On Saturday October 15, 2005 Pamela Vitale was brutally murdered in the mobile home she shared with her husband, Daniel Horowitz. Pamela’s husband claimed he came home and discovered his murdered wife in the doorway. He walked to the couch, picked up the phone, dialed 911, and then put down the phone without speaking to the operator. He then called the Lafayette police department on his cell to report the murder. It was approximately 5:45 PM. The investigation into Pamela’s murder would begin.
The Crime Scene
When police arrived at the residence where Pam Vitale lived, they found her body lying in the entryway just inside the front door. She was on her right side, with her head facing the door, a large amount of blood around her. Massive beating to the head and face was obvious, and she was covered with abraisions and lacerations, including on her arms, legs, hands and feet. Her nose was broken, exposing bone, and teeth were knocked out. She had been stabbed in the abdomen, and her back had been cut. The wound resembled the letter H.
Inside the home, blood was found in multiple places. Sergeant Daniel Hoffman testified "And in looking around I could see that there was blood, not only large portions of puddles of blood, but droplets of blood all over the front room, on pieces of furniture and on the wall and on the doors". Blood was also found in the bathroom and shower, and on several kitchen items. Dan Horowitz would later described the scene as a "Party of blood".
Objects in the home had been moved. A large TV and entertainment center was moved and mysteriously blocked the entryway to the room where guns were kept. Boxes in the home were crushed and displaced, many containing blood. Objects used as weapons were also covered in blood, including pieces of crown molding, a large vase and two utility flashlights
The brutal nature of the crime demands consideration. For anyone not familiar with the injuries sustained by Pamela Vitale, the autopsy report can be read here.
It's obvious from the blood all through the house, that the battle did not start and end in just one area. This was not a surprise blitz that started and ended in a doorway. Various weapons from inside the home were located, picked up and used. Furniture was moved, and bloody objects were placed in strange areas.
