Body+Farm+Chapter+Notes,+1-8

Kaitlin Cassity Period 5: The Body Farm Chapter Notes October 12, 2008

Chapter 1: Quantico, Virginia; site of the FBI Academy Case 1 Presented: Emily Steiner Eleven years of age, Emily Steiner was sexually assaulted and murdered in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Investigators attempt to link Steiner’s murder with serial murders of Gault. Chapter 1 discusses observations of the Steiner home as well as the condition of the girl’s body when she was discovered. All investigators attempt to construct a chain of events leading to Steiner’s murder, discussing all of the evidence discovered. Main Characters Introduced: a) Dr. Kay Scarpetta: In charge of autopsy reports, observing condition of body as well as pictures taken of body at the crime scene. She also works heavily in Knoxville’s Body Farm, studying the changes of the body post-death. Most simply, she is a pathologist for the Investigative Support Unit. b) Marino: FBI agent involved in the Violent Criminal Apprehension program. Marino plans to assist Kay in her study of the Steiner murder. c) Lucy: Kay’s niece works as an intern at the FBI Academy, specifically d) Max Ferguson & Lieutenant Hershel Mote: Ferguson is a member of the State Bureau of Investigation, while Mote is a member of the Black Mountain Police. e) Unit Chief Benton Wesley: Works alongside Scarpetta and Marino, leading investigative team in Steiner homicide. Chapter 2: Wesley and Scarpetta visit Lucy, as Scarpetta yearns to learn more of Lucy’s duties at the bureau. →Lucy works within the Engineering Research Facility, specifically aiding in the development of CAIN, the Crime Artificial Intelligence Network. CAIN assists in crime analysis reports as well as the storing of fingerprint data from out in the field. Thus, the FBI will be able to have a database of fingerprints of convicted criminals. If the criminal is already within the system, criminal records can be accessed on site, simply by scanning their finger. →Lucy and Aunt get in disagreement regarding Lucy’s work associate Carrie Chapter 3: Ferguson Murdered/Mote Experiences Heart Attack Max Ferguson is found dead in his home, hung from the ceiling by a noose and covered with an afghan. Women’s undergarments are draped upon his lifeless body, as he appears to have been performing some type of sexual fantasy. Bourbon is found close by →Similarly, Mote experiences heart discomfort and is asked by Dr. Scarpetta to leave the crime scene. As time progresses, Mote eventually collapses and enters a state of cardiac arrest. Onlookers notify 911 and Mote is taken to the hospital for further treatment and care. Chapter 4: Dr. Thomas Katz, a forensic expert of the Body Found, and Scarpetta study Ferguson’s home, looking for any type of evidence. →Shrunken, frozen pieces of flesh are discovered in Ferguson’s refrigerator. Investigators look for latent prints, spraying down Ferguson’s room with “super glue.” A print is discovered on the victim’s nylon panties. Chapter 5: Investigators Thoroughly Examine Ferguson’s Basement Marion, Wesley, and Scarpetta try to find links between Steiner and Ferguson. No forms of evidence indicate that Steiner had been at the Ferguson residence. →Investigators construct plan: Scarpetta and Dr. Jenrette will conduct an autopsy of Max Ferguson’s body, while Marion questions Steiner’s mother. Wesley, in his flight back to Quantico, will begin to study the body parts discovered in the freezer. The results of these studies will determine future actions. →Love triangle forms between Marino, Wesley, and Scarpetta. Dr. Scarpetta and Wesley become closer, while Marion remains jealous. Chapter 6: Marino and Scarpetta visit area of Steiner’s disappearance/ Scarpetta studies Ferguson’s body → Contents in stomach reveal little to no food prior to death being digested. No fractures were discovered in spine. Thus, both investigators wonder if victim was alive or dead before hanging. (Poisoning is considered). → Scarpetta and Jenrette study Steiner’s preserved brain: The brain had no hemorrhage of swelling, suggesting that the bullet would was not lethal. Another case of death must then be considered, as Scarpetta observes the photographs of Steiner’s deceased body. →Scarpetta observes a new piece of evidence located on the Steiner’s lower parts. This area is blotched and no bigger than a bottle cap. Nevertheless, this marking is very distinct. Scarpetta yearns to dig up