The Clawed Killer

The young woman was in good health before her murder. However, the murderer must have put her through hell before killing her... Her entire body was covered in bruises and cuts. I stood in front of the stretcher, looking down at the lifeless form as Dr. Wayne explained the findings.

"At the crime scene, we noticed that the body was cut in two halves. However, upon starting the postmortem and conducting a thorough examination, I discovered that the cut dividing the body was not clean or even. It appeared quite rough as if a sharp, pointy object was used to tear the body apart. Whoever did this exerted immense force, as indicated by the torn ligaments and muscles in the abdomen," Dr. Wayne explained.

I felt a chill run down my spine. This wasn’t just murder—it was a display of pure brutality.

"One more thing," Dr. Wayne continued, his tone grave as he gestured toward the various wounds on the woman's body. "Before the body was torn apart, the perpetrator used claw-like, pointed objects to make deep incisions... removing certain vital parts. It's unlike anything I've ever encountered. The brutality suggests a disturbed mind at work."

"What kind of monster could have done this?" Joe exclaimed in shock. He was disturbed—this was his first encounter with such a gruesome murder case.

"Someone who harbored a deep grudge against her and wanted her to suffer before her death," I speculated.

"Detective, the murderer of this woman is not like any other. He acted monstrously, using his claw-shaped nails to kill her and then tearing her body in two halves," Dr. Wayne explained.

"And I have found many fingerprints on the body, but none of them match those of any known individual," he added.

I frowned. "What do you mean by this?"

"When I tried to match the fingerprints with those in the system, there were no matches. These prints do not resemble the fingerprints of any human. The fingers of the murderer must be swollen and enlarged, with claw-shaped nails," Dr. Wayne explained.

"The murderer could be wearing gloves to conceal his original fingerprints," I suggested.

"Or the murderer is not human... but an evil spirit," Joe said in a low voice, drawing a harsh look from me.

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" I asked Dr. Wayne.

"The perpetrator mutilated the body, tearing it apart before discarding it in the national park. Yet, a curious detail emerges—the meticulous removal of the woman's nose, ears, and cheeks using a sharp blade. This raises the question: why the change in approach? If the initial assault was carried out with brute force, what compelled the use of a knife for this?" Dr. Wayne pondered.

“This is strange... Or perhaps there were two individuals at the crime scene: one who killed her and then a second person who mutilated her face,” I suggested.

“Yes, that's a possibility. In fact, after examining the necklace found at the crime scene, we discovered a fingerprint on it that supports this theory,” Dr. Wayne added.

He turned around and picked up a photo of the silver necklace found a few meters away from the woman.

“On this necklace, we found a man’s fingerprint, along with blood stains. Upon cross-examining the blood, we confirmed it matched the blood of the deceased,” Dr. Wayne explained.

“It suggests that the necklace could belong to the murderer, and during the struggle, she must have grabbed the chain, transferring her blood onto it,” I deduced.

“Yes, that's a plausible scenario,” Dr. Wayne agreed.

“Who is the man whose fingerprints were found on the necklace?” I inquired.

“We ran the fingerprints in our system, and they matched with a person named Black Hawk. I'm certain this Black Hawk must have a police record, which is why we had his fingerprints in our system,” Dr. Wayne revealed, handing a picture to me.

“Here is his picture,” Dr. Wayne continued as I examined the photo.

“Black Hawk,” Joe said in amazement as he looked at the picture.

“Do you know this man?” I asked.

“Yes, he was arrested four months ago over the charge of beating a group of boys. He is quite a short-tempered person and has a reputation for resorting to violence over small disputes,” Joe provided the details.

“Hmm… Doc, do you have anything else for us?” I asked.

“The footprint that we found beside the dead body hinted that the person who sat beside her must be tall and have a heavy body,” Dr. Wayne said.

“Black Hawk is tall and muscular,” Joe added promptly.

“But he couldn't have done this to her,” Joe pointed at the torn body and expressed his doubt.

“Joe, we cannot draw conclusions based on such circumstantial evidence. These points wouldn't hold up in court. Call Black Hawk and don't let him know why we are summoning him. I need to talk to him before we draw any conclusions,” I instructed.

“Anything else?” I turned back to Dr. Wayne and inquired.

“Inside her pocket, we found this card and a small piece of paper… here they are,” Dr. Wayne said, presenting two transparent sealed packs.

I took the bags and observed that the card belonged to a lawyer named Mr. Samuel Shawman. A piece of paper was enclosed in the other bag, on which a picture was drawn with blood.

“She must have drawn this picture with her blood and hid it inside her jeans,” Dr. Wayne explained.

I examined the picture, which depicted a building with numerous windows.

“What building is this?” I inquired.

“I don’t know… you should look out for this building. It may be the same place where she was kept,” Dr. Wayne suggested.

I noticed a random number written in a blue ballpoint pen in the corner of the paper. The number was 675210.

“This number is not complete… the paper is torn… if it is a mobile number, then digits are missing,” I remarked.

"If I find out anything else, I'll call you," Dr. Wayne said, indicating that he had no further information to share with me and Joe.

"Thank you, doc… for your time," I replied, taking the file containing all the pictures of the crime scene, evidence, and the forensic report before heading toward the door.

"Joe, call Black Hawk but make sure he doesn't gain traction that we suspect him of the murder. Also, get in touch with John, Samantha, and their twin sons," I instructed, my tone serious as I exited the forensic lab.

The case appeared far more convoluted than I initially imagined, and my instincts suggested a potential connection to all the missing people of Alaska.