Murder in a Small Town: 30 Years Later

30 Years Later

Being the new kid on the block seems to be a matter of routine for Jessica. Even though she had won her hard-earned promotion to detective, it also came with an unexpected transfer to “Mayberry”. But the captain is probably right on this point. Being away from a bad situation right now is probably the best thing for her. Her mind flashes back to the crude behavior perpetrated against her by two of the officers she worked with in Cleveland and the sexual harassment complaint she had filed against them. Now Internal Affairs was involved, and it wasn’t looking good for her coworkers.  Although not entirely thrilled at the prospect of solving cold-cases out in the sticks, she is willing to temporarily give up her big city life, her cozy one-bedroom apartment on the lake, and her friends while the investigation moves forward. She thinks she is being punished. Cold-case files? Really? Sounds like a documentary show on television. These cases are most probably cold for a reason. “But I guess if I can prove myself here, I can still make Chief before my thirtieth birthday”, she says out loud.

Jessica’s mind wonders as she drives and thinks about the forensic tools available for use in crime solving these days. The technology is so much better today than they were thirty years ago. Remembering a recent workshop from her precinct about “touch DNA” sampling and how it can be used to extract DNA from something that was just touched by a suspect, Jessica smiles. “It’s a good time to be alive!” she says enthusiastically. Just now the only radio station she can pick up begins playing one of her Dad’s favorite bands from the 80s, “Survivor”. She knows this song. “Me and Dad use to listen to this all the time when I was little”. She stomps her foot into the accelerator, the Prius hums, and she begins singing along…  “It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight. Risin' up to the challenge of our rival And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night, And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger…