Investigator’s Notes

Twisted Tournament – Summer 2025 (3rd place). Written as the second story of three in an anthology themed on the plight of women in our devolving society.

Content Warnings: death, implied sexual assault, implied abuse.

© Brian White 2025

 

 

INVESTIGATOR’S NOTES: Single-Vehicle Collision (04-16-2024) – Unincorporated Mansfield County, HWY 4 East near Mile Marker 48 – Det. James Morales

4-16-2024 Incident Report

  • Arrived on-scene 23:30. Single vehicle vs. tree. Driver ejected through windshield (DOA). 
  • Victim: Male. Robert Betancourt – 53. No priors.
  • Passenger: Female. Approximately 16. Conscious, unresponsive to questioning. 
  • Paramedics report: acute stress reaction (personal note: shock?), acute strangulation (seatbelt?)
  • No skidmarks. Approximate highway exit velocity: 45mph.

 4-18-2024 Medical Examiner’s/Lab Report

  • Cause of Death – blunt force trauma. 
  • No seatbelt.
  • Victim’s DNA run through crimelab database: Hits from 3 rape kits shelved in the 90’s. (recently processed by court order?)
  • Pants found unzipped. Bite marks on genitalia.

 4-18-2024 Hospital Interview

  • Passenger self-identified as Kayla Jansen.
  • Rape kit: negative.
  • Accepted a ride from Victim at Greyhound station.
  • Didn’t know Victim.
  • Doesn’t recall what happened.
  • Observed behavior: Withdrawn. Unresponsive.
  • Physician’s examination of strangulation marks – contusions consistent with handgrip but inconclusive. (Held facedown to Victim’s crotch?)

 4-29-2024 CSI vehicle/lab report (highlights)

  • Contents of Victim’s trunk: tarp, ducttape, shovel, 20lbs of lye.
  • Passenger’s thumbprint on driver-side seatbelt release button and fingerprints on steering wheel 
  • Suggests Passenger released Victim’s seatbelt and yanked steering wheel prior to collision.

 5-6-2024 Child Protective Services File#2022516-C

  • Kayla Jansen (dob: 9-29-2008).
  • Removed from home (6-8-2022) S.A. allegations [stepfather]. Placed in foster care.
  • Removed from foster home (7-4-2023) S.A. allegations [foster brother].
  • Missing Persons Report filed by CPS (4-10-2024). 

5-15-2024 Prosecution Plan Review Notes

  • District Attorney is taking case to the Grand Jury –  Manslaughter charges against Kayla Jansen – as an adult. (DAs tough-on-crime campaign for Governor?)

 5-16-2024 Resignation Letter (Det. James Morales)

  • Fuck this place.