Caller: I Was With Penney At 2 A.M. Sunday

FORREST

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 3/2/2013 at 16:34:54

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; Dec. 8, 1980

An anonymous telephone caller told The Hearld-Register Friday that he was with Penney Sue Forrest, 18, at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 30--some three hours after the time of death cited earlier by the Tama County medical examiner.

Dr. Charles Maplethorpe had said earlier that Forrest, whose body was found at about 1 p.m. Nov. 30 near the Marshall-Tama county line, had died at approximately 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29.

But, shortly before noon Friday, Dec. 4, a male caller telephoned the newspaper office to say: "The time of death in your story was wrong. I was with her at 2 a.m. on Sunday."

Despite repeated requests, the caller would not reveal his name, saying only that the Marshalltown police have it."

Neither the Marshalltown Police Department nor the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) would comment on whether they were aware of a person who had seen Forrest early Sunday morning.

But Maplethorpe, contacted Friday, acknowledged that authorities possess information to that effect.

"Evidently the DCI has found that she was last seen alive at 2 a.m.," the county medical examiner said. "So my estimate was off by [at least] three hours."

'10 FEET Away'

Maplethorpe said his estimate of the time of death was faulty because "I was checking from about 10 feet away."

An informed and reliable source has told The Herald-Register that Maplethorpe was prevented by county officials from examining the body more closely--partially because the DCI had not yet arrived, and partially because of friction between the medical examiner and the office of Tama County Attorney Jeff Corzatt.

Corzatt was unavailable for comment Friday. A secretary to the county attorney said Corzatt was not due back in his office until today.

Time of death is normally established by such procedures as the taking of body temperature and the presence of lividity--the gravitational flow of blood downward after the heart stops beating.

"Apparently they kept him [Maplethorpe] at a distance," the source said. "Corzatt wants to keep this case in Tama County.

The friction between the two offices apparently began a year ago when Maplethorpe ruled the death of a 10-year-old boy accidental--even though there were some questions concerning how the child died, the source said.

Official reports of Penney Forrest's death initially said that her body was found fully clothed. However, subsequent reports have indicated that she was nude from the waist down, although there was no immediate evidence that she was sexually assaulted, according to the source.

Although the death has officially been listed as a strangulation, "multiple stab wounds" were also discovered, the source said.

Meanwhile, the DCI was not adding anything to the information already made public concerning the homicide. Special Agent J.D. Smith said Friday that there was "nothing new" to report.

Authorities were thought to be investigating reports that Penney Forrest, who had been living with her parents, Jasper (Bud) and Karen Mae Belcher of 604 Pearl St., Grinnell, had been seen Saturday night entering a car driven by an unidentified man.

At week's end, no arrest warrants had been issued.

An autopsy on Forrest's body was conducted Sunday evening, Nov. 30, in Cedar Rapids, but details of that examination have not yet been revealed. Maplethorpe, however, had officially listed the cause of death as strangulation.

Authorities have said that there are some leads in the case, but there was no indication as to how close law-enformcement officers were to making an arrest.

Funeral services for Penney Forrest were conducted Thursday at the Smith Funeral Home here. She was buried at Hazelwood Cemetery.