the recently buried Steiner to further study the mark. → Scarpetta asks judge of Black Mountain for permission to remove Steiner’s body for further study. He insists she gain the approval of Emily Steiner’s mother before any actions are taken. Chapter 7: Marino and Scarpetta meet with Emily Steiner’s Mother → Steiner’s mother allows investigators to exhume daughter’s body for further study → Scarpetta decides to reexamine the area in which Sterner disappeared, walking alone by the lake and picnic area. Scarpetta uncovers candy where police discovered Steiner’s body. The candy was mentioned in Stein’s diary, providing investigators with another piece of circumstantial evidence. Chapter 8: Emily Steiner’s Body is exhumed for Further Study →Scarpetta and Marino, along with Lucias Ray of the funeral home, remove Steiner’s casket from the cemetery. Reporters flock the scene and Marino becomes enraged. Chapter 9: Body Studied with New Evidence Discovered→Scarpetta and Jenrette, once removing the victim’s body from the coffin, photograph the unusual spot on Emily Steiner’s lower parts. Although Scarpetta is not able to determine what exactly made the mark, she is able to determine some type of pattern is in fact imprinted. Also, dead, frozen kitten is discovered in shoebox of Steiner’s casket. →Kitten named Socks that belonged to Emily was strangled and killed the day following Emily’s murder/Mother decided to place the dead kitten in her daughter’s casket as well prior to burial →Scarpetta and Marino question Mrs. Steiner, asking her more questions about Emily’s disappearance as well as the identity of her killer. →Scarpetta yearns to interview Wren Maxwell, the boy that Emily was going to meet the day of her death/ He reveals that he had asked Emily to meet him at the church early. He saw her arrive but had no intention of meeting her. The youth leader asked if she was okay and by the end of the service, she left early. → Max reveals relationship between janitor Creed and kids of his school, specifically the relationship between Creed and Emily. He is claimed to have given Emily flowers as well as candy, as she did not like his flavored toothpicks/ he provided Max with information of the lake Chapter 10: Scarpetta Returns to Quantico to Address Lucy’s Emergency --Trace evidence evaluated as well: A fingerprint recovered fro Ferguson’s panties belonged to Denesa Steiner →Upon arriving home, Kay discovers that her niece is accused of breaking into classified FBI files in the middle of the night. Classified ERF information should not be revealed to just anyone, thus the bureau asks Lucy to pack her things and remove herself from the service. Lucy is upset as she claims she was set up, not committing any of the acts she has been committed of. Thus, Lucy stays with Kay in Richmond until further actions are taken. Chapter 11: Upon attending a court case involving a homicide, Kay meets with Gloria Loving, in charge of the Health Department’s Division of vital records. →Kay asks Gloria to look up information regarding a SIDS case in California (The Steiner child, Mary Jo). → Kay then travels to D.C. to visit with Senator Frank Lord, whom she asks to make sure Lucy’s investigation is treated appropriately. He makes it clear to Scarpetta that she needs to understand Lucy’s motive, also making sure that she is there for her. → Scarpetta meets with Wesley and Cartwright at Richmond headquarters, discussing significant trace evidence found upon victim’s body. Investigators have discovered that tissue within the refrigerator is human and ABO grouping, O-positive. Emily Steiner is O-positive as well, with the size and shape of the tissue similar to her wounds. Trace evidence: An unusual microscopic material came from Emily Steiner’s body, hair, and bottom of her shoes. Dust mites are apparent as well, with pith wood, indigenous to the costal plains and lagoons of southern Florida, developing around areas of blood on the victim. Pith wood can be used to make pieces of jewelry. → Investigators discover beetles, crickets, and roaches upon the victim, with sawdust accumulation in her hair. (Suggests body was in some sort of trunk). Blaze Orange duct tape: Found on Steiner as well as her mother upon Steiner’s abduction. The tape was specially made, and was applied in a strange sequence according to thread patterns. The sequences of the tape on the mother are completely out of whack, while the daughter’s sequence makes sense.