by Joe Conlan
The prick is a true professional. He was caught by eight different cameras in the parking lot, garage and inside the terminal. We didn’t get one good look at his face. I’ve done an NCIC and Interpol search to check for any wanted dangerous criminals fitting his description. I didn’t come up with much. I also ran the particulars for the Hannah Richards murder through VICAP. Didn’t get any clear cut matches. I’m really surprised this is the first time this guy’s popped up on our radar screen.”
Interpol and VICAP were tools regularly used by the FBI for the investigation and apprehension of criminals around the world. Interpol is an international policing agency that has member countries on every continent in the world. VICAP is part of the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. The acronym stands for Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. Its computer software collects and analyzes information regarding victims, offenders, modus operandi, sexual activity, weapons, vehicles, forensic evidence, photographs and any other related case data. Details of the crime being investigated are input into the computer. It then provides criminal investigative analysis, potentially related cases and possible leads amongst a host of other valuable investigative tools.
“Have you gotten any results back from forensics, yet?” inquired Daniel. “Were you able to confirm the jewelry the victim was wearing belonged to Mrs. Richards?”
“We know the rope was soaked with a standard barbecue lighter fluid. Since the chemicals found in most of ‘em are identical, forensics said it would be impossible to identify a brand name. We don’t have any DNA or dental results yet. Mrs. Stein was able to positively identify one of the rings as a birthday present she gave her sister several years ago. It pretty much confirms what we already knew. What’s going on down there? Where are you?”
“Right now, I’m staying at a Hampton Inn in Hallandale Beach, three miles from my place.” Before calling Mancini back, Daniel reflected heavily on whether he should share his indiscretion with James and the other members of the investigative team. There was a significant chance that the taking of photographs of him and Annie were integrally intertwined with the Hannah Richard’s disappearance. The murder, delivery of the ears and photographs seemed to revolve around Annie. To protect his reputation and personal life by holding back important facts from his colleagues who were attempting to solve this horrendous crime would be unacceptable. Especially, when he considered his family and Annie could be in danger. Ultimately, it was an easy decision to put the investigation first and suffer whatever consequences would follow. Daniel went on to explain what occurred on Saturday night, the photographs and his conversation with Deborah.
“Holy shit, Daniel. I’m sorry about that. I hope everything turns out alright.”
“Thanks, Jim. I’ve made a mess of my personal life. I can’t afford to lose focus at work. I only told you because I think it’s most likely related to the Richards’ case.” Daniel described his common denominator theory involving Annie.
“This definitely thickens the plot,” replied Mancini. “Do you have any idea who could have taken the pictures?”
“If my theory about a stalker is accurate, it would make sense he took the pictures. If that’s the case, then he has information about me and my family. I’ve also wondered if Annie’s boyfriend Michael Munez was involved. She’s pretty emphatic he’s not capable of murder or a devious plan to break up my marriage. She has a point. There’s no motive there. He doesn’t seem to be the stalker type who would wait outside her apartment spying through her windows, either. The person who took the pictures definitely used high-tech equipment. I asked Annie if Michael had an interest in photography. She said he doesn’t even take a camera with him when they go on vacation.
Just thinking on my feet here, I’m leaning toward the stalker theory and I’m not likin’ it. If the killer is the vengeful type and I suspect he’s that and much more, it puts my family in danger. We’ve already entered the data into VICAP regarding all the details of the crime and the best photo of the suspect we could extract from the tapes. His description and photo are also being distributed to all policing agencies in the country. I would like to do the same with Interpol. I’d like to get a list from VICAP and Interpol of all unsolved gruesome crimes committed within the past two years. Do you think you could handle that or should I get Leland on it? I’m gonna talk to your SAC either tonight or tomorrow to get a team together for this case. Obviously, I’m going to highly recommend you be part of it.”
“I don’t mind doing it, Daniel. It’ll just take a couple-a-phone calls.”
“I really need to stay on top of this. I could never forgive myself if something ever happened to Deborah or the kids.”
“Don’t worry, man. I got your back. Let me get busy. I’d give Leland a call if I were you. Your office is kinda worried about you.”
“Will do. Thanks for all your help. I’ll be in touch.”
“Any time, buddy. Take care. I hope everything works out between you and the Mrs.”
Days passed, then weeks without Daniel hearing a word from Deborah. He left countless messages on the home and cell phones with no response. He wrote at least three emails a day to no avail. Deborah maintained her silence. In order for him to see the boys, he had to communicate through Jack and Kate Tyler. He begged both of them to persuade their daughter to talk to him. His pleas fell on deaf ears. He was at his wits end. How could he tell her he couldn’t live without her and the boys if she rejected every attempt to communicate with her?
After a good deal of soul searching of his own, Daniel had to admit to himself his feelings for Annie were more than just a platonic love. That being the case, Deborah was the mother of his children and the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. The first step in the process had to be the termination of his relationship with Annie. It was unfair to all parties concerned for it to continue. They both needed to get over each other once and for all.
