Trail of Blood by Wanda Evans

Author:Wanda Evans [Evans, Wanda Webb; Dunn, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780882824734
Publisher: New Horizon Press

Scott Dunn (left) and Jim Dunn the last time they were together

Scott working on the engine of Yellow Thunder

Leisha Hamilton

Carpet and carpet padding from Scott’s bedroom

Luminol photograph showing blood on the wall of Scott’s bedroom

Scott’s Camaro at the impound lot

Jim Dunn (seated) with Richard Walter

Lubbock County Courthouse

Scott Dunn’s empty grave

chapter eleven

Return to Lubbock

Another new year. It was 1993 and Jim felt more frustrated than ever. He’d had high hopes that Dr. Shepherd’s report and Richard Walter’s analysis would have created some momentum for the investigation. Nothing had happened, however, so he called Richard Walter to see if, by brainstorming, they could come up with a new angle, a different slant, anything to get the stalled investigation moving again. Walter proposed to Jim a return visit to Lubbock at the end of April and Jim welcomed the prospect. So did Tal English.

At that point, foremost on Walter’s mind was whether Tim Smith’s hair had been compared with the hairs that had been found on the tape used to patch the carpet in the killing room. Tal English had talked to Jim Thomas in the DPS crime lab about such a comparison, but Thomas had been skeptical: since it had not been done at the time of the murder, the passage of time causing the deterioration of the hair samples would render the comparison of no use.

Tal English persisted. At Walter’s suggestion, English decided to run the idea by the FBI forensic analysts. The local agent, Bob Matthews, contacted the FBI crime lab. Their criminalists told him they were willing to try to make a comparison. First, though, English would have to get a sample of Smith’s hair and that entailed getting a search warrant. English enlisted the help of Roger Pettiet, an investigator in the Criminal District Attorney’s office, to help prepare the warrant. Meanwhile, Walter, who had arrived in Lubbock, wanted to interview the principals in the case personally.

English and Walter went first to the new ProSound Electronics store, which Gianoli had recently opened as a second outlet, and spoke with Max Gianoli. Gianoli seemed reluctant to talk to them, but answered Walter’s questions, repeating the information he had given the police and Jim Dunn. Then Gianoli suggested that Walter might want to speak with Pat Taylor, who had worked with Scott, and who was still working at ProSound as manager of the original store.

Walter said they would get around to Taylor. At that point, however, he decided to put some pressure on Gianoli. “You know, Max, it’s been suggested you know more than you’re saying about the murder.”

Walter just wanted to push Gianoli’s buttons and observe his reaction. Gianoli became very nervous, very pressured and hostile, actually.

When the two investigators were back in the car, Walter mentioned that antagonism had been building between Scott and Max, as evidenced by the report of a fight between him and Scott shortly before Scott’s disappearance. The police knew about the fight, but Gianoli had been able to explain it to their satisfaction.

“They

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