Robert Dorotik's Killing: A Case Study

In a small Southern California town, a woman calls police to report her husband never returned from his afternoon run. The police determine that Robert Dorotik was a marathon runner and suspected he had experienced a medical episode until they discover his body the next morning. Initial examination indicated death by blunt force trauma to the head. Additionally there was a rope around Bob’s neck and signs of strangulation. The tire tracks around the body implied the body had been dumped at the location. From the beginning, the evidence pointed to a sloppy or naïve murderer. The victim’s blood and scalp hair were under his clothes, indicating he was dressed after the murder. His shoes were tied with the bow on the outside, not as if he had tied them himself. The running shoes were clean and pristine, despite having rained on the day Robert was to have left the house to run. Investigation of the tire tracks showed mismatched tire treads. The expert determined that the vehicle was a pickup truck with three tires of one brand, and one tire of a different brand. The ME determines that Bob died not long after dinner, based on the contents of his stomach. This belies the statement made by his wife that he went running the next afternoon. The detectives visit

Morales. Looking for a motive, the detectives learn that Jane and Bob were separated and disagreed strongly over the horse ranch. Jane and Claire wanted to invest more money in the farm, convinced that expansion was best. Bob believed the horse farm was a failing proposition and wanted to sell. As the horse ranch was the primary income and registered to Jane, a divorce under California law required alimony payments be made to Bob. As Mr. Morales and Clair had alibis, Jane was arrested for the murder of Bob. A year later the jury found her guilty of first degree murder after four days of