Murder in the Sacred Bound

Murder In the Sacred Bond - Norman A. Rubin

The evil part of the act of murder commited for a craze of notoriety is
the relationship between criminals before and during the slaying. They
are spectators to one another, mutual witness to each other in the
criminal act. Thus the foul deed of murder, committed by two students
in a small college town would not of been carried out alone. It was the
chemistry between them and the bond they shared, one being the leader
and the other, the follower. Together they blended into a killing team,
which sent shock waves throughout.
It was a quiet evening in the small university town in the mid-west
when two invited guests to an intimate dinner with their colleagues
uncovered a horrific spectacle that was beyond belief. Professor Henry
Jamison and his wife Beatrice, equal in her teaching qualifications,
were not aware of the sight that greeted them when they entered the
premises of their compatriots.
The astute, well-presented couple, paired in the middling years of age
with the widom of study etched on their features, looked forward to a
pleasant evening with their friends. Pleasant thoughts were on the mind
of the academic as he rang the doorbell to the entrance of the dwelling
and awaited a reply. No answer came and Professor Jamison pressed the
button again, followed by silence. "That's odd," mused the good man as
he searched about the front of house, "Quite odd." While they waited
Beatrice accidently pressed the entrance door with her right hand, and
to her surprise, it silently opened. Puzzlement was etched on their
faces and wonderment wrinkled their brows.
Professor Jamison, removed his hat as it was his custom, and with a
careful thread on his legs, entered the home of his friends. His wife
followed with inquisitive steps. The heat inside was oppressive and the
couple losened the buttons to their heavy winter coats. The good man,
upon entering called out, "Hello, hello," but all was still. Beatrice
sounded out their names, "Yoo, hoo, Professor Chandor, Miriam." Still
there was no reply to their hailings.
Slowly they moved about the interior, Beatrice held to the elbow of her
husband for some sort of protection. With careful steps they searched
around the parlor and sitting room with no signs of their compatriots.
The dining room was looked into and to their surpise, they found the
table set for dinner with a decanter of wine ready in the offering. The
smell of good food emanating from the kitchen caused them to enter with
trepidation, but still no signs of the occupants. Beatrice, in a
gesture of womanly duties, shut the gas fires under the pots to prevent
the burning of the food.
The pair of eyes searched about the kitchen. Suddenly Professor Jamison
noticed the trickle of reddish-brown fluid flowing on the floor from
the partially closed door to the laundry room. He pulled away from his
wife. He pointed to the stream of fluid, "Beatrice I think our friends
must have some boiler trouble. Could be leak." He motioned to her to
stay put and with quick strides went to the room in order to satisfy
the curiosity.
The door didn't yield to the pressure of the professor despite his
efforts. His hail to his compatriots whom he imagined were within
didn't yield any reply. "I fear that our friends are having a spot of
bother and can't hear us. Strange though, there are no sounds emmitting
from the room," as he called to his wife. Beatrice, with fear emanating
from her grey eyes, sounded out hoarsely in agreement.
With her help, they managed to open the door partially. The block to
the door was sighted as being a bloody body leaning against it; the
remains were fronted to their eyes that desplayed wide eyes in horror,
and a smiling wide gash on the throat. Beatrice's screams of terror
followed, and she collapsed on the floor in a relieving swoon.
Professor Jamison in a semblance of civic duty hurried nervously to the
telephone.
The police answered the call immediately and within a few minutes a
patrol car braked to a halt in the driveway. Two brawny patrolmen
alighted from the vehicle and made their way to entrance of the house
where Professor Jamison greeted them. The good man led the officers
through the house where they noticed Beatrice lying on a sofa in the
living room, which they imagined the cause for the call. But, the
professor assured them that it was his wife, who had fainted from the
shock of discovery; that he had placed her on the couch when he lifted
her from the floor.
Without further adieu, Professor Jamison beckoned the officers to
follow him and he directed them to the laundry room. "This way
gentlemen," he spoke in a shivering voice. The lawmen had to put heavy
pressure on the door in order to force it open. There, lying in the
gore of their blood, were Charles Chandor and his wife Miriam,
associates of the invited Professor Jamison and his wife.
