John Smith

But he's about to find out that what happened to this woman is even more barbaric than he can imagine. The woman is 42-year-old Elizabeth Cornish, a nurse and divorced mother of five adult daughters. She recently moved back to Belvedere to be closer to her family and had resided at the Blair House Apartments for about a year.

When her parents are notified of her death later that evening, they're told as Officer Swigert assumed that she was shot. But upon closer inspection, the Belvedere police realized that they were mistaken. There are no bullet wounds on Cornish's body and no evidence of a firearm. The autopsy quickly reveals that Cornish died of blunt force injuries. At least 21 hits to the head with a hammer.

When her parents are notified of her death later that evening, they're told as Officer Swigert assumed that she was shot. But upon closer inspection, the Belvedere police realized that they were mistaken. There are no bullet wounds on Cornish's body and no evidence of a firearm. The autopsy quickly reveals that Cornish died of blunt force injuries. At least 21 hits to the head with a hammer.

And even worse, the claw end of it. Cornish was beaten so badly that her skull was punctured and bone was exposed. There's also evidence that she was sexually assaulted and that the time of death was midnight. Swigert and the Belvedere Police Department are in over their heads. They never get cases this gruesome, this violent. This is the first murder in their town in nearly 100 years.

And even worse, the claw end of it. Cornish was beaten so badly that her skull was punctured and bone was exposed. There's also evidence that she was sexually assaulted and that the time of death was midnight. Swigert and the Belvedere Police Department are in over their heads. They never get cases this gruesome, this violent. This is the first murder in their town in nearly 100 years.

To help them wrap their heads around this case, they call in the team from the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, led by a Captain Dave Heater. Heeder drives his car from the prosecutor's office over to the apartment complex on Prospect Street. It's a quiet neighborhood, shockingly so.

To help them wrap their heads around this case, they call in the team from the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, led by a Captain Dave Heater. Heeder drives his car from the prosecutor's office over to the apartment complex on Prospect Street. It's a quiet neighborhood, shockingly so.

He parks and ducks under the crime scene tape, striding across the lawn with the confidence of a man who's investigated his fair share of murder cases. And yet, when he glances into the apartment, the sheer amount of blood catches him slightly by surprise. He asks an officer already on the scene whether the murder weapon has been found.

He parks and ducks under the crime scene tape, striding across the lawn with the confidence of a man who's investigated his fair share of murder cases. And yet, when he glances into the apartment, the sheer amount of blood catches him slightly by surprise. He asks an officer already on the scene whether the murder weapon has been found.

The answer comes back no, they haven't found a hammer or anything of the sort. Heater and his officers make the rounds to other tenants in the apartment complex. No one can remember hearing any screams or disturbances around midnight on August 8th. These people seem sincere and honest, but just to be sure, Heater gives them all polygraph tests, and everyone, as expected, passes.

The answer comes back no, they haven't found a hammer or anything of the sort. Heater and his officers make the rounds to other tenants in the apartment complex. No one can remember hearing any screams or disturbances around midnight on August 8th. These people seem sincere and honest, but just to be sure, Heater gives them all polygraph tests, and everyone, as expected, passes.

Following this, Heater turns his eye towards Cornish's boyfriend, Paul McCarran, the man who initially called 911. McCarron claims that he was out fishing all day Saturday and found Cornish's body that afternoon when he came back. As soon as McCarron mentions fishing, Heater perks up.

Following this, Heater turns his eye towards Cornish's boyfriend, Paul McCarran, the man who initially called 911. McCarron claims that he was out fishing all day Saturday and found Cornish's body that afternoon when he came back. As soon as McCarron mentions fishing, Heater perks up.

Because on the grass just beneath Cornish's bedroom window, they had just found a pair of clippers used by fishermen to trim their lines. And that's not all they found either. Cornish's bedroom window had been removed and was leaning against the exterior wall of the building. At first glance, it would seem that the killer removed the window in order to access Cornish's apartment.

Because on the grass just beneath Cornish's bedroom window, they had just found a pair of clippers used by fishermen to trim their lines. And that's not all they found either. Cornish's bedroom window had been removed and was leaning against the exterior wall of the building. At first glance, it would seem that the killer removed the window in order to access Cornish's apartment.

However, upon inspection, Heeter's men find a fingerprint on the inside of the window pane. Because of this, Heeter draws the conclusion that the killer must have taken the window out after Cornish was murdered.

However, upon inspection, Heeter's men find a fingerprint on the inside of the window pane. Because of this, Heeter draws the conclusion that the killer must have taken the window out after Cornish was murdered.

He further concludes that this was done to trick the police into thinking that a stranger came in from the outside, when, in fact, it was someone Cornish knew who entered her apartment through the front door. At least, that's the theory Heater's working with.

He further concludes that this was done to trick the police into thinking that a stranger came in from the outside, when, in fact, it was someone Cornish knew who entered her apartment through the front door. At least, that's the theory Heater's working with.

And so, with that window with the fingerprint on the inside, with those fisherman's clippers, Heater zeroes in on the obvious suspect, the boyfriend, Paul McCarron. The lab will take about a week or so to analyze the print. In the meantime, McCarran's brought in for questioning at the Belvedere Police Department.