The Crochet Hook Murder

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client, an upstanding member of our community is being accused of a horrendous crime due to a mislaid crafting supply.

Sue Davis is an avid crocheter. Her skills are well known to the residents of Sage Creek. On the morning of November 2, Sue lost her crochet hook. This is not an ordinary hook. Sue’s hook is for making delicate lace, it’s small, sharp, and constructed of steel, with a handmade wooden handle to make it easier to use. Unfortunately, the characteristics of this implement also made it the perfect murder weapon. On this same morning, someone used this hook to brutally murder seventy-six-year-old Polly Dewhurst, by plunging it into her neck.

We have heard testimony from Jim Dale, the local forensics specialist who found a second set of fingerprints on the weapon, though the results were inconclusive.

The toxicology report discovered large amounts of aescin in Mrs. Dewhurst’s body. Aescin is a seed extract of the Horse Chestnut tree, a substance used for numerous medicinal reasons, but can be toxic under the right circumstances. The elevated levels of the substance indicate that this was the intended murder weapon.

Could Sue Davis, a grocery store clerk gain access to such an item? With the internet nowadays, anything is possible, but there’s a more likely scenario. Polly Dewhurst was a frequent customer at Heavenly Herbals, run by her granddaughter, Stephanie St. James. She had been using a cream to treat varicose veins, and drinking a tea for relaxation that both included the seed extract of Horse Chestnut. Our toxicology expert, Dr. Nathan Frye testified that Mrs. Dewhurst had enough of this toxic substance in her body that it could be fatal.

I submit to the jury that someone wanted to kill poor Mrs. Dewhurst by giving her lethal amounts of a toxic substance. However, death by poisoning wasn't as quick as our killer hoped, so in a fit of rage, the defendant’s crochet hook was used in a most horrific manner. I believe this hook was chosen specifically because of its uniqueness and that it could easily be identified as my client’s.

Miss Stephanie St. James, the granddaughter of Mrs. Polly Dewhurst has also been detained and is awaiting trial. I stand before you today, members of the jury to suggest that my client, Sue Davis is an innocent woman. I believe there is sufficient reasonable doubt, in this case, to see her exonerated completely. Do the right thing, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

420 Words

Author's Note ▼

Closing argument is loosely based on characters and scenarios from my novel The Gray Manor Misfits, book 2 in the Gray Manor series.