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From: Jasper
Date: 5/10/03
Time: 3:06:14 PM
Remote Name: 68.73.56.136
Miss Marple,
Fuhrman says that he was finishing up his notes when Phillips told him that he had been relieved (Murder in Brentwood, page 18). He said that he was sitting on the couch in the condo writing his preliminary notes when his partner Brad Roberts came in (page 16). That’s the point where Fuhrman claims he took Roberts on the tour and Roberts showed him the bloody fingerprint on the rear gate.
The problem with that story, as you pointed out, is that he did not put the bloody glove and the “ski mask’ anywhere near the beginning of his notes. You can make a case for it not being item 1, 2, or 3 because he was setting the stage for his arrival and noting what Riske told him. But he begins HIS observations in item 4 with the inside condition of the condo and saves the glove an “ski mask” for item 17 – dead last on his notes.
It gets worse….
Fuhrman doesn’t continue his notes after Roberts showed up with his fingerprint discovery written in bold letters and underlined as leadoff item 13 all to itself. He makes item 13 a reference to blood spots on the bottom of the rear gate and implies that the blood spots might come from a bleeding killer who had been bitten by the dog. He saves the fingerprint for item 15. He does not say here that it was in blood, he just says that it was “visible.” But he leaves you with that impression by starting the note with a reference to a “poss blood smudge.”
Our boy Fuhrman is as slick as they come. Have you ever heard of hiding something in plain sight? Edgar Allan Poe, the man from Maryland credited with writing the prototype for the modern murder/mystery genre is the first one I know of to write about it. Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes used it, too (I forget which story). Fuhrman did it with his notes http://www.smartfellowspress.com/smokinggun/smokinggun2/Names.html .
Yes, it was there, but under the circumstances that Fuhrman turned them over to Phillips, who would have seen it? Is it even remotely possible that Fuhrman casually told Phillips about the last two words in item 15 as he handed over the notes and watch him put them away? Is it possible that Phillips forgot or that Fuhrman didn’t speak loudly enough or clearly enough for Phillips to get the message and relay it to Vannatter? No way in hell.
The notes didn’t appear until the last minutes because NOBODY read them. Once the case was turned over to Vannatter and Lange there was no point. It was their case. Phillips took Vannatter on the tour, pointing out all of the key evidence he knew about. It was up to Lange and Vannatter to do the rest. Who needs notes from a detective who is right there with you pointing out everything he thinks you should see? –Jasper