Thanks, RichKelly for your excellent analysis. When I first read about this case, I also thought it might be the cause.
There are quite a few details, though, that still make me question the conclusion of auto-erotic asphyxiation.
I took the plunge and did a google search on forensic analysis of this type of death. (Yikes, if anyone traces my google search history, they'll wonder what I'm up to, haha.)
There has been some research done on deaths resulting from this type of activity, so there is some data available.
Forensic psychiatrist Stephen J. Hucker of the University of Toronto wrote a pretty good article describing how to determine if a death is the result of this activity.
http://www.forensicpsychiatry.ca/paraphilia/aea.htm
While its common for hypoxyphilia deaths to be mistaken as suicides,
its very rare, almost unheard of, for practitioners to actually intend to kill themselves. (See last link below) Deaths resulting from hypoxyphilia are usually accidental, when the person makes a mistake.
Hucker describes the details at a hypoxyphilia death scene that are usually present:
While not all of these details exist at every hypoxyphilia death scene, at least one of them usually are.
None of these details were present at Bill's death scene.
Bill's suffocation was due to strangulation by his scarf. According to Bill's brother, who was at the scene within a few minutes, Bill's scarf was knotted tightly around his neck,
with the knot at the back. It was so tight, Bob had to use a pocket knife to cut it off. Someone practicing hypoxyphilia wouldn't have knotted the scarf so tightly, nor would they have placed the knot at the back of his neck.
Second, its extremely rare for this type of death scene to not show some sign of sexual activity, as noted above.
While I could understand one or more of these features to be missing from Bill's death scene, the fact that none of these features were present makes it difficult to assume this was a hypoxyphilic death.
WRT the family, out of embarrassment, altering the death scene to cover up evidence, there was a patrol car in the neighborhood at the time Bill's family noticed he was missing. Bill's brother, Bob, told them Bill was missing as he was walking down the street in search of him. When Bill was alerted by others at the opposite end of the street, he went to the death scene immediately and the police officers followed. With LE nearby at the time of the discovery, there really wasn't time for anyone to alter evidence. Everyone at the scene was focused on resuscitating Bill.
In the early 80's, psych professionals were working hard to raise awareness with local LE professionals to recognize the signs of these types of deaths, so its understandable that the local officers reached this conclusion. They were likely learning about it in their job training.
Here are some more links to professional articles about hypoxyphilic deaths. Robert Hazelwood and Park Dietz did a lot of the early research on the topic.
http://www.corpus-delicti.com/auto.html
Autoerotic fatality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The other clue that continues to nag me in this case is Bill's sudden decision to give up his paper route and the attacks, fear and hiding that followed shortly after. Something happened that summer, he met someone who frightened him, who he perceived as a threat. The absence of other personality changes in Bill and his ability to continue to socialize with others and do well in school indicates these behaviors weren't due to onset of an organic psych disorder.
JMO, of course. While I don't rule it out, it seems very unlikely, given all the other events that occurred beforehand and the lack of any evidence at the death scene.
Hi Betty,
I've actually read that before ..I was a forensics student before going into law enforcement... along with all the other fun stuff you learn on the job, anyway, but I've also read the materials from Roy Hazelwood(FBI) , the university of Hawaii and others as well.
The problem is that none of those are exclusive, Id venture to say that most, if not all AE fatalities, didn't choose to die , hence it being an accident.
They can be sometimes, VERY elaborate, or they can be as simple as a nail in the wall. The second victim I witnessed (I was present on 2 scenes) was simply a guy in a trash can with his knees, against his chest. His family knew nothing of this practice, there were no tell tale signs, nothing in his bedroom, no knotted shirts, no eye rings screwed in over his bed, not even pornographic materials, ..to be honest I don't even know how the hell he even masturbated.. his clothes were on , his hands were wedged, down the sides of the trashcan...it didn't look like an auto erotic death, but it was ruled one
In Bills case other than the supposed attacks, and his odd death, they apparently didn't find enough evidence, to rule it even an assault. It was furthered, by the fact HE was brought in to take a polygraph, that, according to what's written here, showed he was deceptive.
Eventhogh the coroner ruled his death a homicide, unless it was something totally random the evidence doesn't seem to support it
AS a HS football coach I can tell you (as Im sure are well aware) kids are FICKLE AS HELL...quitting his paper route, wouldn't really raise my suspicions and if they did , id be sure to determine why
AS for the knot at the back, just about every picture Ive ever seen, of an auto erotic fatality had a victim in a noose, or contraption, with the knot at the back or to the side or their dominant hand ..its not impossible (unfortunately)
What I find hard to believe is that hes attacked, 3 times, during the day, no one, even bill ever sees his attackers. And these attackers leave NO evidence other than the marks, ..no fingerprints, on the inner tube, or the bag, his bike, the note ?...Or ANY OF THE NOTES??
Unless this is a CIA trained operative, I don't see how its even possible
Also the behavior of the alleged offender doesn't add up.. He claimed he was receiving threatening letters, that even appeared in his locker at school, which means its either a teacher, students, or someone that works for the school .
There was apparently nothing in his lifestyle that would raise his risk, (drugs etc..) so why was HE selected as a victim.
The note said "he was warned" ..about what?
The story is so odd, that the people investigating it decide to polygraph the
victim. in which the results, indicate Bill was being Deceptive
In the first attack he's jumped off a trail behind his school, they put a bag and an inner tube over his head , when he returns to get his bike, he finds a note .
the second attack he's supposedly laying for (an hour I believe it said) under a tree, in an non-secluded, area, it looks like a street , yet no one sees him laying there .
the third, hes supposedly abducted, from in front of his own house, taken around the corner and strangled.. for reasons unknown.
Yet hes found, only minutes later, (which seems suspicious on its own) ... and like the previous 2 theres no sign of a struggle in any of these scenes.
Unless theres more evidence, out there this seems too odd
:twocents: