Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
Contents
14. Red Fibers
Overview
Ed and Joe review lab results confirming Chase Andrews died from a fall at the tower and was not moved. Though prints were wiped, a new clue emerges: numerous red wool fibers on Chase’s jacket. The investigation pivots to identifying the source garment.
Summary
On a sweltering 1969 morning, Joe meets Sheriff Ed outside the station to share new lab findings on Chase Andrews’s death. Seeking shade under an oak, Joe reads the report aloud, setting the stage for reassessing the case.
The lab confirms Chase sustained severe head trauma and a severed spine from a fall. Blood and hair on the crossbeam match Chase, proving he died where he was found and that the body was not moved. This clarifies the mechanism of death but not the circumstances leading to the fall.
Despite the accidental-seeming injuries, Ed and Joe note that someone deliberately destroyed all foot- and fingerprints at the scene, reinforcing suspicions of human involvement. The report adds a new lead: numerous foreign red wool fibers clinging to Chase’s jacket.
Concluding that the fibers likely transferred from a red wool garment, the investigators commit to finding its source. The case shifts toward tracking this item, which could link a person to Chase at the tower around the time of his death.
Who Appears
- Ed (Sheriff)Sheriff reviewing lab findings; concludes Chase died in place from a fall and prioritizes the red fiber lead.
- JoeDeputy who presents the lab report; highlights wiped prints and red wool fibers as key evidence.
- Chase AndrewsDeceased; lab confirms fatal fall at the tower with red wool fibers found on his jacket.