Earl Conrad Marblett Case Study

Case Study: Earl Conrad Bramblett The case study that best embodies many of the techniques learned throughout Crime Scene Investigation class is that of Earl Conrad Bramblett. Without almost every technique discussed in the course, a cold, calculated, violent pedophile may have gotten away with one of the most heinous crimes to grip the state of Virginia, again. The case begins with a report of a house fire in a Virginia suburb. When firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames, they made a horrible discovery. All four members of the house were dead. 41-year-old Blaine Hodges, 37-year old Teresa Hodges his wife, and their two young daughters, 11-year-old Winter and Anah who was just 3 years old. Investigators arrived and interpreted the burn pattern. They also discovered the presence of an accelerant. They determined that the cause of the family’s death was not an accidental house fire. This immediately shifted the focus from an accident to something more sinister. One reoccurring principle discussed in Crime Scene Investigation is “let the crime scene tell you a story.” When applied to this case, the story was a sad tale of a depressed husband who killed his

An empty fuel container lay overturned nearby. As the investigators moved upstairs they encountered what looked to be patches of hair on the staircase. In the children’s room shared by both Winter and Anah, they discovered both sisters dead in their beds. They were shot to death with a small caliber weapon. In the master bedroom lay Blaine’s body. He was on the bed with a gunshot wound to the head. A .22 caliber revolver was located on the floor next to the bed. So far, the manner of death along with the physical evidence present, point the investigators at Blane being responsible for the murders as well as the fire. This is further corroborated with a look into Blaine Hodge’s