Chapter 33

THIRTY-THREE

While Ellie worked, Derrick skimmed articles on Modelle's child's death and the case.

Late Friday evening, at approximately eleven p.m., police were called to the house of Larry and Bernice Modelle when a neighbor's teenage boy found their nine-year-old daughter Lindy dead at the bottom of a ridge. According to the neighbor, his son had been out walking the dog when he spotted a bright yellow jacket on the ground then his dog ran to the ridge and began barking. The boy raced back to his house for help and his father called the police.

The man recognized the girl and confirmed that police had visited the property on DV calls on more than one occasion.

The son stated that he saw a man running through the woods away from where the girl lay dead.

Police found Mr. Modelle inebriated at his residence and incoherent. His wife was also intoxicated, inconsolable and insisted that her husband had hit her in an altercation. She stated that her daughter tried to intervene and Modelle turned on her. She screamed at the little girl to run and she did. Modelle knocked his wife down then chased after his daughter.

Derrick skipped to another article.

Neighbors confirm that Mr. Modelle was a bitter, violent and angry man, especially when he was drinking. On several occasions, they witnessed him behaving violently, and they heard loud outbursts. Modelle also threatened them after they called the police. Police were dispatched to his house and arrested him twice. Each time his wife bailed him out and refused to press charges.

Typical of the abuse victim. Derrick moved onto another article with photos depicting the day the trial verdict was read. His wife was not in the courtroom. In fact, after testifying, she'd supposedly left town. The jury had been unanimous in ruling against Modelle, although even after sentencing, he'd insisted he was innocent. His lawyer filed an appeal based on the fact that Modelle insisted his wife had been the one to inflict the abuse on their daughter. Later, an anonymous tip surfaced saying that the mother was also abusive to the child, which created reasonable doubt.

The fact that the arresting officer had not mirandized Modelle properly clenched the overturn and Modelle was released.

Derrick scratched his head and relayed what he'd learned. "It appears Modelle killed his daughter in a domestic incidence, but I don't see any connection to our current case."

Ellie drummed her fingers on her desk. "I may have found the connection. A teacher named Barbara Thacker. She could possibly be our car accident victim."

"What?"

"Barbara taught Modelle's daughter. Barbara reported him to DFACS when she saw bruises on the girl. After that, DFACS threatened to remove the child from Modelle's home."

"Aren't those reports kept confidential to protect the people reporting the abuse?"

"Yes," Ellie said. "But he could have guessed. And if I found out the truth, so could he."

"True," Derrick said. "That would give him motive to hurt Barbara."

"If this Barbara is the mother of the twins, killing her children would be the best way for Modelle to get revenge," Ellie said. "Then her accident was no accident at all."