didn’t know Dyer was a cop because he never came to them in that way. He always came dressed like a business man and he didn’t act like a cop. The D.A. also learned the prostitutes had smoked pot with Dyer but they hadn’t done any hard drugs with him.
“Why didn’t you tell this information when you were questioned the first time?” the D.A. asked.
“We were reluctant because we didn’t want to get in trouble,” one of the prostitutes answered.
“If we had, would anyone have believed us?” another one said.
“Even if you weren’t believed it would have opened up some speculation,” the D.A. replied.
Then one of them said, “You’re talking to the wrong ones anyway. You need to be talking to Mary Jo, she was Howell’s main girl, his queen. If anybody knows anything, she does. Besides, we are just his working girls not his queen.”
“Where can we find Mary Jo?” the D.A. asked.
Another girl spoke up, “Who knows. She’s disappeared. We haven’t seen her since Big Daddy Howell was killed. If she knows what’s good for her, she has skipped town because her bread and butter has gone bye-bye. I’m sure she’s looking for another big daddy.”
“That’s all we know,” another girl replied. “Can we go?”
“Sure,” said the D.A. “But, if any of you hear from Mary Jo you’ll let me know, right.”
“Sure,” they all mumbled under their breath.
“You’ll be the first to know, honey,” one of them said with a smirk on her face.
“By the way, sweet thing,” said one, “if you’re ever out there on the street and need a little extra special attention, look me up.”
“Okay, girls, get out of here,” he ordered.
As soon as Detective Guinn heard of the prostitute’s statements against Dyer, he went straight to Sherron and told her. She had always suspected he was seeing someone but she never expected it to be prostitutes. She was shocked and hurt which is what Detective Guinn wanted to happen; that’s why he told her. He wanted to put another dagger in her marriage so it would push her closer to him.
The D.A. had built a strong case against Dyer. He had more than enough evidence for an indictment against him. However, even though the D.A. wanted to find and talk to Mary Jo, he went ahead and charged Dyer with first degree murder, buying and selling drugs and solicitation of prostitutes. When Sherron found out James had been charged with murder in the first degree and the other charges, she couldn’t believe it or accept it. She went straight to Eric, Detective Guinn.
“What could have happened to him?” she asked Eric. “He’s no longer the man I married or the man I once knew,” she told Eric. “The drugs, in a way, I kind of understand. I know James was worried about his pension; he didn’t think he could make it on that,” she explained to Eric. “I never thought he would resort to buying drugs and reselling them to make extra money. But, I can understand why he did. What I don’t understand are the prostitutes,” she cried out. “There is no excuse for that. Why? Why would he do such a thing? Why would he do that to me?”
“I don’t know,” Eric replied. “I sympathize with you but only James can answer that question,” Eric said as he took her in his arms and tried to calm her down. “I can’t make heads or tails out of it but I have never seen any wrongdoings out of James. And, even I didn’t know about the prostitutes. I don’t know this Mary Jo or how she fits in to all of this. It is no telling what she is going to tell the D.A. My gut feeling tells me it is only going to hurt James’ case even more.”
“I know,” cried Sherron. “At this point I really don’t care anymore. No matter how it turns out, I’m going to file for divorce. I just don’t see myself ever forgiving him for being with the prostitutes. The drugs, I can forgive him for but not the prostitutes,” she cried.
“I understand,” Eric comforted her.
Eric thought, at that moment, he would have Sherron all to himself. He didn’t know Sherron was considering stopping her relationship with him because he was so overbearing and jealous. She knew Eric wanted her to forget about James and be with him. She was physically attracted to him but she had doubts about being with him since he had become so possessive; she felt smothered by him. As Eric held her in his arms, she couldn’t think. She didn’t know how to tell him it was over between them because she was afraid. She knew she needed time to get things sorted out; she was so confused she didn’t know what to do.
The D.A. had the police put an APB out for Mary Jo. They immediately began to comb the city for her and questioned people on the streets. The news of the police searching for Mary Jo spread on the streets like wildfire; it was big news. The police received several tips and leads but they all led to dead ends. They checked the airport, train station and bus station but found no sign of her. After a few days of searching, they were about to give up when a lifeless body was found in an abandoned warehouse along the riverfront; it was Mary Jo. It appeared she had overdosed but luckily she had been found in time. She was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. It was touch and go for her the first couple of days. They didn’t know for sure if she had taken an overdose or if someone else had drugged her. After a few days, she made a turn for the better. The D.A. was waiting to question her when she was able to talk. The word on the street was that someone had tried to hush her up permanently to keep the police from talking with her. None of her friends believed she would have overdosed on her own because she wasn’t in to drugs. Apparently, she knew something because someone was trying to get rid of her.
Mary Jo’s condition improved so the doctors allowed the D.A. to question her but she refused to answer any of his questions. They only thing she told him was she didn’t know anything. But, the D.A. didn’t buy it. He believed she knew something but was afraid to tell it because she was afraid for her life. He continue
d to talk with her to make her feel at ease with him so she would open up and talk to him. Eventually, she did and he was able to get a few questions answered.
“Tell me about your relationship with Gary Howell,” the D.A. said.
“We were friends, very close friends,” she replied.
“What about James Dyer? Do you know him?” he asked.
