A call came to the VPSO from one of the townspeople reporting in a panicked voice that someone was found dead up in Wilson Creek. When Shemmie hung up he quickly called the state troopers, then went out and secured the area until the troopers came. I was his sidekick and immediately started collecting information from the people. I went around asking people if they had seen anything strange the night before. Only one person saw something, but he didn't want to tell me. He was afraid of telling me because he thought he might get killed, but I finally got him to talk. He said that he'd seen a vehicle drive off over the hill towards Russian Mission that night in the darkness. Then he'd heard some faint gun shots.

The mine road went off in the same direction but curved a bit to the left as it went on. I suspected the murderer had used this road. After I was done with my investigatiion, I went to help Shemmie. As we covered the body with a tarp I noticed a bullet that barely showed in one of the holes in the body. I bent over to take it out but Shemmie stopped me and told me not to tamper with the evidence. I looked all around the area to make sure Shemmie had done his job correctly. I found one casing from a cartridge lying on the ground and put it in my pocket carefully trying not to put any fingerprints on it. It was two hours until the troopers arrived, then they took over the investigation. Since Shemmie and I had to give the troopers our fullest cooperation, we guided them around and gave them names of some possible suspects.

I personally thought that one of the employees of the mining company had been involved in the murder. So I took it in my own hands to find out who it was and put away the person. I did a lot of sneaking around that made me kind of nervous, but I was determined to find out. At the department when I found out the kind of bullet that was used was military issue, I looked for more information. But I was interruped by Shemmie who told me that I shouldn't be digging in the troopers' files.

Later that night I climbed the gate that blocked the road to the mine. Then I followed the road for a couple of miles until I came to what seemed like car tracks that turned off the road. They were a very strange deep lug design used by off-road vehicles. I followed them through places that were impossible for a regular vehicle to travel through until they led me right back to town, to where the mine office and the equipment were stored. There I decided to break into the building to see if there was any further murder evidence. I had to pass by the night watchmen that guarded the office from intruders and just nervously missed tripping the alarm. Once I got in I went through the files. There I found papers that ordered employees of the company to spill excess mine toxins into the creek. I also found that the company was responsible for the murder because they ordered a hit man to eliminate anyone who found out about the dumping. The hit man turned out to be Shemmie. Boy, was I surprised!

Suddenly I was interrupted by the security guard. He told me to put my hands up but I showed him my badge and told him that he could do some hard time if he did not let me continue. This way I was able to take the papers and fax them to the troopers who arrived that night and took the chief executive officer, members of the council and Shemmie into custody.

The mine continued to run, but finally with honest leaders and council members, and the money for the clean-up was paided for by the company. As for the guilty employees of the company, they were sentenced to life in prison. Shemmie was also sentenced to life with no possiblity of probation for both the murder and failing to enforce the law.

I felt that justice had been served, and I had a new job as VPSO for Marshall. I felt pretty good about the way everything turned out.

Matthew Shorty

Toxic Waste!