The Eternal Flame

"I went in with the intention of telling the truth," she recalls, "but the detectives took me into a small room and their questions disturbed me--it was almost like an interrogation. So I just walked away."

Lori underwent therapy during the 1980s, mostly in an effort to salvage her failing marriage. Medical records show that, during some sessions, she revealed her father's violent streak, and how he and her brother had abused her.

That's as far as Lori could go at the time.
In June 1993, however, Lori Romaneck again contacted the Phoenix police department.

". . . I knew I'd rather be dead than keep the big secret anymore. So I made an appointment. 'Phoenix police? Hey, I need to speak to someone about a homicide. A very old homicide. Can I please come by?'"

Next week: The inside story of a police and fire investigation almost three decades after the fact, and the litigation that ensued.

Contact Paul Rubin at his online address: prubin@newtimes.com