“Yeah, I do. It’s funny. I used to talk about Big Daddy all the time but I never called him by his real name. About two years ago, I told him Big Daddy’s real name. It turns out, they used to be partners on the police force. I finally convinced Big Daddy to come and talk to Dyer. Big Daddy was reluctant at first but he finally agreed. It was an awkward meeting. However, they eventually relaxed around each other and were able to talk about old times. Dyer tried to get Big Daddy to give up his business, get off the streets and straighten out his life. But, Big Daddy was too far in and it was his way of life. He was making a substantial amount of money and he didn’t want to let it go. After a while, the tables turned and Dyer started using, buying and selling drugs for some quick cash. He got too far in and couldn’t turn back. He loved the fast money. It got even worse when Big Daddy suggested he spend some time with his girls. At first, Dyer resisted but Big Daddy hounded him so he finally decided to try it and unfortunately, he liked it. He liked it a lot. He hooked up with a few of the girls for sexual favors and they did drugs together as well. He was a changed man after that,” Mary Jo said.
“Do you think he is responsible for Howell’s death?” the D.A. asked.
“No, I don’t believe he killed Big Daddy,” she answered.
“They were too close of friends. I just don’t believe it. Dyer was going to retire in a few years and he was upset about his retirement. He didn’t think he would be able to live comfortably on his pension. That was all he talked about. That’s why he started buying and selling drugs. He wanted to make some fast cash to help make ends meet when he retired. No,” she said, “there’s no way I believe Dyer killed Big Daddy.”
The D.A. asked, “Do you know anyone else or if Howell had any enemies who wanted him out of the way?”
She hesitated for a moment and then said, “I don’t know of anyone.”
“Are you sure?” the D.A. asked.
“Positive,” she replied.
“Mary Jo, I need your help,” he insisted. “I have a feeling you know more than you’re telling me. I want to find Howell’s killer and I believe you want justice for him, too. If you believe Dyer didn’t do it, do you know who might have done it?”
“I’ve got to have a cigarette,” she said. “Do you have one?”
“I don’t smoke,” he replied.
He turned to the officer standing in the room with them and asked him if he had a cigarette and a light. The officer gave her a cigarette and lit it for her. She slowly inhaled and then slowly blew out the smoke.
The D.A. said to her, “I want to put away the one who murdered Howell for a long time.”
“I would love that,” she replied. “At least Big Daddy would get his justice.”
“Well, I need your help to make it happen,” the D.A. said.
“There was this guy Big Daddy was blackmailing. On several occasions, I overheard them talking. Big Daddy kept wanting more and more money from him to keep quiet. If not, he was going to turn him in.”
“Who was the man?” the D.A. asked. “Do you know who he was?”
“I’m getting to that,” she replied. “The night Big Daddy was killed he was going to meet him at two o’clock a.m. at the exact place he was killed. I didn’t get to go with him because I had a client to take care of. But, I believe it was the man he was blackmailing.”
“What did Howell have on him?” asked the D.A.
“Well, it goes back to 1962. Big Daddy and I were in the alley on Dover Street and 10th Avenue when a car pulled into the alley. They couldn’t see us because we were hidden by the darkness. A woman was driving and there was a man sitting in the front passenger’s seat. When the car stopped, they turned the lights off and started making out; you see a lot of that in my business. But, it wasn’t long before things got real messy. The man lost control, brutally raped and killed her. She was a prostitute from the south side. I knew who she was. Her real name was Tammy Simmons but her street name was Blue Starr. When the man got out of the car and began to walk away, he bumped in to a couple of homeless men who had witnessed the crime. One of them was Wayne Sanders. They called him Bear on the street. The other man was Randall Wix or Snake Eyes as he was called on the street. The man then pulled out a gun, shot and killed them both. Before he ran off, Big Daddy was able to get a good look at him. All three murders were never solved. Big Daddy eventually found out who the man was and confronted him. Instead of notifying the police, Big Daddy started blackmailing him. Big Daddy told him if anything ever happened to him there was someone else who knew all about what he had done.”
“And that was you,” said the D.A.
“Yeah,” she replied. “Can I have another cigarette?”
“Sure,” replied the officer as he handed it to her and lit it.
She took two long drags and slowly blew out the smoke.
“Do you know the man’s name?” questioned the D.A.
“Yeah,” she replied. “I met him a few times when he met with Big Daddy to make a blackmail payment.”
“Who is he?” asked the D.A.
“At the time of the crime, he was a rookie cop. He had only been on the police force for a short time. His name is Eric Guinn. The woman he raped and killed was Dyer’s half-sister.”
Both the D.A. and the officer in the room was stunned. The D.A. had no doubt in his mind that she was telling the truth.
“Thank you, Mary Jo. I really appreciate your willingness to cooperate.’
“You’re welcome, sir. I just wanted to help get justice for Big Daddy. I wish I had come forward sooner with this information but I was afraid for my life,” she explained.
“I understand,” the D.A. replied as he stood up to leave the room.
Within an hour, Detective Eric Guinn was picked up and brought in for questioning. After tense interrogation, he finally confessed and signed a written confession. He told the D.A. he knew James never locked his locker. He had taken Dyer’s gun out of his locker that day, killed Howell and when he came back by the station, he put the gun back inside James’ locker.
“What about the drugs found at Dyer’s house? Did you have anything to do with that?”
“Yeah, I did,” he said. “I planted them in his house when he wasn’t at home. I was having an affair with his wife. But, she has no idea I did any of this.”
Detective Eric Guinn was charged with four counts of first degree murder and one count of aggravated rape. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. He is still waiting for his execution on death row. He is scheduled to be executed this fall. Detective Dyer and Sherron got back together but things didn’t work out. About a year later, they divorced; they never could forgive each other. Sherron moved to another state to be with her family. Dyer lives on his pension and works a part-time job to make ends meet. Neither Sherron nor James ever remarried.