Email correspondence from Byron Case
to Patrick Rock on 18 January 1998.
Emphasis is added to highlight particular information, and it has been edited for brevity and privacy.
This correspondence is mostly, as its subject implies, off-topic from most of the Q&E (Question and Evasion) that had preceded it. Much of the conversation is about a feature story in the ''Kansas City Star'' from January 11, 1998 that attempted to sensationalize Anastasia's murder by exploiting the "goth" angle. It was one of the rare occasions in which Anastasia's family and Byron Case agreed completely.

He gave some insight into some of the more pathetic efforts of police detectives, who (in the opinion of the family) wasted many weeks believing that Anastasia's murder could have been a "goth-cult" thing. The reference to "Pagan" is to a black cat that Anastasia and Justin had adopted.

While on that subject of "goth", Case made clear what was already known of Justin Bruton, that his tastes in music, clothing, etc. might have borne a casual relation to goth culture, but that he believed that "Justin was never 'goth'".

Subject: Re: Off-topic stuff
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 02:03:32 -0600
From: saviour888@juno.com (Byron C Case)
To: rockpf@swbell.net

Thank you for contacting me about this ... it's good to know that the article wasn't approved by everyone *but* me and my remaining friends. I'm terribly sorry to hear about what Anastasia's mother is doing. Keeping you from the girls is ridiculous. I understand your situation, as my family regards me as quite the horrid person simply because I refuse to believe in their (or any) god. It's sad when people can't just look at something logically and deal with it.

As for the article, I was not the only person I know who was quite disgusted by the haphazard journalism involved. What are the things that are supposedly acted out in groups? The entire thing was laughable to all that read the article and knew Justin & Anastasia.

According to Kelly, the police asked her countless questions about Pagan ... implying that they believed the cat to be involved in some kind of rituals. Stinking up the condo, maybe? They also asked a lot about suicide pacts. Our interpretation has been for some time, that the police think there was some kind of cult-like goings-on between the four of us. They should really start investigating, not running around in circles with these laughable conspiracy theories.

Regarding Justin ... he was never "goth". In fact, told me once that he made every attempt to avoid such a possibility. I never saw him wear all black. He wore grey and khaki constantly, however. If "dark" musical taste and a bit of a morbid streak automatically makes you goth, then I suppose he was. Beyond that, he was just a strange guy who loved the night. Anastasia, at least for a time, was far "darker" than he. But that's not saying much, considering that most people considered Justin to be like a big ten year-old.

-Byron C. Case

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