The Detective area is loosely organized into the following areas

• Tools
• Victim's Personal Items
• Crime Scene Items
• Child Witness
• Abduction and Stalking
• Memos and Clippings

Case Summary

Highlights of the 14 week investigation to assist newcomers.

Suspect Line Up

Fourteen persons have undergone close investigation. The actions of these persons of interest have been cross-referenced with the key information. Two prime suspects have been identified.

• Victim's Safety Deposit Box Contents
• Bank Records: Shows visitation
• Items Recovered
  • Personal Loan Contract
  • ATM slip (Spain)
  • Date Book
  • Photograph (unidentified)
  • Threatening Valentine
  • Frank Knight's Will
• Computer Files Investigators removed the victim's computer for file and disk analysis.
• Friend Brings Letter Caddy Haverson and Purity Knight exchanged letters while she traveled abroad. This letter, written by the victim in Spain, is important because it mentions Aaron Azeriah.
• Chemistry Syllabus || Chemistry Notes Victim's Chemistry assignments and her Chemistry syllabus. Knight was a lab partner with Kevin Stark, a witness to an interaction between Dylan Tull and an unidentified subject. Recovered from computer

• Crime Scene Photos & Video
• Incident Report
• Coroner Report
• Map of Body's Location

• Artwork Simple drawings like these samples, alerted summer-camp teachers, and led investigators to the child.
• The Victims Note Purity Knight gave a note to the child witness, Dylan Tull. It was found stuck between pages 54 and 55 of the Complete Poems of Edgar Allan Poe The book was in the University of Mississippi library.
• Tape Recording of Victim Dylan Tull recorded the victim's voice

• Shoe Print From Stalking Incident
• Letters and Photos from the Abductor
• Typeface Analysis of Notes sent to Detectives
• Ransom Note Sent to Knight family

• Memo Removing Anderson from the case 24 June 97, Detective Anderson is removed from the Knight investigation for undisclosed reasons.
• Letter from Detective Anderson, Detective Anderson attempts to explain why he didn't reveal his friendship with the victim.This link takes you to Anderson's personal web site.
• Ego Shovel Web Site and Ego Shovel Mail List [site copy, original is defunct]
• Letter From Mississippi Regional Center In the search for the child witness, investigators contacted all areas housing children. The Regional Center is located within walking distance of the crime scene.
• News Article Announcing Boy Witness Found Witness, Ben Archer, stated he saw a child in the area where he discovered Purity Knight's body. After a county-wide search the child is located.
• New Article Seeking Witnesses After speaking with the child seen at the crime scene, officials send a public appeal for a man that may have also been at the scene. The boy claims to have given the man Purity Knight's note.
• Memo from Child Protective Services A preliminary memo sent by Lori Evans of Yoknapatawpha County's Child Protective Services unit.
• National Star, Tabloid Article The tabloid media spend a day in Oxford doing an in-depth investigation. The article purports a police cover-up, and suggests that a similar murder in Oregon may have involved Detective Anderson.
• Cooter's Search Warrant || View Search Report Investigators searched the gathering place used by Oxford cult, Ego Shovel. Witnesses reported the victim spent over a week in residence here during a March celebration.
• Anderson Attempts to Post Purported Letter From Ed Pierce Detective Anderson has updated his site to include Poe links, a comments page, and his letter of explanation. Anderson recently came into possession of a letter that may be from Ed Pierce.
• Oregonian News Article A similar box incident was recorded in Oregon. It was noted in an article appearing in the National Star.
• Similar Case The actual survival instructions left in the box for kidnapping victim, Barbara Mackle. After the $500,000 ransom was paid, she was released after being buried for 83 hours. This case is from 1963.