Negative Data seemed to define the course of the investigation into Chase Andrews’s death in 1969. Sheriff Ed Jackson and Deputy Joe Purdue had just accompanied Chase’s family—his widow Pearl and his parents, Patti Love and Sam—to a clinic’s makeshift morgue, where they were forced to face the chilling reality of their loss. The somberness of the scene was inescapable; Pearl and Patti Love, overwhelmed with grief, could only sob quietly as they were confronted with the lifeless body of Chase. The sight was too much for them, and they quickly left the room, retreating from the physical and emotional weight of what lay before them. Sam, who had not shed a tear, remained in silence, his sorrow deep and unspoken, reflecting a profound sense of loss that was more internal than outwardly expressed. The gravity of the moment, juxtaposed with Sam’s somber restraint, highlighted the overwhelming sorrow that had engulfed the family, making it impossible for Sheriff Ed and Deputy Joe to ignore the personal toll this case would take.

The sheriff’s office, where they spent the majority of their time, mirrored the bleakness of the task before them. The marsh’s humid and relentless saltwater continued to invade the office, its evidence visible in the form of mildew-covered walls and mushrooms sprouting in the corners, symbolic of the ever-present dampness that seemed to pervade every aspect of their lives. In these conditions, the two men found a temporary escape in the warmth of bourbon, the alcohol offering a brief moment of relief from the unrelenting pressure of the investigation. The room, heavy with the stale air and the smell of salt, seemed to close in around them as they tried to focus on finding something that could help them solve the mystery. Their attempts at a breakthrough felt like a futile effort, as each day passed without bringing any tangible results. The space they inhabited mirrored their sense of stagnation, as time seemed to stretch on endlessly without any progress in their case.

After several days of unanswered questions, a moment of possible clarity arrived when the much-anticipated lab reports finally came in. Joe, with a spark of hope, burst into the office to deliver the news, believing that the reports might hold some key to the mystery. However, as they read through the results together, their excitement quickly turned into frustration. The report offered little more than a vague timeframe for Chase’s death, leaving much to be desired. The term “negative data” felt like a fitting description for the report—there were no fingerprints found at the scene, not even Chase’s own, which suggested a calculated effort to erase any signs of who might have been involved. This lack of evidence only served to complicate the case, as Sheriff Ed and Deputy Joe realized that someone had gone to great lengths to remove any trace of their presence. The sterile and emotionless language of the report clashed with the complexity of the case, leaving the men feeling more confused than ever. Rather than providing the clarity they had hoped for, the report only deepened the mystery surrounding the case, making it clear that their investigation had hit a roadblock. The absence of clues, combined with the meticulous effort to scrub the scene clean, left them wondering who had the means and the motive to erase any evidence so thoroughly. With each new report and dead-end, the investigation seemed to spiral further into uncertainty, and the reality of how much further they had to go weighed heavily on both men. They were now caught in a vicious cycle, unable to move forward and unsure of how much longer they could continue their efforts without hitting yet another brick wall. The term “negative data” was no longer just a descriptor for their reports—it had become the harsh reality they were forced to accept.