Chapter 3
At SLED Headquarters, in Columbia, Special Agent Burwell “Bubba” Vandi, was at his office checking his email for the first of what would turn out to be several times that day. Bubba was one of six agents assigned to the Investigation Division. During his two years with the department, he had helped solve many heinous murders and other violent crimes throughout the state. He glanced at a UPS package placed on his desk after he departed work yesterday. It was from Caley Givens, Deputy Sheriff for Investigations in Caldwell County. She had sent an email alerting him to be on the lookout for a package containing an unidentified skull and bones retrieved from the Salketcher Swamp. Bubba intuitively started processing the contents of the package. He pulled a chain of receipt form from his drawer with one hand, as he picked up the package with his other. He knew items needed to be sent to the forensic section for DNA analysis and an attempt to obtain any other information from them that may be helpful.
Although there had been several murders in the state, there hadn’t been one in Coldwell County for the past three years. Most of the cases reported from there were of missing persons and a few of the subjects had been located. But with little evidence to the contrary, the cases were recorded as run-away teens, husbands tired of paying alimony, or people dropping out for other mundane reasons. After asking the family a few questions and following up on obvious leads the cases were recorded as pending. For the most part that was the end of it.
Like most of the coastal state, Coldwell County consisted of swamps near the ocean with rural farm land further inland. The county sheriff’s department enforces laws in all outlying areas of the county, but except for emergencies, response times are often measured in hours rather than minutes as they are in metropolitan centers. Nine out of ten crimes are straightforward. Authorities know who committed the crime and prosecutions are routinely based on a confession or the collection of simple evidence. Generally, sheriff’s staffs do not include highly trained personnel or equipment to perform sophisticated criminal investigations. With major crimes, county law enforcement authorities request assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, known as SLED. They help investigate and collect evidence and provide more thorough forensic assistance. These cases usually include murder where the perpetrator is unknown, missing persons, violent crimes, major drug issues, kidnappings, or crimes requiring extensive investigation.
Bubba carefully opened the UPS package and found a skull and what appeared to be two human bones inside separately sealed clear plastic containers. Each was marked with a brief description of the contents and the date and place where they were found. Peering through the clear wrapper, he slowly examined the bleached and mud caked surface of the remains for obvious signs of knife marks, cracks, or other evidence that might indicate victim abuse. Then he saw the mud caked hole in the back of the skull. Could it be a bullet hole? It certainly looked like one. The forensic people would be able to determine for sure. Not seeing anything else of significance, he attached the chain of custody receipt to the package, wrote his name at the bottom of the list and took the items to the forensic facility. Returning to his office, he sent an email to Caley letting her know he had received the package and turned it over to the forensic analysis lab. He didn’t have to say anything more. Caley, an experienced investigator, knew the turn-around would be about two weeks.
Bubba leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. If today was like most, he expected before the end of the day he would record several new cases, not to mention continuing to work diligently collecting evidence on the three open cases already on his desk. He knew most successful investigators went about their work methodically. His stent in the Navy as well as the past two years on this job had taught him that being methodical, was second only to using his powers of observation. Usually, the first 15 minutes in the office were the only time he would be able to relax. Every day he tried to use this brief period to plan the coming day’s activities, even though the dynamics rarely permitted him to follow through as planned.
This morning Bubba looked around his office with an air of casual confidence. A picture on the wall showed him receiving an award from the Governor of the State for his leadership in solving several cold cases which at the time had been languishing for years. He was proud of his accomplishments but was aware of how quickly the bottom could fall out in this business. Sometimes politics played as much in ruining a career, as did a stray bullet from a perpetrator's gun. He loved the job and was determined to do his best even though there were times when he felt he it was fighting a losing battle.
