Essentially, Patty was found at a campground called the Hallows near the top of a secluded canyon, her body partially buried in a ditch. She was nude, and no clothes were found at the scene. The body was spotted in the early morning hours by an elderly couple taking their dogs for a stroll.

The coroner determined that she was killed by strangulation and that, based on a number of contusions and broken bones, she had been tortured before death. A SAFE kit—sexual assault forensic evidence kit—had found semen from one unsub—unknown subject—and vaginal tearing. Coroner placed the time of death about four days before the body was found and concluded that she was likely killed there on scene.

No blood spatter analysis expert was called to examine the scene. Several tire tracks were discovered, but no expert had been consulted to determine what type of car it was. They “guessed” it was a large truck. Nice, boys. Might as well say it was a car that likely had four wheels.

No scrapings done of her fingernails, in case she clawed at the assailants, no careful scanning of her body for hair fibers, no entomologist to examine the insect larvae that had no doubt taken up home inside the body and could confirm time of death. The coroner, thank goodness, at least knew what blood lividity was and had done an analysis to determine she was killed on her back and left that way.

Crime scenes were supposed to have a “safe area” for nonessential personnel, to prevent contaminating the crime scene, and the forensic techs were to keep track of who entered and exited the crime scene. Nothing like that here. No log of the people there, and no sketches of the scene, though, thankfully, there were photographs. The detectives and forensic team had phoned it in on this one.

Upon interviewing Patty’s friend Cecily Gilbert, it was determined that Patty and Cecily had gone into a bar in Las Vegas called Skid Row—sounded like a lovely place—and that they’d met Anderson Ficco and Steven Brown, two kids they’d gone to high school with who had graduated last year. Cecily left early because she had a curfew. Patty had said she would get a ride home with Anderson and Steven. Her body was found four days later. The semen found inside her had degraded too much for a DNA match.

Steven had no priors, but there was a note that Anderson Ficco had a juvenile rape charge that had been dismissed. Bail had been denied, and both boys had been sitting in jail for just over three months.

The door to the conference room opened, and Gates walked in sipping a Diet Coke.

“What the hell is this, Gates?”

“Not the best investigation, I know.”