The Pieces of the Puzzle?

Since the last blog post, Altoona Tangled Web of Murder, a handful of readers brought forward some interesting thoughts regarding the ongoing investigation into the homicide of Theresa Still. Without having access to the case file, all I can do is speculate by reading between the lines of the media reports. From experience, however, four key points are sure to be addressed.

Establishing an investigative timeline is critical. Statements, video surveillance, credit card and/or ATM activity, as well as telephone records, often shed light on the activities of both the victim and the suspect.

Next, investigators will sift through mounds of evidence found at the various scenes: Theresa Still's residence, the parking lot of the Super Target, any vehicles, and the parcel of land in Adams County.

While police are keeping their cards close to the vest, news reports list the cause of death as "complex homicidal violence." This is, of course, terminology purposely used to restrict details of the crime from the public. As a rule, law enforcement releases limited amounts of information to protect the integrity of an investigation. The Dane County Coroner used a strikingly similar phrase -- "complexity of traumatic injuries" -- as the cause of death in the 2008 slaying of Brittany Zimmerman. Initially, Altoona police said they were "95 percent" sure the body discovered in Adams County was that of Theresa Still. It is possible that she was bludgeoned to death and, as a result, may have suffered significant trauma to her face and head.

In all likelihood, the wooded area or field (depending on the media reports) where the killer disposed of Ms. Still's body may very well produce high-value evidence. The scope of this scene will answer several questions: did the suspect drive the vehicle into the field? Was the body dragged to the dump site? With snow on the ground, how many sets of footprints were present? What caused "the man" to find Still's body in a relatively short period of time?

The information made public seems to suggest the suspect was in a hurry to discard the body and did not pre-select the dump site. He may have traveled to an area he was familiar with -- close enough to return home before someone noted him missing.

The scene at the Super Target hints that the suspect may have had some assistance from another party. Sure, it is entirely possible that the killer drove Still's car to the lot of the Super Target, parked the vehicle, and walked to another location. However, it was cold on December 27, and Still's home is over four miles north of this location. As such, it is not outrageous to suggest that someone may have driven the perpetrator from the area of the Super Target, which is why the store's surveillance video is so valuable.

Absent the relevant information, however, these scenarios are little more than speculation.

On another note, media reports indicate that the public is anxious for an arrest. There is a tremendous amount of information and physical evidence to sort through. Before arresting and interrogating a suspect for any crime, a good detective is armed with as many facts as possible. My guess is the Altoona police are monitoring the person of interest's movements.
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Steven Spingola is a retired Milwaukee Police Department homicide detective and the author of "The Killer in Our Midst: the Case of Milwaukee's North Side Strangler."

Copyright, Steven Spingola, Milwaukee, WI 2010