lOMoARcPSD|22517024
Narrative Summary
Criminal Justice Research and Writing (Liberty
University)
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
On April 4, 2017, at approximately 0630 hours, I was dispatched to 227 East
Memorial Drive in reference to a supposed suicide.
Upon arrival, I knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. I went into the
house through the unlocked sliding patio door at the back of the home. Upon entry, I found the
victim, Natalie Lynn Turner, dead on arrival in her home. The victim lied dead on their couch.
On the table in front of them was three pill bottles, one opened, the probable cause of death.
The computer on the table contained a suicide note that gave a motive for the suicide. An
individual named Zack was mentioned. The victim’s friend, Chelsea Ann Howser, who had
called in the incident, was sitting in the kitchen, sobbing. She was an Asian female.
I gathered Ms. Howser’s information and began questioning. Ms. Howser claims to have
found the victim dead when she came to meet up for a routine morning run. Ms. Howser
entered the home through the sliding patio door after the victim was not answering her text
messages.
This door was never used in the time that the two were roommates. They had spoken over the
phone the night prior, around 2030 hours. The two had planned the run for the following
morning, but the victim ended the call because someone was at the front door. Ms. Howser stated
that the victim had bipolar disorder but took medication and had shown no signs of suicidal
thoughts or tendencies. Upon questioning Ms. Howser about Zack, she said that He and the
victim had been in a relationship but had recently broken up. While they were a couple, they
mostly spent time together at the victims residence. Zack is employed at Best Auto. Zack was
said to be “a bit too controlling,” and “emotionally draining,” as well as saying post-break up,
“He would never let anyone else have her.” Ms. Howser accused Zack of murdering the victim.
This ended the questioning of Ms. Howser.
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
Before exiting the home, the laptop and pill on the table were sealed and tagged to be
taken as evidence. Upon exiting out of sliding patio door, I found a brown leather wallet on the
back step hidden slightly under the bushes. The wallet had an ID inside of it for Zachary Allen
Cain. Mr. Cain’s Social Security card was also inside the wallet. His picture shows that he has
light colored skin and green eyes.
I continued my investigation at Best Auto, located at 123 Main Street, and questioned the
night manager of the store, John Whatley.
Mr. Whatley gave a description of Mr. Cain, stating that he is between 5’8” and 5’11”,
between 180 and 200 pounds, military cut, red hair. Mr. Cain has a tattoo of an anchor on his
upper right arm with many freckles around it. Mr. Cain shared very little about his personal
life with Mr. Whatley. He did however mention “Nat,” but no details beyond a name. Mr. Cain
was scheduled to work the noon to 10 PM shift the day prior, but showed up around 12:30 PM
and left early, around 8 PM. Mr. Cain seemed distracted all that week.
Upon securing a valid search warrant, I opened up the incident report (#5416) and went
to Mr. Cain’s home located at 410 Brown Street, Apartment #812, Normal, Virginia 12345. Mr.
Cain opened the door and let me search his apartment. Sitting on top of Mr. Cain’s kitchen table,
I found a pair of men’s black leather gloves, and a red Kate Spade handbag. Inside the handbag,
I found the victim’s ID and a business card for a psychologist. I took these items as evidence.
After giving Miranda rights, I gathered Mr. Cain’s information and started to question
him. Upon questioning, Mr. Cain states that he and the victim were only friends, making no
mention of their past relationship, as well as that she had never been to his apartment. Upon
asking Mr. Cain about the purse on his kitchen table, he became nervous and said he needed to
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
go to work. Before I could ask the next question, Cain ran out of the apartment and drove off
quickly in his vehicle, a 2016 Nissan Sentra. It appeared that Mr. Cain was driving south on the
interstate.
