Case 14779: Roger Thorpe's Shooting

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Scene: Springfield Police Department. Tape recorder in hand, Detective Patrick Cutter reviews the evidence and shares his thoughts on the three primary suspects in the case.

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December 15, 1993. Case 14779. Roger Thorpe's Shooting. Victim was found shot; Accessory Building outside the Lakeland Country Club, December 3. Time: between 10 p.m. and 12 midnight. There were blood stains found on the potting shed floor and also on the jacket ID'd by Thorpe's daughter. The bloods match up on both. Also found was a bracelet in the left pocket of the jacket.

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Suspects: Thorpe's current wife, Jenna Bradshaw Thorpe. She's very beautiful, English, an ex-jewel thief. An aristocrat, though maybe that's just the accent. Rags to riches overnight by way of a big fib by Thorpe about her father. She hates his guts but she's carrying his baby. The day after he got shot, she lost everything in court. Now if she didn't want to shoot him that night, she must've wanted to shoot him then. It's tough being pregnant and suddenly not even having a roof over your head.

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Then there's the last wife, Alexandra Spaulding. Looks damn good for her age. Now her bracelet was found hanging from Thorpe's jacket. Could've gotten there when she shot him, or maybe she's telling the truth: maybe it did come off when she tried to kill him in front of 100 people at her son's engagement party. She's not the type, though, to shoot a guy in the dark. Unless Thorpe was telling the truth that night: maybe she does still want him. She's tough as nails on the outside, but it's obvious there's more brewing underneath.

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Then we get to ex-wife #2, Holly Lindsey. Holly: Sexy as hell. Must be early 40s but looks better than most 20 or 30 year olds. Now she and Thorpe go back a long way. They share a grown daughter who'd probably love nothing more than seeing Mom and Dad get back together. She has this way of coming on very hot (Cutter laughs, speaking from experience), and then going cold before you know what hit you. Single a good while, but doesn't seem interested in other men. Could be she's saving herself for Thorpe again. Or maybe she knows more than she's letting on.

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Could be one of 'em. Could be none of 'em. And what is it about Thorpe that he has three women who love him enough to marry him, and hate him enough to want to shoot him? When I have the answer to that, I'll have my shooter.

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