The Hannah Richards investigation wasn’t progressing any faster than his efforts with Deborah. The DNA and dental records comparison results came in confirming the corpse found in the woods outside of Tannersville was, in fact, Hannah Richards. Several of the hairs found at the scene were assumed to be the killer’s. The same applied to the fingerprints found on the buttons of the white shirt. Michael Munez was for all intents and purposes, excluded as a suspect. Beyond that, the investigation had come to a complete standstill. The post office tapes were just more of the same practically useless footage seen at the airports. The DNA results of the suspect’s hair sample was entered into the Combined DNA Index System known as CODIS. The program was developed as a national automated DNA information processing and telecommunications system to link biological evidence in criminal cases. DNA testing of forensic crime scene samples from around the country and sometimes around the world could be compared against a catalogue of known offenders. The DNA of the hair found at the Richards site didn’t match any subjects already in the CODIS database.
Interviews of Hannah’s family and friends weren’t helpful in identifying the man in the surveillance tapes or any individual who had any reason to harm Hannah. Interpol was dragging their feet and had not yet provided any of the information requested. Daniel recently contacted several of the FBI’s overseas agents to light a fire under the international policing agency. He was hoping for quick results. Nothing had come in yet. The stake-out to determine if anyone was stalking Annie hadn’t yielded any results, either.
VICAP provided a list of recent gruesome murders committed in the United States and various agents were reviewing those cases to determine if there were any potential connections to the Richards murder. They hadn’t come up with anything solid to date. The name Dwight Adelman also led to a dead end. There were several Israeli citizens with the name. They were all ruled out as possible suspects. None of them were in the United States at the time of the murder. Eventually, it was confirmed that Leland’s conclusion about the false passport provided to American
Airlines for the flight to New York was accurate.
Daniel felt like something had to give, though it wasn’t going to happen all on its own. He was a firm believer a person created his or her own luck. It didn’t make sense to him that they were unable to come up with any leads. It was improbable Hannah Richards was the suspect’s first murder victim. It definitely didn’t have the feel of an inexperienced killer. The murderer was too good at what he did. His method was almost impeccably professional. He also seemed to be challenging the authorities. The only thing keeping Daniel relatively optimistic was his confidence that this guy was going to make a mistake. When he did, Daniel planned to be there to nab the bastard.
The first real break in the Richards case would come the very next week. The FBI liaison at the American Embassy in Rome was able to match the CODIS DNA analysis to a killing that occurred in Europe more than a year earlier. The suspect’s hair sample found at the Tannersville crime scene was found to have the exact DNA code as traces of blood found under the victim’s fingernails in a brutal murder case that occurred in Frosinone, Italy. Immediately thereafter, Daniel assembled a team to travel to Italy to further confirm the two crimes were linked to the same killer. Jonathan Frazier, one of the Behavioral Sciences Unit’s foremost profilers, was appointed to lead the team. Ordinarily profilers were employed to a specific crime or series of crimes to develop a behavioral composite of an unknown offender. In this particular instance, it was Special Agent Frazier’s assignment to determine if sufficient commonalities existed between the crimes to be able to say with relative certainty that the cases were connected.
Accompanied by the lead investigator, Special Agent Robert Leland, and two men from the ERT, Frazier arrived at the American Embassy in Rome three days after the DNA match was discovered. With the help of the FBI liaison who spoke Italian fluently and Roman Carabinieri, they made an appointment for the following morning to meet with the local investigators in Frosinone. They hoped to review the investigative file and inspect the crime scene of the murder of Francesca Leone.
Francesca’s mutilated, naked body was found in a wooded area just outside the property limits of a seminary for Roman Catholic priests. The cause of death was determined to be extensive blood loss due to a knife wound to the throat which severed both the carotid artery and jugular vein. There was some evidence of sexual penetration although no semen was found on the scene or anywhere in or on the corpse. It was assumed the suspect’s blood under the victim’s fingernails was a result of a defensive act against the rape. The victim’s right middle finger was amputated and placed inside her vagina.
Frosinone was approximately ninety-three kilometers southeast of the center of Rome. On the day of the scheduled meeting, the FBI team hired drivers to chauffeur them on the one hour and ten minute ride to the office of the Carabinieri in Frosinone. When they arrived, the ERT members were escorted to the crime scene to take photographs and comb the area for any possible evidence missed by the original inspectors. Meanwhile, Frazier, Leland and the FBI liaison stayed at the office to review the autopsy reports, lab analyses, crime scene photos, the method and manner of body disposal, witness statements and the victim’s family history.
