“Little Luthien” Killer Returns, Claims Seventh Victim 05/03/3133
INN - Interstellar News Network
KORDAVA – After a brief, unexplained lull, in which life almost began to return to
normal for the terrorized people of Kordava’s “Little Luthien” district, the grisly
discovery of the nude, mutilated body of a local woman brought home the harsh
realty that Towne’s worst serial killer in over 50 years remains at large. At this time,
authorities in Kordava are withholding the identity of the victim, but have confirmed
she was a resident of the city’s southern waterfront district, an area known as Little
Luthien for its concentration of residents descended from House Kurita’s Draconis
Combine.
As with previous victims, the body was discovered in the waters of the Kordava
harbor, but that is not where officials believe the murder took place. Both local
authorities and those of the Towne Bureau of Investigations, particularly Inspector
Frances Becca, who is presently heading the investigation, told INN reporters that
certain evidence collected from the bodies indicates they were killed elsewhere, and
only recently dropped in the harbor waters.
“Forensic analysis from the previous victims has shown their exposure to seawater to
be postmortem, and relatively brief in time,” Becca told reporters this morning. “In
fact, at least one of the previous victims, we know, was likely deceased for a period
of three hours prior to being deposited in the Kordava harbor waters. As in the
previous cases, the victim was suffocated prior to mutilation.”
Hiro Jijamaro, a fisherman based out of Kordava harbor, discovered the body just
before dawn while preparing to set sail on a fishing trip. Though officials close to the
case neither confirm nor deny his account, Jijamaro told INN that the victim’s body
was mutilated, like past Little Luthien victims; her legs were amputated just above the
knees, in an apparently surgical fashion. The victim also appeared to be of Asian
heritage, and in her mid-20s to early 30s.
Unlike the last killing, which followed soon after the apparent murder of Hikaru
Roneskovich, an administrator for the local Republican Bureau of Citizens' Affairs, no
message was found on the victim, according to Kordava police, who were first on the
scene after Jijamaro's call. Officials close to the investigation have indicated, however,
that there have been more messages – allegedly from the killer – received by local
authorities.
These messages, apparently little more than electronic letters, were sent to the police
through public terminals, such as library and public communications boxes that any
number of individuals may access. Our source, who spoke to INN only on the
condition of anonymity, said that the content of these messages remains under
investigation. The presence of these messages has, however, given hope to
investigators who have been frustrated in their search for the Little Luthien killer.
In related news, Inspector Becca told INN reporters at this morning’s press
conference that Terra has indeed dispatched a knight-errant to assist in the
investigation. Kristoff Erb reportedly left Terra shortly after the request was received,
and is expected to arrive on Towne within two weeks. Erb, a citizen of Towne, was
born and raised in Theopolis, a small town just north of Kordava in the Zingara
province, and made local headlines when he was accepted into the ranks of the
Republic Knights-Errant this past April.
“We expect that Sir Kristoff's assistance will be invaluable to our investigation,” Becca
said. “Until his arrival, however, the TBI and the local authorities of Kordava and the
Zingara province remain committed to finding and capturing the killer, before Erb’s
arrival, if at all possible. As I said before, nothing would make us all happier than to
turn Sir Kristoff's trip into a mere homecoming affair.”
Typically, Knights-Errant of The Republic of the Sphere are assigned directly after
undergoing rigorous training on Terra. But Erb, like many recruits who commenced
training in the past year, was caught up in the events surrounding the collapse of the
HPG network in August. INN has learned that many of these later-generation Knights-
Errant thus received accelerated training as part of the Exarch's emergency measures
aimed at boosting the ranks of the most loyal defenders of The Republic. For this
reason, many on the streets of Kordava feel that Erb's assistance to the case will be
marginal, at best, and disastrous, at worst.
“This man isn't even a cop!” exclaimed Rosanna Li-Sann, a Kordava shop owner. “I
know those Knights-Errant are supposed to be smart, but let's face it; they're trained
as MechWarriors, not detectives. What's he going to do, charge his 'Mech down the
streets and demand that [the killer] come out and surrender?”
