Case File: The Dairy Farm Slaughter – Autopsy Findings

Filed by: Loretta & David Smitty

Location: Tyler County Coroner’s Office

Date: November 24, 2025

Case Status: Active Investigation

Autopsy Report

Dr. Elaine Porter conducted the postmortem on Harold “Hal” Crouse. Findings:

• Two distinct blunt force impacts to the skull.

• First strike: angled, splintered bone, consistent with sudden rage.

• Second strike: deliberate, clean, fatal blow.

Forensic Implications

• The killer didn’t stop at the first strike. They made sure Hal was finished.

• This wasn’t random violence. It was personal.

• Tool marks consistent with a heavy farm implement—likely the broken pitchfork.

Investigator’s Note

One strike in anger, one strike to silence. Whoever swung that tool knew Hal, hated him, and wanted him gone. Rage alone doesn’t explain the second blow. That’s intent.

Reader Assignment

Clue #4 is on the table. Does the double strike point to Ray’s temper, Clint’s feud, or Martha’s cold calculation? Submit your theory. Next post, we dig into the will—who stood to gain when Hal cut out his son.

Missed the other clues? Check them out HERE!

"Unmasking evil, one body at a time"