Shawn Harrington stared down the road before him, his yellow safety vest reflecting any glints of sun the winter sky had to offer. The forlorn street, flanked by woods and a creek and devoid of any lights, had been repaved in the years since the little girl's death, but not much else had changed. Stillness enveloped the terrain, and Harrington grew haunted by how dark it was that early morning—how fearful the girl must have been before the fatal collision. Did she attempt to flag down help while traversing the tight shoulder? he wondered. Did she cower as cars whizzed by with poor headlights?
Pushing emotion aside, the then-35-year-old forensic engineer and accident reconstructionist from suburban Philadelphia began his customary walk, starting from what he calls the hot zone. Informed by a utility pole from the original police sketch, Harrington pinpointed the westbound-lane location where the girl's body was discovered. Working his way outward, he analyzed small circles of space while photographing everything relevant: photos of the fog line (the line between the lane of a road and the shoulder) where police found a tire impression and blood trail; of the bridge, where a wheel-well liner was retrieved; of the street leading to a small subdivision—the closest sign of life in these central North Carolina backlands 25 miles northwest of Fort Bragg.
During Harrington's hour march down the road on this January 2020 morning, all the police reports, witness statements, and photos he'd studied over recent days—evidence that had been presented to a jury 21 years ago in a murder trial—became visceral. The skid marks and car debris were long gone, but he searched for clues that might have been missed. From his 13 years scrutinizing the causes and effects of car crashes, he knew the key to many cases isn't the bright shiny object, but the little marking in the roadway three yards to the right.
Several vehicles struck the girl's body that darkened morning in 1999, but one man was sent to prison, for life, based on the police investigator's theory that he ran her over intentionally. During trial, the prosecutor told the jury, "This may be the most horrible murder committed in Harnett County." Many years later, however, a North Carolina attorney who specializes in wrongful convictions grew doubtful about the imprisoned man's guilt and agreed to represent him. He hired Harrington to investigate.
Shawn Harrington stared down the road before him, his yellow safety vest reflecting any glints of sun the winter sky had to offer. The forlorn street, flanked by woods and a creek and devoid of any lights, had been repaved in the years since the little girl's death, but not much else had changed. Stillness enveloped the terrain, and Harrington grew haunted by how dark it was that early morning—how fearful the girl must have been before the fatal collision. Did she attempt to flag down help while traversing the tight shoulder? he wondered. Did she cower as cars whizzed by with poor headlights?
Pushing emotion aside, the then-35-year-old forensic engineer and accident reconstructionist from suburban Philadelphia began his customary walk, starting from what he calls the hot zone. Informed by a utility pole from the original police sketch, Harrington pinpointed the westbound-lane location where the girl's body was discovered. Working his way outward, he analyzed small circles of space while photographing everything relevant: photos of the fog line (the line between the lane of a road and the shoulder) where police found a tire impression and blood trail; of the bridge, where a wheel-well liner was retrieved; of the street leading to a small subdivision—the closest sign of life in these central North Carolina backlands 25 miles northwest of Fort Bragg.
During Harrington's hour march down the road on this January 2020 morning, all the police reports, witness statements, and photos he'd studied over recent days—evidence that had been presented to a jury 21 years ago in a murder trial—became visceral. The skid marks and car debris were long gone, but he searched for clues that might have been missed. From his 13 years scrutinizing the causes and effects of car crashes, he knew the key to many cases isn't the bright shiny object, but the little marking in the roadway three yards to the right.
Several vehicles struck the girl's body that darkened morning in 1999, but one man was sent to prison, for life, based on the police investigator's theory that he ran her over intentionally. During trial, the prosecutor told the jury, "This may be the most horrible murder committed in Harnett County." Many years later, however, a North Carolina attorney who specializes in wrongful convictions grew doubtful about the imprisoned man's guilt and agreed to represent him. He hired Harrington to investigate. |
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