On August 14th, 1974, a grim find was made in a ditch in south Kansas City, Missouri.
The previous evening, fifteen-year-old David Eyman had left his girlfriend’s house, intending to hitchhike back to his own home. However, at approximately three-forty-five a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, August 14th, a Raymore police officer called in and reported that he had come across the smoldering body of a young man alongside the road.
The victim, identified as David Eyman through fingerprints and a unique turquoise ring he wore, had been hogtied and set on fire while still alive. His wallet was never found, though there was a small quantity of marijuana discovered in his back pocket.
Bizarrely, the prime suspect in the murder of the boy was the very police officer who had found him. His superiors subsequently fired him, citing the fact that he had reported the finding of the body to the Kansas City Police Department rather than the police chief of Raymore, which was against protocol.
Authorities questioned the suspect numerous times about the homicide, pointing out that this particular officer—who has never been publicly named—seemed to report far more suspicious fires than anyone else in the department, or indeed, far more than would be statistically plausible.
In addition, the officer failed a polygraph test, though because of consent laws on the books in Missouri, the results of the test would not have been admissible had his case gone to trial.
The officer moved away shortly after the accusations, and his current whereabouts are unknown. Though he categorically denied any involvement in the slaying of David Eyman, other law enforcement officers in the Metro Squad anonymously stated that they believed the suspect was responsible, though no charges have ever been brought.
Crime Immemorial 