Your noontime Read the Lead relates to a crime that riveted literally the nation as well as many overseas outlets last Fall: The murder of 7-year-old Willow Long.
By now you readers are no doubt keenly aware of Willow’s case, which began September 8, 2014, with a report of a missing child and ended with the plea of her uncle, Justin DeRyke, now 23, in Effingham County Circuit Court to one count of First-Degree Murder.
But what we still don’t know is WHY.
However, we at least have a little insight now into HOW.
You’ll notice strange things in this autopsy, done by regional forensic pathologist Dr. John Heidingsfelder. The narrative has aspects that are strange and unexplained within the context of the autopsy. We are in the process of looking into those currently. In the meantime, here’s your noon Read the Lead, Autopsy report made public, a front-page article in the current (July-August 2014) edition of Disclosure, at your vendors right now:
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EFFINGHAM CO.—Effingham County authorities, acting on a request from Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, allowed editorial staff to view the autopsy report of Willow Long.
And while the report seems to be by and large unremarkable, there are a couple of notations in it, made by forensic pathologist John Heidingsfelder, that don’t make a lot of sense in context, and remain unexplained.
Willow was the 7-year-old Watson girl who was reported missing—and was the subject of a search that involved literally hundreds of people in sweltering late-Summer conditions—last September 8.
Her body was found after a day and a half of searching, and the autopsy was performed on the day her uncle, Justin DeRyke, now 23, who lived with Willow, her mother Ciara DeRyke and brother Nathaniel, and Justin and Ciara’s parents Deb and Dale DeRyke, was charged with Willow’s murder, Sept. 10.
The autopsy didn’t stick strictly with evidence found on and condition of the body, but ventured into circumstances surrounding the death of the girl. And in those comments remain statements that may only be explained by further examination of the investigatory record, which Disclosure intends to do.
Blood found on a saw
The autopsy was performed on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 11:30 a.m., about five and a half hours after DeRyke was taken into custody at the Effingham County Jail; Heidingsfelder noted this fact, and the fact that the little girl was reported missing at 10:49 a.m. Sunday, September 8, 2013.
Referencing Ciara DeRyke, Heidingsfelder noted, “The mother was out socializing Saturday night and returned back to the residence at an unknown time. Her brother was babysitting.”
The pathologist then went directly into the description of where Willow’s body was found.
“Remains were found within a black plastic bag present in a farm pond between Route 37 and I-57 exit, a one-acre size farm pond. There was silver duct tape on the outside of the black plastic bag sealing it.”
Details that had heretofore not been released were then disclosed.
“A chef knife was found in a suitcase within the residence,” Heidingfelder wrote.
And then, inexplicably, was the next entry:
“An oscillating saw was found….
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To read the rest of the article, if you have a membership to the online e-Edition, simply click the headline link above the excerpt and go to it; if you aren’t signed up, you can click this link here and get started with a few clicks of the mouse! Or, you can visit any one of our 50 vendors throughout southern Illinois, including in Effingham County, Edgewood Store; in Clay County, Discount Tobacco Warehouse in Flora, Needmore Store in Louisville, and The Price is Right in Clay City; and in Jasper County at Newton Marathon and Bottle Junction in Newton, MVP north of Newton on the river, and The Gas Station at Ste. Marie! This one is on stands a little over TWO MORE WEEKS…so go get em, and let us know if your vendors are running low; we printed up a couple hundred extra to successfully meet the resupply this issue, because it’s an AMAZING one.