“- - - there are three tatoos. One of a girl's name, 'Cindy'; - - - 'Born to Ride' on the forearm; - - - a fire-breathing dragon over his chest - - -”
Entirely Absent
Excerpt from ENTIRELY ABSENT©
first published in Ecphorizer #90
The body is in a brown plastic body bag which, when opened, reveals a young male of approximately 200 pounds and an estimated age of 25.
He is dressed in a blue denim jacket which has a large, jagged tear at the left elbow and is caked with dirt and dried blood on the front left side. Beneath the jacket is a black tee shirt which says “Harley Davidson” on the front in white letters. There are several cigarette ash-sized holes in the front of this tee shirt.
Over the denim jacket is a black leather vest with multiple pockets, all empty. The detective accompanying the body states that various items have been removed from the pockets including a box of snuff, a small bottle of Dilantin capsules labeled as prescribed for _____, and a vial of white powder, not yet identified. There is an extensive area of multiple tears in the leather and caking of the leather with dirt on the left side of this vest, both inside and out. On the body are bluejean-type trousers which are ripped along the lateral aspect of the left leg, along the seam for a distance of about 10 cm. Dirt and grease or oil are caked into the material along the anterior aspect of the thighs of the trousers. These stains do not appear to be fresh. On the pants is a black leather belt fastened by a buckle of brass-colored metal. This buckle is circular and has embossed on it the figure of a plant leaf, and is severely scratched in a diagonal direction from the top right to bottom left. These scratches appear to be fresh. Attached to the belt is a stainless steel chain approximately 20 cm. long with a ring on the end. The detective accompanying the body states that there had been a wallet attached to the chain, but this had been removed by the police. Attached to the belt on the right side is a small black leather case which, when opened, contains a knife.
On his feet are black leather boots which reach to mid-calf. Both are noticeably scuffed, though the left more so than the right. When the boots are removed, the feet are covered with white cotton socks which are both discolored and foul smelling. The left ankle is grossly deformed with severe inversion, and there is blood on the lateral aspect of that sock.
On the left wrist is a brown leather bracelet, approximately 8 cm. wide. This is secured by two buckles on small leather straps of the same color.
Around the neck is a stainless steel chain with a razor blade and a small spoon attached.
Upon removal of the clothing, it is noted that there is no underwear. On the skin there are noted three tattoos. One of a girl’s name, “Cindy,” on the right upper arm; another with the words “Born to ride” on the left forearm; the third is a drawing of a fire-breathing dragon approximately 20 cm. long. This last is located on his chest, over the pectoralis muscles.
There are several old healed scars on the body, four of which appear to be surgical. These are 1. a short horizontal tracheostomy-type scar on the anterior neck; 2. a short (3 cm.) horizontal scar over the 6th rib in the anterior axillary line on the right; 3. a long scar paralleling the left costal margin on the left, anteriorly; and 4. a diagonal scar in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. Additionally, there are multiple scars suggesting old trauma on the backs of both hands, forearms, and the right thigh.
There is a compound fracture of the left ankle with the tip of the broken fibula protruding through the skin at the lateral malleolus.
There is a moderate abrasion of the skin over the left lateral aspect of the thigh. There is no gross deformity or bony abnormality to palpation over the knees, thighs, hips or pelvis.
The skin over the left elbow is avulsed to the olecranon process, which is visible in the defect. Movement of the joint, however, reveals a normal range of motion.
The chest appears grossly atraumatic.
The neck appears to be hyperextended and the head is extensively and widely mobile on the neck in all directions, suggesting that the base of the skull is separated from the cervical vertebrae.
On the face is a long red beard which is braided into two braids, one on each side. These are tied off with rubber bands.
The hair is, likewise, red and long, pulled back into a pony tail and tied off with a leather cord.
The scalp and skull is missing above the left eyebrow. A sharp defect in the skin and bone runs obliquely from the level of the left ear, which is also missing, to the top of the skull in the midline, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Examination of the remaining skull on the right side reveals that it is in several large pieces which can be easily moved with palpation.
Examination of the inside of the remaining skull reveals the brain is entirely absent.
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