Before he came to the job, he was on active duty in the U. S. Navy for six years. The highlight of his Navy career was an assignment at the NCIS Middle East Field Office (MEFO) Kuwait. As an agent in NCIS, he was involved in the intricacies of crime solving every day. When he was with NCIS, the most advanced technological equipment and support staff in law enforcement was at his fingertips. While SLED had excellent facilities and equipment, budget constraints limited them from duplicating many of the services that were available at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). But getting the assistance from the FBI often placed another link in the crime solving chain. It was a point of great frustration because of the delay in getting the results back after submitting evidence. Another point of frustration for him was that his work involved supporting investigations in the outlying 53 state counties. By the time most of the county sheriffs called on SLED, they had already botched much of the evidence due to their lack of knowledge. And it certainly didn’t help that many of the initial investigations were done by elected sheriffs, many of whom were more politicians than law enforcement professionals.
Bubba first met Caley Givens when they were agents at NCIS Counter Intelligence Detachment in Kuwait. Together they worked on many terrorist cases and received high-level commendations for their work. Their relationship grew even stronger when they realized that both of them were from Lowcountry of South Carolina. With the experience, they gained with NCIS both planned to separate from the Navy and get jobs in law enforcement.
When they were in the Navy, Caley and Bubba often talked about returning to their native state to work in law enforcement. They scanned job openings and read literature on the various opportunities that might be available. Bubba was first to secure a job with SLED. Shortly after, Caley left the Navy and was able to get a job with Caldwell Country sheriff’s office. They were quick to share the news. Although they would not be working together daily as before, they were still part of the same law enforcement network. Bubba was helping solve some of the most mysterious crimes in the state, and when the path led to Caldwell Country, Caley was involved.
As Bubba took another sip of his first cup of coffee for the morning, Sally the receptionist rang and said Caley Givens was on the line.
Bubba picked up the phone, “Hello Caley, your package has been received and is being worked by the lab. Did you get my email?”
“I did,” said Caley.
“Just checking! From looking at the skull, it appears to me that it has been in the water for a long time.”
“Yes, we may not be able to get much, but let’s see what they come up with.”
Then they discussed the possible bullet hole in the skull and a few other details surrounding the discovery before hanging up. Bubba went back to reviewing the paper work on his desk, but he just couldn’t get the bones off his mind.
Sam White interrupted his thoughts when he walked into the office. Sam was an imposing 350 pounds and was 6 foot 3 inches tall. When his overweight frame walked, he moved with a swagger, swinging his arms away from his sides. The buttons on his white shirt strained under the weight of his bulging stomach, looking as though they would pop at any moment. He spoke with a hoarse, nasal voice, laboring through short breaths between sentences. Sam was another special agent who usually covered the western part of the state.
He had worked with SLED for 25 years, and could always be depended on when a historical perspective about SLED was needed. His self-appointed duty was also to provide Bubba an alter ego and critique whether Bubba wanted it or not. The fact that he had been on the force for so long gave him a great deal of confidence. He also had a good-natured and somewhat humorous attitude, which made him very easy to work with. Bubba and Sam frequently used each other as a sounding board when things got complicated.
“What are you doing here so early in the morning, Sam,” said Bubba.
“Oh, a deputy sheriff over at Greenville was shot, and they wanted some help. I guess I will have to travel up there today.”
“Be careful driving in those mountains. The road gets slick this time of the year.”
Bubba told Sam about the bones that he had just received. Sam asked several questions, most of which Bubba couldn’t answer straight out. The exercise led to several speculative scenarios as to what could have happened.
Finally, Bubba said, “I guess the best thing to do is to wait for forensics and see what they come up with.” “I suppose you are right but over the past several years, we have had a couple of cases of missing people in that area. Our investigation never went anywhere. I suggest you be alert for a connection between those cases and the bones.”
“It’s possible alright. I thought about that myself. I will request the files on missing persons in the area and review them carefully.”
Replying in his best humorous voice, Sam said, “Oh maybe I can help you out if this case in Greenville don’t require me to make a trip to Las Vegas.”
Late in the afternoon, a clerk brought in four missing person reports that had occurred over the past two years in Caldwell County. Bubba picked up the first one and started scanning the contents.