Chapter 6: The Atlanta Police

The Atlanta police received an anonymous call reporting the scene of the killings. At first the dispatcher did not believe the caller, but the caller insisted that it was true; but he just didn’t want to be a part of it. The dispatcher notified a patrol car located near the reported area.

Officer Roger Conrad had been a member of the Atlanta Police Department since 1998. He had received a commendation for being a good policeman and always following the rules. Roger usually patrolled a very nice, quiet area and since it was a quiet area he was often in the patrol car alone. Roger got the call from the dispatcher and proceeded to drive to the area in question.

The scene that Officer Conrad drove up to was one that could only be described as horrifying. Roger’s tours of duty had upon occasion been tense and he had actually shot two men in the course of doing his duty. But the sight of the three dead bodies, the pools of dried blood, and the three hearts lying on a stone altar was almost too much. Roger had the presence of mind to make sure that the crime scene was preserved. He didn’t need to check for signs of life since he could see the open wounds in the slumped over bodies.

Officer Conrad got back into his cruiser and radioed the dispatcher that a forensics team, a coroner and a detective were needed. Until they arrived Roger would make sure that no one could enter the area.

Half an hour later, the forensics team arrived on the scene and the photographer began to do his job. As soon as the entire area had been photographed the detective put on a set of white booties and a pair of latex gloves and entered the area. The rest of the forensics team followed in his exact footsteps. The last to enter the area was the coroner.

The team bagged anything and everything that could be considered evidence.

Detective Michael Raines was a true professional and prided himself on being up to date on the latest information and cases on the books. As he looked over the area, he remembered a report that came across his desk about three girls being killed in the Washington DC area three months earlier. His gut told him that this was the same kind of killing and maybe even the same killer.

Detective Raines radioed the dispatcher and asked for any and all information on the case in DC. If he remembered correctly, the report had mentioned the FBI. Fifteen minutes later the dispatcher called and told him that the FBI had taken over the DC case. Michael asked for the phone number of the FBI agent-in-charge and then placed the call from his cell phone.

Agent Wilson received the call from the Atlanta detective and learned about the three girls killed in what could only be described as an occult or ritual style killing. Craig asked if anything had been carved into the chests of the victims. Michael answered that all three had a strange symbol carved into their chests.

That was all Craig needed to know, he informed Detective Raines that the serial crimes division had been given the case. He told the detective to expect a call from them within the hour.

Just an hour later an agent from the serial crimes division of the FBI called detective Raines and asked if they could have copies and reports of any and all evidence found and copies of all photos taken at the scene of the crime. Also they were sending an agent down to be present at the autopsies.

Michael thanked the Agent on the other end of the line and agreed to aid the FBI in their investigation.

The bodies were finally removed and placed into body bags, as were the hearts of the victims. Once the entire area had been examined and any and all evidence bagged and tagged the police cordoned off the crime scene and posted no trespassing signs around the entire area.

FBI Headquarter, Washington DC

Three days after James had mailed the note, it arrived at the mailroom of the FBI. The time and date of arrival was noted and the envelope was sent to the Serial Crimes section as directed on the box. Before the unit opened the box, they had the forensics department do the normal tests. Then the head of the serial crimes division put on a set of latex gloves and opened the box and removed the contents. The two pictures spilled out on the desk face up and with a jerk, Agent Johnson saw the photos of the six dead girls. Next he opened the note and carefully looked at the unknown writing on the note. Until that time no one except two police departments and the FBI knew that the six killings were related.

Agent Wilson had called Brian just after his call to Atlanta and told him of the killings in Atlanta and that they may be the work of the same person. Brian thanked Craig and agreed to send someone down to Atlanta to sit in on the autopsies and to collect all copies and reports possible.

The FBI had been brought into the picture since the three girls in Washington DC had been killed on federal property. Brian had been brought into the picture when Agent Craig Wilson brought the case to him. Brian knew as soon as he saw the file on the killings that there would be more murders. Agent Brian Johnson had been the head of the Serial Crimes unit for six years and knew his limitations. This was clearly a case in which he knew he would need some outside help. The carvings on the chests of the victims meant that the six killings were related, a fact that so far had been kept out of the media.

Agent Johnson had been in the FBI a total of just over ten years and had advanced degrees in forensics and psychology. His training in the serial crimes unit had been at the elbow of the best in the FBI.

Brian had been married for ten years and had one child. His wife was also a trained psychologist and had a private practice in the city. Brian was in his late thirties and worked hard to maintain his physical appearance. In the FBI it was important to project an air of confidence and knowledge. His dark hair had begun to show some streaks of gray at the temples. Brian did not enjoy the travel that his job required but he did enjoy his job. His wife was very supportive of his job and the FBI’s needs.

