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Back The Lying House
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

As for Loften’s knife, the police report from his arrest by citizens in Palm Mirage Creek stated that three people had handled the knife: Loften, Jeff Taylor and Roland Dillard, the block-watch captain. The FBI had recently compared the partial print from The Collector case to prints from Clete Loften’s and Jeff Taylor’s arrests, along with those from Dillard’s prints, on record for his concealed-weapons permit.

In all instances, analysis was inconclusive, meaning none could be identified as a likely match or ruled out as being an unlikely match to The Collector print.

The reason was attributed to the quality of the partial print from Kentucky.

This ain’t like the movies, Perez thought, studying the case notes as he worked, aware of the factors that made analysis so challenging, like the elasticity of human skin, which meant the size, pressure and depth of a latent print were variables that could reduce and distort accuracy, and hamper analysis.

Exhausting every avenue, investigators now turned to the prints on Loften’s knife in an effort to determine if the quality of latents found there could sustain comparison with The Collector’s partial print.

After putting in long hours, Perez came up with an algorithm to separate the photo images of the prints from the knife and divide them into overlapped, non-overlapped and background regions. Then he applied further analysis and used a specialized filter, which resulted in his collection of several isolated individual prints from the knife.

“At last! All right,” Perez sighed with relief, reaching for his phone.

His next step was to work with Brittany Delarmo, a fingerprint analyst whose desk was down the hall. They would work on sharpening the images, then they would send the strongest ones to the FBI. Together they would run analysis to see if any of the prints from the knife were a likely match with The Collector.

84

While Jeff was in custody at the station, he was permitted to make and receive a limited number of calls.

By the time Lisa reached him on the phone, she was distraught.

“They arrested you? Then, it’s true!”

“Lisa, listen, I have to—”

“After our call was cut off, police here took my phone, then Nell and Roland came over, and he gave me Nell’s phone to use to call you at the jail—”

“Listen, I can explain. They brought me in—”

“Then I couldn’t reach you. I called your office. They said they took you away in handcuffs! I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t believe it—”

“Lisa—”

“And they ransacked our home…” Her voice weakened and broke. “I don’t know what’s happening. Will they let you go? Can I see you?”

“They brought me here to Miami-Dade headquarters in Doral to ask me questions about Vida’s case.”

“But I don’t understand. I thought Loften was—”