Case closed before sundown
That same afternoon, Lincoln County Coroner Don Bender was alerted of Jill’s death and proceeded to the scene. He then transported Jill’s body to a funeral home in Hugo. Later, Undersheriff dictated the details of the case into a tape recorder. In under two hours, he signed off with no ballistic tests and only a cursory interview with Tanner was conducted. No autopsy was even carried out. Before sundown, Jill’s death was case closed.