"Holy Mother of G-d, tis the devil's work, '' exclaimed one of the
officers as he stared at the bloody remains. His partner simply crossed
himself as the horror was revealed. The police then took note that the
couple were stabbed numerous times and that their throats were slashed.
Signs indicated that the husband had tried to seek assistance despite
his terrible wounds, but had succumbed to the murderous cuts and his
body fell across the door; a trail of blood on the floor verified his
actions.
Events moved quickly. The policemen didn't disturb the crime scene as
they waited assistance to their call. Within time a veteran detective,
along with forensic experts and the county pathologist, were on the
scene. A paramedic was requested to attend to the needs of Beatrice
Jamison and it was recommended that a checkup at the local hospital
would be required due to her weakened condition: An ambulance was
called and the distressed woman was put in the able hands of the
medical orderlies.
Professor Jamison was asked to remain in the house in order to answer
questions fowarded by the detective. He answers to the detective's
inquiry detailed the reason for his wife and himself being at the house
at that time, and their search through the house and finally the
discovery of the remains. "Horrible, horrible, such a tradegy," were
his final words. His answers were noted to the satisfaction of the
investigating officer; then he was allowed to leave the house and see
to the attention afforded to his wife at the hospital.
Slowly the scenario of the act of murder unfolded. The detective
learned from one of the police officers who stated, " the two victims
were Professor Charles Chandor, age 62 and his wife Miriam 55." The
detective learned that the husband was a lecturer of physics at the
university and his wife was the head of the English Department; both
were respected in their fields of study. It was understood that the
English-born professors, through the statement of the invited guest,
the couple was beloved by their colleagues and students, many of whom
had an open invitation to their home.
The pathologist described in detail the physical structure of the two
victims. Professor Charles Candor was in appearance a man of good
health, shown by his robust figure, rather tall and the white of his
hair belied his aged. His wife Miriam was rather stout, middling in
height, but her hardened features told of a stern disposition. Then the
pathologist gave the approximate time of death, which he explained was
probably in the early part of the same evening. The medical examiner
surmised that the wounds were inflicted by two commando knives with
serrated edges. Upon the query by the detective as to notice of two
knives used in the murderous act, the pathologist detailed the contrast
in the sharp cuts in the remains.
The leading forensic expert pictured the tableaux of murder. He
explained, "that, in all probabilities, the couple knew of their
uninvited guests, as there were no signs that indicated otherwise. But,
most probably they were surprised by their motives, and that they were
forced into the laundry room by the threat of the sight of the knives."
The expert continue by stating that the couple was caught unaware by
the slashing knives, which were driven numerous times into their bodies
and across their throats. "From the evidence of blood and gore
spattered throughout the laundry room, it appears that the murderers
were somewhat thrilled by the flow of blood," the criminologist
estimated. He also verified the attempts of the husband to seek help
despite his weakening condition.
An examination of the couple's bedroom on the second floor of the
dwelling indicated the motive to the criminal act, being robbery. An
empty decorative jewlery box gave evidence of the robbery motive. The
detective found the room in a chaotic mess with chairs overturned,
drawers pulled from bureaus, the bunched up scatter rugs, and the
walk-in closet strewn with clothing. Signs of of smeared blood were
seen everywhere from the scattered personal possessions to marks on the
walls and the hardwood floor. "Bejeezus, what a mess," the detective
exclaimed quietly as he scratched his scalp in puzzlement.
The investigation at the scene of the robbery cum murder continued. The
detective was told of the lack of the find of the murder weapons, which
was expected. But, the murderers left behind many clues through the
house, from fingerprints to partial bloody footprints, evidence of a
sloppy criminal act. Also, from signs of blood on the clean laundry, it
was understood that the culpirts had tried to wipe away the stain of
guilt from their clothing and shoes. Later, it was learned from DNA
laboratory tests, that one of the culprits had nicked himself during
the foul act.
It took a considerable effort on part of the investigating team to
complete the puzzle of murder. . They learned it was simple for the
culpirts to purchase their commando knives through an order through the
net, which led immediately to their identity. The police had discovered
the purchase of the weapons in the site, along with the number of a
credit card of one of the culpirts. Within two weeks, the authorities
had two suspects in custody. The suspects were named as James Raff, age
20 and William Smith, age 19, both students studying at the
university.
