Searching for Sera

by Dallas E Tucker

  Going off of Frank's profile, I got on my computer and searched the internet for local bars and dance clubs. The results were a little overwhelming. There were a lot of clubs, and most of them seemed to cater to the younger crowds. I checked blogs and reviews, trying to find which clubs were the most popular. I also checked for clubs that were located close to Sera's bank. After all, the ATM receipts were from late at night, possibly while she was visiting one of the clubs.

  After narrowing down the list, I wrote down the top ten. I decided I would check some of them out. It was Saturday night, and I knew they would be busy. I grabbed a picture of Sera so I could show it around to the people at the clubs. I decided to run home real quick and change my clothes. After all, my outfit was not exactly club attire.

  I made it home a little after 8:00 p.m. I hadn’t been home in days and was excited to see Allie and the girls. I walked in the door and saw everyone sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner. The girls were excited and rushed over to me. I was smothered with tight hugs and kisses. I looked up and saw Allie. She was beautiful as always. I walked over to her and gave her a hug. It felt amazing, and I didn’t ever want to let go. I kissed her for several seconds, and she placed her head on my chest.

  “God I missed you,” I said, as I held her tight.

  “I missed you too baby,” she said in a soft voice.

  “How have things been?” I asked.

  “Good. Busy. The girls are about to drive me crazy. They are both in their sassy teenager moods.”

  I laughed and said, “I’m not surprised.”

  I sat at the table and got caught up with everything going on in their lives. The girls talked non stop about school and sports. They told me about all of the drama that had been happening with their friends. Sometimes it was more than I wanted to know, but tonight I enjoyed every second of it.

  Allie talked about her job at the hospital and how busy the ER had been. She shared a few stories about some recent trauma cases she was involved with. I could see the passion on her face, as she described the injuries and the treatment each patient underwent. She was always professional about it. She never said any names and never let things get too gory. I sat and ate my dinner realizing how lucky I was. I loved being home, and I loved the women in my life.

  After dinner, I helped with the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. When I was finished, I went to the living room and sat on the couch with Allie. She curled up next to me and we cuddled by the fire. We sat in silence and just enjoyed being with each other. I updated her on the case and explained that I needed to go back into town for a little while. Allie was disappointed, but understood.

  “You know I have a few days off coming up," Allie said in a subtle voice. “Maybe we could take a trip away, just the two of us. It’s still elk season, and the meat stash in the freezer is getting pretty low.”

  “I guess I could sneak away for a day or two,” I told her. “But, I have an interview I have to do in the morning. I can probably take Monday and Tuesday off. We can go camping and hunting for a couple of days if you want?”

  Her excitement filled the room, as she hugged me just a little tighter. She made plans to go shopping tomorrow and get some food and drinks for the trip. She told me not to worry about a thing. She would get our gear together, while I was at work, and everything would be ready to go before Monday.

  I was excited to spend a couple of days with Allie. We needed our alone time together. I think it was what had kept our relationship so strong over the years. I never bought into the saying of opposites attract. Allie and I shared the same passions, for just about everything. For us, it wasn't about extravagant vacations to a tropical resort. It wasn't about a busy casino, overcrowded with other tourists. It was about being together, walking through the mountains, enjoying God's beauty. Hunting was just another way we got to be together. If we successfully harvested an animal, that was just a bonus. It was the adventure, the unknown, and spending time with one another, that we truly loved.

  After our hunting plans were finalized, I checked the clock and realized I needed to start getting ready. The clubs would be in full swing in a couple of hours.

  I made my way to our bathroom and jumped in the shower. The hot water felt incredible, as it rained over my head and body. I stood motionless, as the steam began to fill the room. The sound of the water splashing on the shower floor was hypnotizing.

  As I stood there, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sera. I wondered where she was. I wondered if she was still alive. I wondered what kind of hell she was going through. Evil visions appeared in my mind.

  I wanted to find her so bad. I wanted to save her from the monster that took her. I wanted to take her home to Marsha and watch the two of them embrace.

  I had gotten lost in my thoughts and snapped back to reality, just as the water started to turn cold. I dried off and walked into the bedroom. I sat at the edge of the bed and stared at the carpet. This case had really done a number on me. I was exhausted.

  As I sat, I was overcome by sadness, followed by more horrific visions. Images of Sera being hurt; screaming for help. I also pictured Marsha’s face; that look; haunting.

  Allie walked in the room and saw me staring off into space.

  “Are you ok honey?” she asked, in a concerned tone.

  I looked up at her, but didn't answer. She could tell I was in pain; she could always tell. Allie came to me with open arms. I felt them wrap around me, as I nestled into her chest. Overcome with emotion, I began to cry. I cried as I had never cried before. The tears streamed down my face, like a flowing river. Allie held me as tight as she could and spoke words of comfort.

  “It’s ok baby. I’m here for you.”

  I caught my breath and looked up at her.

  “Why is the world like this? Why can’t I find her? Why does God put a girl through something so horrible?” I asked, knowing there wasn't an answer.

