Case Study: Internal Briefing Report
meme12344Case Notes:
At 2:18am (0218) on July 18, 2014 John Michael Phillips was discovered by Duane NMN Johnson and Anthony Alonzo Capri. The body founders are self-reported to be friends of the deceased. The deceased was discovered with a needle in his arm and multiple contusions and lacerations to his face and scalp. The police are treating this death as suspicious. The discovery occurred at 64 Church Street, Virtual, MD, which is located next to the Westview housing project. This housing project has had multiple police calls and requested police presence over the past 12 months. In addition, the Narcotics Task Force has conducted multiple drug stings and other drug enforcement operations in the Westview Housing Project in the past 12 months. The police stated that there are two John Michael Phillips listed in their records. The record for each lists multiple charges of drug possession. Neither of the men who reported the body claims to know the birthday of their friend. The Phillips with a DOB of 07181991 is currently incarcerated in the Virtual Jail. Based on the booking photo of the other Phillips (DOB 01201992) the detectives made a preliminary ID. However, the multiple lacerations to the face are making a positive ID difficult.
The reason the police are treating the death as suspicious, despite the indications it is a drug overdose death, are the lacerations to the face, the contusions to the skull and the fact that the back of the victim's skull is caved in. As the ground where the body was discovered is rocky, it is possible that the victim hit his head after overdosing. However, there was a lack of blood in the area the victim was discovered which made the detectives suspicious.
The victim was discovered wearing blue jean shorts, Levi's, size 34, a white cotton t-shirt, size large, Calvin Kline briefs, medium, Sketchers athletic shoes, size 10, white with blue stripes and no socks. The victim also wore a gold-colored Citizens watch, multiple fabric (yarn) type bracelets, one beaded necklace and one silver colored ring on his right ring finger. The victim did not have a wallet or any type of identification on his person. The victim was carrying $117 in cash (5 $20 bills, 1 $10 bill and 7 $1 bills). The victim also had $1.45 in change (4 quarters, 3 dimes and 3 nickels). Except for the clothing, all other property was removed by the death investigator sent to the scene by the medical examiner's office and turned over to the police.