ABC/AP: Arrest Made in Death of Cape Cod Writer (Christa Worthington)

[DeepModem Mom]

Arrest Made in Death of Cape Cod Writer
Cape Cod Trash Hauler Charged With 2002 Stabbing Death of Fashion Writer Christa Worthington

ORLEANS, Mass. Apr 15, 2005 — A Cape Cod trash hauler was charged Friday with the 2002 stabbing death of fashion writer Christa Worthington, a case that turned a national spotlight on the isolated outer Cape town of Truro and inspired a bestselling book.

Christopher M. McCowen was arraigned in Orleans District Court on charges of first degree murder, aggravated rape and armed assault. He pleaded innocent to all three charges and was ordered held without bail....

***

Worthington, 46, was found dead on Jan. 6, 2002, in her secluded Truro home, clothed only from her waist up and lying in a bloody pool on her kitchen floor. Her then 2-year-old daughter, Ava, was unhurt but smeared in her mother's blood as she clutched the lifeless body....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=673499


BACKGROUND on this story here, from CBS:

....In January 2002, Christa Worthington, a glamorous former fashion writer, was murdered in her home, stabbed in the chest.

Her death was the first homicide in Truro in more than 30 years. Police say she was dead at least 24 hours before they arrived.
They found her two-and- half-year-old daughter, Ava, alone with the body. Spilled cereal revealed that Ava had tried to feed herself after her mother was killed. There were also signs that the door had been forced open.

The grisly murder made headline news across the country. And it has now led to a new book that comes out this week. Writer Maria Flook, who lives in Truro, explores Christa Worthington's life and death in "Invisible Eden: A Story of Love and Murder on Cape Cod."...

Worthington, 46, was a Vassar graduate from a prominent New England family. She had worked as a fashion journalist, writing for Women's Wear Daily, Elle and The New York Times....(T)he quiet she sought in Truro contrasts sharply with the pool of suspicion swirling around her murder - which has a list of possible suspects worthy of Agatha Christie....

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/09/48hours/main505717.shtml

[AlCzervik]

1. my own feeling on this is that the father of her baby

hired this guy to get rid of her.

[msanthrope]

2. There was a cast of characters in this one....

"However, the quiet she sought in Truro contrasts sharply with the pool of suspicion swirling around her murder - which has a list of possible suspects worthy of Agatha Christie.

On the list is a 29-year-old heroin addict and former prostitute, who was allegedly having an affair with Christa’s 73-year-old father, a former Massachussetts assistant district attorney.

SNIP

Then there’s an ex-boyfriend, Tim Arnold, who says he discovered her body when he went to return a flashlight. There are also conflicting reports as to how well they got along.

And finally, there’s Tony Jackett, who had an affair with Worthington and fathered her daughter, Ava."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/26/48hours/main560613.shtml

[AlCzervik]

4. Tony Jackett, thats the one i was thinking of

[MADem]

7. He's been lie dectected up the ying yang

...investigated to within an inch of his life, and cleared.

He has custody of Ava. His wife wasn't happy about the cheating, but she's gotten past it, and is raising the kid with him.

[hyphenate]

10. I read another article on this

one this morning. The Jacketts don't have full custody of the daughter--Worthington named a couple in her will to take care of her. The Jacketts have her every other week for two or three visits. But yeah--Jackett's wife pretty much forgave him for the affair, and evidently their marriage is totally and completely strong.

It's funny; she was my age. Having a child that late in life must have been a surprise--whether it was good or bad, we can't tell. But it does appear that the woman had some problems she needed to work through regardless. The Cape is a good place to go to reminisce and revitalize. (As long as you have the money to do it)

[MADem]

11. I wonder if the cops are revisiting the girlfriend of the father

At this point, it appears there are two possibilities--the guy who is accused just did it, all by himself, or he was hired. Since Ava's father is cleared, the only person who would conceivably benefit is the girlfriend of the father, assuming she could marry him.

You noted: The Cape is a good place to go to reminisce and revitalize. (As long as you have the money to do it)......

If you just want to do it in the off season, you can often get a good deal on a REALLY nice place for a short term rental. A lot of vacationers who have homes there actually like to have someone living in the joint -- you avoid problems with burst pipes, and so forth. I love the Cape in April, May, October, November--during high season it is a pain with all of the tourists. But hey, they keep the taxes low and the social services high, so it is a price one must pay....

[susanna]

13. I honeymooned there in November...

Like you said, good deals in the off-season. We rented a house right on the coast for two weeks and had a wonderful time. I especially liked it because we had a kitchen and I could make meals instead of running around all the time.

[hyphenate]

15. One of my friends now lives in Falmouth

and has been asking me to come visit. I would like to go since the car is running again. In all the years I loved in Boston and Brookline (most of my life, actually, until I was in my 30s), I never got to the Cape. I think the closest we ever got was the Playhouse in Dennis, which I didn't get to until I was in my 20s.

It would be nice to go and enjoy the salty air. I find I'm more partial to the North Shore, particularly Gloucester and Rockport--which is one of my favorite towns in the whole world.

[Ruby Romaine]

3. were the DNA samples of use in breaking this case?

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Re. DNA, from the CBS article --

"District attorney Michael O'Keefe says recently revealed DNA evidence shows that within hours of her death, Christa Worthington had sex - for now, a mystery man.

'It's DNA of an unknown male that's consistent with someone having had sexual relations with the victim,' says O'Keefe. 'And it's that DNA that we seek to match.'

Dozens of people have been tested so far, including Tony Jackett and Tim
Arnold. But so far, there isn't a match."


Maybe the man arrested today was a DNA match?

[rocktivity]

6. I saw this on Court TV not long ago

They DNA-ed practically every man in town, and insisted that the perp was local as opposed to a visitor or drifter. Guess they were right!

:wow:
rocknation

[kskiska]

8. DNA was a match, according to NYT

Mr. McCowen was first considered a possible suspect in April 2002, three months after the murder, Mr. O'Keefe said, and at that time he was asked if he would be willing to give a DNA sample. He said he would, Mr. O'Keefe said.

But for reasons that Mr. O'Keefe would not make clear at today's news conference, it took authorities nearly two years to collect a DNA sample from Mr. McCowen even though they knew he had a lengthy criminal history in Florida involving, according to Florida records, burglary, trafficking in stolen property, grand theft and motor vehicle theft.

(snip)

He said that it wasn't until last week, on April 7, that the crime lab analysis was completed and it turned out that Mr. McCowen's sample matched DNA found at the crime scene.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2005/04/15/national/15cnd-arre.html?hp&ex=1113624000&en=7a8690305c7fea45&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[calico1]

9. Does anyone know what happened to her child? n/t

[rocktivity]

16. The child is living with a couple who Christa designated as guardians

in her will. The father put up a custody battle with his wife's support, and settled for bi-weekly visitation.

:headbang:
rocknation

[SoCalDem]

12. The Blooding, by Joseph Wambaugh

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553282816/002-1908348-7070423?v=glance

DNA from all the men in the village caught the killer

[Gyre]

14. This is truly awful.

The child's involvement is, IMO worthy of the death penalty if somebody is convicted for it.

Gyre

[okieinpain]

17. sorry to bring race into it. but being a black male I'm tripping off

how a brother manage to get his ass involved this mess is beyond belief. this is a made for movie situation if there ever was one.