Log:Judging by the Record

Here Comes the Judge 2021/01/18 	 Night Marshal|Carpenter Det. Celia Harris

8

The crime scene on the 4th floor was as they expected. The drug dealer was killed with two shots. His drugs were left, but his money was taken. CSI collected DNA from the scene from where the Judge was injured.

Carpenter and Celia are back at the precinct the next day filling reports. It's almost the end of the day when Carpenter's phone rings.

Carpenter answers his phone. "Detective Carpenter here."

"Detective, it's Massri. We get a match for the DNA at the scene. Clayton Barstow, Caucasian, 57 years old. He has a few misdemeanors on his record. Public Intoxication and disorderly conduct a few years back," CIS Naila Massri says over the phone.

Carpenter furrows his brow. "How close of a match are we talking? I was just wondering if it might be a relative of Barstow's."

Massri responds, "Pretty close. No record of siblings. If you're thinking a descendant, he doesn't have any. His son and wife passed away ...hmm. Well. Just prior to his misdemeanors."

Carpenter nods slowly. "How did they die?"

"Hmm, let's see." Massri is quiet as she looks it up and scans. "Oh...my. It seems they were killed in an shootout at a Chinese restaurant. It was a suspected hit between the Triads and mafia, but no convictions."

Carpenter nods slowly. "Seems like he has a reason to target the mafia types. I'll pull up the misdemeanors to take a look at what he got up to afterward. Thank you for the help."

"Let me know if you need anything else, Detective. There should be his last known address in his file," Massri responds, then hangs up.

Carpenter says to Celia, "We got a hit on the DNA. Clayton Barstow. I'm pulling up his record now, and whatever we have on him."

Harris looks up from filling out a report for another case. "Really? That's a nice break."

Carpenter pulls together information to piece Clayton's life together. The police report involves a few drunken altercations in bars. They were about 7 years ago, taking place in the months after the death of his wife and son. The son was 18 and hadn't yet graduated high school by the looks of it. The media only picked up the drunken incidents in passing with not much attention paid to them. In a city like Colonial Bay, it's hardly noticeable compared to meta crimes. On social media, Clayton's page is semi-public. There are old photos of him and his son hunting and fishing. And not too many personal photos after their deaths, but there was an outpouring of sympathy posts on his social page.

The report on the family was they were bystanders in a drive-by shootout targeting some Triads in the restaurant. The Triads lived, as did the Mafia. A waiter and another bystander were also shot. The wife was declared dead at the scene. The son was taken to the hospital in critical condition and passed away the next day.

Carpenter shakes his head slowly. "The family died 7 years ago. So...why did he finally go around the bend and become a vigilante?"

Celia leans back in her chair and grips the ends of her arm rests, drumming her fingers as she thinks. "Maybe something recent triggered him? What's going on in his recent life? Or the news prior to him showing up. I mean, how long does it take for someone to turn into a whack job and train and gear up to take the law in your own hands? What sort of thing makes a person crack so far that they put on a mask and go vigilante? It's not something you just decide on a whim," she brainstorms, not realizing Carpenter's a vigilante.

Carpenter smiles as he thinks about it. "True. It's not something you'd do on a whim." He looks at the Judge case, trying to check the date the first appearance might have been...and then looking for local incidents that might have triggered the guy at about that time.