An arrest warrant was issued. Through an official search warrant, the
police found in the homes of the culpirts signs of their attempt to
burn their clothing and footwear worn at the time of the murder. The
weapons were recovered buried in a nearby wood after intensive
questioning to the pair. Comparitive fingerprints and a court-ordered
blood sampling added further proof. A grand jury had heard and examined
the evidence. The prosecutor summerized in detail the events of the
criminal act, "From the evidence shown it is proof that James Raff and
William Smith were accomplices in the murder of Professor Charles
Chandor and his wife Miriam. That the two plaintiffs are a risk to
society and they should be remanded for trial without bail till the end
of the proceedings." The jurymen accepted his statement and the two
students were handed to the prison authorities.
James Raff, an athletic figure, quite handsome in features pleaded
guilty at his trial, by pleading innocent by reason of insanity, which
was reversed on the insistence of the prosecutors. He was pictured as a
sniveling wreck of humanity as he pleaded his guilt and begged for
mercy. The legal authority dismissed his statement, "James Raff was of
sound mind when he thought of his plan. He had involved William Smith,
a quiet youth, who was easily swayed by his glib tongue towards the
criminal act." The prosecutors added that it was James Raff who took
the lead as the pair followed the bloody path.
William Smith was the opposite to friend in physical stature, being of
a bookish nature whose round bespectacled face gave the proof. He was
rather middling in height with a rotund body. All and all, his
appearance detailed a gullible follower who required a condescending
leader. He also pleaded guilty at the trial, but through to a plea
bargain for a reduced sentence, he agreed to testify against his
friend.
William Smith's testimony in court was a testimonial of horror. A
hushed silence gripped the court as his high-pitched voice explained,
"it was simple as pie&;#8230; the couple was a pushover... didn't
suspect anything when we dropped in!" He described the sequence of
events that occurred that night. The pair did not execute their plan of
knocking on the door and excusing their presence by a supposed survey.
They simply entered the dwelling through an open window and made their
way to the kitchen. There they surprised the Chandor couple, as they
were busy in the kitchen preparing for dinner. William Smith supressed
a snicker when he said, "Hello was only word uttered by Mrs. Chandor,
just hello." He stated that they were pumped in their lust for blood,
and within seconds pulled out their commando knives, instilling fear.
He told how James Raff grabbed the elder professor in a chock hold and
with the knife to his back ordered him to the open laundry room. He
explained, that he William Smith, upon orders by James Raff, pressed
his knife into the back of Miraim Chandor and ordered her to
follow.
Hushed silence gripped the court as he described the murdering of the
couple. The watched in horror as his body gestures acted out the
stabbing of the Chandor couple. But, as they looked they saw a wicked
smile on his face, as if he delighted to the plunging of the knife into
soft flesh. When he had finished his testimony, he showed no signs of
remorse or guilt.
'Evil', 'hideous' were the words repeated numerous times by the
prosecutor in his summary address to the jury. He asked the question,
"How can seeming sane youths commit such an act of horror?' He pointing
a finger at the two plaintiffs as he answered his question, "James
Raff, with no thought to the waste of lives, but only to own self, as
he cries out for mercy for his cowardly soul. As to William Smith,
smirking in his testimony showed no remorse in the untimely death of
Professor Charles Chandor and his wife Miriam by the hands of the two
culpirts. Mercy should not be shown them, and the verdict should be
'GUILTY' as charged. And no mercy was shown to the two.
The outcome to their short appearance in court, saw James Raff, a
former student council president, sentenced for first-degree murder to
life in prison without parole. His companion William Smith, a former
member of the college's debating team, sentenced to a reduced charge as
an accomplice to second-degree murder to twenty-five years in
prison.
But the aura of the horror of that night still shocked the normally
peaceful college town upon the discovery of the act of murder and the
trial that ensued. It continued at the following days in the lingering
tone of revulsion and the deserved retribution that was was afforded to
the guilty. Pity was the word shown to families of the accused, but
there were only questions asked as to the committing of the atrocious
act of murder by the youths.