The below image shows the 5 incised (stab) wounds to the front torso and right arm of Cheri Jo Bates (denoted by the blue circles). Wound 6 is described as two abraded lacerations, so it's unclear whether this injury was caused by a knife blade.
Wounds 7, 8 and 9 to the dorsal side of the left hand and lateral aspect of the right index finger are congruent with Cheri Jo Bates using her hands and arms in a defensive posture while being secured from behind. The absence of prolonged screaming and the close grouping of these 9 wounds, can be argued from the standpoint of a killer restraining Cheri Jo Bates around the neck while stabbing backwards into her chest region.
Without more information it is difficult to ascertain whether the injuries to her hand and finger were separate stab wounds that never struck her torso, or were injuries created as the knife passed by. Discounting wound 6, we have 5 knife wounds to the upper region of her body in close proximity to one another. It must be pointed out that I have placed the 2 wounds to her left breast slightly off-center to avoid showing the blue circles over her right hand and confuse the observer. If the right hand of Cheri Jo Bates was more centrally positioned when injury 9 occurred, it can be seen how the grouping of stab wounds narrows. This grouping would be much more difficult to achieve if no restraint was applied by the killer and the interaction was much more dynamic in nature. If we change the position of Cheri Jo Bates' hands, with her right hand protecting her right side, and her left hand protecting her left side, then the incised wounds to each hand would mirror the stab wounds to her left and right breast. For these to be related it would require three knife strikes cutting her hands and finger as the blade passed by. With the final stab wound to her back possibly being administered after she was forced forward onto the driveway floor, with the killer kneeling over her.
In conclusion, we have between 6 and 10 stab wounds in total, with the seven knife slices across her neck being the final horrific act that night. The close grouping of the stab wounds, the lack of screaming, and the consistency of the wound widths to her breasts and right armpit of 1.4 cm, 1.5 cm, 1.7 cm and 1.9 cm (with her back wound 1.5 cm), could suggest restraint rather than a dynamic moving target, in which more shearing type wounds may be expected (as observed in the Cecelia Shepard autopsy). This can be seen on the arms of Cheri Jo Bates by the two somewhat abraded wounds to her left arm (of 3.5 cm and 4.0 cm), and the 4.0 cm wound to her right arm, which would have exhibited greater motion than her torso, assuming she was restrained by the neck region. These observations are consistent with the claims of the Confession letter author. PART TWO.
Wounds 7, 8 and 9 to the dorsal side of the left hand and lateral aspect of the right index finger are congruent with Cheri Jo Bates using her hands and arms in a defensive posture while being secured from behind. The absence of prolonged screaming and the close grouping of these 9 wounds, can be argued from the standpoint of a killer restraining Cheri Jo Bates around the neck while stabbing backwards into her chest region.
Without more information it is difficult to ascertain whether the injuries to her hand and finger were separate stab wounds that never struck her torso, or were injuries created as the knife passed by. Discounting wound 6, we have 5 knife wounds to the upper region of her body in close proximity to one another. It must be pointed out that I have placed the 2 wounds to her left breast slightly off-center to avoid showing the blue circles over her right hand and confuse the observer. If the right hand of Cheri Jo Bates was more centrally positioned when injury 9 occurred, it can be seen how the grouping of stab wounds narrows. This grouping would be much more difficult to achieve if no restraint was applied by the killer and the interaction was much more dynamic in nature. If we change the position of Cheri Jo Bates' hands, with her right hand protecting her right side, and her left hand protecting her left side, then the incised wounds to each hand would mirror the stab wounds to her left and right breast. For these to be related it would require three knife strikes cutting her hands and finger as the blade passed by. With the final stab wound to her back possibly being administered after she was forced forward onto the driveway floor, with the killer kneeling over her.
In conclusion, we have between 6 and 10 stab wounds in total, with the seven knife slices across her neck being the final horrific act that night. The close grouping of the stab wounds, the lack of screaming, and the consistency of the wound widths to her breasts and right armpit of 1.4 cm, 1.5 cm, 1.7 cm and 1.9 cm (with her back wound 1.5 cm), could suggest restraint rather than a dynamic moving target, in which more shearing type wounds may be expected (as observed in the Cecelia Shepard autopsy). This can be seen on the arms of Cheri Jo Bates by the two somewhat abraded wounds to her left arm (of 3.5 cm and 4.0 cm), and the 4.0 cm wound to her right arm, which would have exhibited greater motion than her torso, assuming she was restrained by the neck region. These observations are consistent with the claims of the Confession letter author. PART TWO.
[1] A gaping, about 1.5 cm oblique fresh laceration of the skin of the right anterior axillary fold, centered 5 cm from the apex produced by the anterior axillary fold and the right arm. It is probed into the subcutaneous tissue about 1 cm.
[2] A 4 cm gaping fresh sharp edge, mainly horizontal laceration of the right upper arm anterior and medially that extends through the fat and into the muscle.
[3] A 1.9 cm gaping sharp edge fresh laceration of the lower medial quadrant of the right breast in the third inner space.
[4] A 1.4 cm fresh vertical gaping sharp edge laceration in the upper medial quadrant of the left breast in the second ICB (Intercostal block).
[5] A 1.7 cm mainly transverse fresh laceration of the skin of the left chest over the 5th rib and centered about 2 cm medial to the left vertical nipple line.
[6] Two somewhat abraded fresh lacerations of the skin of the volar surface of the left forearm more or less in the mid portion. They run from lateral to medial, the longer is 4 cm and the shorter is 3.5 cm and more lateral than the former. These extend into the subcutaneous tissue.
[7] A more or less Y shape laceration in the skin of the dorsum of the left hand medially and at the junction of the wrist and hand.
[8] An irregular laceration of the skin of the dorsum of the left hand in line with the middle finger and is about the mid area.
[9] A curved and interrupted moderately deep laceration (2 cm overall} in the skin of the base of the lateral aspect of the right index finger.
[2] A 4 cm gaping fresh sharp edge, mainly horizontal laceration of the right upper arm anterior and medially that extends through the fat and into the muscle.
[3] A 1.9 cm gaping sharp edge fresh laceration of the lower medial quadrant of the right breast in the third inner space.
[4] A 1.4 cm fresh vertical gaping sharp edge laceration in the upper medial quadrant of the left breast in the second ICB (Intercostal block).
[5] A 1.7 cm mainly transverse fresh laceration of the skin of the left chest over the 5th rib and centered about 2 cm medial to the left vertical nipple line.
[6] Two somewhat abraded fresh lacerations of the skin of the volar surface of the left forearm more or less in the mid portion. They run from lateral to medial, the longer is 4 cm and the shorter is 3.5 cm and more lateral than the former. These extend into the subcutaneous tissue.
[7] A more or less Y shape laceration in the skin of the dorsum of the left hand medially and at the junction of the wrist and hand.
[8] An irregular laceration of the skin of the dorsum of the left hand in line with the middle finger and is about the mid area.
[9] A curved and interrupted moderately deep laceration (2 cm overall} in the skin of the base of the lateral aspect of the right index finger.
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