In the following analysis we shall look at the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966 from the standpoint of science and the most accurate measurements we have to pinpoint the time of her murder. This will hopefully clarify some of the events surrounding her untimely demise. If we use the body temperature measurements taken by Surgeon F. Rene Modglin at 9:23 am on October 31st 1966, it concluded she had been dead between 9 and 12 hours. This would place the time of her death at between 9.23 pm and 12:23 am. This encompasses the time earwithnesses heard screams from the alleyway at around 10:30 pm. However, the stomach contents paint an altogether different picture.
Cheri Jo Bates attended church on the morning of October 30th 1966, before heading off with her father for breakfast at 5201 Arlington Avenue. When they arrived home just shy of 10:00 am, Joseph Bates prepared for his day out at the beach leaving Cheri Jo Bates alone in the 4195 Via San Jose residence for approximately seven hours. We know Cheri Jo Bates was in her house because she called her friend Stephanie Guttman at 3:45 pm, and we know she left her residence about 5:00 pm because her father arrived back at the residence shortly after 5:00 pm and saw that his daughter had pinned a note to the refrigerator door stating "Dad - Went to RCC library". He discovered plates and dishes in the drainer of the kitchen, and realized she had prepared herself a meal, including roast beef. Cheri Jo Bates could conceivably have eaten this meal at anytime between when she arrived home from breakfast to just before she left for the library. However, it is fair to assume the latest she ate the meal was between 4:30 pm and 4:45 pm, thereby allowing her time to wash the dishes and prepare herself for the fifteen minute journey to the library. Whether she went directly to the library is unknown, but she left her 4195 Via San Jose residence at about 5:00 pm. This is crucial when we consider the time of death estimate given by F. Rene Modglin regarding the stomach contents at autopsy.
There are no lesions of the peritoneum, omastum or mesentery. There are no lesions of the oesophagus. The stomach contains at least 100 millilitres of thick food with particulate food particles in which are easily recognized reasonably large pieces of apparently beef along with vegetable particles being either and/or celery and onion and white curd like particles floating in the gastric contents that appear to be either milk or cottage cheese. There is no lesion of the stomach, duodenum, remaining small bowel or large bowel including the rectum. The 120 gram pancreas is in its usual position and has no lesion of its surface or interior.
One milliliter is one cubic centimeter - so imagine 100 sugar cubes that are one centimeter on each side when considering the volume of the stomach contents. F. Rene Modglin, based on these contents and reasonably large pieces of beef in the stomach, concluded that Cheri Jo Bates "had eaten a supper type meal no more than 2-4 hours before her death". Houston, we have a problem.
The latest possible time Cheri Jo Bates could have consumed this meal was 4:45 pm, placing her death at the earliest at 6:45 pm, and at the latest 8:45 pm, meaning she couldn't have been in the library that evening between these hours. Bearing in mind that, other than the Mexican-American student who noticed her about the time the library doors opened at 6:00 pm, none of her friends set eyes on her in the cramped library that evening. If the stomach content analysis by F. Rene Modglin is correct, this backs up the notion of the young woman discharging her three library books and leaving almost immediately - and hence why nobody in the library remembers seeing her. However, we have another massive problem. The stomach contents analysis places her time of death between 6:45 pm and 8:45 pm, but the body temperature analysis places her time of death between 9:23 pm and 12:23 am. If Cheri Jo Bates had ate her supper type meal any earlier than 4:45 pm the discrepancy only increases. F. Rene Modglin stated that Cheri Jo Bates "had eaten a supper type meal no more than 2-4 hours before her death", making the latest estimate of 8:45 pm completely at odds with the scream heard by two earwithnesses at about 10:30 pm. The body temperatures analysis fits with this scenario, but the stomach contents analysis falls well short. This discrepancy has to be reconciled.
One milliliter is one cubic centimeter - so imagine 100 sugar cubes that are one centimeter on each side when considering the volume of the stomach contents. F. Rene Modglin, based on these contents and reasonably large pieces of beef in the stomach, concluded that Cheri Jo Bates "had eaten a supper type meal no more than 2-4 hours before her death". Houston, we have a problem.