“It's a scam, plain and simple,” said Ortega Matsuida, a Kordava taxi driver. “And
worse, it’s a recipe for disaster. I haven't heard a thing about this Knight-Errant that
convinces me he even knows how due process works, and everything that suggests
he's a jarhead military type. If he's even lucky enough to find the killer, my money's
on him either malfing up the arrest so bad, [the killer] will get off, or he’ll blow holes
through the entire neighborhood doing it. Either way, we're no better off.” On the
streets of Kordava, dissatisfaction goes further than mere accusation about a Knight-
Errant’s lack of ability, however. Many Kordava residents, particularly those of the
Little Luthien district, have grown steadily more apathetic toward the TBI and the
Kordava police as the investigation appears to bog down more with each passing day.
“They would have caught this murderer by now if the victims had Davion bloodlines
in them!” declared Mirachi Lobense, a Little Luthien furniture salesman. “Instead, they
call in some farm-boy Knight because they can’t be bothered, while a killer stalks
innocents in the night.”
Many have accused the government of Kordava – and, indeed all of Towne – of
dragging their feet because the victims are mostly Combine descendants, citing the
predominantly FedSun backgrounds of a majority of city and planetary governments.
Demonstrations against this apparent attitude of “Davion-supremacy” have thus
become an increasingly common sight on the streets of Kordava, but so far all have
been relatively peaceful.
“These streets are a powder-keg now,” says Matsuida. “I wouldn't want to wait for
even a full Knight to arrive to catch this guy, if I were the TBI. Mark my words,
these streets are going to explode before much longer.”
Towne Log
+ Hey, OptMst? How much longer do you think the cops are going to be “playing
dumb” here? The body count’s up to seven now – not counting Mr. BCA there. :-
FMLurder
+ It’s all well and good to make jokes when you're not in harm's way, isn't it, Lurder?
Around here, it's gotten so bad that nobody's letting their women out of their sight.
I've seen guys walk their girlfriends to the bathroom at a restaurant – and actually go
in, just to be sure. Meanwhile, the cops have done nothing but ask a lot of questions,
and give precious few answers. :- Draco041
+ “Their” women? What, is slavery legal in Little Luthien now? :- WetWillie
+ First and last warning, WW. :- ModR8R026
+ Jeez! It's actually a serious question here! He said “their” women. I mean, is
*every* member of the female persuasion escorted now? Do they all have masters, or
somebody to report to? :- WetWillie
+ Christ! I know you can't be that dense, Will. Draco clearly didn’t mean to even
imply that. The killer’s targeting women, so a lot of the locals have taken to escorting
their female associates – be they sisters, mothers, coworkers, or SOs. I hear it’s even
common on the streets of Kordava proper nowadays. :- RUShore
+ True enough, Rus. :- Draco041
+ So, what about this Knight-Errant? Anybody hear of him – aside from the big
headlines when he got accepted, that is? :- Elektra771
+ I think my cousin met him. Contrary to the article, he wasn't a farm boy, though.
His dad's a lawyer, I think, and his mother was in the Thermopolis PD. He was also
supposed to be some kind of egg-head. I think he'd know the law, but acting as a
detective? Hell, we have a better chance with the incompetent TBI. :- Eminay09
+ Incompetent is right! If they know they're dealing with a psycho who knows
anatomy, why aren't they rounding up the doctors and butchers yet? What has this
guy taken, anyway? I've heard of facial features, a jaw, hands, and now legs? They
sure they’re after the same guy and not a copycat? :- FMLurder
+ My friend came up with a gruesome theory once, but it's really creepy, like a
warped take on Frankenstein's monster or something. :- MordenEvR
+ What? You mean he's, like, BUILDING a woman? That IS sick. But it also makes
no sense. Why not keep the first victim's whole body, then? :- FMLurder
+ This is why they call him a homicidal maniac, Lurder. :- Chungabunga
INN - Interstellar News Network
KORDAVA – After a brief, unexplained lull, in which life almost began to return to
normal for the terrorized people of Kordava’s “Little Luthien” district, the grisly
discovery of the nude, mutilated body of a local woman brought home the harsh
realty that Towne’s worst serial killer in over 50 years remains at large. At this time,
authorities in Kordava are withholding the identity of the victim, but have confirmed
she was a resident of the city’s southern waterfront district, an area known as Little
Luthien for its concentration of residents descended from House Kurita’s Draconis
Combine.
