by Thomas J. Misuraca
A female body was found tied to the barbed-wire fence at the north end of Newson’s Farm. It had been out there the entire winter, one of the worst the county had ever seen. Alfred Newson discovered it in late March while surveying his fence’s seasonal damage. The wind and snow had destroyed the woman’s features beyond recognition.
Milford was a small town, and all the residents were accounted for. This woman was a stranger. Her killer, perhaps not.
For weeks, every conversation began or ended with the dead woman. Many clung to the belief that this was a random crime. A brutal act, committed by a man from another town. This theory helped people sleep at night.
Alfred Newson felt suspicious eyes upon him whenever he went into town. It was absurd. If he were to commit such a vicious crime, why would he leave the body tied to his own property? In plain sight?
Suspicions were also cast upon the less outstanding members of the community. Could Raymond, the town drunk, do such a thing on a binge? How about Tobias Winchell? Rumor had it he beat his wife. Then there was Peter Mayfield, who used to throw rocks at cats when he was a kid. Perhaps the woman was somebody’s mistress, and a jealous wife had taken brutal revenge.
The police shared little information. The victim’s identity was never revealed. Many believed it was never discovered. Others assumed her name was kept quiet to build a case against the guilty party. No locals were questioned, but there were rumors that Alfred’s son, David, was often visited by the sheriff.
Federal investigators were too busy to care about one random murder with no clues or suspects. A report was made, but no agents were dispatched.
The body was cremated at the local morgue, the ashes quietly disposed. The case remained open, and soon forgotten by the sheriff and his small band of officers.
But the town never forgot. It became a legend told, retold and exaggerated. If a father didn’t want his teen daughter to go out at night, he’d say she might end up like The Corpse of Newson Farm. If somebody had a grudge against a resident, they’d spread rumors that they were involved with that “mess back in ’93”.
And every year, some aspiring high school writer would try to tell the story of The Corpse of Newson Farm. They’d embellish her history, personality and fate. Some dreamt up wonderfully imaginative tales.
They were always wrong.
THOMAS J. MISURACA studied Writing at Emerson College in Boston. Over 95 of his short stories and two novels have been published. Most recently, his story, “Giving Up The Ghosts”, was published in Constellations Journal, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. For more information, please visit: www.tommiz.com.