Hobbs, New Mexico, USA. This was the view that the arriving police officers had when they responded to a location to check on the welfare of a 36-year-old white male. When the officers arrived at the scene, they observed what appeared to be a female figure with blond hair hanging from a weight bench by a chain attached to the neck.
Fig.1 This was the view that the arriving police officers had when they responded to the call. It appeared to be a female victim.
Fig.2 The man spent hours preparing for his events. This included makeup, female undergarments & outerwear. The mucous and protruding tongue are consistent with asphyxial death.
On entry to the premises, they ascertained that the victim was in fact a male wearing a blond wig. The victim was discovered in the northwestern bedroom. He was dressed in female lingerie and wearing the blond wig, facial makeup, and nail polish on his fingernails. He was also wearing black fishnet hosiery, a black garter belt, a black corset, a black leather bra, and women’s jewellery. In addition, he had a spiked leather collar, which was attached to a chain attached to the weight bench.
A vanity mirror had been positioned in front of the subject, which provided an opportunity for the subject to view himself from his position in the room. There was evidence of sexual activity in the scene and a possible suggestion of another participant. However, an officer noted that the premises were secured, and there were no signs of forced entry.
During the search of the crime scene, detectives opened and looked into the victim’s closet. They did not notice anything unusual at first. However, on closer examination they discovered that he had thousands of dollars worth of women’s nightgowns and lingerie secreted behind the regular clothing. He also had two very expensive women’s wigs and entire ensembles of fashion designer clothing, which he purchased in his own size. The subject also had a number of pairs of women’s panties in different sizes. He had women’s high-heel shoes in a “large” size, pocketbooks, and nylon stockings. His fantasies, which included bondage and autoerotic scenarios, were documented through photographs recovered at the scene and statements by his former wife who stated to police that she left him because of his “kinky sex habits.” The investigative significance of this case was revealed in the evidence collected by the authorities, which revealed the subject’s fantasies. The authorities collected evidence of solo sexual activity along with sexual fantasy aids
Fig.3 Body suspended from the weightbench in a kneeling position. Object on the floor is a clothespin with a fish weight on it attached to the victim’s interior thigh to cause pain
There had been evidence of prior dangerous autoerotic practice supported by statements by his former wife relative to his kinky sex games as well as his past autoerotic practice. There were not any apparent suicidal intentions and the investigators located photographs of the victim engaging in autoeroticism.
Fig.4 Note the positioned mirror.
In the adjoining room, the detectives observed that there was a black rubber dildo with fecal matter on it attached to the bedpost of the waterbed. Underneath the dildo was a hand towel and an open jar of petroleum jelly. There was a mirror placed on the floor with several Polaroid pictures. Some of these pictures were of a female dressed in lingerie, and glued onto these pictures was a simulation of a penis with bondage bands around the wrists. There were also other Polaroid pictures of the deceased wearing female attire and lingerie, involved in bondage scenes, and posing and simulating sexual activity. For instance, two Polaroids depicted the victim performing oral sex on a male partner. However, this turned out to be fabricated with a pair of stuffed jeans and a dildo. Apparently, the subject had been using the dildo as a sexual stimulus as he bent over and viewed the photographs, which were on the mirror.
Many sexual devices including various size dildos, were recovered in the house. There were different types of chains, restraint devices, handcuffs, nipple rings, and leather whips. The subject also had numerous sex magazines and pornographic tapes as well as a nude anatomically correct Barbie doll. In addition, police discovered a number of firearms hidden throughout the house in secret compartments. In the opinion of one of the authors whenever you have someone who is so thoroughly vested in pornography and this same person has access to a number of firearms, it is definitely a recipe for disaster.
Fig.5 An older image of the victim when alive. He had an extensive collection of expensive women’s lingerie and would dress up for his autoerotic exploits.
Interview of Victim’s Ex-Wife
When advised of her husband’s death, the ex-wife stated that this incident was probably due to his obsession with deviant sex. She told detectives that he was always “kinky,” but toward the end of their marriage, “she just couldn’t handle it.” His fixation on bondage and pain during sex frightened her. The witness stated that she left him after finding women’s attire in her house along with photographs of her husband dressed in sexy lingerie and bondage. She stated that her husband took the pictures of her in lingerie, found at the crime scene, when they were married.
Case Disposition
The case was properly classified as an autoerotic fatality based on the following considerations:
- Evidence of a physiological mechanism for obtaining or enhancing sexual arousal.
- Evidence of solo sexual activity.
- Evidence of sexual fantasy aids.
- Evidence of prior dangerous autoerotic practice.
- No apparent suicidal intentions.
- Statements by former wife relative to his “kinky” sex games as well as his past auto-erotic practice.
- Photographs of the victim engaging in autoeroticism.
- Extensive collection of women’s attire and lingerie.
Fig.6 An extensive collection of women’s lingerie, high heel shoes, and accessories were discovered in the victim’s closet.
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