Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 13:19:01
Subject: Security Tapes, Weapon
From: det_richard_longfellow@chicagopolice.org
To: det_thomas_johnson@chicagopolice.org, det_harold_barstow@chicagopolice.org

Tom, Harry,

So I guess that solves one mystery: why Regine's otherwise tastefully decorated apartment has that buttugly baseball bat welded to plowshare with spoons thing plopped down in the living room like a scar.

Well, each of the 476 people who did not live in the building and entered the complex the day of the murder signed in and out. Regine's only visitor was our intern Stephanie, who was turned away by the doorman at 4 PM when Regine didn't answer (because, according to forensics, she was dying just about then). The doorman has now ID'd all the folks who left the building within a two hour period after that, we're now getting into about 6 PM. Could be that the killer went down to the pool and hopped the wall. Could be the killer was a resident or one of the resident's visitors. Could be that the killer didn't leave the building for quite some time after.

As to the murder weapon: We're pretty sure it was a Wusthoff Chef's Knife. We haven't found the knife but the boys in the lab are pretty good at determining these things from the laceration.

Whatever that tells us. This could mean that the killer was not a pro, and that this was a crime of passion. Or this could mean that the killer was a pro who wanted to make it appear to us that he was not a pro (or she).

No prints, the killer was wearing gloves.

Whoever did it got in and out quickly.

Forensics say he probably got spattered, but there was no evidence of any cleanup. But how hard is it to peel off a shirt and drop it in a gymbag?

There was enough time between the killing and the discovery of the body that we missed the trash pickup, already on its way to the landfill before our dumpster divers could get to it.

We might end up having to interview everybody who lives in the building, and all of their guests. Which will be a big pain in the ass. We could go on forever like this.

Dick