As with previous victims, the body was discovered in the waters of the Kordava
harbor, but that is not where officials believe the murder took place. Both local
authorities and those of the Towne Bureau of Investigations, particularly Inspector
Frances Becca, who is presently heading the investigation, told INN reporters that
certain evidence collected from the bodies indicates they were killed elsewhere, and
only recently dropped in the harbor waters.
“Forensic analysis from the previous victims has shown their exposure to seawater to
be postmortem, and relatively brief in time,” Becca told reporters this morning. “In
fact, at least one of the previous victims, we know, was likely deceased for a period
of three hours prior to being deposited in the Kordava harbor waters. As in the
previous cases, the victim was suffocated prior to mutilation.”
Hiro Jijamaro, a fisherman based out of Kordava harbor, discovered the body just
before dawn while preparing to set sail on a fishing trip. Though officials close to the
case neither confirm nor deny his account, Jijamaro told INN that the victim’s body
was mutilated, like past Little Luthien victims; her legs were amputated just above the
knees, in an apparently surgical fashion. The victim also appeared to be of Asian
heritage, and in her mid-20s to early 30s.
Unlike the last killing, which followed soon after the apparent murder of Hikaru
Roneskovich, an administrator for the local Republican Bureau of Citizens' Affairs, no
message was found on the victim, according to Kordava police, who were first on the
scene after Jijamaro's call. Officials close to the investigation have indicated, however,
that there have been more messages – allegedly from the killer – received by local
authorities.
These messages, apparently little more than electronic letters, were sent to the police
through public terminals, such as library and public communications boxes that any
number of individuals may access. Our source, who spoke to INN only on the
condition of anonymity, said that the content of these messages remains under
investigation. The presence of these messages has, however, given hope to
investigators who have been frustrated in their search for the Little Luthien killer.
In related news, Inspector Becca told INN reporters at this morning’s press
conference that Terra has indeed dispatched a knight-errant to assist in the
investigation. Kristoff Erb reportedly left Terra shortly after the request was received,
and is expected to arrive on Towne within two weeks. Erb, a citizen of Towne, was
born and raised in Theopolis, a small town just north of Kordava in the Zingara
province, and made local headlines when he was accepted into the ranks of the
Republic Knights-Errant this past April.
“We expect that Sir Kristoff's assistance will be invaluable to our investigation,” Becca
said. “Until his arrival, however, the TBI and the local authorities of Kordava and the
Zingara province remain committed to finding and capturing the killer, before Erb’s
arrival, if at all possible. As I said before, nothing would make us all happier than to
turn Sir Kristoff's trip into a mere homecoming affair.”
Typically, Knights-Errant of The Republic of the Sphere are assigned directly after
undergoing rigorous training on Terra. But Erb, like many recruits who commenced
training in the past year, was caught up in the events surrounding the collapse of the
HPG network in August. INN has learned that many of these later-generation Knights-
Errant thus received accelerated training as part of the Exarch's emergency measures
aimed at boosting the ranks of the most loyal defenders of The Republic. For this
reason, many on the streets of Kordava feel that Erb's assistance to the case will be
marginal, at best, and disastrous, at worst.
“This man isn't even a cop!” exclaimed Rosanna Li-Sann, a Kordava shop owner. “I
know those Knights-Errant are supposed to be smart, but let's face it; they're trained
as MechWarriors, not detectives. What's he going to do, charge his 'Mech down the
streets and demand that [the killer] come out and surrender?”
