CURRENT THEORY - SUMMARY SCENARIO
In the Matter of the Murder of Harold Eugene Vest
on 27 Jun 1946 in Gainesville, TX


IMPORTANT NOTE:

This document is strictly confidential.  It is designed to document an independent assessment of the facts and theories surrounding the death of Harold “Buddy” Eugene Vest on June 28, 1946 in order to discover the truth.  This document necessarily includes a significant amount of personal information – some of which may not be accurate – in order to analyze investigative leads.  This document and its information are not designed to impugn anyone.  Readers must understand that many of the statements in this summary are not factual, but rather are opinions, impressions and speculations based on assumptions and interpretations of existing and necessarily incomplete information.  Further, the information contained in this summary is not warranted to be accurate and we assume no responsibility for damages arising from the publication, distribution, use of, or reliance on any such information.  This document is being provided confidentially in order to further the investigation.  It is a living document, and as such remains subject to change without notice. 

CRIME SCENE

The description of the crime scene has been taken primarily from the inquest record prepared by Justice of the Peace L.V. Henry, and from the statements of Reece Lance, the 13-year-old boy who worked at the shop, and Dan Flynn, an employee of the Gainesville funeral home. Where there is a difference, I use the most likely description.17   All underlying documents are available elsewhere.

Buddy was discovered in a small restroom in the northeast corner of the Vest Cabinet Shop. The restroom was barely wide enough to accommodate a commode. There was no wash basin or mirror. The door to the restroom was rather flimsy, with a screen door latch on the inside. To keep the door closed when the restroom was not in use, there was a block of wood which rotated on a nail from the shop side. There was a hanging light which was turned on and off by pulling on a string. 

At about 2:20 a.m. funeral home owner, Vernie Keel and police night chief, Louis Theobald  arrived at the home of Justice of the Peace Henry to report the death. Henry arrived at the crime scene at 3 a.m.

Buddy was suspended from a thin leather belt, ostensibly removed from one of the woodworking machines in the building. The belt was supported by three nails hammered in the wall and bent back over the belt. There was a small rope tied around his waist, with the left arm pinioned to his side. A small rope was tied around the legs at and just above the ankles, fastened to the wall by a small “eye” screw. A block of wood approximately 4 inches square and about 10 inches long was lying on the floor, about 8 inches from the feet. An open knife was lying near a drain in the floor.

The body was clad in socks and ladies panties and a woman’s lastex girdle. A “GI” towel was placed in the loop around the belt. Two holes had been drilled about hand level on each side of the body. There was sawdust on the floor from where the holes had been drilled. On the left side, one end of a rope was knotted, threaded through one of the holes on the shop side and then rethreaded through the other hole from the restroom side to form a loop large enough to restrain the left hand. The right side also had two holes for the hand restraint rope; but, only one end of the rope was knotted and threaded through the wall, with the other end left to dangle.

17 See Crime Scene Analysis: Reconciliation of the Inquest Record to Witness Accounts and Witness Statements