Almost Perfect Crime

The sudden death of this otherwise healthy male was puzzling. Felix, the city’s chief forensic pathologist and Sherlock, the famous private detective- stared at the naked body as if waiting for the body to speak and tell them the cause of his troubles. The death was baffling. There were no outward signs of injury, attack or disease. His medical history appeared to confirm that he was a healthy 40 year old male. Felix sighed- “I guess I’ll have to carve him up and run the labs”. Sherlock added, “Yes, he’s got some secrets to tell I bet- I’ll see you about 3 as usual”. 

Sherlock departed not because of discomfort with observing the autopsy. He simply would be bored. He set about doing what he does best- examining the crime scene and looking at the crime scene photos, the police notes and interviews. The answer is always there if you look hard enough. Mr. Jamison looked peaceful enough in the photo as he laid on his back with eyes fixed on the ceiling or the eternity he was about to face. There was no sign of disturbance in the bedroom. Mrs. Jamison freely indicated that the couple was in the process of exploring divorce. She slept in the other bedroom for the past six months. She understood she was the prime suspect, stating in her interview- “I know- It’s always the spouse”. She professed that their separation was routine and without remorse or recrimination. 

At 3:00 Sherlock knocked on the door- entered the office and sat down as Felix looked up with a slight smile, holding several papers and a photo. “Our victim appears to have a tiny puncture wound on a small birthmark. He was likely injected with air on the left carotid artery- leading to his heart failure and death”. Since the wife was the only other occupant of the house that evening- it would appear his wife  was the perpetrator”. Sherlock nodded but he did not appear to be convinced. Felix went  on “The clincher was this note”. We recovered it during the autopsy. He held up a small clear plastic bag containing a note. Felix handed it to Sherlock.

The note was wrinkled but legible inside the small bag. It read- “In case I am killed by my wife, I swallowed this note in a bag. She has threatened to kill me. She has had some medical training and worked as a nurse years ago. I am swallowing this note in a bag to tell you she did it. She did not want to share our holdings- she wants it all”. It was signed. Along with the police finding the syringe in the master bathroom trash, this seemed to wrap up the case. 

The DA made his preliminary remarks to the jury-: “The dispute over money, cars, vacation home, dining room furniture and custody of Alphonse, their dachshund- could not be resolved. The victim’s wife executed a brilliant plan designed to get all their joint assets along with a handsome insurance death benefit”.

Later, Sherlock sat in the witness chair and explained how injecting air can be fatal. He was handed the crime scene photos. Sherlock leaned forward. He seemed to study them quite a while before handing the photos back to the prosecutor. “Yes, these are the crime scene photos”. The DA nodded in approval and turned to the jury while continuing to speak to Sherlock.- “Then is it in your professional opinion, Mr. Jamison’s wife killed the victim by injecting air into the victim’s carotid artery”. There was a brief pause.

The DA turned to Sherlock- awaiting his response to the question that will put the case to rest. “No, his wife was not the killer. Mr. Jamison actually, if he was alive, should be charged with attempted murder of his wife”. The jury and gathered courtroom guests and press- all gasped and murmured loudly. The judge struck his gavel a few times. He turned to Sherlock and asked him to explain how he came to this conclusion. “Yes, your honor. I’m afraid in my rush to judgement I made an error earlier in the investigation. As we can see by observing her taking notes here in court and by  photographs of her doing various activities as presented as evidence earlier- Mrs.Jamison is left handed. The injection site on the body was on the left side of his neck. Mrs. Jamison, facing her husband in bed, would have injected his right side carotid artery. She would need an especially steady hand to hit that small birthmark dead center”.

The DA, exasperated, interjected- “Well- then who killed the victim?. There was nobody else in the house.” Sherlock nodded- “We all know of cases of murder- suicide. This was a case of suicide- murder”. The jury and crowd gasped again and the murmurs resumed. After striking the gavel, the judge spoke- “Go on, Mr. Holmes”. Sherlock continued- “Our right handed victim gave himself the injection. He then placed the syringe in the bathroom trash before returning to his bed … he knew his wife would never agree to a fair settlement. She would suffer the stress and humiliation of a murder trial and eventually face execution for first degree murder”. 

After summary arguments to the jury, the jurists filed out for what would be a brief deliberation before acquittal. Mrs. Jamison thanked her attorney and then she approached Sherlock. She smiled and reached out to shake his hand- with her right hand. The ambidextrous perpetrator had completed the perfect crime.