I know what I am doing. I am curating her life. I take your hand and lead you through the blood and bile this story is made of. Let me tell you how my family ended up here. Here, in the place of small, dead feet balanced on the edge of grief. Here, in the land of maybe-murderers. Here, in the place of unknowable death, where I write every version of her last breath.
I place her cold corpse in the palm of my hand and show you. See how small she is? I close my hands and bring them to my mouth. You hear me blow warm air into the gap my fingers make. When I open my hands, for a brief moment you think she is alive again, her body glimmers in a way that tells you there is hope. It is a trick of the light, I tell you, gently. I cannot bring the dead back to life.
The unbearable note of grief still sings in my head. The melody of which you will never hear.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Small Town, USA—Investigators say there’s a connection between the gunshot victims at Little Tree Trailer Park and the remains found in Dry Hills. The deceased man, whose body parts were scattered in the Dry Hills region, has been identified as 28-year-old Leland Miller.
Dale Brady, 32, has been arrested in connection with both crimes while Raymond Douglas, 33, has been charged only in connection to the Leland Miller killing. According to Sheriff’s officials, they believe Leland Miller was present during the Little Tree robbery and homicides.
County investigators said Brady shot and killed Clayton Sparks, 32, and Lindsey Levy, 29, when Sparks interrupted Brady and Miller robbing a trailer. Brady then went into Levy’s trailer and shot her.
Leland Miller witnessed both murders.
A little more than two weeks later, officials responded to a report made by a local hunter who had stumbled upon human remains, which were later identified as belonging to Miller.
On January 23, 2014, Brady was arrested by detectives on outstanding warrants. Douglas was arrested almost a month later.
On Wednesday, both Brady and Douglas were arraigned for different charges in the respective homicides. It is believed that Brady is negotiating a plea deal to avoid the death penalty while Douglas has pled not guilty.