I began my review of the book Invisible Eden: A Story of Love and Murder on Cape Cod, by Maria Flook, by stating; "On January 6, 2002, former fashion writer Christa Worthington was found murdered in her home in Truro, Massachusetts, a small town on the very tip of the finger of Cape Cod(...)
The murder has yet to be solved..."
When I posted that review, over two years after Christa's death, October of 2004, this was true.
What came next for Cape Cod men was a large-scale testing of their DNA.
It may have paid off.
Via CrimeNews2000, the following report; Trashman nabbed for Christa murder: Source: Hyannis man to be charged:
"...A 34-year-old trashman was arrested yesterday for the unsolved slaying of former fashion writer Christa Worthington, who was found dead on the kitchen floor of her remote seaside cottage in Truro, the Herald has learned.Christopher McCowen, who lives in a rooming house in Hyannis and works for a small Cape Cod trash hauling company, was busted at his home yesterday. He is expected to be charged with the Jan. 6, 2002, stabbing death of Worthington, whose toddler daughter was found near her mother's body, a source close to the case said..."
Civil libertarians in particular were up in arms over mass DNA swabbings, but now it appears to born homicidal fruit, after all. The garbage man, McCowen, gave a sample and this was apparently what led to his arrest. Funny that he was smart enough to avoid arrest up to this point, yet ends up giving a sample anyway. But psychos aren't known for their understanding of consequences.
In the course of the investigation many were subjects of strong suspicion - Tony Jackett, the already-married father of 6 who father's Christa's daughter Ava out of wedlock - Tim Arnold, children's book author with a brain disorder who dated Christa for a year - even Christa's own father, a former Massachusetts state prosecutor, "Toppy" Worthington, and his associates, particularly his 29-year-old drug addict girlfriend Elizabeth Porter.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
excellent Steve, really appreciate your staying on top of this "beat"
2 - Steve
Thanks Eric - naturally I was still interested, since I'd read that book, and found the news worth getting a little excited about.
What was super cool though was when I queried "worthington" in news.google.com a while ago and this entry was the top hit! Probably changed now, but I shoulda taken a screenshot.
3 - bhw
Wow, that's 2 for Massachusetts.
I remember reading a few months ago that only one case where DNA sweeps had been done had resulted in a match. And that case was also in Mass., in a town called Lawrence.
A nursing home attendant raped a young resident who was in a vegetative state. They only found out about it because the patient became pregnant. When the baby was born [sadly, severely brain damaged], they were able to conduct the DNA sweep. As in the Truro case, the guilty party actually voluntarily donated his semen.
I'm glad these guys have been caught, but I still don't like the DNA sweep idea from a civil liberties point of view.
4 - SFC SKI
I lived up in that area, so I am interested in that case.
The DNA sweep was voluntary, I see no issue. Sure, to refuse to give a sample might cause you to gain more police attention, even then it narrows down the leads for the police, and if you are innocent, there is nothing to find.
Most criminals believe they will never be caught, especially the longer they remain uncaught, eventually they will get caught.
5 - bhw
Which area, SKI, Lawrence or Truro?
My problem with the DNA sweep is this: the police tried to say that they weren't coercing anyone into supplying DNA, but then the police chief actually said that, yeah, if someone opted out, then they'd think that person had something to hide.
The mere assertion of your right not to submit DNA actually made you a suspect. That's not right, even if nothing ever came of it. I just remember that Jewell fellow who had his life turned upside down after the Olympic bombing. There *is* a cost to being investigated by the police, both in real terms and even in social terms. The seed of doubt was planted on any men who decided not to supply their DNA. The police should not put pressure on innocent citizens to prove their innocence or be faced with a scarlet A. That's not how our system is designed to work.
6 - SFC SKI
Even better, Provinetown.
7 - SFC SKI
Or for you tourists, Providencetown.
8 - bhw
Aka P-town? Or is there a separate Providencetown?
9 - SFC SKI
No, it's P-town. We always joked about it, the tourists always asked for T-shirts or souvenirs with "Providencetown" written on them.
Tourists, the necessary evil. I loved seeing Labor day cvome and go so the beaches would be mine again.
10 - Dave
Brilliant bit of police work in Truro. It took them three years to track down Christopher M. McCowen, a garbage collector who had access to Christa Worthington's premises and had known criminal and violent propensities.
I guess what threw the police and Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe off the track was the day of the slaying was not a regular trash day.
