Rubber found at the base of Chagrin River reveals DNA of Archie Klatos.
It was repeatedly said by the officer entrusted to this case that it was impossible for a teen's disappearance to be murder. Now it is an absolute certainty.
A gun found at the base of Chagrin River, which was widely speculated to be connected to the disappearance of Archie Klatos, is now almost indisputably linked to him. Along the same site where the gun was found, traces of burnt rubber were also collected; upon being dusted for prints, they revealed an absolute match with Klatos' DNA.
"I'm sure it comes as a major shock to all parties involved. I somewhat wonder if the lesson to be taken from this is the danger of meddling in dangerous affairs. Klatos was a known criminal, and Thomas Michaels who purchased the gun is also a known criminal for possession of a weapon underage. If Klatos is in fact dead, I have no doubt it came by his own hands."
“If Klatos is in fact dead, I have no doubt it came by his own hands.”
The rest of the nation certainly doesn't share Deputy Fields' insight, let alone the boy's mother. Calls for the immediate arrest of Thomas Michaels have been vocally called for since the announcement of the find this morning.
Although for different reasons, Deputy Fields shares a belief in this next course of action. "Simply to rule out any possibility of kidnapping, as well as confirm if Klatos was in fact murdered by Michaels at all, it is our intention to bring Michaels in for further questioning."
Can anything be ruled out at this point?
It is Fields' reluctance to directly convict any suspect of being responsible for the disappearance of Archie Klatos that has brought him the most public scrutiny, especially from his peers at the Chagrin Falls police department. It seems contradictory to the entire history of this case that he could still believe that there is anything standard about this boy's disappearance.
We have observed, after all, deliberate and excruciating efforts to destroy and hide evidence, in both the nature of the gun and the nature of the burnt rubber. To bring his predators to justice, the conclusion of this case must not repeat its various mistakes.
No lead must be considered impossible; no stone must be left unturned.
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