The latest possible time Cheri Jo Bates could have consumed this meal was 4:45 pm, placing her death at the earliest at 6:45 pm, and at the latest 8:45 pm, meaning she couldn't have been in the library that evening between these hours. Bearing in mind that, other than the Mexican-American student who noticed her about the time the library doors opened at 6:00 pm, none of her friends set eyes on her in the cramped library that evening. If the stomach content analysis by F. Rene Modglin is correct, this backs up the notion of the young woman discharging her three library books and leaving almost immediately - and hence why nobody in the library remembers seeing her. However, we have another massive problem. The stomach contents analysis places her time of death between 6:45 pm and 8:45 pm, but the body temperature analysis places her time of death between 9:23 pm and 12:23 am. If Cheri Jo Bates had ate her supper type meal any earlier than 4:45 pm the discrepancy only increases. F. Rene Modglin stated that Cheri Jo Bates "had eaten a supper type meal no more than 2-4 hours before her death", making the latest estimate of 8:45 pm completely at odds with the scream heard by two earwithnesses at about 10:30 pm. The body temperatures analysis fits with this scenario, but the stomach contents analysis falls well short. This discrepancy has to be reconciled.
Digestion is an active ante mortem process, which does not continue after death. Although acids and enzymes are present, the peristaltic movements necessary to churn food with them are absent. The presence of food particles in the stomach and upper small intestine provides still another source of information to the doctor regarding time since death. When and what the deceased ate for his last meal is important information for the doctor who will conduct the autopsy. Various ingested food materials remain within the stomach for variable periods of time, depending on the nature and size of the meal. It has been determined through extensive research that under ordinary circumstances the stomach empties its contents 4 to 6 hours after a meal. According to Modi, the gastric empting varies in human being from 2 1/2 to 6 hours. In certain cases the medical examiner will be able to determine the type of food, which still remains in the stomach, if matched with the last known meal. This can help establish a time period. A number of contributing factors including type of food item, particles size, volume of food, types of food consumed, temperature and individual metabolism may have direct effect upon the digestion and empting of ingested food in stomach. Link.
We effectively have a shortfall of 1 hour and 45 minutes from the latest time of death based on stomach contents, to the screams heard in the alleyway. This gap must be bridged, in order to bring the stomach content analysis into line with the body temperatures analysis. Ray Grant, an avid Zodiac researcher, has suggested an abduction theory - and while I don't necessarily believe this is the only viable answer - it does bridge the gap between 8:45 pm and 10:30 pm. Ray Grant has often suggested that Cheri Jo Bates digestion process could have markedly slowed down or even stopped, during a period of severe terror or stress - he claims - as a result of being abducted. While not everybody may concur with his conclusion of abduction, if the stomach contents of Cheri Jo Bates placed her death no later than 8:45 pm, when it's reasonable to conclude the time was nearer to 10:30 pm, then something must have slowed or greatly reduced her digestive function.
When a person feels danger, the “fight or flight” response of the central nervous system is triggered. At the same time, the enteric nervous system’s response is to slow down or stop digestion. This is done so that more of the body’s energy can be diverted to the situation causing the threat. The enteric nervous system’s network of nerves, neurons, and neurotransmitters extends along the entire digestive tract – from the esophagus, through the stomach and intestines, and down to the anus. Emotions, feelings of excitement, or nervousness can cause the familiar churning in the stomach – the so-called “butterflies in your stomach” feeling. The gut-brain connection works in both directions too. For example, GI problems can create anxiety and stress. Link.
This suggests that if Cheri Jo Bates was placed under enough stress between the period of around 6:00 pm and 10:30 pm, her digestive process could have slowed and therefore skewed the findings of F. Rene Modglin. It could also have literally shut down for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Either way, the discrepancy between 8:45 pm and 10:30 pm, appears to suggest something very traumatic occurred to Cheri Jo Bates during the 4 1/2 hour window between library doors opening and the time of her death. Whatever that was, we can only speculate.
THE CHERI JO BATES AUTOPSY FINDINGS PART ONE PART TWO
This suggests that if Cheri Jo Bates was placed under enough stress between the period of around 6:00 pm and 10:30 pm, her digestive process could have slowed and therefore skewed the findings of F. Rene Modglin. It could also have literally shut down for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Either way, the discrepancy between 8:45 pm and 10:30 pm, appears to suggest something very traumatic occurred to Cheri Jo Bates during the 4 1/2 hour window between library doors opening and the time of her death. Whatever that was, we can only speculate.
THE CHERI JO BATES AUTOPSY FINDINGS PART ONE PART TWO