As the Wicked Watch(14)
Even through my sadness, around 7:45, by the time I drank my first cup of coffee, I’d fully recovered from my reluctance to call Pam. I know that once police identified Masey as the victim under the “L” tracks at the eleven o’clock news conference, every media outlet in town would pounce, looking for family members and neighbors to interview.
A woman answered the phone, but it wasn’t Pam.
“Jordan,” she said. Pam must have me listed in her contacts.
“Hello, yes, this is Jordan Manning.”
“This is Cynthia Caruthers, Masey’s aunt,” she said.
I realized then that I hadn’t thought about what I was going to say. Police hadn’t yet announced publicly that Masey had been identified as the victim. But surely the family knew. I, on the other hand, wasn’t supposed to know yet.
“Hi, Cynthia. Is she available?” I felt horrible for asking. It’s never easy to butt into someone’s life while they’re experiencing the worst pain imaginable. Yet it is something I must do again and again in this job. And, if I’m being honest with myself, it can take a toll.
“She can’t talk right now. But I’ll let her know that you called,” she said.
“Yes, I do understand this is not a good time, Cynthia,” I said before I realized my gaffe. Just like that, I gave myself away.
“I know she was trying to get in touch with you yesterday,” Cynthia said.
My guilt flared up.
“It was a chaotic scene, and I didn’t get a chance to return her call,” I said, which was the truth. “Is Pam at her house?” I asked.
“No, she’s with me here at mine,” said Cynthia, trying to hold back her sobs. “Listen, I can’t talk right now,” she said abruptly.
“Okay, I just wanted to say . . .” but she was gone. Concerned that I might have sounded insensitive, I texted through my tears: Thank you for taking my call, Cynthia. I’m praying for your family.
I wished there had been more that I could do. I was glad to hear that Pam wasn’t at her house, which reporters will surely stake out once police make the announcement.
*
BREAKING NEWS
Weekend morning anchor Ron Mancino: As so many had feared, the body of an African American woman found in an abandoned field yesterday has been identified as missing fifteen-year-old honor student Masey James. Police say the teenager was the victim of foul play. Police superintendent Donald Bartlett made the announcement a little while ago at a news conference. Our Simone Michele reports.
Simone: Ron, a clearly shaken police superintendent Donald Bartlett has confirmed the remains are that of the missing fifteen-year-old. Masey James hadn’t been seen since she left a family member’s home three weeks ago on her bicycle. She was believed to have been headed home but never arrived.
Clip of Superintendent Bartlett at the news conference: Masey James was one of this city’s best and brightest. I know I speak for the entire department when I say we couldn’t be sorrier for the way this has turned out. It’s heartbreaking.
Out of respect for the family, that’s all we can share with you at this time. To the media, I know you have jobs to do, but I’m personally asking you to respect this family’s privacy as they struggle with this most devastating outcome.
Simone: Ron, police are being tight-lipped about any leads in the case. Certainly the vacant lot where the body was found will likely present some challenges. There have been reports of extensive flooding and water retention in that area recently. That’s not going to make detectives’ jobs any easier.
Ron Mancino: Simone, such a sad outcome to this closely watched case. Superintendent Bartlett said our hearts are broken. Indeed, they are. Simone, thank you for your reporting.
I was glad to see Simone break the news. She was on the overnight desk, so I’m not sure how she ended up covering the news conference this morning, but better her than Keith. It is technically my day off, which buys me some time to check in with a valued resource. I left a voice-mail message for Dr. Marvin Chan, a renowned forensic pathologist, a regular guest lecturer at the University of Chicago, and a friend.
I met Dr. Chan while I was working on my graduate thesis on media coverage of violent crime at Columbia College of Missouri. One day a flyer in the student commons advertising a lecture by Dr. Chan on the principles of homicide investigation caught my eye, and I attended. He shared incredible insights. I bought both his books and stuck around afterward for a chance to speak with him one-on-one. I’d researched Dr. Chan ahead of his talk and found numerous articles about him and by him in academic and law enforcement journals. He had an impressive portfolio of work and admirers around the world. To quote him directly, versus footnoting a passage from one of his books, would give my paper an edge. Blame it on the extra-credit sensibility I developed attending public schools in Austin, where a gifted Black girl could be overlooked if she didn’t do something to rise above ordinary.
I got an A on my thesis and shared a copy with Dr. Chan, with a note thanking him for taking an interest in my project. “You’re an inspiration,” I wrote.
That was years ago, but Dr. Chan and I have remained in touch. I couldn’t believe my luck when, after my first six months on the crime beat in Chicago, Dr. Chan was contracted by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to become a special consultant to the chief medical examiner. The Chicago Police Department had come under fire for the rise in unsolved murders, with a growing number of Black women as victims. The Cook County state’s attorney lobbied to have a specialist brought in, and Dr. Chan fit the description as one of the most revered in the country. A frequent expert witness in murder cases, he could be counted on to provide candid, court-worthy testimony in our interviews. Too candid, at times.