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information on Kort Eriksen and Riddle’s big crime story. It didn’t take long to get the details of the crime, the trial, and the history of all those involved. Kort was the town bad boy although from what she read his biggest crimes were having long hair, tagging graffiti on abandoned buildings, drinking underage, and driving without a license. There were rumors of drug use but no evidence of any and his drug screens after his arrest had come back clean. Apparently Desiree Steele was Kort’s girlfriend, a wholesome, church going, cheerleader whose parents in no way approved of her relationship with the town hood. The couple dated secretly. At the same time in order to throw her parents off the track she dated the star football player, a quarterback named Leland Parker. Photos of “Butch” as he was known showed a big broad shouldered high school senior in a foot ball uniform with his helmet tucked under a meaty arm. Desiree didn’t show up for cheerleader practice after school one fall afternoon. It took two days to find her body because of severe storms that limited the time searchers could comb the woods for her. An autopsy revealed she was about eight weeks pregnant and DNA proved that Kort was not the father. He maintained he knew nothing about the pregnancy. He swore he had not killed her, first saying she was supposed to meet him that evening and she had something to tell him. Apparently his story changed and he admitted having ridden with her to the woods outside of town. Stating they had an argument, he claimed he rode his bike home and that had been the last time he’d seen her alive.
    During the trial, stories about Kort’s adoption and his difficulty in adjusting to life in Riddle, his biological parent’s histories of alcohol and drug use, and the petty crimes he’d committed were all brought out. There wasn’t very much physical evidence tying him to the murder scene since the heavy rains had just about obliterated the crime scene and animals had been ravaging the body. However a thin piece of a leather cord was found clutched in the victim’s hand and traces of Eriksen’s blood was found under the nails of the fingers that had not been mangled by animals. Photos of the boy’s body showed scratch marks on his arm that seemed to indicate Desiree had struggled with him at some point.
    A court appointed psychiatrist stated Kort had anger management issues based on abandonment by his parents. He was described as having defiant oppositional disorder. However a defense psychiatrist stated he did have anger management issues stemming not only from his adoption but also because neither his parents nor most of the older people in the town accepted him because he was Native American. He had been teased through all his school years and except for two or three other “outcasts” he had no friends. Those friends however stepped up to speak in his defense. Of course their words were overlooked as was the testimony of one of the high school teachers who not only defended his character but stated he was a “brilliant young man who had the ability to accomplish a lot of good things in the future.” In spite of all the positive reports a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to twelve years. The first two years were spent in a juvenile setting before he was moved to Eastern State. Less than his age, there was concern about his size since he had grown to be a whopping six foot four with broad shoulders and a quick temper, far larger and more intimidating than the other boys at the juvenile facility. There was nothing written about his years in the adult prison until his parole hearing where Desiree’s parents asked that he serve the rest of his sentence. Based on his excellent behavior, the fact he had earned a college degree, and not only worked in some construction capacity but also tutored other inmates working toward GED’s or in college classes he was granted early release. Two hours after beginning