  I cried again and held Allie tighter. I had reached my breaking point. A lifetime worth of emotions, came pouring out of me. I felt weak; I felt angry; I felt devastated; but worst of all, I felt completely helpless.

  Allie gently stroked my head, trying to comfort me.

  “I don’t know baby, nobody does. I do know that God has a reason for everything. Even if we can’t see it, or don’t understand why.”

  I tried to find comfort in her reasoning, but couldn’t. All I knew at this point, was there was a monster out there, and he had Sera.

  I wasn’t in any shape to go out to the clubs. Instead, I decided to crawl into bed. With Allie laying next to me, gently rubbing my back, I cried myself to sleep.

  ◆◆◆

  It was about 6:30 a.m. when I awoke to my phone ringing. I answered it and heard the voice of one of my dispatchers. She informed me a young girls body had been found in the Gallatin River. The officers on the scene believed it could be Sera. I wrote down the exact location, telling the dispatcher I was on my way.

  I quickly got dressed and left the house.

  I drove to the river in a trance. I didn’t want to believe that it could be Sera. But in all reality, who else could it be. I felt sick with worry and anticipation.

  I arrived on the scene and met with the officers. They told me a father and his son had been fishing in the river. When they came through the brush, to enter the next fishing hole, they saw the girl's body laying on a pile of large rocks. They immediately called 911.

  One of the officers escorted me through a field, which lead to a wooded area. From there we navigated through the brush and blackberry bushes. We made it to the edge of the river, where I could see the body.

  It was about twenty-five feet away from the bank. The body was near the middle of the river, lodged against a pile of rocks. The body was mostly exposed, but the lower half of her legs were still submerged in the water. She was naked, and her head was facing away from me.

  A scared and sickening feeling rose inside me. I stood there motionless, just staring at her. W
as it Sera?

  From where I was standing, I couldn't tell if it was her. I started to think about how I could confirm my suspicions when I was interrupted by the officer. He looked at me, obviously seeking guidance on what he should do. I could tell he was clueless and I wasn't in the mood to hold his hand.

  “Tape off the trail that we walked down and designate it as the path of ingress and egress. Take pictures of the witnesses and the pattern on the soles of their shoes. Make sure you question them separately. Lock them into a statement and be thorough with your questioning. Find out what time they got here. Find out how often they come here. Find out when was the last time they were here. Find out if they saw anyone else in the area. Find out if they saw any other vehicles in the area. Tape off the entire field and shut down the road leading to the river access. Post an officer at the closure and have them write down license plates, vehicle color, make and model of anything that drives by. I’ll call dispatch and let them know what kind of resources I need”

  The officer frantically wrote my instructions down, as I shouted them out. When he finished, he stood there, looking more confused.

  “Don’t let anybody fuck up this crime scene,” I said, in a stern voice.

  The officer nodded his head and scampered back into the brush.

  I turned my attention back to the body. I noticed the hair was the same color as Sera’s and her build looked like a match. I studied the way the body was positioned. All of my training and experience told me the body had washed down the river to its point of rest, but I had to be certain. For the time being, this was my crime scene, and I had to treat it as such.

  I quickly made my way back up the trail, to the open field. I called dispatch and asked for all available officers and detectives. I requested the dive team and the coroner. I asked for Rene and her team so they could process the scene. I explained the scene to the dispatcher and told her what type of equipment Rene was going to need. I suggested waders, underwater cameras, and metal detectors. I requested a mobile command center and lots of coffee. The dispatcher laughed at the last item and said she would give Rene the list.

  I hung up the phone and looked around. I took a deep breath in and exhaled. This is going to be a long day.

  I pulled out my digital recorder and started talking into it. I was verbally documenting the details of the area. I photographed the field and woods, as well as the river banks and the body’s position. I recorded the GPS coordinates of the site and sketched a diagram. I searched the immediate area near the river bank, but didn’t locate any items of evidence.

  After the dive team arrived, as well as Rene and her team, we developed a recovery plan. The dive team escorted Rene out to the body, where she processed it as best she could. I knew it was unlikely to get any evidence off of the body at this point. Hopefully, once we got it back to the coroner's office, we would find something.

  The body was recovered and brought to my location on the bank. I was nervous and anxious, while I waited to see if it was Sera. After the body was unloaded, I unzipped the body bag. I opened it, and my heart shattered. It was Sera; I recognized her from the picture her mom gave me.

  I stood there staring at her, not knowing what to think. Part of me was happy that she wasn't going through her nightmare anymore. Another part of me was angry. Angry that I couldn't find her before now. Angry that some monster did this to her. What did she do to deserve this, I asked myself. There was nothing she did to deserve this. No one deserved this.

  The final part of me was filled with sadness. I was distraught about Sera and about how Marsha was going to take the news. I knew I was going to be the one to tell Marsha, and the thought of that scared me.

  I could only imagine what that news must be like. How would I comfort her? How could anyone comfort someone, who has just lost their child like this? Tears saturated my eyes. I took a deep breath, gathered myself and zipped the bag shut.