So the decided to randomly test innocent people by taking DNA samples as well as drag the private life of Christa into public view. And why wasn't McCowen's DNA tested earlier?
He apparently moved fairly frequently.
I believe I will stay in Virginia.
Dave
Herndon, VA
11 - Sheila
The DNA proves contact, but not murder. If it wasn't a regular trash day, it might have been a date.
Disclaimer: I'm just driving by this story. I don't know if there's dead-to-rights forensic evidence. I just found the quote below intriguing.
From the Providence Journal (where I work; free reg or bugmenot...):
Arrest in Cape slaying
12 - bhw
Sheila, I think they have their man. From what I've read, investigators have not been able to link the victim and the guy they arrested in any kind of personal relationship. And they pretty much tore her life inside out during the investigation.
13 - NycDivaFashionistah
I think Ms. Worthington was either being stalked by this guy Christopher. Maybe, he tried to come on to her and she was not interested and he could not deal with her rejection.
Then, I was thinking maybe, they had a argument about her trash pick up and he might have gotten drunk and came to her house on his off night and raped and killed her.
Last I read she was last seen on a store video shopping. Maybe, Christopher broke into her home when she was out and she caught him when she returned. I do recall reading that the back kitchen door was kicked in.
I hope he does confess and tell us what happened. Save us a lot of tax dollars. I don't know what the law is in Ma but he should get the electric chair or rot in jail.
My heart goes to Ava. May she live a happy and healthy life filled with loads of love.
Christa you are in my prayers rest in peace and look over Ava.
Chista was a writer, I feel like she is writing us a mystery from above and not sure yet how she wants her best seller to end.
Stay tuned. Something tells me there are more twists to this murder.
14 - bhw
No death penalty in MA.
15 - Dave
For those of you unfamiliar with the brilliant and chivalrous Michael O'Keefe I offer you the following quote from "Invisible Eden: A Story of Love and Murder on Cape Cod."
Among other things, O'Keefe is quoted as saying Christa Worthington "was an equal opportunity employer. She'd (expletive) the husbands of her female friends. The butcher or the banker."
16 - Steve
Don't forget the parts of "Invisible Eden" where it's pretty obvious the man was coming on to Maria Flook. And strangely, in spite of what she says, I just think she knew it and decided to laugh it off. Real peach, that DA.
17 - connecticut gal
Mr. McGowan is as guity as that black man -- Willie Bennett? - who Charles Stuart fingered after he butchered his pregnant wife.
Abbott and Costello could have done better than Truro Police Dept. Or, maybe they don't want to do the right thing.......
18 - Steve
I understand what you're saying, but unfortunately they are saying there was a solid DNA match. Stuart's story fell apart nearly from the beginning, and was based solely on his word.
I will give you this, though -- the Truro PD and the State Police both look like twits because of the stagnant nature of the investigation; the ridiculous delay in testing, for starters, is going to aid McCowen in court tremendously if he gets a smart lawyer, match or no. They will examine chain of custody with a great deal of interest, due to the excessively long time before testing.
19 - Lynn
Mccowens DNA was already in possesion of the state lab, unfortunately due to staffing shortages the sample wasn't tested until recently, leading to the arrest.
20 - Dave
There is a problem with the assertion by O'Keefe that staffing shortages were to blame. Staffing shortages were not the reason McCowen's DNA wasn't tested for over two years after the murder, incompetence was.
21 - Diane
Don't you guys get it? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out....The defendant did it...case closed.....he was drunk and on drugs, had been in prison for seven years, domestic abuse..considered killing the mother of one of his children...had numerous liaisons with ladies along his "garbage route," and most importantly he admitted to being at Christa's home and having sex with her.....and his semen was found on her body. Let her rest in peace instead of making her out to be a slut...she's gone...the defendant did it and that's all there is to it...The defense attorney is ridiculous....The academy awards don't come around for another six months....Is he practicing?
22 - SHIRL
IF THE POLICE WERE TRULY INTERESTED IN JUSTICE WHY NOT TEST THE GUY WITH MCGOWEN. IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT CHRISTA WAS BALLING THIS GARBAGEMAN. DIDN
T SHE HAVE SEMEN INSIDE HER FROM 3 MEN. GET OFF THE RACE BANDWAGON.
23 - gerry spisak
if you had read the book, you would realize that the proscuter had a problem getting his tests on dna done. i am glad that someone has been arrested for this crime.