Piecing things together

CBI investigator Tom Griffin took the 13 bullet fragments to determine whether they could be linked to any of the .22-caliber guns that were at the scene when Jill died. After a series of tests, it was determined that the fragments were not from a bullet fired from any of the guns used by Jill and Tanner. Mike’s lever-action rifle “could have fired” the shot that killed Jill.

Was Tanner really to be blamed?

Kathy Parham, one of Jill’s closest friends, recalled what Jill told her about how Tanner was training hard to become a sharpshooter, just like his dad. Jill told Kathy that in one of the target shooting sessions they had, Mike snuck up behind Tanner as the boy was aiming at a target. As Tanner fired, so did Mike, perfectly piercing the bullseye. The boy thought it was his shot.