“It's a scam, plain and simple,” said Ortega Matsuida, a Kordava taxi driver. “And
worse, it’s a recipe for disaster. I haven't heard a thing about this Knight-Errant that
convinces me he even knows how due process works, and everything that suggests
he's a jarhead military type. If he's even lucky enough to find the killer, my money's
on him either malfing up the arrest so bad, [the killer] will get off, or he’ll blow holes
through the entire neighborhood doing it. Either way, we're no better off.” On the
streets of Kordava, dissatisfaction goes further than mere accusation about a Knight-
Errant’s lack of ability, however. Many Kordava residents, particularly those of the
Little Luthien district, have grown steadily more apathetic toward the TBI and the
Kordava police as the investigation appears to bog down more with each passing day.
“They would have caught this murderer by now if the victims had Davion bloodlines
in them!” declared Mirachi Lobense, a Little Luthien furniture salesman. “Instead, they
call in some farm-boy Knight because they can’t be bothered, while a killer stalks
innocents in the night.”
Many have accused the government of Kordava – and, indeed all of Towne – of
dragging their feet because the victims are mostly Combine descendants, citing the
predominantly FedSun backgrounds of a majority of city and planetary governments.
Demonstrations against this apparent attitude of “Davion-supremacy” have thus
become an increasingly common sight on the streets of Kordava, but so far all have
been relatively peaceful.
“These streets are a powder-keg now,” says Matsuida. “I wouldn't want to wait for
even a full Knight to arrive to catch this guy, if I were the TBI. Mark my words,
these streets are going to explode before much longer.”
Towne Log
+ Hey, OptMst? How much longer do you think the cops are going to be “playing
dumb” here? The body count’s up to seven now – not counting Mr. BCA there. :-
FMLurder
+ It’s all well and good to make jokes when you're not in harm's way, isn't it, Lurder?
Around here, it's gotten so bad that nobody's letting their women out of their sight.
I've seen guys walk their girlfriends to the bathroom at a restaurant – and actually go
in, just to be sure. Meanwhile, the cops have done nothing but ask a lot of questions,
and give precious few answers. :- Draco041
+ “Their” women? What, is slavery legal in Little Luthien now? :- WetWillie
+ First and last warning, WW. :- ModR8R026
+ Jeez! It's actually a serious question here! He said “their” women. I mean, is
*every* member of the female persuasion escorted now? Do they all have masters, or
somebody to report to? :- WetWillie
+ Christ! I know you can't be that dense, Will. Draco clearly didn’t mean to even
imply that. The killer’s targeting women, so a lot of the locals have taken to escorting
their female associates – be they sisters, mothers, coworkers, or SOs. I hear it’s even
common on the streets of Kordava proper nowadays. :- RUShore
+ True enough, Rus. :- Draco041
+ So, what about this Knight-Errant? Anybody hear of him – aside from the big
headlines when he got accepted, that is? :- Elektra771
+ I think my cousin met him. Contrary to the article, he wasn't a farm boy, though.
His dad's a lawyer, I think, and his mother was in the Thermopolis PD. He was also
supposed to be some kind of egg-head. I think he'd know the law, but acting as a
detective? Hell, we have a better chance with the incompetent TBI. :- Eminay09
+ Incompetent is right! If they know they're dealing with a psycho who knows
anatomy, why aren't they rounding up the doctors and butchers yet? What has this
guy taken, anyway? I've heard of facial features, a jaw, hands, and now legs? They
sure they’re after the same guy and not a copycat? :- FMLurder
+ My friend came up with a gruesome theory once, but it's really creepy, like a
warped take on Frankenstein's monster or something. :- MordenEvR
+ What? You mean he's, like, BUILDING a woman? That IS sick. But it also makes
no sense. Why not keep the first victim's whole body, then? :- FMLurder
+ This is why they call him a homicidal maniac, Lurder. :- Chungabunga
| May 3, 3133 |