Case Study On Umi Southworth

Case Materials

Recorded Interview of Don Southworth

Recorded Interview of Aleah

Recorded Interview of Almira

Medical Examiner Report

Don Southworth Phone Records

Umi Southworth Phone Records

Crime Scene Logs

Umi Forensic Record

Medical History Record

Background

Umi Southward, 44 was found unresponsive in the backyard of her home on June 9, 2010. Umi’s body was found on Wednesday. She shared the home with her daughter, Almira and Don Southworth. Umi was naked and beaten severely in the back of her head. Her body was hidden from normal view, located under a rug and bloody mattress in the brush of the woods, behind the fence, located in the back of her home. Umi Southworth was lying face down under the mattress. According to the crime scene

The daughter was the first to fall asleep, so she cannot corroborate what the father said happened early that morning. According to Don’s own words he was irritated at Umi for texting John so often and doing it so early in the morning. He is the last person on record to have seen her alive. Umi’s car did not leave the residence the next day. Umi’s car was still in the garage when her daughter got up. Umi did not leave that day at all. Her keys were in the backyard and her shoes were separated. Her daughter described her mom always wearing shoes, even when her mom gets out of bed, she immediately puts on shoes. It is very unlikely Umi walked outside in wet grass without shoes. Umi may have put up a struggle because her belongings were scattered. Somehow Umi ended up in the backyard. Umi goes out the back of her home dependent upon where she parked. When Umi’s back was turned, she was struck in the back of her head multiple times, with enough force to knock her out and cause the serious damage to her brain. It does not appear to be sexually motivated. There was semen found in the vagina, but there was not any evidence to support a rape or sexual assault. It does not look like Umi had time to react. There was a belt around her neck, but it was loose and there were not any ligature marks on Umi’s neck, and was not listed as a cause of the death in the medical examination. Someone committed the crime and it

The crime scene photos showed a seat was removed and was later pictured in the basement. One shoe was by the side tire of Umi’s car. Her keys were on a stand beside the television. The house was in disarray, but the bathroom was clean. The trash can in the bathroom had a used condom in it. The crime scene photos shows there was a load of clothes and shoes in the washer, clothes on top of the dryer, and clothes drying on the clothes line in the same area. There were a couple spots of blood in the kitchen in front of the brown cabinets. There was not much blood in the house or an indication a clean up of a crime scene may have happened. There was a significant amount of blood on the fallen tree branch by the mattress. In the crime scene photos maggots were present, which indicates the body had been outside for hours.

Crime Scene Characteristics

Location: The crime scene was outside. Umi was found in her backyard behind brushes. The location of the crime scene is the victim’s house. 1486 Meadowthorpe Avenue, Kentucky. The body was in an area that was known for hobos to spend the night back there or families camping. A perfectly placed wallet was place in a cement brick. Most of the victim’s blood was spotted outside where her body was found.

Method of Attack: Struck victim in the back of the head multiple times. Used lethal force, supported by the multiple head strikes to Umi’s head and her chest