Agent Brian Johnson knew that he would need help with the note and called his boss for permission to seek some outside help. Perhaps he could get a handle on what the note said. This was the first real evidence that had turned up. His training told him that he was dealing with a very smart and dangerous serial killer. What made him the most dangerous was that the killings were of a religious or occult variety. And killers on a religious mission were the hardest to stop. Up to that moment the carving of the symbols on the victims chests had been kept out of the media. Agent Johnson called an old college friend at George Town University and asked if he could stop by and see if he could help him.

That afternoon Agent Brian Johnson called on his old college buddy and together they walked across campus to the Germanic languages department. At the language department the two men sought out a Professor Harold Hanson. Professor Hanson was the best man in the area at reading and interpreting ancient Germanic text. The professor greeted the men and agreed to look at the note. One glance at the note and Professor Hanson knew that he would not be able to tell the agent much. It was written in a very Old Norse script and he only knew one man in the country that would be able to translate the note.

Professor Hanson took several minutes to examine the note then explained, “I will not be able to give you much help with this note. However I can give you the name of a retired Professor in Austin, Texas. This man is the most knowledgeable in ancient Norse rune script. All my knowledge is based on research he did several years ago.”

Brian thanked the Professor and asked him to not mention any of this to anyone. The Professor agreed and hoped that he would never have to see that script again. His sixth sense was telling him that it was best not to know what the note had to say. Although the symbols were mostly unknown to him one or two did resemble some he had seen a long time ago in an old NAZI text translated and printed for a few of Hitler’s close friends.

Agent Johnson went to the assistant director in charge of his unit. Together the men mapped out a strategy. The unit would begin by assembling a profile of the killer and that meant that Agent Johnson would have to go to Austin Texas and seek out the retired professor. Then armed with that knowledge he and his fellow agents would begin the profile and the search for the killer.

The director called the FBI office in Austin and arranged for an agent there to begin to search for the mentioned professor. Next a flight was arranged and would depart Washington DC the next morning. Agent Johnson left the directors office and returned to his unit. He outlined the meeting to his fellow agents and plans were set in motion. The research began with the use of the latest computers and access to several university databases. Some of the databases began to turn up information on occult killings and also information on ancient Viking burials. All of this information was collated and assembled. Armed with this packet of information, Brian left his office at 6 PM and went home to pack for his trip.

Brian drove his car into his garage and turned off the engine. He sat in the car and thought of the best way to tell his wife he was going out of town for a day or two. He could not tell her the details of the killings, but longed for her professional help. Brian got out of his car and walked into the comfortable house that the pair had worked hard to purchase. In the kitchen his daughter sat at the kitchen table eating a plate of spaghetti. Tina Johnson sat next to her eating a similar plate of spaghetti. The two turned toward the sound of the door closing and greeted father and husband. Tina could see in her husbands’ eyes that he was here with news.

Brian kissed both of the females in his life and then sat down and fixed himself a plate of spaghetti. During the next hour Brian explained that he would be going out of town for a few days and that his flight was the next day. Tina understood but their daughter Trisha did not. At five years of age all she knew was that her dad worked for the government and had to go out of town once in a while.

The FBI in Austin, Texas

Field Agent Rick Howard met Agent Johnson at the airport in Austin, Texas. The two men introduced themselves and walked to the car. Once in the car, Rick told Brian that he would take him to his hotel and them get something to eat. After that they would take the forty-minute drive to see the retired professor of Ancient Germanic languages. After he was checked in and had something to eat, the men got in the agency car and drove out of town, east on Texas state road 21. Forty minutes later Rick turned off the main road and drove down a lightly wooded two-lane road. Ten minutes later he pulled into a gated yard where a large log home sat well back of the front fence line.

Two cars sat in the drive and another two sat in a garage on the right side of the house. The two agents got out of the car and walked up to the front entrance of the house. Agent Howard knocked on the door and waited. Professor Thor Hansen answered the door and correctly guessed the two men’s names and assigned each to the correct man.

Professor Hansen was a tall man, just over six feet six and built like a weight lifter. His hair was long and blonde with streaks of gray. A kindly smile graced the professor’s face as he invited the men into his house. A tall blonde haired woman about the same age as the professor greeted the two agents and asked them if they wanted something to drink. The agents asked for iced tea, if possible and Thor asked his wife to make it three. Thor led the agents into a cavernous study. Almost every square inch of wall space was taken up with books and art objects from the Viking era. Professor Hansen indicated three chairs that sat around a small round table.

Each man took a seat as Mrs. Hansen brought in the tea. She set them down and left the study. Professor Hansen began to speak, “Agent Howard told me on the phone that you have something to show me and you might need my help.”

Agent Johnson opened his small portfolio and pulled out the note encased in a plastic bag. He had brought the pictures with him as well but did not pull them out yet. He had also brought pictures of the two crime scenes. One set of pictures had the bodies still hanging on the poles and the second set of pictures with the bodies removed. Along with the pictures of the crime scene he had pictures of each body and the carving in the chest as well as details of how they had died. Brian handed the note to the professor and let silence fall in the study.