By David Lohr

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(Continued)

Statements made to me by Terressa's family members further strengthen Sylvia's account.  According to Janice Turner, Terressa's aunt, her sister was not allowed to view her daughter's body for identification and instead was shown a photograph the investigators took.  She said in the photo it appeared as though her daughter's face was bruised and swollen. 

Terressa's casket was kept closed during the funeral, however her father was adamant about seeing his daughter and asked that the funeral director lift the lid, so he could view her one last time.  According to Chuck Shope, Terressa's uncle, the father noticed her neck was bruised and her hands appeared to have scratches on them. 

In addition to those accounts, another source of mine has said they overheard two officers say that Terressa was raped, strangled and beaten with a blunt object.  If these conclusions are true, investigators should have DNA evidence, which may help in tracking down Terressa's killer.

Following Terressa's Wednesday afternoon funeral, her family members, along with Dickinson-based Texas EquuSearch officials, returned to the scene of the crime.  They were concerned that Terressa's death might be related to the Oct. 29, disappearance of Terressa's best friend, Kimberlee Ramsey, 15, and Ramsey's boyfriend, Cody Birdwell, 17.  Using methane gas testers and various other tools, the group searched the entire area.  While they did not turn up any leads on the whereabouts of Ramsey or Birdwell, they were surprised to find Terressa's glasses and hair clip, some 15 feet from where her body was found.  It is unclear how police investigators missed these items when conducting their own investigation.  Calls to both the Dickinson Police Department and the Galveston County Sheriff's Office have yet to be returned.

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Contact  David Lohr at           crimewriter74@hughes.net

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