  I escorted Sera’s body up to the mobile command center. Her body was secured in the coroner’s van. I held a quick briefing with the assisting detectives and officers. I mapped out sections of the river and the surrounding areas, where grid searches would be conducted. I left this assignment to be supervised by one of the other detectives. I had other things to do. I needed to go to the coroner’s office with Sera’s body.

  Sera’s body was transported to the coroner’s office, where the medical examiner was waiting for us. We made our way into the examination room, where Sera’s body was removed from the bag. She was placed on the examination table. I took my digital recorder out and turned it on. The medical examiner began to evaluate Sera’s body.

  I saw Sera's face and almost lost it. I could see her injuries much more clearly, under the bright lights. She was beaten severely, almost to the point that her face was sunken in. There were ligature marks around her neck, wrists, and ankles, indicating she had been bound. She had shallow lacerations to both of her thighs and stomach, made with a sharp object, most likely a knife. There were large lacerations to her upper and lower back. The lacerations weren't clean cuts like the ones on her front side. These injuries were consistent with her skin tearing like she was whipped.

  Petechiae hemorrhaging was present in both eyes, indicating she was asphyxiated. There was trauma to her vaginal and anal areas, consistent with being sexually assaulted. She had numerous burn marks on several parts of her body. The horror she went through was inhumane.

  Sera’s injuries were photographed, and she was secured back into the bag. An autopsy would be performed to confirm our findings and collect any other possible items of evidence. We scheduled the autopsy for the following morning, and I left feeling horrified.

  I made it to my vehicle in the parking lot, before getting sick. I had seen hundreds of dead bodies, the majority of them in way worse condition than Sera. But it was the thought of what happened to her, that was so sickening. She was bound, tortured and then strangled to death. The thought of her enduring that kind of death was too much for my stomach to handle.

  Suddenly I was overcome with gruesome images of Sera being tortured. I pictured her praying to God, asking for the pain stop. I wondered if she fought to stay alive, holding on to her life till the very end. Or did she see serenity and decide just to let go and welcome death. I hope God was with her, comforting her in her time of need.

  After gathering myself, I called the supervising detective at the scene. I wanted to check on his progress and tell him about Sera's injuries. He let me know they were over halfway done with the search and hadn't found anything. I hung up the phone feeling even worse.

  I owed it to Sera to catch the son of a bitch that did this to her. He had to have made a mistake somewhere along the way. He had to have screwed up, at least once. He had to have left something for me to find. Hopefully, the autopsy would generate some evidence. I needed something; anything. What I really needed was a miracle.

  ◆◆◆

  I didn’t remember driving to Sera’s house, but somehow I was parked in front of it. I climbed out of my car and slowly walked up to the front door. I knocked gently and waited for Marsha to answer.

  After a few seconds, the door opened, and Marsha stood there, smiling at me. I looked at Marsha and watched as her smile disappeared, tears filling her eyes. She must have seen the pain in my eyes. I didn't say anything, but Marsha knew why I was there. She broke down hysterically crying. She fell to the floor screaming in agony. I dropped to my knees and held her tight.

  Time seemed to stand still, as I could feel the devastation seeping out of her. I had no idea how long she was going to cry, but I knew I wasn’t going to leave her.

  Eventually, we made our way inside and we sat on the couch. I gave her some of the details as to where Sera was found. I didn't tell her about the horror Sera went through. This was not the time for that. I explained I would have more details once the autopsy was performed.

  “If you like, I can have a Chaplain come over?” I asked in a soft voice.

>   Marsha shook her head indicating no. She cleared her throat, preparing to speak.

  “God got a new angel today,” she said, as she smiled, tears still falling.

  I smiled back, nodding my head in agreement.

  We sat together in silence, for several more hours. We held hands for comfort and reassurance. It was at that moment I knew I would never give up on this case. I knew I was going to find whoever did this, and he was going to pay.

  CHAPTER 8

  The Other Side of Sera

  The next morning Rene and I attended the autopsy. I watched as Sera's body was dissected. For me, this was always the worst part of a homicide investigation. It was hard to think of the body as a shell and not an actual person. To me, it was still a person. To see that person cut open and their organs extracted, was hard, to say the least.

  Rene collected her samples for toxicology, and a sexual assault exam was conducted for evidence purposes.

  In addition to the injuries we located yesterday, Sera had several fractures to the bones in her hands and rib cage. The medical examiner showed me a series of CT images, taken a few hours after our initial examination. The medical examiner explained the post-mortem images and pointed out how the fractures contained bone marrow edema, indicating the fractures were perimortem.

  I thought about the information and wondered what had happened to Sera. Was she locked in a room, and beat the door with her hands to the point of breaking them? Did she fight back, and manage to hit her attacker multiple times? Or was it just more injuries caused by the gruesome torture she suffered? I wanted to believe it was because she fought back, but based on her broken ribs, I knew better.

  I started to feel queasy and needed some air. I told Rene I would be outside, in case she needed anything.