Using this information, Frazier developed a preliminary profile of the suspect. In his final report he estimated that the most likely perpetrator was in his late twenties to early thirties with a significant history of previous violent crimes. Frazier believed the murderer worked alone. The perpetrator’s behavior at the scene demonstrated he was experienced, controlled and methodical. This probably wasn’t his first kill. The mutilation spoke of his anger toward women and his need to humiliate the victim sexually. There was clearly a component of revenge and the expression of dominance in his method.
Special Agent Frazier ultimately concluded that the Leone and Richards murders were committed by the same killer. He based his decision on the obvious DNA match and the fact that he would assign similar character traits to both perpetrators. In his verbal report to Daniel, he pointed out many murderers who kill with a sexual theme often commit arson. Frazier was certain the suspect would continue to engage in post-mortem mutilation and that his behavior could even get worse. He strongly suggested they explore the possibility of other similar murders in Europe as he doubted Francesca was his only victim during that time frame.
It was a crystal clear March evening on Ft. Lauderdale beach. The moon over the Atlantic Ocean bounced off the horizon like an oversized, swiss cheese colored beach ball. It cast a reflection off the water that made the crests of the waves sparkle like a child’s Fourth of July fireworks. Shem Chassar stared at the display though his mood was something short of festive. He had been riding on a high over the past month and a half. As the exhilaration never lasted for more than a few weeks, a crash was overdue. The events of the past few hours had undoubtedly contributed to his decline.
More care and discipline were going to be absolutely necessary to the success of his new venture involving the FBI agent. Several weeks ago, he debunked the FBI’s attempts to gain information through providing protection for Annie. He followed her home that day. As he was passing down Birch Street looking for a parking space across from the Maya Marca, he noticed an obvious unmarked police vehicle occupied by two men in dark suits. He couldn’t believe the morons actually thought they were being inconspicuous. The only thing they managed to do was keep him from seeing his Annie for a few weeks. It made him extremely angry, but he knew they would eventually give up on their plan. When a stake-out wasn’t rendering results, the government was too cheap to continue financing the project. Today was the first day he noticed their surveillance had been abandoned.
Earlier, he stood on this beach to spend a belated and much anticipated evening with his Annie. Gazing up toward her apartment through his top of the line binoculars, he wondered what she would think of his newly dyed black hair. He didn’t have time to consider the possibilities. Annie was turning off all the lights in the apartment. Since it was only 7:45, this could only mean one thing. He gathered up his equipment and walked quickly back to his parked car. Sure enough, five minutes later, Annie’s red BMW pulled out of the parking garage and turned north on Birch Street. Shem’s vehicle was parked in a southerly direction, requiring him to make a hurried three point turn in order to maintain a tail on her.
He kept a safe distance behind as she made her way northbound on A1A. A mile and a half down the road, she turned left into an outdoor style shopping village and parked her car in a metered parking space. Shem scanned the area to locate a space where he could park without being noticed by Annie. He had to act swiftly. There were a number of stores, boutiques and more importantly restaurants in the area she could enter. She could be meeting someone for a meal. He didn’t want to lose track of her. He found a space twenty yards up the road. Despite his rushed efforts, by the time he parked, grabbed his cowboy hat and hopped out of the vehicle, she was already out of sight. Until she disappeared, he had kept an eye on her through his rearview and side mirrors. He knew she headed back in the direction of A1A. It wasn’t going to be easy trying to locate her before she potentially ducked into one of the several business establishments leading up to Sunrise Blvd.
He jogged to the beach road, then slowed his pace to blend in with the crowd. This time of year was considered the season in South Florida. Scores of college and high school students were spending their spring break on Ft. Lauderdale’s famous beach. As a result, the sidewalk along A1A was packed with pedestrians. His height afforded him a view over the tops of most people’s heads. Unfortunately for him, his advantage offered no benefit. Annie was nowhere in sight. He cursed under his breath at his bad luck. He couldn’t afford for his search to be obvious. Nevertheless, if he wanted to locate her, he would be forced to enter each and every store along her anticipated path. Waiting for her to return was not an option. He had to know if she was meeting with anyone.
In spite of his misfortune, he remained calm, searching all sho
ps along A1A to its intersection with Sunrise Boulevard. He doubted she crossed the street to the beach, so he turned left on Sunrise and checked the Splish Splash Bikini store on the corner. Still, no Annie. He continued west until he passed by the front window of the Starbucks Coffee Shop. What he saw inside stopped him in his tracks. Annie was seated at a table in a secluded corner involved in a deep conversation with the FBI agent. A familiar rage began to boil just beneath the surface. This time, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to reel it in. He stepped away from the window and took a few deep breaths taming his anger at least enough to assess the situation. Knowledge of the topic of their conversation was much too critical. He wondered for a split second if his plan to separate them backfired. Refusing to believe it, his confidence in his intuition prevailed. He was sure the agent loved his wife or at least cared deeply for her. It didn’t make sense he would continue to see Annie. With an ultra-peaked curiosity and the feeling that he was settled enough to refrain from doing anything rash, he weighed his options.